Tired - am I getting worse

[Ghost Hunter]

Yet again I am going through a phase of being soooooo tired, especialy after eating, usualy around half and hour to an hour after though I could simply nod off wherever I am!

I am noticably more tired in the mornings and it takes me ages to get going, I eat breakfast and make sure I drink water but I am just so slow to get going in the mornings yet I dont particularly have late nights or odd sleeping patterns.

I have also noticed that I often feel quite ill and washed out between waking and breakfast, I take my Piglitzerone (?) with a couple of other tablets for other ailments almost as soon as I wake up then have to go back to bed for up to an hour before having breakfast in which time I feel a lot better.

Many days I dont feel like eating but obviously do 3 times and if I go out I make sure I have a little something in my pocket as if I dont eat I get cranky and miserable.

Im also ashamed to admit I still dont understand or know how to recognise if I am having a hypo / hyper so where can I find advice on such things?

Im due an anual review in next couple of weeks so what should I be considering to discuss with my DSN?

Is this a sign my diabetes is getting worse? I am type 2 and was diagnosed quite a number of years ago now. Was originaly controling via diet alone then went onto tablets.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

🙂

 

[Northerner]

What are your blood sugar levels when you feel this way - are you able to test? High levels will certainly make you feel tired, and the timing after you have eaten would suggest that maybe what you are eating is pushing your levels up quickly - could you give some examples of what you normally eat? Again, testing your blood is the only foolproof way of knowing whether your levels are high or low as symptoms can sometimes be similar. A low blood sugar is below 4 mmol/l.

Nice to hear from you again, but sorry to hear that you are experiencing problems - has your doctor been able to give you any advice?

 

[Ghost Hunter]

Hi Northerner thanks for the usual helpful reply.

I don't test, was told I didn't need to and shouldn't really get into the habit as it isn't necessary for me at the moment. DSN wouldn't give me a meter etc and haven't ever sent off for a 'freebee' because of what DSN said.

I can eat breakfast and feel ok but this doesnt last very long and it isn't until an hour after my lunch do I actualy feel 'normal' and fully functionable and less irritable if that makes sense ?

I had been booked on a Mood management course specifically for diabetes sufferers but sadly the course got cancelled due to lack of participants so never got to attend, which I think would have helped me a lot as well. There won't be another opportunity either as they have scrapped the sessions as they wernt popular enough.

As for what I eat -

B - 2 Shreded Wheat with enough milk to cover and a drizzle of honey to sweeten (barely a teaspoon).

L - 2 Chicken Cesar salad wraps, packet of crisps a small bottle of fruit juice (either orange, apple or tropical) or a cup of tea no sugar.

D - meat or fish and veg.

I usualy drink very weak no added sugar squash, water or tea with no sugar. Perhaps if I am out I will have a Pepsi Max or Diet Coke but no longer make a habit of drinking the fizzy stuff.

I used to use Soya Milk on my breakfast, in my tea but have recently switched to LactoFree milk. I dont have any medical conditions that prevent me having dairy etc but I do feel better with Lacto Free in general so continue with the good rather than the bad.

I do try to avoid eating too much bread, rice, potatoes etc as I find these pile on the pounds for me. I am already overweight and although I did manage to lose 2 stone between August 2011 and spring this year I had to stop going to my weight management club due to transport difficulties and since then I have put back on 1 of those stones I do intend though to get back to it in July.

Hope this all makes sense as it is morning and I dont feel like I am fully functioning yet ha ha!

Thanks for the help and warm welcome back hope you are coping ok at the moment 🙂

 

[Vicsetter]

I would suggest you try eating a very low carb breakfast for a couple of days (scrambled egg, bacon that sort of thing) and see if it has an effect. Otherwise I would seriously consider making an appointment with your GP if this tiredness continues.
Just a thought, are you having disturbed nights sleep, this can affect your daytime performance.

Pioglitazone is not supposed to put you at risk of hypos so unless you are on something else for your diabetes you shouldn't have to worry about hypos. It probably doesn't help with your weight problem, so don't know whether you can discuss an alternative therapy with your nurse/GP, you would need to have an HBA1c test (and your other bloods for liver etc) to see what is happening with your diabetes. It might be worth investing in a cheap meter (SD codefree is being mentioned at the moment) just to put your mind at rest. Advice from your DSN/GP about not needing to test is purely NHS cost based and as long as you don't get obsessive about testing, it can be used to great effect on your diet and control.

 

[Northerner]

I'd agree with Vic's suggestions to try a low/no carb breakfast and see how you go on, and also maybe get a cheap meter or a freebee - you usually get at least 10 strips with them so could manage a few tests to try and find out if it is your blood sugar. Personally, I think it's nonsense to say you don't need to test since it would provide you with very useful information, certainly as things are for you currently. It would be worth making an appointment and putting your concerns to the doctor and he/she may provide you with a month's supply to try and determine if your medication needs changing.

