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Double Cycling / High Blood Sugars

by Serenity
June 20, 2009 5:39 PM
18 Replies
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Last edited 5 months ago

Hi ...

I'm a 27 year old female who double cycles (I have two periods a month). I'm on 500 mg of Glucophage and 25 mg of Januvia 1x daily. I was supposed to be taking Starlix with meals, but had to quit because I was having to go to the bathroom every five minutes.

I've been a Type II diabetic for 11 years and I have my current diabetic doc (endrocrinologist) confused.

When I'm PMSing, my blood sugars are in the 200-300 range. When I'm not PMSing, my blood sugars are fine. I bought a bike and now ride about 30 miles a week and that isn't even helping. I'm almost in tears because there is so much I cannot eat. I just had to officially give up tator tots. I eat a gluten/wheat-free diet for allergies and, with my heart condition, I'm already on an altera-healthy diet (I don't eat out, eat minimally processed foods, and keep the processed sugars/corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, and salt to the minimum). My blood sugars should be normal!!!

Also, if I don't eat enough with the Januvia (I've tried going low carb), I wake up between 2 and 3 AM and puke my guts out. I usually cannot work the next day because I am so sick.

I've only getting more exhausted. Been trying to fight my doctor for insulin for the last three months. She refuses because my AH1.c (or whatever) is in the mid 6's, my c-peptid is 1.0, and my body has 7.1 milliliters (or whatever that measurement is) of insulin - so I have producing insulin .. .but it just won't work properly! My doctor's excuse is that I live alone and there's a major risk of diabetic coma - especially since I have a habit of forgetting to eat (thanks to the Januvia). My diabetic doc says there's no way that "I want to shoot up four times a day". I disagree with her - I hate needles, but I'm tired of being sick and tired and will go to any length to have my energy back.

To make matters even more confusing, if any of my medications are doubled, my blood sugars are extremely high (200-300's) instead of going lower.

My mom, who is a Type 1, says that once you take insulin, you cannot go back to oral meds. Is she right?

I have a feeling I need insulin and think it wouldn't hurt at all, especially when I'm PMSing. Nothing else is working. I know it's a huge responsibility, but c'mon, there's already Type 1's out there who don't take care of themselves....

Any opinions/thoughts?

