Is drug induced diabetes reversable?

[candy43]

Hello,

I am new to the forum. I was diagnosed with Diabetes Type II several weeks ago and have some questions that I can't seem to get answered
from researching myself and my doctor give me conflicting information. I'd appreciate any help.

A year ago, I had a A1C of 6.2 and was told that I was insulin resistant but did not get a diagnosis of diabetes...The doctor just said, You are insulin resistant, get this book called Sugar busters and that was it. I should have asked more questions now I think about it, but I didn't.

This year was probably the most stressful of my life. I divorced, had to sell my home of 13 years because I was layed off, my father died, I moved into an apt, my daughter had migraine problems, then she got mono....I got pneumonia in one lung, was put on prednisone for four days, clarithromycin, and continued to take a drug called norethindrone which I have been on for going on four months now because of irregular bleeding every two weeks and endometriosis like symptoms. I also have PCOS, Polycystic ovarian syndrome.

When in the hospital for pneumonia, the nurse pricked my finger and I had a blood sugar reading of 312. I told her that I had just eaten 2 jelly donuts a half-hour ago but she said that didn't matter. The ER doctor told me I had diabetes and wrote a RX for metformin on the spot, asking me to follow-up with my primary for a blood glucose test. An A1C, now showed 6.9.

The night before the blood glucose test, I was depressed and ate a whole pound of ground beef. with taco seasoning, and some taco shells. 10 hours of fasting later, my blood glucose reading turned out to be 174 and I was diagnosed. Here are my questions.

Questions:
1. Could eating that much ground beef have caused the high blood glucose reading. Wouldn't someone eating that much protein have unusually high numbers for a fasting blood glucose? I had another fasting blood test 3 days ago after 15 hours fasting and it was 93 but that was after I was taking 500 mg of Metformin a day and exercising for three weeks.

2. Could this diabetes be totally drug-induced and if so, is this diabetes reversable? I've heard diabetes can't be cured. Is that even if its drug and stress induced? The doctor said norethindrone would not have caused it, but in my research on the net, I see that norethindrone does cause high blood sugar in some people. Also, the prednisone, although only four days, I believe could have made matters worse, even though the Dr says that is not long enough to be on it to cause diabetes. Other articles I've read say any amt of time on prednisone will raise your numbers. I've also read that just having the flu is enough to cause people to have high blood sugar, so certainly the stress of pneumonia may have contributed, no?

3. Finally, I have been through so much stressful situations as a single Mom, could that have not contributed and once I am off the norethindrone, and less stressed is is possible to go back to being non-diabetic? Or once you're diabetic, is there nothing you can do to turn back the clock?

4. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, norethindrone, pneumonia, prednisone, eating too much protein before a blood glucose test, severe stress.....are these not all things that once they go away, I could return back to a normal blood glucose reading? I've always heard you should have three blood glucose tests to confirm diabetes but I only technically had one while off metformin. I didn't have the test where you drink something after fasting and get tested two hours later either. My blood pressure and cholesterol are normal.

Thanks so much for any insight.

Candy

[fgummett]

Sorry to hear of your troubles and also sorry to tell you that someone without D may spike a higher Blood Sugar after meals but not by as much as we do. Someone without D can pretty much eat as much as they like and their body will still keep the sugar level under control. :)

[candy43]

hey and thanks so much for replying. That is kinda hard to hear but I'd rather hear the truth. Now, not to be slow but is the fasting blood sugar I had the same thing as taking my blood sugar with a glucometer.

and are you saying that if I had a normal blood sugar, eating that large amt of beef b/f my fasting blood glucose would not have given me a 174? I'm sorry. I'm so confused. Please forgive me.

[candy43]

oops..I didn't mean the devil smilie..I meant the smiley smiley...gosh

[Evermont]

Candy, so sorry to hear about all your troubles - you're dealing with a lot more than anyone should have to.

I'm sure other folks here will try to answer your questions but some of them may not be answerable.

It's easy to understand why a person would not want to have diabetes, so I'm with you on that count.

