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Posted 10/26/2011 7:48 PM (GMT 0)
Hey everyone, I hope you're all doing well. I need to provide some backstory before I ask my questions, so please be patient and read through. This is my first time dealing with diabetes and it is scary.

Last Tuesday (10/18) I rushed my boyfriend of 22 years old to the ER because he told me he felt like he was dying. He felt what he thought were heart palpitations, and he felt extreme weakness in his chest, like his heart wasn't beating and he wasn't breathing enough. He was also vomiting. All day he had been working, the night before he got very little sleep, and had been drinking red bulls all night and no water. At the ER they run an EKG, and in the middle of the EKG he has one of his palpitation-feeling episodes, but the EKG sees nothing and they say his heart is fine. They run blood tests, and say everything is fine except that his blood glucose was at 250! Scary! The doctor diagnosed him with Type 2 Diabetes. The ER doctor put him on Metformin 500mg twice a day.

Everything got worse. He was feeling extremely weak. He couldn't get out of bed he was so weak. He still felt the weakness in his chest, he was vomiting more often, had bad diarrhea, and had shortness of breath.

Took him back to the ER Thursday night (10/20) because he was feeling immensely worse and was vomiting nonstop. All they did was run some blood tests again (his blood glucose was at 170) and gave us a script for Promethazine (anti-nausea).

Friday (10/21) we take him his doctor appointment. We had released all the blood work results from the hospital for her to see. She took him off Metformin because she felt it was unnecessary and he was having bad side effects. She said he MIGHT have a stomach bug, and gave us a new script for more Promethazine.

That night I had to take him to the ER again. He couldn't hold down any liquids, he was still vomiting, had no strength and was feeling real weak in the chest. This time, this doctor gave him 2000ml of drip to rehydrate him and ran more blood tests. They sent us home with suppositories for anti-nausea and directions for his next 24 hours to be a liquid diet with some yogurt to rebuild his stomach bacteria, and then then next 2 hours for some soft carbs.

Since then he hasn't vomited. He takes his anti-nausea medication every 4-5 hours or else he feels sick again. He's eating solids now, but he still feels extremely weak and can't even get up off the couch because he has literally no energy.

Normally it seems like his blood glucose rests at 160. When he eats it jumps to 170. We are trying to control his diabetes through diet and exercise, but he can't exercise because he's so weak! It feels like NO ONE is listening to us when we keep telling them that he feels weak.

My questions are: Is this normal for diabetes?? Do you always feel weak and have no energy? What do you do to get out of this? He needs to go back out and work and feel normal! He's also been feeling heavy-headed, sometimes dizzy, and very fatigued, like no matter how many hours he sleeps he still feels dead tired.

If this matters: He is 22 years old, 5'9" and 250 pounds, non smoker and doesn't drink. He's been testing himself regularly since he got off Metformin and hasn't gone higher than 170. He tests before eating and 2 hours after a meal.

All this mess started on Tuesday too, no warning signs t all. Monday beforehand he was 100% himself and fine! That's what we don't get! Does diabetes just hit you one day, pow!?

Thank you for your help!!

Post Edited (Tame) : 10/26/2011 1:59:38 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/26/2011 8:17 PM (GMT 0)
This doesn't sound right when I became Diabetic at 15, I went from 115lbs to 95Ibs always tired, no energy at all, don't remember vomiting but could have and this was over a two week period.

Something is wrong if he is still testing at 170

Posted 10/26/2011 8:25 PM (GMT 0)
We are going to the doctor again this Friday, but it feels like not a single doctor (he got a different doctor each time at the ER) is listening! All they're concerned about is his diabetes (he got an A1C test done and we never got the results!) and won't listen about his weakness and fatigue and dizziness. All of these things all of a sudden sprang up on Tuesday and haven't let up since!

Since he is type 2 I'm pretty sure it means he's going to have high blood sugar. His doctor said since he was consistant and his numbers weren't jumping all over the place, she wants to take him off Metformin (which we wanted too, it was making things 100x worse) and we are going to control it through diet and exercise. I come from a healthy family so I am preparing his meals.

