Question About Diabetes

At work my co-workers often bring doughnuts or something equally sugary for our morning break. Eating a doughnut seems almost required, and if you cut one in half there are complaints from others at the table. Diabetes runs in my family and my dad is a diabetic. If I eat sugary foods like this, a lot of the time I will start to feel dizzy and kind of like I might pass out. When I eat regular food again, this feeling goes away. Also, we start working at 6 a.m. and there isn't time to eat breakfast at home. I am finding that having to work without eating is making me irritable. I was wondering if anyone knows if these are signs that I might be a diabetic too and should be tested, or if these are symptoms of something else.

Since this runs in your family, I would definitely get tested for it. Since I work in a pharmacy, I have learned quite a bit about diabetes. It sounds like you might be borderline diabetic. I am by no means a Doctor or a Pharmacist, so please only take this as a unprofessional suggestion. Since you said that you feel dizzy and almost ready to pass out, I would get tested right away. It is not normal to have those feelings especially if it is all the time. It sounds like your sugar levels after you eat sweets get too high for your bodies insulin to control. If you decide not to go to the Doctor, you can check your blood glucose levels on your own. It's a little pricey and does have some pain involved. You can buy glucose monitors (rangeing in prices of $15 to $75, plus the cost of strips which are from $25 to $70) that will monitor your levels. But..it's always best to get a through check up from your Dr just in case if you do have this and they can also check to see if you might have something different going on with your body. Also there are some great websites about this too...I'll keep you posted if I find a really resourceful one.
Hope this helps you and keep us posted on what you find out.
-Shell

You sound borderline...but, better safe than sorry. Do NOT eat anything with alot of sugar. Maybe you could bring something healthy like fruit? You may still be at a stage where diet and exercise is all you need. The longer you wait the worse off you may be!

It is nothing to sneeze at, please have it checked! Mike is borderline Diabetic and does not take care of himself. Nothing I say or do seems to make a difference in how he thinks either. The other day he was cutting his toenails (a no no in any doctor's book) usually I cut them, but I was out with the horses. I came back in and he was bleeding really bad- cut his own toe pretty severely. I made him soak it in antiseptic wash but he doesn't seem to concerned....sigh......the big dolt!

Lorie,
I searched the web a little and found a couple of websites that gave a lot of good info. www.diabetes.org and www.familydoctor.com
Also if you type in diabetes on Yahoo or any others ones like that, it has boocoo's of info on there!
-Shell

Thanks for the quick responses, I'll make an appointment to be tested ASAP.

My ex didn't take his diabetes seriuosly either...he is now missing half his leg.

Is borderline diabetes the same thing as pre-diabetes?

I copied this from the Diabetes Organization website:
"Pre-diabetes is a condition that occurs when a person's blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. It is estimated that at least 16 million Americans have pre-diabetes, in addition to the 17 million with diabetes."

But yes I think it is the same thing. Please take good care of your self! Hope all goes well at the doctors!

Definitely, go get tested. BOTH of my grandmothers and my mother were/are insulin-dependent Type II diabetics. Since I turned 40, I've been tested, every year. Fortunately, I'm still OK.

In addition to the dizziness, some other symptoms are excessive thirst and frequent urination.

Type II diabetes is usually genetic and being over 40 and overweight can precipitate its onset. Mom was 47 or 48 and 60 lbs. overweight, when she was diagnosed.

My maternal grandmother was in her early 60s and tiny. SHE controled hers with diet and oral hypoglycemics, for 7 years, before she had to go on insulin.

Good luck.

Just wondering..... Diabetics can't drink soda and have candy can they? Or are they just limited?

The sugar free kinds of soda and candy!

One old fashioned way to check is to smell your wee-wee - if it smells sweet then diabetes may be there (I'm always sniffing mine!). Diabetes runs in my family, my grandmother and a couple of aunts had it, plus diabetes during pregnancy is common (mother, sister, lots of cousins). One of the family traditions is to drink cabbage-water (water that cabbage has been cooked in) as this is meant to aid the control of the disease, but this could just be a load of old rubbish.

Get yourself to the doctors - if it is controlled you are less likely to suffer any of the serious side-effects.

Sounds like you have some sound advice here. As a diabetic I cant tell you the number of times I would think oh..canned beans or canned this or that it must be safe! Come to find out when reading the laber...including bread mind you thereis a large percentage of sugar or fruitose I limit myself to 24 grams of sugar a day.

Even if your not diabetic, I can not stress enough about seeing a nutrionist. At the very least to try to stall it off by eating well, and exercising.

Patty

I was diagnosed with adult onset diabetes a couple years ago. The big warning signs are constant/severe thirst; very frequent urination; unexplained weight loss; diziness.

Its always best to get tested, they can tell from a simple urine test. Catching it early is great, you can make some simple changes before getting to the point you have to go on medication or even insuline, and eliminate all sugar, etc.

I had to take oral medication and it took me about nine months to accept the reality and get serious about changing my habits. Since then I totally changed me eating habits, began a regular exercise routine and dropped 50 pounds. Now I have had totally normal longrange blood-sugar tests for over a year, have no symptoms and don't take the medication. I don't even need to do self testing anymore. But the biggest thing is that I feel a million times better.

Its not as hard to change your eating habits as it sometimes seems. Peer pressure is the WORST reason to eat. Don't be embarrassed to tell people you can't have or don't want sweets. They are not good even if you don't have diabetes. Bring your own healthy snack or bring fruit for yourself and others. And eat a healthy breakfast, even if it means preparing it the night before or getting up earlier. I used to think the same way, but come on, how long does it take to pour a bowl of cheerios or heat up some instant oatmeal. Add a piece of fruit and slice of whole-grain toast and you've got a healthy, instant breakfast!

Good luck

My mom would NOT watch her diet. In addition to the diabetes, Mom had horrendously high cholesterol and tryglycerides. Two years ago, she had double bypass surgery and a stroke. The only reason that she is alive, now is that she can't get to Burger King or Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. My dad keeps her on her diet and makes sure that she takes her meds.

If and when the time comes, I'll just have to give up my favorite chocolate candy and switch to diet sodas. Granny was a good example of how to live with diabetes.

Lorie, my Dad has Type I diabetes, so I grew up with a great awareness of it. While the dizziness could be a signal, it could also be hypoglycemia, which I have. Sugar often does that to me, and I don't have pre-type II diabetes.

But you must see your Doc for the test, as you know and are going to do!!!!

Laurie