Diabetic symptoms but test negative.

[Abella]

Hi, I'm new here and need advice.

I have a lot of diabetic symptoms, but I had blood tests a couple of weeks ago that came out negative.

My symptoms are: Always thirsty and needing to pee (unlike usual), tingling/ pain in my hands, always really tired, weak, blurry vision, getting really dizzy, I have unintentionally lost weight even though I am always hungry, and I get waves (best way to describe it) of generally feeling awful.

I have had every test under the sun to rule out things, but whenever I get a new symptom, it is always somehow related to diabetes. Just to note I am a generally fit fourteen-year-old girl, and a well eating person (am not overweight or underweight). I have severe asthma but nothing else. There is a history of type 1 diabetes in my family.

It started about six weeks ago. I had a jam sandwich for lunch, and about 10/20 mins later I started sweating and suddenly felt like I was going to pass out. I had a racing heart and collapsed. After about 5 mins I could get up and sit somewhere better, but I felt awful for the rest of the day.

I had a few 'things' like this before I realised it was only after I ate something that high sugar content. When it happened at home, my mum took me to the emergency doctor (by the time I got there it was about 50 mins after I had eaten a chocolate coin) and she measured me at 11.1, which she said was high but not enough to say I definitely have it.

Since then, I have cut out sugar and have just had the symptoms listed, mainly the excessive tiredness and dizziness. I have only collapsed three times since this, and the doctors each say something different every time. They're very imprecise.

Once they said it was stress, once they said I was just sensitive to sugar, but until I had the test, they all said it was likely diabetes. Could the test show I could be on the edge of it?

I'm sorry this was so long, but I am desperate for help. I don't feel at all well and it is effecting me at school.

 

[Copepod]

Welcome to the forum Abella. I don't want you to get no reply until the morning, but really need to sleep now as I have a long commute to an early start at work tomorrow. I hope someone will reply soon.

 

[Northerner]

Hi, I'm new here and need advice.

I have a lot of diabetic symptoms, but I had blood tests a couple of weeks ago that came out negative.

My symptoms are: Always thirsty and needing to pee (unlike usual), tingling/ pain in my hands, always really tired, weak, blurry vision, getting really dizzy, I have unintentionally lost weight even though I am always hungry, and I get waves (best way to describe it) of generally feeling awful.

I have had every test under the sun to rule out things, but whenever I get a new symptom, it is always somehow related to diabetes. Just to note I am a generally fit fourteen-year-old girl, and a well eating person (am not overweight or underweight). I have severe asthma but nothing else. There is a history of type 1 diabetes in my family.

It started about six weeks ago. I had a jam sandwich for lunch, and about 10/20 mins later I started sweating and suddenly felt like I was going to pass out. I had a racing heart and collapsed. After about 5 mins I could get up and sit somewhere better, but I felt awful for the rest of the day.

I had a few 'things' like this before I realised it was only after I ate something that high sugar content. When it happened at home, my mum took me to the emergency doctor (by the time I got there it was about 50 mins after I had eaten a chocolate coin) and she measured me at 11.1, which she said was high but not enough to say I definitely have it.

Since then, I have cut out sugar and have just had the symptoms listed, mainly the excessive tiredness and dizziness. I have only collapsed three times since this, and the doctors each say something different every time. They're very imprecise.

Once they said it was stress, once they said I was just sensitive to sugar, but until I had the test, they all said it was likely diabetes. Could the test show I could be on the edge of it?

I'm sorry this was so long, but I am desperate for help. I don't feel at all well and it is effecting me at school.

Hi @Abella, welcome to the forum 🙂

Very sorry to hear that you are feeling like this What test did the doctor do? Was it a finger prick blood test? Do you know what the result was? It would be very helpful for you to know what your blood sugar levels are when you feel like this, and also what they are like more generally. Most pharmacies will perform a free blood sugar check for you, so a 'second opinion' might help. I'd suggest talking to your parents about possibly getting your own blood sugar monitor and test strips so you can test at home when you feel poorly. The cheapest option we have come across is the SD Codefree Meter which comes with lancets and 10 test strips and costs about £13. Replacement test strips are around £8 for 50 (most other brands charge £25-£30 for test strips). Using this would help you get a better idea of whether your blood sugar levels are part of the reason you feel unwell. I would also suggest contacting the Diabetes UK Helpline service, as they have trained people who can help you with this:

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/helpline

I hope you can get some answers so you can start feeling much better very soon, please let us know how you get on 🙂

 

[Abella]

Hi @Abella, welcome to the forum 🙂

Very sorry to hear that you are feeling like this What test did the doctor do? Was it a finger prick blood test? Do you know what the result was? It would be very helpful for you to know what your blood sugar levels are when you feel like this, and also what they are like more generally. Most pharmacies will perform a free blood sugar check for you, so a 'second opinion' might help. I'd suggest talking to your parents about possibly getting your own blood sugar monitor and test strips so you can test at home when you feel poorly. The cheapest option we have come across is the SD Codefree Meter which comes with lancets and 10 test strips and costs about £13. Replacement test strips are around £8 for 50 (most other brands charge £25-£30 for test strips). Using this would help you get a better idea of whether your blood sugar levels are part of the reason you feel unwell. I would also suggest contacting the Diabetes UK Helpline service, as they have trained people who can help you with this:

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/helpline

I hope you can get some answers so you can start feeling much better very soon, please let us know how you get on 🙂

Thank you, I will do this. The test that I had was where they just took a couple of tubes of blood from my arm (don't know how else to put it!). The difference was that I was feeling almost fine when they did it.

