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Newbie - Itching
- Thread starter Marykf
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Leadinglights
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Welcome to the forum.
It depends on where your itching is, often thrush is an indication of high glucose in your urine, it is a fungal (yeast ) infection which can be treated with something like Canesten.
If it is more general on your skin something like E45 may help. I should give your GP a call and ask for advise or even the pharmacist could advise.
It depends on where your itching is, often thrush is an indication of high glucose in your urine, it is a fungal (yeast ) infection which can be treated with something like Canesten.
If it is more general on your skin something like E45 may help. I should give your GP a call and ask for advise or even the pharmacist could advise.
It's in the genital area & my nurse tells me, it's one of the ways of knowing people have diabetes ( & no it's not thrush)
rebrascora
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Hi Mary and welcome from me too.
Thrush is common with high blood glucose (BG) levels caused by diabetes because your kidneys try to remove the excess glucose through your urine and the high sugar content is an ideal environment for a yeast infection to thrive. So if it is genital itching then Canesten can be purchased from most large supermarkets or pharmacies. If it is general itching, it could be dry skin, due to the kidneys working overtime.... especially if you have had the classic symptoms of thirst and resultant frequent weeing.
Drinking plenty of plain water will help to flush the excess glucose out of your system as well as rehydrate you but it is also important to put less glucose into your blood in the first place and the way to do this is to reduce the amount of carbohydrates you eat. Carbohydrates are sugars and the more complex starchy foods. So whilst you may already know to cut down on added sugar and cakes and biscuits and sweets and puddings, you may not be so aware that fruit and fruit juice particularly can be a problem, so restrict yourself to just one piece of fruit a day and best to steer clear of the more exotic ones like bananas, pineapple and mango which are higher in carbs. Many of us tend to have berries or at the moment I am having stewed rhubarb with a little sweetener as my daily portion in my morning yoghurt. If you thing of the more tart fruits, they will be lowest in sugar and a small amount packs a big punch flavour wise as well as being nutrient dense.
Starchy carbs are foods made from grains like bread, pasta, rice, couscous, breakfast cereals, pastry, batter, and root veg like potatoes and parsnips and sweet potatoes are also quite high carb. That's not to say you can't have any of these things but look at halving your normal portion size as a start and bulking out your plate with more green leafy veg like cabbage, kale, spinach, brussel sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower. Also Mediterranean veg like courgettes and aubergines and peppers and tomatoes and onions and garlic... I love a big pan of ratatouille with some quality beef burgers or high meat content sausages or lamb chops or chicken.
Getting out and getting some gentle daily exercise like a walk is also really helpful if you are able as your muscles will use up their glucose stores and draw more out of your blood stream, also helping to reduce your BG levels .
Anyway, just thinking that you could start making some lifestyle changes now in advance of seeing the nurse, since your appointment is quite a way hence, which might improve your itching symptoms if they are diabetes related.
Thrush is common with high blood glucose (BG) levels caused by diabetes because your kidneys try to remove the excess glucose through your urine and the high sugar content is an ideal environment for a yeast infection to thrive. So if it is genital itching then Canesten can be purchased from most large supermarkets or pharmacies. If it is general itching, it could be dry skin, due to the kidneys working overtime.... especially if you have had the classic symptoms of thirst and resultant frequent weeing.
Drinking plenty of plain water will help to flush the excess glucose out of your system as well as rehydrate you but it is also important to put less glucose into your blood in the first place and the way to do this is to reduce the amount of carbohydrates you eat. Carbohydrates are sugars and the more complex starchy foods. So whilst you may already know to cut down on added sugar and cakes and biscuits and sweets and puddings, you may not be so aware that fruit and fruit juice particularly can be a problem, so restrict yourself to just one piece of fruit a day and best to steer clear of the more exotic ones like bananas, pineapple and mango which are higher in carbs. Many of us tend to have berries or at the moment I am having stewed rhubarb with a little sweetener as my daily portion in my morning yoghurt. If you thing of the more tart fruits, they will be lowest in sugar and a small amount packs a big punch flavour wise as well as being nutrient dense.
Starchy carbs are foods made from grains like bread, pasta, rice, couscous, breakfast cereals, pastry, batter, and root veg like potatoes and parsnips and sweet potatoes are also quite high carb. That's not to say you can't have any of these things but look at halving your normal portion size as a start and bulking out your plate with more green leafy veg like cabbage, kale, spinach, brussel sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower. Also Mediterranean veg like courgettes and aubergines and peppers and tomatoes and onions and garlic... I love a big pan of ratatouille with some quality beef burgers or high meat content sausages or lamb chops or chicken.
Getting out and getting some gentle daily exercise like a walk is also really helpful if you are able as your muscles will use up their glucose stores and draw more out of your blood stream, also helping to reduce your BG levels .
Anyway, just thinking that you could start making some lifestyle changes now in advance of seeing the nurse, since your appointment is quite a way hence, which might improve your itching symptoms if they are diabetes related.
Thank-you Barbara, I will take what you've said on board
helloem
New Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hello, this was one of the first symptoms that I had which lead me to go to the doctors in the first place.
When I saw the nurse she prescribed me some hydrocortisone cream but unfortunately the only think which has worked for me is cutting out the carbs and sugar.
After about 2 years of contstantly having thursh type symptoms and itching to the point of it bleeding after cutting out the sugar it cleared up within a couple of weeks. Persever and you will get there 🙂
When I saw the nurse she prescribed me some hydrocortisone cream but unfortunately the only think which has worked for me is cutting out the carbs and sugar.
After about 2 years of contstantly having thursh type symptoms and itching to the point of it bleeding after cutting out the sugar it cleared up within a couple of weeks. Persever and you will get there 🙂
Lilian
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
There is a condition called lichen sclerosus which many doctors either misdiagnose as thrush or put it down to something else, because not many seem to know about it, including nurses. This can prove quite a nasty condition if not treated and it is for life. You are more at risk of vulva cancer if it goes untreated for too long. Look to see if there are any changes in the skin's appearance. It is quite rare but not as rare as doctors seem to think. The problem is because it is in a delicate area women are too embarrassed to discuss it. It is not caught, and it is not due to lack of hygiene. It is thought in many circles to be auto immune. So people with type 1 diabetes are at risk of getting it, as are people with other auto immune conditions (Hashimoto's, pernicious anaemia etc.). It mostly attacks women but men can get it too. I just thought I would make you aware as I know of many women treating themselves for thrush for years (and doctors misdiagnosing). If the itching persists you might need a specialist to take a look. It would have to be someone who knows about this condition as not all gynaecologists do, a vulva dermatologist would, and I believe the STD clinic would, despite it NOT being an STD.
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