I have been diabetic for 22 years. Diagnosed type 2 when I was VERY overweight. I started out on oral meds, and when I joined Cornell, I began to use Lantus. Started with 46 units and 2000 metformin each day.

Well, that was almost 5 years ago. Lost A LOT OF WEIGHT. Stopped the metformin almost 4 years ago and just took Lantus. My daily dose (in the a.m) was about 20 till last year, and I was down to 18 till last week.

I have discovered that if I eat every few hours, my sugar reading is about 100 to 120. No kidding.

IF I FORGET TO EAT, MY SUGAR GOES UP!!!! During the Day!!! So I gather this is NOT DAWN PHENOMENON??

Doesn't matter if I eat something before bed, or I don't eat something, my sugar is high in the morning. Sometimes it's 167, but sometimes it's 180.

As soon as I take the Lantus, go to breakfast, and go about my day, if I forget to each lunch at 1 p.m. or so, and I take my sugar, it's could be 190 or even higher. The I say "Oh, you forgot to eat". So I eat a nice salad with some protein for lunch, take my sugar one to two hours later and it's 100.

I always thought that if a diabetic didn't eat, they would have hypoglycemia. And the they would get the shakes and have to take those glucose pills.

So question number 1. How come my sugar reading goes UP if I don't eat, and comes right back down one hour later. I also eat the Bitter Melon, and that sucks the sugar right out of me. But even if I don't eat the Bitter Melon, as long as I eat a nice lunch (I never eat any refined carbs), just salad with tuna or grilled chicken, or some fish. It's ALWAYS a healthy lunch.

Then my sugar goes almost to normal. I do not understand this.

I am now on 14 units of Lantus. To me, it doesn't make a whole bit if difference if I am on 20 or 14. As long as I eat every few hours, my sugar is fine.

It's the nighttime thing I would like to correct. I understand that during the night, the sugar goes down, then the liver dumps glucagon (I have no idea what this is), and that's why my sugar is high in the a.m.

I am continuing to lose weight. It's getting easier as I go down on the Lantus. My goal was to go off Lantus completely. The people at Cornell told me: 'Mel, you are on practically NOTHING". And that was when I was on 20 units of Lantus.

The reason I'm so bewildered about this diabetes thing, is that my friend just had to go on 3 shots a day of humulog and she also take Levimir. She's on 80 units of Levimir, plus humulog, (her doctor just took her off of januvia and another oral med.

So earlier this week she was on Januvia, Glyburide, Levimir, and 3 shots of Humulog. She got dizzy and her doctor took her off of Januvia and glyburide.

So now she takes 4 shots a day of insulin (one of which is a basal insulin like I take).

I went on a diabetic message board and everybody there was on either 50 or 80 units of Lantus, and Humulog also.

I said to myself "I'm on 14 units of Lantus, once a day, and if I don't eat my sugar goes UP??? but if I remember to eat every few hours, it goes to normal??

I am confused. I really am.

I'll lose more weight because I'm walking more, and my diet is good. I have about 25 more lbs to lose. I lost over 100 and that took years. I am not like those people on the Biggest Loser, where they lose 80 lbs in 5 months.

This took YEARS of lifestyle change. I eat my sprouts, I eat some chicken, some fish, no refined carbs, except for maybe half a muffin after dinner with a cup of coffee. Honestly, that is my only indulgence, and that is not very often. I make my own sugar free pies, and I'll have a piece of that with my evening coffee and that's it.

No bed time snacks, no cake, no chips (not for years). I drink my water, I don't drink any kind of soda, I hate carbonation.

So what is up with this "if I don't eat, my sugar goes up during the daytime, but if I DO eat, it goes almost to normal"

Is there a dawn phenonemon going on during the day?

I mean, I watched Dr. Oz and he had a lady who lost 100 lbs and he was asking her about "what do you eat?" and she said: "I graze all day"

And he said "Oh, to keep your blood sugar stable?" And she said "yes". She was also off all meds also.

If anyone can give me some tips on how to get the morning sugar reading down a bit, and if you can explain why, when I don't eat, my sugar goes up during the day, I would be very appreciative.

I honestly thought that when any diabetic doesn't eat, we get hypoglycemic. I've had that happen a few times during my 22 year journey with diabetes, (you can count the number of times my sugar has gone to 60 if I forgot to eat). Maybe 4 times in 22 years. I don't have the hypo thing going on.

