# Feeling dreadful



## Caroline1967 (May 8, 2022)

Hi
I was diagnosed type 2 on Friday.  Taking Metformin once a day at the minute. twice a day from tomorrow.
Is it normal to feel so much worse now than on Friday?  I feel absolutely awful.  I am waiting for a call back from the out of hours doctor but not sure if they will be able to help if it is something you just have to go through until the Metformin does it’s job!

Thanks
Caroline


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## Leadinglights (May 8, 2022)

Metformin takes a while to have an effect on your blood glucose as it takes time to build up in your system, it does not act directly on the food you eat, although the stomach issues can occur straight away.
As you have no means of testing your blood glucose or ketones did you follow previous advice to go to a pharmacy to get them to test you?
If you do not hear soon then present yourself to A & E where they will be able to test you for high glucose or ketones.


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## Caroline1967 (May 8, 2022)

Thanks for your reply. I have ordered a glucose testing kit which will be here on Thursday.  I have not been well enough to go to a pharmacy to get tested.  111 said I will get a call back within 2 hours.  I went to A and E a few weeks ago after a fall and was thee for 10 hours before I was seen.  Not sure I could face a wait that long today! Hopefully I will get a call back soon.
Thanks for your help.


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## Mrs Mimoo (May 8, 2022)

Hello Caroline. Can I ask what is your HbA1C? I felt a bit urgh on normal Metformin but was soon put on the modified release variety which is much easier on the tummy.  Hope you are ok and 111 have got back to you. If nobody does get a cab to A&E x


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## Lucyr (May 8, 2022)

Caroline1967 said:


> Thanks for your reply. I have ordered a glucose testing kit which will be here on Thursday.  I have not been well enough to go to a pharmacy to get tested.  111 said I will get a call back within 2 hours.  I went to A and E a few weeks ago after a fall and was thee for 10 hours before I was seen.  Not sure I could face a wait that long today! Hopefully I will get a call back soon.
> Thanks for your help.


Waiting 10 hours in A&E today would still be much quicker than waiting until Tuesday for the meter to come and then waiting hours in A&E if the result is high. Hopefully 111 will get you an out of hours appointment, but if they send you to A&E then i'd go.


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## Caroline1967 (May 8, 2022)

That is true Lucy.  I have spoken to a doctor on the phone,  she was quite surprised that I have not had a face to face appointment and wants to see me at 1.  She told me to bring a bag as there is a chance she will send me to hospital.  I will go if I have to obviously!


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## Leadinglights (May 8, 2022)

Caroline1967 said:


> That is true Lucy.  I have spoken to a doctor on the phone,  she was quite surprised that I have not had a face to face appointment and wants to see me at 1.  She told me to bring a bag as there is a chance she will send me to hospital.  I will go if I have to obviously!


Thank goodness you have spoken to somebody, it was worrying to read about your situation. Do follow their advice and let us know how you get on when you can.


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## Pumper_Sue (May 8, 2022)

Caroline1967 said:


> Hi
> I was diagnosed type 2 on Friday.  Taking Metformin once a day at the minute. twice a day from tomorrow.
> Is it normal to feel so much worse now than on Friday?  I feel absolutely awful.  I am waiting for a call back from the out of hours doctor but not sure if they will be able to help if it is something you just have to go through until the Metformin does it’s job!
> 
> ...


As I suggested to you yesterday,
your symptoms have come on far to quickly for type2 diabetes and I would suspect type1 any day of the week.

This is an autoimmune condition and the only treatment is insulin. Without it you will die if in fact you are type 1.
Hence why the Dr wants to see you and said pack a bag.
Hope all works out well for you.


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## Caroline1967 (May 8, 2022)

I am in A and E now.  Found out my blood test was 120 and my glucose level was 26.2. Don’t think the higher the better is it?lol


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## andyp64 (May 8, 2022)

Hope you're finally getting the right treatment.


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## rebrascora (May 8, 2022)

So relieved you are in hospital and hopefully getting started on some insulin now. Please keep us updated.


