Do I have blood sugar issues?

I'm 16 and honestly, I keep wondering if my blood sugar is messed up. Thinking about getting blood work done, but I'm lowkey dreading it.

Mainly because I'm always wiped out after eating (except breakfast). I'll chug two or three glasses of water, and I'm constantly hitting 2-3 liters a day—especially at night. In the mornings, I'm fine, but by the afternoon and especially at night, my mouth gets super dry. Plus, the bathroom trips are constant. I'm definitely waking up at least once a night to pee (and yeah, it's a decent amount every single time), and I'm running to the restroom right before and right after bed.

My appetite is huge.

So, look—I've been an athlete my whole life. No history of diabetes in my family. For the last couple years, I wasn't really watching what I ate and went heavy on fruit. Then, about 9 months ago, I started hitting the gym and actually learned about nutrition. For the last 3 months, I’ve pretty much cleaned up my diet; it looks more like healthy eating than bodybuilder fuel now.

I'm in great shape, and since I've been lifting, I'm slowly putting on weight. My waist is super narrow and I basically have zero body fat. Cuts and injuries heal fast for me too.

But this thirst and the constant peeing is driving me crazy. Some guys at the gym told me I should probably get my sugar checked, so now I'm asking you guys: is it actually necessary to go through with this?

Sorry if I'm being annoying or if this sounds like a dumb question.

frozenmoose44 said:I'm 16 and honestly, I keep wondering if my blood sugar is messed up. Thinking about getting blood work done, but I'm lowkey dreading it.

Mainly because I'm always wiped out after eating (except breakfast). I'll chug two or three glasses of water, and I'm constantly hitting 2-3 liters a day—especially at night. In the mornings, I'm fine, but by the afternoon and especially at night, my mouth gets super dry. Plus, the bathroom trips are constant. I'm definitely waking up at least once a night to pee (and yeah, it's a decent amount every single time), and I'm running to the restroom right before and right after bed.

My appetite is huge.

So, look—I've been an athlete my whole life. No history of diabetes in my family. For the last couple years, I wasn't really watching what I ate and went heavy on fruit. Then, about 9 months ago, I started hitting the gym and actually learned about nutrition. For the last 3 months, I’ve pretty much cleaned up my diet; it looks more like healthy eating than bodybuilder fuel now.

I'm in great shape, and since I've been lifting, I'm slowly putting on weight. My waist is super narrow and I basically have zero body fat. Cuts and injuries heal fast for me too.

But this thirst and the constant peeing is driving me crazy. Some guys at the gym told me I should probably get my sugar checked, so now I'm asking you guys: is it actually necessary to go through with this?

Sorry if I'm being annoying or if this sounds like a dumb question.

haha, well then don't ☕

It’s not even the bloodwork that gets to me. It’s having to drag myself out of bed at 6:00 AM and shell out $25 for it. That's the real nightmare. Plus, I low-key feel embarrassed about the whole thing.

Jose Miller3 said:haha, well then don't ☕

😂 😂 😂 🤣

frozenmoose44 said:It’s not even the bloodwork that gets to me. It’s having to drag myself out of bed at 6:00 AM and shell out $25 for it. That's the real nightmare. Plus, I low-key feel embarrassed about the whole thing.

My apologies, but if you're just here to troll, please don't start any fights.

And regarding that "embarrassment"—honestly, we should strike that word from our vocabulary when discussing health. The real shame lies in feeling ashamed of these things! If getting up once at 6:00 AM is such an ordeal, then by all means, feel free to keep drinking and running to the restroom whenever you please... 🤣 ...but really, you're being quite transparent here. You should have put a bit more effort into your story—perhaps claim your polydipsia is so severe that you're knocking back 5 liters a day instead of just 2 or 3?

Woke up at 6:30 AM and figured I’d mess with you guys for a second, but honestly, I’m being serious now. Maybe I’m just being a hypochondriac, idk, so please just give me some straight answers.

Whatever, doesn't matter. My blood work is already scheduled for tomorrow and it's way too late to cancel now.

>>5>>Getting up at 6:30 isn't even the hard part—it's the training. I’m out there grinding every day and need my sleep, but I’m barely getting 7 or 8 hours anyway because I keep waking up to pee.

Are you dealing with a really intense sensation of dry mouth? Any bouts of dizziness? Muscle cramps, perhaps? And how’s your vision—is everything holding up steady, or is it getting blurry?

Go ahead and get some blood work done—if your glucose levels look solid, then maybe it’s time to schedule an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test as well. Of course, that increased appetite could be purely psychological—stress can do funny things to the body, can't it?—or perhaps you're just sweating more than usual (are you taking any specific medications, by any chance?). But honestly, this frequent nighttime urination is yet another compelling reason to go get those labs checked out right away.

frozenmoose44 said:It’s not even the bloodwork that gets to me. It’s having to drag myself out of bed at 6:00 AM and shell out $25 for it. That's the real nightmare. Plus, I low-key feel embarrassed about the whole thing.

