Another 5.9 A1c. Everything from the Kidneys, triglycerides, cholesterol looks spotless but I am still jumping out of my skin from the sugar swings. I spoke to my doctor about the amount of distress I go through and though she believes me she said its not very common for someone to need that tight of control to be this much of a mess from it. She is going to try me on an antidepressant that targets more towards anxiety. I am approaching it just as a trial but don’t believe it will do much of anything. Deep down I know the only solution to my well being, sanity and comfort is stable 80-110 sugars which we know is literally impossible as a diabetic. In the end I may just have to plead for an islet transplant of some sort (being there are no other options) to save myself from this hell. I am not in anyway overreacting as I believe I could be one of the most distressed disturbed people walking around just due to my glucose. My life is worth saving and only a viable treatment that can offer non-diabetic glucose levels IMO has the potential to transform my well being. I appreciate all the support and suggestions here and I am aware I have a unique case but somebody has to help me.
oh Gary, I believe you, and I’m so glad you are willing to try the antidepressant. also happy to hear about the numbers on everything being spotless. your life is indeed worth saving.
I’m glad to hear that you are dealing with the anxiety issue and hope the doc can find something that works for you! That’s a very brave thing for you to have done!
Nothing brave about trying a pill. I haven’t pursued it in the past as I never believed it would help my specific problem. I doubt the pill will be able to camouflage or make the nasty side effects of the highs and lows more tolerable but it can’t hurt to try it. In my case anyway I believe perfectly normal glucose levels are the key to my well being. Trust me I don’t want to hate diabetes being I’ll be stuck with it for a long time but its making me beyond miserable. I’d love the sugar swings to just be a number to correct but that’s not my world. When the levels are off its like I am dealing with chemo or something. The only somewhat peaceful part of life for me is sleeping.
In terms of saying to a doc “I have this problem that I’m sure is related to diabetes [which most docs don’t know all that much about…] but it’s not exactly diabetes because I have all this data…” and getting her to help with a recommendation seems like a sort of progress?
Gary please try to go into the antidepressant thing with more of an outlook of seeing whether or not it will help instead of with doubt that it will do anything for you. The mind is a very powerful thing and having preconceived notions about things will ensure that it goes exactly like you think it will.
I went into taking Lyrica thinking it would do absolutely nothing for me. After the two to three weeks with no change I told myself I was only taking it because that is what the Doc wants and I am just going to do it their way for once. As soon as I stopped doubting the results I would get with the meds all the sudden they started helping. All I am saying is please give them a fair shake.
I have no doubt that the antidepressant is not the ultimate solution for you but it is something that could very well help. Seems to me you have been miserable enough even a little help would go a long way. Congrats for speaking up about your problem and I wish you luck finding something that will make life at least a bit more livable.
Gary I was told that it would take anywhere from 2-4 weeks for the meds to totally get into ur system then u will notice a differance. My dr said to “Just give it time”
Stable BG for us in the 80 to 110 are not in the cards. even if they perfect a workable artificial pancreas I don’t think it will work that well. Have you ever considered going very low carb (and low calorie) à la Dr. R bernstein. He claims less carbs = less fluctuation in the BG. I was trying some amytriptylene and it does seem to make me happier at the expense of very sleepy. Very sleepy beats depressed.
I would try the antidepressant for a while first. Then I would check out the islet transplants. Currently, though, the transplants are not permanent and you will need to take immunosuppressants for the rest of your life. There are still benefits, I understand C-Peptide is still produced even when you have to go back on insulin; therefore less hypoglycemic episodes. I believe in the next ten years you may be able to get a transplant and not take these drugs. It might be worth waiting for, if you can do it. Congrats on the stellar A1c! P.S. Am thinking perhaps the anxiety you feel when your BS is not in these levels may cause anxiety, exacerbating the physical symptoms. Hope this is it as then it would be relatively easy to fix.
Worth investigating your adrenal function. The level of anxiety you experience could indicate adrenal insufficiency/fatigue. It’s a chicken & egg situation. Here’s some great info on adrenals, including self-tests http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info/. Though it’s a thyroid site, the adrenal info is invaluable. The best test for cortisol is a 24-hour saliva test. There’s info about proper testing on the site & where to order one, if your doctor refuses. Cost is $175–not bad. I’m going to order the test.
