The Diabetic DISers thread. Support and Info Here.

[Honu]

Does anybody else find that dark chocolate is not so bad for your sugar levels? Not that I can pig out on it, but I dont get much of a spike from eating 3-4 dark chocolate Hershey's Kisses.

That's right. The lactose (milk sugars) in milk chocolate spike and stay in your system longer. Unfortunately for me I really only like swiss chocolate, which is even worse for your BS than milk.

 

[shortbun]

I get my chocolate fix from the 73% and above dark chocolates. They seem to be much easier on my sugar levels AND they're good for my heart-extra benefit!!!

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

That's right. The lactose (milk sugars) in milk chocolate spike and stay in your system longer. Unfortunately for me I really only like swiss chocolate, which is even worse for your BS than milk.

I get my chocolate fix from the 73% and above dark chocolates. They seem to be much easier on my sugar levels AND they're good for my heart-extra benefit!!!

Life is good

 

[DisMN]

Does anybody else find that dark chocolate is not so bad for your sugar levels? Not that I can pig out on it, but I dont get much of a spike from eating 3-4 dark chocolate Hershey's Kisses.

I'm a big fan of dark chocolate and discovered the same thing........which I'm absolutely thrilled about!

Are there any other diabetics out there who can't tolerate ANY of the sugar substitutes? When someone suggests a "diabetic" food to me it's usually something I can't eat. I do better just watching my diet with regular foods.....

although I've been sorta bad lately, eating what I want a little more than I should. With the meds my numbers are slowly inching upwards.....and I really should KNOW better but dang....I'm just too much into food I guess. LOL

Zippa De Doodah, best of luck with your eye situation!

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Are there any other diabetics out there who can't tolerate ANY of the sugar substitutes? When someone suggests a "diabetic" food to me it's usually something I can't eat. I do better just watching my diet with regular foods.....

I don't much care for the various substitutes, with the exception of using Sweet-n-Low in my iced tea. Baked goods w/ Splenda etc just don't do much for me. Nor do various pasta substitutes. I generally eat the real deal, but do it seldom and follow it up with exercise.

 

[Honu]

I haven't noticed any negative effects from drinks with sugar substitutes, but IMO all manufactured food and candy that contain it should be re-labeled and sold as a laxative. Cause that's what it does.

 

[arminnie]

I haven't noticed any negative effects from drinks with sugar substitutes, but IMO all manufactured food and candy that contain it should be re-labeled and sold as a laxative. Cause that's what it does.

from Wikipedia

Sweetener
Sorbitol is used in "sugar-free" mints and various cough syrups and is usually listed under the inactive ingredients.
Sorbitol is a sugar substitute often used in diet foods (including diet drinks and ice cream) and sugar-free chewing gum. It also occurs naturally in many stone fruits and berries from trees of the genus Sorbus[1]. Sorbitol is also referred to as a nutritive sweetener because it provides dietary energy: 2.6 kilocalories (11 kilojoules) per gram versus the average 4 kilocalories (17 kJ) of sugar and starch, while retaining 60% of the sweetness.[citation needed] As a food additive it has an E number E420, categorized as a sweetener, emulsifier and humectant.

Laxative

Sorbitol can be used as a non-stimulant laxative as either an oral suspension or suppository. The drug works by drawing water into the large intestine, thereby stimulating bowel movements.[2] Sorbitol has been determined safe to use in the elderly although it is by no means recommended. [3]

Sorbitol has been used in colonoscopy preparation.

 

[Brier Rose]

Wow..am I happy to see this thread!!

My DH was just diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes on Saturday afternoon. He had gone in for a DOT physical and found out his sugar level was at 415!

The Dr put him on 1000mg of Metformin twice a day, and he is supposed to be on a strict low carb diet. I'm not even really sure what that mean though.

Is that like Atkins or South Beach..or is the low carb diet different when it's being structured for someone with diabetes?

We are supposed to be going to some classes in the next week or two, but what am I supposed to do until then?? I am SO confused about what he can eat..how much he can eat, etc..

He doesn't need to lose any weight. His is apparently hereditary. That's why the went ahead and started him on the meds, which we were told he'd probably have to stay on the rest of his life.

