dlp252

Okay so my readings so far are (oh, and I bought two meters...one cheap one and one about mid-priced between the cheap and the most expense--the cheap one is a Freestyle that cost $10, the other is a OneTouch Ultra--the cheaper Freestyle has consistently shown a higher reading all morning--by at least 16-20 points).

Fasting: Ultra 87, Freestyle 103

1 Hr: Ultra 144, Freestyle 170

2 Hr: Ultra 108, Freestyle 128

3 Hr. Ultra 70, Freestyle 128 (no range available)

The ranges Vincent noted are about the same that I have:

Fasting 70-105, 1 hour less than 160, 2 hour less than 120, and mine doesn't have a 3 or 4 hour mark.

  Danijela said:

Hey there!

I have always questioned having some sort of bloodsugar problem because of the hypoglcemic attacks i have

my mother had insulin resistance which wasn't caught or treated in time which then turned into type 2 diabetes....

she says she recognizes most of the symptoms i complain of i have been trying to research this on the net before i see the endo guy... which is probably not a good idea docs or atleast the ones ive seen hate it when patients look up things on the net...

anyways my symptoms are

hypoglycemic attacks :

sweats, shakes, dizzyness, blurred vision, overactive bladder, palpitations, my whole body trembles....

i get an intense hunger and loss of balance and dizzyness after meals and after a fasting period, i also have shortness of breath,

i find that walking up a flight of stairs or just walking a short distance gives me shortness of breath..... i've noticed as well i have trobles breathing when its humid or even in the shower or cooking with steam

i also get anxious when my sugar is dropping...

it took months and months for me to realize what it was waking me up at night it rarely happens now however i still do have boughts of this in the day time not as severe as the night attacks.....

does anyone suffer from the same sort of thing or have any advice

Yes!!! That described a lot of the lingering symptoms I have. I'm home testing my blood sugar levels this morning as a matter of fact, so I'll have a better idea of what's going on. Once I have these readings I'll decided whether to see an endo or not...My first reading at 1 hour after was actually a bit higher than the "normal" range for 1 hour after. My two hour reading was within the range. I'm going to test again now at 3 hours even though it isn't necessary and I'll test again in an hour. I also plan to test before I exercise today and afterwards.

Rachel - thanks for the info on the pharmacies!

I'm still not 100% sure MSG is a problem for me, I think it doesn't help, but I don't seem to be that sensitive to it...still I plan to reduce as much as possible the amount I eat because it just can't be good for anyone.

I've decided to test for blood sugar issues first so I'm doing that today. Had 2 slices of millet bread which I made as french toast this morning with a little pure maple syrup on it...so far my readings have been strange, lol. I bought two monitors...at 1 hour after my meal, both monitors showed me higher than the usual range for 1 hour after a meal, although the one meter was only over by 4 points or so. The other meter was 16 points higher than the other meter...so that made me over the upper range by 20 points. At two hours after my meal I'm in the acceptable range on both meters although the one is still much higher than the ohter. I'm going to test again in about 5 minutes then again at the 4 hour mark. That should give me a pretty good idea of what my blood sugar is doing. I'm not sure if I'll test any more after that except for before and after I exercise.

Christine - eating less and more often has always worked well for me (well, except for the last 4 weeks or so, but I think that's because the medication I'm taking is making me hungry).

I know I have a hard time with most supplements, so there's something in them that bothers me. I've never tried liquid vitamins though.

Rachel is the compounding pharmacy in the bay area or closer to where you live?

Well, in addition to the cleaning out this morning I got VERY lightheaded as I was out and about today, and very forgetful. I'm wondering if part of this isn't a delayed reaction to the gluten I had last week. Most of my reactions (of any kind) seem to be delayed. When I got tested for environmental allergies the first time, the nurse had to give me a higher dosage of the allergins because I had zero reaction in the time allotted, not even for the histamine control. So, I had all 35 skin pricks a second time...later on that evening the 1st set started to react. I'm wondering if the food stuff would be delayed as well (although not really an allergic thing I guess).

