Treating Diabetics

[Mc. Lovin']

One of my friends (lets call him James, because that is his name) thinks he is Diabetic. He often gets extremely dizzy spells and immediately does something like drink sugar and water, and feels better. This is however, a self diagnosis, and the treatment he came up with himself (diabetes does run in the family).

He refuses to see a doctor about it (not sure why, maybe because he knows he has it), so he has no idea how to safely combat it. The little I know about Diabetes is that you can control it with the correct eating, but I think a cup of sugar isn't the right way to go about it, but I'm not sure.

So if any Diabetics out there could give me some advice on how to help him when he gets these dizzy spells, and what course of action I should take next it'd be really helpful of ya :smallsmile:

[SDF]

If he actually does have it he needs to see a doctor sooner than later because he will end up in the hospital. What you described sounds like it could be hypoglycemia, which is often caused in diabetics when they medicate with insulin. Your friend isn't doing that, and the cause may be completely different.

You need to convince him to set up some kind of appointment because to not do so is stupid.

[Ranna]

Yes you must go to a doctor unless you fancy going into a coma.

Simple as.

[Fri]

My father have diabetes (the more common type. You know, that's common for old people, instead of the rare one that can happen to children and must be treated with insulin regularly).

Well, yeah. He can't cure the diabetes, but it don't really hinder him or anything if he control his diet (he's just kinda pissed of on how he can't eat like he used to do, because he's somewhat a gourmet.)

But the other type of diabetes, now that's dangerous. The one that need regular insulin injection.

Your friend really need to see a doctor.

[Lord Herman]

As the others have said, he should see a doctor. All kinds of nasty stuff can happen to diabetics if they don't get proper medical care. Loss of limbs, blindness, that sort of thing. I don't know why he doesn't want to go to the doctor, but he'd better have a damn good reason if he's willing to risk all that.

[Mc. Lovin']

Hmm, OK, thanks for the advice.

I had heard that diabetes could be controlled by eating somewhere, so I thought it was fine not to see the doctor about it or something. I'll get his girlfriend on the case, he'll be at the doctors in no time :smallbiggrin:

[Fri]

There is actually a few type of diabetes. Some can be controlled by diet, some need medicines, and some need regular insulin injection. Your friend need to see a doctor to know what kind of diabetes that he have.

[LightWraith]

Yeah... he needs to see a doctor. Diabetes isn't something your friend should try to self treat.

Where's Bor? I believe he might have a story or two that your friend should read.

[Fri]

Quick! To the Bor-Signal!

*flashes a big lamp-covered-with-barbarian-shape to the sky*

[Bor the Barbarian Monk]

Hi...Bor the Diabetic Barbarian Monk here.

I have a message for your friend, James. Mind you, I have delved deep into the recesses of my mind to seek out just the right words to convey this message, as clarity is of the utmost importance in this manner. I respectfully request you pass this on, Apelord69:

GET TO A DOCTOR, YOU DOLT!

You may include a slap upside your friend's head if you think it'll help.

From what you described, it sounds more like hypoglycemia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypoglycemia), not diabetes, (although we can experience hypoglycemia from too much insulin, too much activity, or not enough food). While diabetes may run in his family, this may merely be a precursor to uncontrolled pancreatic activity.

Way back when, and SDF may remember this, I had a "Diabetic Thread" here. We would speak at length about to complications of diabetes. My ongoing gripe about diabetes is the weak education behind it. I am sick to death of the pathetically sappy tone in most texts that discuss it. As a Type 1 diabetic for almost 34 years, here's the breakdown of what uncontrolled diabetes can do...

Short term issues:
1. Hyperglycemia: high blood sugar
2. Blurred vision
3. Excessive thirst and Polyuria (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyuria)
4. Ketosis: body starts turning the blood acidic by breaking fat cells down into acetone. (Note: acetone can be found in nail polish remover and industrial solvants.)
5. Diabetic Ketoacidosis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetic_Ketoacidosis) (DKA): comes with fun symptoms such as vomitting, severe dehydration, Kussmaul breathing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kussmaul_breathing), exhaustion, and extreme hunger (which goes really well with the vomitting).
6. Diabetic coma: My research shows that one need not be unconscious for this; patient is awake and interacts with the world, but is unaware of his/her actions. Unconsciousness does come into play eventually

Long term:
1. Diabetic retinopathy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetic_retinopathy), AKA blindness (Scary like you wouldn't believe!)
2. Diabetic neuropathy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetic_neuropathy), AKA malfunctioning nervous system (Painful to an extreme!)
3. Diabetic nephropathy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetic_nephropathy), AKA kidney failure (I hear dialysis is NOT fun.)
4. Amputation of extremities, specifically toes, feet, or entire portions of the legs. (It's a long, painful trip to reach this stage.)
5. Charcot's joint (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charcot%27s_joint), which I may be developing. (A complication of a complication of diabetes? Whodda thunk it?)
6. Heart disease. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetic_cardiomyopathy) (I've been lucky so far on that one.)
7. Oh, yeah! As long as I'm going link-happy, he can experience THIS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death)! (It's a long, painful road getting there.)

