Hello, all. I'm a female, 19 year-old college student, and beginning in/around September of last year (2007), I started experiencing tingling my fingers and pain in my hands right after I ate something sweet. I looked up symptoms online, and I saw that these are possible symptoms of diabetes, and I do have the risk factor of obesity. Other symptoms I had include fatigue and weight loss. The fatigue has let up a bit since last semester, but I'm still losing weight. (I've lost 42 lbs. since the beginning of August 2007. I work out every other day or so, but I've never actually lost weight the way I am now.) Are the tingling in my fingers and pain in my hands surefire signs of diabetes? Could it have anything to do with the fact that I had started taking oral contraceptives at the beginning of June 2007? If anyone has any information on this, could you let me know? Thanks very much!
ETA: I have been trying to follow a lower-carb, minimal-sugar diet, just in case. This has seemed to help with the tingling, as the only time the tingling has occurred recently was after I completed a more intense work-out than usual. As a test, I recently allowed myself to eat something sugary, and I felt some mild pain in my left hand, but no tingling.
my symptoms before diagnosis, were recurrant yeast infections (get medication, treat it, then it would come back) and an insatiable thirst. i could almost swallow the water before it got into my mouth, if that makes sense. those, and dry dry finger tips were my symptoms.
but get to a doctor. 42 lbs is a LOT to lose without medical intervention
Diabetes is VERY easy for a doctor to diagnose for sure, via symptoms and a couple of blood tests. I know you may be worried, but you simply cannot treat for diabetes "in case" yet not seek a diagnosis. You need to find out, otherwise you are putting yourself in very serious risk. I have friends who have had limbs amputated because of ignoring their diabetes yet continuing certain physical exercises.
That said, your symptoms do not seem to provide a "surefire" diagnosis of diabetes. You talk of obesity: yet that is a "signifier" of type II diabetes. Yet neuropathy (pain in the hand) seems unlikely if type II and at your age. It usually occurs years down the track. Also your hand seems very specific. Likewise, weight loss is most clearly a sign on type 1 diabetes, and yet in my understanding and experience is alongside extreme thirst, urine output and very smelly breath and armpits.
If you don't know the difference between type 1 and 2 it's further proof you should stop trying to diagnose yourself. Myself, it doesn't really add up, but the only way you can really know and move forward is get to the doctor and get tested. Be brave!
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