Diabetes

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margo52
margo52 Posts: 13
in Health and Weight Loss
Diabetes T-2 looking for help on b/g high on meds and insulin Help

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  • chuckles217
    chuckles217 Posts: 123 Member
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    Diet, diet, diet.

    Look into eating a glycemic index controlled diet (google glycemic index). A step further would be to go to a nutritionist and plan everything out. If you've progressed to insulin it means both single and dual drug therapy failed. If insulin isn't even working, you're in a tough spot.

    Diet will get you good day-to-day control but ultimately weight loss + daily exercise (needs to be as vigorous as possible) will be where you find success.
  • mkbledsoe
    mkbledsoe Posts: 132
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    talk to your doctor and possibly a nutritionist. Eat a balanced diet and exercise. As soon as I started exercising regularly, that's when my blood sugar numbers started to drop. I try to get some fruits and veggies everyday and stay away from processed sugar. I also eat about every 2 to 3 hours to keep my blood sugar from dropping.
  • margo52
    margo52 Posts: 13
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    Thank you but I guess I need to tell you about me I am a type II diabetic two years now but I guess I'd been at diabetic for about 12 years or so. I was put on meds but could not get my blood sugars down I was in the 400 to 500 range. After about a month we talked about the insulin so I started the insulin and I got my blood sugars down to 100 or so I did not fill good be in this low my body likes to be hi. Then after about a month blood sugars went hi again and I increase the insulin about two units every other day I did this for a month and got up to 80 units of insulin and still have high blood sugars not good then I started having headaches and neck we thought that it was sinuses so I had go to a specialist Dr. and no so she put me on pain killers lots of painkillers I got to the point I could not drive or do anything so if the headaches get to that I go in and had a shot. So the headaches have last about a year and a half now and then I started having troubles with my stomach I could not keep anything down it all came up like it was not eaten at all. So I had to go to the G.I. Dr. and have a test I know, hernia since up acid back up so now I have to have more meds smaller meals and watch what I eat. And I also have legs problems and the tests and my circulation is bad so I guess what I'm asking does anybody else have this going on with them if so what are you doing about it how are you going through the day I'm at the point I just want to quit.
  • piratesaregrand
    piratesaregrand Posts: 356 Member
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    I'm type 1.

    Before I started on here I was taking 55 long acting and nearly 55 units a day of fast acting, plus had gone on Metformin.

    I log everything before I eat it and look at the carbs value and only take the insulin to cover that. I'm now off Metformin, on 45 long acting units and about 25 short acting.

    It takes about two weeks before you feel "normal" at the lower blood sugar level. For the first month I was testing about 8 times a day.

    Keep going, there are huge benefits, due to my crappy eating I'm now waiting to have my eyes lasered because there has been fluid leaking near the part responsible for seeing. I was told to thank my lucky stars it's only happened now because a few years ago it would have been the start of the end of my sight.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    So what are you eating ? Your systems can't handle carbohydrates so are you reducing them accordingly ?

    You don't want to be on a balanced diet or reading stuff from diabetic associations funded by food and drug companies - see http://www.drbriffa.com/2012/03/05/whats-wrong-with-the-dietary-advice-diabetes-uk-dishes-out-to-diabetics/

    Significant weight loss can reverse Type II diabetes - http://www.ncl.ac.uk/magres/research/diabetes/reversal.htm
  • nsblue
    nsblue Posts: 331 Member
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    In September 2009 i was on 170 units of insulin..had high blood pressure, weighed 600 pounds, legs where swelled (different times they seeped) and could barely walk short distances without getting winded.
    a 1500 cal diabetic diet..with no exercise got me to 430 lbs in feb 2011. then i changed to 1200 cal, fine tuned what i ate...and started walking...by mid march i was off bp meds and by mid october was totally off insulin...by december i was 230 lbs. Diet...what you eat and exercise will help diabetes and any health issues.
    get the training from you diabetes center through their nutritionist n stick with it...u will see results...it is the committment n understanding your body n how it works with food and DOING IT that will change things.
    best of luck in your journey
  • RF3377
    RF3377 Posts: 97
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    I don't have the diabetes myself, however my dad does and your symptoms at this time sound like when he was first diagnosed. He was just over 280lbs he is currently at 201lbs and his doctor has advised him if he loses about another 7lbs he can look into taking him off his diabetes tablets.

