I posted about a month ago asking questions about Diabetes,
now, it turnes out I am diagnosed with type II, no medication, just
diet and excercise. What I dont understand is…….
1. Is type II as serious as type I ? it doesnt seem to be.
2. I thought Type II’s were for the most part overweight and
over 40. I am a 31 year old male, fit, and weigh 173.
3. I purchased the Glucometer 3 and my blood sugar seems to
always be in the lower readings, sometimes dangerously low. Why dont
I get higher or at least average readings ? Do some diabetics have
an average lower reading all the time ??
I come here for now for the answers to my questions because my
DR. is the impersonal type and I am in search of a new one.
I want to thank anyone in advance for responding………
Thank you and good health to you,
Chris O’Neill
—
*************************************************
Christopher C. O’Neill
an…@freenet.buffalo.edu
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
In article <CrL3BD….@freenet.buffalo.edu>, an…@freenet.buffalo.edu (Christopher C. Oneill) writes:
=
= I posted about a month ago asking questions about Diabetes,
=now, it turnes out I am diagnosed with type II, no medication, just
=diet and excercise. What I dont understand is…….
= 1. Is type II as serious as type I ? it doesnt seem to be.
Depends on what you mean by serious. Uncontrolled type-II can lead to the same
complications that uncontrolled type-I can. On the other hand, type-II is
generally easier to control than is type-I,
= 2. I thought Type II’s were for the most part overweight and
=over 40. I am a 31 year old male, fit, and weigh 173.
The way my doctor explained it to me, if you become diabetic before the age of
30, chances are you’re a type-I. If you don’t develop the symptoms until after
the age of 40, chances are you’re a type-II. In the range of 30-40, age
doesn’t give much indication of which type you suffer from. Remember though,
this is only a statistical observation. Many type-II’s develop diabetes before
the age of 30, and some type-I’s develop it after the age of 40.
As to being overweight, it’s not clear whether obesity leads to type-II
diabetes in those predisposed to it, or whether obesity is an early symptom of
the onset of type-II diabetes. In either case, most type-II’s are
significantly overweight when diagnoses. But that doesn’t mean that all of
them are. Oh, and by the way, saying that you weigh 173 is meaningless without
our knowing your height, at least. Some people might be emaciated at 173
pounds. Others could be extremely obese at that weight.
= 3. I purchased the Glucometer 3 and my blood sugar seems to
=always be in the lower readings, sometimes dangerously low.
How low do you mean by "dangerously low"?
=Why dont I get higher or at least average readings ? Do some diabetics have
=an average lower reading all the time ??
This could, I suppose, be an example of "syndrome X," in which reactive
hypoglycemia is an early indicator of the onset of type-II diabetes. You don’t
tell us when you’re testing your blood sugar level. Whether you’re testing an
hour or two after a meal or many hours after a meal makes a difference. If
you’re testing only before mealtimes, then you could be missing substantial
spikes in blood sugar after meals. Since you’re a type-II, your body is still
producing insulin on its own. If you ARE experiencing major post-prandial
spikes in your blood sugar, it could be that your body is, eventually,
overcompensating for those high levels.
All in all, it sounds as if you were diagnosed pretty early in the onset.
That’s something to be thankful for.
—————————————————————————
I try very hard to say exactly what I mean. I’d appreciate it if you’d
bear that in mind and not try to "interpret" my posts to fit your own
preconceived notions if I’m posting in a serious thread. Remember: If you
throw a strawman into a heated debate, flames are likely to be the result.
I am 173 lbs. and I am 6’2”! I have always found it hard to
gain weight, which annoys me. My food intake is tremendous, I eat
almost all day. Plus, I am very active as I am a house painter. I
drink at least two gallons spring water daily.
I test myself at 7am, 10am, 1230pm, 5pm, and before I go to
sleep. Just yesterday on the job site I got readings of LO, LO, 48,
77, and 83. When I posted that message last night, I was at 93. Now
that was around 330am. I am at 67 right now at 800am. I do not under-
stand this, do you consider this normal for type II ??
Another thought, could this recent high humidity be causing a
malfuntion in the meter? But then when I do get low readings, I am
very irritable, I feel my heart beating faster, and I have a verocious
appitite. I then eat a glucose tablet and food and go back to work.
thanks again,
Chris
—
*************************************************
Christopher C. O’Neill
an…@freenet.buffalo.edu
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
In article <CrLDqF….@freenet.buffalo.edu> an…@freenet.buffalo.edu (Christopher C. Oneill) writes:
> I am 173 lbs. and I am 6’2”! I have always found it hard to
>gain weight, which annoys me. My food intake is tremendous, I eat
>almost all day. Plus, I am very active as I am a house painter. I
>drink at least two gallons spring water daily.
