Can any MD's read and advise?

[Drdogface]

I've never done a personal medical question on PPOT before but I've read others and the help is always amazing.

For the past three days or so I've had a profound thirst which I cannot seem to keep up with. I drink water constantly and am still thirsty. This happened about three weeks ago as well but finally subsided. I've been dehydrated before but this is really something. Perhaps I should switch to Gatoraid to supply some electrolytes.. but I dunno what's causing it.

Add to this a sleep disorder that has not let me sleep well for sometime but these last three nights hardly at all. Very vivid and usually stressful dreams, creeping leg cramps that may take 20 min or so to walk off in the middle of the night. I plan to see my Doc when he's back and see about sleep apnea but I don't get the gasping during the night that I thought SA caused...well sometimes I do but thought it was related to the stress dreams.

Thanks for any/all input...

[Hugh R]

Are you diabetic? Do you know anyone with a blood sugar meter that you can borrow. If so, use it first thing in the morning before you eat. Or test two hours after eating and see what you blood sugar level is. Webmd.com will tell you what's normal. Not a substitute for a proper diagnosis and no I am not a doctor and I don't even play one on TV.

[charlesbahn]

First thing to check is regular Diabetes, although I don't think that's it. More likely based on the symptoms is diabetes insipidis:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_insipidus

You need to see an internist with an interest in endocrinology or an endocrinologist. I expect other with more knowledge will chime in. Hope all turns out well.

Charles

[Moses]

Diabetes was my first thought. Are you urinating a ton?

[Drdogface]

Originally Posted by Moses

Diabetes was my first thought. Are you urinating a ton?

Thanks Moses...no, not a ton...not even as much as I'm drinking it seems.

[Nathans_Dad]

My first thought would be new onset diabetes, probably type II given your age. There are other possibilities, someone mentioned DI (diabetes insipidus), but that is pretty rare. Common things being common, I would go have your blood glucose checked.

[pavulon]

off the charts thirst alone...may be new onset diabetes as above
added insomnia and leg cramps components...there may be more to it...is your body weight going up markedly? Is your blood pressure in check? Could be that your adrenals have gone wonky on their own (?tumor?) as a result of other influences (i.e. your pituitary) that may need investigation....or your insomnia could be a result of anxiety. I'd get checked and soon. Good luck.

[Drdogface]

Thanks to all you guys/gals? who have replied. I will get with my doc this week. Feel much better today and good sleep last night...no dreams or cramps. Last time my BG was checked it was 109 non fasting but that was a few months ago. In dogs, at least, that's just fine. Dunno if early onset Type II can be episodic at first. Will get all this addressed. Getting older is not always easy ;-)

[Nathans_Dad]

2 out of 3 fasting glucoses > 126 diagnose diabetes, 110-126 is considered glucose intolerance or "pre-diabetes". Less than 110 is normal. Your doc should schedule you for 3 fasting glucoses (blood draws, not glucometer fingersticks) and go from there.

Again, common things being common diabetes is the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th things on the list...everything else is exceedingly rare, although possible.

Good luck!

[Drdogface]

Rick,
Thanks again...I'll surely be checking into this. I'm just a 'dog doc' but always used to think that to spill glucose in the urine and cause the excess urination and thirst, the BG had to be >200 or so. Has that changed? What ever, I'll be on this Monday with Doc.

I've actually frequently wondered over the years if I was pre-D since I can and do get what feels like hypo-glycemia if I eat the wrong things and then exercise, for instance. Comes and goes.

[Nathans_Dad]

Yes that is true for both dogs and humans, but you still will tend to run a little dry even with early diabetes. More glucose in the blood stream = more volume in the blood stream = more volume delivered to the kidney = more pee.

[Drdogface]

Gotcha, makes sense.

I'll update when testing done.

[Tobra]

Blood sugars can get pretty high before it starts spilling into the urine. Any vision or other sensory disturbances? Could be endocrine, environmental, your wife would not be pissed at you and slipping you anti freeze or somthing would she?

Borderline diabetic, always thought that was a stupid thing to tell someone. You either have a problem handling glucose or not, it is a matter of degree. It is like having a car that sort of leaks gasoline on the exhaust, well not exactly I guess, but this borderline nonsense is just silly, probably doing a lot of folks a lot of harm too, if you ask me.

[Drdogface]

Originally Posted by Tobra

... your wife would not be pissed at you and slipping you anti freeze or somthing would she?

Hmmmmm ? I'll get back to you on that...she did name our cat 'Prestone'

[livi]

Mark,

I have been following your thread without speaking up, as I know there are several docs here that are better informed with adult medicin. With symptoms like these and potential diabetes the clinical picture can be more subtle, insidious with adults. The insulin sensitivity of the body cells can vary over time and so it does not have to be an complete 'on or off' situation. I agree with Tobra in that 'borderline' in this sentence is an inadequate name and the actual glucose level taken once or twice randomily can be very misleading. Also, the threshold for leaking glucose in the urine is higher with adults.

Now, in a way it is much easier with children. They basically always have type I diabetes. Then onset is almost never insidious, but rather abrupt. Symptoms tend to lead them to a doctor within a week or two. They have a much lower threshold for leaking glucose into the urine, so that is pretty much diagnostic. Coincidentally, I diagnosed a boy of 18 months with diabetes last week.

[Nathans_Dad]

BTW, even if you are diagnosed with glucose intolerance studies have shown that low dose diabetes medications (like metformin at 500 mg daily) will reduce your risk of progressing to full blown diabetes by about 30% or so. Of course weight loss and exercise is the ultimate cure, assuming it is type II.

Also, I agree that the term "borderline" diabetes is misleading. I try to use the term "pre-diabetes" or "glucose intolerance". Too many folks think that since it is "borderline" they don't have to do anything about it.