Floridian - it might be the seeds. I've eaten them before but it's been almost 6 months I think...that does happen to me sometimes...if I eat a lot of something then don't for a long time, I have problems when trying to eat it again.

I went shopping today and bought all my chicken, turkey and veggies and fruits, so starting tomorrow I'm going to try to stick to just those things...maybe in a week I'll try the brown rice again to see if it was that.

  Floridian said:

Donna, you poor thing.... I was reading everything you ate and the only thing that jumped out at me was the chinese vegi package (wondering if they have hidden MSG) ... just a thought! I will pray for you!

Yep, I'm figuring that must be it--the package doesn't list any other ingredients but after everything we've been discussing, who knows. The veggies in this mix are all organic, but that still doesn't mean msg isn't in there somewhere...I ate other things than what I listed, but those are things I eat very frequently. The package lists no other ingredients. Oh and the mystery root thing is actually bamboo shoots, lol. THAT alone could probably be it although there aren't many in there, lol.

Anyway the other stuff I had yesterday was chicken breast tenders, sunflower seeds (threw just a few in my brown rice for breakfast with a bit of the agave nectar on it), ground beef, apple, banana, pear, 2 hard boiled eggs, shrimp and green beens sauteed in olive oil, and some almond butter (before bed). These are all things I eat fairly regularly without problem.

I am feeling better today...I got nice and cleaned out first thing this morning, lol.

You know, that's what I LOVE about this board...you can come here and talk about anything and usually there's at least ONE person who's had a similar experience or symptom.

Well, girls, I've had something in the last 24 hours that is really messing me up. I've had headaches, puffiness, bad stomach bloating, gas and lots of rumbling noises. My knee also started hurting this morning too... Also my whole abdominal area feel sore...just in general, nothing specific.

I'm thinking it's one of these: brown rice, agave nectar, green tea or the chinese veggies (Cascadian Farms with no seasonings).

I've eaten brown rice before with no problems, although I had 1/2 cup last night and 1/2 cup for breakfast this morning and maybe that was just too much too close together.

I've had the agave nectar, but not since before I went on the SCD.

I've had the green tea before but not for several weeks.

I had the chinese veggies last week without problem...it has green beans, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms (don't eat them, and there aren't many anyway--only found 1 piece), onions (which I don't eat) and some other type of root type veggie (don't think its ginger, but not sure exactly what it is). I eat green beans and broccoli all the time without problem...don't eat mushrooms at all anymore since I'm allergic to mold (not anaphalacticSP??), and I've never liked onions so don't eat them. What ever that root veggie is I like it but there isn't much there anyway.

Ugg, lol. I am gaining weight because I'm constantly hungry, and this is just making everything worse, lol.

  Clark Bent as Stupor-Man said:

Would those of you who have tested intolerant or are just avoiding corn on your own consume this product or no? I don't know if the corn kernel reference is just for those with allergies as opposed to intolerances.

Just avoiding corn here. No, I don't think I would consume it. I wish I had a good head for remembering what I read because I've read something about why one shouldn't but unfortunately until I find the final culprits that I'm intolerant to, my brain fog is getting in the way.

Well, my testing doesn't count since I did it AFTER I went gluten-free. I had both blood tests and biopsy, but neither my doctor nor I thought either would show anything...did it just for a baseline and because he was going to be in there (looking for damage from GERD) anyway.

I went gluten-free at the beginning of November and did see a little improvement. Then I decided to try the Enterolab testing--the results came back in December. They confirmed that I was gluten intolerant, casein intolerant and had one of the main genes associated with celiac. That was enough for me, lol.

I improved a lot more once cutting out the casein. The biggest two improvements are that I haven't had a sinus infection since October! I was getting them every 6 weeks, almost like clockwork...and I had pain in my knees almost contantly for several months...that has gone away too. My sense of smell is returning slowly but surely, and I have a bit of color in my checks again.

