[mbuster]

I hope this is not too much for "litte about myself". Never officially told I have diabetes. I have been taking Lipitor for high cholesterol since 2006, because it was a little too high for a borderline high blood glucose. Cholesterol was around 200 LDL 120, with A1c around 6.5 and fasting 125-150. The numbers meant nothing to me at the time. I was told neither the cholesterol nor the BG were by themselves that bad, but with the each being where they were, it put me at greater risk for a heart attack.

I was religious with taking my medicine for a while and then eased out of it after seeing a good drop in cholesterol. Going back to the doctor a couple or three years later, my cholesterol had come back up and my BG numbers were higher too. New prescription for more Lipitor and getting prescription for Janumet. New doctor didn't agree with previous doctor's description of being "borderline diabetic". He said "you are or you ain't" but never said "I are". Did good about a year on taking meds but tapered off. Both concerns were better, and the numbers still had no meaning to me. I'd had a BG meter a couple of years but using it was off and on.

Got more religious about thinking about my health after a friend discovered he had colon cancer. I finished taking the meds I had in the cabinet and went back to the doctor for another checkup and blood work. Cholesterol much improved w/total 130, LDL 73 Trig 83but BG worse A1c 8.8 and fasting 155. When the doctor's office called about the test results, I was told everything looked good. I went by the office and picked up a copy of the tests and was shocked when I saw the A1c number.

Getting serious about doing a diet change because BG just not getting better. Liked the idea in the Barnard vegan diet that weight and BG would drop slowly and steadily. Not whole-heartedly sure of going vegan, mainly because of PETA influence. I decided to go pescatarian - fish, seafood, eggs, and dairy still allowed. Been there about 3 weeks. Substituting lower GI numbered foods where I can, sweet potato instead of russet, an eye for an eye if you pardon the pun. Fasting numbers very erratic 100-150, with the very lowest numbers coming the mornings after I didn't eat supper and take medicine at work the evening before. Eating more fruits and salads and less junk food and eating more oatmeal than eggs. Was thinking of going total vegan for 3 weeks as recommended in the book, just to see if that would make a difference. Not sure if all the problem is fatty buildup in the cells blocking insulin usage or somethng else. Just having doubts if going total vegan is the right thing to do. I don't mind giving up the commercial and processed meat and dairy, but not sure I would eat all the veggie protein necessary. My intent would be to continue back with pesca' diet and possibly add wild meats and fowl back in.

I are or I ain't, and this is all confusing and complex right now. Just for kicks this morning I decided to do 1 hour and 2 hour readings after eating breakfast without taking morning Janumet. Had steel cut oatmeal, whole grapefruit, one slice multi grain toast. Numbers were fasting 139, one hour 260, two hours 228. I think I are....and I think I'm going to put more eggs than oatmeal back in breakfast to see if that helps.

That's where I am at right now and with all that said, can ya aim me in a better direction?

Male 56
Janumet 50/500 2X
Lipitor 20
multivitamin
B Complex
Cinnamon
Chromium Picolnate
Vitamin C
D3 5000 (just started)
GNC SuperGarlic
Fish Oil w/Omega-3

 

[moon]

Welcome to the forum, and good you're starting to pay attention to your diabetes. The doc who believes you is or you ain't - is a doc after the heart of most Diabetic Forum members

Had steel cut oatmeal, whole grapefruit, one slice multi grain toast.

Any one of those things would send my blood sugar soaring, and in combination - yeowsers. Eating eggs instead of the oats is a good call, and watching carbs in the morning when we tend to be most sensitive to them would also be a good idea.

We have a thread you might take a peek at - where members post what they had for breakfast - for breakfast ideas.

If you've read around the forum, you've seen reference to a favorite informational site - bloodsugar101.com . It's worth spending some time there as it has a wealth of information, backed by studies.

Glad you joined us

 

[Shanny]

Well, mbuster . . . if you is or you ain't, methinks you is. =)

But now you've fallen in with a gang of rogues here who have pretty well battled out what works to rein it in - the bad news is that you have to figure it out for yourself . . .

Now that you have that meter warmed up with the post-breakfast testing, just apply the one-hour & two-hour tests to all your meals for awhile & keep track of what you ate & the test results, so you can weed out the foods that bump you up over 140. I'm like Moon - the oatmeal, grapefruit AND multi-grain bread would have me orbiting the moon (sorry Moon ). I practice the low-carb/high-fat method, using whatever food combinations I like & which keep my bg under 140 at all times. I think your pescatarian method sounds like a good plan. We have several vegetarians on the forum, but no vegans that I know of.

I have little use for the Neal Barnards of the world, because I think they fly under false colors. Yes there's the PETA influence which irks me, and then there's the PCRM (physicians committee for responsible medicine). Apparently the only requirement for becoming one of these "physicians" is to donate $20, which makes it look like Barnard has a whole stable full of physicians supporting his cause. This begs the question, who would join a group that makes it appear they are a physician if they aren't? And lastly, they actively work to discredit other ways of eating. If the Barnard method is so wonderful, it should be able to stand alone without tearing down other methods which work just as well or better.

