[KarenBC]

I was reading in one of my diabetes books that Vitamins C & E can skew the A1C results. I'm due for an A1C at the end of February.

Does anyone have any info on how high the dosage of these vitamins has to be to affect the A1C. I'm taking 1,000mg of Vit. C and I think 400 UI of Vit. E.

And how long before the A1C should a person stop taking them (if at all?)

Wish the book had answered these questions! All it did was give me something else to fret about.

 

[Shanny]

Hi Karen . . . maybe just be sure your doctor knows you take these and he can advise if and/or when to stop. I didn't know about this until you posted, but I've now found several articles online which corroborate your book's statement. Thanks for the heads up! My next labs are due in March.

 

[KarenBC]

Hi Karen . . . maybe just be sure your doctor knows you take these and he can advise if and/or when to stop. I didn't know about this until you posted, but I've now found several articles online which corroborate your book's statement. Thanks for the heads up! My next labs are due in March.

Oh Shanny...I wish I could talk to my doctor about questions like these - but he's just impossible. I'm actively trying to find another doctor, but in this city - there are 5,000 people with no doctor, and if a person has a doctor, other doctors won't take you.

I'm hoping that when I have my A1C done, I can go back to the doctor I don't like and get a referral - there is 1 GP in town who also specializes in diabetes, and he rates very high on the "rate my md" and "rate my doc" website where patients can leave remarks and ratings.

The only favor my mean doctor has done me, and it's a big one - he made me so angry at the end of November that I took a good hard look at myself and developed a whole different attitude towards my health, self esteem and diabetes. No one is going to treat me like he did again.

Since that ill fated appointment I've got my blood sugar counts way down, am getting waking numbers in the 5.8-6.3 range usually and daytime 2hrs after eating usually in the 5.8-6.8 range.

Blood pressure is down from 130/85 to the range of 115/72, sometimes a bit lower. I've been able to wean myself off the bp meds and keep the bp in the lower range.

 

[Shanny]

That's amazing, Karen! You're a gal after my own heart! Rage is quite a motivator, isn't it?! Well I'm sending positive thoughts that you can get in with the other doc, and be forever rid of the mean one. I know how important it is to have one you can trust, who respects you and listens to you!

We live in a rural area, and even when we find the right caregivers, they might be quite a ways from home.

Take care,
Shanny

 

[IHaveDiabetes]

That's a good question about the vitamins and their affect on the A1C. I am lucky to have a very good doctor who is knowledgeable about diabetes. One of the things he "prescibed" to me even before I was diagnosed with diabetes was to take 500 mgs of Vitamin C along with 125 mgs of Echinacea. He more strongly suggested taking these vitamin supplements when I did become diagnosed because he wanted to try and offset any other health issues associated with the disease instead of to lower the A1C. [Although semi-off topic, a third OTC item he also prescribed taking a low-dose asprin (81 mg) regimine as well.]

I take the above supplements in the evening and take either a multivitamin or one of the "Diabetes Health Pack" vitamin packs (from I think Nature Made) [I switch off each day], both of which also include vitamin C and E.

I am going to talk to my doctor as well as try to do some research to see if I can find any additional info on this subject.

 

[KarenBC]

I am going to talk to my doctor as well as try to do some research to see if I can find any additional info on this subject.

I would appreciate any more info that any of us here can find. This subject intrigues me - I've been taking quite a number of supplements since November. While I can't pin my lower blood sugar numbers to those alone, since I'm also doing the treadmill, trying for 10,000 steps a day, and really watching what I eat - I think the herbal things are making a difference too.

What I'm taking is Garlic, CoQ10, Vit C 1000mg, Vit E 400 IU, Cinnamon, Vegapure Steroil, Milk Thistle, Fish Oil, and if I don't eat blueberries with a meal then a Bilberry or Blueberry concentrate.

 

[jswede1149]

I take Vitamin e 400 iu and eat a lot of green beans (vitamin c). I exercise 4-5 times a week (did not three months before my last A1C).

My last A1C was 5.9%, my current A1C is 5.8%.

I was advised to stop a week before any tests/procedures w/ baby aspirin. The same with supplements?

 

[Richard157]

I take vitamin D, vitamin B12 and multiple vitamin supplements. My doc has never asked me to stop belore my lab dates. Was it the aspirin that caused your doctor to be concerned?

 

[jswede1149]

Was it the aspirin that caused your doctor to be concerned?

Baby aspirin is a blood thinner. It causes excess bleeding.

When I received my H1N1 shot last year, the nurse was surprised how much I bled.

 

[Shanny]

Boy, my blood must have a super coagulant, because I've been on 81mg aspirin s.i.d, for years & I barely bleed at all. My finger pokes yield just enough for a test, and they close up so quickly that I can't even find which finger I used for the previous test.

The other supplements I use are omega-3 fish oil - 1000 IU, and alpha lipoic acid - 200mg

 

[jswede1149]

I take a multi-vitamin and 3600 mg of organic flax seed SID.

 

[Shanny]

Whole flaxseed is wonderful! I take a coupla spoonfuls most nights with a glass of water, & have started sprinkling it on salads, cottage cheese, bland cooked veggies, etc, . . . it adds a nice nutty flavor & a little texture to a lot of things!

 

[wish]

What is the usual recommendation for amount of flaxseed/day?

 

[jswede1149]

What is the usual recommendation for amount of flaxseed/day?

"Experts recommend taking 1-2 tablespoons ground flaxseed or 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil daily. The daily requirement is easy to meet when incorporating flaxseed into your favorite foods."

Flaxseed- Health Benefits of Flaxseed

 

[wish]

My endo gave me directions for taking up to 8 pills a day. He did not even know the size of the pills or how much that would be/day.

 

[KarenBC]

I use a tsp. of ground flax seed a day on top of my cereal in the morning. Keep mine in the fridge freezer as it goes off quickly.

 

[Shanny]

I keep ground flax in the freezer too . . . but I keep my whole flaxseed in a jar on the table since I sprinkle it on just about everything.

 

[jswede1149]

Has anyone noticed their LDL and cholesterol have dropped in part due to Flax seed?

 

[Shanny]

Since I take a statin drug for my lipids, it's hard to tell how much help the flax has been, but my lipids levels have dropped significantly since my diagnosis. I'm due for more labs next month, so stay tuned!

 

[DocTerry]

Oh Shanny...I wish I could talk to my doctor about questions like these - but he's just impossible. I'm actively trying to find another doctor, but in this city - there are 5,000 people with no doctor, and if a person has a doctor, other doctors won't take you.

Blood pressure is down from 130/85 to the range of 115/72, sometimes a bit lower. I've been able to wean myself off the bp meds and keep the bp in the lower range.

Karen, I used to live in BC and had access to Diabetes Educators at the Abbotsford Hospital. Perhaps you have a clinic nearby that can help you while you find a new doctor. Because they specialize in diabetes I found that they frequently knew more than my Doctor! (Who, unlike yours, was very helpful and friendly.)