Needing Advice

BarbaraCarr1981

I have Type 1 Diabetes. Diagnosed at 10 years of age along with hypothyroidism. It seems my blood sugars are just messed up if I make the slightest change. For instance, if I eat cake at a birthday party one day, blood is just messed the next day (lows and highs) I eat really good all day, get low through the night - why???? was it cause I took insulin for some popcorn I ate? was it cause I lifted weights that evening? was it cause I was low that afternoon? NO CLUE!!! All I know is it's always something! Even sometimes with life so busy, I forget to take an injection all together or late even. Oh and get this - protein and veggies for supper - didn't bother to take insulin cause there's no carbs. 3 hours later = high bloodsugar!

Is there anybody else who has to eat and exercise P E R F E C T L Y in order to keeps their blood sugars in tact?

I just had a baby a year ago and am 8lbs out of from prepreg weight although, I really don't care if I lose anymore because my goal now is to become a lean, fat burning machine. I'm lifting heavy 3 times a week and currently doing Jillian Micheals 30DS. I also play badminton once a week.

G O A L S
1) Control blood sugars so my body can be balanced!!!!
2) Flat belly, toned arms and legs.
3) Complete before Summer 2013. (July 1st)

Any advice is appreciated.

tnwhaley

Hello!
I too suffer the same as you. I am 35 years old and Type I Diabetic. I recently was diagnosed with a hypothyroidism. I have been taking Synthroid for 6 months and have gained 30 pounds and feel horrible! Even before the thyroid issue I have had a horrible time regulating my blood sugar even with proper diet and exercise. If I eat one thing that is a simple carb I will pay the price. I get tired of hearing to just take insulin and I can eat anything. This is simply not true. As you said my blood sugar will be wacky for at least the next 24 hours. I have an insulin pump and recently got the continuous glucose monitor and it has helped to see what my blood sugar does after meals. I have changed a few settings on my insulin pump that have seemed to help some.

I think the bottom line for me is that I have to follow a low carb, low glycemic diet and exercise at least 5 times a week. Even following that I do not see major changes in my weight but my blood sugar seems more even. For me, it is so mental. I get mad and feel like I have to deprive myself and that my body is letting me down. I am trying to turn my attitude to more positive and say that I am going to what I know is good for my body even if I don't see the results I want immediately. Also, I just read a book called The Thyroid Diet by Mary Shomon. There is a lot of very good information on the thyroid and what all it controls and things we can do to help with hypothyroidism.

You seem to be doing everything possible with diet and exercise so just keep up the good work and remember your body is still healing from the trauma of pregnancy and childbirth. I share in your goals so good luck to you!

BarbaraCarr1981

Really! After 13 months, my body is STILL healing from pregnancy!!! Holy shhhhhh! If I had the money, I would have a pump too. Unfortunately no health coverage and no $5000 for a pump either I think it would annoy the hell out of me having a cord hanging off my body all the time too - especially in summer!

It's weird that you gained 30lbs during the 6 months of being on the synthroid. It makes more sense to gain weight WITHOUT the synthroid. That's a symptom of hypothyroid - weight gain. Or did you mean you gained 30lbs before finding out you were hypothyroid?

saxmaniac

If there's one thing I know is control is an illusion and basal changes constantly. My son's a1c has been anywhere from 6.0 - 8.2, and there is very little correlation between whether he's on a pump. It's so frustrating to watch the BG rocket upwards on the CGM when he's had ZERO carbs for the last 12 hours.

He's been on shot and no CGM, and had a low A1c
He's been on a pump and CGM, with his lowest A1c ever
He's been on a pump and CGM, with his highest A1c ever

atomiclauren

I've dealt with it for 20+ years (diagnosed at almost 10, almost 33 now) and just when I think I've gotten down a good regimen, something gets screwed up! For example, out of the blue I started having morning highs (just gradual increase, no middle of the night lows with a rebound). After finding out that exactly ONE more unit of Levemir would fix it (usually one unit wouldn't fix highs like that in any situation before), it didn't take but a few months for things to get out of whack again (that's where I'm at now).

I like to analyze numbers and find patterns and it's so frustrating when everything looks good on paper (and mathematically!) and then you test and it's 300 :explode:

And "illusion of control" - yes! There are so many factors that can come to play in affecting blood sugar - stress, hormones, delayed absorption of insulin and/or food, and so on...!

BarbaraCarr1981

So what the hell? Are we all gonna suffer complications and die early??? Or does is not matter if BG is like a roller coaster - just as long as A1Cs are good?

saxmaniac

My son is on the Dexcom G4. He got the 7+ a few years ago and MAN, that was an eye-opener.

The DCCCT conclusively showed that it's the lowered a1c that reduces complications, and that was done before rapid insulin existed and wasn't done with pumps. I strongly believe, without CGMs, people have lots of undetected lows that never are symptomatic enough to treat.

Just because you see a single 300, doesn't mean you're at 300 all day, or even 10 minutes ago. Singular readings are next to useless in treating diabetes. It's like trying to drive a car by opening your eyes for 1/2 second every few hours.