At any rate, there are lots of plans if you're doubtful about using your meter to make your own. The recent upsurge in paleo & primal ways of eating make sense to me too. But just using your meter for a few weeks to test most of the foods you eat & enjoy will give you a basic food plan which can be put to use day in & day out. When you wish to introduce a new food or recipe, you just test it a few times to make sure how your body tolerates it, and then vote it in or throw it out.

I hope you'll be able to visit often . . . thank you for joining us!

 

[jwags]

Welcome to the forum. I agree there is no gray area with diabetes. Normal fasting bgs are 70-95 or thereabouts. So once your fasting creeps up to 95-100 you already have the early stages of diabetes. Once it hits 126, sorry that is full blown diabetes. Another thing you may want to consider is the statin drugs. There are some studies that say statins increase bgs. So your bgs creeping up may be related to this. As far as diet there are tons of diabetic diet. The one that works best for me is to limit all carb including fruit, grains and even things like milk and oatmeal. I try to limit meals to no more than 15. Once in awhile I will go as high as 20 -30 carbs per meal but will pay for it the next day. The best way to know which foods or carbs are best is to test 2 hours after you eat them. Normal people are usually 90-120 after meals. Diabetics are asked to be no higher than 120-140 after meals. My last HbA1c was 5.3 and yes I am still very much a type 2 diabetic.

 

[Carolina]

There are some studies that say statins increase bgs. So your bgs creeping up may be related to this. ......

How interesting. I wonder if this one of my issues. I had a 78 last night. Took my 2000 Metformin & Lipitor around 10 pm. Then my lantus at 10:30.. this morning 150 at 6am. that seems to be my ###.

 

[naynay]

There are some studies that say statins increase bgs. So your bgs creeping up may be related to this. ......

How interesting. I wonder if this one of my issues. I had a 78 last night. Took my 2000 Metformin & Lipitor around 10 pm. Then my lantus at 10:30.. this morning 150 at 6am. that seems to be my ###.

Here we go again Carolina...I take 20 mg Crestor at bedtime (usually between midnight and 1 AM). I take Metformin, but I was instructed 1000 AM and 1000 PM (dinner). I take my Levemir around midnight, 12:30 am. I wonder if this is the reason my mornings are high as well.

 

[mbuster]

Thanks for the welcome.

I wish there would have been more focus on the diabetes aspect from the get go. Everyone was always happy with improvements to the cholesterol and not much said about the BG other than the casual if this doesn't come down you may have to take medication. My thoughts were if they weren't that concerned, I shouldn't be either. Looking back this past decade at the results of the few lab tests I have had done, my lowest A1c was 6.0, lowest fasting was 126 and most were in 150s. No one to blame but myself though.

I go back to the doctor (GP) in a month, anything specific I need to ask or request? Do I need to look for a specialist or try to unoffensively find out more about his knowledge of diabetes and its treatment?

I know very little about diabetes right now, but I think I am about to learn. It seems pretty complex, but so is everything. I would like to know what the root cause/causes are of my high BG is/are. Looking at it in my simple minded analyzing style, I am putting too much stuff in that is converted to glucose or I am not getting enough glucose out. The first seems on the surface easy to deal with, change what goes in, but the latter sounds more complicated. The insulin my body makes, right quality, quantity; is there a problem with the glucose getting to where it needs to be for storage or disposal; are what regulates the insulin/glucose levels out of whack? I'm sure there will be a lot to add to this as I learn.

 

[Shanny]

If I were you & you have a choice, I would look for an endocrinologist. I think there's a good chance that you are in the early stages of diabetes, and getting to work on it NOW makes much more sense than waiting until it gets worse.

While it isn't the most scientific thing in the world, there's a commonly held assumption that when your levels run above 140 (7.7) very often or for very long, the excess glucose in your blood is causing damage to your vascular system, your kidneys, and the retinas of your eyes. This isn't causing pain at the time, and it obviously isn't noticeable in the beginning, but it's compounding, and eventually your toes could begin to tingle & go numb, your GFR could start dropping and your vision may begin to blur.

There's a very good website called BloodSugar101 which details the many aspects of diabetes and the attitudes regarding it. I think you could glean a lot of information from there. It was certainly eye-opening for me anyhow. For type 2 diabetics, what goes wrong is called insulin resistance & here's how Jenny Ruhl explains it. Blood Sugar Controlhttp://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14046621.php

 

[dogbite]

Endocrinologist...

just reading this... DO i need an endocrinologist or is my Gen. Practitioner ok? to be honest, i don't like him. I feel that there has to be a doctor every class that makes it through med school by the skin of his back... And I think i got that one.