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From	Replies
mamaoak	mamaoak replied June 20, 2009 8:11 PM i am a type 2 as well but dont have your problem i was on insulin and am off it i had three needles a day and i am now on two pills a day. so you can com off insilin. Add your reply Flag as Inappropriate
PAT L	PAT L replied June 21, 2009 3:59 PM I AM A OLD VET. AN THE DOC TRYED TO GIVE ME PILLS AN THEY JUST DID NOT HAVE THE CONTROL THAT I NEEDED. SO THEY PUT ME ON NOVOLIN N AN R. THE N IS A 8 HOUR CONTROL INSULIN AN THE R IS FOR LARGE MEALS AN ONLY WORKS FOR 3 HOURS. I TAKE 24 UNITS OF N ONCE OR TWICE A DAY. BUT ONLY IF MY READING TELL ME TO. OTHER WISE THEY STAY IN THE LOW 100`S AN IF THEY GET TO HIGHT I TAKE 12 UNITS OF R AN CHECK THE BS IN 1 HOUR AN THEY ARE BACK IN THE GOOD RANGE. YOU MIGHT TALK TO YOUR DOC ABOUT THAT, ITS CHEAPER ALSO. AN I HAVE TO TAKE A,B,AN C HEART BLOCKER ALSO. NOW THATS A LOT OF PILLS TWICE A DAY LOLOL PLUS THE INSULIN. HOPE THIS HELPS. BY THE WAY MOST OF MY INFO COMES FROM MY HEART DOC. SINCE THAT IS WHAT HE IS TRYING TO PROTECT AN KEEP WORKING....HOPE THIS HELPS...PAT Add your reply Flag as Inappropriate
Sarguillo	Sarguillo replied June 25, 2009 6:42 PM I wish you had my doctor. We sat down and I explained to him that I had no confidence in pills anymore. He offered me the choice of either insulin or pills. I choose insulin. I took my A1C from 12.3 down to 6.1 There is no reason that you shold not be on insulin if you trully care to be on insulin. There is nothing a pill can do for you that insulin cant. Also if you mentally dont trust the pills, you might have a harder time keeping up on the pills. The body is a strange creature. it has a mind of its own and doesnt care what you want. May I suggest you find another doctor? One who will listen to your conserns. One who is open to your wants and possible needs. Good luck. Add your reply Flag as Inappropriate Serenity replied July 1, 2009 2:29 AM Last edited 4 months ago That's the problem. I want to find a different doctor. I'm just tired of going to doctor to doctor and having no one listen to me. I don't have the time nor money to find a new doctor. I'm tired. I can only eat so many foods. Monday I made the stupidest mistake and ate Chex cereal for breakfast. After two hours, my blood sugars were at 300, I felt sick to my stomach, was seeing black dots, and had to take a half hour nap (at work!!!!) to even make it through the day. I look at my apartment and all I see is clutter and mess. I have no energy to clean. I haven't socialized in months. I'm afraid to go out and eat anything because what if my blood sugar shoots up? It's hard enough for me to go out and socialize! I don't feel well enough to do anything. It's dragging me down. I hate feeling this crappy. I do not have confidence in the pills any longer; my body is actually craving insulin. I don't care if I had to shoot up 8 times a day; I need a better way!!! Thank you for listening :) Add your reply Flag as Inappropriate Sarguillo replied July 1, 2009 4:46 PM Its hard getting up the energy when you are not in control. Its a cycle that doesnt get any better if we dont take care of ourselves. I cant stress, atleast look for a new doctor. If you have insurance at work, ask your human resource person for help. If you are going to a hospital, ask the nurses who workt here, who is a doctor that is open minded and willing to listen to paitents. Nurses know who the good doctors are and who are the ones who only put in the time for the paycheck. Not to put doctors down in any way. Dont feel bad about eating out. Read labels on that chec box. It might be you are eating more than one serving. When you eat out, use the food plate method of portion control. Think of the plate as a whole, Cut the plate in half in your mind. One half of that plate should be vegtables. The other half of that plate, cut it in 1/4's. One 1/4 should be your protein and the other 1/4 should be your carbs. No bread. Drink Ice Tea or diet soft drink. When they ask if you want Potatoes, fries or rice, ask for the steamed vegtables of the day. Tell them you are trying to be heart healthy. In fact most places will let you exchange the potatoes/fries/rice for vegtables. I like butter and parmasan cheese on mine. You dont have to tell them you are a diabetic. Its none of their bussiness. Unless they bring you reg soda when you asked for diet, then you can explain to them that you are a diabetic and if you dirnk this soda with this meal, they would have to call an ambulance at the end of your meal. They will take the easy way out and go get you a diet soda. Hope this helps. Good luck on your journey. let us know how its working out. Add your reply Flag as Inappropriate Serenity replied July 1, 2009 11:38 PM I've always drank diet soda and have stopped drinking diet soda because of a.) the caffeine and b.) caffeine free diet soda makes me pee every 5 minutes. I cannot have carbs at all. It's just not the Chex; it's anything with carbs (especially my Ireland-loving potatoes!!). I can eat very limited amounts of brown rice - it cannot be white rice. Thank God that Quaker started making their rice cakes with brown rice!!! Even then, I do not eat brown rice unless I've biked at least 4 miles a day or done some form of heavy exercising. It's either/or situation: either I exercise and I can eat brown rice and bananas OR I don't exercise and don't eat carbs. This from the person who was so flippin' hungry that I came home and ate 4 cups of air popped popcorn (no salt, no butter, no icky stuff, just Kernals Seasoning and some olive oil). I'm going to be sick tonight and I'll have to skip the beans I was planning on eating for dinner, but I was tired of being hungry!!!! - Serenity Add your reply Flag as Inappropriate Sarguillo replied July 2, 2009 9:40 PM Oh wow, I know some are more tolerent then other when it comes to carbs, Sounds like you cant take any. Hope you like your veggies. Im so sorry for your plight. Good luck. Keep us updated on how you are doing. Add your reply