What complications did you face

[skb]

We all know of the scores of complications associated with diabetes. Some of them are familiar while some lesser known. What are those complications that you faced, prior to attaining good control, or face, even today ?

I'll go first.

In 2005, I had gone on my annual summer trip into the deep forests within the Indian heartland. The trip involves a lot of driving (1200 kms one way) and usually I'm the one that drives. By the time we returned from the 10 day trip, my right leg muscles were completely frozen and I could hardly walk. I attributed it constantly sitting at the wheel for long hours at a stretch and thought that it would resolve on its own.

When things didn't improve after a week, I went to a doctor who diagnosed it as DVT (deep vein thrombosis). He ordered a Colour Doppler scan which confirmed circulation problems in my legs but not DVT. My blood test at the time revealed BG of 125 fasting and 157 PP but the doctor just ticked it off as normal. After a week or so of some pain killers and blood thinners, my pain went away. It was only in late 2010 that I joined a Diabetes forum and became aware of Diabetic Neuropathy. I put 2+ 2 together and started to understand the genesis of that problem.

That apart, I've had some injuries which took way too long to heal, plus some hair loss, which I also attribute to diabetes.

[Grammabear]

I was diagnosed as type 2 in 2003 and the general practitioner immediately put me on Metformin.  After several weeks of no improvement in my BG, the doctor added another oral medicine.  The second medicine did not improve situations either.  He then accused me of not taking the medicines as ordered - which wasn't true.

In the meantime I was losing weight without even trying and I didn't feel well either.  I was not appreciating being accused by the doctor of not taking medicines as directed, so I sought a second opinion from an Endocrinologist.  He did a whole panel of blood tests which indicated I was type 1 not type 2.  He put me on insulin for meals and also for background insulin.  Within two weeks my bg started responding favorably.

Because of the high blood glucose numbers in the beginning for me I have diabetic neuropathy to the point where sometimes my feet and legs get quite sore.  It was only when I discovered a forum where they advocated low carb eating that I began to feel improvement in the neuropathy.

[walkerwally1]

I was diagnosed in 1993 and I had no complications that I was aware of at the time although i did have  Psoriasis but don't know if that is from Diabetes or not.  I went to the doctor because I had gone to emergency the Sunday before because I had fallen on a board with a nail sticking out and put the nail through my hand.  At the ER my blood pressure was sky high and they wouldn't let me leave until they could get it down and then I had to promise to see my doctor soonest.  Well, I was put on an RX for the blood pressure, warned of high cholesterol and given RX for that an "oh, by the way you are also diabetic" and left at that.
Later I was put on Metformin and Glipizide and that was my treatment for years.  I am lucky that I don't seem to have any major complications because my control was not good for several years.  I still tend to heal well and there is no neuropathy to deal with.  I have had pretty good control for the last 5 years after I went to LCHF.

[Shanny]

I have a little neuropathy in my toes.

But doesn't it make your blood boil the way medical professionals just toss off diabetes like - 'no big deal'?

[Grammabear]

I have a little neuropathy in my toes.

But doesn't it make your blood boil the way medical professionals just toss off diabetes like - 'no big deal'?

If only the medical professionals could have "heart knowledge" instead of just "head knowledge" (that they've learned from a book).  Heart knowledge is only gained by living with diabetes 24x7 in my opinion.

[bigskygal]

I was diagnosed T2 in early 2012 and put on metformin. I went online and found several forums to learn as much as I could. Settled in on one that favored low carb/high fat. In five months of strict eating, I dropped my A1c from 9.5% to be in the 5%
club.

I have some numbness in my feet, but the jury is out as to whether it is from diabetes or from all the low back problems I have. Otherwise no other problems here.

[skb]

But doesn't it make your blood boil the way medical professionals just toss off diabetes like - 'no big deal'?

That has emerged as the common factor in all of the posts.

[rocky]

No complications so far, or none that I am aware of. I was doing some searching online for some diabetes stuff and I accidentally landed here. The rest is history. In the one and a half years I have knocked off my weight, brought down my A1c from 9+ to 5. Yes, back in the days when I was in Saudi I was urinating a lot, if you can call that a complication.

Thanks guy, all of you. 

[Tamagno]

DKA, Stiff Man Syndrome, severe neuropathy and cancer - all GAD 65 positive auto immune issues.

[Shanny]

  Nothing you've ever done could ever by deserving of all such consequences. 

[Grammabear]

skb - In your vast reading about diabetes, have you ever encountered anything that indicates celiac disease as being related to or caused by diabetes?  I read a short article in a newstand magazine that seemed to feel the celiac disease merited attention in relationship to both types of diabetes.

[skb]

Kathy, Off hand nothing comes to mind. But I'm sure if you searched anti gluten crusader, Dr. William Davis's site (author of The Wheat Belly) you'd find good information.

However, a quick Google on the studies on the subject have me these 3 important results. I'm not going into the technical parts of the studies, just the conclusions.

A genetic susceptibility to both type 1 diabetes and celiac disease shares common alleles. These data suggest that common biologic mechanisms, such as autoimmunity-related tissue damage and intolerance to dietary antigens, may be etiologic features of both diseases.

Type 1 diabetes and celiac disease are both immunologic disorders where specific HLA alleles are associated with disease risk. We have developed a radioassay for autoantibodies to tissue transglutaminase (tTG) following the report that this enzyme is 'the' endomysial autoantigen (EMA) of celiac disease. Ninety-eight of 847 patients with type 1 diabetes (11.6%) had tissue transglutaminase autoantibodies (tTG). All EMA-positive patients were positive (49/49) for transglutaminase autoantibodies, as were 49/540 EMA-negative patients.

The prevalence of celiac disease in patients with type 1 diabetes is approximately 20 times higher than in the general population. Sixty percent of cases are already present at diabetes onset, mostly undetected, but an additional 40% of patients develop celiac disease a few years after diabetes onset.

[Rhiannon]

I believe I was diagnosed around 2013.  Prior to my diagnosis, I had been experiencing what I thought was my left foot "falling asleep" when I lay down on the bed or the couch.  To ease that feeling, I would hang my foot off the bed.  In addition, the front of my lower legs were reddened. I did not experience being thirsty, or going to the bathroom a lot.  By the time I was diagnosed, both my feet bothered me, especially at night.  I had a very hard time getting to sleep due to that discomfort.  I even resorted to getting some booties that had gel packs you could either heat up or put in the freezer.  I would freeze the gel packs, then put them in the booties in an effort to numb my feet.  It was no fun!

After I was diagnosed and began taking Metformin, plus changing to a low carb /high fat way of eating, the first thing that got better was the redness on my legs.  That cleared up fairly quickly.  The tingling and numbness in my feet was probably nerve damage and that took longer to improve.  However, 3-4 years post-diagnosis, my right foot is almost back to normal.  My left foot is also better, although it still can tingle and feel weird when I lay down. When it is particularly troublesome, I put Aspercreme on it and that helps a bit. It's actually an effective early warning system when I go off track and start consuming more carbs than I should. 

What I also attribute to the diabetes (but could also be partly due to menopause) is thinning hair.  So far, that is not getting better and I don't know that it will.  I used to have very thick, healthy hair but now it is thinning and also not so healthy, even though I take good care of it  Oh well, you can't have everything.