My advice to you is to commit to a healthy lifestyle. Whether you have diabetes or not, regardless of how it came to be, regardless of how permanent or temporary... there are certain things that you should do now and for the rest of your life. Eat right and exercise. Find ways to eliminate stress and deal with the stresses you can't eliminate. Perhaps you can get enough control to safely eliminate diabetes meds and stay that way for a long time. Questions of whether you have diabetes or not seem very important to you now but in terms of what you should do, and keep doing, those questions and the answers (if you ever get them) make no difference.

[fgummett]

You'll find pretty much everyone here is only to glad to help and by the way Welcome to DF Candy! I'm pretty sure most of us can relate to denial when it comes to our D :)

It may be possible that medications you have taken or are on could have an effect on your BS but in my understanding someone who does not have D would not have a fasting BS as high as 174 mg/dl

[candy43]

Hey Keith,

Thanks for responding and you're right, doing all those good healthy things will help regardless. I am in denial. And I am still a little depressed but I'm coming out of it. And i see you have made huge progress with your A1C numbers. Kudos to you for doing that with no meds.

[candy43]

Hey Keith,

I replied to your post under Frank's message. Sorry and thanks.

[slipperyelm]

I don't think your diabetes is going to go away. Some drugs can temporarily make blood glucose go up and steroids are among them, but that does not mean that diabetes will be gone once you are off meds that also cause an increase. As for PCOS going away, well I've never heard of it going away. See if you initial A!c was 6.2, you already had elevated blood glucose.

Actually it looks like the metformin is probably helping you tremendously. You are lucky for that.

And no, The ground beef should not be able to make your blood glucose go that high. I would say whether a person is diabetic or not, ground beef should not do that. It was probably the carbohydrates in the taco shells and the sugar in the seasoning. I've noticed a lot of those commercial taco seasonings have sugar, corn starch, wheat starch--all things which contribute to blood glucose. Before you ate that meal, your blood sugar was also probably already high, so that eating taco shells & whatever only added more glucose on top of what was already there.

You might want to read that book and find out about what foods really contribute carbohydrates and therefore glucose. (I have not read the book, but I'm hoping that despite the name "SUGAR Busters," it does not make the assumption that things like white sugar and corn syrup are the real culprits.

Some people report they have more trouble controlling their blood glucose during specific incidents of stress, but it is not as though diabetes will go away when stress is relieved. Actually it is possible that you are one of those for whom stress makes little difference in blood glucose levels. I think it is supposed to be not the hard-life chronic kind of stress that makes BG control harder anyway, but more of the short-lived incidents of stress within a life of normal or high on-going stress. So like, maybe you feel as though you never get a break, your friends have betrayed you, your family has turned their backs on you, you can't afford a car so it takes you two hours to get to work, the school is bugging you to come volunteer on the playground once a month but you cannot leave your job to do that, and.... Well that is chronic stress. The specific stress would be something like--- You were at the boss stop and got robbed by a guy with a knife and you were of course really scared, then when the bus came they would not let you ride because you had no money and the driver rolled his eyes at you when you asked him to call the police because of the robbery. Meanwhile, this will make you late to pick up your child from daycare and you have to pay and extra $10 for every five minutes late. Now that is specific stress. (Sorry, I get carried away with story telling sometimes. :o)

Anyhow, glad to see the metformin really seems to be helping you. If you feel up to learning more about all this diabetes stuff, welcome to these forums. There is a lot you can learn from people who care and are in the same boat. People with many different kinds of experience, so there is bound to be some help for you here. :)

[candy43]

Thanks Frank. You are right. Denial is not just a river in Eygpt. I am in huge denial. I don't want this Diabeetus..I want to eat pie and not exercise every day..LOL....I guess I'm being a bit selfish..I have a lot to live for and I have to just accept it but its so hard.

