Second Opinion after Diagnosis?
Question:
Even the intial diagnosis may be dependant on the doctor’s attitude. I
have read on this newsgroup and heard from friends of some doctors who have seen someone clearly with diabetes, but have called it a "pre diabetic condition" or "low level diabetes", not giving the patient the required urgency. What we DON’T hear about is people who were told they DID have diabetes when in fact they didn’t! So if you’re told you have it, it’s highly UNlikely that you don’t. bj
Response:
Check with your GP or the lab that performed the Hb1Ac test. If sub 6% is in the normal range for that lab, you have reason to look for second opinions. If your lab is one where the normal numbers are lower and 5.2% is high, the previous advice would stick (though note I am not a medical professional). If your lab is one of the common labs where sub 6% is normal, I would recommend a different course. First, if your BG levels are shooting up toward 200 after any kind of normal food and or you are having hypoglycemic events, there is something wrong with your glucose metabolism – it may be temporary or it may be permanent – but something is wrong. There are many things that can cause a systemic disruption. (Thyroid mentioned in this group is certainly one of them. Another thing to check would be Lupus.) Pregnancy and the aftermath can certainly trigger problems. If you can control your BG levels with diet, you can, in my non-professional opinion, take some time to sort it out. If I were in your shoes, I would get a good BG meter and test several times per day – waking and 1 or 2 postprandial (2 hours after eating). Your levels should be sub 125 waking (sub 110 would be better) and sub 140 2hour postprandial. Adjust your diet accordingly. I believe a low carb diet is best (note: I say low carb diet as the kind of food, not as a way to lose weight – if you are thin you should eat enough calories of protein, fat and carbs to maintain weight). I recommend you eat 5 or 6 small meals per day to counter your hypoglycemia. You should take some vitamins – I think LEF has the best in the market, but they are pricey – Twinlab is a more economical alternative. EXERCISE – exercise is a must. No matter how tired you feel you MUST get out and do some aerobic exercise. Exercise is part of how your body moves out toxins and keeps itself in tune – your lymph circulation system has no pump – it moves with your body’s exercise (your lymph system is a primary infection fighter). Exercise also helps your body’s glucose metabolism. One final side note: You asked in a earlier post if saturated fats can cause an increase in insulin resistance. I have read this was the case and, if you think about, it would make perfect sense. We tend to think of glucose (sugar) and fat as 2 totally separate substances. In fact, fat is just a lot of sugar molecules added together with a COOH group. Fat is our body’s way of storing glucose for later use (long term – glucogen is the short term storage form). Our glucose metabolism is an interaction of many chemical substances – among them are sugars(glucose), hormones (insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, cortisol, etc), fats, etc. It would make sense for the body to react to high levels of saturated fat(the kind of fat we store in our fat cells) in the blood as a signal the body needed to pull stored energy out of storage for use – insulin is a hormone to push glucose (energy) into the cells – thus high levels of saturated fat could be a counter chemical signal to insulin. I do not know if this is what really happens – I am speculating. But it does make sense and I have read that saturated fats increase insulin resistance. In summary, if you have had 175+ BG readings after a normal meal and or hypoglycemic events there is something wrong with your glucose metabolism. If you can control your BG levels with diet, you can afford to take some time to sort out a diagnosis. Test your BG levels regularly. Exercise is a must. If you are one of the lucky ones for whom this problem is transient, keep lurking. I have read a lot of posts from smart people with a lot of good information. Best wishes! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What is your Hb1Ac reading? Most of the time, the diagnosis of diabetes comes 5 to 10 years after the disease has begun to cause damage. But upon occaision a diagnosis can be wrong (or maybe partially wrong). Stress, usually due to physical causes such as a chronic infection, can cause temporarily high BG levels. This may resolve itself after the cause of the stress is removed (note: I am not talking about a busy lifestyle or work hassles – the stressor needs to stimulate the liver to raise BG levels). The truth teller is usually the Hb1Ac level, though even here a chronic long term infection can prompt a misdiagnosis. If your Hb1Ac level is above 6% (levels vary from lab to lab, but these are lab ‘normals’) you have a problem. 6% to 8% is a twilight zone where errors, though not likely, may be made. Above 8% would be very unlikely. Taking from your other posts, Hb1Ac is an AGE and, to a limited degree, a measure of your rate of aging. 5% to 6% is normal. Above 6% you are aging faster than normal. Diabetes has been characterized as accelerated aging. There is a high probability your Doctor is correct in his diagnosis. Sorry. Is it common for diabetics to go to another Dr. to get a second opinion after a diagnosis of diabetes? If so when you see the second Dr. would you give him all of the information/diagnosis from the first Dr.? I would be affraid of the information influencing the second Dr. Especially if the second Dr. knows the first Dr. and respects and agrees with their diagnoisis. Any comments? What type of infections are we talking about and what type of tests would uncover them? I have been feeling poorly for 8 months now following a stressful pregnancy in which I was on bed rest most of the time, praying that I did not miscarry or go into premature labor. My baby had severe colic (cried excessively day and night) for four months after birth during which time I got about 3-4 hours of sleep per day then the next four months I had insomnia (which I get when I am overly stressed). I was also severly depressed during this time. My blood sugar was being controled all the while by a low carb diet -even though I did not suspect I might have diabetes (still not officially diagnosised). My Hb1ac was checked twice during this time -5.3 and 5.2. My stress has not gone away I am still fighting it everyday, telling myself to calm down and relax. I am still trying to figure out the new mother thing, while also trying to figure out my diet (adjusting it constantly to control skin problems and hypoglycemia), and trying to wind down enough before I go to sleep to avoid insomnia. I worry about the fact that I have not started an exercise routine, because my fatigue these days is overwhelming and I feel like I dont have enough energy to cover it. I have never faired well when it comes to stress, I have just accepted throughout the years that it did not agree with me and have mostly avoided stressful situations. The stress I have experienced during the past year and a half has been unavoidable and at times unbearable.
