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Diabetes - Juvenile Community
This patient support community is for questions related to juvenile diabetes including celiac disease, depression, diabetic complications, hyperglycemia / diabetic keto-acidosis, hypoglycemia, islet cell transplantation, nutritional issues, parenting a diabetic child, pregnancy, pump therapy, school issues, and teens with diabetes.
Diabetes from drinking Coke for the last 20 Yrs?
by foxconn4, Aug 06, 2006 12:00AM
I have not been to the Doctor since I was a kid because i am afraid of what I will find out. I guess my question is what is the possibility that I have diabetes if for pretty much my entire life, I have only consumed Coca Cola and rarely and I mean rarely have consumed any water. I am now a little bit older and see that these issues are a very big deal as to Diabetes and my general health. I am 5'8" and only 130 lb. I don’t eat very healthy mostly fast food and I mean at least 2 time a day (dinner is when I can get a home cooked meal in). I believe I show some symptoms because i am always tired (may be due to not eating at all because I am busy) also when I do eat... especially after a regular to larger meal, I fall asleep RIGHT Away and fine the closest bed. Also, I am fatigued but may be due to me only getting 4 hour or so of sleep due to my schedule. As you may be able to see, it is 5am and I have not gone to bed yet. I guess my main question is a BIG time coke drinker with a horrible diet of eating fast foods or not even eating more so often lead to diabetes? Also is loosing hair have anything to do with the disease? I am only 23 and am loosing hair and look like i am 30. Please any and all help is greatly appreciated. I am making an appointment with the doctors but would like to know a little more information because I am already scared to find out the results of my poor health conditions. Thanks Again, Thomas
Doctor's Answer
by JDRF-Team-LRS, Aug 06, 2006 12:00AM
Hello Thomas,
We're not physicians here, but are volunteers with a lot of experience with Type 1 Diabetes, an autoimmune disease. I'm glad to read you've found the courage to see a doctor. The irony, of course, is that we often "know" what we don't want the doctor to tell us -- and the longer we wait, the more damage can occur.
Nothing you have written sounds like classic Type 1 diabetes symptoms, which include extreme thirst & hunger, frequent urination, weight loss, infections that don't heal, vision disruptions. The symptoms you do mention seem quite well explained by your own explanations: poor eating habits, poor sleeping habits, and stress.
Your eating & sleeping choices, coupled with stress also can cloud your thinking and make things seem a lot worse than they are. Sometimes we get "stuck" in situations as if we have no choice to change things. Truth is, it is quite rare that we really have NO choices. However, sometimes the misery we endure seems "better" than facing the choices and the unknown results of those choices.
Nonetheless, I'd encourage you really LOOK at your choices, since you recognize that the current choices are unacceptable for a healthy active life that a 23 year-old male can be enjoying. Also consider talking to your doc about possible depression; depression can lead to sleeplessness and often keeps folks "stuck." Depression can be exacerbated by stress & poor food choices.
Good luck, Thomas! I agree that you have a lot to gain by dealing with all this soon :-)
We're not physicians here, but are volunteers with a lot of experience with Type 1 Diabetes, an autoimmune disease. I'm glad to read you've found the courage to see a doctor. The irony, of course, is that we often "know" what we don't want the doctor to tell us -- and the longer we wait, the more damage can occur.
Nothing you have written sounds like classic Type 1 diabetes symptoms, which include extreme thirst & hunger, frequent urination, weight loss, infections that don't heal, vision disruptions. The symptoms you do mention seem quite well explained by your own explanations: poor eating habits, poor sleeping habits, and stress.
Your eating & sleeping choices, coupled with stress also can cloud your thinking and make things seem a lot worse than they are. Sometimes we get "stuck" in situations as if we have no choice to change things. Truth is, it is quite rare that we really have NO choices. However, sometimes the misery we endure seems "better" than facing the choices and the unknown results of those choices.
Nonetheless, I'd encourage you really LOOK at your choices, since you recognize that the current choices are unacceptable for a healthy active life that a 23 year-old male can be enjoying. Also consider talking to your doc about possible depression; depression can lead to sleeplessness and often keeps folks "stuck." Depression can be exacerbated by stress & poor food choices.
Good luck, Thomas! I agree that you have a lot to gain by dealing with all this soon :-)
Member Comments (3)
by JDRF Team SGG, Aug 06, 2006 12:00AM
The symptoms you describe could be reactive hypoglycemia, for in some people, when they eat or drink a food that has high carbohydrate content that is quickly digested such as soda, their bodies react to the sugar onslaught by producing TOO much insulin, which drops their glucose levels too low. Symptoms are headaches, lact of ability to concentrate, sleepiness, sometimes nausea, loss of energy, and sometimes depressed feelings while this is happening. You may want to ask your doctor to do a glucose tolerance test, and if you react strongly, you may need to do some diet changes in order to feel better. Carbohydrates aren't the problem, but the problem is how quickly they digest. Foods with complex carbs such as high-fiber foods don't tend to stimulate the pancreas as much as simple carbs like soda or sweet foods.
by foxconn4, Aug 07, 2006 12:00AM
That gives me a little for confidence in facing my doctor on Tuesday. So no diabetes right guy? If i'm diagnosed with some big illness, I don’t know what I would do. I hope everything works itself out. This had definitely scared me to start eating right and changing a lot if thing in my life. Thanks big time for all of your help guys. Thomas
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