Child Diabetes

Archive for the ‘Insulin Resistance Diabetes’ Category

im a seventeen year old girl. three months ago i was diagnosed with pcos and put on birth control to fight the symptoms. i dont know much about pcos, but i know it causes all kinds of problems if someone doesnt take care of themselves. even knowing that, i assumed it would be a while before complications came up.
i had to get bloodwork done a few days ago. my doctor called and informed me that the pcos was causing such extreme insulin resistance that i was in a "pre" diabetic state—in other words, i can still get rid of it if i take care of myself. she perscribed metmorfin and told me to watch my eating and drinking and exercise habits.

im really scared. im only seventeen…i dont really understand this PCOS and diabetes thing. everyone in my family has it, but no one will talk about it because they think if im sheltered about it i wont get it. ive seen all the shots and the various meds, and ive been to the hospital to visit people who have been in diabetic comas. i dont want to be so unhealthy. please, tell me what i can do to get healthier. ill do anything i can.

You’ve caught your insulin resistance and pre-diabetes quite early. You’re very lucky. This could make all the difference down the road.

Here’s my advice for improving your insulin resistance.

1. If you have any weight to lose, even if it’s just 10 pounds, lose it.

2. Exercise at least three times a week for 30 minutes. Walking, swimming, and weight training all help insulin resistance.

3. Adopt a low-carbohydrate diet. You don’t have to restrict carbohydrates as severely as a full-blown diabetic would, but you should moderate your intake as much as you need to in order to maintain normal blood sugar. This is important for reasons other than blood sugar. People with insulin resistance have high levels of insulin in their bodies – sometimes dangerously high. In the insulin resistant, the pancreas produces more and more insulin in order to drive down blood sugar, but eventually the insulin resistance becomes so severe, or the pancreas becomes insulin deficient, or both, that blood sugar starts to rise. All this extra insulin in the body is your pancreas’ last-ditch effort to maintain normal blood sugar, but it’s unhealthy to have such high insulin levels. So, you want to give your pancreas a break by *not* forcing it to produce a lot of insulin, and that can be achieved somewhat by restricting your carbohydrates.

4. Go in for regular testing. You need an annual or biannual HbA1c (three month average of your BG) and a fasting blood glucose test. Diabetics do this 3-4 times a year. You and your doctor can decide whether 4 times a year is needed. Consider purchasing a glucose meter to measure your blood sugar yourself. That’ll give you more information to take to your doctor and you’ll have a better idea of what foods raise your blood sugar and what foods don’t.

Potassium Orotate 175 mg, 100 Capsules, From NCI Dr. Hans Nieper Orotates are mineral salts of orotic acid used by plants and animals to make DNA and RNA. Hans Nieper, a physician and dabbler in offbeat theories of gravitation, used orotates clinically before 1980 until his death in 1998. He thought that orotate salts, being neutrally charged, pass easily through cell membranes. In effect, orotate ferries the mineral atoms into cells and tissues, producing higher concentrations. Nieper promoted orotates as treatments for nearly every ailment imaginable and was consequently ignored; most of his medical claims were never rigorously tested. But in certain applications – such as athletic performance – where his ideas have recently received scientific scrutiny, they have been found to work. Nieper may have been on the right track after all. Potassium orotate is used to treat symptoms of magnesium deficiency: diabetes, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, and heart disease. Nieper combined potassium and magnesium orotates to treat cardiovascular diseases. Other applications include wound healing, immune enhancement, depression and anxiety.

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I know diabetes management requires Metformin but I’m talking about pre-diabetes – Insulin resistance with a family history of type II diabetes.

Diet & Exercise
1200 calorie diet, 5 small meals a day, low glycemic index foods, less than 100g carbohydrates daily, 60 mins jog 6 days a week

Metformin
250mg daily

Diet and exercise.
The first line treatment of type 2 Diabetes is diet, weight control and exercise. You are only given medication if your blood sugar levels remain high despite lifestyle changes such as I have mentioned. Although there is a family tendency with type 2 diabetes, type 2 diabetes is generally associated with being overweight and mainly affects people aged >40. It occurs overtime, not not overnight.

It was your question I answered the other day about PCOS wasn’t it? You are not taking Metformin at the moment for Type 2 Diabetes Prophylaxis. The reason you are taking Metform is because you have PCOS. Metformin is commonly given to people suffering from PCOS because women with PCOS are usually insulin resistant. This basically means that cells in your body are resistant to the effect of a normal level of insulin, so more insulin is produced to keep the blood sugar normal and it’s this raised level of insulin in the bloodstream that is thought to be the main underlying reason why PCOS develops.

