Worried I may be diabetic

[Mandymae36]

Hi I'm a 36 year old female and I am a hypochondriac. Not only do I have a lot of physical and emotional symptoms I'm just as terrified to know what is causing them I hate doctors. I have been having some worrisome symptoms that I am contributing to diabetes. I took a beta blocker called infernal for about the years and gained a lot of weight I developed a dark rash under my arm pits, groin, knees and knuckles while I was pregnant. I was told it was nothing. Years later I was tested for diabetes which was two years ago and it was negative. I didn't mention the rash at the time. Since then I have weined myself off of the infernal and lost 30 pounds doing so. The rash on my groin disappeared and under my arms has lightened my knuckle r as dark as ever though. I have had bouts of bv infections and bladder infections. Thread months ago I took a medication for the bv infection and developed oral thrush. I am so concerned that it means I am diabetic. I am terrified to go to the doctor in the fear that I will be diagnosed with diabetes. I have 4 children my oldest is 16 and my youngest is 7 I don't want to die and leave them without a mother that is my biggest concern but finding out that I am diabetic I am afraid that I will go into a deep depression or a panic episode that I won't be able to handle. I have constant severe anxiety that takes over my life. Sorry about the long story but I need to get it out. Any advise? Is there anyone going through any similar problems?

[kerry213]

My son (15) has been a Type 1 Diabetic for 10yrs now. Type 1 Diabetes is a life threatening. I also know a lot about Diabetes because a lot of my family has Type 2 Diabetes. And I am a nurse. Signs of Type 1 are: losing weight, peeing a lot, tiredness, hungry often (those are a few). Signs is Type 2 are: peeing a lot, weight gain, tiredness, hungry often (those are a few). Just because someone has Diabetes (Type 1 or 2) doesn't mean that they will die. People can live very long lives with both types of Diabetes. You just have to manage it to a "T" and stick to it. So with that being said...you first need to find out if you have it. All that needs to be done is a fasting blood sugar check and an A1c test. All done through the same finger poke.

Type 1 Diabetes can happened to anyone at anytime. A T1D must take insulin injections several times a day to stay alive. There is no cure.

Type 2 Diabetes can happen through poor diet/no exercise and sometimes hereditary. A T2D doesn't need to take insulin injections if they keep to their diet/exercise regimen to a "T".

[mens]

i can resonate with your fear. There was a time that i thought i was having diabetes and was so paranoid that i had myself tested everyday. My reading showed 7 but at the doctors i was told that i had 1percent sugar in my blood but i am not diabetic. I started controlling my diet and in a months time went to private clinic and did a full blood count and my sugar reading was normal. let me share this remedy with you . It works and trust me. Take two or three tablespoons of cumin boil it under slow fire. let the boiled cumin water cool down for 15 mins. the cumin settles below. drink about two glasses . do not overdo as it will bring down your sugar and can make you feel week and giddy. go slow. for those diabetics on medication be cautious as you are already taking medication to bring down your sugar added remedy can cause giddiness. you can try half a glass. its is mentioned that cumin can prevent diabetics. please google cumin benefits . take care.

[Mandymae36 in reply to mens]

Thank you for the tip I think I may try this remedy and see if it brings any relief to my symptoms

[jrcnpg]