 

[Northerner]

Thank you, I will do this. The test that I had was where they just took a couple of tubes of blood from my arm (don't know how else to put it!). The difference was that I was feeling almost fine when they did it.

That sounds like it might have been an HbA1c test, which gives a sort of average of your blood sugar levels over the 6-12 weeks prior to the test. It is one indicator of whether it might be diabetes or not and doesn't really reflect how you might be feeling at that moment in time. It would be worth knowing what's going on when you are actually feeling poorly. Have a read of the following page:
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Managing-your-diabetes/Testing/

 

[Pumper_Sue]

@Abella just a suggestion, you mention that you have asthma do you take a lot of steroid inhalers? If you do perhaps ask they check your cortisol levels a your adrenal glands might be taking a rest due to any excess steroid in your system.
Hope you are soon fixed up.

 

[Abella]

@Abella just a suggestion, you mention that you have asthma do you take a lot of steroid inhalers? If you do perhaps ask they check your cortisol levels a your adrenal glands might be taking a rest due to any excess steroid in your system.
Hope you are soon fixed up.

Yes, I do take steroid inhalers, one which a mix of a few different things. Thanks for saying this, I will mention it to the doctor.

 

[Abella]

That sounds like it might have been an HbA1c test, which gives a sort of average of your blood sugar levels over the 6-12 weeks prior to the test. It is one indicator of whether it might be diabetes or not and doesn't really reflect how you might be feeling at that moment in time. It would be worth knowing what's going on when you are actually feeling poorly. Have a read of the following page:
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Managing-your-diabetes/Testing/

Thanks, this was helpful. I didn't know it tested for the past few months. Would it make a difference that I had only been having problems for about two weeks before? All of the fingerprick tests come out pretty high.

 

[Northerner]

Thanks, this was helpful. I didn't know it tested for the past few months. Would it make a difference that I had only been having problems for about two weeks before? All of the fingerprick tests come out pretty high.

Yes, it would make a difference if you've only been having symptoms for a couple of weeks. Although the test is weighted more towards recent weeks, if your levels had been reasonably normal for several weeks before then it may mean the result would appear less significant. At your age diabetes can have quite a rapid onset, it tends to be slower the older a person is. When you say finger prick tests are high, what sort of levels are you getting and at what point have you had the tests done e.g. fasting, before/after eating?

 

[Abella]

Yes, it would make a difference if you've only been having symptoms for a couple of weeks. Although the test is weighted more towards recent weeks, if your levels had been reasonably normal for several weeks before then it may mean the result would appear less significant. At your age diabetes can have quite a rapid onset, it tends to be slower the older a person is. When you say finger prick tests are high, what sort of levels are you getting and at what point have you had the tests done e.g. fasting, before/after eating?

I meant that the majority came out over ten, even on fasting. I haven't measured since cutting out sugar, even though I still feel poorly. I am going to get one of the home kits. By the way thankyou for replying, it helps alot.

 

[Abella]

Ok, I phoned up the doctors today and apparently they haven't tested me for diabetes. They told us it was included in the tests they did, but obviously not. I have to wait until Monday for an appointment but hopefully I can get it sorted then. Thanks tons for your help but now I just have to wait for the doctors to sort me out. 😛 I think I can last till then.

 

[Ditto]

Hello and welcome to the forum Abella. I hope your test is negative. 🙂

 

[johnnyXS]

Welcome Abella
I have the exact same symptoms. I sufferered for years with periodic blurred vision,dry burning eyes, dehydration, fatigue,confusion,excessive urination and thirst. I assumed that it was due to UTIs

Although I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes as my blood glucose levels were 38 mmol/L Months later further tests revealed that I also had a Pituitary tumour ( nearly always benign) The Pituitary gland has a lot to do with water regulation in the body .It controls water retention and excretion via the Kidneys. Your excess thirst and urination may have a lot to do with the body trying to deal with excess blood glucose.

I would recommend that you request your Doctor carrys out a simple blood test to rule out Diabetes Insipidus due to Hypopituitarism .Worth reading up about it on the Pituitary Foundation website
https://www.pituitary.org.uk/information/pituitary-conditions/hypopituitarism/

 

[Northerner]

Ok, I phoned up the doctors today and apparently they haven't tested me for diabetes. They told us it was included in the tests they did, but obviously not. I have to wait until Monday for an appointment but hopefully I can get it sorted then. Thanks tons for your help but now I just have to wait for the doctors to sort me out. 😛 I think I can last till then.

I hope that the appointment goes well, and that you can get to the bottom of your problems @Abella 🙂 Have to say, it's a bit shocking that someone your age turning up showing many of the symptoms of diabetes doesn't get tested for it