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Peardrops

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
GrannieG

GrannieG

Member
Hello Folks.

This morning I woke and could smell peardrops. I knew it had a significance but wasn`t sure what, and a search told me it could mean I have diabetes.

The only other symptom I have is slightly affected vision but I am very overweight.

I`ve just had a telephone consultation with my GP who is sending me for a blood test.

I thought I`d better join the forum because if my fears are correct I will need as much support and information as I can get.
 
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Hello @Grannie G and welcome to the forum
It is good that you are getting a blood test done, as the symptoms of Diabetes are not always obvious.

Diabetes is a serious disease, but there is a great deal that you can do to help yourself, although it may mean a few changes.
There is much help and experience available on this forum.
A good place to start is to have a look at the 'learning zone. There is a link tab at the top of this page.
Also the section useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes may be worth a look.

Please let us know if you have a positive diagnosis, and we will always try to help and answer any questions.
 
Thank you for the welcome @Toucan

I have an appointment for a Blood Test next Tuesday so will report back when I get my results.

Meanwhile I`ll have a look round the Forum.

When my husband had Dementia I had a great deal of help from Talking Point, The Alzheimer`s Society`s Forum and I`m really pleased to see there`s another good forum here for people with diabetes. 🙂
 
Welcome GrannieG! You're right on track, getting yourself checked.

I'm newly diagnosed and have a lot to learn; think we've both found a good forum.

No doubt like me, other pressures seemed to take priority until I came to realise it's time look after myself. The fear of something is always the worse, and in my case I was imagining the worse case scenario, in the end the diagnosis wasn't as bad as I thought.

Good luck!
 
Thank you @Jenny55

I feel a bit embarrassed because if I do have diabetes it is self inflicted. I have struggled with my weight for over 60 years and had an excuse for everything. Now it looks as if I`ll be paying the price.

A sweet tooth has been my downfall and now I may be forced to lock the stable door after the horse has bolted.
 
GrannieG said:
Thank you @Jenny55

I feel a bit embarrassed because if I do have diabetes it is self inflicted. I have struggled with my weight for over 60 years and had an excuse for everything. Now it looks as if I`ll be paying the price.

A sweet tooth has been my downfall and now I may be forced to lock the stable door after the horse has bolted.
Click to expand...

You could be talking about me.... snap x
 
Well - not necessarily! Treat your diabetes seriously by adopting the right diet (ie cutting all the carbohydrates somewhat, not by any means only sugar!) and sustainable exercise, plus any medication you need and there are lots more people these days who manage to reverse their Type 2. Don't give up on that thought before you get started!
 
Quote @trophywench Don't give up on that thought before you get started!

I won`t. Thank you.

I`m not waiting for results of my blood test. I`ve started today, which is why I joined this forum to find out as much as I can.
 
Hello and welcome. 🙂
 
Hello @GrannieG , welcome to the forum .
Firstly please don’t panic about diabetes, if it turns out you have joined our select club, it’s doable, we do need to make some changes though we do get to eat good tasty food , much of which will surprise you ,pleasantly I might add !
The dietary changes we make can also aid in weight loss too , it’s also a healthy diet for folks who don’t have diabetes.

Just like Talking point this is a great forum for friendly helpful support,m advise.

Ask all the questions you need about diabetes, we’ll do our best to help.
 
Hello GRANNIEG and welcome to the forum

Search Google for symptoms of diabetes and there are several references, including this website
Common symptoms include - thirst, tiredness, weight loss, and frequent peeing, especially at night, but there are others

Two of these are blurred vision, and smelling of peardrops

Diabetes is the inability of the body to process carbohydrates, caused by the lack of insulin
As the body cannot use carbohydrates as a source of energy it starts to use, and break down fats
The side effect of this is that ketones are released, resulting in a fruity smell similar to acetone or peardrops
This process id called ketoacidosis

Assuming you do have diabetes, try not to panic or worry
Yes, that's easy to say, and diabetes is a serious condition, but if you control or manage the condition you can live very well
The most important thing is to reduce the amount of carbohydrates in your diet
As all carbohydrates are turned into glucose, this includes starchy carbs like bread, spuds, pasta & rice as well as the obvious things like cakes, sweets, and biscuits

