[Rascal1]

Hi,

I've been type 2 for 5 years. I've spent considerable effort finding foods which do not spike my blood sugar. Now I've been diagnosed with calcium phosphate kidney stones and severe hyperoxaluria. My urologist suggested I go on a low oxalate diet. No nuts, berries, whole grains, buckwheat, dark green vegetables or even vegetables with color, chocolate, etc.

The problem is these are the only foods that don't spike my blood sugar. I depend on a low-carb diet with nuts, berries, whole grains and vitamin-rich vegetables to control my diabetes. I'm also a very active cyclist and weight lifter. My body fat is below 10%.

They want me to eat things like white bread, mayonnaise, white rice, potatoes, pasta, coke/pepsi, high-sugar fruits and juices, etc. Even brown rice causes severe spikes for me, let alone white rice, which sends my blood sugar into the stratosphere. Apple and grape juice are just as bad.

Almost everything on the low oxalate list has a severe effects on my blood sugar. These are mostly things I would never eat. I can't possible live on what's left, white cabbage, onions, cauliflower, mushrooms and avocados.

This is all so very confusing, everything I know is now wrong.
A healthy diabetes diet and a low oxalate diet are mutually exclusive for me I just don't know what to do.

My doctor at the diabetes clinic is sending me to an Endocrinologist.

 

[jojeti]

My son who suffers from kidney stones and some of his has been the kind you have and others have been other kinds (btw, he has passed over 40 stones in the past 6 years and he just turned 18) was put on the low oxalate diet and we did not see any improvement with it. If I had to chose between the two, I would stick with what works for you bgl. Perhaps a compromise would be a low oxalate diet with bolus insulin to cover the carbs?

BTW, onions are pretty high in carbs...LOL...you may want to take them off your list.

 

[Shanny]

Hello Rascal . . . have they put you on any meds for this? After I passed a coupla calcium oxalate stones, I was put on a mild diuretic (HCTZ) & I've been taking it for about 14 years now - haven't had any more stones since.

I don't eat a severely low oxalate diet, but I do keep in mind some of the higher-oxalate foods to limit, because I also take meds for gout, which is mixed up in the equation too. There are a few foods like spinach, sweet potatoes, strawberries & almonds that I have to be careful & not go hogwild, but others are just no problem because - like soy or anything with grains - I just don't eat ANY of it.

I think your endocrinologist & your urologist need to be consulting on this . . . they can't just leave you hanging out here to flap around in the wind. Rattle their cages for some help with this issue - it won't hurt 'em a bit.

 

[jojeti]

Hello Rascal . . . have they put you on any meds for this? After I passed a coupla calcium oxalate stones, I was put on a mild diuretic (HCTZ) & I've been taking it for about 14 years now - haven't had any more stones since.

I don't eat a severely low oxalate diet, but I do keep in mind some of the higher-oxalate foods to limit, because I also take meds for gout, which is mixed up in the equation too. There are a few foods like spinach, sweet potatoes, strawberries & almonds that I have to be careful & not go hogwild, but others are just no problem because - like soy or anything with grains - I just don't eat ANY of it.

I think your endocrinologist & your urologist need to be consulting on this . . . they can't just leave you hanging out here to flap around in the wind. Rattle their cages for some help with this issue - it won't hurt 'em a bit.

I should add that in my son's case, another nephrologist put him on HCTZ instead of the diet. So far, he hasn't passed anymore of those type of stones but passed other types, infact he is working on another right now...it moves and stops, moves and stops...sometimes it takes him several days to pass. He has also had surgical removals.

 

[Shanny]

Gosh Joan - that's horrible . . . the moving is excruciating. What's being done to figure this out?

 

[jojeti]

Gosh Joan - that's horrible . . . the moving is excruciating. What's being done to figure this out?

His is another complication from his crohn's disease. He has had several nephrologists involved including Mayo and they can't do a lot for it. We keep ativan, zofran and vicodan on hand to deal with them as much as we can at home but still end up at ER many of the times.

 

[Shanny]

I'll certainly be keeping him in my thoughts . . . one of our sons has Crohns too, but nothing like this. Plus he's 45 years old & only had it for 13 years. No surgeries yet, but several lengthy hospitalizations. It's a miserable disease.

 

[Rascal1]

I guess I'll wait until I see the Endocrinologist. They're going to do another 24 hr. urine test in a couple months along with a ultrasound/xray to see if I'm forming any new stones before recommending new meds. In the mean time, I'm not going to make any drastic changes to my diet. I'll take the healthy diet as a first choice.

My Urologist said I could eat more calcium when I eat high oxalate foods to mitigate the effects. I take Metformin and Prandin now. The diabetes clinic told me I could up my Prandin dose if needed.

My H1ac is 5.7 now. I got it down to 5.1, but that took a severe cutback on carbs. My doc told me under 6 is fine, don't be so strict on myself. When I go on 60+ mile bike rides I get to eat as much carbs as I want (mmmm cookies!). I can burn 5000+ calories in a day. I prefer to use diet and exercise to reduce the amount of Prandin I have to take. When I'm very active, sometimes I don't even have to take any Prandin.

 

[wdmama]

I would suggest trying lemon juice every day to help. I had one two years ago they had to put a stent in for. Then when I got pregnant last year, I had another one, but I started drinking a big glass of lemonade with splenda every day and it went away - or dissolved into passable pieces.

I would chose to eat healthy and control my blood sugar and deal with the stones.

 

[jojeti]

I guess I'll wait until I see the Endocrinologist. They're going to do another 24 hr. urine test in a couple months along with a ultrasound/xray to see if I'm forming any new stones before recommending new meds. In the mean time, I'm not going to make any drastic changes to my diet. I'll take the healthy diet as a first choice.

My Urologist said I could eat more calcium when I eat high oxalate foods to mitigate the effects. I take Metformin and Prandin now. The diabetes clinic told me I could up my Prandin dose if needed.

My H1ac is 5.7 now. I got it down to 5.1, but that took a severe cutback on carbs. My doc told me under 6 is fine, don't be so strict on myself. When I go on 60+ mile bike rides I get to eat as much carbs as I want (mmmm cookies!). I can burn 5000+ calories in a day. I prefer to use diet and exercise to reduce the amount of Prandin I have to take. When I'm very active, sometimes I don't even have to take any Prandin.

That reminds me, I almost forgot, the nephrologist told my son to eat 2 tums before each meal (for the calcium) and he had explained how that works but I have forgotten.

 

[Rascal1]

I was told to drink lemon too. The citrate is good. I like lemon water, even plain. I'm going to ask my dentist how much is too much.

Tums have calcium carbonate, which can (by it's very design) alter stomach pH. I'm going to get some calcium citrate, instead.
Maybe I can kill two birds with one stone.