how low can you go?

[macast]

sorry I've not been around guys.... but I'm really fed-up with this diabetes lark!!! I'm back to having smelly sweet breath and I don't know why. my mouth tastes awful too and I spend all day cleaning my teeth my fingers and toes are tingly and border on hurting. the weather has turned colder and I had to wear gloves at the weekend coz my fingers hurt so much. so there I was on a shopping trip with a friend and I had gloves and boots on!!!

my BG readings were terrible for a while.... but they have been fairly good lately.... but still the breath and tingling. I've still got over a month to go before seeing the DSN again but I mentioned my fingers and toes to her last time.

I am going to a get-together with a lot of friends at the weekend and I am worried that my breath will stink!!! I've got a good supply of sugar-free mints but I can't keep popping them the whole time

sorry.... just feeling low :-(

 

[Jennywren]

Sorry youre feeling low Macast , i think youre meeting with your friends will help you feel better 🙂

 

[Robster65]

Hi macast. From your recent Hba1c, it would seem that your BGs aren't too bad so would suggest some other possible reason for the bad breath, etc.

Are you low carbing at all ?

I know the Atkins diet was/is famous for creating bad breath.

Don't know about the tingly & cold feet and hands other than poor circulation or some underlying neuropathy.

Rob

 

[Natalie123]

Hi, I'm sorry you are feeling down. I get the horrible taste in my mouth too and have done for about a year now. I don't know why, my sugar levels have been good recently but I still get it. I also feel very thirsty but drinking just makes me feel more thirsty ... even when I have not been high or low. If its anything like what I get, a cup of tea, preferably without milk - green, jasmine or chai are good, helps me feel better. Also milk is a problem for me and makes my mouth worse.

I asked my GP about it and he put it down to anxiety - everything seems to be due to my anxiety at the moment 😱

 

[Catwoman76]

sorry I've not been around guys.... but I'm really fed-up with this diabetes lark!!! I'm back to having smelly sweet breath and I don't know why. my mouth tastes awful too and I spend all day cleaning my teeth my fingers and toes are tingly and border on hurting. the weather has turned colder and I had to wear gloves at the weekend coz my fingers hurt so much. so there I was on a shopping trip with a friend and I had gloves and boots on!!!

my BG readings were terrible for a while.... but they have been fairly good lately.... but still the breath and tingling. I've still got over a month to go before seeing the DSN again but I mentioned my fingers and toes to her last time.

I am going to a get-together with a lot of friends at the weekend and I am worried that my breath will stink!!! I've got a good supply of sugar-free mints but I can't keep popping them the whole time

sorry.... just feeling low :-(

Don't be sorry, you are just going through a bad time at the moment. My daughter Tia Has IBS and her breath is bad at times. I say her breath is strong and I bought her a fresh breath spray from the supermarket costing ?1.50. Have a great weekend with your friends. Take care Sheena

 

[macast]

you might have hit the nail on the head there Rob. my BG readings suddenly went really high so I cut the carbs from bread, potatoes, pasta etc and just had veggie carbs. so perhaps that is the reason. I had some bread and potoatoes this weekend so hopefully the sweet breath will go away

 

[mcdonagh47]

you might have hit the nail on the head there Rob. my BG readings suddenly went really high so I cut the carbs from bread, potatoes, pasta etc and just had veggie carbs. so perhaps that is the reason. I had some bread and potoatoes this weekend so hopefully the sweet breath will go away

Don't take bad breath in diabetes lightly.
It can be a key symptom of something wrong.
It can be a sign of ketones and or ketoacidosis ( you can't have DKA as a Type 2 though ).
Usually said to be fruity or acetone/nail varnisher remover smell.

 

[macast]

mouth spray is a good idea Sheena ... I will get one

Natalie I also find that milk makes my mouth taste worse.... but the DSN said to keep having it and cut out the cheese (which causes no problems other than cholesterol)

thanks Jenny.... I'm sure I'll have a great meet up with my friends.... and hopefully the breath will be back to normal

thanks everyone for your lovely replies..... makes me feel better already.... and makes me wonder why I stayed away

xXx

 

[mcdonagh47]

Don't take bad breath in diabetes lightly.
It can be a key symptom of something wrong.
It can be a sign of ketones and or ketoacidosis ( you can't have DKA as a Type 2 though ).
Usually said to be fruity or acetone/nail varnisher remover smell.

As for your cold fingers and toes ask for a test on Raynaud's Syndrome ?
Do your fingers get discoloured ?

 

[Robster65]

I know there are some low-carbers on the site who may be able to advise.

I tend to be a high-carber personally so any smells I create are from other problems 😱

Possibly too much information there 🙄

Rob

 

[Steff]

Hi Ma sorry to hear about things being so tough at the moment i agree with mcdo dont forget us type 2s ca get ketones etc, i have had the pear drop taste in my mouth a few times and have drunk oodles of water to sort it out.Try getting a appointment with your doctor or try ad get the DSN appointemnt moved and discuss all your worries, my feet and toes started off tingly ad i ignored it then got told i had neuropathy since then it gave me a wake up call ad i keep my levels as low as possible
((((hugs)))

Have a good time with your mates and try and have fun x

 

[FM001]

I know the Atkins diet was/is famous for creating bad breath.