Flag as Inappropriate Serenity replied July 4, 2009 12:52 AM That's why I was thinking it's time I take this broken down body of mine and switch to insulin. My diabetic doc is hesistant... she keeps wanting to try expensive meds that aren't working. I'm already taking Glucophage and Januvia. I should be able to handle the carbs! Add your reply Flag as Inappropriate Serenity replied July 11, 2009 5:29 PM Last edited 4 months ago I am so tired. I ran a few errands last night and barely got to dinner before I sacked out. I woke up this morning ready to go back to bed! I had 1/4 cup of cereal this morning because I am just so damn hungry. What in the hell is wrong with me??? If I keep the carbs out of my diet, I'm knocked-out tired, but blood sugars are in the 100's. If I eat carbs, it stays in the 140-300 range and am dragged-out tired and feeling like I have the flu. Either way, my head feels like it's all empty and dizzy - can't focus and my attention issues are blown to hell; I can't even remember what I was going to say as I'm talking and my memory is just shot. I have to double check the stove in the morning just to make sure I remembered to turn it off - and that's IF I remember to double check the stove! I've just noticed I've got new bruises and that the zit on my chest hasn't healed and it's been a week. It was infected but I've been doing the Neosporne routine and it's healed - kind of. Just no scratching (ugh). I've also broke out into a full-blown eczema rash on arms AND legs. So itchy.... Still exercising the same - 4 miles a day on the bike. I'm forcing myself to keep up. Because if I sit down, I'm likely to fall asleep. I see a new doctor on the 20th - keep your fingers crossed that he knows what's going on!!!! - Serenity Add your reply Flag as Inappropriate
RaleTrail	RaleTrail replied July 11, 2009 7:58 PM Contact The Joslin Clinic 617-732-2440. I have been a diabetic for 55 years and went to the clinic often. There address is Joslin Clinic One Joslin Place, Boston, MA 02215. You are getting no where, and need them to teach and regulate your diabetes. Just call and talk to them. Add your reply Flag as Inappropriate Serenity replied July 11, 2009 8:57 PM Last edited 4 months ago Thank you - I am in Maryland. My current doctor is at the Joslin Diabetes Center. I have no faith in them. One doctor told me not to see him again until after I completed the diabetic education classes (which I've already taken) and now this doctor seems to just have given up on me and refuses to give me insulin because I don't "want to shoot up four times a day" (hello, the pump!?) and because of the risk of low blood sugars because I forget to eat (thanks to the Januvia - but which is now no longer a problem because I'm hungry 24/7). I am willing to do anything to feel like my old self - eat every 3 minutes, if that's what it takes! The oral meds aren't working, Byetta is a clinical trial joke (with my odd reactions to medications, I have to be very careful what I do put into my system), and I'm so tired I can't think straight. If this new doc doesn't help me, I'm just going to cry. Add your reply Flag as Inappropriate centrider replied July 11, 2009 9:29 PM I just kinda skimmed over your entry. What struck me is your assumption that riding a bike 4 miles is sufficient to bring down your BG. A 4 mile walk for me brings my BG down, but it takes around 20-30 miles at an avg of around 12 mph to have an impact on my BG. However, my BG hardly ever goes as high as yours. I would record my daily intake of food, along with my physical activity. Finally, find another Dr. Add your reply Flag as Inappropriate Serenity replied July 12, 2009 4:47 AM Last edited 4 months ago There's a lot of steep inclines in this area. I do a mile to the bus terminal and then a mile to work from the Metro. It takes about 45 mins. The same back home. Sharp inclines, too. The only time I "coast" is when I'm going down hill .... once on the way to work and once on the way home. Walking does nothing to my blood sugars. I used to go 6-7 miles on the trail on Saturdays, too, but then got too tired. I also do a couple of miles to the local Walmart on Saturdays for soymilk and guinea pig supplies. Even when I'm not fully loaded, there's always weight to the back of my bike....I just don't think I should have to do three to four hours of heavy exercising every single day just to keep my blood sugars in the 140-160 range is practical. There's work and everything else! Add your reply Flag as Inappropriate centrider replied July 12, 2009 7:58 PM A 4 mile bike ride will net you maybe 50 C per mile. That's 200 C burned. You'll have to find some way to cut more calories from your diet. Climbs on a bike are tough, but they burn a lot of calories. As do walking up hills. If your knees can handle them. I don't know what all else is involved which makes activities difficult, but if the situation requires 3-4 hours of activity on a regular basis , well then, why not give it a go? What about walking/hiking 1.5 hours a day, 3-4 times a week? My point is that you can set activity goals which are doable and, as you get better at that activity, increase the time or distance 3 or 4 times a week. Maybe even work up to 4 or 5 times a week? It seems to me that is easier to do than setting a weight-loss goal. As your activity increases, more calories are burned and weight begins to follow. Dieting is an act of deprivation. Exercise is an act of affirmation. Every time you return from your activity you experience considerable satisfaction. Think of it this way. Out of the house, in the out-of-doors, enjoying fresh (hopefully) air. Out of the house means away from the frig. Easier to do I think than sitting in the house wondering what to eat next. Add your reply Flag as Inappropriate Serenity replied July 13, 2009 3:10 AM Last edited 4 months ago Huh? I barely eat enough now and you're wanting me to cut MORE calories from my diet!? I can barely do the 4 miles per day, and yet, I'm too exercise MORE?? I WANT to be out and active ---- I'm near tears