diabetes - MS: what are normal blood sugar levels?

Bohuck2 wrote:

"Hi, my name is Chuck and I normally post on the Multiple Sclerosis board but I was recently in the hospital for treatment of my MS and they kept taking my blood-sugar levels and told me that I should really watch them. I have been out of the hospital for a little over a month now and I test my blood-sugar levels at least 3X a day. Mine has been around 150 to 170 but sometimes I get lucky and it's down in the 120's.

My question is, what is normal for a 60 year old with MS? Thanks to anyone who can help me out."

 

Post Edited (LanieG) : 3/31/2009 4:08:44 PM (GMT-6)

LanieG,
Funny you should ask because I was just treated with Cytoxin for my MS. I was also checked 3X a day for my blood sugar levels and because I was on an IV of Cytoxin they were always really high. By that I mean more than 250. I attributed it to the medication. I now have been off of my treatment for about 5 weeks because you can only get treated with Cytoxin every so often. I am now back on my normal drugs that I take, like 800 Mg of Gabapentin 3X a day, 20 Mg of Benicar to control my blood pressure which I take daily, 10 Mg of Paxil daily, 200 Mg of Provigil 2X a day, 500 Mg of Metformin 2X a day, and 10 MG of Baclofen 2X a day.
Sometimes I feel like a walking drug store and wonder if all the drugs I take aren't affecting my blood sugar AND the way I feel everyday. I really feel sluggish a lot.
My Neurologist prescribes my MS drugs for the pain I have in my legs and my GP prescribes my Benicar and my Metformin.
I try to eat only sugar free foods but sometimes I like a good meal without the sugar free food. I don't do much exercising because of my PPMS and my age (60).
I do feel good in the morning but in the afternoon I get so exhausted I just want to sit and relax and if I fall asleep that's ok too. Thanks for asking. I appreciate it.

Chuck,
Lanie is right. It's often meds that spike your sugars but something else you wrote caught my eye. You said you only eat "sugar free foods" ... Because you haven't had basic diabetic training you are under the impression that eating sugar causes high sugar. This is only partially true. The complete answer is eating more carbohydrates than your body can metabolize causes high blood sugar. Carbohydrates or starches turn into sugar in the body so to really help yourself you need to eat less carbohydrates, not just less sugar.

Foods fall into one of three categories for us. Proteins, fats and carbs. Some foods are just one thing, such as beef is a protein, or a mixture of the three. Peanut butter has lots of good-for-you monounsaturated fats, some protein and even some carbohydrates. There are lots of numbers to juggle and a bit of figuring to do to get it all correct so I take the easy way out. I don't eat any obvious carbohydrates or sugars. The other name for this food plan is "The nothing white except cauliflower and cottage cheese" food plan.

For me this means avoiding things made with grains, wheat, rice, corn, pasta, noodles, breads, donuts, cookies, (actually all baked goods!) along with potatoes and alcohol. Eating these foods is harder on my body because I don't metabolize carbohydrates very well and the sugars tend to stay in my blood stream. This thickened blood (think maple syrup) has difficulty getting into all the little capillaries and feeding all of the body's cells and nerve fibers because of the gloppy big sugar molecules. In order to help my body I try to get my carbohydrates from the veggies and fruits I need to stay healthy. This way I absorb less carbohydrates than my body needs to deal with.

When I eat carbs like pasta or bread I tend to get very tired and sleepy and don't feel like doing much at all. When I eat lean, crisp, fresh foods I have more energy and am more alert. I certainly am not perfect and slip up often, but on the whole I try to stay within my guidelines. Breakfast is an egg with a slice of melted cheese over it along with 1/2 an orange. Lunch is deli meats wrapped in romaine lettuce, an apple, some carrots or other fresh veggie. Dinner is grilled meats, soups made with thin sliced cabbage in place of noodles, and often two or three different vegetables.

I have gotten a handle on my HDL's (the good cholesterols) by eating more olives, olive oil, avocado and nuts. I try to eat a moderate amount of meats and fish and no more than three fruit portions a day. I use cheese and yogurt to maintain my calcium intake but avoid milk because it's high in lactose which is also known as milk sugar. I do eat 1/2 cup of ice cream each week. Real, high fat ice cream because the high fat content spreads out the absorption of the sugars and that prevents spikes.

If you will read way back in the posts and see what others are doing to help themselves you will get a real diabetes education and you can read it at your leisure... and it's FREE! Good luck with this and don't be a stranger. We'll help you all we can.