Diabetes Questions | Diabetic Connect

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Q:

How many carbs should I eat in a day?

A:

The amount of carbohydrate, or carb that one should eat varies from person to person. Your carb needs are based on a numb...

Q:

How dangerous are statins for our livers and kidneys?

A:

Statins are the main drug we use in the United States to lower cholesterol. They work by blocking an enzyme that helps th...

Q:

I’ve just been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. What should I do?

A:

It can be overwhelming when you are first diagnosed, but it’s important for you to know there are lots of things you can d...

Blood Sugar Control (98)
Complications (73)
Diet (116)
Exercise (25)
Insulin (65)

Q:

I need help. I can't lose any weight, in fact I've gained 20+ pounds since March. I have type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease stage 3, HTN, and foot neuropathy. I am obese. I've tried cutting back quantities, calories, all salty products, but my BS is still going up. I've had to adjust my insulin intake to double (20 units) in order to bring it down. I usually eat 1200 calories daily, exceptions when we go out on special occasions. I'm disabled with back/hip replacements, so exercise is hard.

A:

You certainly are dealing with a lot of issues. My advice is to consider the following: meet with a dietitian who has experience with diabetes and kidney disease for guidance on meal planning and weight lo... Read More

Q:

Isn't bread supposed to be bad for diabetics? Why was it served as part of every meal while I was in the hospital? I had a bypass procedure done on Monday and they kept telling me my "sugars are too high" even though it was wheat bread. We don't eat much bread in my house. Checked BS at 11 p.m. and was 83 and 126 at 9 a.m. Have gone back to my herbs like I was before hospital stay and will keep monitoring....

A:

Bread isn’t necessarily “bad” for people with diabetes. However, like other carbohydrate foods, including rice, pasta, cereal, fruit and milk, bread needs to be “counted” as part of your meal’s carbohydrate... Read More

Q:

HELLO,MY QUESTION IS, I HAVE TYPE TWO DIABETES I NEED TO KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY DIETS THAT ARE NO OR LOW SODIUM AND NO PROTEIN, IF SO CAN YOU SEND SOME PLEASE.

A:

Unfortunately, I really can’t send you a low sodium, low-protein diet. This kind of an eating plan needs to be carefully created by a dietitian to ensure that it provides the right amount of nutrients and c... Read More

Q:

Can I eat wheat germ? I have type 2 diabetes.

A:

The short answer is yes! Wheat germ is the center part of the wheat kernel that contains most of the wheat’s nutrients, including healthy fat, vitamins and minerals. Wheat germ is also a good source of prot... Read More

Q:

How bad is it to drink Coke and Pepsi products? I've tried to replace them with Crystal Light but that wasn't quite satisfying. What can I actually drink that won't spike my sugar level?

A:

My advice is to avoid regular (sweetened) sodas unless you have a low blood glucose and need to bring your glucose up quickly. Regular sodas are high in empty calories and carbohydrate, which can cause spik... Read More

animalstories101

Q:

I go by the rule, if it's white don't eat it, or if you do, just eat a little. But I have been told that sourdough bread is not that bad for you. I currently have good control over my type diabetes 2. My AC1 is only 5.7.

A:

That’s correct, sourdough bread is actually fairly healthy. Dating back thousands of years, sourdough bread is basically flour and water that is allowed to ferment at room temperature. “Good” bacteria and ... Read More

Q:

I have a pretty serious UTI and I went back to urgent care yesterday. I still have blood in my urine and several other things are abnormal. What caught my eye is that I have ketones and protein in my urine. Isn't that indicative of diabetes? I have T2. Is this something that will clear up with my antibiotics? Am I headed for kidney problems?

Patty Bonsignore

A:

A urinary tract infection causes a significant amount of irritation in the bladder and can cause the urine dipstick to show protein, red blood cells and white blood cells. These abnormal results are usually... Read More

Q:

What can I do to minimize GI upset? Within 2 hrs of taking metformin, I have terrible GI upset (gas, cramps, etc). After 2 or 3 days of this, I stop the metformin and the GI issues resolve. Then I restart the metformin and the cycle begins again. My PCP says to tough it out but this has been going on for almost a year. Also, my PCP keeps increasing my metformin dose (now @ 1000 MG/BID) to get my FBS lower. FBS avg = 130-140 a.m.