I'm still trying to figure out what ELSE I'm intolerant to to get rid of these last few nagging symptoms.

  dlp252 said:

No, you're on the right forum...I live in California, but don't know Sacramento at all either. I have a friend who lives there, but she is not gluten-free so wouldn't be of much help I'm afraid. Hum, I know there are a couple of people who live in that area, but I haven't seen them post much recently...give them a bit of time to find your posts. There was a thread a few months ago about California...I'll see if I can find it and post the link...I seem to remember some people talking about Sacramento, but not sure exactly what was said.

Well, here's the thread I was thinking of, I hope it helps a little. If there are any Whole Foods stores near you, you can always pick up snacky things...they do have a gluten-free bakery with breads, cookies, etc. They also care Lara Bars, Cliff Nectar Bars and Tropical Source chocolate bars. You can also try PF Changs or Outback, which have gluten free menus.

Wish I could be of more help, but I only get up to see my friend once every 5 years or so and each time she has to give me directions, lol.

Yep, I have very low blood pressure. The last time I saw my GI, the nurse was trying to take it, and the machine it couldn't get a reading...she tried the right arm twice then the left. It finally worked...I think it was something like 86-ish over 60 or something. I eat TONS of salt, so lack of sodium isn't my problem, lol. I was having terrible dizzyness/light-headedness around the first of the year. I had surgery in January and stayed 1 night in the hospital...the nurses were so concerned about my BP they wouldn't let me sit up, I had to remain flat with my feet elevated (which didn't work really well for the catheter I had in, lol)...while I was talking to one nurse I had my hand kind of resting on my forehead...she actually took hold of it and layed it by my side, guess she thought it would affect the BP. While talking with my surgeon at the pre-op appt. I nearly passed out--my BP had dropped several points from the reading they took when I first when in. They gave me something to drink and had me rest for a while which seemed to stabilize it a bit.

Several health care professionals have told me to to make sure I don't get dehydrated...dehydration makes blood pressure lower. So I really try to drink my fluids. I also DO have allergies, but mine are all environmental...I don't have any true food allergies (lot of intolerances though I think).

  deeshie10 said:

Am I posting this in the wrong forum? I also posted in the Eating Out in Restaurants area but I haven't received any responses on either side... maybe I'm in the wrong place altogether?

No, you're on the right forum...I live in California, but don't know Sacramento at all either. I have a friend who lives there, but she is not gluten-free so wouldn't be of much help I'm afraid. Hum, I know there are a couple of people who live in that area, but I haven't seen them post much recently...give them a bit of time to find your posts. There was a thread a few months ago about California...I'll see if I can find it and post the link...I seem to remember some people talking about Sacramento, but not sure exactly what was said.

  Quote

I think I may have n addictive personality and I get set in routines and food patterns and the are hard for me to break but once I break them I stick to the changes. (I hope this makes sense)

Oh, EXACTLY!!! I think I am the same way. I DO get stuck on food patterns and routines. It makes perfect sense to me, lol.

  Quote

You and I sound similar. I need structure too. I'm very good at following an eating plan, that isn't the hard part for me. But I need to have it all spelled out. If it isn't spelled out for me then I crumble Also I have a hard time deciding what to do. But once I sort everything out and make a plan and get started, I stick with it.

That's great you got good news from the doctor about your initial tests!!! Here's hoping for good news on your follow up

Yep, definitely need it spelled out, lol. Thanks for the well wishes.

  AndreaB said:

Excitotoxins is a good book. I never got more than halfway through it, but the first half was very informative. I really like Dr. Blaylocks work. We just got another book of his "health and nutritional secrets...". Another good one.

I caught up!!

My 6 month old will be happy if I get off the computer now.

Glad you got caught up, lol, it's not easy if you don't come back to this thread a few times a day.

I may just order both books. I think that was one of the "save if you buy this book too" thingys from Amazon yesterday when I checked out the Myth book....hum, I must go back and check for sure.

  juliem said:

Even though I have had some awful experiences with the health field (main stream and alternative) and terrible guidance, I don't regret anything. I truly believe I had to go through all of that in order to get where I am now.

This is so true...I've often said that about many things in life. It's hard to go through at the time, but in the end I've become a better more understanding person.

