Insulin and Diabetes...

[T-101]

To all those with diabetes:

Around 2 years ago (when I was 23 years old), I began to occassionally have "numb muscles" (ie, hard to stand up because leg muscles are like not as responsive) every now and then. Only a few months ago have I connected this to my diet. It seems that whenever I eat high-sugar foods, after a few hours/minutes, I get these "attacks" I described. When I started lifting 2 months ago, it seems these attacks suddenly vanished, and I will feel normal the whole day and night even after drinking sugary juices and sweets.

During the last 2 weeks, it seems these attacks are again beginning, though milder than before. They seem to occur when I eat lots of high-glycemic index foods (like white enriched bread, etc). Doing some cardio (ie walking on a treadmill) once the "attacks" occur, an hour or two after eating, seem to make me feel back to normal after a few minutes.

Do you think this sympton can mean I have diabetes (Type 2?)? When I was a teen, I would have regular medical exams, and in all of these, they show that there's nothing wrong (good bloodwork, etc). Now that I'm in my 20's, is it possible to suddenly get an affliction like diabetes?

[viper]

The condition could be metabolic or nutritional….things that could possibly cause this are : diabetes (like you mentioned) which can occur at any time, but easy to check for by your md…..hypothyroidism (check your thyroid)….alcoholism (are you a drunk, LMAO)…malnutrition (you said your diet improved and it got better)….b12 deficiency (goes along with the diet comment)….or if you were taking vitamins and overdosed on pyridoxine (vitamin b6)…….these are a few things that it could be…..

my best advice is to go to your physician, and tell him/her the problem and have blood work drawn…..the blood work will rule out a lot of possibilities…..viper

[gixxerboy1]

Bro im a diabetic and personally i never had that problem.I agree with viper. We could all give you possible causes but we arent doctors. Your best bet is goi get some blood work done.It might be something simple. But either way if something is wrong the sooner you get diagnosed the better off you will be.

Good luck bro. Let us know how you make out

[mando]

i had a almost similar problem my sugar levels and b/p were very low during different times of the day.....my prob was nutrition...don't wait on this ...go see a doc ! it does't take long for the coma stage to set in !

[T-101]

Are you talking about hypoglycemia, mando?

[TNT]

Viper and Gix, outstanding! It seems that when I'm away from the computer for more than a few hours, you guys do some solid work and beat me to the punch! Then all I can do is fill in what little pieces you leave.

Mando, also a good point. T-101, what Mando described is essentially hypoglycemia, depending on what the symptoms were. But in your case, we're talking about something more . . .

When you talk about "numb muscles" in the leg, what you are describing is usually a manifestation of myelopathy or neuropathy, depending on the cause. The numb feeling is often combined with tingling, or a pins-and-needles sensation called paresthesia. And Viper is right - it's something that you should get checked out thoroughly.

Viper (damn, I'm proud of ya, boy!) is exactly on the mark when he speculates about the causes. At the very least, you will want your physician to run normal blood work for cholesterol levels (a "lipid panel") as well as kidney/liver function (a "CMP," or comprehensive metabolic panel), thyroid (including a "TSH"), and Vitamin B12 level. As far as checking you for diabetes, there is a fasting glucose check in the CMP, but you should also request an "HbA1C" (Hemoglobin A1C), a simple which checks your average glucose level over a period of the past couple of months. In case your doctor forgets to tell you, have the labwork done fasting (don't eat after midnight the night before) - some of these tests require a fasting sample.

Now, is it possible to have developed adult-onset diabetes in your 20's. Sure - anything is possible except squeezing toothpaste back into a tube. But there are two key questions to address: (1) Do you have a family history of diabetes, and (2) what is your personal diet like? If your parents and/or siblings are diabetic and you binge on sugar a lot, it's probable that you will become diabetic at some point. If not, the chance is less - at least for now - but it pays to get the labwork done to hear that from a doctor instead of some well-meaning bro on this board. Remember, we can speculate, but to give you an accurate diagnosis takes an in-person exam by a licensed professional.

All that said, what you are experiencing is probably not classical diabetic neuropathy. DSP, as it's technically called (for "distal peripheral polyneuropathy") takes several years to develop; it also develops slowly rather than suddenly, and its onset comes long after the diagnosis of adult-onset diabetes. As for Vitamin B12 deficiency, which does cause neuropathy and paresthesias, this is unusual in someone your age, although it's common in persons who arte vegetarians (the usual source of Vitamin B12 is meat and other animal products). Certainly, if you have a low B12 level, you would have a nifty excuse to do injections (for some background, do a search on the term cyanocobalimin - injectable B12 - there have been a few pretty comprehensive threads here on the board about it).

Finally, if you have lab work done, still have the symptoms, and the doctor has not found a cause, ask him to rule out both multiple sclerosis and transverse myelitis. Again, chances are that these are not issues at all, but make sure they are considered and ruled out.

And don't sweat any of this - finding causes means considering many things, then ruling them out. Very often, the cause becomes "what's left." No big whoop, but do see the doc and get some lab work done.

In the meantime, if you think that your symptoms may be due to too much in the way of high-glycemic foods, then . . . stay away from high-glycemic foods! (All together now - Duhhhhhhhh!)

Seriously, bro, our thoughts are with you - let us know how it goes!