Diabetes information

[Ajax]

I have been inspired by a post in the "our chapel" section. There has been alot of information posted in that thread. Lots of people here may be suffering from diabetes, I am one of them. I would like this thread to be about diet and exercise info that will help those of us trying to get our diabetes under control.


Andy

[6bg6ga]

If I may ask.... what are some of the early signs? Does it gradually build up and then you get it? I seem to be drinking 2 qts of water a day but the sugar test says I am high but not diabetic yet.

[wnmGng]

Constant feeling of hunger and thirst, and frequent urination are the three most common. Then constant fatigue and minor cuts and bruises are slow healing.

[3006guns]

Headache.........I had a constant low grade headache for two weeks and nothing seemed to help. Went to bed with it, woke up with it, had it all day. Finally went to the doctor and a blood test revealed that I was a type II diabetic, which was quite a shock. Still learning which foods will spike my blood sugar, but managing to keep it within safe levels. With today's medical science it's more of an inconvenience than anything else, if you do your part.

If you're concerned that you might be getting diabetic, just go to your doctor and get that simple blood test. The longer you wait the greater the chance it will become serious.

[btroj]

If I may ask.... what are some of the early signs? Does it gradually build up and then you get it? I seem to be drinking 2 qts of water a day but the sugar test says I am high but not diabetic yet.

Testing blood sugar may miss it. Blood sugar is a snapshot of what your blood sugar is right now. What was it 2 hours ago? Last night?

Ask for an A1C test, it gives a far better picture of what your blood sugar has been running for the past 3 months or so. Far more telling.


Ajax, want good info on diabetes? Ask the American Diabetes Association. Learn about the glycemic index. Know that exercise is important in controlling blood sugar. Pay attention to things like foot care and eye sight. Use reliable sources and sadly, this forum wouldn't really wouldn't qualify in my opinion. Neither would most other forums.

[RickinTN]

I was diagnosed in February. My otherwise good distance vision became blurred, fatigued with no ambition (didn't even want to cast bullets), frequent and URGENT urination, losing weight while eating like a horse. I've probably forgotten some. I seem to have it under control with medication and very strict diet. I have my next blood test in the next couple of weeks. Like any other medical condition try to catch it early.

Rick

PS I recently found that some Walgreens loacations offer diabetes screenings for sugar, triglycerides, A1C and cholesterol. Wouldn't be the same as a physician screening but could let you know if you need to consult with a physician.

[bob208]

I was always sleepy and kind of out of it. feet started to burn.

[mikeym1a]

Earlier in life, after my first cancer surgery, I became something of an athlete. I worked out at the local Nautilus Fitness Center, joined the local karate club, and at the urging of my instructor, starting running. The running became an obsession, and I eventually got to where I ran 3 - 5 miles daily. My weight never really came down. Eating is too easy, and I was burning off most of what I ate. But my weight still hovered around 230-240. Once I started having trouble with my knees, and stopped running, my sugar went up. And it continues to rise. Still, even without medication, it only goes to 170. Yes, that's high, but not so bad as alot of people I know. Seems that once it raises it's ugly head, it's really hard to make it go away. And I've restarted my sugar meds. Metformin tablets, daily. From what I've learned, stay away from anything sweet. That's really hard to do. Especially soft drinks. That high fructose corn syrup is bad for you. The body metabolizes it different than sucrose, converting it to fat almost immediately. Plus, the HFCS seems to disable the body's 'I'm full' switch. I recently read that instant rice is very good for sugar control. Lean meat, lots of veggies, low carbs, and a long walk after supper. Oh, I forgot. No eating for 4hrs after supper, except for maybe popcorn, and not the buttery type. I'm preaching to me, as much to anyone else. There is an guy on the internet with interesting articles on food and exercise, name of Mike Geary. Look him up, it might help. mikey

[shooterg]

I didn't notice anything. Eye doc caught it during exam(a real eye doc, not an optometrist).
Had to give up my Cherry Cokes and sweet tea ! Use sugar substitutes - find that the chocolate candies with sugar substitutes can be consumed sparingly w/o kicking my numbers up. Take metformin and cinnamon capsules, still have a piece of cake or bowl of ice cream on occasion. A1C hangs around 6 to 7. Did lose some weight(byproduct of no sweet tea and sodas !) Right eye unfortunately for me (right eye dominant) has some damage, but I'm just glad to be able to see the grandson still !

[osteodoc08]

Diabetes is a very difficult disease state for the patient and physician alike. Weight loss and daily exercise should be the hallmarks of treatment (but seldom are).

Diagnosis is done in 4 methods:
1. A1C of 6.5 or higher
2. 2 plasma fasting glucose readings of 126 or higher
3. Oral Glucose challenge/tolerance testing
4. Any random glucose greater than 200

It is typically monitored by A1C. Under 6.5 is considered at goal by the Endocrine Societies and under 7 is considered at goal by the ADA. I tend to be stricter on my younger patients who have a higher liklihood of developing complications of diabetes (which is the #1 cause of end stage renal disease and preventable blindness) among others.

