Excessive Weight Loss

Hello,
This is very urgent.. One of my very good friend is having a problem of excessive weight loss.
he is 29 yrs old and has lost around 8 kgs in the past 2 months..
along with this he also has a problem that he is feeling very thirsty... and also he feels the need to urinate frequently...
Can you please explain the possible reasons for this... He is very worried

[OytheGreat]

vivi_81 is right. This is diabetes. I'm 99.99% sure of it, but he needs to go to a doctor. If you know of anyone with a blood glucose tester, he can check his blood with them first (especially if he doesn't have health insurance).

Here is link that can tell him the range for normal blood sugar levels:

http://diabetes.webmd.com/blood-glucose?page=3

From his symptoms, however, I'm guessing his blood sugar will be very high, possibly in the 200 - 300 range.

[vivi_81]

he should take a diabetes test.

[OytheGreat]

vivi_81 is right. This is diabetes. I'm 99.99% sure of it, but he needs to go to a doctor. If you know of anyone with a blood glucose tester, he can check his blood with them first (especially if he doesn't have health insurance).

Here is link that can tell him the range for normal blood sugar levels:

http://diabetes.webmd.com/blood-glucose?page=3

From his symptoms, however, I'm guessing his blood sugar will be very high, possibly in the 200 - 300 range.

[Udderperfection]

Yes, i think it is a symptom of diabetes. He must make a test. After that he should consult a Diet consultant.

[mahiema]

hey thanks for the response friends.... He has given his blood samples for testing.. Will get back with the results.. Hope this is not serious... He is going through a lot of stress in his personal n professional life

[mahiema]

Hi,
I have got his results.... You guys were right ... he has been diagnosed with diabetes...
His sugar level with fasting is 219 & after having food is 403

This is too high I suppose... What will be the further course of action now??
Will he have to take medicines lifelong?

[Barb135]

Yes, those results are too high...... fasting blood sugar should be 100 or less for a non-diabetic.

Did they say if his diabetes is type I or type II?  I'm guessing it's type I, which is an autoimmune disease, and most likely, he will have to take insulin shots for the rest of his life.  

I know, sounds horrible, but I have a son who was diagnosed with type I diabetes at age 10;  he's now 39 yrs old and has been on insulin shots for 29 yrs....... the shots are an inconvenience, but he's doing well.  

In addition to the shots, your friend will have to alter his diet to eliminate sugar and other simple carbs........ it will take a bit of adjustment, but once you get the hang of it, it won't seem so daunting.  

Best of luck to you and your friend.

[mahiema]

No. It is not mentioned if it is Type I or Type II diabetes... Is there a separate test to be done for confirming this?
What is the difference between the two types?

[OytheGreat]

Type I diabetes is something you're born with, and it cannot be treated through diet and exercise. There's no way around taking insulin shots and avoiding sugary/refined carbs from now on for your friend. This is, by far, the worst type to have.

Type II is manageable. Diet and exercise can stop the progress of the disease. I had similar problems in my 20's. I was morbidly obese, nearly 300 lbs. I had the same symptoms as your friend.

My blood sugar levels were in the 300's.

I cut out a lot of refined carbohydrates, added exercise, and lost weight. That alone helped. Now I'm still in the pre-diabetic stage and will likely always be there until it finally hits full-blown. (Both my mother and father, plus grandparents on both sides have/had diabetes, so it's just a matter of time for me and my siblings.) But I never needed any medication to keep it in check thusfar.

Your friend may also be able to avoid medication. But your doctor needs to clarify which type he has in order to proceed with treatment.

[Barb135]

Type I diabetes is not something you are "born with", unless you are diabetic at birth; it's an autoimmune disease, that is developed at some point in life, just like other autoimmune diseases ...... my son was diagnosed at age 10 with type I diabetes.  He is on insulin shots, and has to watch what he eats....... diet for both type I and type II are about the same -- cut out sugar, aim for complex carbs, high protein/fiber.... (I have a sister who was only dx'd with Type I a few yrs ago and she's nearly 80 yrs old).  

Your friend should get tested for antibodies to determine which type he has....

Autoimmune diseases can crop up at any time; we might be born with the genes that make us susceptible, but we aren't born with the disease.... I have autoimmune thyroid disease; I was not born with it; I only developed it 4 yrs ago......  

[thinkinthin]

My husband is type 1 diabetic - he was diagnosed at 10 but was ill long before then as he suffered 'intermitent breakdown of the pancreas' meaning sometimes his pancreas worked, sometimes it didn't. It was sort of breaking down over time so diagnosis was difficult.

On the other hand my friends' husband who is 32 was diagnosed 5 years ago with type 1 after the same symptoms as Mahiemas' friend.

I think it can occur at any time in your life.