Holy crap, I'm diabetic!

In My Humble Opinion
1

Some of you will remember this thread, where I gathered info about why I’m losing weight. Bottom line, I wasn’t too worried about it, but I hadn’t had a physical in a while, so figured this was a good a time as any to go in.

Well, that was last week, and the lab results came back today. Glucose of 319 when it should be between 74 and 106. Ouch!

So I know nothing about diabetes, other than some people can control it completely through diet, and some people walk around with insulin. I fookin’ hate needles, so I’m not looking forward to that second part.

I’m going to see a “diabetes educator” tomorrow, so hopefully that’ll answer a lot of my questions. In the meantime, y’all tell me what your experiences are. Is it likely that I have to give up sweets? I don’t want to do that, but I suppose I could. More important: do I have to give up alcohol? I loooooove my wine and beer. Life would really be depressing without those.

So far in my reading, things are concentrating on “lifestyle changes” - ie, eating a good diet & exercising. I already do that. I cook a lot and am mindful of health, don’t eat fast food often at all, try to eat veggies and such. I’m not overweight, though I’m not a stick (BMI is around 24.5 at the moment.) I exercise regularly. In fact, all through the summer, I assumed it was the 3-4 big sweaty mountain bike rides I did every week that was causing my weight loss.

I’ve had an elevated heart rate this past week, and I can’t get a good read from my doctor’s office if that’s part of diabetes. To tell the truth, I was expecting a diagnosis of thyroid problems, since weight loss + high heart rate are two major symptoms.

I’m not experiencing any other symptoms - I feel energetic, I might be peeing a little more than usual but I really can’t say if that’s in my head or not, seeing as I haven’t really thought about it until they called an hour ago.

There are no diabetics in my family other than a cousin on my mother’s side who was diagnosed around age 19.

So what’re your experiences? I know there’s diabetics out there. Is it a major hassle? Any little hints or tips I should know? I’m a little… stunned. Help me out here.

2

Oh yeah, I forgot: I know you’re all a bunch of internet yahoos so I’m not looking for medical advice. I have a doctor, I’m believing him over you all. Just looking for anecdotes and opinions!

And also, I’m supposed to take something called Metformin for a couple weeks then go in to the doctor again. I’m also supposed to be checking my blood sugar, which I guess they’ll teach me about tomorrow.

3

How old are you? I’m curious whether you are type I (aka juvenile onset, which can happen up to ~30yo), or type II. Type II is often easier to control through diet and exercise alone. Type I is more likely to require insulin in addition to monitoring diet and exercise.

4

Athena, I’m about three months in. Metformin has worked wonders for me. I had a 369 non-fasting, and 240-something fasting. Now, I check my blood sugar every morning and I’m usually between 90 and 120.

I take Metformin ER, which is an extended-release version. The regular version made me very sick to my stomach, which is apparently fairly common. A lot of people get over it and adjust quickly, but I didn’t, which is why I was switched.

I still haven’t gotten to eating the way I really should be, but having cut soda and most sweets out of my diet, along with a very slight increase in exercise, has made a difference on its own. I still intend to make more major adjustments, but I’m having a hard time giving up the junk foods I love so dearly. Fortunately, I’m not a huge sweets person, so that part hasn’t been too hard.

And once you get your blood sugar under control, you aren’t forbidden from ever having the “good stuff.” It just has to be very occasionally and in reasonable portions.

I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that I’m looking forward to hear what you find out from your educator and how you handle your particular situation. Best of luck to you! It’s certainly not the end of the world, despite how I felt some days in the week after I found out.

5

I was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I have several relatives with it (a grandparent on each side, as well as my mother’s older sister and older brother). The metformin does bring your blood sugar down nicely, but it will likely give you diarrhea. I take the extended release twice a day.

I found Gretchen Becker’s book The First Year: Type 2 Diabetes: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed very informative.

I’m due to meet with the diabetes educator in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, I have added more exercise to my routine and cut out the few sweets I used to eat. It’s going to be the other carb stuff that will be hard for me–I love bread and potatoes, for example.

I’ve been taking the metformin for a few days and would feel better already, (I was on it a few months ago and know its effects) except for the fact that after I got home from the doctor’s office on Thursday, I broke my toe.

How do you feel about needles? Little tiny ones?

6

Sometimes it’s more fun to misread the titles.

My initial drive-by scan of the title was “Holy crap, I’m diabolic!” :stuck_out_tongue:

7

I’m 38.

I think I have type II, but I’m not sure. Hoping the educator tomorrow will clear that up. I think Metformin is only prescribed to type II… is that true?

Sweets… I like sweets, but it’s not a big deal to me to not have 'em every day. I don’t drink soda (other than the occasional diet, and if someone told me I could never do that I’d be fine), but I do like a cookie once in a while. Like once a day. <sigh>

That makes me sad, but I can do it if needed. Bread… that will be hard. What about whole wheat? Is it just the white bread that you have to cut out? That’s no biggie, what I really like is a big crusty rustic loaf.

Would it be a true statement to say that everyone is a little different, and you gradually learn what you can and can’t eat by checking your blood sugar at different times of the day?

Exercise I have no problems with. I already exercise, though I’m in a slump at the moment.

The 319 was fasting - that seems pretty high? But it was right away in the morning, too, which I’ve read can make a difference.

Pricking my finger to get blood is no big deal. Syringes, on the other hand… ugh. I have to look away and keep my mind focused on other things when they take blood or give me a shot.

I would really like to think I can control this via diet and exercise, but honestly, the past few months I’ve been amazingly good about that stuff, only to be diagnosed with diabetes at the end of it :mad:. Lots of exercise, eating well. But I have had a fair bit of sweets. Maybe that’s part of the problem?

I’m that too!

8

My blood sugar gradally crept up from about 5.8 (this is an international measure; multiply all numbers by 18 to get the figures used in the US–and no where else, AFAIK) to 8.1. My insulin levels are actually too high and I really suffer from insulin resistance (see Insulin resistance - Wikipedia) and metformin is the magic bullet against that. My blood sugar is now back to around 5.8 and my A1G (which is a kind of rolling average of blood sugar over the last three months) is around 5.5% (meaning that percentage of the blood hemoglobin is in the form of a hemoglobin-glucose complex) which is considered satisfactory. There was an interesting side-effect: without any real conscious dieting (although I did stop all sweets except fruit) I have been losing weight very slowly and losing it especially around the waste. The reason, as I understand it is this. Apparently you put on fat not mainly from eating fat but from eating carbohydrates. And this process is catalyzed by insulin. So lowering the insulin levels in the blood (as a result of inhibiting the release of glucose from the liver, which is the mode of action of metformin) also makes it easier to lose weight.

I was told to start slowly: a half pill once a day, then after a week, a half pill twice a day. Then a pill and half, then all the way up to two pills a day. Never had any stomach upset. On the other hand, my physician daughter-in-law calls me “stomach of steel” so perhaps my situation is not the ordinary one.

I did not know there was an ER version and I have to take it twice a day. Aside from giving up sweets, I have very few lifestyle changes. I don’t know about drinking as I take a drink maybe once a month or so. My doctor never said a word about it.

9

I’m 44. I have been an insulin-dependant (type 1)diabetic for 22 years.

I use Lantus and novalog insulin pens. If your insurance will spring for them, ask for them by name!

10

You’re right about Metformin being for Type II, sorry I missed that on the drive-by. The problem with alcohol is that it it’s not a complex carbohydrate (= slower spike in blood glucose), and it’s not pure sugar (= quick spike in blood glucose), so your body can have different rates of metabolizing it (slowslowslowFAST, or whatever). Think about how drinking on an empty stomach can get you drunk hella fast, whereas after a meal, it’s harder, and after thanksgiving, it’s almost impossible. The differences depend on how quickly you are absorbing the alcohol, how quickly you are metabolizing it, etc. etc. Clearly there is a lot of variability even before you get the question of your blood sugar. This may mean more frequent BG checks when you are drinking, or maybe you just have to pay more attention to your BG until you learn the pattern when you drink.
I have diabetic friends who definitely still drink, but they are perhaps more aware of their body chemistry before starting, and while drinking, than the average person would be.

11

My job everyday is doing diabetic education - frequently for folks just like you who have just found out about their diabetes.

You do not have to cut out any foods you like, but you will have to learn to practice moderation and balance. You may think you’re eating healthy now, and you well may be, but you will probably still have to make some changes. Roll with them and remember change doesn’t happen overnight.

It’s highly unlikely at this point that insulin is anywhere on your radar. There are a whole host of oral medications that can be used to treat type II diabetes. Metformin is the standard ‘starter drug’, and for most type II diabetics who thoroughly practice good lifestyle habits (weight control, proper diet, regular exercise, stress control), the only one they may ever need.

DO:

Check out the American Diabetes Association’s website. They have a lot of good, practical information - one of the best ‘disease’ websites I’ve ever seen.

Attend diabetes education classes - typically sponsored at local hospitals, these multi-session classes can give you the tools to cope and answer your questions.

Learn about how diabetes can affect the rest of your health and the things you should keep up with, including regular dental and eye exams, cholesterol checks, blood pressure checks and more.

Find out from your health insurance company if they have a service for you to talk to an education nurse on an ongoing basis who helps you address challenges, provides you with information, and generally is an ongoing educator and advocate for you. These ‘disease management’ programs are very common now. You may hear from one of these services in the near future even if you don’t call and ask for it - the process is automatic with some of the larger insurers. Take advantage of it if you are. (This is what I do)

Don’t be discouraged. There’s a lot of support out there for you.