Response:
If you do indeed have a lump on your thyroid, push for checking it out — maybe an ultrasound to see if it really is there, fine needle aspiration (by an experienced practitioner) to see what it is. For an article on fna, see http://www.thyca.org/fna.htm bj
yesterday I had an appt at my endo’s, I told him I thought my thyroid was acting screwy, … I go monday for all my blood work. btw… he did find a lump so think
that helped in my pushing for further tests as well. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –
Response:
Not for an initial diagnosis, but on advice such as bg targets, monitoring for potential complications, diet or dietitian recommendation, medication and excercise recommendations. Even the intial diagnosis may be dependant on the doctor’s attitude. I have read on this newsgroup and heard from friends of some doctors who have seen someone clearly with diabetes, but have called it a "pre diabetic condition" or "low level diabetes", not giving the patient the required urgency. In my own case, after an ankle injury, during my hospital stay I had a routine blood test done which indicated diabetes. Unknown to me a report was sent to my family doctor, who promptly forgot all about it, until I came to him a year later with the "classic" symptoms of thirst and tiredness, with my bg by now *way* higher that it ever was. This was the same doctor who had never bothered to give me a bg test for the past 10 years. And the same doctor who a few months later told me to try "this tablet" (a potent sulphonurea) without bothering to tell me about such insignificant things as hypos. Some years later another doctor told me that a blood pressure of 160/100 was "nothing to worry about". I could go on and on, but I’m already bitching too much. This, in my opinion, is why you should "shop around" for the right doctor. It has been said on this newsgroup that the best diabetic doctor is one who has diabetes or who has a close relative with diabetes. Henry Mydlarz Melbourne, Australia
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I wouldn’t stop at the second opinion. Initially I’d go for a third opinion and maybe a fourth – until I found a doctor who is both caring and knowledgeable on the subject. Do you mean to check out 2,3,4 docs to find one that you can work with in managing the diabetes? The diagnosis is pretty cut and dry. I see no reason to go to multiple docs for a diagnosis. IMHO that only delays the treatment. — Best wishes Louise Type 2, controlling by diet and exercise
Response:
exactly… yesterday I had an appt at my endo’s, I told him I thought my thyroid was acting screwy, he grabbed my file, and was looking at a TSH test i’d had over a year ago! and claimed it was fine.. I told him.. (mind you i’m mouthy anyhow) BULLSHIT! we can just do new tests and I want all them ran NOT just a TSH, he claimed they normally dont run others.. and I said, "I want them!" so… I go monday for all my blood work. btw… he did find a lump so think that helped in my pushing for further tests as well. have to sometimes be demanding… it is our bodies.. not theirs.. — RK [T1 - dx 5/00]-[Lantus/Novolog]-[Experiments in progress...] http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org http://www.faqs.org/faqs/diabetes/faq http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/files/zl-mirc.exe (chatroom software/verified clean w/Norton) Current Troll List: See ASD site for current list and how to killfile
: *YOU* are *YOUR* best doctor.. learn all about *YOU* then : tell your doctor what *YOU* need. : : Read about a woman doctor who had to go to a specialist out side her field. He : started telling her what they were going to do. She told him differently. He : asked if she was trying to tell him how to run his business. She told him: "No : This is my body and it means more to me that it does to you." Perhaps that is : what we need to remember when dealing with the doctors. Betty.
Response:
*YOU* are *YOUR* best doctor.. learn all about *YOU* then tell your doctor what *YOU* need.
