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What Causes Tiredness All The Time In A Diabetic Patient?

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Posted on Tue, 6 Sep 2016
Question: I am diabetic but I'm extremely tired all the time I have mental fog and can't remember things.i have Been having problems with my vision and now am getting itchy bumps that turn into raised sores only on my legs and arms.i do have a few on my scalp as well but those never really go away they get better then come back
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dariush Saghafi (3 hours later)
Brief Answer:
You need a doctor to look at other possible causes for fatigue

Detailed Answer:
Thank you for your question. Very sorry you're having these sorts of problems. You haven't really stated what other sorts of workups, treatments, or interventions you've had done to you so I'm just going to have to give you a general type of answer to your question.

There are many causes for fatigue...some are organic, metabolic, or chemical while others are psychological and related to depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc.

It sounds as if you can easily have a mix and need attention to multiple areas to start feeling better. On the one hand there is the obvious condition of diabetes mellitus which is causing you problems that could be due to having what we refer to as having a BRITTLE DIABETIC CONDITION.

Your numbers are not familiar to me when you say that your sugars go from 1.2 to 30 but perhaps you're referring to sugars measured by a urine dipstick? But no matter what it sounds like you're having a large swing between very low and very high. That in and of itself is not good and cause a LOT of fatigue. Brittle diabetes is very difficult to treat because the slightest little treatment can bottom people out...but on the other hand....doing just as little to nothing in the other direction of eating anything can totally shoot people through the roof.

As far as the bumps are concerned I think a good review by a dermatologist is in order to determine the nature of those lesions to be sure they are not infectious in any way since being a diabetic can lead to the development of skin problems of either a bacterial or even fungal nature.

You should also have metabolic parameters checked such as thyroid hormones (FT4, TSH, TT3, RT3), cortisol levels, Vitamin D, Vit. B12, folate, ESR, and CRP. I would also do a urinalysis on you since as a diabetic who is not always well controlled it is certainly possible for you to have a urinary tract infection (even if low grade) and not really have typical symptoms due to neuropathic considerations because of the diabetes.

On the psychological side of the equation the thing that strikes me is PTSD due to the physical abuse that was obviously severe and still long lasting to you due to the type of head and facial trauma you received. From that may easily come things such as NIGHTMARES (specific treatment available using Prazosin, counseling, Clonidine), depression, anxiety and fear, etc. Any or all of those items can definitely cause or contribute to a state of fatigue.

If I've adequately addressed your concerns could you do me a huge favor by CLOSING THE QUERY and be sure to include some fine words of feedback along with a 5 STAR rating to our encounter if you feel my suggestions have helped? Again, many thanks for posing your question.

Do not forget to contact me in the future at: www.bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi for additional questions, comments, or concerns having to do with this topic or others.

This query has utilized a total of 44 minutes of professional time in research, review, and synthesis for the purpose of formulating a return statement.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Dariush Saghafi

Neurologist

Practicing since :1988

Answered : 2473 Questions

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What Causes Tiredness All The Time In A Diabetic Patient?

Brief Answer: You need a doctor to look at other possible causes for fatigue Detailed Answer: Thank you for your question. Very sorry you're having these sorts of problems. You haven't really stated what other sorts of workups, treatments, or interventions you've had done to you so I'm just going to have to give you a general type of answer to your question. There are many causes for fatigue...some are organic, metabolic, or chemical while others are psychological and related to depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc. It sounds as if you can easily have a mix and need attention to multiple areas to start feeling better. On the one hand there is the obvious condition of diabetes mellitus which is causing you problems that could be due to having what we refer to as having a BRITTLE DIABETIC CONDITION. Your numbers are not familiar to me when you say that your sugars go from 1.2 to 30 but perhaps you're referring to sugars measured by a urine dipstick? But no matter what it sounds like you're having a large swing between very low and very high. That in and of itself is not good and cause a LOT of fatigue. Brittle diabetes is very difficult to treat because the slightest little treatment can bottom people out...but on the other hand....doing just as little to nothing in the other direction of eating anything can totally shoot people through the roof. As far as the bumps are concerned I think a good review by a dermatologist is in order to determine the nature of those lesions to be sure they are not infectious in any way since being a diabetic can lead to the development of skin problems of either a bacterial or even fungal nature. You should also have metabolic parameters checked such as thyroid hormones (FT4, TSH, TT3, RT3), cortisol levels, Vitamin D, Vit. B12, folate, ESR, and CRP. I would also do a urinalysis on you since as a diabetic who is not always well controlled it is certainly possible for you to have a urinary tract infection (even if low grade) and not really have typical symptoms due to neuropathic considerations because of the diabetes. On the psychological side of the equation the thing that strikes me is PTSD due to the physical abuse that was obviously severe and still long lasting to you due to the type of head and facial trauma you received. From that may easily come things such as NIGHTMARES (specific treatment available using Prazosin, counseling, Clonidine), depression, anxiety and fear, etc. Any or all of those items can definitely cause or contribute to a state of fatigue. If I've adequately addressed your concerns could you do me a huge favor by CLOSING THE QUERY and be sure to include some fine words of feedback along with a 5 STAR rating to our encounter if you feel my suggestions have helped? Again, many thanks for posing your question. Do not forget to contact me in the future at: www.bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi for additional questions, comments, or concerns having to do with this topic or others. This query has utilized a total of 44 minutes of professional time in research, review, and synthesis for the purpose of formulating a return statement.