because I can't even go to the grocery store after work and carry my groceries home (because I don't have a car) without feeling like someone beat the shit out of me. I also have a heart condition and asthma - I'm not even supposed to be outside when it gets above 90 (or in the "red" danger zone". I refuse to starve myself so that I can pass out every day at work. I'm not looking to become a model. I'm happy with my weight. I'm not happy with the fact that I can't eat any carbs because, when I do, my blood sugars go up and up and all I want to do is shoot myself in the head because I feel so lousy. By carbs I mean a SERVING of brown or a SERVING or Puffins cereal (low sugar) OR a serving of oatmeal. I can't eat potatoes, anything deemed good, or even a lousy slice of birthday cake. I am stuck eating a handful of foods and good luck in trying to get creative with those foods! I eat healthy. By healthy I mean, no fast food, no refined food, no processed foods, and yes, I EAT my recommendation daily dose of veggies, protein, fruit, and whatever in the hell the food pyramid forces down my throat. I don't stay in-doors all the time. The reason I was feeling like shit this week is because 1.) my blood sugars were high - no matter what I ate or didn't eat or how often I exercised or not and 2.) I wasn't eating because I was sick to my stomach because of my roller coasting blood sugars. I finally gave in and ate a little carbs and although my blood sugars weren't perfect, I wasn't in the 300's. I had 1/4 of cup of cereal - of which a typical serving is 3/4 cup. I stayed in-doors this weekend because I wasn't feeling well. No matter what I do, I'm flat out tired. Eating has helped me to feel not so dead - I'll just deal with the blood sugars as I go. I'm learning that if I take frequent breaks, and perhaps a nap at work during lunch, that I won't feel so knocked out. The only reason I don't exercise 4 hours a day is because I WORK. I think 4 miles a day on my bike - or an hour of exercise a day - is plenty and meets the guideline set by the ADA. I don't eat like typical Americans. When I got diagnosed with Mitral Valve Prolapse, I stopped eating crap and started eating more wholesome, good for you food. I exercised more, slept more, and general took care of myself more. I started eating small meals every two hours so I wouldn't pass out from the heart arrhythmia. I am stick and tired of doctors and people assuming that, because I have diabetes, I must be lying about my diet and exercise. MY BODY IS WEARING DOWN AND I AM SO GOD DAMN FUCKING SICK OF IT ALL!!!! I'm NOT eating junk food I AM exercising. I just don't think I should have to do 4 hours of exercise a day to eat one fucking serving of carbs!!!!!!! God damn it, does ANYONE understand my frustration???????????? I KNOW I caused myself to have diabetes and, if anything, I would take it all back and exercise my fat ass off as a kid. If anything, I'm mad as hell and I know I did wrong then, but I HAVE made up for it. I shouldn't be punished by having insulin withheld. I'm have done everything right, am doing everything right, and yet, my blood sugars are STILL high. May be I should just stop eating altogether and finally put myself out of my misery. I would kill to be that diabetic who could go out and run for 45 minutes and have normal blood sugars, but I haven't been like that for a awhile now. I envy people who can eat pasta and potatoes. I am trying and trying and nothing is working. My body is wearing down and yes, I know that, some where along the line, it was my fault and I take responsibility. However, I don't see the sense in starving myself so that my blood sugars aren't in the 300's. And, for your information, just because my blood sugars are high, doesn't mean I'm at home, sitting on my ass, sneaking junk food, and wondering what to eat next. I HATE the taste of sugar. It's too sweet! I can have 300's even with one serving of carbs and after exercising for an hour. I seriously give up. This board isn't helping. My doctor's aren't helping. I might as well just give up. Add your reply Flag as Inappropriate centrider replied July 13, 2009 4:39 PM Sorry that I caused you so much pain. I don't live in the place where you live, so really it's arrogant of me to assume what works for me will work for you, or anyone else for that matter. However, I'm not a health care professional so any information I pass along should be read through the prism of your own experiences. Finally, that's all I can say: I'm just passing along what worked for me. It's up to you to find what works for you. Add your reply Flag as Inappropriate
Wendy Mac	Wendy Mac replied July 13, 2009 10:21 PM Dearest Serenity, Please do not give up. It is very frustrating to know your own body, it is telling something is very wrong, and nobody believes you. I searched for a doctor to listen to me for over 3 years, sometimes sobbing as I left their office. Because once again, "It was all in my head". My point being - Believe in yourself. Do not let anyone else tell you that your current lifestyle, meds, exercise, emotions are Wrong or Right. They just need to be regulated and changed to give you yourself back. Just a couple of questions? Are you anemic? Are you cold all the time? With a double cycle this could be it. What is Januvia for? This does not seem to be working with other issues. Can you take something else? My heart goes out to you, please do not give up. No matter how depressed I get, I do realize life is worth living. Your friend, Wendy Add your reply Flag as Inappropriate Serenity replied July 20, 2009 10:26 PM I have been trying to take something else - my doctor flat out refuses to give me insulin. I am anemic and take iron and eat iron-rich foods around the time of my cycle. I get so cold, especially in winter, that people joke that I look an Eskimo - wrapped from head to toe in this super long, thick coat, three to four layers of clothing, scarp, ear muffs, hat, and then another hat for good measure lol - Serenity Add your reply Flag as Inappropriate