He is testing twice a day, and he started the Metformin Saturday evening. After 3 doses of the Metformin his levels dropped to 272..still SO high! That was this morning (Monday). Does it just take a while for the medication to start working, or is this not a good sign?

He seems to be doing well with it..no really bad side effects or tummy issues.

DH has always been so healthy..I am just scared beyond belief right now..

I want to do anything and everything I can to help him, but I just don't know how.

What if I feed him the wrong thing?? What if he is tired and has a headache..is it a normal headache and tiredness after a long day..or is it something much more complicated?

Will I always worry about EVERY ache..pain..sore..illness..EVERYTHING for the rest of our lives..or is it just because I'm still in shock and this is all so new?

He's dealing..better than I am it seems..but he is depressed. He doesn't even like to take aspirin, so this is a HUGE adjustment for him. Not to mention that we are total foodies..so yeah..

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

My DH was just diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes on Saturday afternoon. He had gone in for a DOT physical and found out his sugar level was at 415!

Don't let yourself or DH be too shocked by that initial number. Know that the meds, exercise, and healthy diet will help bring it down -way down.

The Dr put him on 1000mg of Metformin twice a day, and he is supposed to be on a strict low carb diet. I'm not even really sure what that mean though.

Is that like Atkins or South Beach..or is the low carb diet different when it's being structured for someone with diabetes?

A carb is pretty much a carb. Don;t discount Atkins et al, although it's important to get a good mix of vitamins and stuff that strict meat and cheese diet can't provide.

We are supposed to be going to some classes in the next week or two, but what am I supposed to do until then?? I am SO confused about what he can eat..how much he can eat, etc..

He doesn't need to lose any weight. His is apparently hereditary. That's why the went ahead and started him on the meds, which we were told he'd probably have to stay on the rest of his life.

He is testing twice a day, and he started the Metformin Saturday evening. After 3 doses of the Metformin his levels dropped to 272..still SO high! That was this morning (Monday). Does it just take a while for the medication to start working, or is this not a good sign?

Everything takes a while to work, so give it time.

He seems to be doing well with it..no really bad side effects or tummy issues.

Metformin causes me no problems either, but many do have problems with it. Your DH might be lucky in that regard (like me).

DH has always been so healthy..I am just scared beyond belief right now..

Totally, naturally understandable. Just remember diabetes is not a death sentence. I took it to be somewhat of an invitation to healthy living.

I want to do anything and everything I can to help him, but I just don't know how.

Bless you for that.

What if I feed him the wrong thing?? What if he is tired and has a headache..is it a normal headache and tiredness after a long day..or is it something much more complicated?

Will I always worry about EVERY ache..pain..sore..illness..EVERYTHING for the rest of our lives..or is it just because I'm still in shock and this is all so new?

He's dealing..better than I am it seems..but he is depressed. He doesn't even like to take aspirin, so this is a HUGE adjustment for him. Not to mention that we are total foodies..so yeah.

That depression is par for the course. I think everyone diagnosed with T2 does thru some version of that. I'm sure the visit to the dietician next week may help to ease your and his mind.

Best of luck to you both!

 

[PatsMom]

Brier Rose, it is all still pretty new and things do get much better. My problem was the opposite of what you seem to be going through. I refused to take my disease seriously for a number of years and am now paying the price with complications. I think you and your DH are doing great by wanting to take control and treat the disease! Glad to hear the metformin isn't causing your DH any problems. It was my first medication too. Now I'm no several (including injected insulin).

As the PP said, a carb is a carb. The dietitian is no doubt going to give you a ton of information. You might also check out the American Diabetes Association web site - they have some good stuff too. And they have a message board with some helpful posters. When I finally decided to get serious I got lots of useful information there.

I am in total agreement though with those who say the artifical sweeteners should just be labeled as laxatives! I count my carbs but eat "real" food. I think that has helped me the most - realizing that nothing is off limits but I have to be ready to make a trade. If I really, really want some dessert, it means no carbs for dinner so I can save them for dessert. The dietitian and my certified diabetes educator have been very helpful in learning how to manage my diet.

Have they told you what your DH's A1C is? That number is a little more meaningful than a fasting blood sugar.

