New diabetic 1.5 lada

Type 1 and LADA
161

I just listened to a few hours of utube talks and interviews with Dr. Bernstein. I like this guy. Wow, I did not know about him. He has made a tremendous contribution to diabetics! He is attributed for the acknowledgement that tight bg control prevents complications!?! That seems so obvious, I would never think that would need evidence or proof. It's also why I thought A1C was waste of time, because it could be relatively okay, yet not show that the individual was having a lot of highs and lows, the average was good.

Dr. B said you could chew up some starchy carb, mix it with saliva, get it liquidy and put it on a ketostix, he said (I think it was potatoes) this would turn black. I gave it a try with brown rice, the ketostix showed negative. Cool. I want to try with potatoes and white rice to see what happens. I tried this years ago with regular coke to see what would happen, and it showed negative also, so I'm not sure, maybe my strips were expired at that time. This was a new package of strips today with the brown rice.

I don't think Dr. B recommends rice. What does he say to brown rice? He did say in interview, squash is suggested food, although fairly high in carb. Squash, and sweet potatoes, are Qi Tonics in TCM. Study and mental activity drain spleen qi. When I started eating more squash I found I had much more energy, strength and stamina. I was able to study in school and focus much better. I started brown rice diet, thanks to a friend who turned me on to macrobiotics in the book, "You Are All Sanpaku", by George Ohsawa, based on Japanese concepts of yin/yang theory.

162

DW,
What is your bg before lunch when you are feeling very hungry?

Listening to Dr. B about diabetic hunger, he mentions low blood sugar is what makes diabetics feel so hungry, insatiable appetite. For me, it is high bg when I get 'hunger'. Dr. B mentioned that he uses amylase injection for patients with extreme hunger, crave for carbs, that tend to over eat and gain weight, and have to chase highs with more insulin injection, then counter act lows with more carb, ect.

In TCM, diabetes in the middle jiao is marked by polyphagia, constant hunger, is stomach fire, too much heat in the stomach. Looking at the Chinese Herbal formula ingredients suggested for this I wonder if they promote amylase production. Maybe some research has been done on this, I will check into it.

One such formula for Diabetes, due to qi and yin deficiency, marked by dry mouth, throat, polydipsia, polyuria, emaciation, lack of strength, fatique, short of breath, difficult to speak, spontaneous sweat - is Yu Ye Tang, the Promoting Secretion of Saliva Decoction. I wonder if this formula promotes production of amylase.

Also, chewing food up to 50 chews before swallowing should promote saliva and amylase production. This is recommended in macrobiotic books. Sometimes it takes me 1/2 hour to eat 30g of brown rice. I think your supposed to chew fast, yet, I tend to eat slow, often hungry with no appetite, starving in the presence of food.

DW friend, I pray you are okay, I am sending love to you.

163

Maybe you all could post your tongue pics. I'll show you mine, if you show me yours. I can post my tongue pic too. It feels sorta weird and embarrassing to show my tongue. I am grateful for your support in this, it will help me understand patterns better, and see how patterns 'types' of diabetes, manifest on the tongue.

You can go here to see about tongue diagnosis -
http://www.sacredlotus.com/diagnosis/tongue/index.cfm

thank you

164

Your doctor seems a bit, how do I say this? Whackadoodle.

Time and specific tests "may" tell whether you are type 1 or type 2. Ketones occur when you burn fat, particularly on a low carb diet (such as a reading of 0.1). They also happen when your blood sugar goes high and out of control and you start to enter DKA. Are you entering DKA with a blood sugar of 3-400 mg/dl?

I think you will be ok. And hence ketones tell your doctor nothing.

Metformin will help anyone who has some insulin resistance. It will make the insulin more effective. But in the end, if you use insulin and dose it properly, you can control your blood sugar. And if you are still struggling to eat properly and dose your insulin properly you may be having high blood sugars and that can make you feel terrible.

ps. I felt terrible, only to find out I had sleep apnea.

pps. I still take metformin even though I use a full insulin regime.