The symptoms he has are just so frustrating! He gets real down and depressed and VERY irritable when he feels very weak. You can ask him 'what's wrong?' or 'how are you feeling?' and he'll snap.

I just don't know what to do, I want him to get better :(

Also, I read up on symptoms for diabetes, and he doesn't have them. He doesn't have extreme thirst or more frequent urination or a bigger appetite. He has lost weight but that's because he was vomiting nonstop for 5 days straight.
Posted 10/26/2011 8:31 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Tame, and welcome!  We are not doctors here and I'm glad he has been seen by doctors.  My uneducated guess would be that he had entirely too many Red Bulls!  There are 11 grams of sucrose and glucose in one can of Red Bull and also the caffeine of a cup of coffee...among other things.  You said he had been drinking Red Bull's all night.  So, maybe he just had too much sugar and caffeine from this beverage and that's why his blood sugar was so high.  Stress can raise blood sugar too and it sounds like he was stressed out.  Probably still is!  But the doctors have checked him out so try to relax and just keep an eye on him.

 

Here is a link about Red Bull.  Some people have had reactions to this so that could be what happened.  Be sure to click on the Health Effects and you might see what was going on.  As I said before, I'm just guessing at this.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Bull

 

There also is a stomach flu that is going around.  I had a friend that couldn't stop vomiting for five days!  So, he could have that, too!  It could be a combination of a stomach flu and the Red Bull.  Did he tell his doctor how many of those he drank?  Just wondering.

 

I hope he is starting to feel better.  It's good that you are monitoring his blood sugars, too.  Be sure to keep a log of them and even what he has eaten.  This helps the doctors see what is going on. 

 

Try to relax and you both just keep an eye on how he is feeling. 

 

Sherrine

Posted 10/26/2011 8:36 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you Sherrine.

At first we thought his blood glucose being at 250 was situational too, being that he was dehydrated and had a lot of red bulls. He told the doctor he drank a lot of red bull but didn't remember how many he had. But since the hospital visits we've been monitoring his blood glucose and it is higher than a non-diabetic person consistently. He is very stressed out and on Tuesday something did set him off and sent him to a stress-overload.

Right now unfortunately we live in a very stressful household and cannot get out of it. He is always stressing and feeling anxious, but I do feel like he has diabetes because he is a bit overweight.

I'm just freaking out because the weakness, always feeling tired, dizziness, and heavy-headedness doesn't show up when I look up literature for type 2 diabetes.

His doctor did say he might have a stomach bug because his liver enzymes were slightly elevated. We are keeping a log of all his readings.

I want to know, have any of you who have been diagnosed with diabetes ever felt this?

Thank you for your responses.
Posted 10/26/2011 8:56 PM (GMT 0)
Oh, yes Tame!  When my blood sugar is high I get very tired and weak and generally fall asleep.  Here is a link all about high blood sugar.  Stress is a big culprit, too! 

 

http://diabetes.webmd.com/diabetes-hyperglycemia

 

You said he is anxious so that's anxiety and that can cause weakness, dizziness, and a myriad of other symptoms.  But, listen to the doctors.  They are running the tests and are following him.  By the way, it takes my doctor about a week to get the results of the A1c back so relax about that, too.

 

Make sure he doesn't eat many carbohydrates.  My highest carb meal is usually dinner and it still only has about 40 to 45 carbs.  Fresh vegetables, lean meat and poultry are good.  Fried foods have a lot of carbs so I would avoid them.  I personally can eat a potato but it is the size of my fist...not those huge potatoes the groceries are selling these days.  He can have eggs for breakfast and a little bacon, too.  Some fresh fruit but not a ton of it.  Just a normal portion.  I love grapes and 16 grapes is a serving.  Before I was diabetic I would sit down with a whole cluster of grapes and chow down!  LOL  Nope.  Can't do that.  Fruit has carbs, too. 

 

Anyway, the lower carbs will help him lose weight...even if he isn't diabetic.  I've lost 90 pounds doing this and I'm never hungry either.  There is a lot of information on the Internet about carbohydrate counting and you can learn a lot there. 

