# Hello, I'm new here, and feel so alone and scared, please help me.



## Cherry bombz (Jun 22, 2009)

Hello everyone, My real name is Ren?e I'm 29, and I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes at the age of 25, I'm on Metformin with Pioglitazone 850mg + 15mg twice daily for my Diabetes.

I recently went to my diabetic apointment at my new doctors, and the first thing the Diabetic nurse said was _"Your very young to have Type 2 diabetes" _(this has been said at other appointments at my old Surgery and it makes me feel like a freak!) But this time I asked  _"Havn't you ever seen anyone my age with type 2 before"_ she replyed "No, normally people 50 plus have type 2 and people your age type 1[/I], (I felt sooooo abnormal when she was saying all this) she then said because I'm so young It's worse as I  will proberly be on Insulin by time I'm 40, where as if I was older, I would be dead befor it got to that stage. (Is this nurse real or what! you don't say shit like that!)

On top of all this, I spoke to my doctor concerning the Cholestral tablets I'm on (40mg Atorvastatin) I said _"I would like to start a family"_ but the doctor said 'Atorvastatin' is normally prescribed  to people who are past the age of child bearing, and it could cause deformities to an unborn child. Does anyone on this Forum know what I'm ment to do? I was unable to ask the doctor any more questions as he was very unhelpful and horrible. I feel so lonely...sorry people if I'm going on....

I'm also on Anti psychotics (Quitiapine 300mg)  and antidepressants (Clomipramine 150mg) I sometimes believe these meds are the reason I am diabetic, as I wouldn't say I was overly BIG in weight. My mother who is in her 60's has type 2 diabeties but is able to control hers by diet.


All I can say is...how lonely I feel, please some one, anyone talk to me please.

PS. It comes to something when you can't turn to your own doctor/nurse for help.


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## sasha1 (Jun 22, 2009)

Hi Cherry bombz,

Welcome to the forum...your in the right place for help, support, chat, advice...what ever you need just shout and someone will be able to point you in the right direction.
Sorry you feel lonely and you feel your dr/nurse were unhelpful...
While I cannot help on some of the points you raised....I just wanted to say Hi..and you not alone...Also you are not a freak or abnormal..

Heidi


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## aymes (Jun 22, 2009)

Hi Renee and welcome to the forum.

Firstly, I'm sorry that it sounds like you're having such a rough time of it at the moment but this really is a good place to start to get some advice and support from other who know the sort of things you're dealing with. 

My immediate thought is maybe you should try to get a referral to your nearest diabetes centre/clinic at a hospital. I think the gemeral feeling I get form a lot of people is that GPs don't always give the best advice when it comes to diabetes. The diabetes centre may also be able to help you with the interaction of different medications, and can be particularly useful if you're planning to start a family.  

Whilst type 2 is more common in older people and type 1 in younger it's definately not a hard and fast rule, as lots of people on here will confirm! Although type 2 is progressive, so the younger you get it then I guess potentially it has more 'time' to get 'worse' they really are relative terms and with good control there's nothing inevitable about it, either way insulin doesn't have to be the end of the world. 

Do keep asking lots of questions on here, everyone's very happy to help.


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## Cherry bombz (Jun 22, 2009)

Hello Sasha1, thank you for your welcome x


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## Vanessa (Jun 22, 2009)

Cherrybombz - welcome to this site.  Couple of thoughts from me

- it seems to be quite common for people with Type 2 who do not conform to the "standard model" to be told you are too young or too slim or don't fit the profile.  Sadly some health care professionals appear to have been almost brainwashed into such perceptions and as you will find from this site diabetes is a strange thing

- I get really quite fed up with the perception that ending up on insulin is somehow a "bad thing" for a Type 2.  It simply means that that person's body needs insulin to help it work and as many believe Type 2 is progressive then, yes, an earlier onset may mean you need to start insulin in mid life.  Look at the stories of some of the Type 1s on here who have taken insulin for decades - without it they wouldn't be alive to tell us their stories although for some it appears to be difficult to balance the insulin they take with their lifestyles.  Not sure I'm comforted at all by the thought that I'll be dead before I need insulin as I was diagnosed at the grand old age of 51!  By your nurse's calculations my life span has just been significantly reduced

- as you browse through this site you will find examples of people with Type 2 who have successfully managed their condition over many years without deterioration so there is always hope

- can't comment re the statin but don't know if you could be referred anywhere locally for pre-conceptual advice?  If you don't want to ask your GP then do you know the contact details for your local midwifery service?

