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Hi, I am a mod on the forum, I take care of the faith board. Recently I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I have been looking for other diabetics, who are also tapering/in withdrawal or healing to get support from and to support.

 

 

Here is my story

 

Thursday, April 26, 2018

 

So the rest of my test results came in last weekend and it appears I have type II Diabetes. So we got a monitor and I spent 2 days reading. So now it is 5 days since I found out and with diet changes, calorie counting, sugar out of my diet, I have my blood glucose levels down to much better levels than they were.

 

I feel so much better on my new diet, I haven't had my blood glucose checked since last year at this time (yearly check-up) and then it was in the high level of normal. Altho there were signs of mild kidney disease, and the doctor repeated this blood work 6 months later and they were higher still, but I didn't clue in then. Being in withdrawal, I blamed any sxs on w/d of course.

 

The doctor checked everything, full blood screen, urinalysis, ultrasound, bone density etc. the results came back showimg high fasting blood glucose, so he ordered a OGT test (oral glucose tolerance test), and yep, that was quite high too.

 

This new diagnosis threw me for a loop and into a nasty wave for a couple of weeks, which has washed away since. I am attending diabetes classes but sure could use some more support from other diabetics. OKatz and Dave have been great on my Faith Board thread.

 

I am trying to see this as a blessing in disguise. I am monitoring myself and my health much better.

 

Healing is happening and maybe, just maybe, when I have good control of my blood glucose, I will generally feel better and can up my tapering.

 

Thanks,

 

Beth

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A bit more of my story.

Well 6 weeks ago I was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes. It threw me for a loop. I thought I took good care of myself. I am not overweight, I am 5'2" and weigh 125 lbs. don't drink or smoke ever.

But my Mom had this and was diagnosed at the same age as me so.... genetics do play a role.

 

I had a ton of testing done, and then here I am. On Metformin, been to diabetic classes. So much to learn but I am feeling a bit better this week. Accepting a progressive disease on top of withdrawal, the same month I turned 65 is just no fun.

 

But I am feeling better, stronger this week. I have noticed a bit of postural hypotension now too. Anyway.....

 

So I started this support thread for Diabetics. Well, maybe there aren't as many diabetics in withdrawal as I had thought, or possible. No one know about this yet. Hmmmm.

 

Thanks,

 

Beth

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Want to share your best ideas for before-bedtime snacks. Some I like are:

 

1 cup of air-popped popcorn

8 or 10 dry roasted almonds (I like the hickory smoked ones!)

1 piece of law-fat cheese and 4 whole wheat crackers

1/2 cup blueberries or strawberries

Cup of yogurt (artificially sweetened)

Pudding cup (ditto)

 

I find the snacks that incorporate protein work best for me.

 

But these are getting boring. Anyone have more exciting ideas?

 

Katz

 

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Hi Katz,

 

Thank for joining this new thread. I don't have any more exciting ideas but I have found in the 5 weeks since I was diagnosed that I have to eat lots of small meals. Before I did this I was almost starving myself. I lost 11 pounds in less than 4 weeks and I didn't want to lose weight.

 

I do tho HAVE to eat before bed. If not my BG is low in the morning, way low. I sleep better with a snack too. I have yogurt every night, low fat, banana, works for me.

 

My blood pressurre is still the big issue with me. I have had high blood pressure for almost 20 years, runs in the family. Suddenly, I have low BP even when I fully stopped all my BP meds for 36 hours now! I am seeing the doctor tomorrow. This is totally unnerving!  I have actually read that one of the causes of low BP is diabetes.

 

Enjoy your Sunday Katz.

 

Beth

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I'm a type 1 diabetic (31 years) and also a nutrition coach. 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Bright-Spots-Landmines-Diabetes-Someone/dp/0692875174/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527431287&sr=8-1&keywords=bright+spots+and+landmines+adam+brown

 

This book is amazing, geared towards type 1's but can absolutely help you through your temporary journey with type 2.

 

Thanks for the help TID, I will look into it.

 

Beth

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Hi Bigbangfan:

 

I sent you a PM earlier about the Faith Based Group. I do belong to the group but can't get to it, I wonder why? I am glad you are beginning this group for diabetes support. Wish much wisdom, fortitude, love, and healing in your journey. Through Christ everything is possible!

 

Hugs  :smitten:

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Sorry Bigbangfan for have this on top of w/d. My dad is type2 because of eating the wrong foods after retirement. Metforman is the drug of choice for this problem. Eat healthy and exercise. God is with you! 
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Hi Bigbangfan:

 

I sent you a PM earlier about the Faith Based Group. I do belong to the group but can't get to it, I wonder why? I am glad you are beginning this group for diabetes support. Wish much wisdom, fortitude, love, and healing in your journey. Through Christ everything is possible!

 

Hugs  :smitten:

 

Too should be able to see it in the board list on the main page, if not reapply and I will admit you again.

 

Beth

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Sorry Bigbangfan for have this on top of w/d. My dad is type2 because of eating the wrong foods after retirement. Metforman is the drug of choice for this problem. Eat healthy and exercise. God is with you!

