On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 11:42:03 +0100, John
<JohnDoeyh93[no-spam]@mailcity.com> Huffed and Puffed the following
into the madness of usenet:

1 fasting BG test is quite common with general practitioners and is
often the reason a proper diagnosis is missed for many years.  You
should have a glucose tolerance test if you still suspect diabetes.  

also telling us that the test was negative is meaningless.  The test
will have actual BG readings, without those numbers what you are being
told is worthless.  Many of us have found that GPs have frequently
told people that they were not diabetic when in fact they were and
they could have found this out if the doctor had actually given them
the numbers from the tests.  This happens because the GPs have not
kept up with current diagnostic criteria and current studies.

Find yourself an endochronoligist(sp?). Its their specialty.
If your doc says its not diabetes find out what he thinks is going on.

Good luck and DO something.

Lou

Hi there John,

I agree with Mack. It is not clear whether the doctor is not up with the
current criterea or if you really do not have any indication of diabetes in
your tests.

Either way, what else has he investigated to discover just what is causing
your symptoms? Obviously, *something* is wrong, because you don't feel well.
Do go back and see him, and ask him what other tests has he in mind to try
and find out what is wrong with your health. While you are there, ask him
for a copy of the results of the last blood test, for your personal file.

If he says you don't need a copy,. just say, "Yes, I understand, but I would
still like a copy for future reference". In short, insist on one.
If he reckons he does not think you need any further testing, then it may be
a good idea to find a new doctorif you can, ie, one who takes you and your
healthy more seriously.  Don't risk your health with an old-fashioned "trust
me" kind of doctor, no matter how long he's known you or how much you like
him otherwise. If you have some difficulty in doing that, then insist that
he does not just let it go, but looks into it further.

It is always a good idea to ask for and keep your own file of the lab
results or any other tests you have done.

1. Even if you don't understand what they mean, you can look them up and
learn for yourself what they mean and might
indicate. Many a modern doctor respects a patient who knows what he's
talking about.

2. It is always a good idea to understand exactly what is going on inside
your body - simply because it IS *your* body! The internet has made it
possible to learn about the things that matter to you.

3.  Doctors do lose test results, or files, or can leave their practice, or
move away, or you might move elsewhere, and other simple mishaps that end up
leaving you without a record of your previous medical hisory over a long
period of time.
Even simply that long passage of time can cause difficulties,  you can't
just rely on your memory.
At the very least they provide a history for any future medical
investigations and a reliable reference. A kind of bench mark.
Doctors do NOT rely on your anecdotal reports. They need accurate and
precise medically provided information.

4. It's also a good idea to keep a record of any meds you have been
prescribed as you go along, and similar records. Keep all these records,
including x-rays, radiologists or other specialists letters and reports, and
so on - ask for copies!

It may seem a bit of trouble, but a simple manilla folder where you can
store such things may prove extremely helpful in the future.

All the best,

Annette

John,

To understand what is happening, it might help to read
http://www.geocities.com/lottadata4u/misdiagnosis.htm  There's a lot
there, but it explains why so many people with diabetes are not
diagnosed until they already have serious long-standing complications.

The good news is that with or without a diagnosis, you can do a lot to
improve the situation.

Step 1 is to read http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/newlydiagnosed.htm 
and get your self a blood sugar meter and strips at your local pharmacy.
 The store brand ones are cheaper and just as good as the expensive
ones.  I had the same problem you had and it was 2 years until I could
find a doctor who would diagnose me based on my very high post-meal
readings.

But once I got a meter and saw that I was routinely over 200 mg/dl after
meals, I knew I was diabetic and did not wait for exterior confirmation.

Once you have a meter you can start lowering your carbohydrate intake
until you reach a level where your blood sugar is normal or near normal.
If you do this, you should find that many symptoms improve.

If you can't get your blood sugar under control via dietary control, it
is time to take your test results to a doctor who will take them seriously.

My own experience has been that this might NOT be an endocrinologist.
Most endos seem to treat mostly Type 1s and severe Type 2s and they can
be very dismissive of people who "only" have post-meal blood sugars in
the 200s if their Hba1c results aren't over 7%. That was my experience.
 Two endos have told me they don't really know how to treat patients
who don't have A1cs in the 8% range or more (the level where your
fasting blood sugar is near 200 and post meal numbers can be 300 or more.)

A good, up-to-date family doctor can be of better use, in this case. At
least that has been my experience (with two family doctors.)

My wife's DM was undiagnosed for countless years because the doctors
kept giving her a negative diagnosis, EVEN though she failed a GTT!  She
developed retinopathy from the unchecked DM.

Go to an endo soon and explain your concerns.  I'm hoping you'll go to
one of the smart ones.  some of them are truly pathetic and may miss a
DX as much as a GP.  Good luck.

Dave

Too much information we don't know.  What kind of blood test was it?  From a
vein?  Finger stick?

John,

You are asking some VERY smart questions.  I assume (correctly, I hope)
that your doctor did a fasting blood sugar test.

Due to a family history of diabetes, when I started feeling tired all
of the time and hungry most of the time, I suspected diabetes.  Testing
showed that my fasting sugars are perfectly normal.  However, after I
eat certain foods--foods that I ate everyday like white bread--my one
hour sugar spikes at about 175--definitely not normal.  By the 2 hour
mark my sugars are almost always okay again.  The point being that
fasting sugars are not the whole story by any means.

You definitely need to find a doctor willing to investigate this
further.  Your fasting test did not rule out the possibility of
diabetes.

Michelle