My Deficiencies

[barani19]

Hi All,

I've been struggling for last few months not because of blood sugar related issues but with some other deficiencies. It was a bit hard to find to what deficiencies I have.

I was feeling very tired[particularly after taking food] for the past few months. I have had similar symptoms like this. Hence increased my dosage of Vitamin D3 from once in a month to twice in a month. Initially, I thought it was because of my T2D, but quickly realized that was not the reason behind this fatigue.

I had been walking as usual for 5 kms a day all these days till on one day I got back ache [2-3 weeks ago] when I returned. It was intense. I could not bend down. The day before this incident, I had pain in my joints in fingers, feet, etc. It was difficult to sleep in the night that day.

I ignored the below mentioned simple symptoms/warning signs of my body.

1) Clicking sound from the knees when lifting my legs up while lying down on the floor

2) Blackness below my eyes

3) White lines in the nails

4) Tooth sensitivity

My yearly blood test was due next day. Hence took all the tests like hsCRP, Lipid Profile, HbA1C, FBS, Fasting Serum Insulin,Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3 etc. This time, I added one more test, DEXA scan to check my bone density. I'm grateful to @namaha who educated me on this topic in this forum. I have not heard about DEXA scan before.

I was surprised to see that my bone density is low. My Z score is -2.4. My condition is called Ostepenia. My bone density is 5-6 times less than the usual bone density of my age(39).If the Z score is less than -2.5, it would be an onset of Osteporosis, a non-reversible condition.

I took all these reports to a nearby GP. She added one more test, Ionized calcium which did not help much as it showed that calcium was in proper range. She prescribed calcium tablets(because of DEXA scan report) and Vitamin B-12 as it was low ( as I'm a vegetarian). One dosage of 400mg calcium was enough to reduce my joint pains. Vitamin B12 supplement reduced my muscle pain but back pain(on account of muscle stiffness) persisted. I was able to sleep somewhat peacefully from that day.

But one issue remained unsolved, Fatigue. I could not find out the reason for this issue till I did some read up about Magnesium(@namaha's response to my posting on this forum have been useful as well). When I stumbled upon a tablet combination of Ca, Mg(2:1 ratio) and started having the same, it had an instant effect. My fatigue has reduced by 50% at least.

I'm currently working to increase my bone density. This is my first and foremost priority for next few years.

I kind request to all the members. I know many of us face different problems related to T2D and not related to it. Please feel free to share information like namaha so that it would be very useful(and sometimes becomes a life saver).

[mistidahi]

I was also in the same condition like you with low b12 and bone density. I was having severe neck pain and back pain on one side. I was given this supplements etc. , but last one year I am not taking anything except this calcium tablets. I am doing stretching exercises daily. Ragi three times a week. Leafy greenslike spinach drumstick leaves, methi leaves vegetables like okra. daily. Morning papaya or gauva. Lunch vegetable salads . Broccoli is very good for bone health. All vegetables I garnish with sesame seeds. For bone health all nutrients is important, like potassium is also important. So you cannot segregate calcium or magnesium or take supplement. Wholesome nutrition is required.

For B12 daily I take curd and nutritional yeast. Nuts also help in improving calcium.

My sample menu

Morning millet PONGAL with any vegetable incorporated in it and coriander chutney. 11.30 few nuts lunch red rice or native rice ( kuzhiyadichan rice rich in calcium spirit of the earth or biobasics should have this) with one dal with vegetable and one green keerai and lots if curd. Evening some nuts with some vegetable juice. If you are working in office get one nutribullet mixer where you can get juice within a minute. Evening walking for 20 minutes.Dinner is with millet roti sometimes wheat with paneer along with vegetable. In the night I avoid leaf vegetables. Along with paneer I take cruciferous vegetables and carrots. Now my condition is manageable. If you go through my suggestions, it will take atleast three months to see result now I am not on any medication except this calcium. Also since I have started growing veggies, I get fresh vegetables too. Even you can grow in pots too. Like if you grow drumstick/ coriander in pots you can harvest the leaves daily.

As you age you need wholesome nutrition which will be absorbed better by the body. Supplements will not work beyond a point.

[barani19 Administrator in reply to mistidahi]

mistidahi ,Thanks a lot for sharing your experience and advise. Did you do a bone density test before and after having supplements/change of diet? If it has, in how many months/year you can expect a noticeable change?

[mistidahi in reply to barani19]

Yes I have done bone test and if you completely change the eating habits you will see changes after three months. But take the supplements suggested by the doctor and you eat holistically you will be very active with out fatigue. I am telling this from my experience. One more point I forgot to mention is that as soon as I wake up I take fresh wheat grass juice or bael fruit or cucumber juice. Any juice. I grow my own wheatgrass in pots and cut it daily. Evening I have green tea. I am growing carrots and beetroot also for its tender green leaves. I grow microgreens of red cabbage, white sesame etc. You can get growing kits from hariyaliseeds.com and incorporate these microgreens in you daily raw salad in the afternoon with carrots cucumber tomatoes green chillies radish onion etc.

[barani19 Administrator in reply to mistidahi]

Thanks for sharing the information again mistidahi

[namaha Administrator in reply to barani19]

Dear Barani Sorry to see your plight.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder which results from improper diet and life style, and any complications can arise at any point of time. You should not get scared and you should not get surprised. Face it, counter it...do your own research to see what could have gone wrong.....do a lot of reading -Listen to the researchers what they have to say.....and what is acceptable to your body? Body gives you enough signal if It is not accepting your current diet & life style and you need to have a change.