However, that control will probably mean some changes to the way you have been living - diet, losing weight, and so on
I think the best thing to do for the moment is to look through The Learning Zone and the Help Boxes on the Home Page of this forum
Also previous Threads on this Forum, especially Newcomers, Food & Carbs; and Weight Loss

Nothing in the body happens in isolation; things like diabetes, cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, being overweight are all interconnected, and as you change & improve one thing, it will help with the others
Changing your diet and doing a bit of exercise has a sort of combined or rolling effect - as you do it, so you are able to do more
 
Hello Jenny55 & GrannieG

Many people take the diagnosis of Diabetes as an opportunity and the motivation to make changes to the way they've been living -

Cut out carbohydrates obviously; but also a lot of processed & junk food like burgers, pizzas, takeaways & convenience meals, and a lot of very fatty & cheap meat, and fried food
You can still eat fat, in fact the old ideas about absolutely cutting out fat have changed. You can eat a reasonable amount of fat, though obviously not great bucketfuls of the stuff, as long as it's 'good' fat like olive oil and oily fish

Start eating vegetables and salads, but not too much fruit

Cut out fags and a lot of booze, and start a bit of exercise
Lose weight - but you may well find that when you make the other changes, this happens anyway

A comment I've seen is -- I've been healthier since I've had diabetes than I ever was before
 
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Thanks @zuludog.

I don`t drink or smoke. I don`t have takeaways. I don`t eat convenience meals. I cook for myself every day.

My problem is SUGAR. Sweets, chocolate, cake, biscuits, Ice cream. These are my weaknesses and are as difficult to give up as smoking was 20 years ago,
 
Welcome to the forum @GrannieG

Sorry to hear you are having to get tested for diabetes.

The smell of pear drops is often linked to type 1 diabetes or LADA, with very high blood glucose levels with insufficient insulin where ketones are produced as the body begins to break down fat for fuel.

This is potentially quite serious, and may lead to diabetic ketoacidosis if you end up being LADA rather than T2, so while it’s great that you have blood tests booked, if you experience nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain you should get yourself to A&E.

Hopefully that won’t be necessary and you can just go for your bloodtests on Tuesday, but I thought it was worth mentioning!
 
Mine too!!

I never ate a lot of sweets, so they were fairly easy to give up
I stopped eating cake; as I changed my diet I found I didn't need it, or miss it
My weakness was, and still is, biscuits. But I realised it wasn't so much the sweetness as the nibbling
So I cut back a lot; now if I fancy a biscuit I have a dry oatcake or a sugar free digestive; no more than two, and I make them last

Ordinary chocolate contains a lot of sugar, and doesn't actually taste much of chocolate
Instead, look for high cocoa chocolate, but still ration yourself to one or two squares. That will give you the intense hit of chocolate flavour & taste, but with hardly any sugar

I used to like ice cream, but I just went off the idea, and now I neither buy it nor keep it in the house

You will find that when you change your diet your taste changes, and you get used to going without very sweet and sugary things
It's hard at first, but you can get used to it surprisingly quickly -- and then if you do have anything sweet it tastes really sickly and unpleasant
 
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Hello @GrannyG if as we suspect you are diagnosed with the big D
you have all the support you will ever need on this forum.
May I just point out as @Toucan says this is not a disease but a condition and with
the correct knowledge can be controlled, please ask any question we are here to help.

Thankyou you for joining our little club, pear drop tastes are concerning but hopefully
tests will come back ok, it is not your fault it has developed yes reducing weight and
reducing carbs will also help but don`t beat yourself up over it. Take care stay safe.
 
Thank you so much @KARNAK

I had a very thorough eye test today and apart from a slight increase macular degeneration, the examination showed no sign of diabetes. I was told it doesn`t mean I don`t have it but it`s a good start and now I wait for the blood test next Tuesday.

Whether or not I have diabetes, I know I must make life-style changes.

It looks like this forum is better than any slimming club to help me on my way.

I`ve only had a single experience of peardrop breath but see it as a wake up call.
 
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