[candy43]

Thanks so much Slippery for responding. Ya'll are great. I just need to admit, I have diabetes and stop looking for ways to prove I don't have it. My dad had it, type 2 late onset. My Mom's whole family practically is on insulin. My uncle died of kidney failure but not before they amputated his foot. Its in the family...I just hate pricking my fingers and I need to stop being such a big baby. Its just I hate the site of blood. That is why I never became a nurse, I love people but I hate the site of blood. Sorry to be so graphic and thanks so much again.

Candy

[moorejames]

I don't want to pile on here, but you were diabetic before you take any of those drugs. They certainly didn't help and might have sped you along on the curve of your disease, but you were well on the way already.

Check out the book "Diabetes, The First Year". I found it very helpful when I was diagnosed. Read the sections on not blaming yourself a couple of times....

[princesslinda]

Hi Candy, welcome to the forums. It is scary to get a diagnosis of diabetes, but you'll find from reading a lot of these posts that many do well with their diabetes management and lead a full and happy life, with just a few lifestyle modifications.

You mention being insulin resistant...may of us are as well. When you are insulin resistant, you are making lots and lots of insulin, but your body is not able to utilize it, so your beta cells just keep over-producing it. Lots of women who have PCOS are started on the metformin, as it does help with insulin resistance, making your body better use the insulin you are making and giving your beta cells a rest from their hard work. I've also read that many who have PCOS do go on to develop T2 diabetes.

Regarding your high readings being caused by eating donuts...or any other food for that matter, if you DO NOT have diabetes, your body would function normally and your blood sugars would go up a little immediately after eating but then come back down to normal quickly. My husband (not a diabetic) and I can go out to eat and he'll have many, many more carbs that I do...and i've tested him 2 hrs afterwards, and his #s are always MUCH lower than mine 2 hrs after the meal. As for the beef...protein is a good choice for diabetics who do not have kidney problems, as it digests more slowly, keeps us feeling full longer and generally doesn't cause a blood sugar spike.

I know prednisone can really cause elevation in blood sugar. I had a co-worker who developed steroid-induced diabetes. She went off the steroids, but still has to take meds for diabetes, as her numbers never went down to normal once the steroids were discontinued.

There's a great book you'll see recommended for newly diagnosed T2s, "The First Year, Type 2 Diabetes," by Gretchen Becker...get it, its a worthwhile read, answers many questions you'll have.

Look around, ask lots of questions, you'll learn a lot here.

[candy43]

Hey, can anyone please tell me how to get rid of the devil sign smiley?...Its not that I'm an angel but you know, don't need any more bad Karma....LOL...Thanks.

[princesslinda]

Candy, you sound a lot like me....I have a strong family history of T2 diabetes...my mom lost her leg from a non-healing sore and died of renal failure...so i've seen about every complication one can have from it. I am also a total wuss when it comes to needles or blood (my own anyway);) .

When I was diagnosed, I was sure my life was over. I felt so sorry for myself...and angry for a few days, then I realized that I couldn't change that I had diabetes, but I could take charge and do all I could to make sure my outcome was better than that of my mom and other family members i'd seen.

You should have seen me the first time I had to stick my finger...it was difficult for me...now, 18 months into diagnosis and 4-5 sticks a day...I can tell you its no big deal, you get used to it after the first couple of times. You just have to do it.

I found that regular testing helped me feel more in control. When you test 2 hrs after your first bite of food, you'll learn how different foods affect your blood sugar, and you'll be able to make smarter food choices. I kept a food journal when first diagnosed, where I wrote down every bite I put in my mouth the the corresponding blood sugars. In just a short while, I had a lot of good blood-sugar friendly choices.

You'll be fine.

BTW...your devil signs are gone ;) No more "bad karma>"

[fgummett]

No bad karma associated with it, so no worries Candy :D I think we can all do with a bit of attitude when dealing with the big D :- :hypocrite :T :)

[candy43]

Thanks James for responding. I'll check out that book. It kinda makes me sad that the Dr did not tell me a year ago when I had a 6.2, that I was on my way to "diabetes". When he told me insulin resistance, he didn't elaborate but I didn't ask either so I can't blame him. I thought he suggested sugar-busters as a weight loss book and I already had some of those, so I never bought it. Maybe that book would have post-poned it but I guess with my family history, may not have prevented it. I guess I just need to leave that behind and forge ahead.

