Medications and Diabetes

[handy]

A couple of weeks ago I was diagnosed with diabetes. It was pretty crushing really, because I was finally, after about two years, feeling really good about my health and then BAM... for the first time ever, I had blood sugar problems.

The doctor put me on a couple of scrips (one for potassium and one for lowering cholesterol) and sent me home with a meter. I was to take my meds and test each morning before eating.

So, I immediately started on the new normal for me, which was to cut out almost all carbs except for fresh fruits and veggies, beans and an extremely limited amount of bread.

No more for me, but that's OK really. The hardest part was cutting the "sweet" out of my sweet tea, but it's nonetheless done. I haven't had anything with sugar or corn syrup in it since that day at the doctor's.

One would think that the blood sugar would have plummeted, but nooooo. While I never got back up to the original 188, the blood sugar seems to see-saw and I've often been over 170 fasting.

I knew that taking Prednisone could raise blood sugar and I had been put on Prednisone several times this year. Great for getting my chronic sinus condition cleared up temporarily, but bad for blood sugar. Since I hadn't been on Prednisone for several months, I decided to take a look at everything the doctor had me on for the sinus and asthma issues (which go hand in hand) and see if any of the other meds raised blood sugar.

Here are the meds that my doctors had prescribed for me to take every day:

Levothyroxine x1 daily
Prilosec x 1 daily
(These two, I've taken for years, one for my thyroid disease and the other due to a hilatel hernia in my stomach.)

The rest of these meds have been prescribed in just this past year:
Chlorthalidone x1 daily
Zorcor x1 daily
Singulair x1 daily
Allegra x1 daily
Fluticasone x1 daily
Advair 2x daily
Albuterol 1x daily

I found out that EVERY single one of these meds is linked, either officially or by patient testimony with raising blood sugar.

So, except for the Levothyroxine and Prilosec OTC, which I really can't do without unless I really want to mess myself up, I dropped everything.

Now my blood sugar is finally dropping down. After being on average 164 the first week, today it was 120 fasting. Still high, but getting there.

I'll be taking another blood test on Halloween and talking things over with my primary care doc... and I think I'll chew his ear a bit on the fact that not once in prescribing any of these meds did he mention that they could raise my blood sugars, even the one he prescribed after he told me I was diabetic. We'll discuss the merits of each one and whether or not the increase in blood sugar outweighs the benefits of the med.

So, for all the others out there who are diabetic, if you take other meds as well, you might want to check into how the meds might be affecting your blood sugar.

 

[tim-from-pa]

You are younger than I am and yet took more meds than I probably have taken in a lifetime. See why I say it messes people up? Now, to top it off, they put you on a (useless) cholesterol medicine, after all these posts that I gave articles about the dangers of the stuff.

Sounds like you are getting a little bit of a handle on blood sugar. A fasting blood sugar of 120 is normal, however, I realize that's just one low reading, but it shows you have potential without the pharmaceuticals. I hate to break the news, but cholesterol meds also have the reputation of inducing diabetes, too.

Now, just how high was your cholesterol if I may ask? 200-300 is normal. Under 200 risks cancer and other diseases as lowing cholesterol does not prevent heart attacks, but is one of the biggest medical myths. High cholesterol "may" indicate a problem --- i.e. the cholesterol is trying to patch up inflammation. The main problem is inflammation, not cholesterol (diabetes, allergies, etc are related).

This is why several generations ago a heart attack was a rare event (they had no inflammation even with high cholesterol) and our ancestors did not worry about cholesterol, eating eggs, butter, meat, etc. So that right then and there is absolute proof the medical model is in severe error. There is no correlation.

 

[handy]

Tim,

I have had a running argument with doctor's about my cholesterol level for years. However, the last test did show a higher level than usual: 277.

Normally, my cholesterol level is around 210-220. And the argument I have with doctor's is that for me, this is normal and healthy. I do not have heart problems, I've never had heart problems and I don't eat a bad diet that would contribute to heart problems.

However, I am concerned because 277 is high for me... I want to get it back down in the 210-220 range, which shouldn't be a problem while I work on the carbs... I'm on the same page with you that carbs are the real culprit when it comes to these things.

Tim, you'll probably appreciate this. For a while I was on a full Atkin's diet... no carbs except for one salad daily. I ate bacon, sausage, butter, you name it. My doctor at the time was horrified and when I had a blood test, the cholesterol level was at 212. She started in on how bad the Atkin's diet was and that it had led to a higher than normal cholesterol level, until I pointed out to her that my cholesterol level prior to going on the diet was 217! She didn't really believe me at first, she started flipping through my file and then she was just .

At any rate, doctors have been after me since my very first cholesterol test back in 1982 that my cholesterol has been "too high"... I've long since learned to ignore them about it. However, I do want to get it back down to the 210-220 range that it's been pretty much my entire adult life. It was 216 the last time I had it tested, 277 is quite the jump... most likely has something to do with one of those meds they put me on!!!:gah

 

[tim-from-pa]

Sometimes cholesterol issues are also a sign of thyroid problems. At this juncture, I personally do not have any glandular problems of sorts, but I do know that naturopaths oftentimes have natural supplements (glandulars) that also work in case you have anything like that.

