Not sure if I have Type II Diabetes...

Sabdavis

Hi All. My name is Sabrina and I noticed the last couple of days that my fingertips started to peel. I initially lost 41 lbs on MFP a few years ago and slowly the weight has crept back up. I recently started anti anxiety meds and that has led to some weight gain (because it makes me hungry). I'm concerned between my weight and how poorly I've been eating (and exercising far less) that the peeling fingertips is an indication of diabetes. My father has type 2 so I obviously have a predisposition. This is all the scare I need to get me back to where I am, but I have no idea how to try to change my eating if this is the case. I don't necessarily want it confirmed that I do or don't have it because if I do, I'll be afraid and if I don't, I don't want to get lazy.

Any suggestions on grams of sugar I should limit to, etc?

Thanks!

stephenrhinton

There are some pretty affordable over-the-counter A1C and ketones tests available these days if you want to 'know' but not have it as part of your medical record.

Unfortunately, the first symptoms to show up can be widely variable. For me it was the incessent thirst. A friend of mine suffered tremendously from neuropathy (sharp burning sensation in extremities as those nerve cells die). For my dad it was the slow-healing of cuts and bruises.

And the Carb/sugar level that triggers elevated BGL levels is pretty individual too. For me, 100g of carbs/day is my tipping point. If I stay under, my BGL stays in control. If I go over, it gets elevated. But alot of folks on this forum have had much luck with even lower carb levels like you find with Atkins, Paleo, or LCHF diets.

Also regular exercise is more important for pre-diabetics and diabetics as it provides a mechanism for using/burning excess glucose that bypasses insulin resistance issues. I've found endurance cardio (just keep moving) to be especially effective for managing my BGL. But again others on this forum have had great success with interval or resistance training.

Unknown

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phxteach

If borrowing a friend's glucometer, make sure to purchase a lancet for yourself. Do not share that since blood born pathogens (everything from hepatitis to aids) could lurk on the testing needle. I just would not want you to take that chance.

nvmomketo

I agree that the best way to know is to test. Fasting blood glucose can be helpful too.

Good luck.