- try not to blame yourself for your diabetes.  You seem to have one of the biggest risk factors as your mum has it.  Depression is commmon with diabetes too and may affect your self-management of diet and exercise

- we all get lonely at times and in need of someone to talk to.  This forum is a good place for support


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## Cherry bombz (Jun 22, 2009)

Hello Aymes, thanks for your advice, I see a diabetic nurse at my doctors every 6 months, should I be going to a diabetic centre? I know when I was living in a differant City, I went to a diabetic hospital???? Sorry I am so confused. x


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## Northerner (Jun 22, 2009)

Hi Cherry bombz, welcome to the forum! 

Firstly, as others have said, it really is a nonsense to start saying 'you're too young/old to get this type or that type'. I was diagnosed Type 1 at 49 and conversely there are others, like yourself, who have been diagnosed Type 2 in their younger years. With good control and management, you may not need insulin for many, many years, and even if you do it doesn't suddenly mean the end of everything - it's just another medication that you need to stay healthy!

What is your cholesterol level? Perhaps there is an alternative or perhaps you could stop it altogether if you are able to improve your levels sufficiently. Again, it's not very helpful to b told 'Oh dear, you should have had children before you got diabetes' - what planet are they from?!

Stick around here and you'll find lots of people happy and willing to help you, so don't be afraid to ask anything!


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## aymes (Jun 22, 2009)

Cherry bombz said:


> Hello Aymes, thanks for your advice, I see a diabetic nurse at my doctors every 6 months, should I be going to a diabetic centre? I know when I was living in a differant City, I went to a diabetic hospital???? Sorry I am so confused. x



It really depends on what's in your area and how diabetes care is treated there but generally there will be a department in a local hospital where you can see a diabetes specialist and diabetes nurse etc. Have a look on your PCT website and you should be able to find some information.


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## Cherry bombz (Jun 22, 2009)

Vanessa said:


> - can't comment re the statin but don't know if you could be referred anywhere locally for pre-conceptual advice?  If you don't want to ask your GP then do you know the contact details for your local midwifery service?



Thank you soo much Venessa for your advice, it's only of late that I have been thinking how much I would love a family of my own as I have been with my partner for 11 years, I will seek out a local midwifery service x


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## Cherry bombz (Jun 22, 2009)

Northerner said:


> What is your cholesterol level? Perhaps there is an alternative or perhaps you could stop it altogether if you are able to improve your levels sufficiently.
> D



Thank you for your reply, my Cholesterol level is 6, the nurse said that was very good, since I have been taking my atorvastatin it has put my levels down to a healthy number.
When I saw my doctor I asked can I come off them, he said 'No you will be on them for the rest of your life' so if thats the case what would I do for 9 months if I got pregnant....he didn't give me any good answers, I'm thinking of changing my doctors.


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## DiabeticDave (Jun 22, 2009)

Cherry bombz said:


> Thank you for your reply, my Cholesterol level is 6, the nurse said that was very good, since I have been taking my atorvastatin it has put my levels down to a healthy number.
> When I saw my doctor I asked can I come off them, he said *'No you will be on them for the rest of your life' *so if thats the case what would I do for 9 months if I got pregnant....he didn't give me any good answers, I'm thinking of changing my doctors.



Hi and welcome......reading all the posts, I have felt drawn to respond to this. IMO, that is twaddle, you can lower your cholesterol through diet and exercise, as I am doing. A doctor cannot force you to take any drug...what were your levels before the Atorvastatin??


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## Proudspirit (Jun 22, 2009)

Hi, sorry to hear that your nurse is pants! my gp was too. I've only beed diagnosed for a month so not really qualified to talk about Diabetes but i have been through depression. Have you been offered any councelling? If not ask for some, you have a lot going on and you need to work this all out, tablets alone are no good. 

Take care and i look forward to seeing you on the forums.

Julie xxx


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## Steff (Jun 22, 2009)

hi cherry i cant really add alot to wats been said , but a warm welcome to the forum x


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## Cherry bombz (Jun 22, 2009)

DiabeticDave said:


> Hi and welcome......reading all the posts, I have felt drawn to respond to this. IMO, that is twaddle, you can lower your cholesterol through diet and exercise, as I am doing. A doctor cannot force you to take any drug...what were your levels before the Atorvastatin??



