[Will]

Originally Posted by duck

Will, I don't care if you use pot.

I'm less concerned about your pot use than your statement that Jedi also touched upon that diabetes is ruining your college experience, and from everything else you stated, your life. Your A1c sounds great, but if you feel your diabetes is ruining your life, then there is more we need to look at, like why the **** your pump is detaching in the middle of the night...In five years of pumping, I have never had that problem through two different pumps and four different insertion sets. Also, we're all different, but when I have major highs or lows, once the correction is affected, I'm able to function pretty well, if not even before my correction is done. Let's figure this stuff out.

Oh, and you're beginning to realize your life is not your own. Just accept it, the longer you fight it the harder it is when you finally accept it.

I have been on a pump for a long time, more than 10 years. I know how to do it right. One thing that is hard are hormone changes and basel rates. My body has never remained the same, so it is a constant struggle to keep ahead of it.

I remember what normal feels like. I know what it felt like before I was sick, before I was diagnosed. I feel every change in my bg. Sometimes I feel like my blood sugar is high even when it has been a steady 90 all day. When I wake up in the morning I feel like by BG is low, but it isnt.

Many times, even if my BG is normal, it will feel like its high or dropping. Sometimes it helps to do some insulin and eat something, like some milk or a piece of bread, just to give my cells some glucose to munch on. That seems to help but it takes time. I cant read my computor or a schoolbook when I feel like that, its like my comprehension is at 20%, with a normal, stable BG.

Any thoughts? I am going to yet another new endo in a few weeks, he is a professor at UF teaching endocrinology. Its hard to find an endo that understands Type 1 and insulin pumps better than I do.

[DeusXM]

I remember what normal feels like. I know what it felt like before I was sick, before I was diagnosed. I feel every change in my bg. Sometimes I feel like my blood sugar is high even when it has been a steady 90 all day. When I wake up in the morning I feel like by BG is low, but it isnt.

If this is the case then I would strongly suggest the problem isn't diabetes at all. If your BGs are constantly normal, then diabetes is eliminated out of the equation. Potentially there may be an underlying problem which you haven't had diagnosed.

Trouble reading and comprehending at normal BGs is indicative of a lot of different things. Especially if you find that cannabis helps. I would strongly suggest you see an endocrinologist and explain your problems. Then once they've eliminate diabetes from the list, you should see about having tests carried out for other conditions. Especially for multiple sclerosis.

[ticklebug]

I agree the Diabetes shouldn't and can't be blamed for everything.

[DeusXM]

Incidentally, cannabis has the effect of making your blood sugar feel like it's dropping (through the low blood pressure it causes), can actually drop your blood sugar, oh, and can affect your concentration.

[KickStart101]

Yes Will, if your sugars are in decent range then it shouldn't
effect your focus or concentraton. I had top mark Friends, mid
and lower grade Friends. My marks were mid to above but never
tops. Of course, you may know it was not the higher Graders that
were doing any drugs, smoking or pot.

I have to agree that marijuana and OxyContin are worlds apart
since Oxy is a very strong narcotic similar to morphine and the
chemical can kill you. Whereas, marijuana seems to mellow the
brain and just make you happy, comical and hungry in most people
as long as it is not licked with some other chemical. Alcohol is
definitely worst than maijuana. The 2 mixed is very bad.

Surprise, everyone is different so it seems. I know one of my Son's
best Friends Father grows marijuana on his farm so of course my Son's
Friend smokes it. I was surprised to see that he got the second highest
marks in their Accounting course. So that means that he was an exceptional
child and went down with the marijuana or the marijuana helps his
thinking process or it didn't effect him at all. And he smokes it often.

I don't agree with drugs at all since they all have side effects but I need them
to stay alive and be able to move. I would prefer a more natural
drug for pain, etc., like marijuana assuming the Governments don't mess
it up or no other chemicals are added to it.

Your only 20, your lungs can't be in that bad shape, can they? Don't smoke.

[Will]

Originally Posted by KickStart101

Yes Will, if your sugars are in decent range then it shouldn't
effect your focus or concentraton. I had top mark Friends, mid
and lower grade Friends. My marks were mid to above but never
tops. Of course, you may know it was not the higher Graders that
were doing any drugs, smoking or pot.

I have to agree that marijuana and OxyContin are worlds apart
since Oxy is a very strong narcotic similar to morphine and the
chemical can kill you. Whereas, marijuana seems to mellow the
brain and just make you happy, comical and hungry in most people
as long as it is not licked with some other chemical. Alcohol is
definitely worst than maijuana. The 2 mixed is very bad.

Surprise, everyone is different so it seems. I know one of my Son's
best Friends Father grows marijuana on his farm so of course my Son's
Friend smokes it. I was surprised to see that he got the second highest
marks in their Accounting course. So that means that he was an exceptional
child and went down with the marijuana or the marijuana helps his
thinking process or it didn't effect him at all. And he smokes it often.

I don't agree with drugs at all since they all have side effects but I need them
to stay alive and be able to move. I would prefer a more natural
drug for pain, etc., like marijuana assuming the Governments don't mess
it up or no other chemicals are added to it.

Your only 20, your lungs can't be in that bad shape, can they? Don't smoke.