Lately there has been a push for weight loss adjuncts such as Belviq and Qsymia (if a candidate) in patients with diabetes and a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 27 or higher.

ADA.org is a great resource.

I encourage all the diabetics here to get off their keister and get to moving. Its the best therapy.

[smokesahoy]

If you are type 2 just cut out the carbs. The diabetic diet reads like a way to obtain dm2.

Read the research by Gary Taubes. It's not genetic, it's culture. But if your family eats the same and always did it's easy to see how the 2 lines blur.

Remember when it was called adult onset diabetes? Now kids are getting it. Think of carbs as survival food for times when there is no meat.

Read into the connection of Ancel Keys and the government. Your type 2 is a total joke and you don't need to have it, but if you follow the diet guidelines that gave it to you in the first place you are looking at a lifetime of having it. Of worrying about losing toes, feet, and legs as neuropathy sets in and gangrene follows.

A shame, carbs are just too addictive to set down and people lose body parts to a disease that is totally preventable and reversible.

[cbrick]

Exercise is the single best thing you can do. Diet of course is important but with me the diet isn't as important as exercise which also leads to weight loss, another very important thing in trying to control diabetes.

I can't speak to early warning signs of diabetes because when I was diagnosed I was diagnosed at the same time with Graves disease. Graves disease also has a lengthy list of symptoms many of which are similar to diabetes so which was which I can't say.

Docs had me on the pills for several years and they never did all that much good for me. Finally was prescribed Lantus SoloStar insulin and it was a game changer, a life saver. It's a slow acting insulin and one dose a day at bedtime is all it takes. If your having trouble controlling your blood sugar talk to your doc about Lantus. The shots are nothing to worry about, the needle is so thin, so short and so sharp you have to look to see if it went in.

Diet can be confusing because some foods that seem to have little effect on blood sugar will spike it the next time you eat it, probably has to do with the amount and type of exercise you've had. Also different foods seem to have a different effect on different people. I have a friend who's blood sugar goes way up if he even sees a bowl of corn, I eat corn in limited amounts and it has little effect. Spaghetti is a huge no-no but it's about straight carbs as is soda.

Very, very, very important is getting annual eye exams from a good ophthalmologist, eye damage can sneak up on you with little warning. Cataracts and 10 years undiagnosed diabetes is the reason I no longer shoot competitively, Cataracts were an easy enough fix but not so diabetic eye damage.

Bottom line, listen to your doctor and make serious efforts at taking care of yourself. The consequences of not doing so are quite serious and permanent.

Rick

[tomme boy]

Stay away from anything fried. Mexican food is my downfall. It is all carbs.

I was drinking about 2 gals of water a day. Non stop to the bath room. I was in college at the time and towards the end, I was moving towards the front of the class every week as I could not see the board. When I hit the front row, I knew I better see what was going on. On the way home that night, I ran off the road as I could not see the road to stay on it. I went to the emergency room and they kept me in there overnight. My sugar was over 500. They put me on pills for about 5 years. Then I ended up having to go onto insulin. I gained 40 lbs in less than a month when that happened. I still have not been able to lose that weight.

[Wayne Smith]

All time best advice: Every medical center has Diabetic Education Classes. If you are pre-diabetic or diabetic ask your MD to prescribe these classes and your insurance will pay for them. Get your information from certified Diabetic Educators rather than folks like us. I can give you the numbers that count and how to manage them and did in the other thread, but you are better getting the whole thing, three technical classes and one on how to grocery shop. Each are important.

[bangerjim]

GOOD NEWS.........I have found (for me) alcohol slows down the metabolism of carbs! I know it sounds silly but it works for me.

Have a big pizza or a ton of shrimp Alfredo pasta? Have a couple shot of scotch....18 year old single malt is my favorite!

Good luck. It is a disease I would not wish on my worst enemy. But.......it is not a death sentence....you can live a long pretty much normal life......just monitor and eat conservatively.

And try blue agave liquid sweetener (Costco) instead of sugar!

banger

[uscra112]

I was diagnosed in February. My otherwise good distance vision became blurred, fatigued with no ambition (didn't even want to cast bullets), frequent and URGENT urination, losing weight while eating like a horse.


That was me in years 1996 to 2000. Two different doctors failed to recognize it, despite my constant compaint about peeing all the time, but one of my friends did, and she has no medical training whatsoever. The A1c test is the only sure diagnostic. I believe you can now buy an A1c kit in pharmacies.

The trope that it's all your fault is not entirely true. It does run in families, including mine, on my father's side.

It not a disease. It is a malfunction of the metabolic system which so far nobody really understands. They know that there is a molecule, (perhaps a family of molecules) in your blood that binds to natural insulin so that it cannot perform its' function of "unlocking" cell walls to let glucose inside to be used.