Rob is right when he says low carb diets cause bad breath, its to do with the body being in a state of ketosis where it is burning fat for its fuel source instead of carbohydrates, sadly the side effect is a chemical reaction in the body which causes smelly breath. The tingling in the fingers and toes could be diabetic neuropathy but only a consultant can confirm this, there are treatments available to help with this condition but keeping good control of your diabetes will go a long way to prevent matters getting worse.

 

[Northerner]

Hi, it's possible that the tingling and coldness is due to the fluctuations in your levels - if mine have been higher than normal for a few days and then I get them back in range, then I get what is called 'transient neuropathy' which is where the nerve endings become more sensitive as your BG levels fall lower than they have become accustomed to - it disappears after a few days of good levels.

You're still finding your way with everything, so try not to put too much pressure on yourself. You've already come a very long way! 🙂 Remember that we are always here for you if you need a shoulder or an ear!

 

[macast]

Hi, it's possible that the tingling and coldness is due to the fluctuations in your levels - if mine have been higher than normal for a few days and then I get them back in range, then I get what is called 'transient neuropathy' which is where the nerve endings become more sensitive as your BG levels fall lower than they have become accustomed to - it disappears after a few days of good levels.

You're still finding your way with everything, so try not to put too much pressure on yourself. You've already come a very long way! 🙂 Remember that we are always here for you if you need a shoulder or an ear!

thanks Northerner.... I've analysed my BG figures and my levels have gone lower than they have been in a while and occasionally they are mega low (for me) yesterday morning before breakfast I had a reading of 5!!! yeah FIVE point ZERO..... bit of a shock when I'd been having readings about 9 and sometimes with double figures a month ago

so perhaps my body is just adjusting again.... but it gets a bit scarey when things change and I get worried that I'm getting worse instead of getting it under control. I have to say that I've hardly 'cheated' at all since diagnosis..... I don't eat cake or chocolate or pastry or take anything with sugar in it. although I cheated on Mike's birthday and had a cream cake with him to celebrate 🙂 I do still partake in lovely curry (coz it is my fave food) but rarely have rice or nann and have the samosas or pakoras instead. maybe I am taking it all too fast and my body can't keep up lol

thanks to everyone for their kind comments

blessings to all of you .... you have made me feel so much better xXx

 

[Northerner]

Wow! a 5.0 is brilliant, and shows just how well you have been doing! Don't worry about the occasional lapse into cream cake territory - we've all been there from time to time! And cream lowers the GI of cake, so it's an ideal combination for diabetics! 😉

Hope you have a lovely day today 🙂

 

[macast]

As for your cold fingers and toes ask for a test on Raynaud's Syndrome ?
Do your fingers get discoloured ?

my fingers don't go discoloured..... a friend of mine has Raynaud's and hers go blue and purple.... but there are no outward signs in MY fingers..... they are just tingly and really sensitive to the cold... same with toes.

as to the Ketones...... when I was on the Atkins diet many many moons ago (when it was fashionable lol) I was desperate to go into Ketosis..... and never managed it ... but did lose a lot of weight. I suspect that I have somehow managed Ketosis... but haven't lost any weight

funny how I never manage to get it right 🙄😱

 

[Sheilagh1958]

Nice to see you back Ma.

Sorry to feel you have been feeling a bit down in the dumps.

To be honest I think its quite normal. I was diasgnosed in September and was fine for the first few months feeling all positve and enjoying the change in my lifestyle. But then after a few months reality kicks and hits you in the face and all of a sudden it seems harder to cope with and to keep that momentum up.

Onwards and upwards for us all as long as its not our BG levels or HbA1c

 

[mcdonagh47]

my fingers don't go discoloured..... a friend of mine has Raynaud's and hers go blue and purple.... but there are no outward signs in MY fingers..... they are just tingly and really sensitive to the cold... same with toes.

as to the Ketones...... when I was on the Atkins diet many many moons ago (when it was fashionable lol) I was desperate to go into Ketosis..... and never managed it ... but did lose a lot of weight. I suspect that I have somehow managed Ketosis... but haven't lost any weight

funny how I never manage to get it right 🙄😱

Diabetics have a tendency to blame all their ills on the diabetes.
Important to keep an open mind about all symptoms and not to assume that everything is diabetes related 😉

 

[donnarob]

Hi Ma,

I find that sometimes, my fingers go completely white and I get very, very cold. I knew I had too many carbs yesterday and my fasting level was a very high (unusual for me) 8.7. Pulled in my belt and just had a chicken salad and apple for lunch. I've just taken a reading and it's 4.2! Northerner, is the sort of transient neuropathy you're talking about?

I'm nervous as I got 4 phials of blood taken on Monday for my Hba1c review and they were also going to test for cholesterol. Do diabetics usually have higher than normal cholesterol levels?

Donna x🙂

 

[mcdonagh47]

Do diabetics usually have higher than normal cholesterol levels?

Donna x🙂

In general YES. Its Diabetic Dyslipidemia. Because of the condition "bad" cholesterol (LDL) is raised, "good" cholesterol (HDL) is lowered and Triglycerides and Total Cholesterol are raised. On top of that, Diabetics have a tendency to Pattern B distribution of LDL which means smaller, denser critters that do the damage.
Type 2 Diabetes, Dyslipidemia, Hypertension, and overweight go together in what's called the Metabolic Syndrome. Most T2s are battling some or all of the 4.

Its important to keep Total Cholesterol ( under 4 ) and LDL in range.
86% of Type 2s develop heart disease and its all about taking preventative measures to delay its onset or keep it in order if present.

But cheer up - you haven't even had the blood tests yet 🙂