I have had diabetes for three years. I was originally treating with diet and weight loss. Recently I have been really struggling with my love of food. I have been eating more of the foods I shouldn't be eating. I simply started using insulin to control my high blood sugar levels. I can't eat anything other then meat or else my blood sugar will rise. I eat sometimes 60 carbs per meal, but I mostly eat one meal a day. I have always only eaten 1 meal a day. If I eat two meals a day, the first meal is a small snack. I have an A1C of 5.4 with the insulin and Metformin. My doctor is happy with my numbers, just not so happy I started insulin. I really can't see living the rest of my life on meat and salad. I love food and living without some bread, pasta, and an occasional sweet would not be living to me. If my blood sugar is well controlled, my 14 day average is 110, am I really causing damage to my body? I don't just eat whatever I want. I count every single carb in every bite of food I eat. Some days I eat pizza and might have 150 grams of carbs, but that is only a few times a month. Most of my meals are 60 carbs and under once a day. Type 1's get to eat carbs and use insulin. I know we have insulin resistance, but we also have less insulin being produced due to Beta cell burnout. Why are we treated different than the Type 2's? Anyhow, what do you guys think?
Am I wrong?: I have had diabetes for... - Diabetes Research...
Am I wrong?
There are actually a lot more types of diabetes than just type 1 or type 2 - it may be worth exploring if you have actually been misdiagnosed as type 2 when you are actually LADA or a MODY variant which is closer to type 1 so responds to different drugs.
There is a MODY variant that runs in my family - onset between 30 and 45 - dominant gene which I don't have but my brother does - he had real problems controlling his blood sugars on metformin but has been switched - after learning that he was probably MODY because my mother was on a study identifying the particular gene - and problems went away
This site goes through various different forms of diabetes and how to go about getting them diagnosed.
diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_lad...
Both type one and type 2 run in my family. All of my fathers brothers and himself had either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Some other family members have also had type 1. I Know my grandfather was on insulin twice a day, so who knows. The thing with my condition is that my blood sugar remains normal as long as I do not eat any food. As soon as I eat, my blood sugar goes really high. I think if I had type 1, my blood sugar would be high even without food.
your blood sugar levels, as I understand vary whatever the type of diabetes with food intake - its just that the reason for the variation is slightly different in type 1 and type 2 hence the mode of treatment is different.
Type 1 - have a lack of insulin - so will need insulin to control the levels
Type 2 - have a resistance to insulin though they can still produce it - so it can be treated by lowering the sugar levels to those below which the insulin resistance kicks in ... and keep it there - drugs can help with this.
Sounds to me like you need to go back to your GP and ask him to revisit which type of diabetes you have.
The MODY variant that runs in my family was only identified about 20 years ago so before that members of my family had been treated as type 2. The particular variant is
a) a dominant gene - so if you have the gene you develop diabetes regardless of your lifestyle.
b) is closer to type 1 as it is about impaired ability to produce insulin - so actually responds better to different drugs from type 2
c) was controlled by my grandfather by diet from 35 right through to his death in his 70s.
MODY accounts for about 2% of diabetic population though there are several different variations that have now been identified and all work in slightly different ways.
My brothers experience was the medics all accusing him all the time of cheating on diet when he wasn't and he really just could not control his blood sugars until he was switched from metformin to Sulphonylureas, a drug that worked in a different way - stimulating what little insulin production he has left - and then controlling the levels got a lot easier.
I won't put up with docs accusing me of stuff. I just take the insulin and fix the blood sugar numbers. I think even type two is caused by a lack of insulin. Your pancreas has been working overtime for many years trying to cover for the insulin resistance. Then it begins to burn out and your sugar levels spike. When you change your diet to a low carb diet, it doesn't stop the insulin resistance, it just makes your remaining Beta cells in the pancreas work a little bit better because your are not spiking your blood sugar up to the levels you were before. I just add insulin and compensate for what my pancreas can no longer make. This also gives the pancreas a rest and helps it maintain what Beta cells are still left. I don't think you should have to give up all foods just because you have a disease. Not when there's medicine to treat you. I will look into checking with my doctor. But since I'm doing well on insulin after meals. I think I will be good for a while. I got tired of my blood sugar going into the 200's. Thanks for the advice. I know you can control it all with strict diet, but I can't be living like that. I love food too much.
