[webbmaster]

Hello everybody! I'm a 47-year old male, (6'5", about 240lbs). I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes about seven months ago. As happens with many 'new' Type II diabetics, I went through a miserable period of extreme thirst and feeling horrible, and it gradually got worse over a period of a few weeks. Not realizing what was wrong with me, I was literally guzzling very large quantities of well-water plus entire two-liter sodas, (not diet sodas!!), to the tune of 6-8 liters per day.When I first went to the ER, my blood sugar was around 850.

My trip to the local ER confirmed that I was now a Type II diabetic, and I was referred to my regular doctor's office for ongoing treatment. My doctor started me off on Lantus @ 20 units/day, plus metformin @ 1000mg x 2/day, with the understanding that this would probably need to be adjusted as needed, of course, as we observed what effect those meds and dosages would have over a period of time.

I'm going to be very honest here. I've made no changes to my diet OR lifestyle whatsoever, other than cutting out all sugary drinks by switching to diet soda and sucralose sweetener for iced tea. That's all I've changed. I still eat all of the bread, pasta and potatoes I want - and I'm a major carb-junkie.

Within two months, I was off insulin entirely. Within the next four or five months, I was able to incrementally come off of the metformin entirely. I'm now taking nothing whatsoever for diabetes. Nothing. I never increased my "normal" exercise either, by the way.. and my normal exercise isn't that much. My wife is a longtime Type II diabetic, and she is fuming about it LOL... but she's also 'cautiously ecstatic' for me.

I'm now having a full blood work-up done once per month, because my doctor has no clue how this has happened. My A1C is now down around 5.9, from a high of around 9.5.

Everyone that I've told about this has looked at me like I'm either insane, or a bald-faced liar, (or both) - but it is absolutely the truth. So, I'm not being a smart-butt here, but, before anyone asks - I'm not exaggerating or embellishing anything.

How in the heck can this be possible? I've never had any symptoms of pancreatitis.... nothing. And my blood work has consistently been totally normal, other than a bit of elevated cholesterol, (which was already there well before the diabetes anyway, and which has been improving nicely with medication).

Does anyone out there have any idea what could have caused this to happen in this way? My doctor is as puzzled as I am about this. I'm extremely grateful for the drastic improvement. I thank God every day multiple times for it. I certainly don't want to look a gift-horse in the mouth.. but good GRIEF!! Not knowing 'why' I've improved so much is driving me crazy!

Anyone?

 

[webbmaster]

Whoops! My blood sugar wasn't 850 - it was 650. Sorry.

 

[Shanny]

Well Webb, I'm sure happy for ya, and I hope your wife's cautious ecstasy can continue, even though I don't blame her for fuming! lol!

If type 2s can have honeymoons, maybe you're having one. I have not the remotest idea either, but enjoy it while it lasts!

Take care & thank you for joining us.

 

[webbmaster]

Thanks for the kind words, Shanny! Hmmm. I guess I'll lurk around here, post a bit, and maybe I'll find someone else here who has had an experience similar to mine... at least I hope so! I actually took the diagnosis very well, and I considered it a blessing because it made me decide to stop smoking.. whoops again! I forgot about that.... I quit smoking right after I was diagnosed!

 

[jwags]

You definitely are one of the lucky ones. Most of us have to give up all the former carbs we loved and add exercise to keep our bgs at a low level. Most of my bgs now are in the low 100's and HbA1c is in the low to mid 5's, but I am still diabetic and always will. I would think you may be going through some type of honeymoon, but be wary honeymoons do end at some point. I would not tempt fate too much. There is always the exception to the rule and I guess you are it. We all know people who eat a terrible high carb diet, are overweight, don't exercise and have great bgs.

 

[webbmaster]

Thanks, jwags. Believe me, LOL, my wife has done an excellent job of making me understand that I am a T2 diabetic, regardless of what my present numbers are. I'm not under any illusions, just very puzzled about the unexplained blood sugar and A1C dropping to normal levels and then staying there with no meds. I guess my metabolism is a little 'out of the norm' or something... but even after quitting the smokes cold turkey right after I got diagnosed, I gained very little weight. Only about 5lbs., and since I'm 6' 5", 240lbs. isn't too far off the normal mark. But I'm not taking chances with that either, I'm dropping it as we speak by doing the 'several small meals' thing. I've also gradually started taking a brisk walk every day, trying to work up to a little more of that as I go. I'm also looking around for a "used" Bow-Flex locally due to space constraints. A lot of people in my area buy those, never use them and then sell them for almost nothing... guess you could say 'their gain is my loss'!

 

[jwags]

I wonder if when you were dx'd you were suffering from some kind of inflammation that spiked your bgs that high. So once they put you on insulin it gave your pancreas a rest and let it reset it's self. Whatever caused it , it is great for you. I have tried to give up the Metformin several times. Everytime I try to cut my dose I spike above 120 and start getting liver dumps again. Lots of people can lose weight and return bgs to normal. I am now 120 pounds and still on the maximum dose of metformin.

 

[foxl]

I can give you the theory behind it: you had insufficient insulin to process the amount of sugar you were consuming, or you had enough insulin resistance, that you could not. As your blood glucose levels rose, your beta cells (which produce insulin) were poisoned and shut down.

However, enough of those cells survived that, once you cut off the massive sugar consumption, they came back online and started producing insulin again.

I had a similar experience, but had to cut out a lot more carbs than that. I got my A1c all the way down from 12.5 to 5.6 by watching my diet and exercising.

You have now had the experience of discovering a metabolic insufficiency -- whether it is underproduction of insulin, or inability to use glucose. Looks like you are going to have keep monitoring, and counting carbs!

 

[webbmaster]

After discussing the timeline with the wife, I realized that I neglected to mention some things, and I also made some mistakes in my original post.. for instance, I stopped smoking right before I was diagnosed. And I read an article that was linked from a major news website a few days ago, that a study was done recently which made a concrete connection with the onset of T2 in a very high percentage of people who had just quit smoking. I'm sure some of that has to do with increased appetite, but fortunately, I was able to control that really well.

Also, I neglected to mention that I also cut out all sugary snack foods... before I was dx'd, I ate a fair amount of Little Debbie-type stuff. Now, if I consume any junk food at all, (but I rarely do anymore), it's just a few chips. The transition was so 'seamless' for me, for whatever reason, that I always forget just how much sugary stuff I was consuming before. I'm taking a BG reading 2 - 3 times daily now, and after nearly a full month, I haven't needed a single metformin tablet or Lantus injection.

My doctor has several theories, but the ones you guys have laid out here are the ones he seems to believe the most. All I can do now is what my doctor and my wife have repeatedly told me: be very grateful, stop trying to figure it out and stay off the sugar.

You guys are great! I'm not skipping out of here, though, maybe my experience can help answer some questions for someone else down the line. Gotta pay it forward

 

[D4Hope]

Did your energy return? How do you feel, over all?
How long has this lasted?
Have you read Hally Barry's story?

 

[webbmaster]

Did your energy return? How do you feel, over all?
How long has this lasted?
Have you read Hally Barry's story?

Yes, my energy seems to have returned to exactly how it was before I was dx'ed. Overall I feel just as good as before. I haven't read Halle Berry's story, but I'll go Google that now

 

[D4Hope]

Is it possible you were miss dx'ed.
Many folks are dx type 2 and then redx'ed as adult onset type 1, but not the other way around?? puzzle?