help me!!!

I have had type1 diabetes for 16yrs. Im now having problems but doctors cant find the answers/medicines to work. I fel sick all the time and everything i eat runs right through me. I can never keep food in me so i never gain weight. I get light headed alot of the time and have to sit down alot. I never have any energy to play with my 2 children (4 and 10 omnths). It sucks! i have been tested for everything and have tried numerous medicines. Doctors can't figure out what the problem is. Does anyone else have any ideas or know anyone with these problems that can help me?

[JDRF-VOL-SG]

Have ALL of your endocrine glands been checked out? I ask because often people who have type 1 diabetes discover that other endocrine glands in addition to the pancreas have been attacked and damaged by our immune systems. Most doctors routinely check our thyroid functions because thyroid disease is so common among type 1 diabetics, but adrenal gland and pituitary functions can also be damaged, and digestive tract problems are one of the symptoms of both. It's worth asking your doctor to test for them.

Another very common digestive system problem in type 1 folks is Celiac Disease. This one is easier to fix -- you just remove gluten from the diet and the problem is solved. You may want to ask to be specifically tested for Celiac as well.

And lastly, food allergies could be the root cause. The only way to check for them really is to remove one suspect food at a time from your diet and see if the problem gets any better. Many people have undiagnosed allergies to dairy products or to wheat (wheat allergy is different from Celiac Disease). My brother-in-law gets quite ill if he eats anything containing wheat OR yeast, and it can be surprising to find that one of these two substances are in most of our off-the-shelf store food purchases! I assume that you have been checked for food allergies, but it is worth mentioning.

I hope this gives more possible answers for you to work with your doctor on checking. I do hope you can find the answer.

[MLWTR]

Have you seen a gastroenterologist? If not, I would highly recommend doing so. It's possible that your G.I. symptoms are related to your diabetes at all, and a G.I. needs to take a new look and consider other possibilities. As someone suggested, celiac disease is one possibility. Another is Crohn's disease, a form of inflammatory bowel disease that can cause very severe weight loss.

I hope you find a solution soon.

[t]

im writing myself to tell every1 that chrones disease and celiac disease have all been tested on me and they came back negative. I have evan stopped eating wheat products for 3 weeks and still no relief. It is everything I eat runs through me or I get so nauseated. I don't understand it!

[JDRF-VOL-SG]

Well, do ask to have pituitary and adrenal glands checked. Problems with them are rare enough that most doctors won't check them. If adrenal glands are not working properly, upset stomach is a symptom along with the most noticeable symptom of fatigue that is pretty constant.