Diabetic symptoms but nothing flagged up on blood tests

[TheWomanBehindTheMask]

Hi everyone,
I am a 24 year old woman who is really showing a lot of the symptoms of diabetes.
My symptoms are the following:
-always thirsty
-Constantly needing to wee, up to 12 times at night!
-dizziness
-exhaustion
-extreme hunger all the time

I have had a blood test done a few months ago and nothing was flagged up. How accurate are the blood tests? It wasn't a prick of the finger, it was collecting tubes of blood. I need answers

 

[Bruce Stephens]

How accurate are the blood tests? It wasn't a prick of the finger, it was collecting tubes of blood.

Presuming this is HbA1c it can be misleading (it's a measure of how haemoglobin is changed by glucose and relies on red blood cells lasting about the expected length of time (wikipedia says 100-120 days)). Some conditions can cause red cells to be replaced more quickly (leading to a low HbA1c reading) and some more slowly (leading to a misleadingly high HbA1c).

The symptoms you give seem to me (as a layperson) to be obviously problematic so I'd certainly recommend you keep asking for help with them, regardless of whether they turn out to be indicating diabetes mellitus or something else.

 

[rebrascora]

Usually with diabetes symptoms that severe you would have a very high HbA1c, so even with variation in the life span of Haemoglobin I would have expected diabetes to be indicated in the HbA1c result if it was the case.

Clearly you need more tests to establish what the problem is, so do keep in touch with your GP.

I am sure we have had a similar enquiry before and another ailment was suggested as a possible cause but I can't think what it was. Hopefully someone else will see this tomorrow and may be able to recall what I am trying to remember. Starting to recall it may have been something to do with a hormone imbalance in the brain but don't know what it was called.

If you continue to be concerned about it possibly being diabetes, you could get yourself a BG meter kit and test your own blood at home to give you some reassurance about that. They are relatively inexpensive @ approx. £15 for a basic model which comes with everything you need but usually only 10 test strips so you might need additional test strips, which work out at £8 for a pot of 50 for either the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Healthcare Tee2, which are the cheapest on the market to self fund. Both available online.... Amazon I think.

I hope you manage to get to the bottom of it soon. You must be absolutely shattered with all those night time pit stops. I know 5 or 6 a night for me for a couple of weeks before diagnosis had me on my knees.

Can you come back and let us know how you get on and if you have any more questions, please ask.

 

[TheWomanBehindTheMask]

Thank you both. It's absolutely exhausting, the symptoms only seem to be getting worse. I am really struggling tonight, feeling very unwell and dizzy. It's frustrating not knowing what it could be.

I've had my blood sugar tested quite a few times and each time it has been abnormally low and have been made to eat something sugary, is it possible to just have low blood sugar issues?

Will be calling my gp in the morning because I cant keep going on like this

 

[rebrascora]

It is possible to have a condition known as Reactive Hypoglycaemia where, after a carbohydrate rich meal the Blood Glucose goes high and then too low which can result in passing out but the patient can still have a reasonably normal HbA1c reading as the highs and lows cancel each other out but it doesn't cause thirst and weeing like you describe. The treatment for that is to eat little and often and keep carbohydrate intake to a minimum I believe.

@mikeyB Do you have any idea on this one? I have it in my head that you contributed to the other thread I am trying to remember. Apologies if I am mistaken on that.

If you are feeling so unwell then perhaps you should call 111 for advice tonight or even attend A&E.

 

[TheWomanBehindTheMask]

Hmm, it does seem very odd. Perhaps it's something completely unrelated to diabetes but I know I am in the higher risk group as it is. My eating habits are pretty awful, generally high carb/sugar and that's when I do eat. I normally leave it till 8pm and then binge which doesn't help my blood sugars I'm sure. I am currently trying to battle with my eating habits and hoping to get healthier.

I've been tempted to go to a and e all night but with the current circumstances, I just don't feel comfortable in doing so case in case I end up wasting their time. I will be on the phone to the Dr first thing in the morning.

Thank you again for your help and kindness

 

[rebrascora]

Just found what I was thinking of..... Diabetes insipidus .....This is not related to high BG levels and not the diabetes we know and don't love which is Diabetes Mellitus. It is quite rare but seems to fit what you are reporting. Look it up and see what you think.
I found it by searching Polydipsia

 

[Inka]

There could be a number of causes including erratic blood sugar. You said you had tubes of blood taken. I’d be asking exactly what they tested for.

If you do decide to buy a blood glucose meter, I’d test your blood sugar before your 8pm binge, 2hrs after (ie 10pm and at least once during the night.