 

Sherrine

Posted 10/26/2011 9:03 PM (GMT 0)
Sherrine thank you very much for that, I'm glad to finally see his symptoms linked to diabetes. Hopefully if he does have a stomach bug it'll go away soon.

He had a sub yesterday but in general we're trying to cut down his carb intake considerably. Thankfully he likes veggies so we make salads with cabbage, red leaf lettuce, red onions, tomatoes, broccoli, alfalfa sprouts, and grilled chicken.

I am changing my diet with him so he doesn't feel alone in the process.

Thank you for your pointers, it does make me feel much better, and I'm sure it'll make him feel better when I tell him when he wakes up.

By the way, how do you get your energy back and start feeling normal again?
Posted 10/26/2011 9:11 PM (GMT 0)
Once he get over the stomach flu, if he has it, and becomes rehydrated again...water is best...he will feel much better.  Maybe squeeze a little fresh lemon in the water.  Crystal Light has a lot of sugar-free flavors he might like, too, but I usually stick with water.  I'm sure others will have other drink suggestions, too.

 

Also, once he gets his blood sugar down to a lower level, he will feel much better, too.  AND once he calms down himself I just bet some of that weakness will leave.  He has been monitored so try not to worry so much.  Things like this can be so frightening.  If his A1c come back in the normal range, then you know this was most likely caused by the Red Bull and possibly a flu-type illness...along with stress.  His doctor will guide him. 

 

Have him make a list of questions he wants answered.  Then, when his doctor calls with the A1c results, he can ask these questions and that will make him feel better, too. 

 

Sherrine

Posted 10/26/2011 9:40 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you again Sherrine. Thankfully my boyfriend is a big water drinker, so no flavors are needed. I think what he's missing the most are his teas (he loved Arizona's Green Tea).

I hope his A1C readings come back well. I was also reading that illnesses can cause blood glucose to rise as well!

Again thank you for your help, I'll post what the doctor says Friday!
Posted 10/26/2011 9:48 PM (GMT 0)
True about the illnesses, I don't think he has to give up his teas just at the beginning drink water
Posted 10/26/2011 9:51 PM (GMT 0)
You're welcome.  I think Crystal Light has some sugar-free sweet teas that he might like.  I will drink unsweetend tea and like that a lot, with a twist of lemon.  But, I still think water is best.  Tea is a natural diuretic and he needs to be hydrated now. 

 

Yes, illness raises the blood sugar, too.  That's why I mentioned the stomach flu...the vomiting and high blood sugar.

 

Sherrine

Posted 10/28/2011 1:13 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Tame Im am a type 1 but since I was diagnosed at a blood sugar at 318 I never had any problem other than EXTREME thrist and going to the bathroom. How is he doing now? And no it does not stay like this.
Posted 10/28/2011 9:28 PM (GMT 0)
Okay, just got back from the doctor's office. She's happy that his blood glucose has stayed under 200 even while off Metformin. She wants him to start looking at his blood glucose first thing in the morning because he's been testing mostly after meals (which is usually at 160-170). She says his morning fasting glucose should be under 126 to be non-diabetic, but I'm sure it'll be much higher than that. he still hasn't officially been diagnosed as diabetic because she still hasn't received the A1C results. The hospital isn't cooperating with our doctor for some reason.

Anyways, he is feeling better and has been walking around, although it still is taxing for him to climb stairs. He does have an appetite again and he hasn't taken a single anti-nausea pill today and feels okay. Whenever our doctor will get his A1C I will update again, whenever that is! She wants to put him back on Metformin when he feels better, but he doesn't want to because of the side effects he got while on it (mostly the diarrhea and shortness of breath). We'll see.

Amiens, he hasn't suffered from extreme thirst, hunger, or urination, which is why we're confused cause those are major signs of diabetes. But I guess everyone is different. He is doing better, thank you for asking, but he still isn't himself 100% yet. How was your experience when you were diagnosed with diabetes? Even if you do have Type 1, I'd like to know.
Posted 10/28/2011 10:56 PM (GMT 0)
I'm so glad he is doing better.  It will be interesting to see what his A1c is, too.  I personally could not take Metformin.  If he has problems with it, there are other great meds out there.  I take Glyburide and it has worked well for me.  So, if he has problems with Metformin, don't worry.  His doctor will find the right med for him...if he is diabetic.