Gary.
Congratulations on choosing to take this course of action, this is a big step in itself.
Most SSRIs will take 4-6 weeks to get into your system fully, so please try and stick with it as prescribed. I have taken most anti depressants out there, and it took me a while for me to find one that really helped me, but when I found it, it was a HUGE help.
PM me if you want to discuss anything or are having any issues. I hope you start to find some relief.
Impressive stats as well 
Gary, I am really glad that you decided to do this. I will keep my fingers crossed for you.
I am glad to see a somewhat positive discussion from you. Give this a try and you may be surprised at the results. Your life is definitely worth saving and we are always here to encourage you with positive support.
Hi Gary - -glad you are trying the medication. I hope she told you that it can take up to 6 weeks for an antidepressant to really start working for you, so give it some time before evaluating. Great to hear about the great medial report and A1C. I’m glad your doctor is listening to you about the swings and how they make you feel. The antidepressant may help and, if not, at least you have a medical professional hearing you so maybe she’ll be willing to continue to work with you to get to the bottom of this. I like Gerri’s recommendation to you about adrenal function. Uncovering my thyroid dysfunction was a huge deal for me. Treatment of that made me feel TONS better emotionally and physically. It’s definitely worth having it checked out.
I haven’t started taking it yet. She prescribed Buspirone which is more of an anti-anxiety pill then anti-depressant. The problem is after going to Walmart the pill is $40 per month which is more then I anticipated. I may see if she can re-prescribe it in a higher dosage and just cut the pill in half or see if there is anything less expensive to try. Its so bizarre how mood altering my glucose levels are. I was 112 the day after bailing out of a minor low. I ended having to take more insulin because I started getting edgy at 112 which may not have been the stopping point post food. This morning I was 83 and felt too low. It’s really taking a toll on my life. If I felt well I’d be a different person even living with diabetes. My thyroid is supposedly fine but who knows?
Hello, I’m Kristen.
I’ve been a type 1 diabetic since I was 19 and I’m currently 22. I also have a rare case. You can read it on my page if you would like. I understand your frustration of wanting to get it under control. I have gastroparisis and its throwing my numbers everywhere. Its almost impossible to get me under control, even with me on the pump. Maybe you should look into the gastroparisis? I’m not sure an anxiety medication will help, but you never know and it wouldn’t hurt to try. I’m at a point with my diabetes, that I’m willing to try anything to feel better. Send me a message if you need any support. I have hope for you.
Kristen marie
Kristen,
No one with type one diabetes can keep their blood sugar steady like a non diabetic, its impossible regardless of your approach. Some days are better then others but my problem is the sensitivity to the sugar levels/swings. How is it possible I could be 112 and irritable physically and mentally but at 90 I feel fine? Most people with a perfect working pancreas will be 75 to 85 before a meal and probably under 100 at the two hour mark. I know there are exceptions as even some non diabetics can run higher then that post meal but it has a huge impact on my well being. In my mind with a fasting sugar of 112 I should feel fine but I don’t. I doubt the pills are going to do much help if any at all but I want to see for myself if there is any change or worthwhile improvement. I have lots of crap on my mind as my mom isn’t doing very well these days and she is my only real support at home.
Gary your story is exactly mine. If I am not perfectly normal my anxiety sky rockets and I too feel that no one truly understands how we feel and it is impossible to keep bloodsugars steady. If I am below 100 I am miserable and if I am above 140 I feel like my skin does not fit. I read a post recently on this board, where the poster stated that he was not use to being in a normal range of 80’s, so he felt uncomfortable and he would try to wait it out, until his body got use to being in this range. I am going to try this, but I become filled with such anxiety, which I still feel is caused by a lower bloodsugar and eating something and raising my bloodsugar helps.
I was on effexor for years and years and it did help me, but my anxiety level was not this high. I stopped it a few years ago. I am on predisone now, and that does not cut it for me, so my backup is xanax, which helps a bit, but makes me soooooooooo tired. I feel that the true issue is that if I am not in my range, my body reacts and no amount of pills will fix it, so I do understand.
I hope some medication takes the edge off for you, oh and that is an amazing A1C.