Good questions Andrea...wish I knew the answer. I've been peeling my apples and pears, which is really about the only fruit I've been eating where the skins could be eaten anyway. I did eat the skin of my apple today and this afternoon I'm having some major tummy problems.

I get the soreness across my chest, but never connected it with anything.

So, from everything I'm reading on this thread and on the various websites/diets....it really just comes down to a very basic, unprocessed diet. The basic unprocessed diet will be slightly different for everyone.

Julie, I'm with you...my head is spinning with all the diet stuff I've been reading about lately. First it was gluten free, then added casein free, then it was SCD, then corn (although not really seriously) and now MSG and blood sugar. After reading through the allowed foods on the Battling the MSG Myth website, I think their basic "test" diet would probably work really well for me in all respects...I think the MSG thing would automatically take care of the corn thing. So, tomorrow I'm making a list and Saturday morning I'm buying all the stuff I'll need.

My biggest challenge is always actually DOING or STARTING the stuff...once I start I can usually stick with it, except for the SCD for some reason...I think maybe it was a mistake to try that strict of a diet while going through the pre-cancer thing.

Oh, a note on that. I finally called my doctor and asked if the results were in. Apparently they got them yesterday morning...anyway, Stanford is fairly certain the cells are not pre-cancer. My doctor didn't sound reassured and feels we should continue to monitor it, so we'll go ahead with the plan to do another endoscopy in July or August and take another biopsy. He wants me to continue to take an acid blocker, but is switching me to Zantac because I've been having stomach pain, which he said could be caused by the Prilosec...Zantac is apparently not as strong. So I think I can relax a bit and hopefully that will translate into being a bit more dedicated to my eating.

I like buckwheat too. I also miss orange juice. I can drink other juices, but for some reason the last few times I've tried orange juice it hasn't sat well with me. One time I could feel it as soon as I drank it that it was going to cause problems...mostly though I get an upset stomach, not really a specific reaction.

I've been reading some of the Battling the MSG Myth website. I think I may try the diet they suggest. I really do best if I have something structured, lol. Once I get established on a particular way of eating, I can then wing it a bit.

Oh, speaking of keys--brings to mind another one:

Many years ago, I was riding down the elevator in the building I lived in. I dropped my keys, which took once bounce (who knew keys bounced), and then went right down the crack where the elevator shaft is. I had to call the building manager who had to send out an elevator guy to go down into the shaft and get my keys out.

1.) Have you been officially diagnosed with any blood sugar condition (ie. Diabetes type 1 or 2, reactive or fasting hypo, impaired glucose tolerance, etc.)?

No, not officially, but I have suspected for some time that I have blood sugar issues and plan to seek a diagnosis soon.

2.) If you haven’t been diagnosed, what are you symptomatic of?

Both low blood sugar (or blood sugar rises/drops) and intolerances.

3.) Have you had an OGTT (Oral Glucose Tolerance Test), and if so, what was the load (75 or 100 grams) and what were your test results at any tested intervals (generally each hour for 3-6 hrs) including fasting?

No.

4.) Can you distinguish the difference between a blood sugar high/low and a food reaction? If so, what are the differences?

I cannot distinguish yet, but I know when I haven't eaten for a while I get shakey, headachy, grumpy and spacey. Other than dizziness, my food reactions seem to be more digestive in nature.

5.) How frequently do you eat and what is the longest you go between substantial snacks/meals?

Up til a couple of days ago, I ate about every 3-4 hours--about 5 times per day. The last couple of days I've been trying 2-3 hours apart. If I can help it I never go longer than 5 or 6 hours without eating.

6.) How close to going to sleep at night do you eat and how soon after waking up? What do you eat at these times?

I have GERD as well so try not to eat too close to bedtime, but I will have a bite or two of nut butter an hour or two before bed or if I have them made, a hard boiled egg. I eat as soon as I get myself showered--I can eat as soon as I get up if I don't have to work. I often wake up immediately hungry.

7.) What do meals/snacks look like, and what is the protein-carb-fat ratio? Do you ever eat any snacks/meals without either protein or carbs? If so, how frequently and how do you feel afterwards?