 

Just keep with the low carbs, fresh veggies and fruits, lean meats, and keep him hydrated.  Just losing some weight can really help with diabetes, too.  The weakness could be from a flu-type thing we talked about but also from higher blood sugar.  At least that's what happens to me.

 

Sherrine

Posted 10/29/2011 12:50 AM (GMT 0)
Checked my Blood Glucose at 8:36PM after One hour and roughly 50 minutes of not eating and I was at 142. Last time I checked my blood glucose I was at 144 at 11 am, on October 22nd. I will update this tomorrow after fasting for the night.

(the Boyfriend)

Also might I add, I have the most wonderful woman at my side and I will be stuck with her for all eternity God willing.
Posted 10/29/2011 3:54 PM (GMT 0)
Well, hello!  Yes, you do have a wonderful woman at your side.  She was so concerned about you.

 

Now, my doctor would be pleased with 142 two hours after eating...and I'm on medication!  Some doctors want your blood sugar lower when  you are diabetic.  You need to sit down with your doctor and discuss this and see what they have to say.  But it sounds like you are getting better with no medication.  Perhaps you did have an infection of some kind causing the rise in blood sugar...and let's not forget the stress, too.  wink

 

I'm glad you are keeping us posted.  I'm anxious to see what your A1c turns out to be.  Feel better and better!

 

Sherrine

Posted 10/29/2011 5:09 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I am at 165 now, 1:05 PM eastern standard time, and still feeling fine. A little nauseated but I woke up at 134 so eating definitely brings it up! But today I haven't felt as weak as I did say yesterday. Walking around too but i'm a bit worn out from it already. I am looking to stay off medication and feed my body right. Infact I'm waiting for a list of recipes I can use that is mostly raw foods and has been known to treat both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. But we'll see.

So far some progress but anxiety is still getting the better of me now and then.

Hitam
Posted 10/29/2011 5:51 PM (GMT 0)
Hitman, it's normal for blood sugars to go up after eating.  That's why we check two hours after eating.  It sounds like you are doing fine.  I didn't change my eating habits drastically.  I just count carbohydrates that I eat and am able to keep things in the "normal" range.  The A1c and my checking my BS tells me that.  Plus I feel good and have energy. 

 

I don't know much about raw diets because I like cooked foods, too, so that wouldn't work for me.  If I feel deprived, I binge eat and that's not good for diabetes.  But, see how it works for you.  It might be just great! 

 

Sherrine

Posted 10/29/2011 7:46 PM (GMT 0)
I second and third everything that Sherrine has said here!  There are articles about the effects of RedBull on blood pressure and pulse because of several incidents of people drinking too many bottles of it in one day  Any of those so-called energy drinks like 5-Hour Energy shots will quicken your heart beats and raise your blood pressure and the sugars will absolutely raise the blood sugar.  Getting that stuff out of the sytem may take some time as the person feels less jittery as the metabolism is getting back to normal, whatever the person's normal is.  This could have been the incident to show up his problems in metabolism.  Follow whatever his doctor is advising but you both need to understand that breads, food made with flour and/or sugar, most fruit, potatoes, etc. will make his blood sugar rise.  Good luck with getting control of this. 

And remember that if a person has been living for awhile with a certain blood sugar average (an unhealthy high average), that person may feel weak, uneasy, even dizzy or nauseated as the blood sugar comes down to more normal numbers, so you need to keep testing and being patient with a new eating plan. 

Posted 11/2/2011 6:03 PM (GMT 0)
I am waking up every day at 130 range. 132 today, 134 yesterday and two days ago included. So far its not so bad, working on diet and exercise soon.
Posted 11/2/2011 8:34 PM (GMT 0)
That's a little high.  You might have something called Dawn Phenomenon.  Google it and it will explain that to  you.  I deal with that some.  I also watch what I eat in the evening.  It's so easy to have too many carbs...especially if you are a snacker like I am.  I now eat raw cauliflower with a sour cream French onion dip.  It's tasty and far better than chips, Doritoes, etc.  It's better for your blood sugar and your waistline.