 

[My2Cinderellas]

My endocrinologist does recommend the South Beach diet, as well as Weight Watchers. Breakfast is truly my most important meal - if I don't eat the right things then the rest of the day is just off. I end up eating too big portions and too much crap the rest of the day. I do best eating a high fiber carb (shredded mini-wheats, or whole grain toast, or steel cut oatmeal) along with some protein (egg, cheese, a slice of lean lunch meat). I cannot have fruit until mid-morning or noon, it spikes my BS.

I have given up most fake sweeteners, but I can't seem to give up Diet coke. I know things would improve if I could, but that's a tough addiction for me. I use powdered stevia for a sweetener on cereal and in coffee.

I so totally agree with the poster who said sorbitol products should be relabed as laxatives! Nasty stuff. When my grandfather was diagnosed as Type 2 in his early 80's, my grandmother would buy anything that was labeled "diabetic". Never mind that it was nasty tasting and horribly overpriced and gave him diarrhea, she'd buy it.

To the person trying to get high numbers under control - it takes a few weeks to get the medication working, but if numbers are still high - there are additional medications to try. I take metformin, Byetta and recently have had to add Lantus (24-hr long acting insulin). Byetta and Lantus are injected, but with tiny tiny needle tips so it isn't bad. I think back to the syringes I used 10 years ago when pregnant and these are so much better.

good luck to everyone!

 

[Brier Rose]

Thank you all so much!

I spent the day yesterday looking around the internet for recipes. I tried out a sugar free peanut butter and jelly cookie one that is made with no flour, and it was pretty good.

The only ingredients were peanut butter, Splenda, vanilla, and baking soda. Then you top each cookie with a little sugar free jam.

My question is..with things like this..does he still need to limit his portions even though he is NOT trying to lose weight?

Also..when cooking some things..like my spaghetti sauce..I usually add about a tablespoon or so of sugar. Do I need to stop doing that?

My2Cinderellas ~ You said that you dietitian recommends Weight Watchers?
I am actually doing Weight Watchers myself, and I know that I can have as much sugar as I want as long as it's counted in my daily points.
For instance..one of my favorite treats is a 100 Grand candy bar..which is 4 WW points. Are things like this still allowed for diabetics??

PatsMom ~ You asked if they have told us what my DH's A1C is?
They did the blood work for that yesterday morning, and we should have the results by tomorrow.

DH is on the road right now, but I talked to him this morning and he said that his BS last night was at 182 and this morning was 195. I would have thought the one this morning would have been lower since he didn't eat all night while he was sleeping! Either way..I'm glad to finally see it come under 200, and hopefully it will just keep coming down!!

He did say that when he took the Metformin last night he got a little nauseous.
Any tips on how to prevent that?

 

[PatsMom]

I try to take my meformin with food. I take my morning dose with breakfast (usually a bowl of oatmeal and some kind of protein). And my evening dose I take right after dinner. That seems to help. I take so many meds that it is hard to tell what might be bothering me but I have found that unless the medication specifically says to take without food or milk I find fewer stomach upsets if I eat. Its good that he is testing his blood sugar - I resisted that for years. It seems to make me much more aware of the effects that various foods have on my glucose levels. Is he testing at the same times every day? One thing my educator had me do is always take my fasting blood sugar in the morning. Then I test at least two other times during the day, keeping track of what I've eaten. So if I eat something and then test two hours after the meal, I began to get a pretty good idea of what would cause spikes in my glucose. And keeping track of my evening foods and when I had lows during the night helped me get into a snacking routine so that I wasn't having low blood sugar episodes at 3 in the morning! I also helped to optimize the amount of Lantus I should be injecting every evening. You and your DH are making a great start!

 

[Brier Rose]

He hasn't been testing at exactly the same time everyday. It's been just a general..when he gets up in the morning, and then before he goes to bed.

His schedule is so crazy..he NEVER goes to bed and gets up at the same time.
He never eats at the same times everyday either. Sometimes dinner might be 6:00pm and sometimes 9:00pm. I have been making sure regardless of when his actual meal times are..that he at least has a hand full of nuts or a piece of string cheese, or similar snack, every couple of hours though.