Read about a woman doctor who had to go to a specialist out side her field. He started telling her what they were going to do. She told him differently. He asked if she was trying to tell him how to run his business. She told him: "No This is my body and it means more to me that it does to you." Perhaps that is what we need to remember when dealing with the doctors. Betty.
Response:
If it WAS EVER 126, you are diabetic.
My old doc quit. July 2001 it was 126 fasting. In July 2002 it was 136. Both were fasting. Nurse told me blood work was OK. Got a new doc in November. He got records. Office called me in for fasting BG. They told me if everything was OK, they would not call. I do not like doing business that way – people forget. I called twice and no one returned my calls. The test was Thursday a week ago. I see him on Dec. 2. Guess I will find out then. And he will find out that I do not like being hung out to dry on a blood test after they were so insistent that I come in for test. I have gone on 1200 ADA on my own. Need to lose at least 30 pounds. Betty.
Response:
I fully agree with you. Most of my treatments have been initiated by ME. I wouldn’t put my total faith in ANY doctor, even one with diabetes. Henry Mydlarz Melbourne Australia
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – heh.. i dont share your assesment that the "best doctor" is one with diabetes or a family member.. the asshole that clearly misdiagnosed me was a T2 himself, told me didn’t need to bother with a dietian, or classes. and kept me on glucophage for 7months while making me run 500+ bg’s constant.. *YOU* are *YOUR* best doctor.. learn all about *YOU* then tell your doctor what *YOU* need. thats my assesment. — RK [T1 - dx 5/00]-[Lantus/Novolog]-[Experiments in progress...] http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org http://www.faqs.org/faqs/diabetes/faq http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/files/zl-mirc.exe (chatroom software/verified clean w/Norton) Current Troll List: See ASD site for current list and how to killfile : Not for an initial diagnosis, but on advice such as bg targets, monitoring : for potential complications, diet or dietitian recommendation, medication : and excercise recommendations. : : Even the intial diagnosis may be dependant on the doctor’s attitude. I have : read on this newsgroup and heard from friends of some doctors who have seen : someone clearly with diabetes, but have called it a "pre diabetic condition" : or "low level diabetes", not giving the patient the required urgency. : : In my own case, after an ankle injury, during my hospital stay I had a : routine blood test done which indicated diabetes. Unknown to me a report was : sent to my family doctor, who promptly forgot all about it, until I came to : him a year later with the "classic" symptoms of thirst and tiredness, with : my bg by now *way* higher that it ever was. This was the same doctor who had : never bothered to give me a bg test for the past 10 years. And the same : doctor who a few months later told me to try "this tablet" (a potent : sulphonurea) without bothering to tell me about such insignificant things as : hypos. : : Some years later another doctor told me that a blood pressure of 160/100 was : "nothing to worry about". : : I could go on and on, but I’m already bitching too much. : : This, in my opinion, is why you should "shop around" for the right doctor. : : It has been said on this newsgroup that the best diabetic doctor is one who : has diabetes or who has a close relative with diabetes. : : Henry Mydlarz : Melbourne, : Australia : : I wouldn’t stop at the second opinion. Initially I’d go for a third : opinion : and maybe a fourth – until I found a doctor who is both caring and : knowledgeable on the subject. : : Do you mean to check out 2,3,4 docs to find one that you can work with in : managing the diabetes? The diagnosis is pretty cut and dry. I see no : reason to go to multiple docs for a diagnosis. IMHO that only delays the : treatment. : : — : Best wishes : Louise : : Type 2, controlling by diet and exercise : : : : : :
Response:
due to What type of infections are we talking about and what type of tests would uncover them?
I am not so sure I believe this. This is what my old GP told me. This was after I had GD and before my diabetes diagnosis. I was getting these weird skin infections and ear infections. My BG tested slightly high on one finger stick. Can’t remember now what that number was, but I think it was really close to whatever the cutoff was at that time. I was told that my elevated BG was from the infections and that I didn’t have diabetes. I now know that diabetes itself can cause infections. And I seriously think I did have diabetes at that time. But I was controlling it with diet and exercise. I have been feeling poorly for 8 months now following a stressful pregnancy in which I was on bed rest most of the time, praying that I did not miscarry or go into premature labor. My baby had severe colic (cried excessively day and night) for four months after birth during which time I got about 3-4 hours of sleep
Mine was the same way. She slept maybe 5 hours a night if I was lucky. Other than that all she did was eat and cry. per day then the next four months I had insomnia (which I get when I am overly stressed). I was also severly depressed during this time. My blood sugar was being controled all the while by a low carb diet -even though I did not suspect I might have diabetes (still not officially diagnosised). My Hb1ac was checked twice during this time -5.3 and 5.2.
