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Pre-Diabetes Question???

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Posted 3/19/2015 9:06 AM (GMT 0)
Hi,
Im not new to the healing well forum. I spent most of my years on the Gerd section due to the Gerd issues I have. However, I received some disheartening news from my Doctor with regards to my blood work. Seems she decided to diagnose me with "Pre-Diabetes." I have done my due-dilligence about this condition and it has brought me here. Im perplexed with the fact that this condition can be reversed. For whatever reason, my body has decided to slow production of insulin to keep sugar levels down. That being said, I feel that my pancreas is no longer functioning the way it should. So how can it be reversed? Isn't what I have at this moment diabetes but at its infancy stage? I understand keeping a healthy diet and exercise but does that really reverse the condition? Or am i just able to control my sugar levels so that my pancreas doesn't have to work harder? Does this just allow me to be in this stage "of the game" for a longer period of time so that I dont have to deal with medication and the risks of destroying other organs with full-fleged diabetes? If this is the case why don't they just classify this condition as Stage 1 of Type 2 Diabetes, if thats the case?

What I'm trying to get at is this: (Not that I would do it) If I reverse this condition, could I go back to eating the way I was? Having sweets, cakes and ice cream without worry? Or am I stuck with watching everything I eat for the remainder of my life.

After that diagnoses (which was last week) Im really paranoid with what I intake. I haven't touched a carb since last Thursday. For example, I was rushing to get to work for the midnight shift and I didn;t have enough time to make food (had to help my pregnant wife withour 14 month old). So I stopped at the Chinese take-out spot and ordered steamed chicken with steamed vegatables and brown rice. I had 3 fork serving of the brown rice and I got so nervous i check my blood sugar levels at 1hr, 2hr, 3hr and 4....see what I mean. I can't and dont want to live like that.

If someone can give me some insight into this "pre-diabetes" condition and the realities of it. Bc to read on the net that everything will be ok bc its reversable, well, I don't buy it! Because you cant sit there and tell me its a serious condition and then play it off like its not a big deal. What I read on the net with regards to this condition there seems to be a great deal of writing gymnastics so make it sound like its not that bad. Am I wrong? If I am, please let me know. Im a straight "shooter" and I can take it.

Thank You for your time.
Posted 3/19/2015 11:03 AM (GMT 0)
hi, i am type 2 insulin dependent. it is a warning. she probably did a hba1c. now, well here in australia it is a hnd1 more accurate something with these numbers, which is more accurate. this test is to show your glucose levels for the last 3 months. it will give a number that will help the gp out. other tests are the GTT. glucose tolerance test. this test sorts the men out from the boys.
Posted 3/19/2015 11:53 AM (GMT 0)
Hello tracks 83 and welcome to the Diabetes Forum. Please do not despair. I think you need to do some more reading about blood sugar but a few questions first. Can you please write what your blood sugar readings have been? Before and two hours after meals? That would help understand how you are doing.

Why do you think that your pancreas is slowing down the production of insulin? Did the doctor tell you that?

I think it's a misguidance to say that diabetes can be "reversed". Diabetes can be controlled but a person who is insulin resistant or a person whose pancreas indeed has stopped producing insulin efficiently or altogether can still control blood sugar with diet, exercise and medication (which may not have to be insulin).

Sometimes doctors tell patients they have "pre-diabetes" at the beginning of diagnosis when their blood sugar is elevated but not extremely high. The criteria for "pre-diabetes" is usually that the blood sugar is between 100 and 126 for morning fasting.

Please read through this website for a lot of information about blood sugar: www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/

I understand this news about your health is disheartening at first because that's how I felt some years ago, but now that I understand more about blood sugar and how it can be controlled or controlled better, I believe I'm healthier now than I was at that time.

Can you also write what you normally eat for meals? Let's talk about food! You can also find a lot of information about food in the two stickies at the top of our forum. I'm glad you found us! Ask all the questions you want and don't be shy! yeah
Posted 3/20/2015 9:30 AM (GMT 0)
Hi LanieG,

Thank you for letting me be a part of the Diabetes forum.

Can you please write what your blood sugar readings have been? Before and two hours after meals? That would help understand how you are doing.


I have been monitoring my BG after meals. I try to do both get a reading after 1 hour and 2 hours. Sometimes it doesn't work because of the kids that get me distracted. One thing that I haven't (which is a good idea that you mentioned) is to take a reading before eating. However, I have one set of numbers where I do have both and that's when I first wake up and then have breakfast.

BG Reader I am using is a AccuView Nano using Smart View Strips

Example:
One day I woke up with 81mg, had a bowl of oatmeal, 1hr later it was 97mg.
Second day I woke up with 100mg, had a bowl of oatmeal, 1hr later it was 109mg, at 2hr it was 101mg.
Third day I woke up with 91mg, had a bowl of oatmeal, 1hr later it was 125mg, at 2hrs it was 106mg.
Fourth Day I wole up with 92mg, had a bowl of oatmeal, 2hrs later it was 87mg.

Thats one example. What I am concerned about is that Im waking with high numbers. I figured (that I'm dieting, things are improving) I would be waking around 81-88mg range. As you can see Im not. There was one morning that I woke up saw it around 104mg. I got really nervous and took another test and it was 96mg.

I did see read that a a very low-carb diet will produce elevated fasting blood glucose levels.

That's another thing Im perplexed with... Im in this situation because of (2) things that I did to myself. I let myself go physically by not working out because of work and honestly, laziness. The other is that I love bread and sweets.
So the way I understand it, carbs turn into sugar especially simple sugars found in breads (made with white flour) and sugar in cookies and so forth. I read that low-carb diets induce insulin resistance. Well than that's bit counter-productive, no? If eating the way I have been and creating this insulin resistance how am I suppose to counter this problem if carbs are the issue but eliminating them causes the same issue?