 

Thanks Rose, I didn't eat well either. Mostly because I never feel very well in withdrawal, so sometimes I hardly ate at all and other times too many bad foods. I thought only overweight people developed Tye 2, but I was wrong. I am not overweight at all. In my diabetes class only 2 of the 5 members are big people.

 

Take care Rose.

 

Beth

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Sorry Bigbangfan for have this on top of w/d. My dad is type2 because of eating the wrong foods after retirement. Metforman is the drug of choice for this problem. Eat healthy and exercise. God is with you!

 

Thanks Rose, I didn't eat well either. Mostly because I never feel very well in withdrawal, so sometimes I hardly ate at all and other times too many bad foods. I thought only overweight people developed Tye 2, but I was wrong. I am not overweight at all. In my diabetes class only 2 of the 5 members are big people.

 

Take care Rose.

 

Beth

I did not feel well either but fruit, cheese, cold cuts and chips. I don't eat much sugar never have. At my worst I would eat bananas standing up because I could not sit down it was to hard.

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I am Type 1 also.

 

We’re gonna make it. How long have you been t1? I use the omnipod and dexcom 5, helps a ton. What do you find helpful?

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I am Type 1 also.

 

We’re gonna make it. How long have you been t1? I use the omnipod and dexcom 5, helps a ton. What do you find helpful?

 

I have been type 1 about ten years. Late onset is what they called it. I also use Omnipod and Dexcom.

Doc says my late onset type 1 was due to stress. I am self employed, running a business with my husband. Lots of other stressors at the time as well.

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I have been doing a lot of research and reading since my diagnosis 6 weeks ago and wow my eyes are open. I have to admit I did not eat healthy, since I felt sickly most of the time tapering, I didn't like eating, skipped meals and ate sugar cereals instead later at night.

 

Sugar seemed to give me a boost. I know my diabetes developed in the last year because I had my blood glucose checked last April and it was fine but my GFR (glomerular filtration rate) which shows how well your kidneys are functioning has been elevated my last 2 checkups. It just never dawned on me I could have diabetes. I knew I didn't drink enough water so I am doing that now.

 

I am on Metformin twice daily and a strict diet, I check my BG 3-4 times daily as I test to see which foods to stay away from.

I found out yesterday I CAN eat some Chinese food! Yeah!

 

Beth

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have had type II diabetes for about 7 or 8 years now. I try to eat healthy and exercise. Since I am going through withdrawal I have a hard time keeping my blood sugar stable.

 

I have it checked at a lab every 3 months and for the past 8 years it has stayed the same A1C 6.0 however the last time I went to have it done two weeks ago it was 6.3. This withdrawal is messing it up big time. I have to eat before bed and wake up in the middle of the night and have to eat a snack and a sip of orange juice. Never had to do that before withdrawal. I had been taking 500 mg Metformin with dinner but it runs so low that I had to stop my metformin. Be glad when this level out.

 

Bedtime snacks may consist of peanut butter crackers, air popped popcorn, banana, walnuts, almonds. Withdrawal is also causing me to gain a ton of weight even though I do not eat much.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just an idea. I am border line pre-diabetic also nothing to do with my diet. I eat clean. Buy yourself a portion plate. I recently bought one where it shows how much of each thing to eat. Also if you eat stuff like garlic ginger and apple cider vinegar and cayenne pepper if you can tolerate all this may help. Just my thoughts.

 

Shania

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Thanks PG and Shania.

 

I have noticed when I get upset, emotional or have a panic attack my blood glucose skyrockets to 9.9, yikes!

How am I supposed to get off of benzos and not be emotional?

 

I basically put my taper on hold when I got the diabetes diagnosis, May 8th, I did do a cut Monday and it hasn't been too bad this week.

 

Beth

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That must be so difficult to manage. I have read that taking deep breaths through the nose, let the chest rise and fall slowly. Do this when you are stressed. I'm sure it will make some difference. I know it works for BP so it may help?? Ive tested it and it brings down my BP

 

Shania

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  • 1 month later...
How is everyone's glucose level doing now? Had mine checked at lab and it was 6.2 but is is still hard to manage during withdrawal. Have to check it about 5 times a day. Getting expensive with strips.
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not diabetic but I thought its worth sharing:

d2 ran in my family pretty bad. I saw my grandpa being super sick when older with all the problem related to d2. his last 20 years were hell. I was pretty scared of d2, since my believe was that once you get it thats it. that was 15 years ago. my blood sugar was often times considered diabetic.

3 years ago I did my a1c and it was 5.6. at 5.7 they considered you pre-diabetic according to charts.  about a year ago I played around with diet. first paelo then full ketogenic. I was on and off but started to be on for good about 3 months ago.

my a1c (i got all of it on paper, can share if you interested) is 5.1 now. i lost about 14 pounds (without doing much exercise or calorie counting). I still need to loose 40 more, but its slowly but surely going down. i went for blood work to doc and everything is fine.

it appears that d2 has nothing to do with the lack of insulin, but is purely related to insulin resistance. and that can be fully reversed if the majority of the cases. carbs and artificial fats (corn/soy) do seem to be the main issue.