And you said you are a vegetarian? What kind of vegetarian you are? 😁

(1) Lacto- vegetarian

(2) Ovo -vegetarian

(3) Lacto-ovo vegetarian

(4) Vegan

(5) whole plant food

(6) Low fat whole plant food

(7) Flexitarian

I hope you will be able to understand the difference among all 6 and each one out of 6 could make a difference to one's Health condition......

Last 10 years, I have tried one after another, the moment I notice some signals, I have changed based upon some studies. May be 2 years back, I wouldn't have said saturated fat is good, egg is good, cheese is good for diabetes.... But the moment I got signal from my body , and the moment I Iearned something new - evidence based science..........made drastic changes overnight..... And I am now practising point no 6, the rationale behind my decision is based upon evidence based science which I have posted in several posts. My body now is accepting my current diet and lifestyle...

And I still keep an watch on all my health parameters..... and ready to change for my health if I come across any new discovery.

Now coming to your osteopenia ..... Please read my next message!

[namaha Administrator in reply to namaha]

Good news is that you can stop the progression...find out what your body needs... I understand you take a lot of paneer may be 250 grams or more a day.... Paneer is a rich source of Ca.... That means your body has refused to absorb the calcium!Our Bones also lose Ca as we age.. And it is a complex disorder...Added to this , metabolic disorder plays its part to make it more complicated!

I would strongly recommend that in stead of a GP, you should consult an endocrinologist specialised in hormones:

Consult a specialist and see if he/she recommends some more tests to figure out the root cause of your BMD at least rule out these parameters to focus on diet and life style.

Whatever information I have gathered so far from various research papers and clinical practice by naturopaths in India and abroad which you can also read from various links that I have provided.....

(1) Did you check PTH - parathyroid hormones which controls Ca metabolism.? PTH is entirely different than Thyroid with different functions?

(2) Thyroid hormones could also mess up with bone metabolism.

(3) Low testosterone level can also result in to low BMD...

(4) high cortisol ( stress hormone) levels can also reduce BMD.

(5) Low dietary intake of Ca, Mg, ... If you have to slow down your Ca erosion and enhance Ca deposit in bones ... If erosion takes place rapidly than your intakes.......then you may develop in to osteoporosis....If you take adequate leafy greens - there are dozens of edible leafy greens which are consumed by human all over the world.... Find out what is available in your area. There are dozen varieties of lettuce leaves available to be taken as raw... Coriander, mint raw chutney should be a routine thing.

Tofu is a rich source of Ca, so also all Indian pulses... And whole grains. Take all fruits &vegetables - atleast 1-2 kgs per day .. Or to the extent it is practicable and your tolerance level... Vegetables cooked of course - please refer my previous posts...

Basically take an alkaline food.... Avoid food which is acidic in nature during digestion/ Metabolism.

Calcium supplements as recommended by your doctor you can take.... But I would prefer CCM - calcium citrate malate which is proven to help.... Calcium carbonate is inorganic salt from lime stones or chalks.... They require HCL for digestion,can cause constipation and can cause disturbance in Absorption of other food nutrients and medicines and vitamins. Where as CCM is water soluble. With calcium

Never take heavy doses.... Take small doses two times or more as recommend ed by your doctor. Ask your doctor and Choose a supplement which has CCM, Mg, D3, B12, K2... Mg should be a chelated one either Magnesium glycinate....or Lycinate For better absorption.

(6) please see my post on vitamin deficiency.... B12, D, very common among diabetes irrespective of diet type.... So you should not allow it to go down... Test every 6 months.... Noon Sunlight is the best source of D....supplements are highly effective... B12, D.

(7) at last but not the least, The most important is the type of exercise you do.... Your 5 kms waking may not help you much .. Reduce it by half...

Weight bearing exercise/ resistance training .. Is a must to enhance BMD...

Even if you don't have a gym..... Create a mini gym in your house.... Get some dumbbells, resistance loop, thera band.... All are useful...there are dozens of ways to do these resistance training at home... While watching TV.....

However, going to a Gym for resistance training is ideal.

In the meantime, keep all other diabetes related parameters blood sugar, cholesterol, BP, BMI, hsCRP etc under control...

May God bless you!

Wish you a quick recovery

[barani19 Administrator in reply to namaha]

Thanks a lot for your excellent advises namaha . I will respond to you in detail in some days.

[sandybrown]

At 72 I experience many of what you are experiencing. I am afraid I do no want to go for any investigation!, I just want to enjoy one life not worrying about it.. Take care my friend. My daughter,s eldest is 18 months. Running with him playing I get pain all over. Once he is gone to bed in the evening a drink befor dinner help me to realx. Away from home do give addition problems as well.

[barani19 Administrator in reply to sandybrown]

sandybrown ,Thanks for your response. You seem to be fit at the age of 72!

[sandybrown in reply to barani19]

I learned from a medical Prof, it is important to avoid investigation on health, this is because only an experienced doctor can understand health conditions. An example in UK, a relative heart problem, it took a very long time to offer a pace maker, the same person, has seen blood after going to toilet, again the investigation is going on after few months. Please take care on your health investigations.