quote:

Originally posted by gw3971:
and then sometimes in the middle of the night it climbs for no reason

This drove me nuts. Apparently this is normal and everyone's body does it to some point but in my quest for black and white i was going crazy because this early morning dump made my A.M. fasting numbers unpredictable no matter what I did.

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
Has anybody here been able to kick the insulin altogether and just do metformin? Or even get off the meds altogether just through diet and exercise? I know it's probably a little early to hope for that, but it would sure be nice to know if it's possible....

There are several doctors in the VLC/keto world that believe it is. Look up Dr. Jason Fung and Dr. Ken Berry. They are both pretty active on YouTube.

I switched over to a VLC diet 1.5 years ago to fix my psoriatic arthritis and it has worked out great for me. I went from #240 to #180 in about 10 months and I experience virtually no joint pain. When I do my blood work 2x a year my fasting serum glucose levels, HbA1c, and fasting insulin are all low.

Might be worth looking into.

Uhhhh, be extremely careful fucking around with keto. As a diabetic, ketoacidosis is something you can slip into that will kill you dead. Do your research, talk to your doctor and/or dietitian like I did. Personally, I didn’t have to mess with it to get my blood sugar down enough that I don’t need meds. YMMV

Munch, are you diabetic?

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:

Munch, are you diabetic?

No I am not. I follow a predominately carnivore diet to keep my psoriatic arthritis under control. I was in the "pre-diabetic" range before I started it and now my numbers for diabetic markers are great.

I agree though....I recommend anyone to do research before doing something like this and being in ketosis long term is not that great for you. However, if you eat enough protein your body produces all the glucose it needs through gluconeogenesis so you will cycle in and out of ketosis regularly once you get your macros figured out.

I’m going to go ahead and disagree with you in terms of recommending keto to a diabetic, especially someone newly diagnosed. This is a decision that needs to be made in conjunction with your healthcare team. I was repeatedly told by both dietitians and my gastroenterologist not to mess with keto.

Munch, did you know about diabetes and ketoacidosis? If you didn’t, then I feel it’s irresponsible to recommend such a thing. Keto is not a panacea.

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:
I’m going to go ahead and disagree with you in terms of recommending keto to a diabetic, especially someone newly diagnosed. This is a decision that needs to be made in conjunction with your healthcare team. I was repeatedly told by both dietitians and my gastroenterologist not to mess with keto.


Munch, did you know about diabetes and ketoacidosis? If you didn’t, then I feel it’s irresponsible to recommend such a thing. Keto is not a panacea.

I didn't recommend it. I said "it might be worth looking into" in my first post. I also gave the OP the names of 2 doctors that would disagree with you.He can do any research if he is interested and make his own decisions.

A quick search shows that both are selling books and doing speaking tours. Dr Fung has videos you can watch if you’re a paying member. Further searching shows some rather mixed reviews not Berry, I didn’t bother with Fung.

I’ll stick with what my doctors have told me. My results can be argued with, having lost 215lbs.

quote:

I’ll stick with what my doctors have told me. My results can be argued with, having lost 215lbs.

Congrats on the weight loss...that is impressive. I am glad you are doing well now.

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:
A quick search shows that both are selling books and doing speaking tours. Dr Fung has videos you can watch if you’re a paying member. Further searching shows some rather mixed reviews not Berry, I didn’t bother with Fung.

I’ll stick with what my doctors have told me. My results can be argued with, having lost 215lbs.

My Endo told me do keto and fast. And it works to control blood sugar. I got off insulin, pills, etc and feel great. I’m slowly curing my insulin resistance.

If you study up on the differences between ketosis and ketoacidosis, you’ll find it’s fine for type 2’s.

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
Has anybody here been able to kick the insulin altogether and just do metformin? Or even get off the meds altogether just through diet and exercise?

Yes, initially I was put on both insulin and Metformin, after some time I was taken off the insulin and eventually I was taken off the Metformin, as well, I remain off them to this day.

Thanks guys. It's nice to know that it's at least a possibility. My blood work showed some liver enzimes or something, so I don't really want to do anything crazy at this point that could exacerbate that. Doc doesn't seem too concerned, and thinks getting sugar levels down will fix that, but at this point it's a waiting game till the next set of blood work.

What they have me doing seems to be working pretty well for now, and I'm still getting used to this, so I'm just happy to have my sugar levels back down to normal for the moment. I'm still eating carbs, just the appropriate portions, and trying to focus on natural sources rather than a bunch of sugar added stuff. My eyes seem to be catching up, too, so that has done good things for my quality of life. I'll see what the next round of tests show and if it's good, I'll talk to them about getting more aggressive with diet and exercise to see if we can kick this thing.

I’m using the Libre 2. Finally got it hooked to my smartphone. I’ve been type 2 since my late 20s. Doctor has me on janumetx2, rybelsus and invokana!

I finally went to see a dietician and in three months dropped 25 lbs and am feeling better. She actually suggested I drop one of the janumet pills and I have been feeling better the last month. Going to see doc at the end of the month to test the a1c and see if I am lower. Will tell him about dropping one of the janumet then.

Yes yes I know I should’ve consulted him first but I thought it was too much taking all that. It was causing me to fall asleep after a meal.

And both have recommended against a keto diet.

The freestyle app is great. It lets me see where I am throughout the day. Can you guess my mealtime during nightshift?

quote:

Can you guess my mealtime during nightshift?