I feel great - not only is my energy higher, my sleep improved, and also my mental related symptoms are better (I believe mostly related to gabapentin withdrawal).

 

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I finally hit the 3 month mark since my diagnosis. I check my BG 2-3 times daily. After I do a cut, it always goes up for at least one day, cutting straight from Ativan, liquid titration, very slow taper, I am in year 4. I believe this high sugar day has been going on all along so I am seeing changes in me from high glucose levels. I have taken Ativan for 33 years.

 

My eyesight continues to get worse. I feel hungry all the time and eat 5 small meals a day but I am continuously losing weight, 20 lbs in 3 months but I wasn't overweight to begin with so it worries me.

 

At the end of this month I have my first a1c done, I am nervous about that. My monitor says my a average blood glucose is 6.2. From what I have read here, that is not great. I have given up sugar and almost all carbs except some potatoes, bananas, sweet potatoes, granola etc...

 

I no longer write down everything I eat as I know what food to stay away from now and what portions to eat. I feel so hungry at bedtime, after all it is 5-6 hours since I ate. Been having Greek yogurt with 2 tsp of granola mixed in, every night for the last month And my fasting BG is 4.2-5.2 depending on sleep and w/d sxs.

 

Generally since I started Metformin and my new diet I feel better, even while tapering, more energy, less w/d sxs.

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Beth, what helped me to not feel hungry all the time was (and still is) a product called Metabolic Reset. You can order it from amazon. My diabetic friend told me about it. It's a powder -- high in protein (the protein is whey) and minerals, the sweetener is Stevia. It's specifically formulated to help us curb hunger -- it has a patented fiber additive that sticks around.  You make a smoothie with it. I add fruit (sometimes half a banana), or chocolate sauce (they make a chocolate, a vanilla, and a strawberry, I think). Here's the link to the vanilla. I don't see why amazon.ca wouldn't carry it. But if you have trouble, let me know and I can purchase it and send it to you:

 

https://smile.amazon.com/Natures-Way-Metabolic-Reset-Vanilla/dp/B000FNKFWK/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1534089058&sr=8-2&keywords=metabolic+reset+shake

 

It is pretty pricey, but they also have sample packs.

 

Afternoons are a killer for me -- I really need to eat something that will stay with me or I feel ill. This works very well.

 

Another hunger-buster that is high in protein: I mix 4 tbsps. of non-fat cottage cheese with 8 oz of water and either chocolate sauce or fruit and a banana (and maybe some Truvia) in a blender and make a healthy high-protein low carb shake. It works almost as well as the Metabolic Reset.

 

Hope these ideas help you, Beth. I, too, lost a lot of weight when I was first diagnosed and went on Metformin. Way more than 20 lbs. Being a diabetic means changing lifelong eating patterns and being vigilant. But fortunately we can help ourselves.

 

I, too, have to eat every 2 hours. Hint: don't go for 5-6 hours after dinner eating nothing. Have a snack, say, 2 hours after dinner, then another before bed. Even a handful of almonds and cranberries or dried apricots at 9 or so will squash that hungry feeling.

 

Hope things smooth out for you.

 

Linda

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  • 2 months later...

I've asked this elsewhere, but I just discovered this diabetic support group.

 

Have any of you found that tapering and withdrawal drives your diabetes and blood sugars haywire?

 

I have noticed as the amount of Valium I am taking is getting lower that the amount of overall problems that I am having is higher.

 

This is especially the case with my blood sugar.

 

I can eat the same meal and take the same amount of Novolog insulin that I have always taken for the meal and wind up with my blood sugar being abnormally high or abnormally low to the point where I feel it before I even test it because of rapid heartbeat and the shakes.

 

I have also noticed situations where I take something to eat late at night, give myself what should be enough insulin to cover it, and am awakened by a rapid heartbeat.  I then check my blood sugar and find it to be low.  I never had this happen before, or even when I was tapering and the amount of Valium I was taking was higher.

 

Also I am finding that a small amount of insulin has a greater effect.  I have had an instance where my blood sugar is a bit high, I take a relatively small amount of insulin, then take a shower a few hours later and get hit with the physical symptoms of low blood sugar in the shower (rapid heartbeat, shaky).  I get out of the shower and check my blood sugar and find that it is low.  This never happened before.  Physical activity can lower blood sugar, but in the past taking a shower has never been enough to do this to me.

 

I have noticed that as I got down to about 6.5 mg of Valium a day and then my current dose of 6 mg of Valium a day, things have gotten much worse in this respect.

 

I am guessing that tapering the benzo is making my whole body go haywire.

 

Is there anyone else experiencing these types of issues?

 

thanks

 

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  • 4 years later...
Interesting topic, I'm glad that I've found it. My grandmother has diabetes and I know that this disease can be inherited. I wonder whether I'm at risk and what can I do to avoid (or prevent) this condition.
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