165

Hi TD,

yes i will have a c-peptide and antibody test in june.

Prior to getting diagnosed, i was 200 lbs and was pretty muscular and fit, i was going to the gym 3 to 4 times a week.

If i recall correctly, i did get a few strange episodes at night where i had fever and sweating a lot, felt like a common cold accompanied by nausea and fever.

I also got a food poisoning a year before diagnosis.
I recall getting blisters on my fingers, like bumps filled with transparent liquid and when i burst them the skin would dry up and flake for weeks. I still get those when my sugar is high for an extended period.

But i think it all started with my thyroid, it started to go hypo in 2005, so about 2 years before diabetes diagnosis.

I remember checking my BG for the first time in 2004 after a meal because my ex's father at the time was diabetic and we were testing for fun and i was at 8 mmol (144mg/dl).

So i did not have diabetes yet. I think it started in 2006 but only discovered it a year later. I was 34 years of age.

But i was already an anxiety sufferer since 2000. I was put on Fluvoxamine (Luvox) in 2000 and slowly decreased the dosage as i got better and less anxious.
I continued taking it and still take it today, i take about 25 to 50 mg a day, it helps me a lot and removes panick attacks and heart palpitations. Could it be a long term use of Luvox that triggered diabetes?
I have read on some sites that anti depressants can trigger diabetes. Doctors tell me no, it's not possible.
If it is possible in my case, do i have a lawsuit possibility? i feel like my life is ruined.

166

They don't care, all they care is their paycheck at the end of the week.

My Endo closed her office door and did not even want to talk to me.

She was making her nurse do all the work.
I will go back on friday with a letter of complaint and if she refuses to help, i will ask for another Endo.

167

My BG has been between 8 and 14 mmol lately.

I probably burned some fat when i was constantly high for 3 months, because i lost a lot of weight. I lost 20 to 30 pounds. Probably my body was burning fat for energy. I also went through a break up and lost my job, that did not help either.

I just have trouble believing this is a type 1, because i was able to stay on metformin and glyburide for 4 years without using insulin.
I think i am type 2 with a depleted pancreas or tired pancreas because of the High BG. Ever since i am on insulin only i feel terrible. I get very unstable and restless and irritable. I cannot concentrate. I feel like i am constantly worrying about my BG level because it became so unpredictable. i was more stable with the oral meds and insulin combined.

Why my doctors don't believe me? They think i am acting or something...

168

I see no reason why you can't go back on metformin. Most people feel better when they can normalize their blood sugars. It is not just worry, but you will feel more even, less stressed and you won't be subject to the ups and downs. And remember, for a slow onset T1 (LADA), oral medications can improve your blood sugar control temporarily. But in the end, if you don't make enough insulin, no oral medication will fix it.

I am diagnosed as a T2. I had the c-peptide that showed I did not make enough insulin. So I started insulin. And I now feel better (well except for the apnea).

169

Do you still take metformin with your insulin?

170

I take max metformin, 2.5g.

171

I went to the diabetes clinic today, i wrote a nice letter
To explain how i feel, since i have to wait 3 months
To have an apointment. My endo happened to be at the
Reception, so she asked me what was going on.
The receptionist gave me ■■■■ saying i am not suppose
To talk with endo without appointment. So i told her
That’s why i wrote this letter. Damn protocols. I am fedup
Of this system.

172

http://www.naturalnews.com/022027.html

These commonly prescribed drugs have the chemical characteristic that may cause diabetes:

* Antibiotics: penicillins, cephalosporins, erythomycin

* Tranquilizers: barbiturates, benzodiazepines (such as Valium)

* Others: syntocinon (labor inducer), ergometrine (stops postpartum bleeding), acetaminophen (Tylenol

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/022027.html#ixzz1sUqaBgyt

DW,
This is just one site that mentions drugs that can induce diabetes. I am sure there are many websites giving awareness to this possibility and caution.

I know someone who onset with diabetes due to a pharmaceutical prescription. I will see if I can find out what the drug was. She filed a lawsuit and she won. She still has diabetes and takes insulin injections.