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## Caroline1967 (May 8, 2022)

Hi 
I am feeling a little better now.  Have been on a drip and my glucose has gone down from 18.6 this afternoon to 16.7.  Consultant is quite happy with type 2 diagnosis.
I am waiting for a lift home and then I think I am having an early night!
Thanks
Carol8ne


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## Inka (May 8, 2022)

Did you have a UTI at diagnosis @Caroline1967 ? If so, could that be contributing? When our blood sugar is high as well as feeling generally rough, we’re more prone to getting infections.


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## Pumper_Sue (May 8, 2022)

Caroline1967 said:


> Hi
> I am feeling a little better now.  Have been on a drip and my glucose has gone down from 18.6 this afternoon to 16.7.  Consultant is quite happy with type 2 diagnosis.
> I am waiting for a lift home and then I think I am having an early night!
> Thanks
> Carol8ne


Glad you are feeling better.
Was it the A&E doctor who said type2 or did you see an endocrinologist?


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## Caroline1967 (May 8, 2022)

I did have an infection but they said there was no sign of infection now.
I wasn’t in A and E but a short stay ward so not sure what his title was.  He was a consultant who explained lots to me and was a little shocked when I told him how little I was told by my GP.  Basically I was told I have diabetes, take tablets, give up carbs!  He told me with sugar as high as mine he would expect me to feel this rough.  My sugars are coming down though so that is good.  I am going to have an early night now.
Thanks.


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## everydayupsanddowns (May 9, 2022)

Glad you were seen @Caroline1967 and that prompt action was taken. Sounds very scary for you. 

Do you know what the drip involved? And whether they checked for ketones? Were you given insulin do you know?


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## Jacqueline DUK (May 9, 2022)

Hi @Caroline1967, thank you for giving us updates on your current status, I'm glad things are looking much better and your sugar levels have reduced. Let us know how you get on.


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## Caroline1967 (May 9, 2022)

It has been a bit scary which I know sounds a bit pathetic but I have never been ill like this before and I can't really get my head round what is going on.  I can't concentrate on anything so although I am trying to read up about it nothing is really going in.  I stayed home from work today and I am not going in tomorrow.  I am a teacher and it is sats week so not the best week to be sick!  I am going to try to go in Wednesday but will see how I feel!

The drip was just saline. The doctor said I needed to stay hydrated but I felt so sick when I drank anything that I didn't!  Feeling thirsty felt better to me than feeling sick!

Ketones were 0.7 at 2pm and the same at 7.30  I am not sure what that means but the doctor seemed quite happy with that!
He  reassured me that my vision issues would be due to the sugar and not to rush and get new glasses.  My glasses are only 6 months old and I was going to get new ones.  They were £600 (not that I am bitter!!!) and I have only had them 6 months so wasn't terribly happy at the idea of getting new ones!!!LOL


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## everydayupsanddowns (May 9, 2022)

Caroline1967 said:


> My glasses are only 6 months old and I was going to get new ones. They were £600 (not that I am bitter!!!) and I have only had them 6 months so wasn't terribly happy at the idea of getting new ones!!!LOL


Hopefully when your BG has settled back into range again, your eyesight will return to where it was and your glasses will be OK again


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## Caroline1967 (May 10, 2022)

Hello again
Thank you to everyone who took the time to reply to me.
I came out of hospital on Sunday feeling very tired but a bit better.
Yesterday began to feel quite a bit better…just felt a bit sick when I ate or drank.
Today I feel dreadful again. I have a raging thirst again which had started to go yesterday.  I feel hot, dizzy, sick and tearful.  I have the most awful pains in my legs (probably nothing to do with diabetes but I never had them before and they are so bad they are making me cry). I phoned the pharmacy to see if I can have my gluco


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## rebrascora (May 10, 2022)

Get yourself back to A&E pronto please.


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## Saoirse (May 10, 2022)

Caroline1967 said:


> Hello again
> Thank you to everyone who took the time to reply to me.
> I came out of hospital on Sunday feeling very tired but a bit better.
> Yesterday began to feel quite a bit better…just felt a bit sick when I ate or drank.
> Today I feel dreadful again. I have a raging thirst again which had started to go yesterday.  I feel hot, dizzy, sick and tearful.  I have the most awful pains in my legs (probably nothing to do with diabetes but I never had them before and they are so bad they are making me cry). I phoned the pharmacy to see if I can have my gluco


Please go to A&E.


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## Pumper_Sue (May 10, 2022)

Go to A&E as already stated.
You need insulin I still say you have type1 diabetes.