I wonder if that's really gonna cut it, or if he is going to HAVE to find someway to keep a better meal time schedule.

 

[PatsMom]

I can relate to the crazy schedule! I do find that I have better control when I eat at the same times every day. But as your DH learns what effect different foods have on his glucose, it should get easier to juggle snacks and real meals. At least it did for me. At the beginning I had a hard time estimating carbs when eating out. And I eat on the run a lot because of the hours I work. And I spend a fair amount of time driving too. I've gotten much better at it over the last year or so. But it took a lot of testing two hours after meals to really get an idea of what different meals did to the glucose levels. Now I can eyeball a pile of pasta and come up with a pretty good estimate of how much I can eat!

I wouldn't say that it ever gets easier to keep up with all this stuff, but it does get easier if you know what I mean. Some things just become routine.

 

[My2Cinderellas]

Thank you all so much!

My2Cinderellas ~ You said that you dietitian recommends Weight Watchers?
I am actually doing Weight Watchers myself, and I know that I can have as much sugar as I want as long as it's counted in my daily points.
For instance..one of my favorite treats is a 100 Grand candy bar..which is 4 WW points. Are things like this still allowed for diabetics??

DH is on the road right now, but I talked to him this morning and he said that his BS last night was at 182 and this morning was 195. I would have thought the one this morning would have been lower since he didn't eat all night while he was sleeping! Either way..I'm glad to finally see it come under 200, and hopefully it will just keep coming down!!

He did say that when he took the Metformin last night he got a little nauseous.
Any tips on how to prevent that?

about eating sugar - I do have desserts, but I try to limit carbs at that meal, or save dessert for the next snack so I don't spike so high. There is no way I can cut out sweets altogether, even though I should. So knowing how to minimize the impact is key. Is there anyway you and DH can meet with a dietician who specializes in diabetes? My endocrinology office has one on staff, and I'm lucky in that my insurance paid for visits with her when I was pregnant. I learned so much from her. Even if you have to pay out of pocket, I think it's worth it - she's really the one to answer questions like this.

Metformin is known for GI side-effects. Nausea is one, but the biggie for me and many other people is diarrhea. Metformin is generic, and the generic is based on a name brand Glucophage. I have to take a slightly different variation called Fortamet. Of course, my insurance wants me on the generic ($15 copay), or the Glucophage ($30 copay) but since I tolerate the Fortamet best I shell out for it with a $45/month copay. It's very popular because it's considered a "weight-neutral" drug and so many of the other oral Type 2 drugs often cause weight gain, which is not good since many Type 2's need to LOSE weight.

As for high morning numbers - what is happening is that the liver spills sugar in the night. I had big problems with this when pregnant. What helped me was a bedtime snack.

good luck!

 

[Brier Rose]

about eating sugar - I do have desserts, but I try to limit carbs at that meal, or save dessert for the next snack so I don't spike so high. There is no way I can cut out sweets altogether, even though I should. So knowing how to minimize the impact is key. Is there anyway you and DH can meet with a dietician who specializes in diabetes? My endocrinology office has one on staff, and I'm lucky in that my insurance paid for visits with her when I was pregnant. I learned so much from her. Even if you have to pay out of pocket, I think it's worth it - she's really the one to answer questions like this.

Metformin is known for GI side-effects. Nausea is one, but the biggie for me and many other people is diarrhea. Metformin is generic, and the generic is based on a name brand Glucophage. I have to take a slightly different variation called Fortamet. Of course, my insurance wants me on the generic ($15 copay), or the Glucophage ($30 copay) but since I tolerate the Fortamet best I shell out for it with a $45/month copay. It's very popular because it's considered a "weight-neutral" drug and so many of the other oral Type 2 drugs often cause weight gain, which is not good since many Type 2's need to LOSE weight.

As for high morning numbers - what is happening is that the liver spills sugar in the night. I had big problems with this when pregnant. What helped me was a bedtime snack.

good luck!

Thank you!

We are supposed to be meeting with a dietitian and going to some classes as soon as our Dr. gets that set up. Basically what he told us on Sunday was that we are going to work with a 10 day time frame. He said that he is shooting for a complete game plan including meds, blood work, education, getting DH's DOT physical completed..everything by the end of those 10 days.