Its not just concentration, its that feeling. When my blood sugar is changing I have always felt my heart pound in my chest, clammy sticky skin, general discomfort, ect. This is how I feel, for example last night when I was trying to go to sleep, my BG was 115 but I felt like ****. An hour later I still felt like my BG was dropping, but it was still exactly 115. I was up until 5am feeling like my BG was dropping, but it stayed the same the whole time.

This is how I may feel during class, or while writing a paper. It has never stopped me from doing well, but like I said, it is hard and it takes me longer to write papers and study. Sometimes I miss homework assignments, ect. I graduated from high school with a 4.0 and a scholarship, but I was not able to keep the scholarship because I could not handle a full schedule of 12+ credit hours at a time.

I don’t ever drink alcohol, I don’t like the stuff, or what it does to my BG, or how it makes me feel.

Like I said, I am going to see a new Endo, he is supposed to be very good, he teaches at the University of Florida. I am moving to Gainesville to go to school there anyway, the healthcare in South Florida is nothing short of pathetic. I had a FANTASTIC Endo, but she was pediatric, so for the last 1.5 years I have been trying to find a new one, but most don’t even have a clue how to use an insulin pump.

[ticklebug]

I'm no doctor, but I honestly think there's something else going on there. Well, not like you haven't noticed that, yourself.

Good luck with the new Endo!

[Will]

Originally Posted by DeusXM

Incidentally, cannabis has the effect of making your blood sugar feel like it's dropping (through the low blood pressure it causes), can actually drop your blood sugar, oh, and can affect your concentration.

it does make my BG drop I think, but only if I smoke a lot. A glass Gatorade or something while I am smoking is usually enough to negate that effect. If anything, marijuana helps my concentration, except in math.

[Will]

Originally Posted by ticklebug

I'm no doctor, but I honestly think there's something else going on there. Well, not like you haven't noticed that, yourself.

Good luck with the new Endo!

Thanks, I know I will figure it out. I had better, I am taking 12 credit hours this fall.

Sometimes I think that it has to do with Humalog insulin, I should switch to Regular for a while and see how I feel.... I just dont want to wait 45 minutes to eat.

[JediSkipdogg]

Originally Posted by Will

Sometimes I think that it has to do with Humalog insulin, I should switch to Regular for a while and see how I feel.... I just dont want to wait 45 minutes to eat.

Didn't you mention you were on a pump? If so you can't use R in a pump. You can try Novolog though, which is equal to Humalog.

Personally, if you are running 115 and having trouble sleeping because of a pounding in your chest you have something else totally wrong with you and you should seek a doctor immediately. You could have some other chronic condition going on and letting it go is only making it worse.

Also, you say marijuana doesn't make your BG drop alot, but drinking gatorade brings it back up. Last I checked Gatorade is LOADED with sugar carbs, therefore even a small glass raises the BG alot. THat means that the marijuana is dropping your BG alot.

That's all just my 2 cents for now.

[Will]

Originally Posted by JediSkipdogg

Didn't you mention you were on a pump? If so you can't use R in a pump. You can try Novolog though, which is equal to Humalog.

Personally, if you are running 115 and having trouble sleeping because of a pounding in your chest you have something else totally wrong with you and you should seek a doctor immediately. You could have some other chronic condition going on and letting it go is only making it worse.

Also, you say marijuana doesn't make your BG drop alot, but drinking gatorade brings it back up. Last I checked Gatorade is LOADED with sugar carbs, therefore even a small glass raises the BG alot. THat means that the marijuana is dropping your BG alot.

That's all just my 2 cents for now.

What are you talking about? I used R in a pump for around 5 years.

Gatorade only has 15g of carbs per 8oz. You can compare that to milk at 13g of carbs per 8oz. Gatorade also contains glucose, so it works more quickly than milk.

[DeusXM]

The simple fact that Gatorade is used as a hypo treatment should tell you it's not suitable for regular use. Regular consumption of Gatorade is indicative of a problem.

[Cyborg]

IMO, the worse part about marijuana is the munchies... Kinda counter-productive for a diabetic.

[DeusXM]

The munchies are just hypoglycaemia. That's the great thing about hypos - you get all the negative symptoms of being drunk and stoned and none of the positives.

[duck]

Hey Jedi,

I checked into it, and R can be used in a pump, it's just that 'best practices' recommend Novolog (and now Humalog as well) since they are faster and linger less than R.

Will, besides what has been suggested, something else you may want to check into is getting on any of the Constant Glucose Monitors that are available/coming available. MiniMed has their CGMS, jen_slc has just completed a run with Dexcom. My thinking is getting the feedback from one of these things may allow some additional insight into what is going on "behind the scenes."

I've had that feeling of being low when I am not, and not being able to concentrate. A very annoying situation to say the least. Something else to keep in mind: someone here on this forum once said that they could literally make themselves go low by "concentrating" too hard...ie, the brain uses glucose as its only fuel, and by thinking hard enough, they were using up their glucose stores. My theory with you is that there is some kind of disconnect between your actual bloodsugar levels and what your brain thinks there are, and your brain is then requesting more fuel, whether or not it needs it. Now, how to prove/disprove that, I have no earthly idea.