12

Imagine every cell in your body is a house in a community. Delivery trucks from the supermarket are endlessly circling because they lack the code key to open the gate to the driveway of the house. Insulin is the code key that lets sugar penetrate the cells, without it cells starve in a sea of plenty.

Type 1, AKA insulin dependant, AKA juvenile onset means you’re not making any insulin, without shots this will kill you fairly quickly.

type 2 means you’re not making enough, which is slower to manifest itself, and not always deadly.
Poor control sets you up for many complications such as heart disease, kidney failure, eye damage and foot ulcers. These are all areas of high capillary vasculatur or low blood pressure where the sludginess of extra sweet blood doesn’t flow well.

13

Welcome to the club that nobody wants to join. I got DX’d last December. I too went through a bunch of weight loss. What got me to having my doctor check my glucose levels was that I was thirsty all the time. I knew this was a symptom, so I kinda figured I was going to be diagnosed.

I’m good to go with just Metformin, 500mg twice a day. I eliminated all the sugar I could from my diet, cut way back on carbs & I exercise regularly now. There’s some pretty good diet foods and low carb stuff out there. It takes more effort to find and costs a bit more, but it’s worth it to keep your blood glucose under control.

14

w00t! I guessed diabetes in the original thread; what do I win?

Life as a Type II diabetic: Rigid adherence to an exercise, diet, meal & medicine plan will help you to regulate every aspect of your life, but particularly your blood sugar levels. Failure to adhere will result in many cranky looks from your doctor.

Life as a Type I diabetic: Rigid adherence to an exercise, diet, meal & insulin plan will help you to regulate every aspect of your life, but particularly your blood sugar levels. Failure to adhere will result in many cranky looks from your doctor.

For me, the difference was that as the medicine (variations on a theme of glucophage) stopped working, my blood sugars kept going up and up, regardless of how little I ate, how much medicine I took, or how much I exercised, so they switched me over to insulin, and things got better pretty quickly. However, it’s still all about balance: if you eat more, you need to take more insulin, and you’ll gain weight.

15

I just want to repeat that failure to adhere, in the case of Type 1, is far more likely to get you an ambulance ride to my ER than Type 2. For the true insulin dependent diabetic, cranky looks from your doctor are not your biggest concern.

16

For something derived from lilacs, the smell is not what you’d expect. The extended-/slow-release versions aren’t too bad, but the instant-release metformin smells so terrible that I can’t imagine taking it.

17

I’m not diabetic but have several friends who are. When talking with your educator, you might ask him or her if they would recommend you also talk to a nutritionist unless that’s a service the educator already provides. My friends with diabetes have said that the hardest part of controlling with diet and exercise is really knowing what’s healthy and what’s not if it isn’t a vegetable or fruit. And even then it can be difficult. For example, many low fat salad dressings have lots of sugar in them to compensate for the fat - in things like a vinagrette it can make them taste better. And that rustic loaf you were talking about may be made with processed flour instead of whole wheat. Knowing where hidden sources of sugar and over-processed grains are is an important part of getting the problem under control.

18

Hmm, I don’t detect any smell in the metformin they gave me. But interesting to know it’s made from lilacs!

I’m definitely going to talk to anyone they send me to.

That said, I’m an engineer, and a foodie. Meaning: I’m horribly anal about food. I know stuff off the top of my head that most people have to research. Yes, the rustic loaf has white flour in it. But you know what? The whole wheat loaf you buy at the grocery store not only also has white flour in it, but a ton of sugar. So which is better? Hard to say. I’m guessing it’s going to be highly personal and can only determined by a blood glucose reading.

I also cook most of my food, so I know exactly what goes into it. Salad dressings and sauces are made from scratch. Diet-wise, I don’t think it will be at all hard to figure out what to eat. What will be hard is when, inevitably, something I love causes a sugar spike and I have to give it up. But I’ll deal with that if/when it comes.

I guess I’m just trying to stay upbeat about this and, until and unless it gets worse, assume I can handle this with diet/exercise/meds. It seems there’s lots of people out there who can.

What bums me is that I so don’t fit the profile. No family history. Not overweight. Eats well. Exercises. It’s hard not to be a little angry that this has happened to me.

19

Some hopeful words:

My girlfriend was diagnosed with type II earlier this year. after getting her blood sugar under control with Metformin, she’s (well, we’ve) been making just a few small changes to diet and exercise, but nothing radical. After only a few months of these changes, her dosage of medication has been cut in half, and her doctor is highly confident that she’ll be off the medication for good (barring her slipping back into bad habits) within a year. So, take this news as the bot of a shocker that it is, and listen well to your educators – even implementing some small changes that they recommend can have huge results.

20

I’m used to smelling it when I open a stock bottle filled with a thousand of the instant-release 500mg metformin HCl. The opinion at work is split between dead fish and cat urine. I’d imagine they don’t smell as bad when they are put into new vial.