Lol, yeah, nice little bump there at 3am! I used to always eat at 2:00am, but since this started, I decided to shift my big meal to 9pm, and just a small snack at 2:00am. That way I'm eating around noon, 4:30, and 9:00-ish, if the public cooperates. So far, it's helped my fasting blood sugar in the mornings, and helps me keep more consistent with my nights off. I like that libre chart...that's way more information than I'm getting checking 2x a day!

Well, my test results came in. Apparently I'm Type 1. According to the doc, apparently something trigger my body to decide "F You, pancreas", and killed it. So I get to stop taking metformin, get prescribed new and exciting types of insulin, and meet with more dieticians/educators.

They are going to put in a scrip for the Libre monitor, so we'll see how that works. If nothing else, it should make it easier to monitor where I'm at.

If you're up for some reading I suggest:

Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. The general message is that low carb is a great way to manage as it requires less insulin and less insulin means fewer chances for dosing wrong and ending up high or low. Stable blood sugar within relatively "normal" ranges is possible. Bernstein's plans are quite strict but you can take the overall message and adapt it to your lifestyle.

Think Like a Pancreas. General guidance and explanations for the why and how in acting as your own pancreas. The science behind everything without being textbook level dreary and boring. Breaks everything down for pump users and those doing multiple daily injections.

Bright Spots and Landmines. A general overview of ways to manage the disease and not become overwhelmed.

The T1 groups on reddit are full of good advice if you want to wade into reddit.

My A1C rides about 5.7-5.8, so technically it's that pre-diabetes thing. Of course my issue is actually I have really high cortisol, probably due to a pituitary microtumor, aka Cushing's. Cortisol tells my liver to keep dumping extra blood sugar into my system all the time. I can fast for like 12 hours after doing hard keto for 6 months, and my morning stick will show about 105.

Sure enough though when my adrenals finally can't take anymore and stop making cortisol for a few weeks, my morning blood sugar comes out at like an 85.

Well, I got one of those fancy Libre things yesterday. That was an ordeal...it took 3 trips to the Pharmacy, and a call to the support line to get the billing worked out...ultimately I had to tell the pharmacy how to do their job. Before this I rarely had to deal with the medical industry at all...I'm quickly learning that dealing with doctors offices, pharmacies, and insurance is worse than the disease itself.

But anyway...I got this thing. The instructions say it inserts a soft, flexible sensor under the skin. They don't say how it does that. I opened up the package and made the mistake of looking at the "applicator".



It reminded me of this scene from The Rock (Warning: NSFW):


I've always had an aversion to needles, and this thing was freaking huge. I have skinny arms and I figured no way was this thing not gonna hit bone. But I did it, and was pleasantly surprised that it was over quick, and didn't really hurt. The giant freaking needle is spring loaded, and retracts back into the applicator after installation...it doesn't stay in your arm.

So far it's pretty cool. Much more convenient to get a reading, no more finger pricking, and the ability to check my glucose whenever I want is already giving me a way better idea of what it's doing when than I had from checking it 2x a day.

The only downside is I don't have an iPhone, so I have to use a standalone reader, which is just another device to carry around. It is pretty easy to use, though. For those of you who have used this...do you know if it will work with an ipad, or is there some hardware interface necessary for communication with the device that only the iphone has? My phone provider doesn't offer the iPhone as an option, and I don't really want to change my phone plan. I do have a wifi tablet that I use for listening to podcasts and stuff...I wouldn't be opposed to upgrading that to an ipad mini if it will work with the sensors.

Wait till you have to remove the sensor. Look at the needle then.

I’m using it with no issues for several months now.

Chowser, or anyone else using the Libre CGM, a quick question. How do the readings compare to your finger pricks? I'm finding it to not be accurate at all. I realize that because the sensor reads interstitial fluid rather than direct blood glucose, it can take 5-15 minutes longer before changes are reflected, but I've taken that into account. I've tested it at lows, highs, and stable periods, and it has been off as much as 40 points...almost always high compared to the finger prick.

It is convenient... definitely better than pricking my finger all the time...and it's nice to see the trends, but it would be even nicer if I could make informed decisions based off accurate data.

Your story is surprisingly similar to mine. I was diagnosed with Type 1 at around 27 years old. I was prepping to go into the service, so I was running 2 miles a day and hitting the gym religiously. I was down to a 5 minute mile. Then, out of nowhere, the symptoms you described. While Type 1 is "juvenile diabetes", the doc said this can happen sometimes. He called it "rapid adult onset". No other explanation other than fuck-you, Nature.

I'm on a Medtronic insulin pump and their continuous BG monitor. It transmits directly to my pump, so I don't need my phone. I haven't had an A1c above 7 since I was diagnosed.

It all totally sucks, but you do start to get accustomed to it. The prices on pump supplies and insulin, though....DAMN. You'll get over the needle issue very quickly.

My advice: do NOT stop regular exercise. The amount of insulin I require gets cut in half with regular exercise. It is extremely noticeable how much my numbers stabilize when I work out regularly. You can still eat (mostly) like a normal person if you balance it with very good vigilance and exercise. I don't use sugar substitutes, and I LOVE to bake/cook. The key is moderation. I also don't drink regular soft drinks or juice, though I do keep some of my favorites (like 100% cranberry) on hand for occasional crashes.

And, of course, it's egg nog season. DAMMIT.