I haven't been thinking much about the ratio until the last few days..I've been trying to do 40% fat, 30% carbs and 30% protein...not doing well I'm afraid...I like fat--my typical meal is almost 55% fat, but it's good fat except for what's in the meat. I never eat snacks without fat or protein, lol. A typical breakfast might be eggs and fruit, or a Bumble Bar with nut butter on it, or nut butter and an apple. Lunches are usually meat, veggies and maybe a fruit...my afternoon snack is identical to my lunch. Dinners are usually meat, veggies and fruit and sometimes a bite of casein/gluten free chocolate. Last snack of the day is whatever is handy. I typically feel fine, but in the last month I have been ravenously hungry all the time, even within an hour after eating a good sized meal, so I'm obviously doing something wrong...and I'm also taking Prilosec OTC which might be doing something--don't know.

8.) Do you feel best immediately after a meal, an hour after, or 2 plus hours after?

I'd have to say best immediately afterwards...I'm usually hungry again 1 or 2 hours later.

9.) For those of you who are hypoglycemic, how do you restore a low blood sugar and maintain a normal level afterwards?

Don't have a grasp on this yet.

10.) What do you eat for a quick fix if you are out and need something easy and fast?

I haven't been good about carrying something, but I think I need to. I have nuts in my drawer at work.

11.) For those who test their blood sugar, what highs/lows have you had and what triggered them (ie. protein/carb content, type of food, time between meals, etc.)?

N/A...plan to buy a monitor this weekend.

12.) Have you seen an endocrinologist or other doctor for blood sugar symptoms, and how have they helped you (if you found it beneficial)?

No, not yet.

13.) Do you feel you have a good grasp on controlling your blood sugar and symptoms related to it?

Nope, not yet.

14.) Have you found this has improved, gotten worse, or received no affect from going on a gluten-free diet?

Worse because for some reason going gluten-free triggered something in my mind that said it was okay for me to eat anything as long as it was gluten-free...unfortunately that meant cookies, candy, baked goods, etc...stuff I hadn't eaten in at least 3 years.

Thank you both for the name of the book. I may have to order that.

Rachel, I'm so happy you are finally making some progress. The biggest challenge for me to to really make myself believe that I HAVE to do this, lol...I really admire your stick-to-it-tiveness. The swelling of the throat would have terrified me! That really does sound like an allergic reaction.

Thanks for posting links to the book website and the list of good/bad foods.

  gabrielle said:

i was on a website that was promoting Larabar Bars, Cashew Cookie flavor and i wanted to know if they were any good?

I like the chocolate flavor very much. I like most of the other flavors too, but I usually put nut butter on all of them, so I'm probably not the best at distinguishing between the flavors. The only one I don't care for is the Cherry flavor and THAT is mostly because I seem to get a tummy ache when I eat them.

What is the book? In my majorly brain fogged state I don't think I can go back through 20+ pages, lol.

  juliem said:

I just wanted to tell everyone that if I overlook any of your posts it's not intentional. There is so much new activity everyday and I sometimes don't get everyone/everything read or replied to.

Rachel, I'm so excited for you. Does this mean you are going to purchase the book

Ditto here! Besides that I am having major brain fog today and can barely remember anything. I just did a job for an attorney...I told her I'd email her the document when I finished and after she left I sat here dumbounded because I couldn't remember her name. Doh, I've worked with her for years--I had to look in our directory which has pictures of everyone! So, that was a long way of saying I can't remember what I read longer than a couple of minutes, lol.

  Calicat said:

Dlp and Julie,

I don't know if this is relevant to your itching and sleep problems, but I thought I'd mention it, just in case...

The sleep issues get a lot better when I eat really clean, just like you said, Julie. It's starting to seem as though anything processed or packaged, including or especially supplements, interferes with my sleep. I was taking supplements a month ago and there wasn't one night that I was able to get to sleep before 4am. I stopped taking them and now I can generally get to sleep by 1 or 2 am. Still not perfect, but a huge improvement. So I think it's definitely an MSG/Corn thing too.