No-one seems to know where or why these molecules appear, but some evidence indicates that the molecule is manufactured in fat cells. This goes some way toward explaining why, statistically, obesity is such a common precursor. Not always. My grandfather and one uncle (his first son) were both Type 2 late in life, but both were rail-thin and highly athletic individuals their entire lives.

Aside from reduction in food intake, the main therapy is to "flood the zone" with insulin so that there's enough in your blood that isn't disabled to get the job done. There are at least a dozen drugs which stimulate insulin production. Another common drug is Metformin, which suppresses glucose production in the liver.

It is a progressive condition. No matter what you do, it will get worse as time goes on. (I'm into year 14 now.) If there is ever a "cure" it may come from understanding the system which produces that rogue molecule, and shutting it down. I scan the literature pretty often, and so far I see nothing like that on the horizon.

So I eat far less than will satisfy my hypothalamus, am therefor constantly hungry. Am now on injections. Actually glad of that, because the heavy doses of the drugs I was given are hard on the liver. Still taking the Metformin, which I hate because it nauseates me unless I eat copiously on top of it, (how's that for counterproductive ! My weight is still 40 lbs too much) Fingersticks three or four times a day, (that gets old), to make sure I don't over-do the insulin and run my self dangerously low. Still, my eyes are all right, (I see the eye doctor twice a year), neuropathy is still only mild, circulation still decent for a man of 69. On my best days, I think I'll make 90. Other days we won't talk about.

[cbrick]

Yes, it does run in families. If your over weight, middle age and there is diabetes in your family, mother or fathers side you have a much better than average chance that you will have it to. You don't have to have all three of those either, I wasn't over weight, was in pretty good shape actually but I was middle age and my mother had diabetes.

45 years a ago when my mother was diagnosed I heard that a cure was 10 years away, have heard the same thing every 10 years since. Things are far better today than even 30 or so years ago with a better understanding and far better drugs. Today it doesn't have to be a death sentence but it is very important to eat right, get exercise & see a good eye doctor. It's no picnic in the park but if ya take care of yourself life goes on.

Rick

[btroj]

Not a disease?

1.
a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, esp. one that produces specific signs or symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of physical injury.
"bacterial meningitis is a rare disease"
synonyms: illness, sickness, ill health; More
a particular quality, habit, or disposition regarded as adversely affecting a person or group of people.
"departmental administration has often led to the dread disease of departmentalitis"

Diabetes is most definitely a disease. The leading cause of blindness and amputation in this country.

Diet and exercise are key components in the treatment. It can't be stopped but the progress and debilitating effects can be mitigated.

[snuffy]

IIRC, it was 2005 when I was diagnosed with type 2.

In my case, hypoglycemia was my precursor or warning sign. Blood sugar would crash about 2 hours after breakfast. All it would take is a chunk of candy or even a slice of pizza to bring me out of it. After about 4 years of that, I got hooked up with the VA for my health care. My first blood panel showed an A1-C of 8.7! At first, all I took or it was metformin. Along with no sugar, and watching carbs. It was successful at first, but it gets progressively worse.

Exercise and weight loss is key to lessening the blood sugar levels. In my case, with my lousy back and worse knees, I can't walk much. At present, I take insulin once daily. NPH insulin is a mix of fast acting and slow release insulin. Problem is, I'm running out of room on the 100 unit syringes.

I got hydrocortizone shot's in both knees a couple of months ago. Now I can walk a bit more. A years membership at planet fitness I got just before 1-1-14 allowed me to use a treadmill until my lower back went out. I'm just now getting to where I can stand for more than 10 minutes, I'll get back on the exercises soon. Doc says if I could loose 30 pounds, I could cut my insulin in half. Another 20 pounds could eliminate it completely.

[dpunch]

I too have diabetes. You are right that the most important thing is counting those carbs. I am a type one diabetic that was diagnosed 31 years ago and have been in good control for the last year. I learned to do my own research on my disease. The last doctor I had was not very good. I ended up in ICU for 2 weeks after a minor accident. Now I have a doctor that specializes in diabetes. This has been a great help to me. Just look up all the information you can find along with following your diet and exercise.

[uscra112]

Not a disease?

That's me trying to refine the language. Disease I try to limit to conditions transmissible from one person to the next, or from another animal to a human, by transfer of some biologic agent. I try to make that distinction, but it's a losing battle. :killingpc

And if you parse the word I'm probably wrong anyway. :bigsmyl2:

[uscra112]

I too have diabetes. You are right that the most important thing is counting those carbs. I am a type one diabetic that was diagnosed 31 years ago and have been in good control for the last year. I learned to do my own research on my disease. The last doctor I had was not very good. I ended up in ICU for 2 weeks after a minor accident. Now I have a doctor that specializes in diabetes. This has been a great help to me. Just look up all the information you can find along with following your diet and exercise.

I can heartily agree about doctors, at least the GPs I've had. Not to put too fine a point on it, I think a lot of them are just parroting the marketing message from whatever drug company pays them the most. One full-blown MD in Ann Arbor MI, where you'd expect to get topnotch doctors, (and this guy was a full professor at UMich!), ignored my symptoms for four years. In 2000 the dime finally dropped and he checked me for diabetes. Meanwhile I struggled with the constant severe fatigue, which was hell on wheels since I was in a management position that was often 16 hour days. He, and the next one I had up there, just loaded me up with expensive medication, and collected fees from the company insurance plan for ten-minute consultations every 90 days.

My current doctor down here in Boondock County Ohio is an OSTEOPATH, (common in this area), and I've found him more responsive and better informed on the subject than either of those Ann Arbor hotshots.

Interesting to me that Type Ones that I've known who survived to middle age were/are fit and active people. Best example was a GM engineer who played serious amateur hockey every week in season. I learned a lot from him.

[enoch59]

Wow am I glad you all decided to run this thread. I'm 61 years old, 6'7" and 345 lbs. I get my blood tested every 3 months foir everything under the sun and so far all is ok. My knees are bone on bone with pinched nerves, one ankle is badly crushed which amounts to terrible arhtritus, I have stenosis in my L5 and a number of other conditions which are not good. I'm concerned about my weight but walking /running is out of the question. I guess I need to really concentrate on my food intake and my sugar intake. I love coffee but I think it's going to have to go cause I need a creamer with sugar substitute like agave. My vision is fine. I pee frequently but that's because I take a medicine that incurages me to. I just went to the doc today because my lower left leg is swollen and is passing water through the pores which will get my lower pants leg wet. The doc told me I had to keep my legs up over my heart for at least a few hours every day and not to sit period. Hard to do when at the computer or when reloading. I'm getting the feeling that my life needs to undergo a major change like now.I was just denied for the third time by Social security for disability yet my doctor will not release me to go back to work not that I can ( I don't think anyway ). It sounds like I need to really get serious about what I allow into my mouth and I need some sort of exercise. Any suggestions ?

[leftiye]

Type two diabetes is a Symptom. It is a symptom of a systemic condition consisting mainly of insensitivity to insulin which eventually wears out the pancreas' ability to produce insulin. At least two Doctors that I've listened to say that it can be predicted by checking the muscle and other cell mitochondria for being clogged with fat in younger people say in their 30s. This fat clogging is the cause of the cell membrane resistance to allowing passage of glucose - which is diabetes, and the damage to the pancreas. It can be avoided so as not to develop into diabetes by stapling the stomach and removing 1/3 or more of the small intestine. In people who have severe diabetic problems - as in my sister in law's case they can have this done and she got off of insulin shortly after the operation.

Insulin treatment doesn't work (again the cell membrane insensitivity will eventually get so high that -) because there comes a point that no amount of insulin will bring the high blood sugar level down. But if that same person lowers their food intake, in a few days the blood sugar will come down. Anybody remember when they would "crash" when they were not yet injected insulin dependent (when the blood sugar went ballistic and stayed there? And if you ate anything - a piece of bread you were at 250 again)? That was the cell membranes locking down to protect the cells from the sugars in the blood stream. This problem predated one's becoming diabetic, and insulin dependent (pancreas failure).

Sadly (and ironically) I know of no research that tells us how to remove the fat from the mitochondria. One doctor prescribes a Vegan diet, I'll remain diabetic I guess, I can't stay on such a nasty regimen.

[chboats]

From my experience the best thing is to find a GOOD doctor that knows what they are talking about. A doctor that does not try to treat everyone the same. The same remedy does not fit all. Everyone does not react the same. I went through three doctors before I found one that would work WITH me to find what work for me.
Carl

[btroj]

That's me trying to refine the language. Disease I try to limit to conditions transmissible from one person to the next, or from another animal to a human, by transfer of some biologic agent. I try to make that distinction, but it's a losing battle. :killingpc

And if you parse the word I'm probably wrong anyway. :bigsmyl2:

That would be a communicable disease, like the flu, chicken pox, or herpes.

[smokesahoy]

Dis-ease. It is your body not at ease.
If you want to use another word try syndrome, as in metabolic syndrome. :)

[snuffy]

As for my pancreas, it works just fine, just not enough. To bolster it's output, I take a drug called glipizide. It's a pancreas stimulator. Without it, I would need about 10-15 units more insulin each day.

[QUOTE]It sounds like I need to really get serious about what I allow into my mouth and I need some sort of exercise. Any suggestions ? [QUOTE]

As for exercise that does not involve walking, get into some weight training. Something similar to planet fitness, or another type of gym setting. At PF, they have all sorts of weight machines that allow you to sit and work the upper body. Breaking a sweat and getting the heart rate up is not hard at all. IF you kept it up, you might look like the terminator from the ribs up!:kidding:

5 minutes on a treadmill would be a very low impact way to get a bit of lower body exercise. Or maybe longer if the pain can be tolerated. Sometimes, I can only do 5 minutes before my back o knees hurt too much, but at least I did the five minutes! But I shoot for 20 minutes, it starts at 2.0, I sometimes I can get up to 6.0.

[leftiye]

One cannot eat only protein. It's as unhealthy to do this as diabetes is unhealthy. Fat in the mitochondria being the problem where diabetes is concerned, and fat in the diet being a factor in heart disease, and other areas of health, fat should be reduced. Starch must be eaten sparingly, but not totally avoided. Basically, total food intake should be balanced, and not excessive (you'll probly be constantly moderately hungry).

One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is the glycemic index. This concerns how fast a given food can be digested and dumped into the blood stream. This is well worth the effort to find what are called low glycemic index foods. They are slowly released into the blood. Because of this they do not spike your blood sugar. According to my wife it is said that spiking itself is more damaging than just high blood sugar. Another benefit is that because they continue to slowly release into the blood, they help reduce hunger. I keep a snack bar on my kitchen counter with nuts, pickles, olives, pickled beets, etc. and take a little bit at a time throughout the day to keep a supply of glucose coming and reduce hunger crises. BTW, pasta is very low in glycemic index, and isn't a horror story any where near like ice cream is.

[GaryN]

I like this site: http://www.bloodsugar101.com/

My wife has it. I was having some weird symptoms a few years ago so I started testing in the morning to see what was going on. I was hitting 120 fasting in the morning. I figured I was on the way. So I started walking. I have built up to where most days I do 3 miles at up to 9 incline at 4 miles an hour. I lost 25 pounds and all the symptoms went away. My fasting glucose stays about 75-85 now.

[enoch59]

Thanks for the tips. I break a sweat at least once a day just working around the house. Chopping firewood, mowing, working in the garden things like that. I guess that is probably as good as a treadmill workout of 5 minutes or curling weights to break a sweat. My biggest problem was just mentioned by leftiye. The dreaded ice cream. I've always had a sweet tooth and I can see that this is where I need to really focus. I'll start working with weights to see and go from there. I've noticed that nobody's mentioned swimming. Any comments on that ?

[dragonrider]

I have been dealing with type 2 for about 10 years. Used to take pills for some years, started with Metformin, worst thing in the world. Ended with Glipazide (sp). Am now on Lantus pen at night and Humalog before meals. Still ain't down where it should be. Neuropathy in hands and feet is bad every night, sometimes all day. Just another step on the road to hell.

[uscra112]

Yeah, pasta is a blessing. I eat it a lot, which is not to say I eat a lot of it. Rice and bread are not allowed in the house. Ditto anything with sucrose, or corn syrup! And no beer!

Makes for a pretty dull diet, since I'm not big on rabbit-food. Except onions, and the spinach I grow every year. Oh, and boiled cabbage. (New England boiled dinner - corned beef, cabbage, turnips, carrots and sometimes potatoes. Blandest gourmet meal you'll ever eat. Home folks ate it with lots of horseradish.)

[leftiye]

FWIW If you feel as I do that testing a person's blood sugar and then sending them home with the admonition "Go on a diet and you'll be normal" (actually happened to me - wife's cousin was the doctor) isn't enough fact finding to facilitate treatment of diabetes, there's hope (actually a solution). Have you noticed that A1Cs, and blood sugar testing is all most diabetic doctors do? Some will do blood screens, but they look at pulmonary issues like triglicerides and cholesterol, not insulin production. Again, most do no testing, and just treat all diabetics alike.

So, now there is "Pharmaco Genetics" where your DNA is analyzed in order to determine which insulins and etc will work best for you. This info from Regence Blue Shield just in today.

[Rick N Bama]

I was diagnosed with Type 2 in '05 when I had 2 higher than normal A1C test in a row a month apart. My normal day to day testing is never high which the highest I can remember being around 180. This morning it was 93.

The problem I do seem to have is that with heavy exercise such as using a Push Mower my sugar will bottom out with one test I can remember hitting around 45. Thankfully my wife recognizes the problem and will get me to drink some juice or eat a piece of candy.

Is it normal for a Type 2 Diabetic to have low Blood Sugar more than High? My Dr. just says that lows are not uncommon and for me to keep something high in Glucose handy for when they hit. I take 500mg of Metformin twice a day as my only medication for the Diabetes. I try to watch what I eat, but living with a wonderful southern cook it's hard, real hard!

[Wayne Smith]

Low blood sugar is always a possibility with us. For it to happen often is not so common. One of the things I miss most is casual eating. I can no longer be casual about eating. When, how much, and what I eat are all thought through and planned. I have had two known episodes of low blood sugar that I know of, both because I forgot to get my snack between meals.

[GaryN]

I have a neighbor who lost their son to a low-blood sugar episode. He was only about 30. They found him on the floor in the basement. He had it while sleeping. He made it out of the bed and then fell over on the floor and died.

[Rick N Bama]

I usually have a bedtime snack of Peanut Butter on a Cracker, or maybe just a tsp of PB by itself which help by keeping my morning tests on an even keel. I rarely go anywhere by myself, but when I do I make sure I have something in the truck to take in case I might feel the low coming on. I normally have a tube of the Glucose tablets & the small bottle of a Glucose drink in the console.

[armexman]

Gentlemen, avoid crashing!!
I have dropped to 25,37 and 65 in the last 3 years.
First one at 25 (not years old) I saw my life flash before my eyes. I sleep in our basement; I swore I would not inconvenience the paramedics and firefighter with carrying my fat body up the stairs and willed my self to the front of the house. I was given a tube of glucose and my wife and daughter where ordered to make me a PBJ sandwich. Since my heart was arrythmic and was taken to the hospital.
The next two episodes almost made me **** my pants; I had a regular coke in my reloading room and a trained wife and was able to avoid going to the hospital or the morgue.
I have lost 57 pounds and walk an hour everyday (come rain or shine).
Feel better and am more in control.

[Ben]

There are predictions that soon 70% of the American population will have diabetes.

Ben

[dragonrider]

The only time I have a low level is when I take Humalog and forget to eat after. This usually happens at work because I am just too damn busy. I'll take my shot and a couple of hours later I'll be shaking and dizzy and wondering why. Other than that I am never under 150. At night I take 24 units of Lantus and in this morning my level was 193. I don't eat at night. It's nothing but a big PITA.

[Wayne Smith]

Thanks for the tips. I break a sweat at least once a day just working around the house. Chopping firewood, mowing, working in the garden things like that. I guess that is probably as good as a treadmill workout of 5 minutes or curling weights to break a sweat. My biggest problem was just mentioned by leftiye. The dreaded ice cream. I've always had a sweet tooth and I can see that this is where I need to really focus. I'll start working with weights to see and go from there. I've noticed that nobody's mentioned swimming. Any comments on that ?

Swimming, if it is available to you, is probably the best whole body exercise you can do. Remember that with diabetes you cannot exercise for yesterday or for tomorrow, only for today. To build muscle and condition you can, but for blood sugar you can't.

[osteodoc08]

To all you insulin requiring diabetics, I suggest you look at the VGo system. It is like a daily insulin pump for type 2's and I've had good success with my patients on it. Better numbers and less overall insulin.

[mold maker]

My Mom (93) died of cancer after 46 years with type 1 diabetes and MS. She was bound to a wheel chair for the last 25 years, and could do very little exercise.
I've had type ll for over 20 years, and at 72 am limited to what I can do.
Now my wife has it, and because of other issues, she also can't exercise.
If all three of us can manage it, so can you.
If the Dr. told you that mowing grass would kill ya, would you continue?
Eating the wrong foods, in the wrong amounts, at the wrong times, is the same. If you continue, it will kill ya.
By the time your diagnosed, you've probably already made lifetime bad habits. That's why your diabetic. If you continue those same habits, all the meds in the world wont change a thing.
The Dr. can only suggest a better life style. It's totally up to you to change bad habits that will allow the meds to work in your favor.
As Americans we have taken too much advantage, of the milk and honey.
While you still can, get off the couch, push your belly away from the table, and do what ever you can, to burn some of what you've already eaten. You will get more than enough carbs, no matter how careful you are. Read lables and avoid as many carbs as you can. Bread, cake, sweets, starches are the worst offenders. Corn carrots, and beans are next worst.
Extra lean meat, doesn't taste as good, but it's much healthier. Fish and skinless chicken are great as long as not battered and fried.
There aren't that many meds available and the Dr has to pick and choose on your behalf. Lots of time it's trial and error.
If you don't have faith in your Dr. get another one. Your gonna have to work in co-operation with him for your benefit. It aint like putting in a new set of spark plugs.
Many deseases are totally dependent on meds or removal for a cure or extention of your life. As a diabetic WE are in charge of our fate. The Dr can prescribe what he thinks is the best meds, but in the end it is YOU, who makes it work.

[osteodoc08]

My Mom (93) died of cancer after 46 years with type 1 diabetes and MS. She was bound to a wheel chair for the last 25 years, and could do very little exercise.
I've had type ll for over 20 years, and at 72 am limited to what I can do.
Now my wife has it, and because of other issues, she also can't exercise.
If all three of us can manage it, so can you.
If the Dr. told you that mowing grass would kill ya, would you continue?
Eating the wrong foods, in the wrong amounts, at the wrong times, is the same. If you continue, it will kill ya.
By the time your diagnosed, you've probably already made lifetime bad habits. That's why your diabetic. If you continue those same habits, all the meds in the world wont change a thing.
The Dr. can only suggest a better life style. It's totally up to you to change bad habits that will allow the meds to work in your favor.
As Americans we have taken too much advantage, of the milk and honey.
While you still can, get off the couch, push your belly away from the table, and do what ever you can, to burn some of what you've already eaten. You will get more than enough carbs, no matter how careful you are. Read lables and avoid as many carbs as you can. Bread, cake, sweets, starches are the worst offenders. Corn carrots, and beans are next worst.
Extra lean meat, doesn't taste as good, but it's much healthier. Fish and skinless chicken are great as long as not battered and fried.
There aren't that many meds available and the Dr has to pick and choose on your behalf. Lots of time it's trial and error.
If you don't have faith in your Dr. get another one. Your gonna have to work in co-operation with him for your benefit. It aint like putting in a new set of spark plugs.
Many deseases are totally dependent on meds or removal for a cure or extention of your life. As a diabetic WE are in charge of our fate. The Dr can prescribe what he thinks is the best meds, but in the end it is YOU, who makes it work.

Amen.

[abunaitoo]

A friend has it bad.
I don't have it.
I suggested he try the honey/cider viniger drink I've been using. On the web, it's said to help.
He is cut his insulin to less than half. He feel better than he has in years.
You might want to give it a try. Couldn't hurt.
1 table spoon of Raw honey
1 table spoon of "organic" cider viniger
Mix in a glass with warm water
Drink 1 glass three times a day.

[doc1876]

Enoc 59
I am going to submit several threads here, and for you I am going to mention Apple Cider Vinegar Tabs. These are all natural and will relieve calcium buildup in the joints. It is also good for circulation, and most other vascular conditions. take 4 2x a day, and after a month maybe 2 2x a day. You also need to be on a large vitamin C, and E regimin. 10k units of C and 5k units of E.
I have been studying herbs and vitamins since I watched a Merv Griffon show with a Dr. Linus Pauling, adn was amazed by the things the US won't let us know about these healing ways

[doc1876]

For the diabetics, please give some other natural +things a try. I have several friends who are diabetics, and they are doing better.
Gymnemia is for blood purification.
Tumeric will help with other symptoms, (right now I am at a loss, as my brain is going so fast)
and the most important is Pycnogenol, This will help with neuropathy of the legs and feet, which is why when your nerves start to go, they amputate.
Apple Cider Vinigar helps with the bone spurs, circulation, and intestinal issues.
I will tell you I am not a doctor, and really don't like most of them that I have met (one especially on Dec. 23, 2013), However, I have been studying these things for many years, and my sweetie is an herbalist, and there is a large groop of them that get together, and discuss sucesses, and failures, nd I take notes as these ways are going to be very necessary for us to live when the world does come to and end.
Remember what Dean Martin said " there aren't enough nice people in the world, so be careful"

if you do try these things please go to a reputable vitamin store, or get one on line, as walmart and walgreens etc ex rays their vitamins, which kills the ability for them to work, which is why people think they don't. Essentially they just paid a lot of money for dust in a bottle!
Steve

[leftiye]

Just to add something that I had to find out the hard way (and to give this important thread a bump).

Neuropathy was mentioned (I can't find the post as to who mentioned it). It was said that that is the reason doctors cut off people's feet and legs. There is another reason - cellulitis. It starts with edema in the legs. The edema reduces the circulation in the legs. Stretching causes gaps in the skin's defences, and infections of the skin result. BAD INFECTIONS! And infections that destroy your skin. And eventually without skin, they cut off your leg(s).

One of the main ways to avoid this is so simple that it is almost boring. Use compression socks, they are hard to put on, but after you've had cellulitis a couple of times (without the attending diabetic doctors - yes plural times not informing me of this, a dermatologist told me to use them while he was freezing some warts), - they are a godsend!

They make "diabetic" socks that are loose - to not impede circulation. If you have swelling in your legs, forget those and get some compression socks - the edema is already restricting your circulation more than the (other, regular) socks will.

I'd be interested in other people's experiences as to what amounts to criminal negligence in the way diabetics are treated. Knowledge may be power, and the thing which makes the money for doctors, but failure to get the information to us that we need if we are to have a lifespan longer than that of a common housefly is definitely questionable ethically.

[LeftyDon]

I can heartily agree about doctors, at least the GPs I've had. Not to put too fine a point on it, I think a lot of them are just parroting the marketing message from whatever drug company pays them the most. One full-blown MD in Ann Arbor MI, where you'd expect to get topnotch doctors, (and this guy was a full professor at UMich!), ignored my symptoms for four years. In 2000 the dime finally dropped and he checked me for diabetes. Meanwhile I struggled with the constant severe fatigue, which was hell on wheels since I was in a management position that was often 16 hour days. He, and the next one I had up there, just loaded me up with expensive medication, and collected fees from the company insurance plan for ten-minute consultations every 90 days.

