Diabetes And Celiac

[BRCoats]

Are there any celiacs out there that also have diabetes? Is it common for these two diseases accompany each other?

Also, if you do have diabetes, do you find that when your blood sugar is high, you are very sleepy with an upset stomach?

[judy04]

BRCoat,

Yes, yes, and yes!

I was just diagnosed with the big D a few weeks ago. I was totally shocked

and at first went into denial. After a few days" I picked myself up and

brushed myself off, and started all over again". I told myself and my supportive

husband that this was not going to get me down. I learned the gluten-free diet and got

better in about 9mos. Now I have to learn another diet and incorporate it

with the gluten-free diet. I test myself at least 7-8 times a day to learn how different

carbs can affect the blood sugar. The gluten-free rice foods really make it go sky high

and then I get sleepy and also have upset stomach.

Do you count carbs? Are you on meds? I will see the Dr. this week, I think

he will put me on something to decrease the insulin resistance but I "bottom

out in the afternoon " and that scares me. Please let me know about your

situation maybe we can help each other.

[BRCoats]

Judy04,

I haven't been diagnosed with diabetes. But I'm positive I have blood sugar issues. My doc put me on an herb that is suppose to do the same thing as glucaphage/metformin. These are the insulin resistant drugs that docs put diabetics on (my grandma is on it). Anyway, the herb does the same thing. I've noticed a good difference in the way my tummy acts when I'm on it. Not as much burning, and my blood sugar feels way more under control. But....whenever I feel like the blood sugar gets bad, I get really sleepy, tired, and grumpy. I have gastroparesis, which is evidently found in some diabetics. So I think there is a link....I just haven't quite figured it out yet. I've not been tested for the diabetes...partly because I know that if I fast and then drink that sugary drink, I'm going to get violently ill! The sleepiness is worst in the morning - when I obviously haven't eaten anything in many hours. The sleepy yucky feeling doesn't go away until I eat lunch and then sleep for just a few minutes. I can't sleep too long, or else my stomach feels even worse. Weird, I know. I'm so sick of being sick and tired and not being able to sleep it off. After four years of it, it gets old.

Ok...enough ranting.

I currently do not count carbs. But I'm off (ok...almost completely off) of processed sugar, and I keep my breads, rice, potato chips at a very tight minimum.

What do you think? Should i get tested?

Brenda

[kabowman]

I was having a few symptoms (lightheaded, headaches, thirsty, slow to heal, etc.) and my doc tested me about a week ago and my results came back pre-diabetic which means my numbers are higher than normal but not quite high enough for actual diabetes. I was at risk anyway since my father developed Type II a few years ago, I just thought I had a few more years to go before it hit me.

I ate all the carbs I could over the weekend for today, I see the Diabetic Dietitian and I know the first thing she will take away is sugar, the next is carbs.

This is all after I fully embraced my gluten-free problems this summer...now this but I am feeling a little better about this. I eat a lot of meat anyway, I will just need to regulate my brown rice pasta and my rice/pecan gluten-free bread with jelly made without high fructose corn syrup and my cashew nut butter sandwhiches. Oh, and my potatoes!

-Kate

[judy04]

Brenda,

I think you should definitely be tested. Do you have a meter?

Try to test in am (fasting), then 2 hours after eating and at bedtime.

Keep a record for your doctor. I am experimenting and I have found

that rice flour and grapes really make my BS go up. Having celiac disease and

diabetes can cause a lot of complications so the sooner you bring them under control the better your health will be. Good luck!

[BRCoats]

Judy,

How do you get a meter? Doesn't the doc have to prescribe that??

[judy04]

Brenda.

Meters are expensive, especially the strips. If you have insurance they will

pay for the strips and maybe part of the meter, it just depends.

You can buy them without a script but the strips cost about 80

[BRCoats]

But I wouldn't think the insurance would pay for that if you didn't have a prescription from the doc. ??

You know what happened to me today? I was washing my dishes, and I started getting really bad intestinal cramps, then my ovaries started hurting really bad, then I started shaking, then I felt like I was going to pass out, then I thought I was going to throw up, and it ended with me sitting on the toilet with my head in a trash can, breathing very slowly to try and get it to go away. Yes, it went away....but I'm discouraged. I haven't had anything like that happen in forever. I've felt so much better lately. I don't know what happened, but maybe it was low blood sugar??? It was not an uncommon time of the day to have wacky blood sugar. Maybe I need to pay closer attention. I tend to just live with the yucky sick feelings I have....maybe not such a good idea when it's blood sugar related.