Because this illness runs in your family, and there is documentation pertaining to it being genetic, he should be getting checked annually, and twice a year if he is overweight.

If you don't trust your friend to go to the doctor on his own, escort him there, wait in the waiting room, and make sure he's seen for what could be a life threatening problem.

:smallsigh:

Sorry if this seems a bit...angry...but I refuse to sit back and watch someone travel my medical path when they could be actively doing something early.

Bor-Man is here, citizens! I came soon after I saw the signal!

[Arkenputtyknife]

Hmm, OK, thanks for the advice.

I had heard that diabetes could be controlled by eating somewhere, so I thought it was fine not to see the doctor about it or something. I'll get his girlfriend on the case, he'll be at the doctors in no time :smallbiggrin:

It can happen. Sometimes—it happened to a friend of mine—mild diabetes can be controlled and even reversed by diet. BUT it was the doctor that determined the right diet, and the doctor that determined that the diabetes was cured. The diet, incidentally, included greatly reducing sugar intake, not increasing it. And there being so many different kinds of diabetes, one cure does not fit all, and the consequences of not treating it—or treating it incorrectly—are dire. Self-diagnosis is likely to be deadly.

The doctor is absolutely the way to go.

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

As a diabetic myself, I must agree that you need to get his ass right to the doctor NOW. When I first got diabetes I had a bloodsugar of around 500 for three days and couldn't walk, went to the doctor and they gave me insulin and carb-free food and started treating me right away.

[SDF]

GET TO A DOCTOR, YOU DOLT!

Way back when, and SDF may remember this, I had a "Diabetic Thread" here. We would speak at length about to complications of diabetes. My ongoing gripe about diabetes is the weak education behind it. I am sick to death of the pathetically sappy tone in most texts that discuss it. As a Type 1 diabetic for almost 34 years, here's the breakdown of what uncontrolled diabetes can do...

Yes, I remember that being one of my first topics on the board. Here at GitP we have several people with a lot of practical experience dealing with diabetes. I have had type 1 diabetes for 7 years now, my little brother has it, and so does my father. I have been involved with the Idaho organization Hodia for about as long as I've had it, and can answer pretty much any question you would have pertaining to type 1 or 2 diabetes. As I and Bor have already stated it sounds like hypoglycemia, BUT GitP is not designed to diagnose or treat any diseases. I left Bor's dolt comment up to hammer home the absolute need to see a doctor because it could be any number of conditions.

[Mc. Lovin']

Well I just want to say thank you to everyone who posted in this thread! I told him everything that was said in the thread and he's going to see a doctor as soon as he can get an appointment. Huzzahs are in order! *Huzzah!*

[Fri]

Ah, nothing works better than good old Scare 'Em Straight (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ptitlewf26ismrv5co)

Huzzah!

[Bonecrusher Doc]

It's possible that he may think he already has diabetes and it's too late to do anything that will really help, so to heck with it.

In fact he might be PRE-DIABETIC...

(http://www.diabetes.org/pre-diabetes.jsp)

...in which case if he gets to a doctor quickly enough he may be able to avoid getting diabetes altogether.

If you need to scare him straight, sometimes people don't pay any attention to things like blindness, amputations, and death because they just seem to drastic and people decide to be either in denial or fatalistic.
So I suggest (your friend is male, right?) that you might consider telling him that acting now could be the difference as to whether or not he develops erectile dysfunction, another possible result of diabetes (and very likely if the diabetes is not well-managed).

On the other hand, he may be TOO scared already - he already knows all the facts about the disease, he's just too terrified of the diagnosis to go see the doctor. In that case, perhaps you could offer to go to the doctor's office with him. (You or someone else who is close to him - family member perhaps). You could even find out what clinic to go to, and either make the appointment with him or find out their walk-in hours... once all of those preliminary steps are done, then it will be easier for him to make the final step of showing up at the clinic.

One last argument you could make (a little good old-fashioned guilt trip) is that if he doesn't go to the doctor for his own sake, then he needs to go for the sake of his loved ones who would be hurt to see him suffer unnecessarily.

Good luck!