Hi, Chris, I don’t have answers for you necessarily, but your self-
description sounded so much like that of a diabetic I met about eight
years ago that I wanted to tell you about him. He was only about 5’6",
but skinny as a string bean, a ski instructor and construction worker
who biked to work, who had only been diagnosed about 2 years before (I
don’t remember, Type I or II). He, too, was frustrated by having to
eat constantly; believe it or not, he ate *seven* sandwiches for lunch
every day to keep his bloodsugar at normal levels! And yet he did
need minimal amounts of insulin each day or he would start spilling
ketones. I can’t say I understood his situation, but then, it seemed
so foreign to anything in my experience.
Why I write is that he was just starting to be evaluated at Joslin (if
I remember right) for some sort of hyperactive metabolic disorder, for
which he said some sort of surgical or medicinal correction was
possible, and he and the doctors were hoping that if he did indeed
have this disorder and got the correction, that he would be able to
gain weight on normal amounts of food. Remember: insulin is not the
only hormone your body can over- or under-produce. It’s just a real
obvious one to look at, since diabetes is everywhere.
Do you test for ketones? Just wondering, since you’re taking no insulin
and your situation sounds so similar.
I’d strongly suggest finding a good endocrinologist who will listen
seriously to your story and have suggestions for how to improve your
bloodsugars. A reading of "LO" *is* too low. You say you’re eating
all day. How *much* are you eating? What are you eating, is it high-
calorie food or vegetables, how much of it is carbs, proteins, and
fat? This is stuff you need to tell a doctor who might help you (plus
anything else anyone else here can suggest; as I say, I can’t give you
any answers, that’s not my forte).
I also went to school with a woman who simply could not digest fat in
any form. Any fat she ate just showed up in her stool; and she was
a couple dozen pounds underweight when I met her. When she finally
figured out that she wasn’t digesting fat and her diet was full of it,
she learned to change her diet to high-carbs and started to gain weight.
I’m not suggesting *her* story sounds anything like yours, only telling
it to show how much your diet and your particular metabolism need to
be looked at as you try to improve your health.
Lyle, feeling particularly answerless today
In article <CrLDqF….@freenet.buffalo.edu>, an…@freenet.buffalo.edu (Christopher C. Oneill) writes:
= Another thought, could this recent high humidity be causing a
=malfuntion in the meter?
It’s unlikely. As long as the temperature of the meter’s above the dew point,
the humidity shouldn’t affect its operation. On the other hand, if the test
strips are exposed to humidity, that can affect them, though in my experience,
it results in their giving high readings.
=But then when I do get low readings, I am
=very irritable, I feel my heart beating faster, and I have a verocious
=appitite. I then eat a glucose tablet and food and go back to work.
That sounds very much like reactive hypoglycemia. You ought to try to avoid
eating the glucose tablets. They produce a substantial spike in blood glucose
which, in a person with reactive hypoglycemia, will result in low blood sugar
levels an hour or two later. Instead, you want to stick to complex
carbohydrates it at all possible.
—————————————————————————
I try very hard to say exactly what I mean. I’d appreciate it if you’d
bear that in mind and not try to "interpret" my posts to fit your own
preconceived notions if I’m posting in a serious thread. Remember: If you
throw a strawman into a heated debate, flames are likely to be the result.
In article <CrLDqF….@freenet.buffalo.edu>,
Christopher C. Oneill <an…@freenet.buffalo.edu> wrote:
> I test myself at 7am, 10am, 1230pm, 5pm, and before I go to
>sleep. Just yesterday on the job site I got readings of LO, LO, 48,
>77, and 83. [...] do you consider this normal for type II ??
I don’t. Either you’re not testing properly, or considering
what you say later, In My Honest Opinion (worth exactly what
you pay for it) you’ve been misdiagnosed. Was the diagnosis
by a general practioner, or by an endocrinologist?
> Another thought, could this recent high humidity be causing a
>malfuntion in the meter?
Humidity can and will effect most test strips, which is
why they warn about keeping the cap on the container.
