Very ignorant to my diabetes..HELP!!!!!

[CarlyElise]

I know my diabetes has done a number on my body already. My primary care Doctor never made a big deal out of it, so I didn't. After a year with this doctor, I have now seen his "God syndrome." So, I have finally ventured off on my own to find an Endocrinologist. I do have the number of one, I have to call on Monday. I have sooooo many questions. I'm alreday on strong pain meds for the nueropathy, fibroidmyalgia, osteoporosis, rhuemetoid arthritis, and all of the nerve damage I have in all over my body. But, it seems to be getting worse. I am waking up every morning with incredible stiffness and pain in both legs. I'm OK after a few minutes, but has anyone experienced this? :confused: I have severe neuropathy in my left leg from the knee to my toes. After 14 weeks of intense therapy I was able to walk again, regarless of what my Doctor said. I have very little range of movement in the foot, but I can walk, not for long periods of time, but I can do it. I would not let them amputate my leg, and proved to them I didn't need amputation. I'm only 34 years old, geez. This thing with my legs is new and again, I wonder if anyone else has had this happen? It's really scaring me. I already have very significant heart damage, all my glands are failing, I'm gaining about 15-20 pounds a month weight, regardless of what I eat and I never in my life had a weight issue. I was always 120 lbs or less. I don't know what ANY of this means, and my Doctor won't explain of it to me. PLEASE HELP!!!! :afraid:
Carly

[KickStart101]

I'm sorry Carly, I wrote a whole page to you which i was almost finished when a pop-up page appeared and when I got rid of it, my whole page to you disappeared. I'm sorry. I may begin yours again later. Since I am still here you may have osteoporosous and Fibromyalgia but I don't think you have
Rheumatoid Arthritis. You wouldn't want to get outta bed and if you managed with help, it would take you a couple of hours to feel better by moving around not a few minutes like you said. Yours may be the Fibro or Osteo, I don't know about those. I'm sure they are not a thrill either for sure.

[ADE]

Hi Carly,
The first thing you should do is to calm down. The stress can only worsen the symptoms. Second, you need to do your best to lower your glucose level by eating correct diet and do some exercise if you can. To find the correct diet, you need to use your meter and test alot. You might want to reduce your intake of the carb (potato, rice, pasta, bread, etc.) and test 1 or 2 hours after eating. You might also start reading some book such as; 'Diabetese solution' by Dr. Richard K. Bernstein, 'My first year' by Gretchen Becker. I believe in one of that book, it mentioned about taking 'Evening Primerose Oil' and 'Alpha Lipoic Acid' supplement. But you need to read more about these supplements and do some research because I have no knowledge on Medical. I do take them to maintain my glucose level. You might also do some reseach about the advantage of taking 'Apple Cider Vinegar' and 'Cinamon' for diabetes. I'm taking 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar prior to each meal and I also take my morning coffee mixed with 1 teaspoon of cinamon powder. All theses supplements are not magic, however I can testify the benefit of eating lowcarb diet and exercise. I hope you can feel better soon. Please start taking the necessary steps to a healthy lifestyle and use your meter to guide you with your diet menu. When your meter jump, then you know that you should cut down on that dishes. Take care.

[carol]

Hi Carly,

I'm sorry to hear that you are feeling so bad. You didn't mention if you have been on any meds for your diabetes. The reason I am mentioning that is that I had been suffering with exteme muscle pain, I thought possibly fibromyalgia, but when I had to go off my Actos and Glucotrol XL for a few weeks, my muscle pain disappeared. I feel like a different person, I have energy now, just like I used to, no more muscle pain or weakness and no depression. I also gained more than 70 lbs in the last 7 years. My doctor didn't think it was the meds, but when I called the pharmacy, she told me that a small percentage (3%) experienced these problems. Well, I guess I am in that 3%. My point being, meds can cause all kind of side effects.

If you have not been on meds, then an endo probably is your best bet. I noticed that you live in Florida. I also live in Florida (Wesley Chapel).