Have you had your thyroid checked? Mine went wacky during pregnancy, but it is also common to have problems with this after giving birth. Insomnia and depression are both symptoms of thyroid problems. My stress has not gone away I am still fighting it everyday, telling myself to calm down and relax. I am still trying to figure out the new mother thing, while also trying to figure out my diet (adjusting it constantly to control skin problems and hypoglycemia), and trying to wind down enough before I go to sleep to avoid insomnia. I worry about the fact that I have not started an exercise routine, because my fatigue these days is overwhelming and I feel like I dont have enough energy to cover it. I have never faired well when it comes to stress, I have just accepted throughout the years that it did not agree with me and have mostly avoided stressful situations. The stress I have experienced during the past year and a half has been unavoidable and at times unbearable.
Again, I can relate. My daughter is 4 now, and there is less stress from her, but more stress due to the fact that we have moved cross country and then all of my medical conditions. These other things that you’ve mentioned can go along with thyroid problems too. Skin problems, fatigue and an inability to calm down and relax. I have been taking meds for my thyroid, but my previous Dr. was allowing me to run high because I wasn’t losing weight as I should. That in itself was a bad premise since it doesn’t work that way. I am now on a lower dose and will get another lab done tomorrow to see how it is running now. I feel much more calm now. I do not feel the need to nap and I am sleeping soundly at night. Based on your symptoms, I would give that some thought. You should probably go to an Endocrinologist to be checked though. I have heard time and again about GPs not doing thorough enough testing and telling people they are fine when indeed they are not. — Type 2 http://users.bestweb.net/~jbove/ Julie Bove, posting from new account
Response:
heh.. i dont share your assesment that the "best doctor" is one with diabetes or a family member.. the asshole that clearly misdiagnosed me was a T2 himself, told me didn’t need to bother with a dietian, or classes. and kept me on glucophage for 7months while making me run 500+ bg’s constant.. *YOU* are *YOUR* best doctor.. learn all about *YOU* then tell your doctor what *YOU* need. thats my assesment. — RK [T1 - dx 5/00]-[Lantus/Novolog]-[Experiments in progress...] http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org http://www.faqs.org/faqs/diabetes/faq http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/files/zl-mirc.exe (chatroom software/verified clean w/Norton) Current Troll List: See ASD site for current list and how to killfile
: Not for an initial diagnosis, but on advice such as bg targets, monitoring : for potential complications, diet or dietitian recommendation, medication : and excercise recommendations. : : Even the intial diagnosis may be dependant on the doctor’s attitude. I have : read on this newsgroup and heard from friends of some doctors who have seen : someone clearly with diabetes, but have called it a "pre diabetic condition" : or "low level diabetes", not giving the patient the required urgency. : : In my own case, after an ankle injury, during my hospital stay I had a : routine blood test done which indicated diabetes. Unknown to me a report was : sent to my family doctor, who promptly forgot all about it, until I came to : him a year later with the "classic" symptoms of thirst and tiredness, with : my bg by now *way* higher that it ever was. This was the same doctor who had : never bothered to give me a bg test for the past 10 years. And the same : doctor who a few months later told me to try "this tablet" (a potent : sulphonurea) without bothering to tell me about such insignificant things as : hypos. : : Some years later another doctor told me that a blood pressure of 160/100 was : "nothing to worry about". : : I could go on and on, but I’m already bitching too much. : : This, in my opinion, is why you should "shop around" for the right doctor. : : It has been said on this newsgroup that the best diabetic doctor is one who : has diabetes or who has a close relative with diabetes. : : Henry Mydlarz : Melbourne, : Australia
: : I wouldn’t stop at the second opinion. Initially I’d go for a third : opinion : and maybe a fourth – until I found a doctor who is both caring and : knowledgeable on the subject. : : Do you mean to check out 2,3,4 docs to find one that you can work with in : managing the diabetes? The diagnosis is pretty cut and dry. I see no : reason to go to multiple docs for a diagnosis. IMHO that only delays the : treatment. : : — : Best wishes : Louise : : Type 2, controlling by diet and exercise : : : : : :
Response:
Hmmm. Is it that you don’t want a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes? Or is it that you don’t want *any* diagnosis of diabetes. If it would improve your insurance situation to get diagnosed with Type 2 rather than Type 1, then, yes, it might be worthwhile to get another opinion. But if you want no diagnosis of diabetes at all, I just don’t think that will work. Why are you unable to exercise, if I might ask? Because, it would be beneficial if you could get exercise. BL
Response:
What is your Hb1Ac reading? Most of the time, the diagnosis of diabetes comes 5 to 10 years after the disease has begun to cause damage. But upon occaision a diagnosis can be wrong (or maybe partially wrong). Stress, usually due to physical causes such as a chronic infection, can cause temporarily high BG levels. This may resolve itself after the cause of the stress is removed (note: I am not talking about a busy lifestyle or work hassles – the stressor needs to stimulate the liver to raise BG levels). The truth teller is usually the Hb1Ac level, though even here a chronic long term infection can prompt a misdiagnosis. If your Hb1Ac level is above 6% (levels vary from lab to lab, but these are lab ‘normals’) you have a problem. 6% to 8% is a twilight zone where errors, though not likely, may be made. Above 8% would be very unlikely. Taking from your other posts, Hb1Ac is an AGE and, to a limited degree, a measure of your rate of aging. 5% to 6% is normal. Above 6% you are aging faster than normal. Diabetes has been characterized as accelerated aging. There is a high probability your Doctor is correct in his diagnosis. Sorry. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Is it common for diabetics to go to another Dr. to get a second opinion after a diagnosis of diabetes? If so when you see the second Dr. would you give him all of the information/diagnosis from the first Dr.? I would be affraid of the information influencing the second Dr. Especially if the second Dr. knows the first Dr. and respects and agrees with their diagnoisis. Any comments?
