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Anxiety or BG level symptom?

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AndrewLee

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Type 2
Hi guys. Diagnosed 3 days ago.
I’d love some held or advice.
Leading up to diagnoses was couple of weeks of frequent urination, followed by fuzzy eye sight and ‘feelings of dread’. I was actually diagnosed with just a urine infection at first but the feelings of dread and fuzzy vision persisted after the antibiotics so had another blood test and confirmed it was diabetes. I am overweight and
I am a terrible worrier and suffer with anxiety especially health related. However I have lost the weight before and know I can do it again.
Started metformin 3 days ago and immediately switched to low carb diet (although appetite isn’t really there at the moment with worry)
I have noticed over the last two days I have spells of ‘feeing of dread’ rather than it being all day. I’ve had a few breaks from it so to speak. But what I’m unsure about it whether this is a symptom of the early part of my journey and reducing my blood sugar or whether it is in my head as being somebody with anxiety. I still have fuzzy vision and have been told by others they had the same until they got their BG levels down. But as much as I’m determined to do everything necessary to get into shape and sort this out I’m just struggling with feeling ok one minute and then suddenly having a feeling of dread come over me and I can’t seem to settle it. Will this go away as I get my BG levels into range?
 
Hi Andrew, I am sure you will get lots of good advice from members here/ I am recently diagnosed so not an expert...

I have had some issues with blurred vision, headaches and what feels like half the symptoms of a hypo. I was diagnosed last month and put straight onto metaformin. I read that you can't get Hypos if you are on it so asked my nurse who assured me that a lot of it is coming from changing to low carb diet. So some of what you are experiencing may be that. It could be anxiety too. Try to be gentle with yourself.
 
Thanks for sharing your experience. Really helps x

Neens said:
Hi Andrew, I am sure you will get lots of good advice from members here/ I am recently diagnosed so not an expert...

I have had some issues with blurred vision, headaches and what feels like half the symptoms of a hypo. I was diagnosed last month and put straight onto metaformin. I read that you can't get Hypos if you are on it so asked my nurse who assured me that a lot of it is coming from changing to low carb diet. So some of what you are experiencing may be that. It could be anxiety too. Try to be gentle with yourself.
Click to expand...
 
No-one knows exactly why, or can prove a link, but there is a high incidence of those sort of feelings in people with diabetes
They're difficult to describe exactly, and difficult to pin down, but things like : anxiety, looking over your shoulder, not quite right, or that something unpleasant is going to happen, and so on
My wife has described me as being 'inclined to be melancholy'

So take some comfort and reassurance from the fact that you are not alone. there are some things you can do -

Get your diabetes /sugar control right. There is lots of advice on here and that aspect is relatively straightforward. Once you get that right most of the physical symptoms and a lot of the worry goes away of its own accord

As far as the anxiety goes, I had various sessions with professionals, but they didn't do much good (not to say they might be OK for you); clinics can be depressing places.
Eventually, I just got fed up with being miserable and sitting around. I gave myself a good talking to - you're a grown man! reasonably intelligent & capable; stop being so pathetic!
So I set to on a couple of old hobbies I hadn't touched for years, and started a couple of new ones - Hiking & backpacking (joined a club); model planes; knife making; leatherwork; photography.
In other words, keep yourself busy!

Just Search YouTube to see the sort of things that can be done

I looked at The Mens Sheds Association, which would have been ideal as they are set up for exactly this situation. Unfortunately there isn't one near me and I don't have the skill to set one up myself - find them on Google www.ukmsa.co.uk
But I've joined a local Working Mens Club. Yes, they do tend to revolve around football & beer, but not exclusively. it's a very friendly place, and I've got to know a few people.
One of them is restoring an old tractor, I think I'll offer to help him if he'll have me

So you don't have to do exactly all of these things, but you get the idea
You don't have to be supremely good at them, as long as you enjoy them, and even lose yourself in them.
And it helps if you can dredge up a bit of ancient hippy zen as well!

Oh yes, nearly forgot
My doctor was pleased that I'd taken up hiking again
He said that everyone, certainly with diabetes, should take up a sport of some kind, because "it's possible to sweat and relax at the same time"
 
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AndrewLee said:
Thanks for sharing your experience. Really helps x
Click to expand...
You're welcome - talk it through with your team at your next appointment. They have vast knowledge/ experience and in the meantime post away here, there are lots of very helpful conversations. I just come and read and learn so much. I panicked so much my first week and couldn't join up here for about 3 weeks, so amazing achievement #2 for you is coming here straight off the bat. (Achievement #1 is not feeling dread all day). Some days are better than others, but we are 1 of millions... so certainly not alone.
 
Hello Andrew,
Welcome to the forum. Many of us found it very stressful when we were first diagnosed, but there is a great deal of help available, so try not to worry so much.
The 3 main things to deal with are a good eating plan, increased exercise and whatever medication is recommended for you. Loosing weight will help a lot, and as you say you have been successful with this before, so there is a good chance that you will cope with this well. Many of us on the forum follow low-carb eating and this works well. If you need more information on this, let us know and we can give you some further information and links.
Do you know what your blood sugar levels are?
 
Hello @AndrewLee

Welcome to the forum. Elevated BG can certainly impact mood and emotions, but what you are describing sounds more to me like the very natural adjustment and emotional upheaval that can follow a diagnosis with a long term condition. Some people liken it to a form of ‘grieving’ for your lost health.

But take heart, there are lots of friendly folks here to give you practical pointers and emotional support and diabetes is a condition that is eminently manageable for the vast majority of people. Gradual changes and improvements to your BG levels will be easier on your system, so don’t worry that you have to ‘fix everything’ immediately - you have plenty of time to adjust and adapt to a newer, healthier way of living.