Also, my sweating... I'm testing my sugars and they are really good. I've done the low carb high fat thing for a couple days now. I've got my sugars running about 115 or so a couple hours after eating. However, i was just sitting down on my couch and sweating like a pig... I had some egg salad. THAT'S IT. Any idea why that happens?

 

[Shanny]

just reading this... DO i need an endocrinologist or is my Gen. Practitioner ok? to be honest, i don't like him. I feel that there has to be a doctor every class that makes it through med school by the skin of his back... And I think i got that one.

Also, my sweating... I'm testing my sugars and they are really good. I've done the low carb high fat thing for a couple days now. I've got my sugars running about 115 or so a couple hours after eating. However, i was just sitting down on my couch and sweating like a pig... I had some egg salad. THAT'S IT. Any idea why that happens?

It may be your body thinking it's having a hypoglycemic episode. While 115 isn't a "real" hypo, your body is accustomed to much higher numbers, and when you drop into a normal safe range, it thinks it's going hypo, so all the symptoms manifest themselves - sweating being a big one.

If you need an excuse to drop your GP, go find an endo! Entrusting your care to some yoyo you don't even LIKE is not my idea of how to achieve good medical care. You have every right to choose a doc you can like, respect and come to trust. That is the essential doc/patient relationship - and the doc needs to like, respect and trust you in return.

 

[mbuster]

If I were you & you have a choice, I would look for an endocrinologist. I think there's a good chance that you are in the early stages of diabetes, and getting to work on it NOW makes much more sense than waiting until it gets worse.

While it isn't the most scientific thing in the world, there's a commonly held assumption that when your levels run above 140 (7.7) very often or for very long, the excess glucose in your blood is causing damage to your vascular system, your kidneys, and the retinas of your eyes. This isn't causing pain at the time, and it obviously isn't noticeable in the beginning, but it's compounding, and eventually your toes could begin to tingle & go numb, your GFR could start dropping and your vision may begin to blur.

There's a very good website called BloodSugar101 which details the many aspects of diabetes and the attitudes regarding it. I think you could glean a lot of information from there. It was certainly eye-opening for me anyhow. For type 2 diabetics, what goes wrong is called insulin resistance & here's how Jenny Ruhl explains it. Blood Sugar Control

Closest Endocrinologist may be couple of hours away, but will look around.

GFR not grand funk railroad??LOL Have tests for EGFR First couple came back just indicating >60, last 95 for non african american and 110 for african american, do I get to pick. Either way I'm good on kidneys.

I go to the eye doctor more religioulsly than regular doctor, every year to get free prescription safety glasses for work. Have retina scarring in one eye due to getting poked in the eye with a finger when the kids were little, so aware of and looking for problems there each visit.

Thought the Barnard book main thing was to correct resistance problem by "cleaning the goo out of the lock". Not thru with it yet but haven't seen reference to confirm validity. Will read Jenny.

Will update profile after I go back to doctor and get enough posts in the forum to unlock that privelege as well as reply with a quote without having to delete links from the quote.

Oh yeah, my life is further complicated by working rotating shift work, so my fasting checks aren't fixed times.

Later

 

[Shanny]

GFR not grand funk railroad??LOL

I knew there was a good reason I decided to make that a hyperlink! (sorry it caused you trouble when you quoted it. )

I do not envy you the rotating shift job . . . that's a tough one whether you have diabetes or not.

 

[debster]

If I were you & you have a choice, I would look for an endocrinologist. I think there's a good chance that you are in the early stages of diabetes, and getting to work on it NOW makes much more sense than waiting until it gets worse.

While it isn't the most scientific thing in the world, there's a commonly held assumption that when your levels run above 140 (7.7) very often or for very long, the excess glucose in your blood is causing damage to your vascular system, your kidneys, and the retinas of your eyes. This isn't causing pain at the time, and it obviously isn't noticeable in the beginning, but it's compounding, and eventually your toes could begin to tingle & go numb, your GFR could start dropping and your vision may begin to blur.

There's a very good website called BloodSugar101 which details the many aspects of diabetes and the attitudes regarding it. I think you could glean a lot of information from there. It was certainly eye-opening for me anyhow. For type 2 diabetics, what goes wrong is called insulin resistance & here's how Jenny Ruhl explains it. Blood Sugar Controlhttp://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14046621.php

Love Shanny's advice! BTW welcome to the Forum! We had a visit with an Endocrinologist... Great why to go.

 

[mbuster]

Went back to the doctor last month and showing signs of improvement. Will put results in another post, still under 5 posts and restricted, but hopefully not for long. Still sticking with Pescatarian diet. Thanksgiving was not too tuff, resisted all the bad for me stuff, my Thanksgiving can of tuna even tasted good. I thought all my in-laws' eyes were going to pop out when I grabbed that can of chicken of the sea and a can opener. My wife thought I was kidding when she asked me what I wanted her to fix me for Thanksgiving and I told her fish and salad. I don't think Christmas is going to be a problem.

Found there is an endo about 40 miles away, gonna wait until after the first of the year to pursue a visit with him.