> But then when I do get low readings, I am
>very irritable, I feel my heart beating faster, and I have a verocious
>appitite.
Sounds like low blood sugar to me. Bad things can happen
with low blood sugar, including completely irrational
behavior. You can die. High blood sugar, the usual
condition for uncontrolled diabetics, does not have as
obvious symptoms. The damage high blood sugar levels
cause take more time to occur.
You sound more hypoglycemic to me. I’m not a doctor.
I don’t even play one on TV. I do think you need to
get a 2nd doctor’s opinion. I can’t explain the
hunger. An endo probably can. See one.
Did the first doctor give you a glucose tolerance
test? This takes a couple of hours — you are given
a known amount of glucose and your blood sugar levels
are taken every few minutes for the next two or three
hours. Reactive hypoglycemics will have their blood
sugars peak and then bottom way out. Type II’s will
peak with higher than normal levels and take longer
than normal to recover.
Good luck.
– david "type II" higgins
In article <2tuco0$…@gap.cco.caltech.edu> lyd…@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU writes:
>In article <CrL3BD….@freenet.buffalo.edu>, an…@freenet.buffalo.edu (Christopher C. Oneill) writes:
……………………
>As to being overweight, it’s not clear whether obesity leads to type-II
>diabetes in those predisposed to it, or whether obesity is an early symptom of
>the onset of type-II diabetes. In either case, most type-II’s are
>significantly overweight when diagnoses. But that doesn’t mean that all of
>them are. Oh, and by the way, saying that you weigh 173 is meaningless without
>our knowing your height, at least. Some people might be emaciated at 173
>pounds. Others could be extremely obese at that weight.
That weight is an important factor in causing those with at least the
common genetic component for type II to develop the clinical disease
seems quite well established. Besides the anecdotal information on
families, there is the result on such groups as the Pima Indians, which
have developed a quite high incidence of type II (over 50% in the adult
population), and it seems that obesity precedes the clinical symptoms
in almost all cases.
—
Herman Rubin, Dept. of Statistics, Purdue Univ., West Lafayette IN47907-1399
Phone: (317)494-6054
hru…@stat.purdue.edu (Internet, bitnet)
{purdue,pur-ee}!snap.stat!hrubin(UUCP)
>In article <CrLDqF….@freenet.buffalo.edu>,
>Christopher C. Oneill <an…@freenet.buffalo.edu> wrote:
Christopher you wrote about eating seven sandwiches and biking back and forth
to work on your painting job. How far was the biking??
A year or two after initial dianosis in the summer, I biked 12 miles to work,
painted all day, biked to a pond, swam 400 yds. less in meters, then biked
12 miles home. I needed at least four peanut butter and bannana sandwiches
( yes, me and Mrs. Cravitz ). Before the age of A1c’s and home monitoring.
Years later my volume of food increased again. I had a dxylose ( spelling? )
test. The test takes four hours in the lab. They take blood before the start
and at one hour intervals. They give you some disgusting liquid ( just gulp
it ) this test measures the performance of you intestines
at absorbing things… Stool would be Very foul smelling.
If you have trouble absorbing things, then large amounts of carb. to treat
reactions is normal ( normal for a diabetic with a malfunctioning intestine,
that is ). Get the intestine problem fixed first. Christopher, you probably
don’t have this problem.
Find a good doctor. Call your local chapter of the
ADA ( American Diabetes Association ) to help get one. You need a
second opinion ( and not from the net ).
Good luck finding this doctor, that listens…
Dave Carter d…@gte.com
In article <Crnp4K….@mozo.cc.purdue.edu>, hru…@b.stat.purdue.edu (Herman Rubin) writes:
=That weight is an important factor in causing those with at least the
=common genetic component for type II to develop the clinical disease
=seems quite well established. Besides the anecdotal information on
=families, there is the result on such groups as the Pima Indians, which
=have developed a quite high incidence of type II (over 50% in the adult
=population), and it seems that obesity precedes the clinical symptoms
=in almost all cases.
The problem here is that you’re making an a priori assumption that obesity
isn’t, itself, a clinical symptom. That’s where the uncertainty lies: Is
obesity a cause, or is it an early symptom?
—————————————————————————
I try very hard to say exactly what I mean. I’d appreciate it if you’d
bear that in mind and not try to "interpret" my posts to fit your own
preconceived notions if I’m posting in a serious thread. Remember: If you
throw a strawman into a heated debate, flames are likely to be the result.
