Any Idea How Long It Will Take for BS's to Decline?

[sagusty]

:idea: Hi. I've actually had T2 for a couple of years but because I felt pretty good just ignored it and kept eating whatever whenever. Recently went to the MD and found after years of low BP, my BP was at 160/110. So, I confessed to not following good nutrition or exercise. Dusted off the blood sugar monitor and have tracked my sugars for the last week with an average of 350, low of 243, high of 439. I have cut out all candy, ice cream (my mainstays) for the past week and started metformin. No insurance so am trying to find my way to the correct diet on my own. So many conflicting diets, some of the worse it seems to me coming from the official Diabetic corners, but I think the Insulin Resistance Diet looks promising. My question is, how long should I wait to see the BS's start to decline? My aunt said my BS's were "hospitalization high." Oh, I do plan on trying to walk daily, starting tonight. Any :help: or advice will be greatly appreciated. Sue

[cs_carver]

Blood sugar should decline pretty quickly, once it quits getting pushed up constantly. HgA1C is going to take a good bit longer to follow.

Agree with your aunt--you're like the frog in water that's getting heated. If I was dumped into those blood sugars overnight, I'd be comatose.

I don't know about which diet actually works best for T2. I do a modified Atkins myself, and I ingest very little "white" carbs (sugar, flour, grains, potatoes, etc.) and get most of my carbs from vegetables and some fruit.

Without any medical knowledge at all, it would seem that something close to a "fat fast" would be prudent, to get those sugars down quickly and then make adjustments along the way.

The only book I've really worked with is the Atkins plan. It may not be "the best" for what you have, but it certainly can't be any worse than where you are. The biggest caveat is to keep up with the BG monitoring, because a radical change in diet plus the metformin can send you the other way. You might want to put a med-alert bracelet into your plans, or equivalent, so that you are a bit better protected. Heck, with those blood sugars, it might not be a bad idea to wear one anyway.

Good luck.

[sagusty]

Thanks so much. I have the Atkins book for diabetics and will start implementing immediately. I appreciate your kind response.

[MizKitty]

I'm T2, and could have written this part
I've actually had T2 for a couple of years but because I felt pretty good just ignored it and kept eating whatever whenever. Recently went to the MD and found... my BP was at 160/110. So, I confessed to not following good nutrition or exercise. Dusted off the blood sugar monitor and have tracked my sugars for the last week with an average of 350, low of 243

You'll probably find a very low carb diet is the only way to lower your BS and keep it steady. Another good book is Diabetes Solution by Dr Bernstein. His eating recommendations and Atkins are very similar, but both books have a lot of valuable info.

On 8/23/06, i started following a 30 carb a day diet, aiming for Bernsteins recommendations for 6 with breakfast, 12 for lunch and 12 for dinner.

After only a week, my numbers were running 135 - 209
After 2 weeks, they were running 125 - 198
After 3 weeks, they were running 115 - 179
Much improved numbers, but still a lot of spiking, up and down all day, but in the weeks since then, the improvement I've seen is the spiking is stopping, I'm more even all day.
I'm staying consistently between 135 - 145 now. Still needs to go lower, but it should as the weight continues to come off.

Thats with oral meds, and I just started on insulin, but a very small dose, which I am using to try to get off some of the oral meds.

Check my journal to see examples of what I eat. I record my meals daily.
Good luck to you! You and I are in a very similar boat, so let's stay in touch!

[SadLady]

For diabetics like you and I, Atkins is the best. My blood sugar was like yours, in the 300 hundreds and doing a clean induction it was almost normal within a week and a half. After one month, I did not have to take any medications which meant, no Metformin, no Insuline and no Actos. I keep it between 89 and 110 most of the time, when I keep the diet, of course. If not, it goes up in a second.

Good luck, and remember, you can do it!!!

[LisaAC]

My dr. sent me to a diabetes class, which met once a month for about 5 months. It was free to anyone and ran at the local Free Clinic. They may have a class in your area. It helped me a lot as they told me things I never knew and gave me a few "tricks" so to speak, to help better control things. One of the teachers there said she tells her patients to move after eating. Why, because it brings down the blood sugar.