So is this HYPER glycemia, (when I don't eat and it goes UP)?? Is this what is going on with my body? I mean, it's amazing that I can get a reading of 197 at 2 p.m. because I didn't eat since 9:30 a.m. and then have lunch and an hour or two later, I'm at 120 or lower. Usually I do remember to eat lunch but I can't graze all day. Who grazes all day?

I know the function of my pancreas is to put out insulin when I eat carbs. but my lunch is salad, grilled fish or chicken, so any carbs are not refined carbs. So do I have a working pancreas? I mean, during the day I've been getting 100's 110, the other day I got 90.

Holy Cow.

And that was on 15 units of Lantus.

Should I go back to 18 or 19. I did that for years and well, I can't explain it but for 2 days (on the 14 units), my daytime readings (when I remembered to eat) were really good.

I would like to understand my body. I really don't want to go on oral meds again (My body did NOT like metformin). I would like to be off everything but if that won't be the case, I'll stick with what I'm doing.

In my head I say to myself "Melody, if you lose 20 more lbs, you'll sugar reading will be good in the morning". Is this an achievable goal??

Anyone??

Thanks much if someone could just say "Melody, this is what is happening to your body when you forget to eat lunch.........etc"

Melody

I cannot find a definitive answer to your question.

It might be a function of the insulin you take. I think only an experienced endo could answer it.

Try not using your insulin for a day or two, and don't change anything else. Take your sugar readings. Skip lunch during this trial and see if you have the elevated reading. Lantus is a basal insulin and does not react to food very much. It may be lowering your sugars when you skip food enough to trigger a hypoglycemic warning and then the liver kicks in.

Since you are on such a low dose, one day is not going to harm you. I suspect your body is signaling a low sugar reading, sometime during the period of the skipped meal, and then your liver is pumping out glucose to correct it, and it overshoots.
Cortisol is the hormone which can raise blood sugar. The body also senses "stress" and puts out this hormone and elevated sugar is the result. Some people are born with normally high responses of cortisol (this is controlled by the adrenal gland and/or pituitary). Elevated cortisol can be tested for.
You have stated in the past that you become upset about your son's behavior. This could be working on you unconsciously during your day, putting you into a "stress mode" and consequently raising your glucose levels.

I have read that the body will tend to raise blood sugar when it gets low and slight rises or "overcompensation", are to be expected since it is not a perfect system.
The concept is that slight elevations do not harm you, but very low levels deprive the brain and other organs, and IS harmful, so the body tends to make slightly more glucose than you need.

You know there is a drug now for type II diabetes that is a low dose of an old drug not previously used for diabetes ~bromocriptine: It addresses issues separate from the pancreas.
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/con.../1154.abstract

http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20090...loset-approved

Research has also found that melatonin levels affect blood sugar too.

So there are many new avenues coming forward to help diabetics besides insulin.

Mrs. D.

Thanks for the quick response. Two things that you mentioned might definitely be affecting me.

My son is the first one.

His birthday was on Friday. I had sent him a birthday present (a small amount of money) Alan was livid with me, stating "you don't send money to a gambler". I realize this, but it's VERY hard (even if we don't have a relationship), to act like he does not exist, even if HE acts like WE don't exist.

So of course, this has been on my mind for some time. I call it the "Frank problem" He has emailed me recently going on and on about his lot in life, about how "life sucks", blah blah. I don't view life as he does. I see the glass as half full and he sees the opposite. You and I have discussed this before and you said that some people are toxic to other people.

I believe this to be the case. So my body is under stress, and everything goes out of whack when my son either calls or emails me.

I must find a solution to this, and once I do find that solution, I have to find a way to overcome the guilt of not letting him intrude into my life (especially because of his behavioral issues).

Now the second thing that you mentioned is Melatonin. Every night (for who knows how long), I take 2 melatonin pills (equally 6 mgs), and one alprazolam.

I get nice and drowsy, I fall to sleep (unless it's the day that Frank emails me), (like yesterday), and my body started to spasm. I had to put a hot wrap under my body, and in 3 minutes it all stopped and I went to bed.

This is REALLY doing me in.