Discouraged but not giving up,

Brenda

P.S. Like how expensive are we talking? Can you buy them over the net anywhere? (I have access to a Sam's, but it's a little bit of a drive)

[judy04]

Brenda,

My fist bit of advice to you is get to a good doctor and have a fasting

blood sugar done and perhaps an AC1 (?) which tells you an average

blood sugar over a 3month period. Diabetes is nothing to self diagnose,

it is a very serious disease. It can be self controlled but only supervised by an MD,

or a very good physician's assistant.

A doctor can and will prescribe the meter and strips and perhaps send you

to a qualified dietitian. Do you have health insurance? If you don't

how about a clinic? You must get help and stop guessing about what might be wrong. I'm sure there are web sites that sell these materials, I just didn't think

of doing that. There are also organizations which will help you with the costs,

especially insulin and needles. Please for your own sake find out what you are dealing with. I'm very worried about you. You sound very young, do you have family or friends who could help you? When my blood sugar is low I feel kind

of dizzy or whoozy. I always carry around little boxes of raisins and a can of Coke,

not diet, in case I need it. Never,ever,drive a car if you feel that way. You should always test before driving or exercising.

I don't think your spell today was all from low blood sugar alone, perhaps you

got some Gluten, I know I did today, still trying to figure that out.

Another thing. why are you on a herb to lower blood sugar when you don't

really know what you have. If you take Metformin or any other pill you

should be monitoring yourself. Does your Grandmother have a meter?

What kind of Dr. have you been seeing? Is he an MD?

Please. please get to a qualified Dr and find out what is wrong. I will keep

you in my thoughts and prayers.

BTW. my meter cost 60.00 which the insurance did not pay, they do pay

for the strips. You need a prescription. The meter came with a rebate so

I should get some money back.

[plantime]

BRCoats, What herb did your doctor put you on? I have been diagnosed as "prediabetic", and my body is starting to resist insulin, but my doctor won't give me anything to help me with it (except the American Heart Association's heart-healthy diet). I tried to get help from another doc, but she wouldn't touch it because I did not have a referral. My insurance runs out Sep 30, so I need to find an herbal solution instead of a prescription one. My problem is normal blood sugar, but high insulin levels right now. I am having a devil of a time losing weight, my muscles get fatigued as if they are starving for energy, and I get light-headed and headachy. I was told these are all symptoms of "prediabetes" and to keep orange juice or candy on hand at all times, and to make sure that I eat smaller meals fairly often. I am glad this topic is here, since I now have to combine food allergies, celiac disease, and prediabetes into an eating plan. I couldn't get in to see a dietician without a referral, my doc didn't think it was necessary. I am currently looking for a different family practioner!

[plantime]

Pleasepleaseplease reply! I have enabled email notification, so I won't miss any response to this topic!

[judy04]

Dessa,

I have recently been diagnosed with "D" and am trying to learn everything

I can. I was curious about your high insulin levels, how did you find this out?

I can suggest a way to lose weight that is working for me. If you are having a meal with meat and vegetables, don't eat any rice or potatoes. If you "must"

have rice or potatoes then eat them with vegetables, no meat. Keep meals 3-4 hours apart and eat fruit after 3 hours of eating meals. This is working for me,

I have lost 20 lbs. Of course avoid processed food, which is kind of second nature

with celiac disease. It's not fun having both of these diseases but there is a way to do it.

Also if you have a meter, test often, after fasting in am and 2hours after meals.

Some foods have a higher glycemic index and will raise your blood sugar faster

like rice, grapes, watermelon. Good luck.

[plantime]

My doctor was trying to prove that nothing was wrong with my gall bladder, so she ordered almost every blood test on the sheet. FSH, Estradiol, and Insulin were three of the major ones she looked at, along with Lipids and liver enzymes. I have been using the Weight Watchers plan, and losing 1/2 pound a week, so I thought I was doing very well. Doc told me it wasn't fast enough. She oughta try modifying her diet to accomodate three food-related problems! I don't have a meter, she said it "was not necessary." I am thinking of going and just buying one anyway. I know that I will have to pay full price for it myself, but I think it will be worth the expenditure. My mom and sister both have adult-onset diabetes, so the genetic thing is there for me. You mentioned a glycemic index. What is that? If I google it, will there be something on it? If it can help me to know which foods to eat when, and it what combination, eating would be much easier!