If indeed the cholesterol is increased from glandular problems, the cholesterol, per se, won't "stick" to your arteries --- it only sticks from inflammation, oxidation and the sorts. Did your doctor measure the particle size of LDL? I thought not. The size is more indicative. The small particles stick better to the arterial walls and are more of a problem. The larger ones bounce off like beach balls. And on that note, there is no such thing as "bad" or "good" cholesterol. Cholesterol is cholesterol. The LDL and HDL are the protein carriers that transport the cholesterol --- so, the cholesterol left in a bus and came back in a car so-to-speak. You need both.

And on the subject of inflammation, did he check you for C-reactive protein? I'd worry more if that was high rather than your cholesterol. That, coupled with small-sized LDL may be a problem. Now the remedy for that are the B-complex vitamins folic acid, (aka vitamin B9), pyridoxine (vitamin B6) and B12, although it's advisable to get the entire B-complex.

And while you are at it, ask for 25(OH)D. If your D3 (Cholecalceferol) is too low, that can cause problems too. Your blood should have at least 40ng/mL. Notice the technical name for vitamin D. It sounds like cholesterol, doesn't it? Technically, cholesterol is a precursor to vitamin D just as beta-carotene is to vitamin A. You don't hear a doctor say, "We have to lower your beta-carotene levels!" Do you? Of course not. That would be silly when it's vitamin A. Although it's not technically right, I do consider cholesterol a "vitamin" and like all vitamins, supplement on it, although my liver actually makes enough! A good liver and unprotected sunshine is all it takes!

Now heck, I'm not even a doctor but a math/science and technical person. And if I know this much, then all I can say is "shame on your doctor" if he/she did not order these tests! Maybe you should ditch the medical doctor and go naturopath/chiropractic or similar.

P.S. I can maybe suggest more tests but these are the basic ones that came to mind from what you are telling me.

 

[Christ_empowered]

So sorry handy. I have no idea how these meds work. If you can find alternative meds/supplements/whatever for your other issues, do you think the diabetes will go away? Or is a permanent problem now?

 

[handy]

Well, I had a blood test last week and talked to my doctor yesterday about the results. My first words to him were that I dropped all medications except for my thyroid pill and the Prilosec. He then told me that I needed to up the diabetes medication that he had prescribed. I told him I wasn't taking any diabetes meds.

He then took a quick blood test, then grabbed my chart and left the room with the doctor-in-training that was following him about. When he came back, he basically said that since I've brought my blood sugar down to 120 (which was after breakfast), lowered my cholesterol, dropped my blood pressure and some weight... as well as my liver and kidney function were all fine... that to just continue on with what I was doing. I'll see him again in three months.

What am I doing? Well, I've dropped pretty much all carbs except fresh veggies, nuts like almonds and peanuts, some fruit and very little bread. I eat around 6 to 8 times a day, mostly just small snacks like cheese sticks or a piece of fruit. When I eat a meal, half the plate is filled with veggies. I'm also increasing my exercise. This morning I walked 4 miles in just under 40 minutes. All in all, it's going well. My doctor still seems skeptical that I can keep my blood sugar under control without meds... but, the meds just seem to cause a lot more problems than what they're correcting.

Tim-from-PA... I'm definitely on your bandwagon now! I didn't know of the correlation between cholesterol and thyroid but I've had a wonky thyroid for years now. Before I ever go on another pill to lower cholesterol, I'll ask for those tests you referred to because you are absolutely right... I didn't get those.

 

[Asyncritus]

Handy

You're so right about those carbs!

I've been atkinsised for about 12 years now, and because of that, I am on the lowest dose of metformin available.

I occasionally go mad and eat carbs, but by and large I'm usually a good boy, and stay off them like the plague. The control is excellent, because if you're not putting sugar into your bloodstream, the blood sugar simply can't go up.

Pioglitazone was also prescribed, but in conjunction with the low carb and metformin, it forced the sugar down so far that I had 2 serious hypoglycaemic bouts. I've stopped taking that drug since then.

God bless Atkins is all I can say!

 

[handy]

Atkins definitely changed the playing field that's for sure. I'm not on a strict Atkins diet... I did that once and did lose weight, but I couldn't keep it up (or off)... So, I'm on basically a modified Atkins... I eat maybe one slice of bread a day, or a 1/2 cup of noodles... I make sure to count those carbs too!

Anyway, I'm hoping to stay off meds as long as possible.

 

[WIP]

Way to go and welcome to the club, Handy! I was diagnosed with type II last February with an A1c of 10.5. I began taking Metformin but along with that I was also taught about the importance of watching my carb intake. I began to really count my carbs. I created a spreadsheet to track and total my daily carbs and monitored how much I took in at any given time. Over the course of the next four months I dropped about 35 pounds and then stabilized there ever since. In August my A1c test came back at 5.0! As it turned out I forgot my medication on a weekend trip and when I returned my daily glucose tests were coming back normal so I continued to stay off the drug for about a week to see how things went. My daily tests continued to be normal so I contacted my doctor and suggested staying off the drug and just monitor my glucose levels regularly. He agreed and I have been in control of my glucose without medication ever since. My weight has continued to remain stable but I really have to work at watching those carbs! It's a change in lifestyle to be sure.