The raised level of insulin causes the ovaries to make too much testosterone. A high level of insulin and testosterone interfere with the normal development of follicles in the ovaries. As a result of this, many follicles tend to develop but often do not develop fully. This causes problems with ovulation; hence period problems and reduced fertility one often gets with PCOS.

Metformin is a drug that is commonly used to treat people with type 2 diabetes. It makes the body’s cells more sensitive to insulin. This may result in a decrease in the blood level of insulin which may help to counteract the underlying cause of PCOS, this is why you have been prescribed it.

Having PCOS does mean that you are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes though. The best exercise you can do is aerobic exercise or basically anything that works the large groups of muscles such as your legs, arms and shoulders etc. In answer to your question; The best thing you can do right now to prevent diabetes later down the line is staying as close to your ideal weight as possible and exercise.

I know diabetes management requires Metformin but I’m talking about pre-diabetes – Insulin resistance with a family history of type II diabetes.

Diet & Exercise
1200 calorie diet, 5 small meals a day, low glycemic index foods, less than 100g carbohydrates daily, 60 mins jog 6 days a week

Metformin
250mg daily

Diet and exercise.
The first line treatment of type 2 Diabetes is diet, weight control and exercise. You are only given medication if your blood sugar levels remain high despite lifestyle changes such as I have mentioned. Although there is a family tendency with type 2 diabetes, type 2 diabetes is generally associated with being overweight and mainly affects people aged >40. It occurs overtime, not not overnight.

It was your question I answered the other day about PCOS wasn’t it? You are not taking Metformin at the moment for Type 2 Diabetes Prophylaxis. The reason you are taking Metform is because you have PCOS. Metformin is commonly given to people suffering from PCOS because women with PCOS are usually insulin resistant. This basically means that cells in your body are resistant to the effect of a normal level of insulin, so more insulin is produced to keep the blood sugar normal and it’s this raised level of insulin in the bloodstream that is thought to be the main underlying reason why PCOS develops.

The raised level of insulin causes the ovaries to make too much testosterone. A high level of insulin and testosterone interfere with the normal development of follicles in the ovaries. As a result of this, many follicles tend to develop but often do not develop fully. This causes problems with ovulation; hence period problems and reduced fertility one often gets with PCOS.

Metformin is a drug that is commonly used to treat people with type 2 diabetes. It makes the body’s cells more sensitive to insulin. This may result in a decrease in the blood level of insulin which may help to counteract the underlying cause of PCOS, this is why you have been prescribed it.

Having PCOS does mean that you are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes though. The best exercise you can do is aerobic exercise or basically anything that works the large groups of muscles such as your legs, arms and shoulders etc. In answer to your question; The best thing you can do right now to prevent diabetes later down the line is staying as close to your ideal weight as possible and exercise.

I have type 2 diabetes. The best thing you can do is cut out as much sugar as possible. I still have a candy bar once in a while, and even a pizza, however, I do it in moderation. Another good piece of advise, cut your salt intake down, if not completely. Salt tends to raise the sugars in your body. I used to be on 2 different medications for my diabetes, and my doctor has since taken me off from one of them, and now he’s considering taking me off the other one as well, because I am able to keep my sugars at a healthy level. Good luck!

Orotates are mineral salts of orotic acid used by plants and animals to make DNA and RNA. Hans Nieper, a physician and dabbler in offbeat theories of gravitation, used orotates clinically before 1980 until his death in 1998. He thought that orotate salts, being neutrally charged, pass easily through cell membranes. In effect, orotate ferries the mineral atoms into cells and tissues, producing higher concentrations. Nieper promoted orotates as treatments for nearly every ailment imaginable and was consequently ignored; most of his medical claims were never rigorously tested. But in certain applications – such as athletic performance – where his ideas have recently received scientific scrutiny, they have been found to work. Nieper may have been on the right track after all. Potassium orotate is used to treat symptoms of magnesium deficiency: diabetes, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, and heart disease. Nieper combined potassium and magnesium orotates to treat cardiovascular diseases. Other applications include wound healing, immune enhancement, depression and anxiety.

Read the rest of this entry »

and what is insulin resistance?

I agree with the others, it isn’t the same as Diabetes, but it is the "precursor" to Type 2. Meaning people with IR have a MUCH higher chance of developing Type 2 diabetes if it is not controlled correctly.

IR is basically when your body turns the sugar into fat instead of energy. Causes excess weight gain, difficulty in losing weight, infertility problems (it is linked with PCOS), and increases your risk for many health problems (heart disease, stroke, diabetes, etc).

The best way to control IR is by following the glycemic index diet. This is based on eating low carb or "good carb" foods that do not spike your blood sugar, then causing you to crash, but carbs/foods that slowly allow it to rise and allows your body to process it easier.

