Hi All

[Paul H71]

Hi All, I’m new to the forum and new to Type 2 also.
Just wanted to say hello and ask for advice if possible ?

I was diagnosed end of Nov 22 with Type 2 Diabetes, I wasn’t too surprised due to googling some of my symptoms a couple of weeks leading up to my diagnosis. My initial reading with my Diabetes nurse was 22.2

Was given some great advice on how to deal with this, and I totally embraced it. I stopped eating anything with added sugars and kind of put myself on a Mediterranean Diet, all cooked from fresh and I started to feel fantastic within 2 weeks of my diagnosis, this was along with a 40 min brisk walk every evening on return from work.
Initially this was brilliant, I felt great, felt fresh and have lost around 23 pounds in just over 10 weeks.
I now weigh around 15st 5lbs and am aiming to lose another 2 stone.
This was alongside taking 1x Gliclozide before breakfast and 2 Metformin with breakfast, same at evening meal.

Around 6 weeks in I started to feel very unwell, all the signs of a Urinary Tract Infection including feeling like I needed to pee a lot but not feeling like I’d emptied my bladder fully, then kidney area started to ache, then the worst of all started.
Freezing cold night sweats. Oh my God. This is now unbearable and it is now disrupting nearly every aspect of my life.
I wake up soaking, the bed is soaked and I’m freezing cold. Have checked sugar levels, no sign of hypo’s.

After contacting the Dr’s many times the past 4 weeks, they initially thought I was taking too many meds, combined with the changes I’d made to diet and exercise. So they took me off the Gliclozide, after a week no change.
They then told me to only take 1x Metformin, after a week no change.
Have been for blood tests, chest X-ray, numerous urine samples dropped off. They see no issues.
They suspected a UTI and I’m on my second bout of antibiotics, no change.
I asked my Diabetes nurse if I could try slow release Metformin, no change.

After some online research, I’m now convinced it’s Metformin, but the Dr’s have not mentioned this.
Im now at the point where I am going to stop taking Metformin for a week or so, to do my own checks.

I’m really at the end of my tether now and see no other alternative to try. The night sweats, sleepless nights and kidney area pain is now affecting my life and I don’t know what else to try.

So sorry for the long (first) post, just needed to get it off my chest I think.

Appreciate hearing anyone else’s experiences and advice is very welcome.

Paul.

Just to add…BG levels are in single numbers and have been for a while.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Paul H71

Sounds like you’ve been having a tough time - your night sweats sound particularly difficult to cope with

I can see why you are interested in pausing the Metformin for a while, as it is listed in some places as a rare possible side effect.

Do you sometimes feel lightheaded / fuzzy headed / trembly during the day too? It’s just that while your numbers sound like they are staying above 4.0, and so aren’t technically too low - your body may have become used to them being much higher. and if your BG dips in the small hours (3am is common), then you might be getting full-on hypo symptoms, including sweating, and possibly a nasty ‘hypo hangover‘ headache the next day too?

If what you are experiencing are these ‘false hypos’ they should resolve in time as your body’s ‘glucose thermostat’ resets itself over the coming weeks/months.

Just keep a close eye on your levels in the meantime, in case you switch to having actual hypos! 😱

 

[Inka]

Welcome @Paul H71 I’m sorry you’re feeling so rough - that sounds horrible. Some UTIs don’t show up so well on basic urine screens. Also, some fungal infections can mimic symptoms of a UTI (high blood sugar feeds fungi).

If I were you, I’d try a trial period without Metformin too, just to see if it helped at all.

Another thought - obvious but worth saying. Are you drinking enough water? Sometimes changes in diet can alter our water needs, so it’s worth recording the amount you drink for a few days just so you can see you’re having enough. You could also try cutting out coffee, if you drink it because that can irritate sensitive bladders.

I hope you feel better soon.

 

[Leadinglights]

It could be worth doing some finger prick tests at intervals throughout the day and night when you are getting the sweats to see what your blood glucose levels are, the symptoms could be caused by either high or low levels.
Having the correct antibiotics for UTIs is important as they need to act in the correct place.
Has your GP sent a urine sample to the lab as they would test to see which antibiotic would be needed for any given infection.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Not a fan of a lot of grapefruit are you?
That can cause side effects.

Did you have a full spectrum of blood tests yet, or been back for more?
I have a full range at least annually, and includes liver and kidney functions.