[candy43]

Hey Princess Linda. I'm so sorry about your Mom. That must have been very hard on you. I guess we both have those memories of our loved ones to inspire us to do better. And, Yes, we do sound alike, even the princess part. LOL...well, I have been doing it wrong then...I test two hours after I finish my meal...thanks so much for the great tip and encouragement.
:-) and thanks for getting rid of that little devil for me. :-)

[candy43]

haha...Thanks Frank. :-) Ya'll are the best! I feel better. I really appreciate it.

Candy :-)

[Janlaton]

Welcome candy, Your name even fits! Sorry to say taking a medication may make the numbers go higher for a time but that is not normally the underlying cause of diabetes. Sometimes an illness may cause the pancreass to stop working and a person will be type 1 or to function so poorly that there is not enough insulin to control blood sugar ie type 2. So far there is no "cure" or reversal of this lovely disease.

The advise above is all good. If you have not spent time with a diabetic educator get your doctor to set up an appt for you. They can help you understand alot about carb counting and how the big "D" works.

Again keep reading and post often.:) Jan

[Petruchio]

Candy,

Try "Mind Games" as a way to accept the big D. For example:
* Modern Medical Science has proven what you have known all along . . . You are naturally a sweet gal.
* It is not a Diabetic Diet, it's a Live-it because you choose to live well.
* (My personal favorite) I do not test my Blood Glucose levels. I test my Blood Sugars. That way I can see if I am full of BS or if I have enough BS to get through the day. Some days my life is nothing but BS.(or so it seems) :D

There are lots of ways, if you think about it, to redefine Diabetes. When I was diagnosed the first week I was really depressed. Then I decided to not only accept it but embrace Diabetes as a part of me. I have taken charge of my BS control. I am learning how different foods effect my BS. I am discovering that I can eat most anything I desire. The trick is to watch amounts and to take a walk (or whatever) as needed.

[fgummett]

^^ Great Ideas :D

By the way Candy, the book mentioned above is the one in my signature below. I was diagnosed 5 years ago so I'm an old hand... know everything there is to know (NOT :D ) I only recently bought the book but have learned a great deal from it... especially the don't guilt yourself bits :)

I'd also recommend webs sites by David Mendosa... (http://www.mendosa.com/advice.htm) and Dr Ian Blumer... (http://www.ianblumer.com/)

Arm yourself with knowledge :D

[jerryn]

If you did not have diabetes your glucose would not have been 312 even after 2 jelly dougnuts. The endocrine system is a closed loop system, when it works your glucose would still be in the normal range, even after a jelly dougnut. For instance I tested my son 5 minutes after a meal with Barala penne pasta and chicken parmigan and a yodel + a glass of root beer, he was 109. my meal consisted of Dream Field Penne pasta and chicken parmigan + poland spring sparkling water with a lime I tested myself 5 minutes after I ate, I was a 210. 2Hrs after we ate i tested my son, he was 98 I was 148.

There's no doubt that you have Insulin Resistance. An A1C of 6.9 also shows you have type II coming on. The good thing is that it's a manageable disease. Just don't eat any more dougnuts.

If you didn't have the D your fasting glucose numbers would be around 80-98 with no matter what you ate. The 176 fasting number is more than likely because of the same problem that I have. My liver dumps glucose into my blood when I wake up in the morning, this is normal it's part of the wakeup cocktail that our body secretes to wake us up. the not normal issue is the amount of glucose I get. I'm around 178 or so when I wake up and due to the low carbs I eat and the metformin and bayetta plus excercise the glucose drops to a normal number by 2:00pm. Stress tends to make diabetes worse so try to enjoy life.