[tarnalberry]

Plantime, you may find that adjusting how many carbs your taking in will help with the insulin levels. A high carb diet is known to exacerbate the symptoms of blood sugar issues moreso than a moderate carb/protein/fat diet. Maybe you're already doing that... :-)

[plantime]

No, I haven't cut carbs. I mostly switched from eating candy and ice cream every day to eating fruits and veggies for snacks, cutting all of the fat off my meat, and using just a little butter instead of a lot. I know that fruit affects blood sugars and such, but do vegetables, too? I did cut out most of the breads and pastas because of celiac, I only eat it 3-4 times a month instead of every day. Since my doctor won't help me, I will just have to keep on researching this. Thank God for cpu's and message boards!

[tarnalberry]

You may be finding that the dried fruit, and even veggies (depending on the vegetable), are increasing your blood sugar initially, causing your insulin to spike. Getting plenty of fat and protein with those smaller meals is important to keep your insulin from spiking (as it releases sugars into the blood stream slower, so your body won't need as much insulin to deal with what's in the blood stream). Also, daily exercise is apparently very important for preventing pre-diabetes from turning in to diabetes. (I read a fascinating study noting that exercise actually changed cell's responsiveness to insulin.) So things like orange juice are important when experiencing a very low blood sugar event, but keeping blood sugar steady requires a more balanced set of foods.

[BRCoats]

Plantime,

The herb I am on is gynema sylvestre. It supposedly does the same thing as metformin/glucophage that docs put diabetics on. The reason my doc put me on it is because i have polycystic ovarian syndrome. If you have that, then you are also most likely insulin resistant. They are putting women with pos on these insulin drugs, and it is getting rid of the cysts on their ovaries...and it regulates their cycles. I am finding that if I'm on the herb, I can eat more sugar, but if I'm not, then just eating a high protein diet, no refined sugars, and very little carbs does just as well. So I will probably go with the diet/exercise route instead of the drug. The reason I thought maybe I was full blown diabetic is because I have gastroparesis, which many times is associated with diabetes. I am positive I have blood sugar issues, but I don't have a lot of the symptoms of diabetes.

Judy,

If you consider 32 young, then I guess I AM young. I do have a doctor, but I can't just pick up and go to him whenever I want.....he's six hours away. I have tried many doctors where I live, and NONE of them would help me. Don't even get me started on that! So I go to my previous doctor. He has not tested me for diabetes, but would if I wanted him to. I have family where he is, and whenever I'm over, I get an appointment with him. We also do phone consultations if I need him pronto. But they are more expensive as the insurance doesn't cover it. Yes, I do have insurance. My husband has a great job and the insurance is great, so no problems there. My grandma does have a meter....but she's also six (really seven) hours away. The reason I am on the herb is obviously explained up above. I try to figure these things out on my own because I have HAD to do it that way. I don't want to go into all my physical probs and how sick I was (who needs to hear another sob story....besides, it's incredibly LONG). But trust me....I would get to the doctor if I thought I was diabetic and it was out of control. I would like a meter, because I am wondering if my bs goes high, then low, then high, etc. I feel like I am at two ends of the spectrum a lot....so I was curious if I was right. However!! I AM getting it under control with diet. I am eating every two hours, limiting refined sugar (almost none) and very little carbs. So far it is working, but I haven't been doing it for long. I think when I had that episode yesterday, my blood sugar was very low, plus I ate some cooler ranch Doritos. And I DO think I reacted to them. Bummer!! So I think it was a combination of things.

Thanks for your concern and advice.

Brenda

[judy04]

Brenda and Dessa and all others who are concerned:

There are 2 web sites that I have found which answered some of my questions

www.diabetic.com

Open Original Shared Link

[plantime]

Thanks for the help! This topic was a very timely one for me! I will see if my whole foods store has that herb, maybe it will help me. I prefer to keep control by modifying my diet, but sometimes I need help!

[red345]

Hi! Though I do not have Celiac, I have had Type 1 Diabetes for 26 yrs. I'm 27 yrs old, and due to sound control I continue to have no complications from the disease to speak of, so that shows that a dedicated effort to controlling the disease can bring with it little in the way of long term complications. Honestly, the Celiac diet and Diabetes diet is not all that different. Pancakes, Pasta, Pizza, and many breads are the four foods that have spelled doom for me through the years as far as sugar control. These four foods are what cause a strong escalation in my blood sugars, so I have always stayed away from most breads. That simple measure has brought with it outstanding control for me. Because you are already on a diet that restricts these types of foods, I would imagine you will all be just fine so long as you make the effort to keep those sugars within normal range.