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What is your Hb1Ac reading? Most of the time, the diagnosis of diabetes comes 5 to 10 years after the disease has begun to cause damage. But upon occaision a diagnosis can be wrong (or maybe partially wrong). Stress, usually due to physical causes such as a chronic infection, can cause temporarily high BG levels. This may resolve itself after the cause of the stress is removed (note: I am not talking about a busy lifestyle or work hassles – the stressor needs to stimulate the liver to raise BG levels). The truth teller is usually the Hb1Ac level, though even here a chronic long term infection can prompt a misdiagnosis. If your Hb1Ac level is above 6% (levels vary from lab to lab, but these are lab ‘normals’) you have a problem. 6% to 8% is a twilight zone where errors, though not likely, may be made. Above 8% would be very unlikely. Taking from your other posts, Hb1Ac is an AGE and, to a limited degree, a measure of your rate of aging. 5% to 6% is normal. Above 6% you are aging faster than normal. Diabetes has been characterized as accelerated aging. There is a high probability your Doctor is correct in his diagnosis. Sorry. Is it common for diabetics to go to another Dr. to get a second opinion after a diagnosis of diabetes? If so when you see the second Dr. would you give him all of the information/diagnosis from the first Dr.? I would be affraid of the information influencing the second Dr. Especially if the second Dr. knows the first Dr. and respects and agrees with their diagnoisis. Any comments?
My Hb1Ac is 5.3 (6 months ago) and 5.2 (3 months ago)
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What is your Hb1Ac reading? Most of the time, the diagnosis of diabetes comes 5 to 10 years after the disease has begun to cause damage. But upon occaision a diagnosis can be wrong (or maybe partially wrong). Stress, usually due to physical causes such as a chronic infection, can cause temporarily high BG levels. This may resolve itself after the cause of the stress is removed (note: I am not talking about a busy lifestyle or work hassles – the stressor needs to stimulate the liver to raise BG levels). The truth teller is usually the Hb1Ac level, though even here a chronic long term infection can prompt a misdiagnosis. If your Hb1Ac level is above 6% (levels vary from lab to lab, but these are lab ‘normals’) you have a problem. 6% to 8% is a twilight zone where errors, though not likely, may be made. Above 8% would be very unlikely. Taking from your other posts, Hb1Ac is an AGE and, to a limited degree, a measure of your rate of aging. 5% to 6% is normal. Above 6% you are aging faster than normal. Diabetes has been characterized as accelerated aging. There is a high probability your Doctor is correct in his diagnosis. Sorry. Is it common for diabetics to go to another Dr. to get a second opinion after a diagnosis of diabetes? If so when you see the second Dr. would you give him all of the information/diagnosis from the first Dr.? I would be affraid of the information influencing the second Dr. Especially if the second Dr. knows the first Dr. and respects and agrees with their diagnoisis. Any comments?
What type of infections are we talking about and what type of tests would uncover them? I have been feeling poorly for 8 months now following a stressful pregnancy in which I was on bed rest most of the time, praying that I did not miscarry or go into premature labor. My baby had severe colic (cried excessively day and night) for four months after birth during which time I got about 3-4 hours of sleep per day then the next four months I had insomnia (which I get when I am overly stressed). I was also severly depressed during this time. My blood sugar was being controled all the while by a low carb diet -even though I did not suspect I might have diabetes (still not officially diagnosised). My Hb1ac was checked twice during this time -5.3 and 5.2. My stress has not gone away I am still fighting it everyday, telling myself to calm down and relax. I am still trying to figure out the new mother thing, while also trying to figure out my diet (adjusting it constantly to control skin problems and hypoglycemia), and trying to wind down enough before I go to sleep to avoid insomnia. I worry about the fact that I have not started an exercise routine, because my fatigue these days is overwhelming and I feel like I dont have enough energy to cover it. I have never faired well when it comes to stress, I have just accepted throughout the years that it did not agree with me and have mostly avoided stressful situations. The stress I have experienced during the past year and a half has been unavoidable and at times unbearable.