[Holly]

Your post of all the stressors in your life made me tired just reading it. You've had more than your share of things to deal with. It would be abnormal not to have some denial. I'm a nurse and still had a higher degree of denial than I would have expected of myself as a health care provider. It took me a long time to come to terms with even checking this forum - now it is one of the first places I surf. Now I find everyone so helpful and supportive here. I'm still in the learning stages so can't contribute much to the advice aspect yet. In my 30plus years of nursing - I didn't have much experience with diabetics.

[Kim_in_TN]

I'm sorry you have had so much to deal with but I guess it was a "blessing in disguise" that you found out now instead of later about your Diabetes. I had double pneumonia a few years ago (before diagnosis of D) and was in the hospital for 13 days. I was on heavy steroids so the nurses were checking my BG. One of them asked me, "are you taking anything for your diabetes?" I said, "my WHAT?" They began giving me insulin shots in my belly. No one had ever diagnosed me with diabetes before then. Afterwards, no one ever said another thing about it. This was after my ex-primary physician had gotten a high test result on me and brushed it off because I had just eaten fast food. So from what others have told you, "normal" non-diabetics should still be in a low range even after eating something high in carbs!

So your questions have also helped answer some of mine and others as well! This forum is great about that, hope you will stick around! (no pun intended) ;)

[jacobsam622]

Hello,

A year ago, I had a A1C of 6.2 and was told that I was insulin resistant but did not get a diagnosis of diabetes...The doctor just said, You are insulin resistant, get this book called Sugar busters and that was it. I should have asked more questions now I think about it, but I didn't.



Hi Candy welcome to the forum. I was diagnosed while my wife was pregnant with twins over 4 years ago if I can survive that year then anything is possible. I have read the Sugar busters book and was a skeptic at first but it really works. I took four semesters of chemistry in college before changing my major to computers so the part about fruit makes no since to me



My doctor recommended it as well. I Knew I had the dig D several months before my wife got pregnant but was losing weight like crazy. I had the tiger by the tail and didn't want to let go. 8 months ago my meds just stopped working I had make major changes in my life style and up the meds a great deal to get my numbers down.
This is how I get through this first I make sure I get lots of hugs and kisses from my twins (3 1/2 year old boys)

If I eat something that makes my bg go up high I exercise as long as the bg reading is below 275. Hide and seek with the boys does the trick:D

I Test: Mornings and before driving, 2 hours after meals and before bed.

My bg goals
Morning below 130 -----------------------ideal around 95 - 110
2 hours after meals below 140 ---------ideal below 120
Before bed below 140--------------------ideal 120 to 130
I Never go to bed with bg below a 100 when I wake up my bg will be =>130.
As I gain more control the numbers should get tighter.

To determine carbs I subtract fiber from the total carbs. I also subtract artificial sweeteners.

Some Fats are good we need them for healthy cholesterol. Mono and poly are good.
Trans fat and saturated fat are bad.

Low fat foods are not good for type 2 diabetes because they replace fat with sugars

Foods I can eat;

Meat = Beef, chicken, fish broiled or baked, eggs, hot-dogs(all beef), Hamburgers, and Lamb,

Nuts - most nuts are low in carbs, peanuts, walnuts, and almonds any that have total carbs of less then 10g. I eat cashews at bed time

spreads I buy no sugar added jelly or I buy one of several reduced sugar brands , no sugar added Peanut butter – good for cholesterol

vegetables = Small kernel corn on the cob 1 ear per meal. I eat lots of Green beans it raises good cholesterol. I can eat squash, zucchini, celery, Tomato. Green peppers, pickles (half sours)
cucumbers

Sugar free ice cream or no sugar added, sugar free jell-o

Chocolate that has a cocoa % >= 60% or low carb chocolate

Breads = whole grain or low carb whole grain. I try to find bread that has less then 7 grams of carbs per slice. Pepperidge farms has several brands in the 5g per slice range.

Pasta = whole grain: “Dreamfields”, Another good brand is “Barilla Plus” whole grain pasta the penne pasta is pretty good.