    Now he has gained control over his diabetes is with calorie control and exercise, he has problems with his feet due to the diabetes and gout in one of his knees which is a kind of arthritis for anyone that doesn't know. He flew through loosing the first 42lbs but then started gaining weight back so to give him motivation and a reason to exercise everyday, I bought him a German Shepherd. Now he walks about 15kms everyday 5 to 6 days a week. Which can be very hard for him at times but you just got to stick with it!

    I control what he then puts into his mouth, all meals he has are made from scratch, I don't allow him to eat more than 5 pieces of fruit a day, sugar is substituted in pretty much everything. He used to drink a lot of alcohol now he only has some once every few months.

    You just need help from your doctor to find out what is right for you, once you find that the rest will come much easier.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    In September 2009 i was on 170 units of insulin..had high blood pressure, weighed 600 pounds, legs where swelled (different times they seeped) and could barely walk short distances without getting winded.
    a 1500 cal diabetic diet..with no exercise got me to 430 lbs in feb 2011. then i changed to 1200 cal, fine tuned what i ate...and started walking...by mid march i was off bp meds and by mid october was totally off insulin...by december i was 230 lbs. Diet...what you eat and exercise will help diabetes and any health issues.
    get the training from you diabetes center through their nutritionist n stick with it...u will see results...it is the committment n understanding your body n how it works with food and DOING IT that will change things.
    best of luck in your journey

    Agreed.. I followed a similar experience, May 2009 I weighed 560 lbs. could barely walk from one room to the other, Legs swelled severely, had major back issues and bad knee's, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes with A1c running 10.0.... My Endo dr. bluntly told me the first day I seen him, You got maybe 5 years at the rate your going and if I did not make a drastic change I was going to die... He told me I was insulin resistant and put me on glucotrol and metformin and sent me straight to a nutritionist... I was eating over 8000+ calories a day back then so establishing a meal plan that was healthy and sustainable was key... She set my calories intake to 2500 and wanting me eating 240 grams of carbs a day (3 main meals and 3 snacks daily) I know alot will tell you carbs are bad for diabetics but there are some exception out there cause I am one of them.. (Currently now consuming 340 grams a day) It is the kind of carbs you intake that is most important... I cut out of enriched flour products, such as white rice, white breads, etc... and I stuck with complex carbs that take longer to break down such as whole grains, muli grains, veggies, fruits... But the biggest thing that help my diabetes was Exercise!!! Hands down this was vital in reversing my diabetes... I could not support my own weight at the start so they put me in a therapy pool and used water displacement to allow me to stand.. I walked laps in the therapy pool starting out at just 10 minutes that first day and adding a little bit of time everyday I was in the pool.. I lost over 170 lbs, in 16 months doing this.. Until I had lost enough weight to get out of the water and get fitted with braces for my knee's and I started walking out of the pool too.. My Endo doctor held off starting me on insulin at the beginning to see if the weight loss had the desire effect he thought it would and it did.. Every month my number continued to go down and today after losing 307 lbs. I am maintaining A1c @ 5.3 which is Pre-diabetic and am off glucotrol but am and will be in metformin for the rest of my life as long as the diabetes does rear it ugly head and cause me to go on insulin somewhere down the line.. Once you have Diabetes you always have it, it is just a matter of how well you can control the disease and currently I am with diet and exercise... So my advice is get to a nutritionist and get moving anyway you can, baby steps at first and build up from there.... Best of Luck
  • crimznrose
    crimznrose Posts: 282 Member
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    You will feel horrible for the first month or two as your body adjusts to less sugars in your system, but I wouldn't start numbing those. My doc tried that when he first dubbed me "insulin resistant" and pre-diabetic years ago. Doctors can't enforce a low-carb diet and exercise plan, so they medicate where they can. Meds to control your glucose production, meds to numb the pain....but it doesn't FIX the problem.