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## rebrascora (May 10, 2022)

I also think they haven't diagnosed you properly (most likely Type 1) and should not have sent you home from hospital without appropriate treatment/insulin. Please let us know that you are safely at hospital and being treated when you can. Ask for GAD antibody and C-peptide tests to check for Type 1 and be firm about it. Ask why they can't do those tests if they refuse. Unfortunately you have to be pushy these days.... not easy I know, especially when you feel rotten.


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## Pumper_Sue (May 10, 2022)

So you understand how serious your condition is @Caroline1967 I'm going to be very blunt with you.
Your are in a life or death situation so you need to urgently seek medical attention which means ringing for an ambulance if you haven't got to A&E yet.


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## Inka (May 10, 2022)

Hoping you’re at A and E now @Caroline1967 I really hope you get an insulin drip this time. I don’t know what the issue is but you might have been misdiagnosed. If so, you need urgent attention. Don’t be afraid to say how ill you feel, and that you’re concerned you might have Type 1 diabetes.


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## Pumper_Sue (May 10, 2022)

rebrascora said:


> Sue you have tagged the wrong member. It is @Caroline1967 who sounds like she is DKA not @Saoirse


Oops ta


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## Inka (May 11, 2022)

How are you today @Caroline1967 ?


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## Caroline1967 (May 11, 2022)

Hi
I did go to hospital.  I have a urine infection.  I suspect it is the original one not cleared up properly.  I have antibiotics.
I asked about being type 1 and they have tested for that and it is definitely type 2.
I saw a diabetic nurse at my own surgery this morning who recommended this site!  He prescribed Gliclazide twice a day and dapagliflozin once a day.  He has given me a blood glucose monitor but said I only need to check if I am feeling wobbly.  I received my own one in the post this morning as I intend to test before and after meals as people on here have suggested.  I bought a glucoNavii as the testing strips are cheap.  I need to work out whether it is cheaper to buy the strips for the one the nurse gave me or to use the kit I bought.  I don't want to use the nurse's strips and then find it costs an arm and a leg to replace them. Don't want to put a request in for more and the nurse think I am getting low blood sugar every day!

I am beginning to feel a bit better physically and a lot more in control.
Thank you to everyone who has helped me.
Caroline


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## Inka (May 11, 2022)

That makes sense @Caroline1967 I suggested a UTI earlier as I’ve had a nasty one and they really can make you feel unwell. Also, they seem to often need different antibiotics to completely get rid of them. I hope your new antibiotics will help you feel a lot better very soon. The Gliclazide will help your sugars but just watch out that, as your infection clears, your blood sugar doesn’t drop too low as it’s possible the UTI was making it higher than it would have been.


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## IrvineHimself (May 11, 2022)

Being a guy, I am not too familiar with UTI's, but Dapagliflozin is the same family as Empagliflozin. They work by causing the body to excrete sugar in the urine. This makes people who use it more prone to fungal and yeast infections. (See my signature for the list of soaps and moisturizers my pharmacist is giving me because of the Empagliflozin.)

I imagine that the problems will be be a lot worse for a woman, so talk to your Pharmacist and Doctor and pay very close attention to any advice that they give.


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## Caroline1967 (May 11, 2022)

The nurse did mention this to me, but I couldn't remember which drug he was talking about.
I am being given so much information at the minute....I don't think I am remembering very much of it!!
Thanks
Caroline


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## Leadinglights (May 11, 2022)

Caroline1967 said:


> The nurse did mention this to me, but I couldn't remember which drug he was talking about.
> I am being given so much information at the minute....I don't think I am remembering very much of it!!
> Thanks
> Caroline


It is recommended with that drug you drink plenty of fluids, somewhere I saw 3 litres per day otherwise you can become dehydrated as it works by removing excess glucose via urine so probably more loo visits. If course the urinary tract has a nice sugary environment that bacteria and yeasts just love.
I wondered how they had done the tests for Type 1 and been able to say you were not as they would normally take some time for results to come back.
I hope you are starting to feel a little better.


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## IrvineHimself (May 11, 2022)

Caroline1967 said:


> I am being given so much information at the minute....I don't think I am remembering very much of it!!