Hello Dave, thanks for your response, I can't for the life of me remember what my level was befor taking the meds, but I do remember a nurse (at a dif surgery) also said I would be on them forever, It didn't bother me as much then, as I didn't know that it could effect an unborn baby! I hope that what i have been told is a load of BS. I never forget once when I went to hospital and the doctor said 'Your results are really bad i'm quite concerned' and then he turned round and said 'oh sorry they were your old results, your cholestral is good' talk about putting my mind on a roller coster.....


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## mikep1979 (Jun 22, 2009)

hi renee 

welcome to the site. well i know you feel alone and scared right now but it will get easier to deal with in time. just remember we are all happy to help you and answer any questions you have 

mike


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## Cherry bombz (Jun 22, 2009)

Proudspirit said:


> Hi, sorry to hear that your nurse is pants! my gp was too. I've only beed diagnosed for a month so not really qualified to talk about Diabetes but i have been through depression. Have you been offered any councelling? If not ask for some, you have a lot going on and you need to work this all out, tablets alone are no good.
> 
> Take care and i look forward to seeing you on the forums.
> 
> Julie xxx



Yes I am curently under a psychologist and a psychiatrist, I'm seeing my psychologist tomorrow actually, thank you for your reply xxx


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## Cherry bombz (Jun 22, 2009)

steff09 said:


> hi cherry i cant really add alot to wats been said , but a warm welcome to the forum x




Thank you steff for the warm welcome xxx


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## Cherry bombz (Jun 22, 2009)

mikep1979 said:


> hi renee
> 
> welcome to the site. well i know you feel alone and scared right now but it will get easier to deal with in time. just remember we are all happy to help you and answer any questions you have
> 
> mike



Thank you for your warm welcome mike x


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## bev (Jun 22, 2009)

Hi and welcome to the forum. Sorry your having a bad time - i dont know much about type 2 to be able to help - but i hope you get into a diabetic clinic as i think they are a lot better than some gp's. Keep posting and i am sure things will start to get sorted out soon. Bev


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## Lorraine (Jun 24, 2009)

Hi and welcome.

Everyone on here is so lovely, so understanding and helpful.  Quite honestly some should be employed by the NHS because they are much more understanding.  Knowing about diabetes isn't just the insulin, tablet, diet side of it.  It is very much about how it makes us feeling psychologically. You will definately get the support you need from here.


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## superstu21 (Jun 24, 2009)

*hi*

welcolm to the group i have only signed up today but have got more help and understanding than i have had from any one so far. 

all the professionals saying being diabetic wont affect your day to day but what do they no we all have so many feelings wizzing round at once we just end up confused and lost

Stuart


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## RachelT (Jun 24, 2009)

*Hi!*

Hi Cherry!

I'm 32 and i was diagnosed 9-10 months ago, when i'd literally just turned 32. I'd probably been diabetic for at least 6 months before that, and maybe longer. You're right, none of the paperwork says that people under 45 get type 2 diabetes and it scared the beejezus out of me. My parents arn't diabetic but 2 of my 3 80+ grandparents are. I thought diabetes was a disease that affected kids (type 1) and old people (type 2) and and I work in a hospital and spent two years doing a BTEC, so really, that's terrible. I now know better, but i was scared silly, i's come to all sorts of wild conclusions like i'd ruined my body by eating badly, that i'd brought this upon myself from eating too much chocolate, and that clearly, if i shared a condition with my 80 year old grandma, then i have the body of an 80 year old. Thankfully i met nurses Eileen, Angela and Janet, who are not paid anywhere near enough for the wonderfull jobs they do. It's actually reassuring to find that i'm not the only under 40 year old ever to have type2 diabetes, but seriously, it is soooo not your fault, you're not a freak.

Your drug questions. I'm not an expert, i'm not a pharmacist, but i do work in a hospital pharmacy so i can at least offer some suggestions.
I don't think your Quetiapine or Clomipramine have caused your diabetes, although one of the side effects of clomipramine is changes in blood sugar levels. Have you been taking these longer than you've had diabetes? Quetiapine can also increase Cholesterol levels.

