Fatigue

[Whitney]

hello all, sorry to be annoying. Just wondering if any of you experience SEVERE fatigue after eating. Im a type 1, It doesn’t matter how much I eat if my bloods go up even slightly (to 8) I get extremely tired and find myself having to sleep due to the sluggish feeling and my eyes not being able to stay open. However, even when my bloods get back into range I’m still tired. This happens so often that I feel myself not eating much anymore as after everything I eat I just get wiped out within about half an hour. Anybody got any advice? I’ve told my diabetic team and they have informed me that there’s nothing that they can do, however it’s destroying me.

 

[mikeyB]

Hi Whitney, welcome to the forum.🙂

I’ve no idea to be honest. 8 is a near enough normal spike for a non diabetic, so I’m not surprised your diabetes team is at a loss. It depends to a degree when you test after eating - that may be an 8 coming down from a higher spike, or on the way up to a higher level. Either could make you tired. You can’t assess this, though, without a flash monitoring system such as the Libre.

How long have you been T1? And has this only happened since?

I’m sure others will be along with suggestions, so hang around 🙂

 

[Whitney]

Hi Whitney, welcome to the forum.🙂

I’ve no idea to be honest. 8 is a near enough normal spike for a non diabetic, so I’m not surprised your diabetes team is at a loss. It depends to a degree when you test after eating - that may be an 8 coming down from a higher spike, or on the way up to a higher level. Either could make you tired. You can’t assess this, though, without a flash monitoring system such as the Libre.

How long have you been T1? And has this only happened since?

I’m sure others will be along with suggestions, so hang around 🙂

Hi thanks for the response! I’ve been type 1 for about 2 and a half years and it’s only been happening since diagnosis. That’s exactly what I’ve been told that 8 isn’t even that high. I’m on the libre! 🙂

 

[HOBIE]

If I over do eating. I get tired. Its not nice & I don't like the sweet stuff at all. Are you keeping hydrated. Good luck WK & welcome

 

[PhoebeC]

What do you normally eat?

I'm always tired but it isn't really to do with when I eat.

Also as Hobie said are you drinking enough?

Are there any other symptoms? It could be done diabetes related.

Also no post on here could ever be annoying, never think that. We are here to support you, its so hard being a diabetic or even just being unwell.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Hi thanks for the response! I’ve been type 1 for about 2 and a half years and it’s only been happening since diagnosis. That’s exactly what I’ve been told that 8 isn’t even that high. I’m on the libre!

I've no idea, but it sounds odd. And it's a change that you've noticed, so it seems to me likely that your healthcare team ought to be interested in it (if only to eliminate nasty things that might be causing it).

It's obviously normal to feel a bit sleepy after an unusually large lunch (for example), but you've noticed this as a change which suggests something's different.

I'd have thought the best idea is to keep mentioning it, not just to your diabetes team but also to your GP (since it might not be directly diabetes-related).

 

[HJ8684]

Hi Whitney
Sorry to hear that. The only time I've had severe fatigue after lunch every day was when I was ill with depression. I'm sure there are lots of other causes but its worth having a chat with a GP.
Hope this helps.

 

[Whitney]

Just eat normally, yeah I think I’m drinking enough! The symptoms are my eyes closing and feeling sore, constant yawning, my body jumps and jilts and my body goes tingly :/

What do you normally eat?

I'm always tired but it isn't really to do with when I eat.

Also as Hobie said are you drinking enough?

Are there any other symptoms? It could be done diabetes related.

Also no post on here could ever be annoying, never think that. We are here to support you, its so hard being a diabetic or even just being unwell.

ust eat

 

[Whitney]

Yeah it’s odd it’s gotten to the stage were I can’t eat anything because I feel like I’m going to die after eating my body goes numb and tingly I get extremely tired my eyes get sore and begin to close it’s horrible :/

I've no idea, but it sounds odd. And it's a change that you've noticed, so it seems to me likely that your healthcare team ought to be interested in it (if only to eliminate nasty things that might be causing it).

It's obviously normal to feel a bit sleepy after an unusually large lunch (for example), but you've noticed this as a change which suggests something's different.

I'd have thought the best idea is to keep mentioning it, not just to your diabetes team but also to your GP (since it might not be directly diabetes-related).

 

[Ljc]

Hi Whitney. I think your best port of call is the gp who may well want to do some blood tests to see if amongst other things if you are lacking anything. I get very tired if my levels go into the 9s but that’s just normal for me.

Yeah it’s odd it’s gotten to the stage were I can’t eat anything because I feel like I’m going to die after eating my body goes numb and tingly I get extremely tired my eyes get sore and begin to close it’s horrible :/

Those symptoms sound horrible they also don’t sound like anything to do with diabetes to me, but I am no medic, please see your Gp.

 

[Whitney]

Hi Whitney. I think your best port of call is the gp who may well want to do some blood tests to see if amongst other things if you are lacking anything. I get very tired if my levels go into the 9s but that’s just normal for me.


Those symptoms sound horrible they also don’t sound like anything to do with diabetes to me, but I am no medic, please see your Gp.

I’m going to the GP tomorrow! It’s truly awful because say if I eat breakfast I’ll be ready to go back to bed even though I’ve only been up for about half an hour I’ve just thought it was because my bloods are constantly going up and down but it’s getting to the point were it’s ruining my life haha.

Thanks for the reply! 🙂

 

[mikeyB]

Are you on any other medication apart from insulin?

 

[Whitney]

Are you on any other medication apart from insulin?

Hi, nope just insulin. However I am extremely sensitive to insulin and dont require as much as most diabetics. Went to the doctors today and they were pretty much useless, just sucks to feel this way, I always thought it was just a diabetes thing and it’s interesting to hear that nobody else really feels this way :-/

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I always thought it was just a diabetes thing

The various web pages suggest that it can be a symptom of diabetes, but you already know you've got that, and by the sounds of it your BG is fine.

Another suggestion I read is allergies which sounds plausible. (Also, I imagine, quite hard to rule out.) Presumably that would be an allergic reaction not strong enough that you'd immediately recognise it but strong enough that it knocks you our for a while.

If you ever get to see someone interested enough to want to investigate, might be worth trying to see a dietician and seeing if they can suggest things you might want to try in a safe way. (You wouldn't want to randomly eliminate foods on the offchance you have some reaction to them.)

 

[mikeyB]

The other possibility is magnesium deficiency, which can happen in diabetes, though it’s rare. That can cause profound fatigue, though it is often accompanied by muscle weakness and can cause muscle twitching.

It might be worth getting your magnesium levels checked.