What Causes Early Satiety, Bloating, Fatigue And Light Brown Stool While Having Diabetes?

Posted on Mon, 4 Apr 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 4 Apr 2016 Answered on

Wed, 8 Jun 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : My father died of pancreatic/stomach cancer (age 65). He was a smoker, drank and we did not have what would be considered a healthy diet today. I do not smoke, drink some, and tend to eat a better, low fat diet. Sometimes when I eat I feel full early on and leave much of the food on the plate. Other times I eat and it seems the food just sits there in my stomach (bloated). And still other times I am starved and it seems that I do not get full regardless how much I eat. I have noticed I do not have dark urine but occasionally I have very light colored stools (light brown, almost white). I am wondering if I need any tests and if so, what would you suggest I request of my gp? Oh by the way, I have type 2 diabetes and am often very tired. Yet, on occasion I have difficulty sleeping.

Answered by Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (49 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
abdominal ultrasound

Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX

I advise that you go in to your doctor to start with a physical exam of your abdomen. With this exam your doctor may be able to tell if you have any tenderness in specific areas of your abdomen such as your stomach/lower esophagus, pancreas, liver, or gall bladder or enlargements of abdominal organs.

Your doctor may also want to order certain blood tests: a complete blood count (CBC) which can help tell if there is an infection or anemia; a liver function panel, which can help show if there are liver or gall bladder problems, especially since you had clay colored stool which can be an obstructive gall bladder problem; and the pancreatic enzymes amylase and lipase. Since you have been having some fatigue, a TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) blood test would be a good idea to get too.

I will assume that your blood sugars are well controlled. If not, an A1C test might be in order to see where things are at, as poorly controlled blood sugars can cause fatigue too.

It would also be a good idea to get an abdominal ultrasound which can look at the gall bladder, liver, and pancreas.

Depending on what these exams and tests show, your doctor may order other tests (such as an abdominal CT or a gastric endoscopy) or may prescribe treatment. Such as if your doctor thinks that the problem is irritation of the stomach or duodenum (first part of small intestine) then he/she may advise you to take an acid reducer.

But it is important to go in to be seen and get this checked out.

I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide further information or clarification.

Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar