Diabetic neuropathy.

[labradigger1]

I have been slowly developing diabetes for a while now. Routine blood test a few months back revealed my A1C at 6.9, not terrible yet but not good either. Dr. said change diet, exercise and loose some weight. These I have done and my glucose still averages around 230 or so.
Now for the problem. The main reason for the blood work was severe burning on the tops of my toes, especially at night. When my toes touch the sheets it feels like a propane torch burning the tops of toes and I'm constantly jerking my toes away and lie awake most nights.
I have an appt later this week and expect to be started on metformin.

I have tried all the otc pain relievers, topical creams including 2 old goats, capcasiam, lidocaine creams and most diabetic nerve creams. Nothing helps. Even try to wear socks to bed some nights.
Anyone else have these problems and or solutions?

[ozarkhillbilly49]

i have fought diabetes and kidney failure fer a while now. had the same thing with my feet and toes. a drug called gabapentin has sure helped me. ask your doc about it. my doc put me on one 300 mg. pill a day to start. after i showed no bad reactions to that dose for a month she uped the dose to 3 300 mg. pills a day. it has really helped my foot pain and tingling out a lot.hope this helps you out some.( i wish my a1c was 6.9!!) best wishes.

[MaryB]

Lyrica is refined gabapentin and has fewer side effects. If your insurance will cover it it works better.

[labradigger1]

i have fought diabetes and kidney failure fer a while now. had the same thing with my feet and toes. a drug called gabapentin has sure helped me. ask your doc about it. my doc put me on one 300 mg. pill a day to start. after i showed no bad reactions to that dose for a month she uped the dose to 3 300 mg. pills a day. it has really helped my foot pain and tingling out a lot.hope this helps you out some.( i wish my a1c was 6.9!!) best wishes.

Oops, I forgot to mention gabapentin. I take 2 pills before bed. Doesn't help much.

[PaulG67]

I also take gabapentin but I must use it 2 pills three times a day. It works ok, not great, but good enough.

[Blackwater]

If your BS is running around 230, you need to change your diet more. Eliminate most of your carbs, and eat more beans, and see what that does. The best advice I think I've gotten since I was diagnosed was from my GP who is also a bit of a diabetes specialist. He told me that the endocrine system, which the pancreas is part of, is a very large and complex and interrelated system, and some diabetics can eat things other diabetics cannot, and we don't really understand just why this is, but it's been noted a long time. He advised me to use my tester a LOT, and let THAT tell me what I can eat and what I can't.

One other really big factor for most of us is soft drinks. You need to eliminate ALL of them if you possibly can. I can no longer drink anything with caffiene in it. I drink mostly fruit juices and water, and unsweetened decaf iced tea. This isn't what you want to hear, I know, but it beats the devil out of "We're going to have to amputate your foot!"

I have a friend who was on insulin for 20+ years, and he used it to eat just like he wanted, and he wanted lots of potatoes, grits, biscuits, bread, sandwiches, and lots and lots of sweet iced tea. Now, he's fighting to keep his feet and legs, and can barely stand up! And he'll tell you he knows it's because he thought he could get away with using the insulin like he did, to eat what he wanted, and ignore the doc's warnings. Didn't work out for him too well, and it won't work out for you and me if we won't do what we need to do. It's really, really tough, but it's doable, and you can't believe how eating right will change your life for the better. I've seen it too many times. An old man who was the father of an old high school classmate was a contractor and building supply owner. Had 11 kids, and was as jovial and likable as any man you'll ever meet. He became diabetic, and refused to eat right, and told the doc that if he couldn't eat like he wanted, life wouldn't be worth living, so .... he ate like he'd always eaten all his life, with plenty of biscuits, bread, potatoes and all manner of other starches and sugars. He finally started losing his toes, and then his feet, then his forelegs, then his thighs, and when he was a stump in a wheel chair, FINALLY said, "I wish I'd done different."

You can determine much of your own destiny. It's difficult, and sometimes not very fun. Sometimes, I think I could kill for one biscuit! But I've come to leave them alone. Now, I think I may well get more satisfaction watching someone I love eat and relish one, than I ever did stuffing them down my own throat! That may sound contrived, but it really isn't for a guy who's always loved to eat, and has had superlative cooks all his life. Things just aren't always what we think they are, or what we want them to be. How we handle that determines much of how our lives go.

Let your meter be your iron-fast guide, and believe what it tells you. It's your best friend, whether you realize it or not. Do your dead level best to keep your BS at 150 or lower, if you can. You'll feel bad for a while, but your body will adjust to this over about 90 days, and you'll start feeling a LOT better. Maybe not 16 again, but the best you're destined to feel. BUT .... you DO have to get through that 90 days, or maybe in some instances a little more. But it'll come. Faith and trust are the keys to making it there. Faith that your docs aren't lying to you, and trust that it'll work out for you like it does for most all diabetics that have "been there and done that." Good luck to you. And more than that, courage and firmness to you. You'll need them all.

[labradigger1]

If your BS is running around 230, you need to change your diet more. Eliminate most of your carbs, and eat more beans, and see what that does. The best advice I think I've gotten since I was diagnosed was from my GP who is also a bit of a diabetes specialist. He told me that the endocrine system, which the pancreas is part of, is a very large and complex and interrelated system, and some diabetics can eat things other diabetics cannot, and we don't really understand just why this is, but it's been noted a long time. He advised me to use my tester a LOT, and let THAT tell me what I can eat and what I can't.

One other really big factor for most of us is soft drinks. You need to eliminate ALL of them if you possibly can. I can no longer drink anything with caffiene in it. I drink mostly fruit juices and water, and unsweetened decaf iced tea. This isn't what you want to hear, I know, but it beats the devil out of "We're going to have to amputate your foot!"

I have a friend who was on insulin for 20+ years, and he used it to eat just like he wanted, and he wanted lots of potatoes, grits, biscuits, bread, sandwiches, and lots and lots of sweet iced tea. Now, he's fighting to keep his feet and legs, and can barely stand up! And he'll tell you he knows it's because he thought he could get away with using the insulin like he did, to eat what he wanted, and ignore the doc's warnings. Didn't work out for him too well, and it won't work out for you and me if we won't do what we need to do. It's really, really tough, but it's doable, and you can't believe how eating right will change your life for the better. I've seen it too many times. An old man who was the father of an old high school classmate was a contractor and building supply owner. Had 11 kids, and was as jovial and likable as any man you'll ever meet. He became diabetic, and refused to eat right, and told the doc that if he couldn't eat like he wanted, life wouldn't be worth living, so .... he ate like he'd always eaten all his life, with plenty of biscuits, bread, potatoes and all manner of other starches and sugars. He finally started losing his toes, and then his feet, then his forelegs, then his thighs, and when he was a stump in a wheel chair, FINALLY said, "I wish I'd done different."

You can determine much of your own destiny. It's difficult, and sometimes not very fun. Sometimes, I think I could kill for one biscuit! But I've come to leave them alone. Now, I think I may well get more satisfaction watching someone I love eat and relish one, than I ever did stuffing them down my own throat! That may sound contrived, but it really isn't for a guy who's always loved to eat, and has had superlative cooks all his life. Things just aren't always what we think they are, or what we want them to be. How we handle that determines much of how our lives go.

Let your meter be your iron-fast guide, and believe what it tells you. It's your best friend, whether you realize it or not. Do your dead level best to keep your BS at 150 or lower, if you can. You'll feel bad for a while, but your body will adjust to this over about 90 days, and you'll start feeling a LOT better. Maybe not 16 again, but the best you're destined to feel. BUT .... you DO have to get through that 90 days, or maybe in some instances a little more. But it'll come. Faith and trust are the keys to making it there. Faith that your docs aren't lying to you, and trust that it'll work out for you like it does for most all diabetics that have "been there and done that." Good luck to you. And more than that, courage and firmness to you. You'll need them all.

Thanks for the advise.
Sodas I never drink. Sweet tea is my kryptonite that I have to beat!
Other than tea I can do without most sweets. Breads are another thing I dearly love but I haven't had much trouble cutting out the carbs.
Caffeine? I didn't know it bothered blood sugar.

[tomme boy]

Be leary of the gabapentin. It can make you a little fuzzy. Or cloudy. If you can relate. Cymbalta worked better for me than Lyrica. I had to be taken off of the gabapentin because I was passing out when I stood up.

Stay away from anything fried. Breads or toast or breading of any type. Once you fry it it changes to a different type of carb that is more potent.

[Blackwater]

Doesn't bother blood sugar, but being diabetic makes you more susceptible to things that caffiene does not play well with. The only time I'll let myself have a Coke is when I drink alcohol. I can't drink beer because of the yeast in it (kidneys/bladder situation), so I drink only distilled spirits, and very little of that. But I've learned to enjoy one drink as much or more than I used to enjoy 4. I think the "forbidden fruit" thing makes it sweeter?

I also have serious kidney issues and other stuff, so you have a little more lattitude than I do. But do NOT take that as free rein to eat what you want. One old friend in his 80's now has been diabetic for over 25 years, and the old time doc back then told him to just cut down on how MUCH he ate, and he's still going pretty darn strong for 80. Much of our problems we face with our health today is more from over-doing and just being libertines at the table, and some from all the preservatives and other stuff we put in our prepared foods these days. Eating less means we get fewer and less "poisons" in us, and that's always a good thing. But it's surely no "pic nic" changing our habits! It's like pulling teeth for most of us, and I'm as much a creature of habit as anyone I know, so it's really been tough for me.

Waking up in a hospital bed, not remembering anything, and being told I'd come VERY close to dying kind'a motivated me, and made the price for being willful pretty crystal clear to me, and yet, it was STILL like pulling teeth to change my ways. Being weak early on and not wanting to eat much helped, but that wore off quickly, and ... well, it's a daily challenge. One "secret" to sustaining it for the long haul is to let yourself eat something forbidden once a month. Start off with only one thing a week, so you'll be able to acclimate yourself to this kind of diet. The body doesn't like sudden changes in what we give it to sustain itself and keep on ticking. But doing it progressively and incrementally IS more challenging. What can I say? Life's tough sometimes, and when we meet those times, we have to be tough enough to deal with it appropriately. Of all the things I hate, I think developing character is the one I resist and hate most! But it pays off. Otherwise, I'd probably be dead already! And I like this world. God gave me a life to tender and respect. I've been awfully willful with mine in many ways, but when one gets a knock on one's door THAT loud, only a fool ignores it. And it DOES get better. It's hard to keep that in mind when you're changing your ways and attitude, but it's there, waiting for you if you'll just do what it takes to get you there.

That neuropathy is NOT a good sign! It calls for some pretty serious changes. I'm not a doc, but that's what I've come to "know" about it so far. God bless and keep you, and steady you.

[samari46]

Had an adverse reaction to lyrica. Was picking up tree branches and putting them in a towable cart. felt like a drunk and unsteady on the feet. Take 2 gabapentin before going to bed sleep better also have sleep apnea and use a cpap. Frank

[Artful]

Have you seen a podiatrist? My Diabetic wife had some issues and they put her in a study
with a cream to be put on her feet twice a day - after the study was over she noticed she was back to having problems so she asked what it was (Clonidine).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clonidine
It has also been successfully used topically in a clinical trial as a treatment for diabetic neuropathy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetic_neuropathy).[32] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clonidine#cite_note-32)

Campbell, CM; Kipnes, MS; Stouch, BC; Brady, KL; Kelly, M; Schmidt, WK; Petersen, KL; Rowbotham, MC; Campbell, JN (September 2012). "Randomized control trial of topical clonidine for treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3413770). Pain. 153 (9): 1815–1823. doi (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_object_identifier):10.1016/j.pain.2012.04.014 (https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.pain.2012.04.014). PMC (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PubMed_Central) 3413770 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3413770)https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png.PMID (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PubMed_Identifier) 22683276 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22683276).

[Fergie]

What kind of caloric intake and carb intake do you have on a daily basis? I understand that you are changing your diet, but to what? Has your GP provided you with basic meal planning information and calorie guides? If not, these links might help.
http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/
http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/planning-meals/diabetes-meal-plans-and-a-healthy-diet.html

Have you had your c-peptide checked to see how your actual insulin production is going?

Gabapentin is the old go to for treatment, but the trials have shown limited efficacy with painful diabetic neuropathy. Some Docs will rx TCAs, and even anticonvulsants like pregabalin and valproate have been shown to be more effective than gabapentin.

Make sure you keep a good eye on your feet...check them daily as your immune response it lessened when you are diabetic. You're also at higher risk for numerous other systemic issues.

As for metformin, it isn't a great drug, but folks are used to prescribing it. There are other, newer classes that are "cleaner" drugs that may be beneficial to you. Farxiga comes to mind(SGLT2 Inhibitor), and then some of the GLP-1receptor agonist drugs as well.

Lots of options, lots of info, and hopefully you have a PCP that is willing to try new approaches rather than just the old fallbacks.

[Hardcast416taylor]

My endocrinologist has been trying all the new "Buck Rogers new and improved" meds to lower my A1 C level (6.7) lower. The latest is Janova (SP) 1 a day. Lots of burping and flatuance with it. A 90 day supply cost me $50 co-pay. Otherwise it would cost $1200.00! He tried the "Super Injections" of Trulicity and Tanzium. I had all the major bad side effects with these, vomiting and bad diarrhea. I`ve about run out of things to modify in my diet and life style. I`ve had lower leg (from knees down) diabetic neurophy for the last 20 odd years. I have an unsteady gait walk due to not feeling my feet. I had to learn all over again back then on how to drive vehicles with this condition. I take gabapentin as well as metformin and 2 blood thinners besides insulin and 4 other pills that I`ve forgotten what they do for me and low dose aspirin in the morning. I`ve had 3 heart cath procedures in the last 2 years along with 3 stents being implanted. I`m fighting the grim reaper as best I can, but there are times I believe he may be winning.Robert

[farmerjim]

What Blackwater said. Get a meter and test test test. There are the general rules of what to eat and there are the rules for just you. I have found I can eat sweets (in limited amounts) at breakfast and lunch when I am active, but never at supper. I can eat potatoes, but not bread or rice. I take Metformin and Bydureon and my A1c runs 5.6 to 5.8 . When I get steroid shots for my back and neck I have to take Insulin to keep my glucose down.

[Wayne Smith]

Know your physiology - and the only way to do that is to test your blood sugar, but in a thoughtful and knowing way. Fasting blood sugar is first thing in the AM before you have eaten/drunk anything but water. This AM mine was 104. This should be under 125, over 125 and you are doing damage to your body. Post paradinal blood sugar is taken two hours after you have eaten, with a finger prick. This should be under 190.

You have to count and manage the number of carbohydrates you consume, of all types, eaten and drunk. My coffee is black, no carbs. You should limit yourself to 45grams of carbs per meal and half of that between meals, no more. This means you need to know both serving size and amount of carbs in everything you eat/drink, and in most cases that information is on the package. This is critical information, and if you don't know, look it up. We enjoy avocados, but there is no packaging info. Google says four grams of carbs per, but nine grams of fat.

Between learning what you eat in terms of carb load, the time you eat, and your blood sugar, you can learn how your body handles carbs. It takes time, it is a learning paradigm at first, then a maintenance paradigm.

There is a lot of information on line - and one of the California Universities has a complete diabetic education class on line. If you haven't taken the local diabetic education class, do it! Your MD will prescribe it and your insurance will pay for it. It is hours of information overload - take someone with you, especially if they cook for you.

Yes, I am a Psychologist, I am diabetic, and I am controlled currently with diet and exercise.

[possom813]

A drug that I haven't seen mentioned by name is Jardiance.

I've been on metformin for several years and it wasn't doing much, even with the diet change and eating very few starches. I couldn't seem to keep it below 200 on the morning/resting blood test.

I talked to my doctor about it and he just kept increasing the metformin, from 500mg once a day, to 500mg twice a day, to 1000mg in the am and 500mg in the pm, to 1000 twice a day. No noticeable change in the the bs.

By chance, I was having and episode that had me worried. My sugar wouldn't come down below 300. I called the clinic and my doctor was out that day and they referred me to a different doctor.

I spoke with him, and we talked for a good 10-20 minutes and he put me a sample pack of Jardiance and told me to take 500mg of metformin before bed.

My A1C this day was 13

I took the Jardiance sample pack, the first day I urinated for about 12 hours. I'm pretty sure that number is accurate.

On the 5th day, I woke up, took my sugar, and freaked out. My sugar was 72. It had never been that low and I called the clinic to make sure that I wasn't going to die.

Now, after about 6-8 months on Jardiance, my sugar is typically under 120, and the last A1C was 7.1.

I know the A1C is still a bit high, but the doc caught me about a week after Thanksgiving and breaking my diet rules.


I can't speak highly enough of Jardiance. I read about all of the side effects and, fortunately, I haven't had any of the major ones.

[crowbuster]

See a good nutritionist. It will cut that learning curve way down. My wife helps people every day, lots have gotten plumb off their meds. May not be able to quit yours but shuld help a lot.

[jcwit]

This may help some of you out there wishing to keep track of your A1c
https://www.accu-chek.com/us/glucose-monitoring/a1c-calculator.html#

[Geezer in NH]

Folks who are that high as in over 125 or so fasting need better help. You are in trouble and what you are doing is not working. Try and keep the 2hr after meals under 180 is golden but take work in the diet.

Metformin alone did not help mine in fact it made me sick at 2000mg a day had to drop back to 500 per day. I also use long acting insulin. My original Dr surprised me 3 years ago and said sorry I dropped the ball you are diabetic.

Needless to say I got a new Dr, in 1 year I got regulated to a 6.1 A1C My fasting runs from 80-120 fasting. it has taken nutritional courses to change my diet. My New DR.'s feel I was untreated for about 8-9 years and was within 6-12 months of going blind.

However the damage has been done my eyes affected badly with the retinas endemic and much growth of new blood vessels. For 1 year each eye took a$2000.00 shot of Lucienta to the retina and laser surgery. My right ey responded well and vision is 20/25. The left however is not still needs more laser and shots every month.

The numbness and burning in my feet and hand is nothing compared to going blind.

DO Not mess with this disease get a specialist, measure every meal and morning and night. Learn what YOU can eat and what not to eat. Exercise will help but in my case with severe disabling arthritis it doesn't do much for what I can do.

[FISH4BUGS]

Listen, my health is fine. I am blessed to be healthy and strong. BUT it has NOT come without effort.
I exercise.
I don't drink a soda EVER.
Coffee has 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and only drink 3 small cups a day.
Our vegetables are organic and home grown.
The burger is free range Texas Longhorn steer.
The chickens are without hormones and free range.
Our protein is raised within a mile of here and while not organic, it is certainly chemical free.
I don't do fried foods.
No bread.
You CAN eat well and healthily. It just takes effort.
It wasn't easy but it can be done. I let myself go every once in a while and have some fried oysters or clams. The price? Screaming heartburn.
You only get one go round here. Make it count.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Labradigger,
I have similar issues. I've been overweight all my life, I have had what I call "hot foot" for maybe 15 years. It took me a long time to figure it out.

About 4 years ago, a fellow castboolits member convinced me to go on the Wheatbelly diet. It's basically a diet that cuts out ALL simple carbs...about all that's left for carb filled food was Beans, as they are a complex carb...and you are allowed a very small amount of those.

I was able to stick to that diet for 6 months, I lost some weight, about 30 lbs...But the big thing was, my "hot foot" problem went away. I also had several others problems go away, these problems can be lumped into the catagory of "pre-diabetic symtoms". Once I figured that out, I told my Doctor, I thought I was pre-diabetic. She did some tests and told me, that I wasn't pre-diabetic, but if the no carbs or low carbs thing work, keep doing it.

I haven't been able to stay strick on the wheatbelly diet, but I have learned that if I eat some high carb food, I do so before 2pm...or 8 hours or so before I go to bed....as farmerjim mentions.


What Blackwater said. Get a meter and test test test. There are the general rules of what to eat and there are the rules for just you. I have found I can eat sweets (in limited amounts) at breakfast and lunch when I am active, but never at supper. I can eat potatoes, but not bread or rice. I take Metformin and Bydureon and my A1c runs 5.6 to 5.8 . When I get steroid shots for my back and neck I have to take Insulin to keep my glucose down.

When I don't follow that simple plan, I get "Hot foot" and other symtoms keeping me from sleeping well. Evening sugar and Carbs are real bad for me.

I have gained some weight since not being strict to a diet and as of last July, I had gained most of the weight that I lost 4 years ago. When I retired on July 1 2016, I started a more strict calorie counting diet. I lost about 20 in three months...but haven't lost a lb since. Now that the holidays are over, I need to rededicate to my diet again.

[labradigger1]

I'm 6' tall and 230 lbs. doctors say overweight. I'm very active indoors and out. I'm a construction superintendent by trade so some jobs no exercise and some I physically work my tail off.
Definitely need to cut out more carbs and sugar. I've been hoping that loosing some weight would help with the hot foot. I'm trying to get down to around 200 lbs if I can.

[Moonie]

Carbs are in lots of things, things you would never think of. Read labels of everything you eat and use your glucometer, with new foods test your blood an hour and 2 hours after eating. It will show you what you can and can't eat. Cut out the sweet completely, no longer use anything with sugar, honey, flour, potatoes or pasta. I started developing neuropathy but was able to reverse it very quickly by cutting carbs down to 5 for breakfast and 15 for lunch and dinner. I was able to get my A1C down to 6.0 in doing so. Anytime I try to cheat my wife and kids ask me where I want the dotted line (for the surgeon to cut by). It is a serious deterrent as I intend to meet Jesus in 1 piece.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I'm 6' tall and 230 lbs. doctors say overweight. I'm very active indoors and out. I'm a construction superintendent by trade so some jobs no exercise and some I physically work my tail off.
Definitely need to cut out more carbs and sugar. I've been hoping that loosing some weight would help with the hot foot. I'm trying to get down to around 200 lbs if I can.

While I mentioned my weight problem, maybe I shouldn't have worded it like it's part of the problem. I fear it's just one more symtom. The problem being the American Diet, years and years of foods that are high in sugars and simple carbs take a toll on the body. The Wheat belly book point out a big change in the American Diet in the 1960s and 70s...the Government vilified Fat and promoted refined wheat products (from the new strain of rust resistant wheat) through the Ag dept.

[labradigger1]

While I mentioned my weight problem, maybe I shouldn't have worded it like it's part of the problem. I fear it's just one more symtom. The problem being the American Diet, years and years of foods that are high in sugars and simple carbs take a toll on the body. The Wheat belly book point out a big change in the American Diet in the 1960s and 70s...the Government vilified Fat and promoted refined wheat products (from the new strain of rust resistant wheat) through the Ag dept.


Jonb,
I never took your reply the wrong way at all. Fact is I do need to loose weight.

[labradigger1]

Carbs are in lots of things, things you would never think of. Read labels of everything you eat and use your glucometer, with new foods test your blood an hour and 2 hours after eating. It will show you what you can and can't eat. Cut out the sweet completely, no longer use anything with sugar, honey, flour, potatoes or pasta. I started developing neuropathy but was able to reverse it very quickly by cutting carbs down to 5 for breakfast and 15 for lunch and dinner. I was able to get my A1C down to 6.0 in doing so. Anytime I try to cheat my wife and kids ask me where I want the dotted line (for the surgeon to cut by). It is a serious deterrent as I intend to meet Jesus in 1 piece.


15 for lunch and dinner total or 15 for lunch and 15 more for dinner?

[bstone5]

When diagnosed with type 2 diabetes many years back, the doctor suggested a short school on the diet I should follow. My wife and I attended the school. After a year on the suggested diet I lost 40 pounds and my wife also lost weight. The amount of carbs is small in the diet with a lot of vegetables. We still follow the diet even when eating as we travel.
Have kept the weight off over the years and go to the gym at least 3 times a week. The gym is a little tough at the age of 71 but I still go each week if my wife and I are not traveling.
Type 2 Diabetes is easily managed today with the new drugs available and managing you eating habits.
My feet still hurt during the day but I have got use to the burning in my feet.

[Moonie]

15 for lunch and dinner total or 15 for lunch and 15 more for dinner?

15 for lunch and another 15 for dinner.

[nvbirdman]

Do not overeat. In case you missed that, do not overeat.
Leave the table hungry. A half hour later if you still must have some food, have a little bit, but never stuff yourself.
Drink water. Drink two glasses of water before dinner. It will take up room in your stomach and help you not eat so much. Drink more water throughout the day, it helps flush the sugar out of your system.

[goste]

A quick question if I may, What does the A1C number stand for?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

A quick question if I may, What does the A1C number stand for?
from google

The A1C test is a blood test that provides information about a person's average levels of blood glucose, also called blood sugar, over the past 3 months. The A1C test is sometimes called the hemoglobin A1c, HbA1c, or glycohemoglobin test.

[MaryB]

I eat my salad before the rest of supper. Apple cider vinegar and olive oil dressing and herbs/salt/pepper for added flavor. Fills me up so I eat less of the rest but I am a carnivore so eat more meat than carbs. A small(less than tennis ball in size) baked potato is typical. If I eat bread it is from old strain wheat flour I grind myself so it has all the good wheat germ and the bran that help offset the carbs.


Do not overeat. In case you missed that, do not overeat.
Leave the table hungry. A half hour later if you still must have some food, have a little bit, but never stuff yourself.
Drink water. Drink two glasses of water before dinner. It will take up room in your stomach and help you not eat so much. Drink more water throughout the day, it helps flush the sugar out of your system.

[Wayne Smith]

It's not just weight, it's where the weight is. Type II diabetes is caused by Insulin Resistance. Insulin resistance is, to the best of our current knowledge, caused by organ fat. Belly fat indicates organ fat - if you have belly fat, you have organ fat.

Diabetes is high blood sugar. Insulin is what opens the cell wall for glucose to enter - and glucose is the food of the cell, it is necessary. Insulin resistance means that more insulin is needed to do the job, and less glucose gets into the cell, meaning that the body is less effective and that more sugar circulates in the blood.

Every nerve ending in the body is surrounded by capillaries (tiny blood vessels) that transport food to the nerve. Excessive blood sugar kills off these capillaries - causing death of the nerve ending. This is peripheral neuropathy, and if you have neuropathy in the peripheral nerves you have it in the central part of the body as well. You just don't feel it until peristalsis no longer works as it used to - and food doesn't pass through the digestive system like it used to!

Fix the insulin resistance and you have more energy and your body works better. This is losing weight, exercise, and diet control. It is NOT a diet - it is not denial for a short period of time to lose weight. This is learning a new relationship with food, learning how to eat healthy, for the rest of your life. Take medication to reverse the neuropathy, we have meds that encourage the regrowth of the nerves.

[labradigger1]

It's not just weight, it's where the weight is. Type II diabetes is caused by Insulin Resistance. Insulin resistance is, to the best of our current knowledge, caused by organ fat. Belly fat indicates organ fat - if you have belly fat, you have organ fat.

Diabetes is high blood sugar. Insulin is what opens the cell wall for glucose to enter - and glucose is the food of the cell, it is necessary. Insulin resistance means that more insulin is needed to do the job, and less glucose gets into the cell, meaning that the body is less effective and that more sugar circulates in the blood.

Every nerve ending in the body is surrounded by capillaries (tiny blood vessels) that transport food to the nerve. Excessive blood sugar kills off these capillaries - causing death of the nerve ending. This is peripheral neuropathy, and if you have neuropathy in the peripheral nerves you have it in the central part of the body as well. You just don't feel it until peristalsis no longer works as it used to - and food doesn't pass through the digestive system like it used to!

Fix the insulin resistance and you have more energy and your body works better. This is losing weight, exercise, and diet control. It is NOT a diet - it is not denial for a short period of time to lose weight. This is learning a new relationship with food, learning how to eat healthy, for the rest of your life. Take medication to reverse the neuropathy, we have meds that encourage the regrowth of the nerves.



Great advise!
I do have belly fat and I am beginning sit ups and cardio to work on it.

[Rick45Colt]

I have been diabetic for about 20 years and just within the last year have had to resort to any medication at all. Up until this time I was able to control it with physical activity and diet. I am extremely obese at 5'11" and 315 lbs. This is mainly caused by my sedentary lifestyle. I sit on my **** all day in an office. I have had some success with the paleo diet but I need to rededicate myself after the holidays. I just recently was diagnosed with glaucoma. A diagnosis that I have been expecting since my mother and all of her sisters have it. I do not have any other diabetes related problems like neuropathy, yet.

[bob208]

I have had it for 6years now. had a rough time at first. was doing shots 5 times a day. cut out the artificial sweeteners. we only use trivia. was having a lot of trouble getting it down. the doctor tried invokanoa. now one pill in the morning and one shot at night and that is half of what I used before. lost 60lbs. and sugar runs 90 to 120. there are some times it goes off but I have not been over 180 in a year.

[Wayne Smith]

I'm not sure there is a relationship between glaucoma and diabetes - or at least I was diagnosed with glaucoma years before I was diagnosed with diabetes. Yes, there is a relationship between diabetes and other eye diseases, that is clear and known. I just have not seen glaucoma on that list.

[Tonto]

As a Type 1 diabetic for over 35 years, I wouldn't beat myself up over an A1C of 6.9. Type 2 can almost be completely controlled with diet and exercise. The medications make it easier to not behave on your diet and activity level but this disease can almost be completely controlled by behavior. Keep at it, if you want sweets, eat them when you are about to chop firewood or something strenuous. Sound like you are on your way to being ok.

[Mtnfolk75]

I have been a Diabetic since Fall 1997, Insulin user since Spring 2008. Leg & Feet problems have increased since Summer 2010, Gabepenten gives me Hives and a Severe Allergic reaction, Lyrica has worked well for me at 150mg twice a day.

[jcwit]

But retina detachment is! Resulting in blindness. As is also kidney failure, ask me how I know!

[tomme boy]

Have your Dr. do a C-Peptide test. It will show how your pancreas is producing insulin or if it has given up. Let your Dr explain it better than I can. Some Dr's do not order this test. But it is helpful to know your level.

[Wayne Smith]

As a Type 1 diabetic for over 35 years, I wouldn't beat myself up over an A1C of 6.9. Type 2 can almost be completely controlled with diet and exercise. The medications make it easier to not behave on your diet and activity level but this disease can almost be completely controlled by behavior. Keep at it, if you want sweets, eat them when you are about to chop firewood or something strenuous. Sound like you are on your way to being ok.

What I have found, both with myself and in dealing with clients who are diabetic, is that every diabetic is different. It is contingent on us to know our bodies and how they are functioning. This requires data and consultations with experts and thought. The data is what and when you are eating and how hard you are exercising. The resulting blood sugars are the other set of data you need. How to interpret these ongoing data sets is where we need consultation.

When my blood sugars get out of control I start collecting data. I get a notebook and write down everything I eat and drink and the carb load involved. Be honest! Do this before or as you are eating, don't try to recover it later. On the top of the page I put my fasting blood sugar that AM. At least once a day I do a post paradinal blood sugar, usually after my biggest meal. I will also write down exercise that day if it is outside the normal. You will notice that as you begin this you change your behavior because you are paying attention to it and this changes your behavior. Factor this into your conclusions. Continue this for several months and it begins to fade.

After a week of this I have a fairly good idea of my habits - after a month I have a much better one because the effect of paying attention to it begins to fade. Now that I have the data I sit down and try to figure out causes. Now I need to consult with my MD, because most of us don't have the medical knowledge necessary to draw the correct conclusions. When I was first diagnosed I did this for two solid years before we began to figure out how my body was working.

Yes, exercise can dramatically lower blood sugar, but this is a short term manipulation. We need to be looking at lifestyle changes that we will continue the rest of our lives.

[Geezer in NH]

I'm not sure there is a relationship between glaucoma and diabetes - or at least I was diagnosed with glaucoma years before I was diagnosed with diabetes. Yes, there is a relationship between diabetes and other eye diseases, that is clear and known. I just have not seen glaucoma on that list.
Side affect of the drugs injected into the eye for macular degeneration can/may cause glaucoma

[johnson1942]

as to your diet, buy a few weight watchers books, every thing in them is compatable with a diabetic diet. you need to get your blood sugars normal or for every hour you dont the elevated blood sugar is doing nerve damage. 100 ml. of b6 vitamin a day can help but wont cure it. do a lot of indoor bike riding and set the seat high enough so you have to flex your calves. dont go heavy on the resistance, the motion is what you want. an hour a day is needed. it will keep blood flowing to the tips of your toes for circulation of blood. again get your blood sugars normal, it is a must or bad thing keep happening. im a retired RN and taught new diabetics every thursday for years. the very first thing i told them all is, you may ignore your disorder but it will not ignore you. if you dont get your blood sugars normal other things will happen, kidneys, eyes, limbs being amputated, dont want to scare you, just give you facts, its up to you now.

[Wayne Smith]

Johnson, what really scared me is the podiatrist telling us that the average diabetic does not survive the third amputation. I decided to avoid my first! This was in my diabetic education classes.

[johnson1942]

their is one more thing that has been on my mind that i need to share with every one who is really interested in helping them selves. vitamin B 12 helps regenerate and improve nerve function. it is one of the safest vitamins to take and has been around for a long long time. even if your not a diabetic it is a very good vitamin to take because not only does it help regenerate nerves and improve their function but it also helps the red blood cells become the best they can be in shape and in iron content. i buy my B 12 at wall mart. they sell it in 2500 mcg tablets and to take 3 to 5 of these tablets a day is not going to do any harm but only good. if you all do this on a regular basis you will start to notice changes with in about 7 days and by 14 days their will be a difference. more energy, better sense of smell, you will sit next to someone and feel the heat from their body. sense of taste will improve and damaged diabetic neuropathy nerves will slowly start to heal. providing again and again that the blood sugars are not elevated any more. do not ignore your blood sugars as they never ever ignore you. for those of you who have read that cinnamon can reduce blood sugars, you are correct and it is almost dangerous to being dangerous in doing so. it is very very effective in lowering blood sugars. if you incorporate cinnamon into your diet be very very careful. my son was using cinnamon every morning on his breakfast for in as much as a teaspoon full and could not figure out why he was getting vertigo. he called me and said what is going on? i said stop the cinnamon right away as he was getting low blood sugars. he stopped and the vertigo went away. if your a diabetic and take a medication for it cinnamon can madke it hard to regulate the medication as it is so effective in its self in lowering blood sugars that you could end up killing your self. my most stress full moments when i was a home health nurse was going to a diabetics house and with knowing that they are home and they dont answer the door. on three occasions i saved their lives by breaking through the screen door a kicking the door in and found them out cold in a low blood sugar state ready and next to death. i tore open cupboard and found sugar and got juice out of the fridge and mixed a sugar slurry and trickled it into their mouths. slowly they woke up and then said, hi roger, whats going on. then i chewed them out for taking their diabetic meds what ever they were with out eating. its a sure way to kill your self. one of my patients was regular at doing this and one day he did just that and started to drive to town and passed out and killed him self and the woman in the car he hit. be careful with cinnamon. AGAIN,B12 and use it every day for the rest of your life.

[Hickory]

Everything here a person with diabetes needs to know and was afraid to ask, or was afraid to know and afraid to ask.

[johnson1942]

facts can keep you alive. my friend who is a noncompliant diabetic just called a few minutes ago for advice on some of his syptoms that go with his disorder. he is always looking for a way around what he really needs to do. controlling what he eats. its hard talking to him about this as he only wants to hear things he wants to hear. he is the friend who got a deep fryer for christmas. i talk about what he wants to talk about as the rest is just wasted words. we all make up out mind what we do and dont do, some of this affects us and some dont. jack benny was a life long diabetic. he lived to quite old. he ate well and was always compliant. he even incorporated his diet into his comedy routines, he was a role model for every one who is a diabetic. their is also one thing i want to be upfront about. i have two male diabetic neighbors who came to me for advice about this problem connected with being a diabetic. it is that wonderful thing husbands and wives do once in a while. to cut to the chase this was my recommendation and the results were they are happy again in this area. two 500 mg. tablets of L - ARGININE daily on a emptly stomach for good absorption. this will also lower your blood pressure. available at wall mart and cheap. add to this a levitra an hour before the planned encounter. stay away from the other two meds,the levitra is best. the l-arginine in your system makes the levitra work way better. i should get paid for this last bit of advice but their it is guys, a medical secret that few know. l arginine daily and levitra, great combo. if you get a sour stomach from the levitra, take a zantac 150 tablet. if you get a head ache take a tylenol.

[Wayne Smith]

Everything here a person with diabetes needs to know and was afraid to ask, or was afraid to know and afraid to ask.

Not really. Diabetic education classes are available at every medical center. They are three classes and an optional class on how to shop. Multiple hours of information overload. If you are diabetic and have not been to the classes have your MD prescribe them, your insurance will be glad to pay for them. If you don't shop and cook for yourself take your partner along.

[Hickory]

Not really. Diabetic education classes are available at every medical center. They are three classes and an optional class on how to shop. Multiple hours of information overload. If you are diabetic and have not been to the classes have your MD prescribe them, your insurance will be glad to pay for them. If you don't shop and cook for yourself take your partner along.

I'm glad several addressed my comment.
Two people I personally know and have diabetes and did not take it serious for years and one has had his legs removed and the other is blind and on a kidney machine.
They started to take diabetes serious then, but, it was too late. Because, they didn't want to know and didn't want to ask.

[labradigger1]

An update.
Yesterday the dr started me on metformin 2x a day and amitripylene. I slept very well w/o the hot foot last night.
Metformin gives me unbelievable dry mouth and amitripylene makes my throat a little tight.
So far so good though. Last night 1 hr after supper I was 136 bs level.

[Hickory]

Medicine is a great way to control diabetes, exercise in a lot of cases can do as much as the medicine in keeping blood sugar levels down.
Grab you cripple stick or your walker and hit the cement for a half hour a day.
Oh, don't forget your gun.

[johnson1942]

im glad metformin has been brought up in this conversation. of course as with every med you will notice side affects but their is one side affect that most dont know about and it is a good one, beside controlling blood sugars. it can raise your IQ. yes, metformin helps in giving the brain the ability to produce healthy brain cell more than usual. test have shown that use of metformin can help a person preform better on test for IQ and raise a persons IQ. so no one would believe you that you were getting smarter, now you know it is true. seriously, yes, it does do just that.

[jcwit]

johnson 1942, got a question. I'm getting close to having to start some kind of dialysis, a method other than going to a center and to do at home has ben mentioned, one is in the belly all night, the other is in the are. Any suggestions? I'm really in a debate with myself with this even to the extent of just giving up. BTW I'm 73, so I have a good life behind me and my wife will support any decision I make!

[johnson1942]

pm sent.

[jcwit]

pm sent.

did not receive the PM?

[johnson1942]

pm sent again

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Medicine is a great way to control diabetes, exercise in a lot of cases can do as much as the medicine in keeping blood sugar levels down.
Grab you cripple stick or your walker and hit the cement for a half hour a day.
Oh, don't forget your gun.
Dang, I had two glazed donuts yesterday evening and had hot feet all night. I've been shoveling snow this morning, and will do more this evening, for the neighbor widow as well. I need to time those donuts better :-?

[Blackwater]

I haven't had a doughnut in years now! Would LOVE to, but .... they scare me ... or at least the effects do. I've been close enough to leaving this world already. Don't want to tempt my Maker TWICE!!! But you wouldn't believe how much I can enjoy WATCHING someone eat one! Learning to have vicarious pleasures is a plus for us diabetics. Jealousy will get you in trouble!

[labradigger1]

There has been a dozen glazed Krispy Kreme's by the coffee pot at work the last couple days.
I look at them, remember the wonderful taste and mouth feel and move along. I have cut carbs and sugar from my life, my feet, legs and eyesight are too precious to me. So far it's been easy as I never had much of a sweet tooth anyhow but I do miss the bread.

[dbosman]

Curiosity stimulated by a recent article. How many of us who are over weight, grew up around with chickens?
I was normal weight before we moved from city to farm.
https://www.wired.com/2016/12/mysterious-virus-cause-obesity/

[mold maker]

Funny how I never really cared for sweets until they were forbidden. Now I could finish a doz., and still crave more. My only real weakness was sweet tea and Sundrop.

[nueces5]

Many good tips around here. Diabetes is causing injuries throughout the body. Above they talk about kidney failure, and I think it is one of the worst. What you feel in your feet is one more manifestation of the complications of hyperglycemia. Unfortunately, the best way to avoid this daily poisoning is to keep blood glucose within normal parameters. I am a surgeon and due to my specialty, I deal with many type 2 diabetics, who are the ones who improve with bariatric surgery. I agree with what they say that you should know your physiology, we are not all the same. Not all my patients react the same to their diabetes improvement after surgery.
So I think self-observation is good, but I suggest that before making a determination, you consult with your doctor.

Without seeing your laboratory tests, I give you an opinion of what your history will be as a patient: you have two paths that must reach the same place.
One
- Visit a nutritionist, who keeps the sugar levels as close to normal, if you have the ability to exercise more and stay within what the nutritionist says, you will have your goal at hand.
Two
-From what you wrote he has a BMI of 34, so I think he is a good candidate for bariatric surgery. For now, it is not definitively known, but when no food passes through the duodenum, type 2 diabetics experience improvement in their disease.
That, and the decline of the surgery in general make the patient greatly improve his disease.
Consult your doctor, in the long term it is a very good alternative
I got tired of writing

[uscra112]

Hmmm. I'm overweight, and sure enough I grew up around chickens. Job I hated most was chicken-house clean-out. OTOH I didn't start to gain a lot of weight until I was over 60.

Now 76 years old. Diagnosed type 2 twenty years ago. Last 5 injecting. Since I started doing 6 or 8 tests a day and chasing down any reading over 125 with additional Novalog my a1c is in the low 6s. You cannot test too often.

Nonetheless, the tingling/pain in my feet has been building up., making it hard to fall asleep sometimes. Doctor has started me in Gabapentin, which suppresses that pain, and also major pain from bursitis in one hip, which regular cortisone shots had failed to control.

[Char-Gar]

Just a quite note of caution. Most folks know that PN is a common consequence of diabetes and most diabetics assume that is the cause of their PN. Peripheral neuropathy is also a symptom of some cancers. You can be a diabetic and ignore PN as a symptom of cancer. Never assume!

[uscra112]

I've read that PN is frequently a consequence of chemo.

[salpal48]

I have a similar problem, with my feet as well. My Endo. recommended Drink a Lot of water. Just water no additives. Asking The question Why. The reply . Muscles in the body Like to be wet. the more water you drink, the more the Muscle absorbs . When The muscle contracts , you get the cramp. I found now My leg Cramps and burning in the toes, have been reduced. I end the day before bed drinking 4 Glasses of water.. You will Pee alot but the cramps and the burning will be easier to take

[Char-Gar]

I've read that PN is frequently a consequence of chemo.

It can be. However it can also be the first symptoms of some forms of lymphoma along with kidney failure. Real sneaky stuff.

[Ford SD]

Gluten can be Very bad for you
take this quick test
https://celiac.org/about-celiac-disease/symptoms-assessment-tool/

I am thinking about trying the lion diet = 100 meat only

I was going for a celiac test and the doctor said I had to be on a high gluten diet
donuts for bf .. cookies for a snack at work ... more donuts

home made bread with dinner ... home made biscuits ..

you get the idea.... in 6 days I put on 5 pounds and 3 inches on my waist and was not feeling very well
Hands were all arthritic as well as feet . hips ankles.. every joint was sore and stiff
not sleeping well
feet and hands all tingly

I have a gluten allergy that has gotten worse as i get older

try reducing the carbs .. I lost weight and feel a lot younger

[Mr_Sheesh]

Interesting. Not diabetic here but a few things that may help, I hope.

I know many can take gabapentin or lyrica without problems, was given it for back pain & I didn't like tthe way it had me feeling, I couldn't put the reason why into words, but I knew something was wrong. My Dr. heard that and increased the dosage... Another family member had had the same problem, and put it into words for me, "It's turning me into a zombie, my brain isn't WORKING!" (I couldn't figure out simple programming or electronics problems, that's what I DO - it was very bad.) Those meds you have to wean off of gradually, did that and brain's OK since. Tried Lyrica later, nope, same issues, so not on it either.

For better toe circulation and warmer feet, wiggle your toes (Old hiker's & camper's trick.)

I find Stevia or Monk fruit pretty acceptable as sugar substitutes, Aspartame / Sucralose and some others give me headaches so I go with what my body says is OK. Sweet Tea made with those might help, ask your MD first (I don't even play a Dr. on TV but a couple diabetic friends have used it.)

[uscra112]

Agree that Gabapentin has taken the edge off my intellects. I read a great deal, not being able to do much else. I feel that I don't retain as much as I used to and I'm reading slower. It also made me sleepy in the beginning. After a month or so, not so much.

It has suppressed the neuropathy in my feet, and also pain from bursitis on one hip, which has materially improved my sleep.

Hasn't done a thing for my back, more's the pity.