Response:
I wouldn’t stop at the second opinion. Initially I’d go for a third opinion and maybe a fourth – until I found a doctor who is both caring and knowledgeable on the subject.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Is it common for diabetics to go to another Dr. to get a second opinion after a diagnosis of diabetes? If so when you see the second Dr. would you give him all of the information/diagnosis from the first Dr.? I would be affraid of the information influencing the second Dr. Especially if the second Dr. knows the first Dr. and respects and agrees with their diagnoisis. Any comments?
Response:
I wouldn’t stop at the second opinion. Initially I’d go for a third opinion and maybe a fourth – until I found a doctor who is both caring and knowledgeable on the subject.
Do you mean to check out 2,3,4 docs to find one that you can work with in managing the diabetes? The diagnosis is pretty cut and dry. I see no reason to go to multiple docs for a diagnosis. IMHO that only delays the treatment. — Best wishes Louise Type 2, controlling by diet and exercise
Response:
cc’d by email you are in denial YOU ARE DIABETIC no question, and no more testing will change that. "Blame it on MacDonalds" is just pure self-delusional bullcrap. "RARELY go over 120" more delusional crap. If it WAS EVER 126, you are diabetic. If it was always under 126, bust sometimes above 110, you would be "prediabetic" You better stop making lame excuses and start doing something, otherwise you will be back saying "I dinner at Burger King, THAT is why it is over 300" or "I am RARELY over 400, it must be the ice cream I had last month". NOW, T1 or T2 – that is not always so clear, and you may want to see an endo and get a second opinion on which, and on managment options. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – In article , Is it common for diabetics to go to another Dr. to get a second opinion after a diagnosis of diabetes? … The criteria are pretty well defined. If a second doctor was to tell you what you wanted to hear, it wouldn’t change anything. Your blood and urine numbers won’t change. If you think the tests themselves were wrong, they weren’t done right, the lab screwed up, or whatever, then have them repeated. But the diagnostic criteria aren’t going to change. And the diagnosis requires a confirmation anyway, so it’s not all riding on one test (unless that one is REALLY ferociously bad, or DKA, or something like that, which makes it pretty obvious). This isn’t like getting a second opinion on whether or not to have your tonsils out or whatever. A second opinion on an actual treatment plan, if you don’t like the first approach &/or the doc is inflexible, is also another matter. bj Well, my Dr. seems to be set on a type 1 diagnosis based 1. I am thin and 2. one high carb meal at McDonalds which registered at 209 BG (2hr) on the blood test (was 190 on one touch glucose monitor). It was a high calorie (over 500kcal), high fat, high carb (over 100g). And it seems to me that all of those factors at up to a higher than high glucose. Yes I know its abnormally high. My other meals rarely go above 120. My antibodies came back negative and my c-peptide is 2.4. I have no symptoms of diabetes. I have been unable to exercise for two years and was on bed rest during my pregnancy (8mo. ago). I feel like I have impaired glucose tolerance and some insulin resistance. I am on cobra and I could do without this diagnosis.
Response:
Tess I believe there is some good info in the posts above. But heres the thing ,as Ted said – you have diabetes. The way I see things from what you have posted in the past is you are thin and at the same time on a weight losing low carb diet with the possible vain hope you are going to not have diabetes or at the least control it through food alone. This to me rings the alarm bells. If you are already thin you possibly should not lose any more weight by restricting carbs. Unfortunately in your case with carbs also come a lot of vitamins and minerals so you may be missing out on vitals that your body need just in order to control your BSI! I agree with everyone else that you don’t really need to be diagnosed over again but if your doctor is just a generalist and you are one of those with the weird body responses you need to go and see a doctor from further up the expertise chain. It seems to me you have more than just diabetes as a problem. The food aspect needs to be sorted out as well so your body has some chance to manage other functions adequately in conjunction with medication. A good Endo is where you should be headed with your fistful of questions. If you are already visiting one , By the way stress is not good for diabetes!
