At whits end...again

KCCO,

What your dietician doesn't know is that around 58% of protein & a small percent of fat is converted to glucose. It's not the liver dumping glucose that causes a rise in this case.

We're told to bolus for carbs, but we really should be instructed on how protein plays a role as well.

Doris is right, just wait until you get a lot older and you'll have more serious things to worry about than diabetes. If you worked at getting your blood glucose control better you would feel a whole lot better, IMHO Excuses don't count when it comes to your health.

What can really be more serious then diabetes accept secondary complications from it or something terminal? As far as my control its like anyone else, someday's are good some are not. My A1c's are generally in the low to mid 6's so there ain't much I can do there. The core of my problem with the diabetes is once I start pushing 95 for a pre-meal sugar I don't feel well. Here is an example that is pretty cut and dry... Let's say I feel well 3rs post my meal and my sugar checks in at 87. If I eat lets say 5 grams or carbs without taking any insulin which would boost me to roughly 103 I will indeed feel like crap. Tell me another diabetic that has that problem. So basically I try to I overshoot my insulin to try and avoid any elevated sugars. Of course the drawback is much more hypos's which to to me that is the lesser of the two evils but its almost cost me my life while sleeping. I am pretty good with my portions and most of the time I'd bet I hadn't miss calculated but rather the insulin just didn't do its job or stress or whatever else screws the levels up. There is no reason in mind based on what I woke up with Saturday morning, how much insulin I gave and how much I ate that my sugar should have shot up in the mid 200's but it did. I am not sure where any of this is going but for me to really keep the levels more steady I would need a non invasive meter or monitor which is the only way IMO to troubleshoot the problems before they happen most of the time. Obviously we still need a better treatment and hopefully Viacyte or another will company will get it done.

Gerri,

I don't think protein or fat really has much effect on glucose at all. I am sure if you ate just protein and fat all day without taking insulin your sugar would probably rise some but I don't think a whole lot. I'd bet maybe 40-50 points at the most for three meals.

Well, there ARE things that are more serious and can actually kill some of us if they are not managed. Diabetes is certainly no party but it is managable. As are the other more serious things.

So Gary, while you always looking for sympathy for how hard it is to live with diabetes and how much you feel like crap...please don't compare your problem with those of us who have something more serious along with our diabetes.

It actually makes me angry when I read crap like this "I am so F*****G sick of this disease I am really contemplating taking an overdose and be done with it."

I think you should get some help, and I am not talking about a transplant or some viacyte, or a better monitoring device.

+1

Not sure if you have thought about having your testosterone checked but nearly 1/3 diabetic men
have a deficient testosterone level.
This can make a guy feel not so good all the time regardless of BGL.
It could be you just meed a little help with your “mojo”. That’ll keep you rockin’ that strat. Hope things get better soon for you.

Yea, I know how you are feeling. For me T1 for almost 37 years.
As far as spiking to 300 goes. I think you had a bit of a liver dump because you were getting just a bit low, plus the food that you ate.
Coming to forums like this helps me greatly, and just venting to fellow diabetics. But I did get kicked out of one forum because I made rude comments about all the "Fakes" that were in there, and really made the owner of that forum mad. But I won't do that here.
I assume that you have been taught the carb thing, and how much to take when you get high, but if you haven't learned it then it's worth the effort.
As far as making it with diabetes. When I see all the other people, and the problems that they can have, and are far worse than diabetes, then I am thankful that this is all that I have to deal with. Yes, I know that probably didn't do it for you, but that's the best i can do.

I totally understand how Gary feels as I feel like crap most days, and I eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch most days, and it turns out different every day. I tend to vent a lot as well, but I think that is okay too because hopefully someone will get it on these boards, more than anyone nondiabetic we are associated with.

I do believe that my anxiety makes things worse, but I also believe that if my bloodsugar is below 100 or above 140ish, I feel awful, and the longer I have this disease the feelings I have are unbearable. My PCP did say that more long term diabetics develop this phenomenon. In the dark ages of diabetes for me when there were no meters and two shots a day, I felt better for whatever reason. Having hypoglycemic unawareness does not help things and I know that causes more anxiety for me.

Bottom line is, it is the D that makes both Gary and I struggle so much.

Gary,

Conversion of glucose from non-carb sources is a metabolic process called gluconeogenesis. So, yes, protein & to lesser degree fat do have a decided & measurable effect on BG. Try eating just protein to see what happens:)

I have done some testing when an unacceptable BG and eat protein and vegies ...indeed for me about 4-5 later Up it goes; I still did not bolus enough for the meat and grean beans .

I like to add along the same line maybe ??...this is Gary's Discussion , just like I read on FB today ..." this is my page, I can/will express ...she said it much nicer than I just did , ha, ha " ...one does not have to agree/disagree , neither does one have to respond ...it is still Gary's Discussion . To top it off : I have NO suggestions for Gary other than D some times sucks ...the last few days are a struggle .

