If you are a diabetic, do you have to have ALL the symptoms, like being thirsty. My husbund is 44. For the last half year his health has been going downhill. He has lost weight, he is very tired. His legs and feet hurt him very badly. His feet tingle and are numb. And he does not want to eat. Are these classic symptoms of diabetes?

I cannot get him to see a doctor, but I know that something is wrong. Any information I can give him, to get him to want to see a doctor would be much appreciated.

most of what you say could be Diabetes, like the legs feet and tingling, which would be neuropathy, the thrist is caused with Diabetes, also wieght lose, but the best thing you could do is get him to the doctors, but if he couldnt make it get the doctor out to him, dont waste any more time, things could get very bad for him, and more things will happen,
whisper

My dad has the tingly legs and feet, too. He has diabetes and has had it for 11 years. The leg thing is a disease. I would take him to a trusted doctor, but you don't have to take my advice. If you want to ask anything else, just e-mail me. If you can to anything for him, read my posting, "Dad needs help". Thank you.

[This message has been edited by moderator3 (edited 06-20-2002).]

I think weight loss without dieting is certainly an urgent symptom. Could be diabetes, could be something else.

Legs could be connected or not. There are people who do not have diabetes who still get neuropathy, and that's what it sounds like.

However, with the tiredness and loss of weight, I would definitely get him to see a doctor soon.

I was diagnosed last November and I had no symptoms at all. Mine was caught through a pre-surgical blood test.

In any event, your husband needs to see a doctor asap to find what, if anything, is wrong with him.

If you can't get him to go to a doctor, here is something you can do at home. Go to the drug store and get a bottle of urine glucose test strips - they are usually in the diabetic section, if you can't find them ask the pharmacist. They are sometimes combined with ketone test strips. Anyway, have him pee on the test strips to see if he tests positive for glucose (sugar) in the urine. If his bloodsugar levels are high enough that glucose is spilling into his urine, then this is very likely caused by diabetes and maybe he will realize that something needs to be done now, not later. But also beware that a negative glucose indication on the test strips does not necessarily mean that he does not have diabetes. His bloodsugars could be high enough to be clinically defined as diabetic ( >125 mg/dl ) yet not high enough to spill into his urine. A complete blood count (CBC) with fasting glucose level would be a good idea regardless of the outcome of the glucose test strips.

Alan