You'll die if you don't eat carbs
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hbmcracer
Posts: 105 Member
Went to see a diabetic pharmacist yesterday and she said, "you'll die if you don't eat carbs" She gave me a list of things that have about 15g of carbs in them and said I should be eating 3-4 of the items at each meal.
She also didn't believe my blood glucose meter even though I have been taking about 2 to 4 tests per day.
Then she contradicted herself and told me that I should only drink 1 or 2 diet cokes a month, and then in the next sentence said "I usually recommend diet coke for people that drink regular soda"
wtf?
She also didn't believe my blood glucose meter even though I have been taking about 2 to 4 tests per day.
Then she contradicted herself and told me that I should only drink 1 or 2 diet cokes a month, and then in the next sentence said "I usually recommend diet coke for people that drink regular soda"
wtf?
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Replies
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"But I am not dead yet"3
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Went to see a diabetic pharmacist yesterday and she said, "you'll die if you don't eat carbs" She gave me a list of things that have about 15g of carbs in them and said I should be eating 3-4 of the items at each meal.
She also didn't believe my blood glucose meter even though I have been taking about 2 to 4 tests per day.
Then she contradicted herself and told me that I should only drink 1 or 2 diet cokes a month, and then in the next sentence said "I usually recommend diet coke for people that drink regular soda"
wtf?
What is a diabetic pharmacist? Is that a medical/pharmaceutical designation or a pharmacist who has diabetes? Not being flip. Serious question. Thanks.3 -
@kpk54 for many years the role of the pharmacist has increased.
https://pharmacytimes.com/resource-centers/diabetes/pharmacists-can-make-a-difference-as-certified-diabetes-educators
https://pharmacy.oregonstate.edu/pharm-d-frequently-asked-questions
In some healthcare settings one will see a PharmD instead of a MD after the first visit. Pharmacists are the gatekeepers that have to approve the Rx before it can be filled. Things have really changed in the last 30 years.1 -
Thank you for the links @GaleHawkins. I had no clue.
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Went to see a diabetic pharmacist yesterday and she said, "you'll die if you don't eat carbs" She gave me a list of things that have about 15g of carbs in them and said I should be eating 3-4 of the items at each meal.
She also didn't believe my blood glucose meter even though I have been taking about 2 to 4 tests per day.
Then she contradicted herself and told me that I should only drink 1 or 2 diet cokes a month, and then in the next sentence said "I usually recommend diet coke for people that drink regular soda"
wtf?
Wow. That's a little disturbing. Imagine how many people each day are listening to her and following her advice.
So many people will trust her assuming she knows best. 
Of course, to be fair, if a patient was on a high carb diet AND taking insulin, they technically could die if they cut carbs way back but do not cut back on insulin as needed.... I'm a fan of reducing meds rather than making your diet fit your meds though.
TBH, my endocrinologist gave similar advice. I tried it for a while but it was a disaster and I gained more weight and my BG worsened. Then I discovered LCHF, dropped her advice, and improved my health. 5 -
LCHF is not no carbs at all. That is one dangerous person to be giving advice they do not understand.4
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I guess no one told the inuit or maasai that they weren't allowed to live.
Any chance you can ask for a referral to someone else?3 -
tcunbeliever wrote: »I guess no one told the inuit or maasai that they weren't allowed to live.
Any chance you can ask for a referral to someone else?
Yeah, she's not my primary doctor, so I will probably never go back there again. I will let her call me with my lab results though so I can say "so my triglycerides are down, and my a1c is down? and I didn't die?....weird."
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Awesome. LOL 0 -
A friend of mine was told by the hospital dietitian to eat 50 grams of carbs at each meal. Also that smart balance was healthier than butter. Ugh.0
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When I got my T2D diagnosis, my doctor asked if I wanted a referral to a dietitian and and to be scheduled for the diabetes classes. I asked him if he thought it would help. He replied, "I don't think it ever has." I told him I would pass. I dutifully followed the Diabetes Association diet he gave me, but it was clear it was not working for me. I found MFP and the LC/keto communities.
Yesterday was a zero carb day FWIW. I am not dead yet.5 -
So her job is to give you medicine for diabetes? Sounds like she’s just doing her job she’s probably thinking only from the perspective of someone taking insulin or on meds and the risk of low blood sugar if you don’t eat enough carbs for the meds. Which just sounds stupid right? Like, well, if I don’t eat the carbs then I don't need the meds... so... 7 -
I am a Pharmacist and just like doctors there are a lot out there who don’t understand LCHF and how important it can be for a diabetic. The old ways are still being taught to health professionals. It’s sad really. I should become a certified diabetic pharmacist... hmmmm. Wish I could find a great doctor to work for!5
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It is a big step big concept move for many Dr's and pharmacists to grasp. That the correct answer is not more medication. The correct answer is different food, way less Carbs, and the real end goal is to reduce as much as possible the amount of medication.
I am a T2 diabetic, and since May I have been on average in the neighborhood of 45 carbs per day and it works just fine for me. Ok I will admit I cheat a bit so one day I week I can get to 60. Meaning that I have some days where it is less than 45 so I can bank it. But my real eye opener, was hearing that the average american shovels in more like 350-400 grams per day. So I kind of get why when people hear about anyone way under 100 they often do not get it, nor do they want to understand.
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I agree. I really believe if nutrition was taught the right way and massage and physical therapy were the norm many people could avoid medications. Medicine can be life saving and is absolutely necessary for some people, but our medical community has lost sight of treating the person as a whole. Don’t even get me started on the trend of “specialists”. I miss the good ole fashioned all knowing family doctor who treated your whole body for life and only referred you out if you has a very complicated case. There is no continuity in care at all. I wish I could go back to school to be a naturopath and help those who fall through the cracks. My mom is a celiac and that took years to figure out.3
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My doc referred me to diabetes nutritionist, who gave me the usual propaganda and said he's supposed to recommend up to 50g carbs per meal. I had done atkins in the past and thought it would help me lose some weight and asked his opinion. He says most people just can't stick to it. He admitted that if I can manage to go lower carb it would help with weight loss, but said as long as I am on insulin that I need to be careful to monitor blood sugar to make sure it doesn't get too low. I was on a very low basal dose, so it never got below 80 mg/dL. If you are taking bolus insulin at meals be very careful to properly adjust the amounts for low carb meals.
I'm eating about 50 g net carb per day, not too strict. within a year, I was off insulin and my A1C is 5.4% for the past 2 checkups (6 months).
I think I stole this from the forum here...
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