Patty Bonsignore

A:

It’s important when starting metformin to take it on a full stomach and to increase the dose gradually. It may take up to four weeks to get to a 1000 mg twice a day. Ask your doctor how best to do this. ... Read More

Q:

Could Metformin cause a Vitamin B12 defiency that would cause the neuropathy in my feet and hands to become worse? Would it also cause a slightly low Hgb? I have taken Metformin for 12 years and Starlix for my non-insulin Type II diabetes and my last A1c in February was 5.2 and has been below 6.0 for years.

A:

Yes, it’s certainly possible that metformin can lead to a vitamin B12 deficiency. Researchers have looked at data from the National Health and Examination Study (NHANES) and have found that a vitamin B12 de... Read More

Q:

I have type 2 diabetes and it has caused some physical problems, including gastroperiesis and neuropathy and my sight got worse. Why is it affecting me this way and not others I know with type 1 or 2 diabetes?

Dr. David Erani

A:

Diabetes can cause many physical problems or complications. These complications can be caused by either type of diabetes. You can prevent many of them or keep them from getting worse by keeping you blood p... Read More

Q:

Is it possible to be sick and have low blood sugar? I am sick and at first my blood sugar was really high but now it is dropping really fast and I keep snacking on things to try and raise it but nothing is working. Help?!

Patty Bonsignore

A:

Usually blood glucose levels go up during illness, but occasionally some people will have lows when they are ill. I am not sure if you are taking insulin or not, but it could be that you took too much ins... Read More

Q:

Why would my BG level go up while I'm sleeping? I have type 1 diabetes.

Patty Bonsignore

A:

The body gets glucose in two main ways: from the food we eat and from the glucose that is made in the liver. The first, and most common, reason blood glucose levels can go up overnight is that there is not... Read More

Q:

How do I calculate the carb count in my recipes if I use half sugar and half Splenda? I have recipes that call for sugar substitute but don't bake well. I have Type 2 diabetes and love my sweets but need to fix this problem with baking with Splenda.

A:

There are two ways that you can calculate the carbohydrate content of your recipes. One is to use a food counts book or an online food database and look up each ingredient in your recipe, making note of the... Read More

Q:

My daughter is seven and has been on the Omnipod for two years. Every time we change her site her blood goes high about two hours later. We have tried all kinds of things to keep this from happening — bolus 20 mins before we change it, bolus after we change it, always change sites, etc. Wondering if you have any tips?

Patty Bonsignore

A:

Though not common, high glucose levels after changing insertion sites can occur, both with the Omni Pod and with other types of insulin pumps. It is not clear why this happens, but you could try changing y... Read More

Q:

What do you think might change in diet and insulin dosage recommendations based on the new research published in Diabetes Care? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23193216

Patty Bonsignore

A:

The research to which you are referring was done here at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, and is entitled “Dietary Fat Acutely Increases Glucose Concentrations and Insulin Requirements in Patients With Type... Read More

Q:

Can diabetes go away? My doctor told me that I no longer have diabetes after losing a ton of weight but I still have high blood sugar. I'm so confused.

Patty Bonsignore

A:

Diabetes in general does not go away, but it can go into what some physician’s call “remission.” The term “remission” is most often used in relation to patients with type 2 diabetes who have lost a lot o... Read More

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Bring your diabetes questions to these experts to find your answers. You can browse and search hundreds of already answered questions. Or you can ask one of our healthcare professionals your specific diabetes questions.

About Joslin

Joslin

Joslin Diabetes Center, affiliated with Harvard Medical School, is the world's largest diabetes research center, diabetes clinic, and provider of diabetes education. Joslin's mission is to prevent, treat, and cure diabetes.

Joslin Representatives

Patty Bonsignore

Patty Bonsignore RN, CDE, MS

Patty Bonsignore has been a nurse for 25 years, focusing on diabetes for the past 15 years.

Amy Campbell MS, RD, CDE

Amy Campbell has been a dietitian and certified diabetes educator at Joslin for 16 years.

Dr. David Erani

Dr. David Erani MD

Dr. David Erani is the Director of Medical Programs for Joslin Diabetes Center.

Disclosure

Comments provided by Joslin clinicians are not intended to encourage the treatment of illness, disease or any other medical problem by the layperson. Any application of the recommendations set forth in the Joslin's clinicians' comments is at the reader’s discretion and sole risk. Laypersons are strongly advised to consult a physician or other healthcare professional before altering or undertaking any exercise or nutritional program or before taking any medication or supplement discussed on the site.