Person with Type 1 Diabetes Needs Advice

[19mash85]

Hello,

This is a post on behalf of my wife who has type 1 diabetes.

She is 35, weighs approximately 16 stone (this was 13 stone in 2016 and her health did not improve at all).

We live in Anglesey, North Wales, UK..

She has been diabetic since the age of 22, and her sugar levels have not really been under control. She has many hypos..

She constantly feels unwell and nauseous. Her quality of life is drastically limited.

She is on Tougeo background insulin, which she takes once a day in the morning. She is on metformin.

We are of the opinion that there may be hormonal aspects at play which result in her fluctuating sugar levels and we are not convinced it is sileley the diabetes which affects her life, She is on the contraceptive pill at present, but will come off that shortly as that may be effecting her hormone wise.

She attended the Dafne course a while ago, but has not been able to make the most of it. She is looking into the materials so that she can get back on it as soon as possible.

Does anyone have any insight into this at all? Can you recommend any endocrinologists (in private message of course) that could assist?

Thank you in advance.

H

[Activity2004 Administrator]

Hi and welcome to the group and HU, 19mash85 . Thank you for introducing yourself and your wife to the group. Please feel free to continue posting and commenting, asking questions, looking at the Topics/Events/Polls/Pinned Posts for suggestions and ideas.

I'm type 1 and I had been on birth control pills years ago for PCOS and other hormonal issues. When I was on the birth control pills, my blood sugars would go higher each week with the new dose of estrogen in the pills. The blood sugars would drop faster the week of the pills that had nothing in them. Has your wife talked to her doctor about either switching birth control pills or trying something else?

Have you checked out and joined the Women's Health Group also on HU? Here's the link: healthunlocked.com/womenshe...

I hope this helps both of you!

[19mash85 in reply to Activity2004]

Hi! Many thanks for yout prompt reply, i think the idea is that she comes off it in the next few weeks, so that we can see how well she does without any contraception in her system, will be interesting to see if it changes anything. Thanks again for that

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to 19mash85]

You're welcome. Please let all of us know how she does without the birth control pills after it's been a few days/weeks when everything is out of the system.

[19mash85 in reply to Activity2004]

Will do, thanks again.

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to 19mash85]

Anytime! Does your wife count carbs.?

[19mash85 in reply to Activity2004]

She does. She needs to remind herself of the Dafne rules etc but she does on the whole yes.

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to 19mash85]

That’s good. How many carbs does she have each meal and snack?

[19mash85 in reply to Activity2004]

I’m not too sure, id have to check

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to 19mash85]

Did the doctor suggest a range for each meal and/or snack?

[19mash85 in reply to Activity2004]

The ratio is 1:1 if that makes sense?

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to 19mash85]

Can you please explain what the 1:1 is?

[19mash85 in reply to Activity2004]

Every 10 unit of carbs equates to one unit of insulin

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to 19mash85]

Thank you for the explanation. This helps.

[19mash85 in reply to Activity2004]

Thanks. Sorry i take time to reply

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to 19mash85]

No worries or sorry about anything. Everyone can always take their time to reply.😀👍🌈

[19mash85]

Thank you very much for your insight into the dietary aspect of things, I will share them with her.

[Gambit62]

metformin can affect B12 absorption leading to B12 deficiency. I don't think that would affect blood sugar levles but B12 is one of the metabolites involved in the Krebbs cycle - which is the process that cells use to release energy and there have been a few rare cases of ketoacidosis being the result of B12 deficiency. Unfortunately there isn't actually a definitive test for B12 deficiency - though serum B12 tests can be useful for showing declining levels of B12 indicating a B12 deficinecy.. Metformin may not be the right medication for your wife - and to be honest I'm surprised that your wife is on it at all (unless related to PCOS rather than diabetes) as it is a medication for Type 2 diabetes, not Type 1

[19mash85 in reply to Gambit62]

Thanks very much for the insight into b12, her levels for b12 is currently 198

[PurpleNails in reply to 19mash85]

Could you add the range & unit measurement of on the B12 test. eg ng/L & range in bracket eg (187 - 883)

Doctors tend to view any thing in range as sufficient but it may not be optimal.

[19mash85 in reply to PurpleNails]

Her level is 198 ng/l

range is stated as 150-900ng/l (i think this range is too low and too broad)

Thanks again

[Gambit62 in reply to 19mash85]

as above - serum B12 is a difficult test to evaluate. There is a huge normal range because people vary a lot in the point in the normal range that is right for them but its the one B vitamin where serum levels are regulated by using a store (in the liver) to keep it at a pretty steady level (though test is only accurate to 20%) - so if you have a result in the past that was significantly higher that would suggest that there is a B12 absorption problem - say over 250 - you need to make sure units are same and pay attention to what the lab gives as the normal range. There is a huge overlap between the symptoms of B12 deficiency and the symptoms of diabetes.

[Prin]

Would she be allowed a flash glucose monitor? I have found this helps with identifying patterns

[19mash85 in reply to Prin]

She has a flash monitor it is a great help.

On a separate note - she has received an allergy test, she has a dairy intolerance, and will need to change her diet.

Does anyone here have any insight or thoughts to a diabetic with dairy intolerance.

I am looking into a functional doctor for her to provide vitamins (including b12) etc

Thank you all again

[19mash85 in reply to 19mash85]

We are going to see the functional doctor a week friday

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to 19mash85]

Have you checked out the healthunlocked.com/glutenfr... group? They have some information dealing with different types of intolerances.

[19mash85 in reply to Activity2004]

Thanks for that, ive just joined it after you said

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to 19mash85]

That’s great to hear! Thank you for letting me know.😀👍🌈

How’s it going today?

[19mash85 in reply to Activity2004]

Not bad at all thanks

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to 19mash85]

You’re welcome!😀👍🌈

[19mash85]

Hello.

She has been using soya milk instead of regular milk. She has subsequently become highly constipated.

Any advice or suggestions to help?

[auntiesally in reply to 19mash85]

drink lots of water, exercise as much as she can, get some prune juice, drink a small glass every day, check the carbs, buy unsweetend, drink it fast, put up with the taste, it is far better than being constipated, try and succeed in loosing weight, she should and could. Hope she gets relief x

[19mash85]

Hello again,

We’ve been thinking that there may be an issue with her body absolving the insulin, and that it may have somethin to do with her gut.

Any body have any insight into this please?

Thanks in advance

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to 19mash85]

Has she tried salad/fruit/vegetables with fiber in them?