Hi icelander,

I worry a little when I read that someone is doing deep breathing to relax. Overdoing it leads to carbon dioxide depletion and hyperventilation. There also is rarely a long lasting, positive mental outcome.

The powerful Breathing Meditation I have been taught is to:

Sit comfortably in a peaceful room with no chance of distraction.
Close your eyes half way, facing forward, you are not trying to go to sleep.
Breathe normally, steadily and calmly through your nose.
Concentrate on the feeling of your breath entering and leaving your body, think of nothing else.
Your mind will calm and become clear. Concentrate on that Clarity.
Continue for 10 minutes or so, in which you should achieve 2-3 minutes Clarity of Mind.
If your thoughts wander, concentrate on your breathing again.

As with everything, practice makes achieving Clarity easier.

Dave.

Then you worry unnecessarily. I've studied meditation technique for over 20 years and have practiced intermittently.

Here's my "deep breathing relaxation exercise" . Blow out your air audibly. Then intake to a count of 4, hold for 7 and then out for 8. Do four times only. This can be repeated throughout the day as much as you need. It gets more effective with practice.

I also do the one you just posted. Close enough anyway.

About breathing..........

I don't know about others, but I know that I unknowingly seem to hold my breath when going through a temporary excruciating pain. It is not something I do on purpose, it just happens at the onset of a painful medical procedure. Then I realize I am holding my breath and have tensed up. I know that holding my breath does not eradicate the pain but it is an automatic reaction. When I realize I am doing it, I try to breath normally.

I am just wondering if others have this "automatic" response when undergoing a painful medical procedure.

Do others breath abnormally when going through elevated pain levels?

About the ADA guidelines..............

Just my personal vent. I am not sure how the American Diabetes Association has determined their guidelines and why they change them at times, but, for ME..... I would like my numbers to be "lower" than their guidelines.

I have my own goals which are a little bit lower than the ADA's numbers but it is MY eyesight, MY kidneys, MY limbs, MY pain and suffering that is of more concern to me.

I feel that MY goals are not only realistic goals, but reduce the risks of diabetic complications a little more than those suggested by the ADA.

I do not expect to have "normal" numbers that would equate to those of a non-diabetic, but I would definitely prefer to have an A1C level at 6.5 or below rather than the 7.0 depicted in the ADA guidelines.

At the moment, not meeting either goal levels, but this is a temporary situation.

I heard they are raising their guidelines for fasting blood glucose levels.

Their numbers (guidelines) do not eliminate the complication risks. They do not suffer the consequences.

I am aware that attempting to lower one's numbers too much can also be detrimental so I am setting goals that are lower than the ADA's diabetic guidelines but also realistic for myself.

Some diabetics feel they are "safe" from diabetic complications if they meet the ADA's guidelines and I think that is a false assumption on the part of many patients.

Just MY opinion. May not be the right one for others.

YOUR opinion about the guidelines are warranted, because there is more and more evidence that you can be glucose intolerant or pre-diabetic and still suffer the full range of neuropathy. The standard there is probably set by how much people get symptoms at this glucose lvl. even people with diabetic levels glucose, dont get any symptoms at all. some can have it at lower levels. or some people will only show at very high levels. I can use this analogy with Hiv/cbc, some people wont get AIDS below a certain point. I think its to get your glucose as low as medically possible, without causing some symptoms.

Yes, I get this every month when having a cannula jammed into my vein for my Lidocaine Infusion. All Meditative techniques go out the window. They work for the 5-10 minutes of prodding and slapping my oversensitive hands, trying to find a vein not knackered by overuse and Chemo, but as soon as I feel the pain from the needle touching skin, I stop breathing automatically.

I wonder why.

Dave.

Hi Hopeless
Yes absolutely - for so long I just did the 'grin & bear it' response to pain that holding my breath and tensing became automatic. I suspect this may be part of the reason I developed TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder). My jaw became sore with clenching from pain - so much that I had to get a bite splint made to relieve it.

Like you, as soon as I realize I'm doing it I try to relax and breath normally.

I'll definitely apply the breathing techniques mentioned here. When I realize I've stopped regular breathing I have a sighish sound that comes out.

I agree Hopeless, any rise in acceptable is unacceptable. I muse that our overly processed food system influences such decisions, along with our continued "frankenfood" approach to our building blocks.

I am no scientist, though.

I was a horribly out of control diabetic for at least a decade (a long time with no insurance and a youthful view toward my health) though I have been out of the A1C zone of diabetic, I recognize feelings of "too much" now as the echos of what took place after that bear claw.

There are a myriad of reasons for betterment. I guess I could throw up my hands, grab a bag of Skittles and go Cookie Monstee on them with the results of symptoms as they are, but I do recognize the good and growth my approach has offered.

I see my hard days would be more difficult and acknowledge any change for the better is likely to come as my symptoms started. Sure, it is 4 AM and neuropathy woke me up. But hey, my A1C to start the day is sub 100 when it often resides 110-120.

I like the Jim Valvano approach to disease, tho' his was cancer-
"Don't give up. Don't ever give up."