Take care and don't give up hope!
Carol

[Cinnabon]

Hey there Carly...
Sorry to hear all your troubles. The only way you can get anywhere at this point is finding that Endo. An Endo that is willing to work with you. It wont be easy at first if your diabetes is so brittle but he will get you on the right track. I wish you all the best, but I strongly suggest to focus on getting that Endo.

[am1977]

Carly,

That must be very difficult to live with all those health issues :nurse: ...I know that must be a struggle for you everyday. I'm sorry that you have to deal with all those things. Saying that, I want to acknowledge how strong you are . You have to be to go through each day trying to manage everything. So good for you :top: .

I think it's fair to say that everyone could stand to improve some way in how they take care of themself. No one is perfect. I applaud :congrats:you in stepping up and realizing that there are things that could use improvement. I think a lot of people live in denial, pretending that their problems don't exist bc they aren't easy to think about or manage :ahhhhh:. I include myself saying this, I think sometimes I prefer to live in la la land :1eye: than deal with some things. I guess that's human nature. Now that you realize that things need to change, you need to find medical professionals who can help you get on the right path. Doing it on your own is way too hard and I'm not sure how many people can do it on their own. From there, things should be easier. Plus, don't forget, you have us supporting you and behind you in every step. :creep:

Take care!

[Cielo]

Hi Carly,
The first thing you should do is to calm down. The stress can only worsen the symptoms. Second, you need to do your best to lower your glucose level by eating correct diet and do some exercise if you can. To find the correct diet, you need to use your meter and test alot. You might want to reduce your intake of the carb (potato, rice, pasta, bread, etc.) and test 1 or 2 hours after eating. You might also start reading some book such as; 'Diabetese solution' by Dr. Richard K. Bernstein, 'My first year' by Gretchen Becker. I believe in one of that book, it mentioned about taking 'Evening Primerose Oil' and 'Alpha Lipoic Acid' supplement. But you need to read more about these supplements and do some research because I have no knowledge on Medical. I do take them to maintain my glucose level. You might also do some reseach about the advantage of taking 'Apple Cider Vinegar' and 'Cinamon' for diabetes. I'm taking 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar prior to each meal and I also take my morning coffee mixed with 1 teaspoon of cinamon powder. All theses supplements are not magic, however I can testify the benefit of eating lowcarb diet and exercise. I hope you can feel better soon. Please start taking the necessary steps to a healthy lifestyle and use your meter to guide you with your diet menu. When your meter jump, then you know that you should cut down on that dishes. Take care.

What do cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, evening primrose oil and alpha lipoic acid do for diabetes??

[ADE]

Hi Cielo,
If you google on the benefit of vinegar, cinamon, and diabetes, you will find many studies done on them. The vinegar showed benefits in reducing overall glucose level, cholesterol, weight, and blood pressure. The cinamon, too, showed some benefit for diabetes ( but for cinamon, some said it lowered, others said it raised, and otheres said no effect). These two supplements are common things in our kitchen that we can experiment on our own without breaking our bank account.

The evening primerose oil and alpha lipoic acid things are the supplements for people who are having diabetic nuropathy. According to the book 'Diabetic Solution' by Dr. Richard K. Bernstein, taking evening primerose oil will help with the neuropathy condition. You can also read about these supplement at the 'Mendosa.com' and other websites to learn about them.

However, I'm taking these supplements only as precaution and not as remedies. I always encourage friends who are diabetic to eat low carb and exercise. I've managed to lower my glucose level with diet and exercise first prior to taking any supplements. The supplement are there for me to strenghten my body and to make what might be lacking in my diet. Again, I would like to state that I have no medical background at all. All things I talked about came from what I read in the books and newsgroups. Most of them are YMMV thing (Your Mileage May Vary). I would discuss everything that you're planning to do with your doctor first for his/her approval. Please don't go to those herbal stores or those fancy supplement suppliers and spend the hefty price, I got mine very cheap from Costco, Trader's Joe, Rainbow market, and any cheap supermarket stores. Take care.