We will be paying out of pocket for everything since we do not have insurance on DH or myself..just the kids..and that is only major medical. Our doctor knows this, and has definitely been keeping that in mind..making sure we only have to spend money where absolutely necessary.

I do have money direct debited out of our bank account to a savings account each week , in lieu of insurance premiums, so the money is there as we need it, BUT, I am really regretting not getting the major medical for DH and myself now. I wonder if I would even be able to get it for him at this point.

Basically the policy we have is $148.00 per month, with a $2,500 deductible and family cap of $5,000 and then it pays 100% for everything..hospital, Dr. visits, prescriptions ,etc. with a 4 million lifetime max.

I easily saved the deductible cap of $5,000 just in what I've saved paying a lesser premium. Even with the money that we've paid out of pocket during the years for office visits, etc..we've still come out ahead doing it this way, so I'm very happy with the policy.

I had the best intentions of adding DH and myself to the policy, but just never got around to it.

 

[PatsMom]

It is great that your doctor is trying to minimize your out of pocket costs. A few sessions with a diabetes educator are a good investment in my opnion. If I had understood more about the disease ten years ago I could be saving a fortune in medical costs now! I'd make sure to hang on to the medical coverage you have. The laws vary a lot from state to state but most company's want nothing to do with insuring a diabetic. Unless one of you goes to work for a company that has a group plan, it may be all you can get.

 

[Savanah'sMom]

Hi all!! I just finished reading all the pages and would love to join in. I was diagnosed 6.5 years ago and they finally decided that I'm a Type 1 & 1/2 My A1C numbers have been running pretty good around 5.5 - 5.9. I was on Metformine, Ameryl, and Lantus. Now I'm pregnant and on a MiniMed Paradigm pump. (mainly b/c I was tired of 4 shots a day, and not looking forward to 8 more months of that) So far I like it; I'm just not really good at counting carbs unless it is spelled out exactly for me. I do have the Calorie King book a pp talked about earlier and I like that one. What are some good websites to visit? I'm trying to be a good diabetic but I always feel like I fall short even though my numbers are pretty good. I hate exercising and I know that would help me out tremendously, I'm going to look into getting a treadmill, that way I have no excuses.

legalsea, I love banana ice cream, it's been ages since I've had any, I'm definitely trying your recipe from a few pages back.
Brier Rose, good luck to you and your DH, I think the first few weeks, months (heck, the 1st year) are the scariest, b/c of the unknown and just getting used to a new life style.

to everyone for good health.

 

[Brier Rose]

Hi everyone!

I've been doing a lot of reading over on the American Diabetes Association website today and I wanted to make sure that I am understanding what I ready correctly.

If I am reading it right, DH can have some things with sugar, or higher carb items as long as he adjusts his whole meal plan to cover the carbs?

I don't mean..spend a whole day eating candy and cookies..but for instance..last night he stopped at Cracker Barrel for dinner. He really wanted a corn muffin, but we thought that he shouldn't have one. His dinner consisted of grilled fish, turnip greens, and green beans, so essentially almost NO carbs. Could he have had the corn muffin since the total carb count of his dinner was so low?

Using that same example...we have a graduation party for my little brother this Friday. If DH watches his carb intake all day, would it be ok for him to have a small piece of cake..or perhaps a Bud Light?

Please don't misunderstand..I am in NO way trying to find a loop hole that would allow him to not follow a new healthier eating lifestyle, but the thought that things could be feel somewhat "normal" in that he could still enjoy the things he loves just makes me want to cry!

Also..I read that a general rule of thumb is 45-65 carbs per meal and 15-20 carbs per snack. Of course I KNOW we would have to ask his Dr, but does that sound like an accurate count?

Sorry for SO many questions!

***Just talked to the Doctors office..His A1c was 10.3%..I'm not sure what that means, but I assume it must not be good since they are now adding 15mg Actos for him to take along with the Metformin. In addition..his HDL (good cholesterol) was about 7 points to low, so they are also putting him on 500mg of Niacin a day, and said that he needs to exercise..exercise..EXCERISE!!***