Do I have Diabetes?

[ArtMajor10]

I have been chronically tired to the point of barely being able to stay awake in some classes, and I pee about 8 times a day ad I'm always thirsty, plus lately my abdominal area is hurting a little.  Could it be diabetes?  I'm overweight and have been exercising for about a month now trying to lose the lbs.

[Anita Ramsetty, MD]

Dear Friends,

I have very much enjoyed my time on Medhelp and have learned from you even while hosting our Ask-A-Doctor forum for Diabetes. Sadly I am leaving the Medhelp community as my own practice has become busier and time constraints have proved quite challenging. So from April 7th 2008 I will be officially away from Medhelp, but you can still find me at our practice website www.endocrinehelp.com, so please drop me a  line if you wish. Most likely a new physician will be hosting the Diabetes forum for Medhelp in the future, so please continue to check in with the Medhelp community.
All the best to you and blessings for the future,

Sincerely,
Anita Ramsetty,MD

[Super_sally888]

Hi Art,

what you describe could be diabetes.  You are doing the right thing with exercise, but this is not enough.  You will also need to take a look at your diet.  For people with diabetes, or at risk of diabetes, it is important not to eat too many sweets and carbs.  Better to go for vegetables and less processed foods.

Given your symptoms you need to see a doctor and have your blood sugar tested and any other potential problems ruled out.  If your blood sugar is high you may need medications.  

If you do have diabetes it is very important to detect it early and to treat it.  Diet and exercise are great, and if that is not enough, meds will help.  This will prevent complications.

There is lots of good info on the net about appropriate diet and exercise.

Please go see your doctor.  Let us know how you go.

Best wishes

Sally

[tiffanyfaith1986]

i found that one the first signs i was diabetic was that i was able to drop 30 pounds in 4 months with exercise.. when before i couldnt even if i tried my hardest.. then when i couldnt lose anymore i went to the doc and he told me i was diabetic and had hypothyroidism.   oh and for the water.. i remember i would drink atleast 4 bottles of water or more durning the day at work and be in the bathroom every hour or hour and half if i was lucky and when i would be on the way home i would still feel so dehydrated that i wanted to dream and felt like fainting.   You go to the bathroom alot cause its your bodies way of getting rid of the sugar in your system.   Other then the bathroom and not being able to loose more weight i was normal...      

[breezes]

If you are able I'd go see a doctor and have them run a glucose tolerance test.They can do a 2 hour version or a longer test.This is what my NP did in 2003 for me. It showed my glucose was not returning to normal after 2 hours so  diabetes was diagnosed.It is important to start treatment early. You want to protect your heart and kidneys and other vital organs.   I imagine the doctor would also run a few more blood tests to rule out other stuff.

[madgeOwens]

What you describe could be many things.  Time for a physical check up and see whats going on.  Make sure they run a cbc (complete blood count).

[Pete919usa]

well, you posted a long time ago, and I hope you went to a doc...
my two cents is, yeah, could be diabetes, the symptoms you stated sure sound like it, but given your age, it could also be a number of other things, not least of all being Mono.  
Mononucleosis... the 'kissing disease'...   and you can get it without kissing anyone...  though 'swapping spit' with someone who has it will infect you... regardless...

I, personally, do have Type II diabetes, but when I was your age I did have your symptoms and literally ended up in bed for a month barely able to lift my eyelids and it was Mono.  (and Mono and diabetes are NOT related... my having had both are just... me)

It's a simple blood test at the doc's office to find out.  

Well, it HAS been a long time since you posted so hopefully you did go to a doc and all is well... let us know!

[dancingmoon_35]

Hello,

My name is Heather. I first would like to say I certainly Identify with ALL your symtoms.  I had my blood tested in My 2007 and it was recorded as a trace of sugar. However, in July of 2007, I would feel tired, have really bad headaches, thirst beyond understanding (I was drinking approximately 12 glasses of water) and could not quench the thirst.  After my family dr. returned from vacation, I told him what was happening.  He sent me for blood and urine testing. I fasted for 14 hours, was so thirsty, my mouth was like I had been eating hay, my lips got chapped and I had such a searing headache. I also found that I would get blouts of diarhhea and constipation, I would get bruises by things I would have not normally caused them, and I had a lot of tenderness in my shins and my hand and feet would burn for no apparent reasons..  My stomach was bloating (especially just below the rib cage).  When my blood results returned, I was diagnosed with type II diabetes, diet, exercise and medication required (I am 300 pounds - was 387 pounds in August 2006 when I had a total hysterectomy and tummy tuck).  When I first started testing my blood level with the glucometer, I was getting 18.0 and higher to 27.9             ( canadian ways differs from american way of testing). My numbers should have been between 4.0 and 7.0
As a lot of the posters have mentioned it could be many different things.  It is best to get tested and get the mdical profession to answer your questions.
Blessings,
Heather