    Truly turning back the effects of diabetes begins with making a conscious effort to maintain a healthy low carb diet AND exercise. Start with low impact 3x a week since you have poor ciruclation. After about 3-4 weeks, up it to 1 high impact aerobic activity + 2-3 low impact days. It takes a lot of self-discipline, but the end results are feeling better and living a healthier life. I was 31, 253lbs and fed 1500mg of metformin a day. Through diet and exercise I've lost 35lb and counting, and have lowered my metformin dose. 20lbs more and I'll be off the meds altogether....and THAT is a great feeling. :bigsmile:
  • stefbord
    stefbord Posts: 2
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    Hi! I'm a type 1 Diabetic, so my situation is a little different, but you CANNOT give up! As soon as you give up, you will face the worst that this disease has to offer.

    I am insulin dependent, going on my 26th year now, (I'm 28 years old...) and have good days and bad, but am overall controlled. Like one of the other posters said, I try to type in everything I am going to eat first, get the calculated carbs, and then dose my insulin accordingly. If your doctor has you just taking insulin willy-nilly, it won't work the way it is supposed to. You should be counting carbs and dosing for them. Another poster recommended a nutritionist. At my endocrinologist, I see the doc first and then I meet with both the dietician (look for one of these as they are licensed and nutritionists are not) and the nurse educator to talk about my food and blood sugar control. If your doc isn't helping you out, find a new one!

    I also highly recommend this website for all Diabetics...http://www.tudiabetes.org/. Being a diabetic is hard work. This website is all types with forums and tons of info and encouragement. :) Sometimes you do feel like you've had enough; that's when you need to fight harder!

    I hope things get better. Don't be afraid to ask for help! You started off right here! :) Best of luck!
  • robert65ferguson
    robert65ferguson Posts: 390 Member
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    The first thing is that you cannot afford to quit. The second and more encouraging thing is that there are at least two Diabetic support groups on MFP. I suggest you use the search facility for groups and join one or both groups where you will find a number of very supportive and encouraging people only too willing to share their experience. Come back to me if you have difficulty locating the groups.
  • margo52
    margo52 Posts: 13
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    Thank you all. Thank you for listening to me vent sometimes I just need to say am going to quit but I know deep down I'm on I've given up so much for this that what else is left. I guess my get up and go have gone for now I get mad at myself for not able to do things I have three dogs that are used to show now I can hardly walk with them their loving the time off training and showing now they are brats no manners so now they stay home I like to get my life back into the dog things things you but I guess in time it will happen again for taking two years off is really hard for me not to be around the things that I love. I did really good on cutting things out trying to watch my diet trying to handle my stomach do what I can eat what I can eat. I guess I'm stubborn because I will not use the Walker I fell on the Walker in it hurts more to follow Walker then they hit the ground. So far today was a great day to start my BG's room 161 did not have a good night sleep of all night legs to kill me and my neck so today is going to be just stay-at-home and just relax thank you all again I know I need to use the exercise but I guess I am scared of falling because when I scraped my knees and elbows it takes months for them to get well and I hate going to a doctor
  • margo52
    margo52 Posts: 13
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    Thank you but i guess i need help to find the goupe you talk about
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/1772-type-2-diabetes-support-group
  • Lefty634
    Lefty634 Posts: 56
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    52 Type II and been so for 3 years or so my ENDO has be check my BG twice a days and log it and send them the numbers. He claimed that thru watching the numbers you will learn what works for you and what doesnt. For along time I was convinced he was nuts, but I have learned a few things. This is my experience and my not be for everyone but if my numbers are high I must move and walking will do more for my numbers than anything if I run or lift weights my numbers will go higher. So I walk and watch my numbers. If I wake up and numbers are low before my gym workout I eat a snack first if they are high I make sure to hit treadmill or track. Might not work for you but has for me and I am on a newer drug called Bydureon (I think it has been used in Europe for awhile now) and it really is working well. Feel free to drop me a message I am here everyday and DO NOT give up
  • margo52
    margo52 Posts: 13
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    Thank you

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