Question:
I was diagnosed in November 2004 with type 2. I was never really told
what the pysical symptoms of diabetes are. Last July I started to feel
real lousy so I went to my Doc and tests were done: nothing wrong with
me(except for diabetes which was known). My blood sugar is 5.1; is
that OK? I am sure it is because it's always been that ever since I've
been testing(as long as I watch my diet; I've been over 10.0 before
when drinking and eating sausage and french bread; however I'm once
again back on track{diet wise and alcohol wise}). My question is: Is
it possible to become worse(feel worse)yet still maintain a proper
blood sugar level? I feel really weak, always a bad taste in my mouth,
my anti-depressants(effexor)don't work as well, sometimes in the
morning I have double vision, and I tend to gain weight easier, always
feel full, it seems as though my metabolism has slowed down etc.
Answer:
Unfortunately, it's possible to have more than one physical problem.
While some of what you're feeling could be a symptom of diabetes, there
are other possibilities also. Keep track of your symptoms, and ask for
copies of the lab reports. Then go back to the doctor. If you don't feel
OK, you're *not* OK.
One possibility that *might* account for at least some of your symptoms
is a wonky thyroid. A lot of folks have found that some of the actual
thyroid levels are low, even when TSH is within the normal range.
Nonetheless, it's not unusual for MDs to only run the full panel when
the TSH is outside of normal range. So, make sure that the thyroid panel
is on your lab report.
There are other possibilities that I know about vaguely, but this is the
only one I have direct experience with.
So, remember two things. (1) If you don't feel OK, you're not OK,
regardless of your lab work. (2) Not every symptom experienced by a
diabetic is caused by diabetes. Oh, yeah, and good luck sorting things
out.
