Diabetes?

Hi all,

I am just wondering if anyone has had the side effect of developing diabetes or high blood sugar because of their medication.

I have a strange reaction after I eat. If the meal is not high in protein, my feet and toes turn purple. And I'm not talking like a little purple, but bright, oh-my-gosh-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-my-feet? purple.

I went to my doctor who gave me all kinds of referrals and none of the doctors could figure it out. Finally, they wanted to do some electric shocks to my feet and calves and I vetoed that. I have bipolar, people! Who knows how I will react to that? Every doctor I saw had to ask me what my meds were for. None of them was very familiar with bipolar, so I had to be very vigilant in making sure they didn't try something that might trigger me somehow.

I'm suspicious that it may have something to do with my blood sugar. Like right after I ate a Cinnabon, my feet turned extremely purple. Sometimes they become numb as well, but not all the time.

So, for the people on medication, has anyone else had the purple feet effect? Or a diagnosis of diabetes? Or anything wrong with their blood sugar?

I'm.. not sure that has anything to do with diabetes? I could be wrong but my dad's diabetic and he'd go into a coma before his feet would turn purple.

I have bad blood sugar problems, they get too low, they get too high. when they're too high I feel really woozy and ill and I have to sit down and lay down and drink lots of water or I'll pass out.

so here's the deal with the feet turning purple... that actually could be two things.. one, blood is pooling in your feet because your heart isnt able to pump enough blood down there to make it come back up. which is a vasular disease.

the other option is not enough blood is getting to your feet. which is also a blood pressure/heart condition.

Do you feel lightheaded or winded? or is it just your feet turning purple?

(I am in no way a doctor but I spent 6 years in biology and anatomy)

I know that quetiapine is linked to DM. I have my HbA1C checked on it tho thankfully so far it has been OK. Def important to have talked to your Dr about this all - sorry they cant find an answer atm. Perhaps ask for a referral to a general physician as they will be able to have more of a think about this due to internal medicine being their speciality - GPs are awesome but have more of an overview of multiple areas of speciality rather than deep knowledge of one.

Cracked

Thanks for both of your responses.

Zrcalo, normally I do not get lightheaded or dizzy. Only if I excercise too much. But nothing in connection to the purple feet. They don't usually happen at the same time.

But I do have notoriously low blood pressure. I always look at the numbers and I'm like yes!! At least my blood pressure is good. And the doc is like, "No. You have the blood pressure of a teenager. It shouldn't be that low." Boo! But they never put me on medication or anything for it.

Cracked, thanks for the advice. I've talked about it to both my pdoc and my regular PCP, plus a couple of specialists. Everyone seems baffled. I just shake my head.

One other weird thing is when I am on an "Atkins"-type diet, my feet don't turn purple. I can't figure it out.

It wouldn't be quite so bad, but 90% of my shoes are sandals. I wear them practically year round. So then people are like, "Are you cold? Why are your feet so purple?" and I'm like, "I don't know." Everyone just thinks I'm cold all the time, lol. Purple feet are definitely not going to be the next "it" thing and I'm sick of them, lol.

I guess Atkins it is for me!