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Crohn's and Diabetes

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 1/14/2011 12:27 PM (GMT 0)
I have type II diabetes, and was wondering how well everyone else who has these diseases is managing them. When my Crohn's is good, my sugar is high and vise versa. Bad Crohn's good sugar. Taking Metformin and Glimepiride for the diabetes.
Posted 1/14/2011 5:01 PM (GMT 0)
As you can see from the lack of replies, nobody knows much about having CD along with Diabetes. I too am in the same shoes as you are , and alot of this information in these forums isnt relavant to us. The diets that are recommended, the medications, The pain.

My specialist said the first day I was diagnosed "I will keep you off the operating table as long as I can"

The Steroid medication used to treat CD usually spikes sugar levels, so most of the Doctors are at a total loss as to the treatment available. So in conclussion Im really not sure what is worse,,,,,CD or Diabetes. either way. They both SUCK
Posted 1/15/2011 6:25 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the response Harleyguy. When I go on steroids, I've hit a 500 sugar. I have to go on Insulin along with the other meds. Doctors really have a hard time answering my questions when it comes to then. Then they send a nutritionist to talk with me and work out some diets that are not fun. So I just do the best that I can do and get along.
Posted 1/17/2011 6:54 PM (GMT 0)
500? WOW thats almost coma levels.
I was told that prednisone really spikes sugars so they put me on Entocort, (3 months) now I am off all CD meds and felling run down and pain daily. Not sure how long befor I have to actually go on insulin but I am certain its right around the corner.
Hope your hangin in there

Harleyguy
Posted 1/17/2011 10:09 PM (GMT 0)
When I have a flare, I go on Prednisone and insulin for the rise in my sugar level. Without the insulin, it can go wild. I was taking 60 mg of pred. Gotta do something.
Posted 1/19/2011 3:08 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, Sorry I didn't notice this post but I'm one that got diabetes from prednisone. It's called steriod-induced diabetes. Great. Was diagnosed with Crohn's in '07 and then developed diabetes within 3 months. Not fun.

The hardest thing to deal with is the diet. What is good for Crohn's is awful for diabetes. What is good and healthy for diabetes isn't tolerated in Crohn's. My best advice is to get your Crohn's into remission first, even if it means stronger medicine, then treat the diabetes. Try doing exercise until then and take your diabetic medicines.

I started off on several types in insulin, slowly weaned off them, then only on oral medicines and after 4 years I'm no longer on any meds for my diabetes at all. I've been off for 4 months now and I've noticed my blood sugar is slowly getting higher and higher so I'm sure I'll have to get back on metfomin sooner or later.

I know it's hard but with exercise and the right frame of mind it can be done. I really need to pick up the level of exercising I do. I've been kind of lazy lately.
Posted 1/19/2011 4:27 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks, I usually treat one then the other the best I can. My weight goes up and down so much, I feel like a YoYo.
For the past month, my CD has been getting better, but my sugars have climbed. Thanks again for your response.
Posted 1/19/2011 5:16 AM (GMT 0)
Wellllll now, someone else is walking in my shoes. I had two diets, one for crohns and one for diabetes and they could not be more different if they were made up in opposite parts of the world. Ive been to three, count them, THREE, nutritionists. Two babbled on so much I got dizzy but the third one gave me a good honest and usfull evaluation . She read both diets and told me I was F@#%ed. Yep her exact words. Anyway , I spent years trying to balance the diets with little success . Last year after doing all that I could not to, I went on insulin. I wish to H@!! I had done that years ago. Now I follow my crohns diet and I shoot up twice per day and life is a much better place. Plus, I have lost some weight even though I was told I would gain. Yep all that comfort food does add to the waist line when its not going through you as fast as it can. Hope this little bit of info helps you. Dont be afraid of the needle. Its not painful and just a little inconvenient sometimes but not at all as bad as I feared it would be.
Posted 1/19/2011 5:22 AM (GMT 0)
Sniper, my dad is diabetic (type II, but needs insulin). One of the problems he has is that when he has a stomach bug or any kind of intestinal issue, his absorption goes down, and the insulin he takes ends up making him hypoglycemic, and he ends up having to take a glucose tablet to pick up again, and then the sugar levels yo-yo for a while.

I woud imagine with crohn's that would be even harder. How do you manage that?

I am not diabetic, but am interested in the answer anyway. :-)

PV
Posted 1/19/2011 3:26 PM (GMT 0)
I had steroid induced gestational diabetes. Nothing would bring my sugar levels down except insulin, and even that was barely. I really didn't eat much because of the conflicting diets, still made sure to take my prenatal vitamins though so baby would get things. I took my sugar level 7 times a day, my poor fingers, but they were the only place I dared poke. Non of the dr's I was seeing for that pregnancy, including my GI and nutritionist, could care less about the conflicting diets. I was still gaining weight due to the prednisone so they didn't care. But I starved... Towards the end I just gave up and ate what I wanted (within reason of course!) Meat and cheeses were my best friends... that and Fresca... Now whenever I'm put on steroids I make sure to check my sugar levels every so often. Including a month after stopping, my dr said it could still mess up your levels a month after stopping. Needless to say, I'm sorry!
Posted 1/19/2011 3:48 PM (GMT 0)
PV, the answer to the low blood sugar problem is , Test Test, Test. Any time I have diarrhea I adjust my insulin dose. After a while you get the hang of what you will need and when you need it.
Sgirl. I find I get a better reading when I use a finger over an arm so I have the needle depth set to just get into the blood. Seldom hurts to test on a finger this way and I also test a little off on the side of the finger where there is less feeling.
Dawg, I was very shocked when the F word came out of this sweet looking little ladies mouth, but it was funny and it was the truth . She did everything she could to come up with the right diet and I sat there and shot them down because of a diary I kept for years and showed her how many times I had tried to eat this or that with very bad results . The insulin really was the answer all along but I just never wanted to be on it. Now its just another part of life .
Posted 1/23/2011 3:28 AM (GMT 0)
I didn't mind being on insulin either. Getting off all medications for the diabetes really scares me. I noticed that I don't have as much freedom on what I can eat. Even the smallest amounts of a no-no food effects my sugar levels more then I'm comfortable with. I don't go over 200 but my lows are higher then 120 almost constantly. Any advice?
Posted 1/24/2011 4:42 AM (GMT 0)
Why did you go off of insulin Vicky ?
Posted 1/25/2011 1:04 AM (GMT 0)
Since I have steroid-induced diabetes I'm only on insulin when I'm on prednisone. I haven't had to take pred for 4 years. And the only time I was on insulin was when I first found out I was diabetic and my numbers were out of control because of the steroids. The longer I was off pred the more normalized my bg became.

I wonder if I can just take metformin when I am having a bad time just to counter act the different diet I have to eat. I'm going to ask my doctor.
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