The cause of the rash you have developed is probably to do with the weight you gained (beta blockers on their own do not contribute to any diabetic tendencies or weight gain) . Excess flesh when weight is gained often has 'folds' of the skin where it is likely to be subjected to sweat which in turn develops into that rash which is itchy. Your GP can prescribe a mild steroid cream to assist with the itchiness and also some cream which you use in place of soap when bathing or showering. Cleaning areas of skin like this is very important and I can empathise with you since I developed a kind of rash which a dermatologist diagnosed as 'contact dermatitis'. I have been free of that now for ten years, thankfully. The symptoms of diabetes as has already been mentioned below are excessive thirst, excessive sweating, hunger, excessive urination and sometimes confusion (detachment from the real world, whatever that might be). These symptoms are applicable both to Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes way back in 2003 following a visit to my GP who, after extensive physical examination of me, remarked that she had no idea what was causing me to be ill. It was only when she remarked that I was dehydrated and I replied to her indicating that the dehydration had nothing to do with a lack of fluids since the previous day I had drunk 9 cans of coke (much to the chagrin of my son since they were his!), a bottle of homemade lemonade and around three pints of milk and water that the Eureka moment arrived and she performed the finger prick test the results of which showed a reading of HI on the monitor since the monitors could not provide a figure above 33. If you are an American then these numbers may well confuse you since here in England we used to employ our own sets of measuring figures although now, for reasons quite absent from my comprehension, we are shifting to the standard American system of numbers. That would mean, in figures you may better understand, my reading was 133. She wished at that time to send me to hospital since in her opinion I would need to be placed on an insulin drip. I refused this even though she outlined the fact that with a reading of 133 I may very well slip into a coma which would lead to my death. A finger prick test will provide you with a number enabling you to determine how much glucose is rampant in your body at that one moment in time. A finger prick test will not provide you with an H1bAc figure since for that test it is necessary for you to have your bloods taken by the diabetic nurse which are then sent away for analysis. That test gives you an approximation of how much glucose your blood has in it and has had in it for the previous three months. That will be an indicator for your GP to decide what course of action needs to be taken in terms of medication. I am very wary of informing people that I have Type 2 diabetes particularly when, for instance, I am speaking on the telephone because the popular misconception is that all Type 2 diabetics are vastly overweight which I have never been. I am 5 feet 11 and weigh 8 stone 1 which again should you be American will mean very little to you yet there are conversion charts available on the internet. Initially my treatment consisted of an oral anti-diabetic medication named Metformin which, incidentally is also used as a weight regulator. That however was of little use to me and I was referred to a Consultant diabetic doctor at the hospital who almost instantly provided me with fact sheets, diet recommendations together with an insulin regime (he demonstrated to me how to use the syringe to inject the insulin) and it has taken five years now to settle into a medication regime which has brought my blood glucose levels down to my target of 10 which he set (I have no idea of the American number for that figure of 10 although there are conversion charts on the internet). Now I inject 56 units of background insulin morning and evening along with a fast acting insulin ten minutes before I eat. Diabetes of whatever type is an insidious disease causing many deaths per year here in England and as such needs urgent attention on your part. I have no idea how the American health system operates except for the fact that quite often diabetes is over tested leading to multiple health checks which are, by the large, unnecessary save to provide the doctors with their incomes. Here you can visit a chemist (pharmacy) who might perform the finger prick test for you and advise you what, if anything, you need to do in terms of bringing your blood glucose levels under some form of control. It is very important that you either confirm or not that the finger prick test indicates that you are diabetic if only for your peace of mind. I wish you well, my friend.

[Dizzykitty]

May I ask what medication was that you took for the bv infection? That may have something to do with it. And also, how long have you had the really bad anxiety? Please know that whatever it is, you are in good company, fear of dying is a symptom of all of this and not a reality, Love. You will get to the bottom of it. I would say for now, until you do, avoid pharmaceuticals unless it's dire. If you need to take an antibiotic, be sure to research all side affects and controversy about it before you take one, as there are plenty of options for antibiotics. Feel free to write back, and try to not let the fear overwhelm you. Be kind to yourself. Avoiding sugar is good too (not because of anything diabetes-related, but because it will make you more anxious/depressed, and that means avoiding white flour. Eat whole grain bread, whole wheat pasta, for example, lots of vegetables.

[Mandymae36]

Thanx for all your replies the medication I took for the bv infection was methoconidazole. After that I got the oral thrush. I have been on an antifungle mouth rinse for 3 days now and I see no improvement yet