Rice = brown rice, wild rice

sodas = diet only

* Avoid high carb food any anything with a lot of refined sugar or white flour

* Fruit = I Limit the amount of fruit I eat because they all have a lots of sugar and I have acid reflux brought on by the high sugar content in the stomach due to 9 months of bgs over 500. The moral of the story never grab a tiger by the tail:eek:

[EllieK]

Candy,
You have taken the biggest and hardest step already.
Diabetes may not go away but you can rise beyond it.
It is a chronic problem but not who you are.

I was shocked when I was diagnosed. I have no family history, I was always active and ate well. Talk about crash course in the medical world. I started doing my own research as I had to fire the doctor I had at the time.

the biggest help in the beginning was my journal. I wrote down everything that went in my mouth (meds and food), tracked my sugars and watched for patterns.
When to take a blood sugar reading:
Fasting - when you first wake up
2 hrs after each meal
before bed

you can add pre meal reading if you want to.

you start to learn which foods work for you and which don't.

Just take one day at a time, find a few minutes for yourself.
find a doctor who will listen to you - not just give you a book.
You have taken a huge step to a much healthier you.
May peace and love find your journey.
E

[candy43]

Hi Jan and thanks so much for responding.:) Yes, my name is fitting isn't it? I hope don't tempt anyone with my sweet name :) ...jk, jk...its funny, candy is not that much of a temptation for me. For me to even eat it, it has to be exceptionally good and even then I don't want that much.

On the other hand there is carbs!!!!....I realize now, I've been eating far too many....I've had a sort of love affair with carbs. I found this out the hard way when I ate some regular angel hair pasta and tested two hours later and I was at 174...that was after three weeks on metformin. Pasta seems to be the thing that sets me higher than anything so far...except for taco shells and seasoning!!!

[QUOTE= Sometimes an illness may cause the pancreass to stop working and a person will be type 1 or to function so poorly that there is not enough insulin to control blood sugar ie type 2.

Since that pneumonia I had was pretty bad, that may have been the case with me, not sure. I guess what I'm realizing is if I didn't have diabetic tendencies or wait HAVE DIABETES...there, I said it..:-) my numbers probably would not have gone that high to begin with. At least that is what I'm understanding.

[candy43]

Hi Petruchio, LOL..thanks so much for responding. hahaha, your post cheered me up and made me laugh...I needed that, thank you. :-) well, that is a good attitude to have....I'm still bummed but I'm trying to rise above. A lot of folks have it a lot worse. At least we can do something about this illness.
I guess I worry so much when I have a reading like the 174 from the pasta if I have already done damage to my kidneys. My albumin was ok when the doctor checked it but not sure how many times you can go high without it effecting your organs and that is so scary...anyways, I'll hang in there...:-)

[candy43]

Frank, Thanks so much for those links and book suggestions and to all who have recommended books, thank you...I need to read more and eat carbs less!!!!!! :)

[candy43]

Jerry, Thanks so much for responding...:)
Quote "If you did not have diabetes your glucose would not have been 312 even after 2 jelly doughnuts"....I know you are right...I guess I kept telling myself it must be the pneumonia and all the stress and other meds but I just have to accept that refined carbs are not the way to go. I could probably do w/o the donuts...I'm going to miss my pasta...I used it a lot since my daughter likes it too...and with the gas prices being sky-high it was a economical meal...but I'm going to have to make some sacrifices to eat better...Thanks again for your support.

[candy43]

Holly...thanks so much for your encouraging post...ya'll are all so sweet...yes, I seemed bound and determined to blame it on the prednisone...so many I've heard of have become diabetic but most of them on it a lot longer than me...I was on it four days...there is so much to learn and the doctors don't even know everything yet...which I guess shocked me...I wish there was something I could go on to stop the bleeding besides the norethindrone...the doc said said, the only other thing was to have a hysterectomy...my Mom had one of those and I don't want one!!! I might have to check with another doc...not sure if norethindrone is HRT or ERT but I know its not good for the heart or breasts either...may cause heart trouble or breast cancer if on for a longer time.
Thanks again. :)

[candy43]

Jerry, I meant to ask you...do the spikes worry you??...I mean when you get a 210 from pasta or wake up in the 170's...is that effecting our kidneys???...sorry to be so dense...I just don't understand how these big numbers we have could be good and waking up with a big number can't be helped. You say you go normal around 2 but how about those numbers over 150, r they doing damage to us?