Many pharmaceutical drugs are prescribed if the benefits outweigh the risks, people aren't always informed what possible side effects are involved.

Fluvoxamine (Luvox) is an SSRI, I have not heard of this inducing diabetes. I can ask my pharmaceutical prof, who is also a pharmacist, and a TCM practitioner what he knows about this. Also, wondering about 'serotonin syndrome'.

I am not a fan of pharmaceutical drugs. Often side effects are the same symptoms the drug is supposed to treat. Sometimes they can be beneficial, often over prescribed though, and in many cases more are prescribed to counteract side effects.

Check into acupuncture,,, it has a very high success rate for treating anxiety, heart palpitations, nervousness, insomnia, and depression. Acupuncture for these conditions, can help balance blood sugar levels - a very wonderful side effect. Harmony of yin and yang is the basis of curing diseases and conserving health.

Look for the book, "Non-pharmacotherapies for Diabetes", by Editor-in-Chief Cheng Yichun, Translators Zhang Yuxi and Lu Yubin (my teacher :)))

Much Love
Turtle Dove

173

You won't believe this.

Yesterday while i was at the clinic to give her my letter of complaint.
My Endo asked me why i was there. So i told her i have been feeling like crap and i was doing better with metformin combined with insulin. So she said to start taking metformin again! First she removes it from my prescription and now she says if have any left at home to take them... what the?? Now i have no prescription for metformin and i have to wait until june or july... What kind of a professional is that?

I think i am going to study to become an Endo. I probably know more than her in the little time i have read books and done research on the internet. I would have more compassion and empathy for my patients.

Last night i had 2 glasses of wine with dinner and i felt great, so relaxed and then i checked my BG and it was at 7.3 or 131.4 mg/dl.

i got a bit of a headache and pulsating feeling in my feet, but BG was ok.

174

My BG before lunch is usually in the 180 mg/dl range.

But when i was in class studying it was lower i think. because my day began at 6 AM so i had breakfast at 6:30am.

So by the time lunch time arrived it was 11 am, so i had time to get hungry and BG had time to go lower since my brain was working more due to programming. I remember i would get hungry around 9:30 am, really hungry.

Now since i am taking a medical leave, i am at home and i wake up later, so my breakfast and lunch are closer, like a 2 hour time frame in between, instead of 4 or 5 hours like i did when i was in class and my brain is more relaxed with no stress, so it's easier to control, but still i am not always on target BG. So if i am having trouble being on target at home, i can only imagine how it will be in a month when i go back to class. It will be erratic all over again. I really need a CGM and Metformin with the insulin doses i am on and maybe i will be able to reduce a little too.

Thanks TD for your help, i appreciate it a lot.

175

You shouldn't have to wait until june or july just to get a prescription. Call the clinic and tell the nurse that the endo told you to start taking metformin again but you need a new prescription. They can phone it in for you. And I wouldn't take no for an answer.

One thing I've learned with diabetes is that often you have to push to get what you need to be able to take care of yourself. With doctors, nurses, insurance companies, pharmacies, hospitals. It's a shame but it's the truth.

176

Yes it's a shame, you have to fight for your rights.

I always have to push and push and write letters and argue and i feel like a lawyer sometimes. I have to put arguments and reasons and always have to backup what i write.

it's been 2 months i been writing letters and filling out forms, i feel like a government worker.

I can't wait till it's over because i am done with this crap.

177

Amen, smileandnod

178

Yeah Diabetic Warrior! You are the master of your heart and mind. You know what you need and what it takes to get it!

Today I went to the pharmacy and for the first time in a long time, I got two vials of insulin without a problem. Often records indicate my insurance is inactive, or the Rx is expired, or the Rx says I only need x amount per month and they won't give me more for the month, when they were not calculating for the amount used to prime my pump tube. Previously the pharmacist has told me, you can wait a few weeks, you don't need insulin that bad. I may have said that before, I might be repeating myself, but anyway I know exactly what you are going through!