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What is your Hb1Ac reading? Most of the time, the diagnosis of diabetes comes 5 to 10 years after the disease has begun to cause damage. But upon occaision a diagnosis can be wrong (or maybe partially wrong). Stress, usually due to physical causes such as a chronic infection, can cause temporarily high BG levels. This may resolve itself after the cause of the stress is removed (note: I am not talking about a busy lifestyle or work hassles – the stressor needs to stimulate the liver to raise BG levels). The truth teller is usually the Hb1Ac level, though even here a chronic long term infection can prompt a misdiagnosis. If your Hb1Ac level is above 6% (levels vary from lab to lab, but these are lab ‘normals’) you have a problem. 6% to 8% is a twilight zone where errors, though not likely, may be made. Above 8% would be very unlikely. Taking from your other posts, Hb1Ac is an AGE and, to a limited degree, a measure of your rate of aging. 5% to 6% is normal. Above 6% you are aging faster than normal. Diabetes has been characterized as accelerated aging. There is a high probability your Doctor is correct in his diagnosis. Sorry.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Is it common for diabetics to go to another Dr. to get a second opinion after a diagnosis of diabetes? If so when you see the second Dr. would you give him all of the information/diagnosis from the first Dr.? I would be affraid of the information influencing the second Dr. Especially if the second Dr. knows the first Dr. and respects and agrees with their diagnoisis. Any comments?
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Is it common for diabetics to go to another Dr. to get a second opinion after a diagnosis of diabetes? If so when you see the second Dr. would you give him all of the information/diagnosis from the first Dr.? I would be affraid of the information influencing the second Dr. Especially if the second Dr. knows the first Dr. and respects and agrees with their diagnoisis.
I don’t think so. Some people don’t believe anything and would ask for a second opinion no matter what! Now, I can see how a person might be told they didn’t have diabetes. This happened to me on more than one occasion. Why? Because at that time I was able to control my BG with diet and exercise. And I was not given a GTT. I was only given random or fasting finger sticks and urine tests. Then low and behold I wound up in the ER only to be diagnosed with diabetes! But if you are told you have diabetes, then why would you need a second opinion? It is a pretty cut and dried thing. Denial is common though. Don’t know if it is common with other illnesses, but it seems to be with diabetes. — Type 2 http://users.bestweb.net/~jbove/ Julie Bove, posting from new account
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Is it common for diabetics to go to another Dr. to get a second opinion after a diagnosis of diabetes? … The criteria are pretty well defined. If a second doctor was to tell you what you wanted to hear, it wouldn’t change anything. Your blood and urine numbers won’t change. If you think the tests themselves were wrong, they weren’t done right, the lab screwed up, or whatever, then have them repeated. But the diagnostic criteria aren’t going to change. And the diagnosis requires a confirmation anyway, so it’s not all riding on one test (unless that one is REALLY ferociously bad, or DKA, or something like that, which makes it pretty obvious). This isn’t like getting a second opinion on whether or not to have your tonsils out or whatever. A second opinion on an actual treatment plan, if you don’t like the first approach &/or the doc is inflexible, is also another matter. bj
Well, my Dr. seems to be set on a type 1 diagnosis based 1. I am thin and 2. one high carb meal at McDonalds which registered at 209 BG (2hr) on the blood test (was 190 on one touch glucose monitor). It was a high calorie (over 500kcal), high fat, high carb (over 100g). And it seems to me that all of those factors at up to a higher than high glucose. Yes I know its abnormally high. My other meals rarely go above 120. My antibodies came back negative and my c-peptide is 2.4. I have no symptoms of diabetes. I have been unable to exercise for two years and was on bed rest during my pregnancy (8mo. ago). I feel like I have impaired glucose tolerance and some insulin resistance. I am on cobra and I could do without this diagnosis.
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Is it common for diabetics to go to another Dr. to get a second opinion
after a diagnosis of diabetes? …
The criteria are pretty well defined. If a second doctor was to tell you
what you wanted to hear, it wouldn’t change anything. Your blood and urine numbers won’t change. If you think the tests themselves were wrong, they weren’t done right, the lab screwed up, or whatever, then have them repeated. But the diagnostic criteria aren’t going to change. And the diagnosis requires a confirmation anyway, so it’s not all riding on one test (unless that one is REALLY ferociously bad, or DKA, or something like that, which makes it pretty obvious). This isn’t like getting a second opinion on whether or not to have your tonsils out or whatever. A second opinion on an actual treatment plan, if you don’t like the first approach &/or the doc is inflexible, is also another matter. bj
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Is it common for diabetics to go to another Dr. to get a second opinion after a diagnosis of diabetes? … The criteria are pretty well defined. If a second doctor was to tell you what you wanted to hear, it wouldn’t change anything. Your blood and urine numbers won’t change. If you think the tests themselves were wrong, they weren’t done right, the lab screwed up, or whatever, then have them repeated. But the diagnostic criteria aren’t going to change. And the diagnosis requires a confirmation anyway, so it’s not all riding on one test (unless that one is REALLY ferociously bad, or DKA, or something like that, which makes it pretty obvious). This isn’t like getting a second opinion on whether or not to have your tonsils out or whatever. A second opinion on an actual treatment plan, if you don’t like the first approach &/or the doc is inflexible, is also another matter. bj Well, my Dr. seems to be set on a type 1 diagnosis based 1. I am thin and 2. one high carb meal at McDonalds which registered at 209 BG (2hr) on the blood test (was 190 on one touch glucose monitor). It was a high calorie (over 500kcal), high fat, high carb (over 100g). And it seems to me that all of those factors at up to a higher than high glucose. Yes I know its abnormally high. My other meals rarely go above 120. My antibodies came back negative and my c-peptide is 2.4. I have no symptoms of diabetes. I have been unable to exercise for two years and was on bed rest during my pregnancy (8mo. ago). I feel like I have impaired glucose tolerance and some insulin resistance. I am on cobra and I could do without this diagnosis
We could all do without diabetes, but your comment sounds a bit like denial. That`s quite understandable, it happens with any chronic illness, though not to everybody. Your BGs after that meal should not be that high, so it looks like you *probably* are diabetic 
( If you stick around on this NG, alt.support.diabetes, alt.support.diabetes.uk, & alt.food.diabetic you will get lots of love & support. As always, wishing you well.
