I have a question about glucose readings.
 

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

Yes, you can put it in your orange drink. I don't know about the Benefiber tho...if it would conflict. I would take the inositol separately just in case.

Hubby takes his in the morning, but I don't think the time really matters.

Oh, and BTW GNC is typically very pricey for everything!

Okay, will take it separately.

I took my sugar reading at 1 p.m. (before lunch), and 4 hours after breakfast. It was 150. Didn't take it afterwards because we went out to do laundry.

So I shall continue to experiment and be ever vigilant.

So besides being a sproutlady, I'll be Melody the Experimenter.

Oh, guess what I discovered I could do with my sprouts? Every morning I bring a little ziplock bag filled with various sprouts to my local breakfast cafe and I get my egg (or egg white) sandwich on a roll. Since I LOVE the taste of Bacon and Eggs, but I don't eat bacon, (especially now when it's $6.00 a package here in Brooklyn), I said to myself 'why not add a few drops of Liquid smoke into the bag of sprouts).

I did so. I then went to the cafe and when the waitress brought my sandwich, I took out my sprouts (they all know me there and they get a kick of me being the sprout lady). And I proceeded to put the sprouts onto my sandwich.

I then proclaimed to all "Want to see a sandwich smell like Bacon and Eggs but there's no bacon? I let them get a whiff of my sprout egg sandwich.

The waitress said "Holy Cow, that smells just like bacon and eggs".

IT WAS WONDERFUL.

So now I have a new addition to my sprout breakfast. A few drops of Colgin's Liquid Smoke. It's zero everything, no carbs. legal

AND GOOD!!!

lol
Melody

I am hoping this experiment is OVER by now. I don't see any posts to that effect.

What did you learn Mel? I wouldn't continue without your insulin without medical supervision. If you are thinking of doing this, keep a log and take it to your doctor, for his/her opinion.

Hi.
Experiment is over, I got too scared to go without Lantus so I didn't even try. Today I went up to 18 because I used to get good results doing that number.

We just got back from the PN Support Group meeting in NYC.

We got samples of the same cream that Alan has been trying ..Neuropathal. So he continues to see if it will work better. We found out that you have to rub it on and LET IT DRY FOR 5 MINUTES before you put your socks back on. Alan didn't do that.

So now back to me. I shall continue to eat what I'm eating. I shall continue to monitor my glucose levels. I shall continue to do my walking every day and if this is not good enough, I shall hit myself over the head.

lol
God, I'm 62 and I want to be 20, Isn't that stupid??

lol, Melody

....I dont see that you want to be 20....Just the healthiest 62 that you can be....

lol

And I just took my sugar (4 hours after lunch and right before dinner) and it was 146. I don't care, I was never so happy to keep seeing that AFTER I EAT ANYTHING, it goes down.

So I shall continue to eat my sprouts, and I also will try and lose 20 lbs. It's there, I have the 20 lbs on my body. How I'll get it off, well, I'll just do more walking. I CAN do this.

And I just made collard greens, grilled chicken, and mushrooms and onions.

Oh my goodness, it was amazing.

I am wondering about one thing. I haven't eaten any red meat in 10 years.

What if I started eating an occasional LEAN burger, or something like that (different protein I mean).

Would that rev up my metabolism?

Any thoughts?
Thanks

Melody

I'm new to the Diabetes game, but I can speak as a veteran of the sleep wars....when you've had a stressful day (son, stress dujour...) try using a weighted blanket. It is the same concept as a thundershirt for animals. It works!

Hi.
Stopped the melatonin months ago (after watching Dr. Oz and some guy said it had nothing to do with putting you to sleep, it's only for regulating circadian rhythm and this guy was a sleep expert who ran sleep studies, who who better than he to know what's good for sleeping right?

So I take my Alprazolam and I have added something NEW to the sleep method. I have a Kindle Fire. I got the free Sleepytime App. I chose two sounds. Thunder and rain fall 2. Well!! about 11:30 p.m or so, I put it on, I select a 8 hour timer, I press the play button, it's starts thunder and rain right in my bed. I put my head on the pillow and I go out like a light. I might wake up at 3 or 5 to go wee wee but because I put a handicap potty right by my bed. (BEST THING I EVER DID BY THE WAY), I go right back to bed and back to sleep. I think because I have the bed to myself (Alan has to sleep in another room because of his neuropathy and kicking during the night and I would NEVER get any sleep and I have to take care of him, so I have the whole bed to myself, well, I think that contributes to it all. And the alprazolam relaxes me. But honestly I have never slept so good since I got that Sleeptime App. Who would have thought that a Kindle Fire app would help me sleep through the night? lol

Oh, I DO do something else that's new also. I don't use a sheet on the mattress. I don't like anything COLD. I put a nice velux blanket down (instead of a sheet). I then have a blanket on top of me, and a comforter on top of that. Believe me, I make a cocoon and I am nice and toasty and I SLEEP. And when you SLEEP, all is right with the world. lol

Melody

I wonder if the nook ha a sleepy time app. But between my c-pap and noise machine I'm not sure if I could here it.But while I'm on the computer right before bedtime I put my quiet music on. Maybe it could replace that. I'll have to look for sleepy time app. It has Pandora but the volume on the Nook is pathetic

Yup. Here you go

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/slee...llc/1108055546

And as far as the volume on the Nook being pathetic, just plug in an external speaker. They have them at radio shack or even a local cheap store. They have them at Walgreens etc. For about $10.00 you just put some batteries in, plug into the headphone jack of the Nook and you shall HEAR!!!

LOL

Hope I helped.

melody

Oh, and you will really laugh at this one. My Kindel Fire now has an alarm clock app. I got it FREE from the app store on Amazon. I chose Cuckoo Clock as the noise to wake me up. I set the time for a 7:15 a.m. wake up. I put the Kindle Fire to Sleep (not completely shut off) but in power save mode. And the next morning ( I never laughed so hard). At precisely 7:15 .am. I hear

CUCKOO CUCKOO CUCKOO CUCKOO.

So I just have to press the power button to awaken the KF from sleep mode, and just tap the screen. Turns it off.

This lady has gone from not knowing ANYTHING about tablets or laptops to now having alarm clocks going on. I think this is so cool.

Melodey