Also, with the itching... I had sorbet last night with only 3 ingredients:sugar, lemon, and pectin. I started getting really hot within an hour of having it and then my entire body started itching and developed into red splotches in some places and my face got really flushed. It's still going on this morning, I am sooo itchy but I can't take anything for it and the only thing that could have caused it, I think, is the pectin. (Btw, I contacted the company last week to ask about MSG and they said they don't use it b/c it isn't "natural." After my reaction I did some research and pectin is extracted from citrus peels using...can you guess? Citric acid, aka MSG!) Also had trouble with sleep last night again, which I don't think is coincidental.

I guess it's bound to be a bit of trial-and-error with this until we get used to it, or until the book comes and explains how/why MSG is in all of these different ingredients. Somehow the explanation makes it stick in my head better.

I really hope that this is the answer for all of us and that it helps you to be able to get some sleep and to stop itching! It really seems like it could be the missing link

I had some homemade "chili" last night and I used canned tomatoes...I'm pretty sure it must have had citric acid. I couldn't sleep at all...it was a very fitful night until around 1:00 a.m. after which I never did go back to sleep.

No matter how much I hate to do it, I think I'm just going to HAVE to give up my convenience foods like canned stuff. Grrr!

Miamia - I'm so sorry for the stupidity of some people! I'm never sure why people think it's okay to comment on something so personal whether they know someone well or not.

I use agave nectar. I actually really like the stuff and I don't seem to react to it. I've used it to sweeten my tea (before I gave that up too, lol) and have thrown it in some homemade sorbet. I've even used it in home made hot cocoa.

I have a big white spot on my tongue that I've had for YEARS. I've seen all kinds of doctors and my dentist about it. One allergist had me take Nystatin (anti fungal I believe)...but it never went away. Just recently my new allergist commented on it and I think wanted to give me more Nystatin, but I told her it didn't help.

The other two really nagging symtoms I'm having now are severe itching on my lower legs, and on the bottom of my left heel. This itching comes and goes (as in for many months I have it, then it seems to go away for a while, then I'll have it for months again). I've seen dermatologists, allergists, reg doctors, etc and have tried every kind of OTC cream/lotion and some prescription stuff. I've always thought it was somehow tied to what I'm eating, but have never figured out exactly what it was. I'm wondering if it isn't related to this whole corn/MSG thing...

The other thing is insomnia...it's been a bit better since going gluten/casein free in that I actually do get some good sleep at least 2 or 3 nights a week, but still have insomnia

  Rachel--24 said:

Donna,

In the beginning my eyes were so messed up. At that time they were sooo stiff and dry. I kept going to the opthamologist because the pain was really intense. Probably the worst I've dealt with through this whole ordeal. She just kept telling me I had dry eyes and lots of people have them and I just need to use drops. Ummm...no...I know people with dry eyes who use drops and they dont have debilitaing pain and have to wear sunglasses at night. I couldnt drive or even watch tv. The drops made everything sooo much worse and stickier...it was a nightmare. Then they put plugs in my eyes to try to keep them moist but nothing worked. As far as the sticky tears she said something was going on internally that wasnt related to my eyes but it was causing my body to not produce all the layers for tears or something like that. Well...yeah...something *is* going on internally....somethings been poisoning me.

Yep, at first he said my eyes didn't look dry, but then said I should try the drops anyway. They at least don't hurt or make mine worse. I do also from time to time get actual eye pain, where the whole eye just hurts. He didn't have any suggestions about what that might be...all my testing came out okay.

Oh gosh, too many times I'm afraid. Here are a few:

There was the time I was out for a walk and ran into a fire hydrant. There wasn't anyone around me, and I saw the thing coming, but I think I was just too lazy to get out of the way...I gave it a feeble attempt but the darned hydrant got me smack on the knee.

Then there was the time about a month ago when I was backing out of my parking space and plowed right into my neighbors car. He was legally parked, I was a moron.

I've put the milk away in the cupboard and the crackers in the fridge (before gluten/casein free).

To this day I have yet to find a ring that I put in a safe place, oh, about 30 years ago.