Very interesting reading:

http://www.survivediabetes.com/hypt2.htm

Go to this author's home page to see the foods he eats, the foods he avoids and the supplements he takes.

The author makes this interesting statement in support of taking supplements - "If someone drinks a huge amount of water, he will lose vitamins and minerals in his excess urine. When a diabetic's blood sugar exceeds his kidneys' 'renal threshold', urine output increases, carrying vitamins and minerals out of the body along with the excess glucose. Even well-controlled diabetics have high blood sugar from time to time, so one might expect diabetics tend to be low in micronutrients, especially those relevant to diabetic complications such as magnesium (heart disease), zinc (poor immunity) and chromium (insulin resistance). And this is what is found." This statement is a reason to do one's best to keep blood sugar under control and to take supplements as well.

The author makes this interesting statement about diabetes and alcohol - "Second, alcohol is empty calories, providing all the stress of, say, sugar (even though its metabolism does not involve insulin directly). There's something addictive about these empty calories that diabetics are drawn to - sugar and refined flour probably cause the condition in the first place, and a disproportionate number of Type II diabetics are either carbohydrate cravers or alcoholics. Alcohol is likely to damage the diabetic metabolism further.":

http://www.survivediabetes.com/contents.htm#without

Shelley,

I have been taking a magnesium supplement with really good results (over the years, I have tried a number of other magnesium supplements). It is called Ionic-Fizz Magnesium Plus. I hear that Peter Gillham Natural Vitality Natural Calm magnesium is also good. I am finally getting muscles to release that have been hard and cable-like for years. Magnesium could be helpful for you in a number of ways:

For relaxing muscles - good for TOS

For sugar metabolism - good for preventing diabetes

For helping to deal with diabetic (and other?) neropathy

For dealing with stress

For thyroid issues -
"Hypothyroidism does not have to be a lifelong struggle with low energy, depression and weight gain. A therapeutic diet coupled with effective supplementation, as well as thyroid medication where appropriate, can reduce symptoms, regulate hormones, and re-establish healthy metabolism. Magnesium supports the conversion of T4 to the active form of hormone, T3. It will also help with any fibromyalgia symptoms that you may have associated with your thyroid disease. "

In addition you might want to avoid soy products.
"Do Soy Foods Negatively Affect Your Thyroid? A Look at the Downsides of Soy":

http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/soydangers.htm

This is an excellent article.
"A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO DIABETIC NEUROPATHY TREATMENT":

http://www.geocities.com/bsy53/dn/neuropat.html

This is a pretty technical article. This has potential implications for autoimmune disorders in general. "Zonulin Upregulation Is Associated With Increased Gut Permeability in Subjects With Type 1 Diabetes and Their Relatives":

http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org...full/55/5/1443

"UCSD Team Discovers Diabetes Trigger in Fatty Diet":

http://health.ucsd.edu/news/2005/12_28_Marth.htm

"Chemical Chaperones Reduce ER Stress and Restore Glucose Homeostasis in a Mouse Model of Type 2 Diabetes":

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/conten.../313/5790/1137

http://www.newscientist.com/article/...s-in-mice.html

Ulcers Serious for All Diabetics:

http://www.health24.com/medical/Cond...1662,32030.asp

I find it amazing that members on this forum are allowed to post links to web sites for other members to enjoy or to become further informed about a particular topic. I think posting links along with messages is fundamental to the operation of a health forum.

I'm not sure but I think I got banned from Healthboards.com for doing something like this.

Healthboards.com will not tell me "specifically" why they banned me but, my best guess is, I believe it had something to do with trying to help another member find some important information on the Internet about their specific problem. I believe I posted a link or two and the next thing I know, my login name and password was turned off and I got a message saying I did something "inappropriate".

That's it! No further explanation.

Anyway, I don't miss it. This forum seems much more user friendly. Less stress. Much more relaxed. My thanks to www.neurotalk.psychcentral.com for giving their members a warm and friendly place that fosters trust, respect and understanding. In my opinion, Healthboards.com would do well to take a lesson from you about running a health forum.