My current doctor down here in Boondock County Ohio is an OSTEOPATH, (common in this area), and I've found him more responsive and better informed on the subject than either of those Ann Arbor hotshots.

Interesting to me that Type Ones that I've known who survived to middle age were/are fit and active people. Best example was a GM engineer who played serious amateur hockey every week in season. I learned a lot from him.

Sound just like what happened to my niece's husband. GP finally tested him and his blood sugar level was over 600, then he was given metformin by the GP. Still had problems and changed doc's. Second doc figured out after his first visit that the guy was a type 1 diabetic and giving him metformin was useless. Now has levels under control with insulin.

I myself messed up my knees and my 5 mile daily walks ended, so there after I turned type II. New knees over the winter and I hope to loose some of the extra weight that I've gained. A1C is under 6, but I want off metformin!

[LeftyDon]

I have been dealing with type 2 for about 10 years. Used to take pills for some years, started with Metformin, worst thing in the world. Ended with Glipazide (sp). Am now on Lantus pen at night and Humalog before meals. Still ain't down where it should be. Neuropathy in hands and feet is bad every night, sometimes all day. Just another step on the road to hell.

I have been taking alpha-lipoic acid capsules for neuropathy. Seems to help a bit. Caution! It does lower blood sugar and my interact with med's, so talk to your doc and monitor your sugar if you take it.

https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/alphalipoic-acid

[Gelandangan]

I have type 2 diabetes.
I dropped once a few years ago after missing breakfast, lunch and my diabetic medication when out hunting..
The bad thing is that I hunt alone mostly..
Lucky I still got the presence of mind to suck on some Mentos I have in my pocket at the time.
Took 15 minutes to recover good enough to slow walk back to camp, where I eat my meds and get a good meal.

Scare me good enough that now I always carry a few cereal bars to munch while walking... just in case.

[Mtnfolk75]

I was diagnosed as a Type II Diabetic in December 1997, it was found during Blood Work for my annual Physical. I was 6' and weighed about 225lbs, I was very active and was working as a Night Patrol Supervisor in a Resort Area of the county. I had been having Annual Physicals around my Birthday for about 14 years, had never had any indications or family history prior to this. I started on oral meds and have been on most as they have hit the market, been on Lantus since March 8th, 2008.
As I worked up an immunity to meds I progressed to others. I started on a 10 Unit dose of Lantus once a day and continued that dose until October 2010. My Primary Care Doc had died in August while I was in Alaska for the summer and I had to find a replacement. The first one lasted 1 visit, the 2nd until June of 2011. The 2nd increased my Lantus dose to 70 units once a day and took me off some the oral meds. I gained about 40 pounds in 30 days and to this day I can't get it to go away .... :cry:
When I found the 3rd and I hope final Primary Care Doc, he got me back on track pretty quick. In June of 2014 he added a 5 unit dose of Novalog to the Lantus. In October I got a referral to a Diabetic Specialist, the 1st available appointment was March 13th. When I saw her and her PA, she dropped all of my oral meds & dropped my Lantus to 60 units a day, increased my Novalog to 8 units before each meal and added Victoza at a .6 daily dose for 7 days and then a 1.2 dose daily. She told me the Victoza curbs the appetite as well as controls blood sugars. I weighed about 293 when I saw her in March, in April I weighed 296 ....:shock:
When I saw her PA in June I had dropped to 288, we decided to fine tune my doses of Lantus & Novalog. I started adding 2 units of Lantus every three days until I reached 70 units daily again, I adjusted my Novalog to 10 units before each meal & flexing to 15 for a more carb heavy meal. I posted in another thread about my reaction to Novalog, it made me sick every morning with the sour stomach not going away until early afternoon. The PA suggested I move my Novalog injection to bedtime. It worked like a charm and I have continued to follow that routine.
I saw the PA again on July 10th, my weight had dropped to 278 and my fasting blood sugars where in the 120-130 range. We agreed to continue with the same dosing and I will see him again on the 26th, I have a 90 day with my Primary the same day. One thing that I think has helped me is SWMBO and I bought Fitbit Flexes on July 1st. They keep me more focused on daily activity and when & what I eat, they also show sleep patterns. I'm in the 60-70% range on sleep, SWMBO is in the 90's. I have started riding ATV's about 3 times a week, usually 20 or so miles that takes about an hour. Really gives me a good upper body and cardio workout, some days the activity equates to 13,000 or so steps and burns about 150-160 calories. I walk with a cane so the ATV is really the only way I can get any cardio in.

[pmeisel]

I have type II, diagnosed at age 55; I was expecting it as my dad and grandmother both had it. One daily Losartan pill, and being moderate at meal time, seems to manage it pretty well.