There’s another condition connected with weeing through the night due to some deficiency, but I can’t remember the name for now (will google when I get a chance).

Did you speak to your GP?

 

[Bruce Stephens]

There’s another condition connected with weeing through the night due to some deficiency, but I can’t remember the name for now

As @rebrascora said, it's diabetes insipidus. It's unrelated to diabetes mellitus except for this symptom of extreme thirst and urination.

 

[Inka]

As @rebrascora said, it's diabetes insipidus. It's unrelated to diabetes mellitus except for this symptom of extreme thirst and urination.

No, I meant in addition to diabetes insipidus 🙂

It’s an acronym and i think it starts with ‘A’ but google hasn’t yielded anything yet.

 

[Toucan]

Hello @TheWomanBehindTheMask
Your symptoms sound very distressing. and I hope that you have been able to get some help from your GP.
An alternative would be to call the NHS helpline. Dial 111

 

[Madeline]

No, I meant in addition to diabetes insipidus 🙂

It’s an acronym and i think it starts with ‘A’ but google hasn’t yielded anything yet.

ADH Deficiency?

 

[rebrascora]

AHD deficiency and Diabetes Insipidus appear to be the same thing. AHD is another name for Vasopressin which is the hormone which supresses urine production.

@TheWomanBehindTheMask
You appear to have a pretty severe case of it if you are needing to drink and wee so much and you really need to push for testing for this which is totally different to diabetes related to Blood Glucose and testing is very different. The dizziness is likely due to low blood pressure. It can't be good for your kidneys to be put under so much pressure for long periods so please push for more tests.

 

[Madeline]

AHD deficiency and Diabetes Insipidus appear to be the same thing. AHD is another name for Vasopressin which is the hormone which supresses urine production.

Yep it is, it also fits @Inka’s acronym.

 

[TheWomanBehindTheMask]

A year on and I'm still struggling with these symptoms. Doctors were never concerned enough to do further testing. Tonight I've woken ip extremely parched, I've just down 4 glasses of water and still feel so thirsty. I'm absolutely exhausted. Really feeling quite unwell with it all it's definitely gotten worse instead of better. My weight has also increased significantly

 

[Inka]

So did you buy a blood glucose meter? What were the results of your tests?
What other things did they test for when they took the tubes of blood (I advised you to ask above)?

There are many causes of thirst not just diabetes.

 

[TheWomanBehindTheMask]

Hi,

I didn't buy one in the end as gp said it would be pointless and would prove nothing as even healthy people's blood sugar fluctuates. If I remember correctly as it was a while ago they did a full blood count and a hba1c.

It could be many things it just seems odd that I have all the symptoms of diabetes according to the symtom list on NHS for type 2. I've not long moved house and I am now registered under a new gp, I'm hoping I can press them to try and do some further tests.

Do you think it would be as pointless investing in a blood glucose reader like the Dr said?

 

[TheWomanBehindTheMask]

Also when I eat I feel my heart pounding and I get really tired and lethargic. I don't know if this relates to diabetes or if its something else

 

[Inka]

@TheWomanBehindTheMask If your GP did an HbA1C and a full blood count and you didn’t have diabetes, then you don’t have diabetes - because the HbA1C is the diagnostic test. The full blood count would have shown anything like anaemia that can sometimes affect the test.

The symptoms of Type 2 diabetes are quite general eg there are a number of things that cause thirst, including physical causes like sinus issues and catarrh. Sinus/catarrh can also cause dizziness and tiredness too if it’s waking you in the night. Even something as simple as using the ‘wrong’ toothpaste can cause a dry mouth. Mouth-breathing is another cause.

So, your GP is correct in that if your HbA1C was normal you don’t have diabetes. If you really want to verify that for yourself then buying a blood glucose meter is an idea, but it’s not necessary. It was more a ‘if it’s still niggling at you’ suggestion to ease your worries. The alternative is asking for another HbA1C test from your GP.

In your original post you mentioned going to the toilet a lot. That would be something I’d be pursuing rather than the diabetes. That is, do you have a UTI, cystitis, hormone issues causing dryness, etc etc, or is it simply because your mouths getting dry at night so you’re drinking a lot to try to relieve that?

Don’t fixate on diabetes. Keep an open mind as to the cause of your symptoms. Remember you’ve had diabetes ruled out by your GP. Don’t let a mistaken focus on that distract you from other possible problems.

 

[Leadinglights]

Frequent visits to the loo can be caused by bladder sensitivity to caffeine so do you drink a lot of tea or coffee or coke as they can be a problem. So it can become a vicious circle.