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<snip (2hr) on the blood test (was 190 on one touch glucose monitor). It was a high calorie (over 500kcal), high fat, high carb (over 100g). And it seems to me that all of those factors at up to a higher than high glucose. Yes I know its abnormally high. My other meals rarely go above 120. My antibodies came back negative and my c-peptide is 2.4. I have no symptoms of diabetes. I have been unable to exercise for two years and was on bed rest during my pregnancy (8mo. ago). I feel like I have impaired glucose tolerance and some insulin resistance. I am on cobra and I could do without this diagnosis.
Your medical history sounds somewhat like mine. I took the GTT during pregnancy and failed. Normally a second, longer test would be given. Diagnostic criteria for GD (at least at that time) was failing two out of three. My Dr. then told me he was merely going to assume that I had GD and not give me additional tests. I was rather miffed at not knowing for sure, but relieved that I didn’t have to take the additional tests. BTW, the highest number that I know of during the pregnancy was 110, fasting. This was towards the very end of the pregnancy. My Dr. was not pleased with this number and was going to put me on insulin if I reached this number again. I did not. I had reactive hypoglycemia for most of my life. And then oddly for several years prior to getting diabetes, I was able to skip meals and not get sick. Had no symptoms of hypoglycemia at all. That in itself should have been a clue, but I didn’t know then what I know now. And as I have said before, Drs. kept telling me that I didn’t have diabetes because my numbers were good. At that time, I was controlling with diet and exercise. Just didn’t know it. But I also now suffer from Neuropathy in my feet, lower legs and heart, probably because I WASN’T diagnosed when I should have been. Nobody wants to have diabetes. And many Drs. will think they are doing you a favor by not telling you that you really have it. It sounds to me like you have been escaping high numbers because of your diet. But there is more to diabetes than merely high (or low) BG. If your Dr. tells you that you have diabetes, take it seriously. You may not have any symptoms. I didn’t…aside from the Neuropathy. And none of my Drs. suspected that. They all blamed it on something else because I didn’t fit the profile of someone who had it. Anyway… Better you should come to terms with it now and take care of the situation. You might still get complications from it, but at least you’ll know that you did all you could to avoid them. — Type 2 http://users.bestweb.net/~jbove/ Julie Bove, posting from new account
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Is it common for diabetics to go to another Dr. to get a second opinion after a diagnosis of diabetes? If so when you see the second Dr. would you give him all of the information/diagnosis from the first Dr.? I would be affraid of the information influencing the second Dr. Especially if the second Dr. knows the first Dr. and respects and agrees with their diagnoisis. Any comments?
Response:
Is it common for diabetics to go to another Dr. to get a second opinion after a diagnosis of diabetes? If so when you see the second Dr. would you give him all of the information/diagnosis from the first Dr.? I would be affraid of the information influencing the second Dr. Especially if the second Dr. knows the first Dr. and respects and agrees with their diagnoisis. Any comments?
The criteria are pretty well defined. If a second doctor was to tell you what you wanted to hear, it wouldn’t change anything. Your blood and urine numbers won’t change. Ratty — All killer no filler ratty at flyingrat.net Site being rebuilt: www.flyingrat.net
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I would like to know whether Paxil (for depression) and Zyprexa (for anxiety) can cause POF and Premature Menopause. I take both medications and haven’t ‘bled’ for about 2 1/2 months. My primary doctor says the 2 meds can cause my menstrual periods to be ‘off’ but I would like a second opinion, if necessary. Any help is appreciated; thanks in advance. Christine Geary 