You said it!
Do you know the difference between T1 & T2? T1 your Pancreas does NOT work. T2 it may work 40% or 80%. If you are T2 & weigh 20 stone your pancreas gets surrounded by fat reducing its performance. I would seriously walk 20 mile every day if it would improve my health!
I walk sometimes, but 20 miles is way too much for me. I have a leg that has bad circulation. The most walking I can do is 30 minutes a day, and that is walking in circles in the living room, with a lot of pain medication. I'm trying to get my leg fixed where they stent the closed deep veins, but for now I am limited by pain and swelling. That is what really messes me up. Also, I get sick a lot and can no longer tolerate heavy foods. I used to eat more than double what I currently eat. My main food when I am having a bad stomach day is Ritz crackers with some cream cheese 5 Ritz crackers is 10 grams of carbs. I have to use insulin if I eat more than 10 crackers at a time. I know these things are terrible for you, but they're all I can eat some days. I used to scarf down so much food before. I don't know what made me lose my appetite. If it was the Metformin, the Insulin, or anxiety from having some pretty bad medical issues. The only time I ever get hungry and crave food is when my blood sugar goes low. I usually eat 50 grams of carbs for dinner, and then for breakfast or lunch, I eat the Ritz crackers very slowly. They are all I can tolerate at times. I have tried the low carb and I don't like it. I have to have at least 50-60 grams of carbs per day to feel sated. If not I am always hungry until I eat some small amount of carbs. I have a few slices of pizza from time to time as well. I used to be able to eat 1 large pizza, wings, bread sticks, and a two liter of soda in one sitting. I am an emotional eater. I eat when I am depressed. I even sometimes try and eat to help with my depression like I did two days ago, but it made me sick. I can't eat very much anymore. I don't know if this makes sense, but that is what I struggle with. I have most of my meals measured out and have my exact amount of insulin down to a science. I eat mostly the same things every day in order to keep my blood sugars level. Today I had 30 Ritz crackers with strawberry cream cheese on them. For dinner I will eat chicken Alfredo and three chicken strips. The lunch carbs were higher then usual. I usually only eat 10 Ritz crackers. But even this all is under 1500 calories and 130 grams of carbs. Not idel, but not too bad. On a regular day it would be the ten Ritz crackers for breakfast and then the chicken Alfredo bake for dinner with 3 chicken strips. The carb count on that would be around 70 for the day. I never snack in between meals.
Hello Blizzard 2014, I have been T1 for nearly all of my life since being 3yrs old (50yrs plus). I adore seafood, no carbs in a tin of Mackerel fillets, oils your joints ! Diet Tonic water is good for circulation & tastes nice on hot day. Good luck
I really admire you type 1 diabetics. Just using insulin once or twice a day is a big hassle with some lows and having to check blood sugar a lot makes me really feel for how daunting it must be to have to use basil and bolus insulin. You guys rock. Thanks for the advice!
Thank you blizzard. I would love to talk to kids & parents about T1. I would employ any T1 with the right attitude of getting on with it & not letting it stop them doing the right thing.
blizzard2014,
Can you try getting the quantity of carb that you can take, from Emmer Wheat? Most probably this may make a large difference! !
LWMDR does NOT require the diabetic to walk!!!
Hi blizzard2014 ,
Welcome to the group. please feel free to continue posting postings and comments, reading other members postings and comments, asking questions, taking the polls that are posted in the polls section, and of course, meeting the rest of the group members.
What has your Endocrinologist said about the issue of the numbers going higher when you eat? Some diabetics have to count carbs. for each meal and snack. Some can eat 75-80 carbs. for a dinner and snacks 25-35 carbs.. This depends on the person. Not all diabetics are the same. What may work for one person may not always work for someone else.