Most people will walk afterwards, but she deals a lot with older or chair bound patients. She said even if it's only moving your first or leg back and forth, or up and down, for 20 mintues, it will help.

Odd, I know, but she's right. Movement, of some sort, helps.

I don't have insurance either.
The free clinic here has help available though and it's income based. They also have a diabetic clinic. I get my medications for about $4 each. Even my glucomitor strips. It might be worth checking into. If you can't find the number, call your local health dept or social services, they will probably know the number.

This URL may can help you get your medication free or at a lower rate. It's ran by the companies who make the medications. http://www.needymeds.com/
When there, look on your right. You can look up your medication by choosing the link for Brand Name, or Generic Name.

If you find it, then click on the name. There is information there on where to down load the form from and if you qualify if the medicaiton is free or if it's at a lower rate.

You'll have to print it out, fill out your part, and let your dr. fill out the rest. You'll send it in and if you qualify they will send the medications to your dr. You then pick it up. I was on Stratera for ADD and got a three months supply without cost. It was a great help, but I had to go off of it as it was making me terribly tired.

Anyways, hope these help.

[sagusty]

Everyone is so kind and informative...I'm so appreciative. I will certainly keep plugging along and post updates. Is this thread the best way to keep in touch with you all? Thanks again!

[joesfolks]

The best way to keep in touch with us is to start a journal. Then we will always know where to find you.

[LisaAC]

You can start a journal here, or by post, even private message. Some people read journals, others do not. Some will check threads, like this one, if there is a lot of posting going on there. It varies, but not one way is better than than the other I think. It a matter of preferance. :) So, choose which one is best for you.

[Myrajan]

I have T2 and have gone on the low glycemic, which is low carb.
I always eat low glycemic and stay away from anything white, sugar,potatoes, flour, bread,and pasta. My bs was in the upper 200s when I started and now it stays in the 70 to 140 range.
I am amazed, because I was having so much trouble with it.
My dr was going to put me on shots and I dreaded it.
I wish you luck, you can do it, health means everything.
Janice

[Janine2203]

I'm type 2 on insulin, but I'm Australian and the numbers are different here, we are to be between 4 and 8 (bgl), I used to be on 80 units of insulin twice a day, after a month I was down to 30 units twice a day and my levels are now between 4 and 8 consistently, low carbing is the only way to keep my levels great! My aim is to get off insulin altogether and I think I'll get there shortly. You'll be amazed how good you feel when you're levels even out in the proper range!

[sagusty]

I once again thank everyone. I have lost 6 pounds so far but the sugars are not coming down. Could be secondary to stress (daughter and four grandchildren are going through custody issue with ex-husband)? I tried to find out how to start a journal but was unsuccessful, so will keep communicating here. Thanks again to all.

[Myrajan]

I know that it causes my bs to go higher.
My son just anounced that he and his wife were
getting a divorce after 12yrs of marriage. I am in total shock.
I am having to watch my bs because it always goes up when
I have stress.

[probiotic]

Hi Sagusty, I am LCing for intestinal health, but I know people who do it for T1 and T2 diabetes. Whether you stick to the atkins diabetes approach or modify it to Dr. Bernstein's similar but more restrictive LC Diabetes diet, be sure to check out the Dr. Bernstein's site and forum too. It's another great resource and a very active forum (if you register for free) like those here.

www.diabetes-normalsugars.com/

[Elizellen]

I tried to find out how to start a journal but was unsuccessful, so will keep communicating here. Thanks again to all.
How to start your journal:
It's easy ... simply click on the Journals / Bootcamp > link above, or use the Forum Jump: box near the bottom of the page. Then, click on the "new thread" button, write your first entry and a title, and click "Submit". To add entries to your journal and respond to others in their journals, use the "post reply" button. Just make sure you give it a title that you can live with/remember as it is not possible to change it once set up.