Hello I am a new member I have been diagnosed roughly four weeks after returning from holiday! My symptoms came on suddenly the 1st day of our holiday I was very thirsty with an odd taste in my mouth this carried on throughout the week and we put it down to the heat. After we arrived home it carried on so I called the GP and he sent me to the hospital for a blood test within 2 hours I was diagnosed with diabetes with a fasting level of 21.3. I was started on treatment but my levels still remained high, last week I began injecting insulin but I am getting very concerned as twice now I have checked my levels and they have been low 3.1 and 2.8 but I haven't any of the symptoms of low blood sugar levels,both times I have felt fine! My nurse said it could be my monitor is faulty and today gave me a new monitor but the reading is the same on both monitors which shows there isn't a fault I'm very worried I am not going to know when I am having a hypo has anyone else experienced this?
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Recently diagnosed and concerned that I'm not showing any symptoms when my levels drop!
- Thread starter Julielu
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Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi Julielu, welcome to the forum 🙂 It sounds very much like you are Type 1, from what you describe - very high fasting levels and quick onset of symptoms. What insulin are you using?
Hypos come in many varieties, and it often depends on how quickly your levels are falling in determining the strength of your symptoms. A slow, gradual drop might show very little in the way of symptoms, whereas a much faster drop would be likely to give much more pronounced symptoms. What are your fasting levels like now you are on insulin?
Hello thank you for replying. I'm on noromix 30 and I also take metaformin. I have asked if I am type 1 or 2 but haven't really had an answer yet! My fasting levels now are around 8 to 10. The thirst I had has improved and i feel a lot better I am just worried that If I don't have any symptoms of low blood sugars I could pass out without any warning. Yesterday my level was 16 before my evening meal just over an hour later it was 2.8 but I was feeling absolutely fine!
Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
That is quite a significant drop in quite a short time, so I am surprised you didn't get any symptoms. You do need to drop very low before you are likely to pass out though, although obviously it's best avoiding going low at all if you can help it 🙂
A lot of people get misdiagnosed as Type 2, often based purely on their age, but it's important to get the diagnosis correct so that you are receiving the appropriate treatment and advice. There are tests that can be done that can help determine what type of diabetes you have. Are you just seeing your practice nurse/GP about your diabetes? If so, I would ask to be referred to a consultant-led clinic. The insulin regime you have been put on is not ideal, there are much more flexible regimes available. The most popular of these is called basal/bolus or 'MDI' (Multiple Daily Injections). This involves having one, or perhaps two, injections of a slow-acting insulin, and an injection of fast-acting insulin with each meal. This means you can tailor your insulin doses to match the carbohydrates in your food, you can eat when you want, and (within moderation!) what you want. Mixed insulins are fixed doses that can dictate what you eat, and when you eat, so I'd recommend asking to be changed to MDI 🙂
That doesn't address your concerns about the hypos, however! What I would suggest is doing some regular testing before and after meals and seeing if you can uncover any patterns in the times you go high or low - this will help you to at least preempt any approaching lows and top up with a biscuit or jelly baby to fend them off.
I have been referred to a specialist diabetic nurse at our local hospital I was taking Glitazide 160 mg twice a day but that was replaced with the insulin last week. I have been told I will probably be diagnosed with type 2 as it is very uncommon for someone my age (54) to have type1! I have also been referred to a consultant as I have other conditions I have recently been diagnosed with an under active thyroid and also I have pernious Aniemia (sorry unsure of the spelling!)
Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Well, I have to say that is absolute poppycock! You can be diagnosed with Type 1 at any age - I was 49 and we have many other members who were diagnosed in their 50s, 60s and even 70s - it's a complete untruth that it's uncommon. What is common, is for people who have every indication of being Type 1 being diagnosed as Type 2. Unfortunately, this can lead to incorrect medication being prescribed (as in your case, with gliclizide). It's good that they realised quickly that it wasn't going to help and got you on insulin, some people struggle for months or even years
Still very early days for you, so hopefully things will settle down before too long. Good to hear that you have been referred, this really does need specialist knowledge. There's quite a steep learning curve, but we will be able to help with any questions of concerns you may have 🙂 Do ask the specialist nurse about being changed onto a MDI insulin regime, and let us know how things go 🙂
Robin
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hello, Julielu, and welcome. As Northerner said, there's a lot of us about. Has your nurse not heard of Theresa May?
I was diagnosed as a Type 1 at the ripe old age of 51, but was treated as a type 2 for about six months and struggled on Metformin and Gliclazide until the hospital did a GAD antibody test which proved it was type 1. Even then, my GP was confused, as she didn't think it was possible!
I hope you get some answers from the hospital nurse, and get your treatment sorted out.
I was diagnosed as a Type 1 at the ripe old age of 51, but was treated as a type 2 for about six months and struggled on Metformin and Gliclazide until the hospital did a GAD antibody test which proved it was type 1. Even then, my GP was confused, as she didn't think it was possible!
I hope you get some answers from the hospital nurse, and get your treatment sorted out.
Bill Stewardson
Well-Known Member
Hello to you Julie.
Greyhound Gal
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
And I was 45.
I was also initially put on Novomix 30 twice a day. My BG levels did comedown but it was very restrictive about what and when I could eat. After joining this forum and reading about MDI, I asked my consultant to go onto MDI and it was the best thing I did. Much easier to control, and you have control of the diabetes rather than it having control of you like I felt on the mixed insulin.
I was also initially put on Novomix 30 twice a day. My BG levels did comedown but it was very restrictive about what and when I could eat. After joining this forum and reading about MDI, I asked my consultant to go onto MDI and it was the best thing I did. Much easier to control, and you have control of the diabetes rather than it having control of you like I felt on the mixed insulin.
Grannylorraine
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
- Pronouns
- She/Her
welcome to the forum.
Derek Stubbs
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Yes, it seems it's getting more common to be mis-diagnosed purely on age these days, without even testing.
Theresa May being one high profile case.
Steve Redgrave was diagnosed type 2 but insisted on going on insulin so he could still consume 6000cals a day for training purposes,
as when they put him on the standard treatment, he had no energy & couldn't train.
(this is how I feel to a slightly lesser extent)
The GP's do seem pre-occupied with "you can't be type 1 at your age" & simply won't budge on this & they seem baffled when as a diagnosed
type 2, they say you can't have hypos.
Theresa May being one high profile case.
Steve Redgrave was diagnosed type 2 but insisted on going on insulin so he could still consume 6000cals a day for training purposes,
as when they put him on the standard treatment, he had no energy & couldn't train.
(this is how I feel to a slightly lesser extent)
The GP's do seem pre-occupied with "you can't be type 1 at your age" & simply won't budge on this & they seem baffled when as a diagnosed
type 2, they say you can't have hypos.
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