 

Have you gotten your A1c back yet?  I'm curious as to what it says.

 

Sherrine

Posted 11/2/2011 10:11 PM (GMT 0)
You've come down quite a bit from what was written in the first posts here, so that's very good progress.  The best way to get down to more normal blood sugar is gradually in order to give the body time to adjust to the lower blood sugar.  Although your fasting readings are much better, they do need to be lower, so let's hope you continue making progress.  At this point are you back on metformin?  Have you gotten rid of the stomach bug?
Posted 11/6/2011 10:14 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry for the no reply, we still can't get a hold of his A1C results! Even so, can they diagnose diabetes with the A1C? I read that it is still better to do the fasting blood glucose blood test.

Anyways, as far as an update for my boyfriend, he is doing much, much better. He is up and moving around and has energy. He's been back to work since Friday (11/04) and is doing well. His morning BG reading is still at 130, and is doctor told us she wants to see those numbers max at 126, so I'm guessing 130 isn't too good.

We've been eating much better too, and he finally has the energy to wal again, so we've been taking long walks.

His next doctor's appointment is the 15th. I hope we get a call before then for the blood results! Might have to call the hospital and see if they will finally maybe tell us the results.

Also, he is not back on Metformin. Even if the doctor wants to put him back on it, I don't think he will, he got horrible side effects from it and I don't think he wants to deal with them, even if they may leave after 2 weeks. He'll have to talk to his doctor about it. He really wants to manage this with diet & exercise.
Posted 11/6/2011 11:11 PM (GMT 0)
I'm glad he's better and back to work.  Having a more normal daily routine helps a lot when you're trying to get the diet and all regulated.  The A1c gives an average of blood sugar for about 90 days, which means it will not tell you specifically how high it went or how low.  It's only one measurement the doctor will look at but it's not the definitive tool to diagnose diabetes.  The glucose tolerance test is probably the only way we can see how we metabolize carbohydrates - which is the problem we diabetics have.  On the spot we can see what our body does when stuffed with that [icky] sugary drink.  I gave myself my own tolerance test a few years ago.  I ate half a chocolate peanut butter Easter bunny.  Afterward my blood sugar shot up over 230, a number I had never seen before.  Until then, I had kept a really nice low carb diet and exercised regularly and had pretty well-controlled blood sugar but I was getting to wonder if maybe I could have shaken this blood sugar problem.  rolleyes   Well, it doesn't work like that.  So, back to the old routine....

Metformin is known to cause some stomach issues.  This will happen especially if he eats too many carbs.  It may also help to take it with food and not on an empty stomach.  It helps the body use its insulin effectively.

Many if not most doctors look at fasting over 125 as diabetes.  They feel that fasting under 100 is 'normal'.  These are guidelines that can be fuzzy of course but there is a need for them.

The problem with having those high blood sugar readings is that over the long term, he can see organ damage.  Eyes, heart, kidneys, nerves, circulation.  So, doctors want to make sure the blood sugar is controlled.

Diet with regular exercise is the first defense.  Because it's all about carbs, eliminating carbs is the way to go.  He can experiment to see what a meal that contains carbs does to him.  Eat a meal with potatoes and bread and test 2 hours later.  Then eat the same meal with NO potatoes or bread the next day and test.  There will be a difference if blood sugar.

Regular, sustained exercise, helps the body use up the glucose floating around in the blood stream.  Having more muscle does this too.  Men have more muscle than women naturally but we all can benefit from toning up with simple weights - and it does help our blood sugar, too.

Check around our forum for more information on food and the stickies at the top.  Also, here is a good website:  http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/

Let us know how it goes.  Good luck!

Posted 11/7/2011 10:16 PM (GMT 0)
Ugh, so now today (11/07) he has started throwing up again and feeling extremely weak in the chest and overall weakness. His doctor has agreed to see him tonight at 7 PM, so we'll see how it goes. The ladies at the front desk said *should* have his A1C results but wouldn't tell him on the phone. This doctor is 1hr away from us so they better have it!

When will this end??
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