Please check out the Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation's website for the free leaflets on "A Healthy Diet and Diabetes" and " Exercise and Diabetes". Both leaflets can be downloaded, read and/or listened to at anytime. I hope this helps. Go to: drwf.org.uk/diabetes-leaflets
I started with an A1C of 7.0. Then 6.0 and doc said it was fine. With insulin I got it down to 5.4. Insulin and somewhat lower carb meals. Mostly insulin though. It took 3 months to lower A1C from 6.1 to 5.4 with fast acting insulin. Thanks.
Can you imagine what it was like being 3 years old & not being able to eat what you wanted? YOU HAVE TO LEARN! Or what? I love life & won't let anything stop me from doing what I like doing. Have been to ASIA on my motor bike, done c2c on peddle bike & lots more.
Yeah, you guys are tough. All I have to do to control my sugar is eat meat and salad. But you guys need insulin even for the meat and salad. I want to travel the world one day, but for now I will settle with going back to driving trucks again.
I could not imagine being a kid and not being able to eat the same foods as the other kids. It would make me depressed. Especially if you're too young to understand why you can't eat the same foods. I know this because if I eat cake, even with high levels of insulin, my blood sugar is extremely unstable. You simply can't control your blood sugar if you eat cake, candy, or soda. It's only bread and pasta where I can control my blood sugar with the meds. So, everyone with diabetes must make a lot of sacrifices. It is daunting at times. I had an Aunt who died at age 60 from her Type 1. My grandfather died at age 84 from a massive heart attack after years of bypass surgeries from his Type 2 diabetes. I saw one of my grandfathers brothers pass out because he had a glass of wine at a party and it interacted with his insulin dose. It's rough sometimes. You have to be a fighter. I wish I would have been more health conscious earlier on in my life. I could have been screened for diabetes as many people in my family have it.
Keep going blizzard2014 !
Anup, that's great about being medication free and still being able to eat 100 grams of carbs a day. I can't do that personally. I eat any carbs my sugar goes up. I did reduce my insulin resistance though. I used to have to take 1 unit of insulin for every 4 grams of carbs. Now I take only 1 unit for every 10 grams of carbs. I am taking the amount of insulin a type one would take to cover the carbs I eat. I wish I could stick to the low carb diet, but I had a lot of bad habits before all of this. I am having a hard time giving up Splenda. I use 4 tablespoons of Splenda a day for my sweet iced tea. I can't stand plain water no matter how many times I try and drink it. I also have to drink the strong tea because I have sleep apnea and I am always tired. Without the caffeine, I will go right to sleep like a baby. I know that if I could ride a bike again, I would lose weight and do much better, but my leg is in bad shape. I can't afford to continue to take higher doses of pain meds because of increased activity levels. I have to conserve my pain by limiting activity. Thanks for the encouragement!
I want to add also, that without 2000 mgs of Metformin, my fasting sugars will be 130 and above; even with mealtime insulin. So, the mealtime insulin keeps my post meal numbers in range, and the Metformin keeps my fasting blood sugar levels in check. Even with an extremely low, low carb diet, I had to take Metformin or else my post meal and fasting blood sugar numbers would still go high. I have tried to stop the Metformin and my blood sugar will rise. I can't fight the medications. I was more than likely diabetic for years before my diagnosis. I was diagnosed in 2015, but I found an old hospital report from 2013 with a blood sugar of reading 250. This was a vein reading and not from a glucose meter. I'm surprised they never told me. It was fagged on a report I only received when I requested my medical records, but they never advised me of it. I also saw a 130 blood sugar level flagged in 2012. I have been suffering hypoglycemia a lot since 2008. So my pancreas might have been failing for years before my diagnosis. I don't think I caught this in the pre-diabetic range
Hi Blizzard. I have been to Asia on my motorbike, Italy twice Latvia. Russian boarder. I also love travelling & done 2600mile in this country. From home to J-O-G, Air to Ireland, full loop of Ireland, & home through Wales in ten days. You would not want to do in car !
blizzard2014,
If you are on the lookout for a change from present routine, search LWMDR here or Google out there.
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