-
Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
-
Learn more about joining the Diabetes UK Support Forum team here: https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/volunteering-opportunities-why-dont-you-join-us.112862/
Hi ! Nice to be here ☺
- Thread starter Nell
- Start date
-
- Tags
- nightsweats
- Status
rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hi and welcome
I'm not entirely sure what you are asking.... ie If it is normal to be diabetic and not get any symptoms through the day? (the answer would be yes)
or
If it is normal to have sweats and frequent loo visits at night? (the answer could also be yes).
Unfortunately many people with diabetes don't experience symptoms (day or night) but the diabetes can still insidiously be causing damage to their fine blood vessels and nerves, particularly in the eyes and feet, so some people go undiagnosed for many years. Once you are diagnosed, you will always be diabetic, even if you push your diabetes into remission. The thirst and weeing and overheating can be the more obvious symptoms of higher blood glucose levels but said there are other things which can be causing sweats and pit stops through the night, so it may not be your diabetes and you should perhaps discuss the problem with your doctor.
Do you know what your most recent HbA1c result was? That is the blood test which is used to diagnose and track your diabetes and will usually be a number higher than 47 since you have been diagnosed with diabetes (48 is the red line which indicates a diabetes diagnosis but levels can be as high as 3 figures), although it is often possible to get it back down below that by making some appropriate lifestyle changes (dietary and exercise) with or without the help of medication.
How do you currently manage your diabetes? Do you take tablets and if so, what are they called? If you manage it through diet, what changes have you made and do you self test your Blood Glucose levels at home to monitor if your food choices are helping? That is an approach that many here on the forum find helpful.
If you can tell us a bit more about your diabetes by answering the questions above it will give us a better idea of your situation.
I'm not entirely sure what you are asking.... ie If it is normal to be diabetic and not get any symptoms through the day? (the answer would be yes)
or
If it is normal to have sweats and frequent loo visits at night? (the answer could also be yes).
Unfortunately many people with diabetes don't experience symptoms (day or night) but the diabetes can still insidiously be causing damage to their fine blood vessels and nerves, particularly in the eyes and feet, so some people go undiagnosed for many years. Once you are diagnosed, you will always be diabetic, even if you push your diabetes into remission. The thirst and weeing and overheating can be the more obvious symptoms of higher blood glucose levels but said there are other things which can be causing sweats and pit stops through the night, so it may not be your diabetes and you should perhaps discuss the problem with your doctor.
Do you know what your most recent HbA1c result was? That is the blood test which is used to diagnose and track your diabetes and will usually be a number higher than 47 since you have been diagnosed with diabetes (48 is the red line which indicates a diabetes diagnosis but levels can be as high as 3 figures), although it is often possible to get it back down below that by making some appropriate lifestyle changes (dietary and exercise) with or without the help of medication.
How do you currently manage your diabetes? Do you take tablets and if so, what are they called? If you manage it through diet, what changes have you made and do you self test your Blood Glucose levels at home to monitor if your food choices are helping? That is an approach that many here on the forum find helpful.
If you can tell us a bit more about your diabetes by answering the questions above it will give us a better idea of your situation.
janw
Much Missed Member.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi and welcome. Not everyone gets all, or any, symptoms - I didn't, but my blood test told a different story and that is what they go by. There are many more on here who could offer you advice and put your mind at rest, I am still new to this but have learned so much here.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Welcome to the forum @Nell
Has your nurse told you the results of your HbA1c checks over the past few years? This will be a number above 48mmol/L
Sounds like you’ve not had very much information or support so far?
Yes people can live with diabetes with few if any symptoms (though increased need to urinate is a common one with high blood glucose levels). For some a diagnosis can come completely out of the blue, when just getting health screening or checks for something else. And there could be many thousands of people in the UK living with undiagnosed diabetes.
Do you have doubts over your diagnosis?
Have you been given any medication for your diabetes?
Has your nurse told you the results of your HbA1c checks over the past few years? This will be a number above 48mmol/L
Sounds like you’ve not had very much information or support so far?
Yes people can live with diabetes with few if any symptoms (though increased need to urinate is a common one with high blood glucose levels). For some a diagnosis can come completely out of the blue, when just getting health screening or checks for something else. And there could be many thousands of people in the UK living with undiagnosed diabetes.
Do you have doubts over your diagnosis?
Have you been given any medication for your diabetes?
Hi ! I've only ever had blood tests , I asked about testing my bloods and was told it wasn't necessary !
I was put on metformin 500mg twice daily . Apparently it wasn't a high enough dose , put up the does to 1000 twice daily . Still made no difference to to night sweats and loo visits also side effects of severe tummy upsets unbearable ! I have spoken to clinic nurse several times to no avail !I took myself off the medication as it wasn't making any difference ! The recent BT said my readings had gone up from 65 to 71? That I should go on metformin 500gm and have another blood test in three months . I only get the same answer when I query about only having night problems , " strange isn't it ! " I'm 76 , I've changed my diet on advice , I've lost a little weight , I take more exercise then I did ! I keep asking have I really got diabetes ? I'm afraid it's all very confusing .
TheClockworkDodo
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Over 48 is diabetic, so if your HbA1c result has gone from 65 to 71 you are as @Drummer says, definitely in the diabetic range.
A lot of people have upset stomachs with Metformin - apparently taking it with food helps, but if you can't tolerate it at all, your surgery should be offering you an alternative. There is a slow-release version of Metformin which is gentler on the insides, and there are other meds too - so it is worth persisting in asking the clinic nurse (or if s/he is not helpful, your GP) to give you alternative meds which won't upset your insides.
It may be that the advice you've been given about changing your diet is not very good (often diabetics are told to eat foods which are not really suitable for diabetics). If you don't mind telling us what you eat we might be able to suggest more suitable alternatives. A lot of people do manage type 2 diabetes with diet alone, but this would mean cutting down on all carbs in order to get your HbA1c down to a safer level.
A lot of people have upset stomachs with Metformin - apparently taking it with food helps, but if you can't tolerate it at all, your surgery should be offering you an alternative. There is a slow-release version of Metformin which is gentler on the insides, and there are other meds too - so it is worth persisting in asking the clinic nurse (or if s/he is not helpful, your GP) to give you alternative meds which won't upset your insides.
It may be that the advice you've been given about changing your diet is not very good (often diabetics are told to eat foods which are not really suitable for diabetics). If you don't mind telling us what you eat we might be able to suggest more suitable alternatives. A lot of people do manage type 2 diabetes with diet alone, but this would mean cutting down on all carbs in order to get your HbA1c down to a safer level.
- Status