 

[Ghost Hunter]

Thanks both, I am due an anual review of my diabetes next month so will be able to get all the checks done soon.

Im not much of a breakfast person often used to skip it and lunch completely before diagnosis but now I realise it is important. Can you make some suggestions of no / low carb which are easy to eat first thing? Could I benefit from a completely low / no carb diet plan?

I have discussed my weight problem several times with DSN and Dr but they dont seem to take me seriously. I did manage to get the WW group 12 weeks free but that was not connected with the diabetes it was just coincidence as I found out about the scheme online when it was first launched.

The best help the DSN could give me was to see me every month to weigh me and go through my food diary. Not tell me what I should or shouldnt be eating or a meal plan that would be beneficial to me.
I was on Metformin but they swapped this about a year ago after I complained of tummy troubles for 2 years after starting Metformin.
The tummy problems havent changed much but their often easier to cope with.

I dont understand my diabetes at all even though I have had it for quite a number of years now.

I dont particularly have trouble sleeping at the moment although I do wake at regular intervals every night like automatic, its become the norm.

I will look into getting a meter but wouldnt know where to start with readings. I did go on a DAPHNE (?) course a few months after diagnosis but I cant remember a lot of it as it was a bit overwhelming at the time. I might ask if I can go on another as I may understand it better. Although I do recall it didnt seem very helpful at the time and a lot of it was pointing out the obvious to me.

Thanks again 🙂

 

[macast]

how about a boiled egg? or as Alan S suggests, a beef and veg stew (not as horrid as it sounds) ... or a chicken and veg stew (a bit lighter).... or some fish. go continental with the cooked meats etc (but not the bread or pastry stuff).

I find that the carby stuff sends my BG levels very high at breakfast and I want to take a nap afterwards. my body can tollerate the carbs later in the day. perhaps you are the same..... but you won't know for sure unless you test. you can get a free meter from Abbott (there are others I know... but mine was from Abbott)

hope this helps 🙂

 

[Ghost Hunter]

Thanks

Boiled egg sounds ok but not every morning! The others sound awful first thing in the morning makes me queezy just thinking about it. I have trouble eating anything. What about a banana and some yoghurt?

I suppose porridge is out of the question too?

Not very good on my food groups sorry.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Perhaps your tiredness is none diabetes related.
Have you had your thyroid checked, if not might be worth considering?

Hope you are soon sorted and ok again soon.

 

[Northerner]

I find scrambled eggs goo and easy to make in the morning, with perhaps some mushrooms and/or tomatioes? Yoghurt with berries works well for some people, although you need to make sure you get unsweetened yoghurt as many, particularly low fat ones, are high sugar. Porridge works ofr some but not others, unfortunately the only way to know for sure waht you can tolerate is to test. I also avoid fresh fruit juices as they are high sugar and high GI so hit your levels quickly.

Might be worth investing in Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker. Even though you have been diagnosed a while it might help you understand things better, it's highly recommended by many of our members 🙂

I would say that you are not really being allowed to manage your diabetes currently, as you haven't been provided with the tools to do it and therefore feel very much in the dark and not in control. This ought to be the strategy from the start so that you can establish a good basic diet that suits your tastes and lifestyle, after that it would be far less frequent tests to make sure you are on track andwhen trying out something new or feel something might be wrong. In practice I bet this approach would cost less than the actual time your surgery spends telling you why you don't need to test and trying to work things out by guessing from your food diary. And certainly cheaper than any potential complications.

I read somewhere that around 1% of the NHS diabetes budget goes on strip provision whereas around 60% goes on treating complications (with their associated human cost in quality of life).

 

[lucy123]

Could I just throw something else in the pot.
If it turns out your diabetes is okay - could it possibly be hayfever?

I have felt so tired the last 4 weeks and had a throbbing headache too - someone just suggested they had similar symptoms with their hayfever.

I have been taking hayfever tablets each day this week and have actually noticed a difference.

Probably not- but thought it might be worth mentioning.🙂

 

[Ghost Hunter]

Hi thanks all. Ill see if I can get hold of a meter and that book.

Where can I find info on testing levels and explanations of what to do if or how to know whats good bad or how to improve etc?

Also where is the best place to find out more on mealplans for Low / no starch diet? I wonder if there is an online diet site that has all this set out if I can subscribe to it? Bit like WW or SW or RC maybe ? I kthink RC club has been recomended by DUK in the past but its the mealplans I need not just the help and support.

Thanks again everybody keep well 🙂

 

[Northerner]

Have a read of Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter, and also Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S - they should help explain how to approach managing your diabetes and also a good programme for testing efficiently. I'm not too well informed on good sources of low-carb diet plans, hopefully others can help! Personally, I try to follow the GL (Glycaemic Load) diet which explains how to select and combine different food elements so that they release their energy slowly and steadily, and not have such a rapid 'hit' on your levels. The GL Diet for Dummies is a good introduction. Can you tell I read a lot? 😉