Hope this helps,
Pamela

If not, what’s the difference?
My doctor diagnosed me with insulin resistance about two months ago, but she didn’t cover much. I became really depressed about it. I am under the age of fifteen. I’ve been doing great; lost about 5-8 pounds, and improved my diet. I’m on Metformin (500mg). At first it worked fine, but now it’s kinda…well, not working as well. She tried giving me a higher dose, but after a while, I almost fainted. Lately I’ve been using the bathroom a lot, eating more than normal, and drinking waaay too much. I don’t know why I’ve been so thirsty. I’ve had about 15 cans of diet pop over the last few days. What’s up with this? My mom argues with me that since I’ve lost a few pounds that it probably went away, but I highly doubt this because I’ve been feeling worse than how I was when we first went to the doctor to see what was going on in the first place. I’ve been having trouble concentrating, staying awake during the day even when I sleep for over 10 hours, and having trouble getting to sleep. I had one of those fasting blood tests done a while back. I don’t have one of those meter things where you prick your finger. I’m not sure what’s going on; I don’t understand anything right now. My aunt said at the dinner table the other day, "So, do you have to give yourself shots yet?" Do both types need to give themselves insulin? My doc said that I produce too much insulin and that my fat is being stored so that I cannot lose weight. o_O
What do insulin pumps do? I’m so sorry to be laying all of these questions on you, but I’m terribly confused.

Yes, they are the same thing, just different names for it. Your body may be making too much insulin, but its not effective insulin, so its not working for you.

From what you describe, especially the weight loss, not feeling well, being tired, more thirsty, and having to run to the bathroom more often, I would say that you are no longer just pre-diabetic, but a full type 2 diabetic. Losing weight and feeling worse do not indicate that it went away. Diabetes and prediabetes do not just go away. If you felt better, then I’d say maybe you’ve got it under better control, but since you aren’t testing at home, you don’t know.

The only way to know for sure if you are diabetic or still pre-diabetic is to get tested by a lab and it can take 2 or 3 tests to be sure. Only your doctor can make a diagnosis, so I suggest you make an appointment to see your doctor asap, and ask for an A1c test.

A normal A1c will be under 6. Over 6 is pre-diabetic. Over 7 is diabetic. Either way, you still need to keep track of your blood sugar, so you need a meter even if your blood sugar is under better control. Your goal is to keep your A1c under 6 as long as possible.

You may need to go on insulin to get your blood sugar under better control, but insulin doesn NOT mean that you have failed. It means that your pancreas just can’t produce effective insulin or enough of it for your needs.

Increased thirst and urine output are your body’s way of trying to get rid of the excess sugar in your bloodstream. It causes nerve damage, eye and organ damage. You need to get your blood sugar under better control, and you’ll need a meter to do it so you’ll know when you’re doing enough and when you need to make more changes.

Meters are usually free when you buy 100 test strips. If your doctor prescribes it your insurance might cover the test strips. If you are diagnosed as diabetic, they likely will cover them. If you don’t have any insurance, Walmart has a meter with cheaper test strips.

I recommend the Freestyle Freedom, its very easy to use and you can test on your arms, which doesn’t hurt as much as finger testing. It also has the smallest sample requirements too which means less pain when you have to prick yourself and less errors and less wasted test strips.

Please get yourself a copy of the book
The First Year: Type 2 Diabetes: An Essentail Guide for the Newly Diagnosed written by Gretchen Becker

It will help you understand what is going on in your body and how to deal with it.

Also check out the links on my blog for more info on diabetes …
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-NbDgUzQhfrJTXdmg.DfXS.Tx

Good luck and don’t be discouraged. You can get better, diabetes will not go away, but you can take better care of yourself and feel better than you do now. The sooner you start the sooner you’ll get this under control.

Don’t worry about insulin pumps now. If you do need insulin, the easiest way to deliver it is with an insulin pen.

Health DVD – “Type 2″ of Diabetes Mellitus actually refers to a condition known as non-insulin dependent diabetes, refers to a condition in which one’s pancreas continues the production of insulin unabated or in excess, but at the expense of the body’s resistance to the substance. It is estimated that around 15% of individuals over the age of 70 suffer from this condition – a figure several times as high in certain ethnic minorities. Now, in the informational release Mayo Clinic Wellness Solutions for Type 2 Diabetes, physicians from the esteemed Mayo Clinic of Rochester, Minnesota provide male and female adult viewers with insights on the most effective means to cope with this condition. Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide – Mayo Clinic Wellness Solutions for Diabetes (DVD)

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