I'm not entirely sure about seeing a primary care physician. Usually, they just do a quick finger prick for the glucose meter, read it in seconds, and then hand you a referral if it's actually necessary. Also, if you're booking through an independent lab, twenty bucks seems steep. Where on earth are you going?

Angela Bailey30 said:I'm not entirely sure about seeing a primary care physician. Usually, they just do a quick finger prick for the glucose meter, read it in seconds, and then hand you a referral if it's actually necessary. Also, if you're booking through an independent lab, twenty bucks seems steep. Where on earth are you going?

In places where 16-year-olds don't have to pay for stuff like that the same way they do here in the States!😉

jadesailor14 said:In places where 16-year-olds don't have to pay for stuff like that the same way they do here in the States!😉

I wasn't asking you.

Angela Bailey30 said:Are you dealing with a really intense sensation of dry mouth? Any bouts of dizziness? Muscle cramps, perhaps? And how’s your vision—is everything holding up steady, or is it getting blurry?

Whoa, whoa, hold on a second.
What am I even looking at here?
I’m checking off every single one of those boxes.

Just got my blood drawn. Results should be in after 3 PM. Totally blew $25 on a full panel when I could've just paid for the glucose test, which is way cheaper.

As for symptoms, nothing crazy, just this constant dry mouth thing—especially after eating. Sometimes an apple helps kill the sensation for a bit, though.

After meals, I’ll chug up to three glasses of water, but then I’m thirsty again immediately. If I take one tiny sip, the thirst vanishes for a second, then comes right back five minutes later. It’s ridiculous. I end up lugging a water bottle around all afternoon, just sipping it constantly.

Other than that, I don't have much going on. No cramps or anything, and my vision is actually great.
The only weird thing is getting lightheaded if I stand up too fast, but honestly, I have this bad habit of jumping out of my chair or bed way too quickly.

Bryan Evans19 said:Whoa, whoa, hold on a second.
What am I even looking at here?
I’m checking off every single one of those boxes.

Yeah, those are classic symptoms of elevated glucose levels.

You shouldn't mess around with blood sugar, and you certainly shouldn't be ashamed of it.
I’m a diabetic. I’m 27 years old (Type 1, bolus four times a day), and I live a pretty standard life just like anyone else—except I have to be hyper-vigilant about what and how much I eat, stay physically active (which is my biggest hurdle since I’m a total couch potato), and show up for regular doctor appointments. When you step back and look at the whole picture, it isn't actually that bad. In fact, wouldn't we all be better off living this way? Exercise, healthy eating, regular checkups. There’s a charming way of defining diabetes: it’s not a disease, it’s a lifestyle. It only becomes a disease if you neglect it. Perhaps that’s a bit too optimistic, but there is truth in it. I know a grandfather of mine who is 76 and has been managing diabetes since he was 29. He still has both his legs, stays incredibly active, can see (well, he has a heavy prescription, but he sees), and possesses an incredible zest for life and optimism. When I asked him how he managed to navigate all these years without major complications, he told me, "I kept a steady routine. I ate my meals at the same time every day, walked a lot, went to my checkups, stuck to my diet, kept stress to an absolute minimum, read and educated myself constantly, and always stayed positive." That is the kind of life I am trying to lead, hoping to enjoy many more years ahead.

P.S. To be 100% certain of where you stand, it’s best to check your HbA1c (your three-month average). A single blood draw can sometimes give you a "normal" result that doesn't tell the whole story.

I’ve managed to dodge the insulin shots so far, despite dealing with Type 2 Diabetes. I’m sticking with Glucophage and NovoNorm, which, let’s be honest, just becomes your whole lifestyle. As a bit of a joke, my coworkers have actually told me I’m "too sweet." 😉

The one thing left, though—given the nature of my job—is that I haven't quite mastered the art of controlling stress.

Angela Bailey30 said:Yeah, those are classic symptoms of elevated glucose levels.

Could this be happening because of antidepressants? I guess maybe.

What actually causes diabetes in the first place? thanks

Brandon Alvarez92 said:What actually causes diabetes in the first place? thanks

That's a tough one.

As for Type 1 (insulin-dependent—where the pancreas produces little to no insulin at all), we don't have a definitive answer yet. It’s likely a cocktail of factors. Genetics? Stress? An autoimmune response where the body essentially attacks its own pancreas? I recall reading somewhere that severe viral infections, like strep throat or even viral meningitis, might act as a trigger—though I'd take that with a grain of salt. For Type 1, there isn't a single, smoking-gun cause we can point to with certainty.

Then there's Type 2 (the pancreas makes insulin, but the body can't effectively use it—basically, there's resistance). That usually boils down to being overweight, a poor diet, and a lack of physical activity or a generally sedentary lifestyle.

Generally speaking, if you stick to a solid diet, stay active every day, and take your medications, you can keep things under pretty good control.

Hey, I just stumbled upon this blog about someone living with Type 2 Diabetes, and if you're interested, you should definitely check it out at http://sladaksam.blogspot.com/!