Whats wrong with me??

[aftonmaehood]

This is something that I have been suffering through for a long time. It actually finally went away for maybee 6 months but now it is back. I feel like it might be a metabolic disorder. Reason being is, I have insane cravings for sugar or cabs, non stop. I feel hungry like I haven't eaten in days right after eating a big meal. Hunger pains in the pit of my stomach even though I have just eaten! My cravings for sugar or cabs get so out of hand sometimes I will wake up at 2, 4, 6 in the morning and mindlessly walk to the kitchen, and basically eat-sleep, but consciously. I am worried about my nutritional health when this happens to me. But then there is another huge symptom I experience along with the cravings every time it happens to me that i can hardly bare. I feel a strange mixture of numbness/tinglyness/coldness/creepy crawlyness/ itchiness pretty much all over my entire body. It keeps me up at night. It feel awful. I went a few years ago to a clinic and a nurse practitioner saw me. She sent me for a metabolic panel and called me and said it looked like my thyroid was slightly HYPERactive. So she sent me for a second test and called me and said this time my thyroid showed a little HYPOactive, so I must be fine. Does that sound fine? Because it doesn't to me. I have been searching the Internet for SOMETHING even close to what I am experiencing and I haven't found anything. I need this to stop! I hope someone knows whats going on with me and can help me!

[aftonmaehood]

My diabetes test was one where they had me drink a sugar drink. But they only took my blood once, not several times. I have had problems with recurring yeast infections in the past, but it would be every three months or 6 months. Not like this time where it is every single month. No I am not on any antibiotics. Thinking about it, I think I probably did mess up my diabetes test last time because if I have low blood sugar, eating some sugar before I went and had the blood test done would have brought my blood sugar levels up. I just wasn't thinking at the time. I know they told me not to eat anything and come straight in in the morning, the Reece's was an accident, I ate a few and then though, "shoot I wasn't supposed to eat, but it was only a few so I'm sure it will be fine". But yeah, type 2 diabetes and hypoglycemia are both low blood sugar problems and all of the signs are starting to point to low blood sugar for me. I made an appointment today to go see a DR. so I can get tested again, and I'll make sure not to eat candy before I go get the tests done this time!

[Soonerman]

No, I am not a Dr.  There is another forum on this site that your questions are answered by doctors, but I believe you have to pay and from some I have read they just tell you to go get tested.  I just know what I have researched and from testing I have had done for similar symptoms to you.  When you were tested for diabetes, was it the glucose challenge (in other words did they give you a sugar drink and then take blood sugar levels every 30 minutes for a few hours)?  If not, it may be true that you were tested for and don't have diabetes, but you may have hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels) which could lead to some of the same symptoms.  The glucose challenge will demonstrate how your body reacts to sugar intake (and could reveal diabetes or hypoglycemia).

Also what thyroid test did they do, TSH?  TSH is generally the first thyroid test which would indicate if there were a potential problem.  T3/T4 can be done and give a better idea of if there is a problem and what the problem is.  It sounds like the TSH was not within the normal range either test, so more testing should be done to see if this is a problem.  It could be an underactive or overactive thyroid, which could be controlled, or could be a growth/tumor on the thyroid causing the problem, or it could be nothing at all.  You should find out more, and this time you need to fast for the testing that requires fasting.  It definitely could have messed with your results, and you need accurate results to identify or eliminate potential problems.

Interesting that you mentioned recurring yeast infections, is this something new or have you had problems with this in the past?  Also have you been on many antibiotics lately or when these symptoms began?  If you can remember  back to when you remember all of these symptoms, can you think of anything that might have been different?  Another thought I had when you first mentioned the symptoms was an overgrowth of candida (you should google it); it is what causes yeast infections, but when the overgrowth is in your stomach can cause many symptoms.  Sugar/glucose is the energy/life source for these bad bacteria, and when you have an overgrowth and the bad bateria outnumbers the good bacteria it could cause cravings for more sugar for these bacteria to live, grow and proliferate.  You may research and see if some of the symptoms match.  Antibiotics kill bacteria (good and bad) and can (not always) allow the bad to take over.  

Anyways don't feel overwhelmed, I would focus on the thyroid tests and hypoglycemia/diabetes testing first and see if that tells you anything.  Are there any other symptoms you have, lack of energy (are the energy drinks daily?)?

[aftonmaehood]

I actually have a question. Are you a DR.? If you are you could answer this. I'm not even sure if this is a Forum to ask actuall Dr.'s questions or if it is just a public medical question discussion forum thing, haha. I probably should have mentioned this when I was getting the blood tests done. But the first day, when I had the full metabolic panel done and tested negative for diabetes and showed a hyperactive thyroid, I know I was supposed to fast, but I forgot and had maybee 3 or 5 Reece's pieces before I left for the lab...just the little M&M looking things. But that was it so I didn't think it would be a big deal. And then the second day, when I went back just to have my thyroid re tested and it came back Hypoactive I had a few swallows of an energy drink without thinking about it, but again didnt think it would be a big deal because it was just a tiny little thing each day so I didn't think it would affect anything. What kind of effect on my tests do you think this might have had?

[aftonmaehood]

Yeah I have had several Diabetes tests done and they all came up negative. I have been pregnant 4 times so I have had a diabetes test with each pregnancy, and again when I had a full metabolic panel done when I was told what I mention before...about my strange Thyroid function that the Nurse Practitioner took as an even score....(high one day low the next) I'm going crazy with this. Also, not to get too personal, another problem I have been having is I have had a yeast infection every month when I get my period. I just got my period back about 5 months ago after breastfeeding my daughter. So I have had 5 periods....5 yeast infection....and I was reading the back of the box of the Monistat I purchased today just moments ago and it said that getting a yeast infection as often as I am can be a sign of diabetes! So do you think I should go see someone else and get a second opinion?

[Soonerman]

I would definitely get more thyroid tests done, TSH, T3/T4... Craving sugar or carbs could hint at a blood sugar problem; have you been tested for Diabetes and/or hypoglycemia?  A glucose challenge/test should demonstrate how your blood sugar reacts when sugar/glucose is consumed.