You and me both my dear. I was only diagnosed just over a month ago, and am still trying to get my head around everything. There is the general idea of coming to terms with being diabetic, which even although I had suspicions, was still a shocker when confirmed. However, there is also the learning curve for a variety of subjects ranging from "What can I eat?" through "The meaning of all the terminology" to a "All the potential complications I am vulnerable to."

Don't worry though, we all go through it and we are only too glad to share our experience. Especially in this case, where, as @Leadinglights says: *Drink plenty of water.*


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## Caroline1967 (May 11, 2022)

I will try to drink more water!  I am drinking so much at the minute!


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## Mrs Mimoo (May 14, 2022)

Caroline1967 said:


> I will try to drink more water!  I am drinking so much at the minute!


also if the UTI does not clear you can go back to the GP and ask for long term antibiotics. I had to be on them for 6 months with a UTI in 2019 as some of us are just unable to shake them off. X


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## trophywench (May 15, 2022)

Mrs M - in 2019 it's more than likely that your T2 was well on it's way so you could easily have had random but higher than bog standard normal BG at various times during any 24 hours, which would make UTIs really hard to successfully get on top of and eliminate - and wouldn't particularly show up in a random fingerprick BG test along the way either, without you having any other symptoms, or even possibly showing up on an HbA1c at the time - but unchecked would lead to it being over 42 and labelled pre diabetes before then becoming 48+ and voila, T2 diabetes.


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## Mrs Mimoo (May 15, 2022)

trophywench said:


> Mrs M - in 2019 it's more than likely that your T2 was well on it's way so you could easily have had random but higher than bog standard normal BG at various times during any 24 hours, which would make UTIs really hard to successfully get on top of and eliminate - and wouldn't particularly show up in a random fingerprick BG test along the way either, without you having any other symptoms, or even possibly showing up on an HbA1c at the time - but unchecked would lead to it being over 42 and labelled pre diabetes before then becoming 48+ and voila, T2 diabetes.


I think I was prediabetic then. but I have had a serious UTI every few years since my 20s.... I'm now in my 50s.



			https://cutic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CUTIC-Medical-professionals-information-sheet-August-2020.01.pdf
		



I get serious reccurant infections. My HbA1C was 45 in 2019 - its the last one I had before lock down. link is to the CUTIC advice to take to your doctor if your UTI does not go away. I'll be emailing that to them Monday....


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## trophywench (May 16, 2022)

Just read that - blimey.


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## Caroline1967 (May 16, 2022)

Thank you.  I have saved to cutic article in case I need it.
I am very tired today and felt awful this morning but I am feeling a lot better tonight.
C


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## snowball12 (May 17, 2022)

Hi, so sorry you are having such a bad time. Can you buy your own glucose monitor. That's what I did and I try to follow a low carb diet. Do you take Metformin SR much better on the stomach. I think you should see your GP again as I don't think you have Type 2. Hope things improve for you


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## trophywench (May 17, 2022)

@Caroline when you have more than a minute would you please tell us what your day to day BG meter results are saying now ?


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## Caroline1967 (May 17, 2022)

@trophywench i think I am doing quite well with regard to blood sugars.  Most around the 8 mark. Had pasta one evening and it shot up so won’t be doing that again.  Today I was 8.5 before breakfast and 2 hours later was 7.2 so I presume that is ok! Didn’t test before lunch but before dinner was 7.6. Need to test again in about half an hour but I feel ok so hoping it will be fine.

Today is the first day I have been up all day which I am very pleased about.  I am hoping to go back to work on Friday but my eyes are still quite blurry so will have to wait and see.


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## Caroline1967 (May 17, 2022)

@trophywench Mmmm just tested after dinner… 14.6 which seemed way off so tested again and it was 8.5.  No idea which was correct though.  I am assuming 8.5


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## Bruce Stephens (May 17, 2022)

Caroline1967 said:


> I am assuming 8.5


I'd assume that, too. Always wash and dry your hands before testing!


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## trophywench (May 17, 2022)

Phew! - that does look a LOT better - thanks for doing this.

Give it another hour and test again to check and make sure  - but it really depends on how much of what you had for your dinner!


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## Caroline1967 (May 17, 2022)

I only had fish, leeks and mushrooms so nothing carb high.
I will test again later to double check.


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