Are you on any other meds at all, for anything else?

 

[Paul H71]

Hello again folks, and thanks for the replies.

Just for clarity, I am a water drinker and have been for years. I get through almost 2 ltrs per day along with around 2 cups of tea. I only drink 1 coffee around 7.30am, sometimes have another around 10am at work but not very often. I never drink coffee in the evening.

I do fingerprick throughout the day, before breakfast and 2hrs after. Same for evening meal.
I have had a few hypo’s mid-morning at anything under 5.0, so I’ve learned that if I start to shake a little I’m going to hypo, at this point I would eat a snack to ward it off.
The worst hypo was at work a few weeks ago at 4.6 but it went away after a few dextrose tablets were eaten. Generally now, I will eat a banana or some mixed nuts to help me not hypo.

I have fingerpricked 4 times today, and seemed to have settled around 7.6 after a meal.

Oh, I’m not keen on grapefruit either. And on no other medication (Apart from antibiotics for the suspected UTI)..which I finish tomorrow morning.

Had some more bloods done yesterday am at the Dr’s request so waiting for results. The last ones showed no issues, at all .
I’m certainly having a strange time with it all.

 

[Leadinglights]

Hello again folks, and thanks for the replies.

Just for clarity, I am a water drinker and have been for years. I get through almost 2 ltrs per day along with around 2 cups of tea. I only drink 1 coffee around 7.30am, sometimes have another around 10am at work but not very often. I never drink coffee in the evening.

I do fingerprick throughout the day, before breakfast and 2hrs after. Same for evening meal.
I have had a few hypo’s mid-morning at anything under 5.0, so I’ve learned that if I start to shake a little I’m going to hypo, at this point I would eat a snack to ward it off.
The worst hypo was at work a few weeks ago at 4.6 but it went away after a few dextrose tablets were eaten. Generally now, I will eat a banana or some mixed nuts to help me not hypo.

I have fingerpricked 4 times today, and seemed to have settled around 7.6 after a meal.

Oh, I’m not keen on grapefruit either. And on no other medication (Apart from antibiotics for the suspected UTI)..which I finish tomorrow morning.

Had some more bloods done yesterday am at the Dr’s request so waiting for results. The last ones showed no issues, at all .
I’m certainly having a strange time with it all.

Can I ask what antibiotic you have been taking and for how long.
I do hope the tests reveal the cause of your issues.
Have you tested you blood glucose in the night when you are getting the sweats. it might be a faff but may show if they are occurring when high or low

 

[Paul H71]

Can I ask what antibiotic you have been taking and for how long.
I do hope the tests reveal the cause of your issues.
Have you tested you blood glucose in the night when you are getting the sweats. it might be a faff but may show if they are occurring when high or low

Thanks for the reply it is very much appreciated.

Im taking Co-Amoxyclav, 3 times per day for 1 week. I actually take the last tablet tomorrow morning.

I have tested when I have woken with a night sweat, freezing cold BTW, and my BG was 8.0.

 

[harbottle]

Diabetic Automatic Neuropathy? This can cause night sweats when cold.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

The worst hypo was at work a few weeks ago at 4.6 but it went away after a few dextrose tablets were eaten. Generally now, I will eat a banana or some mixed nuts to help me not hypo.

Just for clarity @Paul H71 the readings you are talking about may have been low enough to trigger your hypo warning signs (especially if your body is used to running higher), but at those levels you aren’t technically hypo. It’s more of a warning level until you get down below 4.0

You’ll still have probably felt pretty shaky though!

 

[Leadinglights]

Can I ask what antibiotic you have been taking and for how long.
I do hope the tests reveal the cause of your issues.
Have you tested you blood glucose in the night when you are getting the sweats. it might be a faff but may show if they are occurring when high or low

Two antibiotics that are often prescribed for UTIs are nitrofurantoin and ciprofloxacin. Usually a 7-10 +day course, soit could be the antibiotic you have been taking have not quite done the trick.
If you do not see an improvement then contact your GP again. Hopefully you will get the test results quickly.

 

[Docb]

Has your GP done any prostrate checks? My amateur opinion is that @everydayupsanddowns notion that your system is reacting to lower but not dangerously low, blood glucose levels is a good bet but it might be wise to rule out things other than a UTI.