[antonina]

after 4 or 5 years of being in denial re: treating diabetes with diet instead of rx drugs, i started taking Prandin today and the digestive upsets i feared from oral diabetes drugs have not shown up. however, the one unexpected side effect ---PN--- has reared its ugly head! when i googled pn+prandin, PN was reported by a tiny percentage of users.

i tried the lantus 24 hour insulin pen just one time a few weeks ago & freaked out...maybe my neurosis caused all the unpleasant side effects?

so now what? do i bite the bullet & try lantus again or stick with Prandin in the hopes of PN sx lessening? or, in the alternative, give ALA a shot & see if that has a beneficial effect on my blood glucose?

thanks for any info/advice!

[Dr. Smith]

I don't think you've got anything to lose by trying R-Lipoic Acid (only need 100 mg. vs. 600 mg of ALA). NAC is another antioxidant supplement that lowers blood sugar. I take both, but at different times, and with food. Either can cause a bit of heartburn on an empty stomach.

Doc

[antonina]

Originally Posted by Dr. Smith

I don't think you've got anything to lose by trying R-Lipoic Acid (only need 100 mg. vs. 600 mg of ALA). NAC is another antioxidant supplement that lowers blood sugar. I take both, but at different times, and with food. Either can cause a bit of heartburn on an empty stomach.

Doc

thanks for the response. i used to take the RLA but stopped that & all supps when i had a heart attack in july '14.

now that i'm off plavix, i wanted to focus on treating my diabetes. I've re-started with 50 mg of RLA but it plays havoc with my GI tract & even pre-treating with gaviscon, i still cannot tolerate it.

so i think i'll go back to ALA which I used before the R came on the market. ALA, for whatever reason, does not bother my gut. i will also add the NAC too...it looks beneficial for cardiac issues.

do you find that your blood glucose levels are ok without using rx diabetes drugs?

[Dr. Smith]

I'm not "officially" diabetic (meaning my test results are always negative) so while I don't monitor my levels regularly, whenever they are taken, they're fine. Thing is, my PN seems to respond as if I were diabetic, so I eat as if I were and I take the supplements. (RLA controls the burning pain.)

I cannot take NSAIDs due to IBS, so I take NAC to offset when I have to take acetaminophen. It seems to keep my liver happy; those tests are always good as well.

Doc