I went through a period where I could not do much because of panic attacks and hyper sensitivity to bg changes. I was sure my heart attack was commng around the corner and was ready to just let it happen. I would lay in bed all day checking my glucose every 15 minutes and my blood pressure. Sometimes I would just call in sick to work because I was sure my bg or blood pressure was going to get me. Some days I could go through one whole can of test strips just on checking to make sure I was not high or not low. Any slight changes I would go into a panic. I thought I could feel the glucose going through my veins. I easily went through 600 test strips a month that summer. I worried about not seeing or losing my feet. After six months of this I realized that I cant control everything. I almost lost my wife and son and my job. I realized that there is no perfect state for anyone, specially me. Its not that people dont feel those elevations or changes. Its just we have adapted to living with the disease even if we feel uncomfortable or bad because we have people who depend on us one way or another. I had two options, finish laying in bed and die or go out and live again.

Your comments about taking a trip reminded me when I could not even drive 2 hours because I was sure I would either be high or low and I would have to go to emergency.

So one day i got back on my bike. It was 106 outside in Texas. I dediced if I was going to go out of this world in would be with two wheels under my feet. I threw up twice during the first two miles and I was nervous cause I thought this would be it. My chest was beating through my body and my glucose levels were at about 220. I managed to ride 5 miles and made it home in that crazy heat. I laid in the floor for thirty minutes. I thought to myself. I am not dead and I dont have any diabetes complications. I have a choice to either wait for them or get out and even if I feel like crap get some living done. That summer I rode almost every day and felt like crap 75% of the time. It was not the same like when I was in my mid 20s and enjoyed being in a bike. It was hard work. The best I did with my a1c that summer was 6.5. I have accepted the weird feelings from the bg roller coaster. Some days I do just want to go home and lay in bed. But I have to keep moving. It took a lot of thinking and mind control to get me out of the door and feel comfortable. It was the great people in this community who gave me inspiration to get moving. Keep searching for your answer to how to live with this disease if you ask enough question you may just find a happy medium. I did.

I have never had suicidal thoughts, but I can totally understand how that can be common in diabetics. When when my BS swings so does my mood, sometimes so much that I get tears in my eyes. I really with there was more that I could say to Gary, other than the generic stuff that everybody else is saying, but not being alone really helps for me, even if it with people that I have never met in person.

WOT but that’s totally bad-assed PatientX! Way to keep moving to find your happy medium!

I suspect that in some of the tests might disregard any data we’d produce but others would involve a presumtion that you will have some degree of “control” which, at least from your posts, I’m not sure you do. Before there was glucose testing, I think the life expectancy was quite a bit lower…

I don't think you really want to fatally inject yourself with insulin. I think you want someone to acknowledge that you are sad, depressed, angry and fed up with your diabetes. What better place to express this than a forum full of people who do sort of "walk a mile" in your shoes. Unfortunately, in the end, you are the only one who can actually help yourself and find a way to feel better by reaching out to a new doctor, a psychologist or both who can help you cope better in living with this disease.

anxiety causes you sugar to increase a lot and very fast, When you are anxious your liver dumps glycogen and adrenaline. Your sugars will go up fast, but then after you feel better often the sugar is taken back up by your liver. It is nearly impossible to manage that way. You never know weather or not to correct.
I think you need a CGM. Mine has helped me get much better control. I used to think I was in good control, but looking at my cgm I could see thatmy insulin was hitting very late and it was common for me to go over 200 before coming back down, but I never knew it because when I tested , it was normal.
When you get a CGM you will see how the cereal is acting. You will see it start to rise peak and come back down.

I think once you get a handle on how your body reacts to different foods, and insulin, your anxiety will reduce dramatically. That along with knowing what your sugar is practically all the time.CGM is not perfect and there is a delay in the results, but I still think it would help you.

Hi PatientX. That is a remarkable story; thanks. I'll think of you when I have one of those really bad days when I need some inspiration.

Greetings Gary
Protien and fat do very much impact BG levels. The big difference, as I bet for sure you already know id the timing. Carbs hit you right away, protien and fat take 4+ hours to get through the digestive system, and into your blood. Anziety/stress also impact BG levels, at least tit does for me. Driving at night, speaking to groups,even seeing my daughters can bring on stress. I have managed for 45 years, and do get pizzed off at times, but, most important for me is to ACCEPT things, deal with the now, and don't dwell on yesterday. Complications have impacted my life, but thats just the way things are. Perfect, what's that? Normal is different every year. Lows suck and so does DKA, for sure we all hate those. Raiding the fridge in the middle of the night with the shakes, and then being asked, "Why didn't you wake me up" can be stressful too!The one thing that really works for me is ACCEPTANCE!Like many others have posted, You have made it this long, so both of us must be doing something right.
Jed