Now back to the Melatonin. I googled Melatonin and rising blood sugars but honestly, I can't find an exact statement "Taking melatonin raises blood sugars in people with Type 2"

I found that Melatonin raises blood sugar in people with Type 1, but couldn't really find that much about people with type 2.

But tonight I shall make this test.

I will take the alprazolam and not the melatonin. Might take a few nights, but I want to see what happens.

I don't know if I should skip the insulin at the same time I'm doing this experiment (take no Lantus, skip lunch, etc).

Maybe I should see what happens when I don't take melatonin for a few nights, but I do take my alprazolam.

I don't expect miracles, and I know this is mainly a stress problem, but I've worked too hard to have my body go all whacky on me, because I have a son who is 29 and has done nothing with his life (I don't care what the reason).

I have to take care of ME!!!

So let's see what happens. I'm gonna write to him and gently explain "do not contact me for one week, I'm having blood sugar problems that are related to stress".

So I'm giving myself a week off from him. No melatonin.

I'll update you with my blood sugar readings and we'll go from there.

Oh, one more question.

Is there really a BIG difference between taking 14 units of Lantus and taking NONE of Lantus?

Thanks much (very)

Melody

Melatonin is being investigated as an AID to prevent elevated blood sugars in the morning. It has to do with circadian metabolic events.
You know, I will remind you, that diabetics lose magnesium in the urine all the time. Your spasms might be due to low mag levels.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/132138.php

Inositol is also recommended for type II diabetics.
http://diabetesinformationhub.com/Di...n_Inositol.php

I think 6mg of melatonin at night is too much. I'd cut back to 3mg and see what happens.

14 units is a small amount. Some cats get that dose (as a comparison).

I honestly don't think it's the magnesium deficiency. I take Malic Acid every day, I soak with epson salts at night. And the spasms ONLY HAPPEN WHEN MY SON EMAILS ME. ONLY THEN.

That CAN'T be a coincidence.

I will try taking one melatonin tonight. And I shall go to CVS and look into Inositol.

I feel like they should put my body in a case and study me.

lol
Melody
P.S. cats take 14 units of Lantus? Cats have diabetes???

Inositol is much less expensive to buy in powder form and measure it out. It mixes into any liquid including water with virtually no taste. (mildly sweet).

8 oz of Jarrow at iherb is about $12. You'd much more for it locally from anyone. Our local vitamin outlet here charges $67 for the exact same bottle.

Hubby uses the powder, and 8 oz lasts over 6mos for him.
There are 240gm in 8oz, and at one gram a day, that is 240 days supply! Capsules would be very much more expensive!

Mrs. D.

Is this what you are talking about?

http://www.iherb.com/Jarrow-Formulas...227-g/126?at=0

Thanks,

Melody

Yes, that is it.

And yes, cats get diabetes now regularly. It has to do with poor nutrition and cheesy catfoods. They typically get insulin, as I am unaware of oral meds for cats.

Ours do not have diabetes, because I give them Eukanuba.
and high quality protein foods in general. Excess carbs are bad for cats and many foods have mostly carbs.

http://www.halopets.com/pet-educatio...d-disease.html

Well!!!! Did I just get a SHOCK!!!!

I took a walk just now to get my broccoli. I passed the GNC. I walk in and walk over to the Inositol on the shelf. The sign said "See sales person for powder".

I walk over to the guy and ask him "how much is Inositol powder?" and he goes:

"oh, you are in luck, the 4 oz (and he shows me the bottle), is on sale for $45.99"

I look at him and say (very nicely).

"Are you out of your mind? this is sold at iherb.com for $12 and change"

"FOR TWICE THE AMOUNT" 8 oz"

He looks at me and says:

"No, it's different, this one is better".

I said: "I don't think so, laughed my head off, and left him in the wind".

iherb, here I come

And hugs to you my Dear Mrs. D

lol

Melody

Okay, just bought it from iherb.com. The dosage is 1/4 teaspoon. That is SO easy to do.

You indicated I can put this in a beverage?

I Have my pure orange drink that I also sometimes add benefiber to it. It's also clear and has no taste, so I think I'm drinking orange water and it's very tasty.

Can I just add the 1/4 tsp to this? Once a day, right?

And is there a specific time of day or do I do it with my dinner beverage, or lunch, or does it make any difference.

My goodness, I'm turning into a pharmacy at my house.

lol

Melody