[candy43]

Hi Kim, you are right...it was a blessing..:) it is helping me take better care of myself...I mean i'm 43, young enough that I can do something about it hopefully. My albumin is ok so from what I've read, studies show that 70 percent of kidney-related diabetic problems can be detected by albumin and other factors...the scary part is the other 30 percent of people that get kidney problems but had no clue...
this effects the eyes, the feet, the kidneys, the heart...and other things so very scary...but I do believe...so sorry you and I had pretty much the same experience in the hospital...I didn't get the shots in the belly but that is pretty much where I was diagnosed too...I wish they would come up with something other than prednisone to treat illnesses but I guess, sometimes that is the only thing available and pneumonia can kill too so they did the best they could...Take care and look forward to talking to you more. :) Candy

[candy43]

Jacob..thank you so much for responding. I really appreciate that food list too..it is so so hard to know what to eat...I will try some of your foods and test and see if I get good results like you...well, did your doctor say when you get up high in the 200's that it is damaging to the kidneys or is it the overall A1C average that matters? I guess that is what is freaking me out..just feeling like every day i need to meet this number goal or I could possibly get kidney failure one day...
You sound like such a great dad to your twins!!! They are lucky to have you. Thanks for your info and I will probably read the sugar busters book...what were you saying about the fruit? :)

[candy43]

Ellie..thank you so much for responding. I will try the journal method...it takes a lot of discipline but I am ready!!! i have a lot to live for...so far I've found that pasta and taco shells and seasonings really hit me hard!! but I'm am going to try those brands that others here recommend for pasta...just hope they are not too expensive...I wish you peace and love as well. :) Candy

[princesslinda]

Candy, its the prolonged high numbers that do a lot of damage to our eyes, kidneys, etc. Also, you just feel better when your numbers are closer to normal.

When diagnosed, my doc gave me a goal of 110 or less for my fasting #s, 140 or less for post meal #s and 110 or less for random checks.

[candy43]

Good Morning Princess Linda, How are you :)

Ok...so "prolonged" meaning if I kept having those numbers for weeks..not day or two, here or there....ie..before I was diagnosed and on Met, I probably did have those number for weeks b/c I ate a lot of pasta and carbs....but all I can do now, is go forward and forget what is behind...I'll have that yearly kidney albumin test too...does it pay when spiking to exercise to get the number down lower or has the damage already been done?

[princesslinda]

You shouldn't exercise if you're really high (over 250), as it can cause you to spill ketones in your urine, otherwise, it does help bring your #s down.

I find if I exercise in the evenings, my fasting #s are lower the next morning. Also, when i'm going to have a meal with more carbs than I usually eat, i'll make sure to be more active before and after that particular meal (this is usually a weekend meal, when we eat out, and I'm always more active on the weekends when not at work).

My doctor does the microalbumin test annually at the time of my physical.

Don't worry about what your numbers may have been in the past...my A1C was 9.6 at diagnosis, so I was probably around 300 several times that I didn't know of. Can't change the past, just do the best you can to make sure your #s stay as close to normal as you can now.

That's why the 2 hr after first bite testing is so important...you'll find which foods cause you to spike...and if you decide to have that food, you'll know to do more exercise/activities before having it.

[Hammer]

Hello Candy. I see you're concerned about damage to your body if you have high numbers. I know everyone is different, but in my case, I was diagnosed about 6 years ago. I shrugged if off and did nothing about it.