Take a look in the ‘links for new members’ section for some really useful information and tips, especially Maggie Daley’s letter and AlanS’s Test Review Adjust.

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/board...for-people-new-to-diabetes.10406/#post-938458

And let us know how you are getting on 🙂
 
Toucan said:
Hello Andrew,
Welcome to the forum. Many of us found it very stressful when we were first diagnosed, but there is a great deal of help available, so try not to worry so much.
The 3 main things to deal with are a good eating plan, increased exercise and whatever medication is recommended for you. Loosing weight will help a lot, and as you say you have been successful with this before, so there is a good chance that you will cope with this well. Many of us on the forum follow low-carb eating and this works well. If you need more information on this, let us know and we can give you some further information and links.
Do you know what your blood sugar levels are?
Click to expand...

thank you for your kind words.
My hb1ac was I think 83 or there abouts.
My first BG reading was 15 (this was the night I was diagnosed at gp and then sent to hospital for tests.)
Following morning my BG level was 13.5. I was discharged that day and immediately began a low carb diet which I’ve had great success with as I say in the past. Full ketogenic diet I did.
Anyway that was Tuesday I was discharged so technically into day 3 of my journey.
BG levels across last 2 days fluctuate between 8 and 11. Sudden change in diet and metformin and blood sugar coming down will probs be some kind of catalyst in these sudden bouts of anxiety no doubt.
Naturally dropped my calorie intake too as the stress of it all ya taken away my appetite.
 
Hi again Andrew.
Sounds as if you are starting around about where I was when I was first diagnosed, and although it took a while I've now got myself back to acceptable levels. So although you need to have a plan to improve the BS levels, please try not to be too anxious about it, and as Zuludog suggests, try not to let it become the centre of everything and focus on other interests.
Overall in the long term I think diabetes has done me some favours, I now lead a much healthier lifestyle and have more energy to enjoy life. I also via the NHS get regular health check-ups - so it's not all bad!
Very Best wishes with finding your way through, and please keep asking any questions you have, and let us know how it is going.
 
Toucan said:
Hi again Andrew.
Sounds as if you are starting around about where I was when I was first diagnosed, and although it took a while I've now got myself back to acceptable levels. So although you need to have a plan to improve the BS levels, please try not to be too anxious about it, and as Zuludog suggests, try not to let it become the centre of everything and focus on other interests.
Overall in the long term I think diabetes has done me some favours, I now lead a much healthier lifestyle and have more energy to enjoy life. I also via the NHS get regular health check-ups - so it's not all bad!
Very Best wishes with finding your way through, and please keep asking any questions you have, and let us know how it is going.
Click to expand...
Will do. Thank you again! Means a lot x
 
Hello Andrew

At the risk of labouring the point I thought I'd let you know about some of my friends and their pastimes & hobbies, in the hope that it will encourage you, and help you to 'get out of yourself' as my Mum used to say
Most of them do more than one of these activities
AFAIK only one has diabetes, and depression/anxiety seems to be pretty low, if at all.

Walking & hiking is very common, from easy rambles to longer backpacking trips
Look for a local walking club or The Ramblers. Ask at your doctor, sports centre, or health centre. They usually have some kind of easy health or family walk, as much for the company as the exercise

3 of us make model planes or tanks, like Airfix kits; This was fairly popular with the Baby Boomer generation, and some of us have kept it up

One couple visit historic buildings - castles, museums, stately homes etc.
They also go walking in Rural London; yes, there is such a thing. Search YouTube for 'London Loop Walk', and follow the links

One friend was bullied by his wife on a Sunday morning to go to her Tai Chi class - "she got me with a rotten hangover and I was too weak to argue"
this led on to martial arts; he gave up smoking and drinking, and worked his way up the grades & belts

Another friend served in The Royal Marines and REME. Then he worked as a plant mechanic - bulldozers, diggers, and so on . His hobby is knitting

Another goes fishing, sea & river. He says that walking along a river bank in the early morning mist, or sitting on a beach and staring out to sea is all part of it. He takes a camping stove to make a brew

My neighbour is keen on football, but now he's too old to play he helps with a local youth team - coaching, fund raising, and washing muddy kit

I know another couple who do leatherwork, and also go to Folk, and Blues Festivals.

As I've got older I don't do so much long hard walking, but I've started doing something I call 'looking at England' - castles, museums, stretches of coastline, pretty countryside, and sometimes towns & cities.
I like driving at night; I cruise around in a general direction and end up at some small town or village very early in the morning. Then I just mooch around and watch the place wake up
I, too, take a camping stove

On one walk I got talking to a couple who were combining their walking trips with visiting every cathedral in Britain

Well alright, perhaps I've laid it on a it, but you get the idea. It's not so much what you do, as long as you actually do something

Oh yes - there's always golf!
 
Thanks so much for all those suggestions. I have recently started enjoying walking and found that even a walk round the block helps calm me down. I’ll certainly come up with a plan.
 
AndrewLee said:
Thanks so much for all those suggestions. I have recently started enjoying walking and found that even a walk round the block helps calm me down. I’ll certainly come up with a plan.
Click to expand...

That’s great to hear Andrew. Keep us posted 🙂
 
Yoga ... I often had anxiety but yoga really helps, lots of blokes go to classes and it helps with stress, stiffness back pain etc ... bit much but I thought I’d throw it out there... and mindfulness also good for overthinking...painting ... ? Adult colouring books, staring at fires/candles, good book? X
 
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