About starting a family: It's not impossible, i have a friend at work who's been Type 1 since she was a teenager and she's had kids. I wouldn't have thought that stopping your Atorvastatin for a year or so would be a huge disaster. metformin and Pioglitazone are also not recommended in pregnancy, according to my trusty BNF (the pharmacy bible  ) expectant mums on these two usually get put on insulin during pregnancy. Your biggest problem may be having to stop your Quetiapine, but i'm sure there's a way round it.
The baby thing scares me too, only one person has even assumed that i might want to have kids, i'm on metformin, simvastatin and carbimazole, (oh and seem to be terminally single....).

You won't nessasarily end up on insulin, they do lay that on pretty heavy i know, but my grandad has been diabetic for 40+ years and he's still on oral meds, it is do-able. Also Nurse Angela told me that being younger with diabetes isn't a bad thing, you're younger and can do more about it at your age, you can fix your lifestyle easier than an older person can and avoid those complications. You won't nessasarily die younger.
It is really hard to find emotional support for your diabetes, but this place is really great. It's made a huge difference to me, coz i don't feel so alone anymore. Everybody here is incredibly supportive, and nobody minds a rant.

Glad to hear from you, hope some of this helps

Rachel


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## Sugarbum (Jun 25, 2009)

Hi Renee,

Really nice to see you on the forum, on first impressions you seem really nice and its such a shame you are being mucked about.

I can only echo what people before me have written, and partically Vanessa who has given you some excellent advice there. I am really sorry you are going through all these things, there are some lovely people with type 2 diabetes on here who give great advice so I would really take on board what advice you are getting.

It is very sad when doctors make random statements and in one sentance can completely break you down for X amount of months. We are of similar age, I was told in my consultation at the end of last year "Well clearly you are not planning children anytime soon otherwise you would have cut statins out your life a long time ago". I was in shock, and actually completely destroyed by this ambiguous statement. Linking this to your Atorvastatin, can I suggest you are referred to a diabetes clinic in a hospital as (and I believe this may be the gold standard) but they should have a "Preconception Clinic". In the preconception clinic they will review your medication, help you get down your HbA1c and give you some good conception and pregnancy guidance. I am told that if I consider having a baby, I should be joining this clinic approximately 6 months prior to planning a pregancy.

I actually dont have high cholesterol for years now but remain in 40mg of Simvastatin. I experienced side effects and know that Atorvastatin is supposed to be better with fewer side effects, but more expensive so GPs less likely to prescribe it, so if you do remain on statins for now, my understanding is this isnt a bad one to be on. Do you have a good pharmacist? Mine is great. I can also get an appointment with my pharmacist in a clinical room to go over my medications and he explains all about them too. Can you access something like this?

I hope you dont feel like a freak being diagnosed with Type 2 so young. It is so sad that there are so many conatations associated with Diabetes these days and at some stage we seem to get "labelled". Its unhelpful and damaging. Dont dwell! People doing this really arent helpful, lets leave them all behind!

I really hope renee things pick up and also that you enjoy the group. Like Rachel says above me, get on here and have a bloody good rant if you need it, no-one minds! And you would be suprised how much better it makes you feel!

Lots and lots of love and good health,
Louisa x


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## insulinaddict09 (Jun 29, 2009)

superstu21 said:


> welcolm to the group i have only signed up today but have got more help and understanding than i have had from any one so far.
> 
> all the professionals saying being diabetic wont affect your day to day but what do they no we all have so many feelings wizzing round at once we just end up confused and lost
> 
> Stuart



Hello and welcome to the forum , superstu21 and cherry bombz


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## runner (Jul 2, 2009)

Hi Cherry,

Welcome - you're in good company here. I would certainly ask for some specialist pre-conceptual counselling - there may be all sorts of alternative treatments, albeit temporarily, that you may consider.  You would also need to know how long you should wait while the cholesterol-lowering medication clears out of your system, if that's what is suggested. This may be a stupid question, but have you tried looking at diet, as Dave suggests?

Seeing a diabetic specialist sounds like a good idea as they may be able to help with alternative medication and counselling for depression - a good move if you're considering starting a family.

Had all my kids before I was diabetic, but I'm sure there's other diabetic parents on the forum who might be able to help.  good luck with your inquiries, and hope you're feeling less lonely and more optimistic now. 

Sorry - missed some of the previous posts and realize I'm repeating stuff - just shows great minds think alike!


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