This past January, I decided that I'd start doing something about it because I felt my stomach problems were related to my diabetes. (I was right). When the doctor gave me a blood glucose meter, my numbers were anywhere from 375 to over 500. I have no idea how long they were that high, but even if they were just around 300, that means that I've been really high for 6 years. I've recently had some tests done, and my kidneys, liver, eyes, etc. were all fine. Having high numbers for that long hasn't done anything to me yet, so the odds are that with numbers like yours, you're still okay. Again, everyone is different and my body might have handled the high numbers better than yours, but as a reference, you can see that numbers like yours aren't really in the extreme range, so hopefully no serious damage has been done.;)

[candy43]

Hi Hammer, Thank you so much for responding. I'm so glad that you were fine. Yes, it does worry me, I guess more so because my uncle had his foot amputated and died shortly thereafter but he was in his seventies and he was a type 1...not sure if that made it worse or not. Anyways, thank you for the encouragement. It pays to keep a positive attitude with this disease. I find myself, going high, then low, then high and I'm talking about my moods, not my numbers!!! haha
but thankfully, every day is a new day. Have a super weekend.

Candy :)

[candy43]

Hi Princess Linda, You do like me calling you that or do you prefer Linda? :)You have taught me so much in two days and I am so thankful to you. I had no idea I couldn't exercise if I went above 250 because of the ketones...well, I haven't been 250 that I know of since the donut episode in the hospital but I know I didn't exercise then b/c I had a hard enough time breathing...rofl...I hope you have a wonderful weekend and talk to you soon.

Candy

[candy43]

Hammer,

Can I ask something? During that six years that you said that you did nothing, were you active...I mean did you work out or play ball or anything? Just curious if that may have helped you.

Candy

[Staceyy]

My dh developed drug induced diabetes. He takes meds now but he never spikes. His doctor said she will monitor him for another 6 months and might decide to take him off. You might want to ask your doctor if this could be an option for you.

Stacey
The Diabetic Pastry Chef (http://www.diabeticpastrychef.com)

[candy43]

Hey Stacey,

Thanks for the tip. :) So far I have spiked three times after pasta, donuts and tacos but I will mention this to my doc. It is my understanding that if I wasn't diabetic, I would never spike at all but always stay under 100 I think they said. Did your dh's doctor say that he still has diabetes but will take him off the medicine if he gets it in control? or is the doc saying that like gestational diabetes, this is something that could go completely away for him? so sorry..I don't mean to be dense...its so confusing... I guess that is one thing I don't understand. If diabetes in pregnancy goes away after labor is induced, you would thing that drug-induced diabetes would go away after the drugs stopped. The thing is I have it on both sides of my family so regardless, I need to accept that I probably have it. I found it funny that the doc only took one fasting glucose though since the ADA recommends three for diagnosis according to my paper. And I didn't have the test where you drink or eat anything and wait two hours either. Thanks for the link too. :) What a great idea!!!!

[Hammer]

You shouldn't exercise if you're really high (over 250), as it can cause you to spill ketones in your urine, otherwise, it does help bring your #s down.



I'm curious about that comment Linda. It's always been my understanding that ketones are released into your body as a byproduct of breaking down the fat on your body. That is, if you diet and exercise, and if you don't eat enough carbs to provide you with the energy that you need to exercise, then your body will use the stored fat on your body to provide the needed energy. When it breaks down the stored fat, ketones are released during this process.

If you exercise while your BG levels is over 250, why would that cause ketones to be released into your system? I don't see how having a BG over 250 would require your body to need to resort to breaking down your stored fat to give you energy, so ketones shouldn't be released. Is my understanding wrong? I've been lead to believe this for a long time, so I can't remember where I read this. If I've been wrong, I'd like to change my ideas on this so that I understand the processes that are involved and how they work.

I read about this many years ago when I was experimenting with a protein only diet. I remember reading that eating only protein will cause your body to breakdown the stored fat to give you energy, since protein doesn't provide energy. The diet warned that staying on a protein only diet was dangerous since breaking down your body's fat released ketones, and releasing too much ketone can result in ketosis which can be fatal.

Again, if I'm wrong about this, I'd like to change my way of thinking and get it right.:)