Here's what I see on my son... he gets in these "modes" where the BG is just drifting downwards or climbing higher, totally unrealted to food - he is sort of a picky eater and forgetful, and so often skips meals. When he's slowly climbing up, meal boluses do almost nothing, I can double his insulin for that meal and he'll still have a tough time coming back. When he's coming down, I can often halve the insulin or give nothing at all, and in a few hours he'll be low again.

This changes... every six hours or so. We use temp basals a lot

Then there is pizza, grilled cheese, and quiche which seem to need 5x the usual amount of insulin. I can give a 175% temp basal for 12 hours and he's still high. It's crazy.

It really is frustrating.

BarbaraCarr1981

My son is on the Dexcom G4. He got the 7+ a few years ago and MAN, that was an eye-opener.

The DCCCT conclusively showed that it's the lowered a1c that reduces complications, and that was done before rapid insulin existed and wasn't done with pumps. I strongly believe, without CGMs, people have lots of undetected lows that never are symptomatic enough to treat.

Just because you see a single 300, doesn't mean you're at 300 all day, or even 10 minutes ago. Singular readings are next to useless in treating diabetes. It's like trying to drive a car by opening your eyes for 1/2 second every few hours.

Here's what I see on my son... he gets in these "modes" where the BG is just drifting downwards or climbing higher, totally unrealted to food - he is sort of a picky eater and forgetful, and so often skips meals. When he's slowly climbing up, meal boluses do almost nothing, I can double his insulin for that meal and he'll still have a tough time coming back. When he's coming down, I can often halve the insulin or give nothing at all, and in a few hours he'll be low again.

This changes... every six hours or so. We use temp basals a lot

Then there is pizza, grilled cheese, and quiche which seem to need 5x the usual amount of insulin. I can give a 175% temp basal for 12 hours and he's still high. It's crazy.

It really is frustrating.

What is Dexcom G4? What does DCCCT stand for? What does CGM stand for?

atomiclauren

There are so many studies and anecdotal things out there it's hard to say what the hell's going to happen!

I know that if your A1C is good but only because your highs are offset with lows, it doesn't matter - I've also read that spikes are worse than long term highs (?).

Anecdotally, I've read the story of an older gentleman who has had diabetes for 40+ years and no complications - and his control was probably quite terrible until relatively recently because of inferior testing capabilities and animal insulins.
He had mentioned a study he was a part of (Joslin?) where there were several folks with years of poorly controlled diabetes under their belts and no complications at all. The link between them? Non-hereditary reasons for getting diabetes, possible an early childhood illness that caused the auto-immune issue.

Crap, I need to look up the study - I am trying to recall this all from my (poor) memory!

I'd be interested in hearing about other type 1's reasons they think they have diabetes. Me, I have no family history and I did have scarlet fever when I was very young (I know, right?) and an endo a while back mentioned that could be a reason.

atomiclauren

Oh snap - he has been diabetic for over 65 years!
This is the study he was a part of: http://www.joslin.org/medalist/6268.html

Shoot, in 2 years I can be a 25 year medalist!

BarbaraCarr1981

I had the chicken pox severely in June 1990 and it was Feb 1991 that I was diagnosed with diabetes. There is no diabetes history in my family - just a couple type 2s kicking around.

AMBlass

If you're eating a low carb meal, many people find they have to bolus for some of the protein. I know I do! I bolus for about half of the protein as if they were carbs. My CDE explained that when you eat only protein, your body can actually convert some of that into glucose in order to get the energy it needs. So that can definitely play a role in some unexplained highs when you aren't expecting them.

Fats will also delay carbs so you might think you're doing great, but then later you will spike and then go on that annoying roller coaster!

BarbaraCarr1981

Thanks! Is bolus the "quick acting" insulin?

AMBlass

Yeah.

atomiclauren

I always have to take some no matter what I eat, though I don't know how much is nutrient conversion vs my blood sugar just wanting to go up - Levemir (and Lantus) just doesn't do that great a job for me after a certain point (I tried twice/day without luck but I may revisit that again soon).

saxmaniac

What is Dexcom G4? What does DCCCT stand for? What does CGM stand for?

Sorry if I jargoned out.

A CGM is a continuous glucose monitor. It hooks up and provides a glucose readout without a fingerstick, usually every 5 minutes.

A Dexcom G4 is one of the latest CGMs you can get.

The DCCT (typo) was a landmark study from 1983-1993 that showed lowered a1c is what helps with lowering the chance of complications.

2hobbit1

Have you read "Think like a Pancreas" by Gary Schiner or "Using Insulin" by John Walsh et al? They have a lot of good info on how to look at your patterns and figure out where the problems are as well as suggestions about how to fine tune your program.

I was just diagnosed new onset type 1 at the age of 60 and have found them to be way more helpful than the basic info given by primary and endo. Still waiting for appt with the CDE but will have my program worked out with the help of those books by the time they can get me in!