Also, today, I got a letter from Medtronic, a bill from a year and 1/2 ago for pump supplies was not paid by insurance, they say the insurance was inactive for that time, (it was not!) They had threatened to send it to collection, ect. I have been going rounds with this for over a year! A few months ago, they would NOT send my pump supplies, until I paid the invoice. Lucky me, got pump supplies from my 'used-to-be D" friend, who got a pancreas transplant and does not need the box of infusion sets and reservoirs, so he gave them to me. That tided me over until I got to the top dog and got supplies sent pending paymt on the invoice. Anyway,,, today, the invoice from a year and 1/2 ago has been 'written-off'. Phew! I must have an angel... a Diabetic Angel looking out for me. And, this makes me want to cry,,, because sometimes I feel like I am begging for my life! And, it gets so frustrating and hard, and often nobody understands. I have walked around with bg over 1000, saying please... please... pleeeeeazzzzee, may I have some insulin? I have even had ppl say, well, you brought this condition upon yourself, as tho I deserve to suffer! It can be so sad! Yet, today... this is a good day to live! On days that I have not had insulin, or pump supplies,,, I say, well today, this is a good day to die! I never know what day I am going to live or what day I am going to die. I just want to live a long time, and live a healthy life,

Medtronic did say that the little blue plastic piece to insert my infusion set was not a medical necessity, even though I had a Rx from my Endo for it, as the tube was getting kinked and therefore insulin was blocked from getting in, and leaking out,,, they said, I will have to pay for that out-of-pocket, the insurance will not cover it. I ordered two pieces, because plastic parts don't last very long, and the freaky little gadget really IS a benefit and necessity! They said, either pay $60 for it, or pay shipping and handling and send it back for refund. I want this little plastic thing, and Need it! I don't have $60. I am doing free acupuncture for ppl who don't have insurance, and can't afford treatment. I only just started a job for a clinic that accepts insurance and has paying patients. I won't get a check until first of next month, I am borrowing money to even drive to the clinic.

Ahh, if it's not one thing,,, it's another,,, everyday... is a good day... to live or die... oh crap, I missed a bolus, my pump is low, got to go eat and reload cartridge,,, I am so thankful this moment for food in my fridge, two new vials of insulin, pump supplies, and fresh batteries, a blood checker and box of strips, a little blue plastic inserter,,, I am thankful for Dr. Yu, who gives me acupuncture - or I'd be in a mental institution, he gave me a good paying clinic job and soon I'll be OFF all state assistance, he knows I am a good person, with a good heart, and I am a skilled acupuncturist, and very good with herbs, I am a strong voice and a good advocate for people on Western medical care and jumping through medical hoops, Maybe Dr. Yu is my Diabetic Angel, with his Chinese Qigong powers! I am so thankful for this forum too, our chats are giving me so much validation, appreciation, and respect... empowering me in ways I don't have words to articulate, and will benefit me as a practitioner. Maybe I will go two more years of school, get my PhD, and open a Diabetes Clinic!

DW, you've inspired me! Maybe I'll slap the ol' CGM on for a few days, and see how my bg's are doing beyond the two - four finger sticks I've been doing. Thank YOU!!!

179

Hey DW,

I've been following this thread for a while... I'm down the road in Ontario... When I was first dx I tried changing Drs because I wasn't getting the right answers from my current Dr. Well, the new Dr I found was a complete disaster. I told her her I think I could be LADA and she asked "why". I told her I did some research and she asked "on the internet?" I replied yes. She told me to get out of her office. I was "WTF"? Are you serious? She was. She told me she doesn't want her patients looking on the internet (which for me was this forum) and for me to leave... I left gladly. I'm an informed patient and if my Drs don't like that tough... We have to fight hard for our well being... DW, keep fighting... its your life and you have to look after it!!!

Paul

P.S. Red wine is great for my BS!

180

I am not surprised she told you to leave.
They are scared of people who are well informed and educated.

She probably did not even know what LADA is.

You did the right thing by leaving.
Don't waste your time.

I will find a better Endo if she does not cooperate with me.