In a previous article, lyd…@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU (Speaker-to-Minerals) says:
>= But then when I do get low readings, I am very irritable, I feel my heart
>= beating faster, and I have a verocious appitite. I then eat a glucose
>= tablet and food and go back to work.
>That sounds very much like reactive hypoglycemia. You ought to try to avoid
>eating the glucose tablets. They produce a substantial spike in blood glucose
>which, in a person with reactive hypoglycemia, will result in low blood sugar
>levels an hour or two later. Instead, you want to stick to complex
>carbohydrates it at all possible.
Actually, my diabetes professional has told me to treat the reaction with
something quick, such as the glucose tablets. Then, eat something that
will maintain your blood sugar levels in two hours or so. You need
something to get your sugars back to ‘normal’ while the ‘complex
carbohydrates’ have a chance to be absorbed to put to use. Otherwise, you
run the risk of dropping even lower and passing out, before your ‘snack’
brings you back to normal.
–
Mark C. Barron xI may be crazy, but I’m not stupid
ua…@freenet.victoria.bc.ca (He’s on the other dial-in line!)
In article <1994Jun23.073331.8…@freenet.victoria.bc.ca>, ua…@freenet.Victoria.BC.CA (Mark Barron) writes:
=
=In a previous article, lyd…@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU (Speaker-to-Minerals) says:
=
=>= But then when I do get low readings, I am very irritable, I feel my heart
=>= beating faster, and I have a verocious appitite. I then eat a glucose
=>= tablet and food and go back to work.
=
=>That sounds very much like reactive hypoglycemia. You ought to try to avoid
=>eating the glucose tablets. They produce a substantial spike in blood glucose
=>which, in a person with reactive hypoglycemia, will result in low blood sugar
=>levels an hour or two later. Instead, you want to stick to complex
=>carbohydrates it at all possible.
=
=Actually, my diabetes professional has told me to treat the reaction with
=something quick, such as the glucose tablets. Then, eat something that
=will maintain your blood sugar levels in two hours or so. You need
=something to get your sugars back to ‘normal’ while the ‘complex
=carbohydrates’ have a chance to be absorbed to put to use. Otherwise, you
=run the risk of dropping even lower and passing out, before your ‘snack’
=brings you back to normal.
My apologies. I shouldn’t've been quite so terse. Yes, if you go severely
hypoglycemic, something quick-acting (e.g., glucose tablets) is a good idea.
But that’s got a drawback: If your problem is reactive hypoglycemia, the
"cure" for one hypoglycemic episode can easily become the trigger for the next.
Your goal is to avoid triggering an episode in the first place. If you’re
experiencing one, you want to do the least possible which will get your blood
sugar back to normal. AND you want to make sure that, in case another episode
is triggered by your consumption of carbohydrates to alleviate the first, you
want to make sure you’re body’s ready to provide more carbohydrates to deal
with the next low. Finding what triggers the initial lows should probably be
high on your list of priorities.
—————————————————————————
I try very hard to say exactly what I mean. I’d appreciate it if you’d
bear that in mind and not try to "interpret" my posts to fit your own
preconceived notions if I’m posting in a serious thread. Remember: If you
throw a strawman into a heated debate, flames are likely to be the result.
W. David Higgins (w…@grouper.mkt.csd.harris.com) wrote:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
> In article <CrLDqF….@freenet.buffalo.edu>,
> Christopher C. Oneill <an…@freenet.buffalo.edu> wrote:
> > I test myself at 7am, 10am, 1230pm, 5pm, and before I go to
[...]
> > But then when I do get low readings, I am
> >very irritable, I feel my heart beating faster, and I have a verocious
> >appitite.
> Sounds like low blood sugar to me. Bad things can happen
> with low blood sugar, including completely irrational
> behavior. You can die. High blood sugar, the usual
> condition for uncontrolled diabetics, does not have as
> obvious symptoms. The damage high blood sugar levels
> cause take more time to occur.
> You sound more hypoglycemic to me. I’m not a doctor.
> I don’t even play one on TV. I do think you need to
> get a 2nd doctor’s opinion. I can’t explain the
> hunger. An endo probably can. See one.
Hunger is a symptom of hypoglycaemia.
Peter A. Stockwell
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
> Did the first doctor give you a glucose tolerance
> test? This takes a couple of hours — you are given
[...]
> Good luck.
> - david "type II" higgins