I actually just received back my A1C taken on Monday, and I had a 4.8. That is well within the normal range for Diabetics, and is actually the lowest A1C I have had in a couple of years. The aim for Type 1 (And most Type 2's) is to be 6.0 or under, so I'm sitting pretty good. I was put on an insulin pump five years ago, and the machine pretty much operates things on its own now. Whatever I plan to eat, I just simply measure the carbs 20 minutes before eating, give what I must, and rarely do my sugars ever go above 150 in the whole process.

Diabetic education has become so different in today's world, too. I will admit that I'm a big junkfood eater, actually, lol. I always get my 8 fruits and veges in per day, which is the most important thing as far as I'm concerned. From there however, I have at least 2 "Treats" per day-be that a combination of a candy bar, ice cream, etc.

However, that is one of the more unique "Advantages" (If that is even possible) to having Type 1 over Type 2. If you are a Type 2, you most likely will be on oral medication. If that is the case, unfortunately, you do not have access to fast acting insulin like I would with the pump, so you really must watch out for the junk foods under that scenario.

We all know Type 2 Diabetics. I must know of 5-10 that are 60 or older, those who have had the disease for five years or more. I can only think of one of those that have had any sort of complication from the disease, one that was quickly cured with laser surgery (Eyes). All of them have managed their disease very well, I think. They weren't perfect by any means, but they've managed just fine. As long as you make a dedicated effort to control the disease as much as you can you will do just fine.

Having spent my whole life with the disease, I can tell you pretty accurately what the symptoms are-

Low sugar levels (Hypoglycemia-which can of course be a condition of its own-you can have Hypo w/o being affected with higher sugars)-confusion, fainting, sweating (Don't panic-could be your hormone levels, too, if in menopause), sudden disorientation. Here's the big one-numbness or tingling in the mouth or lips that is relieved by eating something containing fast acting carbs)

High sugars-tiredness, fatigue, moodiness, thirst.

If you plan on getting checked for the disease but you aren't going to invest in a blood testing meter right away, I would recommend buying a container of Ketostix made by Bayer. Anyone can purchase these over the counter at Osco or Walgreen's for $5 or less.

There really are only two immediate concerns involving diabetes if you suspect you may have it, but have not been tested-1)Having a "Reaction"-where your blood sugars drop down too low. Major, major longshot with anyone in here. If you are reading this and understanding things ok, don't worry-you're not having one, and it likely would never happen in your case right now.

The larger concern would be Ketoacidosis. This is the one immediate complication most dangerous for diabetics. I have only had it three times in my entire life. This is the opposite end, where your sugars are too high. I won't go into great detail and alarm everyone, so I would just recommend to you that if you have any of the conditions listed above, you should go out and buy a package of these and test your urine. You expose the strip to urine, and within 10 seconds you know whether or not you have this condition. If you're negative, you don't have a whole lot to worry about until your next office visit to discuss your concerns with your doctor. If your test comes back positive, however, to the emergency room you go. It's as simple as that.

Ketoacidosis is the most dangerous immediate condition a diabetic can experience. It's not something that just comes about on its own. Diabetics on medication have virtually no chance of ever getting this anymore unless they go days without testing their sugars etc. However, this does remain the most immediate, major concern for those that are not aware they are not yet diabetic. If you feel run down and thirsty, just go buy these and test yourself to make sure everything is ok. If it's negative, this is not a concern for you.

Judy, here's another oppurtunity for me to attack the medical profession-A Keto strip costs a nickel. Two blood testing strips would set the ole' clinic back $1. For ANYONE 50 or older, why is this not part of an annual check up? Given the escalating # of diabetics we are finding today, how terribly difficult would it be to prick someone's finger twice in a day, than have them urinate on a little stick? $1 or less in medical expenses to rule out each senior for having the most growing disease in America.

Short story than I'm done-The normal range for diabetics is now 70-120, basically. The tighter control you have, the harder it is to be able to detect when you are low sugared. Last summer I was watching TV when I felt a dab of sweat on my forehead. I wasn't confused, I wasn't faint, I wasn't tired, disoriented, anything to speak of. Because I felt that sweat, however, I decided I better check my sugars. After two consecutive checks, my monitor read "Low," which means I was under 15 according to my monitor's specifications, I believe.

Thankfully, I was sitting in my livingroom. Had I been behind the wheel, however, I can't even bare the thought of it. This example not only validates the belief that tighter control='s better tolerance of lower sugars, but also that one must ALWAYS check their sugar levels before ever getting into an automobile, REGARDLESS of how "Perfect" you feel at the time.