US study identifies fatigue as one of main challenges faced daily by diabetics
It doesn't account for all the muscle, nerve, balance and numerous other multi-systemic symptoms M.E. patients live with. But this study is of interest to those of us who also live with Diabetes.
Before I developed Type 1 in my early 20s, I heard of the friend of a friend who could struggle through the week with his diabetes, but was then invariably forced to sleep for a day solid to catch up.
Fatigue has always been a bit of an issue for me, even before I was officially diagnosed in my mid 40s with M.E. after two decades of diabetes.
We know that fatigue and sleep deprivation can quickly lead to other more complex physical symptoms involving muscles, cognitive function etc.
So, will medical research one day uncover a more tangible link between these two conditions? Even with the tightest control, ideal weight, perfect HbA1c results etc, I still have all the M.E. symptoms to a disabling degree after activity. This new study's assertion that:
People with poorly controlled diabetes are often dehydrated and vitamin B depleted. These can be significant factors causing fatigue
certainly doesn't apply to me, these days.
This weekend, for example, after an hour's engagement in leading a church service, even after sleep and rest, then another session of helping a friend with her PC problems, I am all but wiped out today. Pains everywhere, so unsteady I'm having to lie down as the ground 'liquefies' under my feet, sleeping, muscles so weak they're jerking and with my body temp and BGs all over the place. My sugars have been lower than low for no obvious reason followed by two days of double figures. Not through carrying extra weight or eating unwisely.
So it's not simple to solve it. But maybe diabetes research may feed back into M.E. research in time. I've blogged here before about the link I read about between M.E. and hypoglycaemia. Food for thought, at least.
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