Why do you think that your pancreas is slowing down the production of insulin? Did the doctor tell you that?

The doctor did not tell me that nor did she tell me I'm insulin resistance this information is derived from the research I have done so far and this is my assumption. The only thing that my doctor said was that I'm in the "pre-diabetes range." (A1c result was a 5.8) But the way my mind works that didn't make sense to me. Im either early stage diabetic or Im not, right? Could this be reversed?

Let me digress for a moment with a Question

I admit since December 2014 I have let myself go with diet and I have a job where is sit behond a desk all day. Now, by eating terrribly for the last 3 months the test came back with a 5.8 score. If I eat well like I have been for the last week and continue for the next 3 months and take another A1c test, will it come back normal?

Can you also write what you normally eat for meals? Let's talk about food!

So in the morning I have I believe "whole grain" Oatmeal. I have to plead ignorance on this one, my wife makes it for me. The oatmeal is large. One bowl with berries, either blueberries, blackberries or raspberrries.
Water is the only thing I drink. Lunch I usually have grilled chicken chopped salad with a vinegrette dressing and avocado.
Dinner we have either baked chicken with grilled vegetables or Wild Salmon. I keep the meals very simple and clean. Right now Im staying off the carbs because (my way of thinking) I want to give my body a break with the sugar.

I know I wrote alot, sorry. Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Posted 3/20/2015 11:55 AM (GMT 0)
Hi again. Your numbers are very controlled and you should be happy! Three out of five mornings you woke up under 100 but even the other mornings were just 100 and 104 - barely above 100. And it's impressive that the oatmeal hardly affects your blood sugar!

I don't know that low-carb diets induce insulin resistance. This is not true for me. I was always insulin resistant and then I went low-carb and started exercising and those two changes in my live brought my blood sugar in the normal range. However, I have not been as active or have been exercising as I did in the beginning and my blood sugar crept up so I'm on metformin now.

Please do not be nervous or worried. Your blood sugar is acceptable and if you continue this way and do not overload on carbs and if you can get in some regular exercise, you should be able to keep it that way. If you were to look at someone who is not diabetic or insulin resistant, that person's blood sugar would most always be in the 80's and most likely never above 100 on normal days. The exception might be after a very high carb meal which would not be a normal everyday event.

A sign in the endo's office that I went to once said a "normal" A1c was 4.8 to 5.6. "Increased risk for diabetes" was 5.7 - 6.4 and diabetes was 6.4 and higher. Your 5.8 is an average of 120, however, so despite your readings that you wrote here, your blood sugar must have been much higher at other times, probably reflecting what you had been eating during the day.

In my opinion (and I'm not a doctor), you seem to be on the right track with what you're eating. If you continue and stay away from rice, bread and potatoes (and things made with flour), I would think that your next A1c is going to be lower.

For your general health in any case, getting some regular exercise in is important. You could get that riding bikes with your kids, for example.

Make sure you read through that website that I included in my first post because that will give you a ton of information. What other questions do you have?
Posted 3/21/2015 1:36 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know if full-blown diabetes can be reversed but pre-diabetes can be controlled. Several years ago my fasting blood sugar was over 100 mg/dl and slowly increasing. It was only a matter a time before I became diabetic. So every day for the past several years I measured my fasting blood sugar first thing every morning.

By monitoring my diet I could keep my blood sugar level below 100, after a while it can dip into the 80's. Does this mean that I reversed pre-diabetes? Unfortunately no. All I have to do is drink one can of soda to see it begin to rise again, after a day or two of forgetting my diet my blood sugar is once again in the pre-diabetic range. No doubt if I continued on like that then I would be in full-blown diabetes.

Years of blood sugar measurements taught me several things. Of course soda is poison for me. And most candy but I can eat moderate amounts of dark chocolate with little or no damage. Carbs are very strange. Wheat will raise my sugar drastically, forget pizza. But moderate amounts of rice seem OK. Believe it or not but corn actually seems to lower my blood sugar the next day.

Sometimes when I am a bad boy my fasting blood sugar stubbornly remains around 110-115 mg/dl. A quick and dirty way to quickly bring my pre-diabetes numbers down back to normal is to go a day without any carbs whatsoever. (Maybe I am giving my body a much needed rest from metabolizing carbs?) Then I am able to indulge in safe foods again (for me) like popcorn.

This is my experience but everyone is different. I recommend measuring your fasting blood sugar every morning and see what affects you.
Posted 3/21/2015 3:59 PM (GMT 0)
IamCurious, I think you are correct about being able to 'control' pre-diabetes or diabetes. Pre-diabetes is a term that doctors use for people whose fasting blood sugar is between 100 and 125. I don't particularly like this term. I think it's still diabetes but easier to control with diet and exercise. I have had what they consider normal fasting and normal A1c results, but that was only because at that time I was doing a lot of cardio every day in addition to my no-carb diet (no potatoes, no rice and nothing made with flour). It's the GTT that tells the truth; I cannot metabolize carbs correctly and that test shows it. I am insulin resistant and my blood sugar soars if I eat any of those carbs. However, all is not lost. Since I know what causes my hyperglycemia, I do not eat that food and now I'm getting back into cardio (more walking and bike) so my control is better and now I'm on metformin which helps the body use the glucose in the system for energy instead of just circulating around in my blood causing high blood sugar readings.

Testing is probably the only way for us to know how our blood sugar is. Keeping a journal of blood sugar readings and what we're eating will help us understand what food and how that food affects us. For example, I cannot eat popcorn because it causes spikes. Everyone reacts differently.

tracks83, how are you doing now? Keep us updated!
yeah
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