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blood sugar levels in diabetics

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Q: What effect, if any, does intake of artificial sweeteners have on blood sugar levels in diabetics?
I am a recently diagnosed diabetic, taking the maximum dose of one of the combination metiformin drugs. My sugar still isn’t entirely under control yet, though my intake of sugars and starches is almost nil. Do artificial sweeteners impact the ability of the body to metabolize sugars? What other steps can I take to reduce my blood sugar level, short of going onto insulin? Yes, I do get exercise every day, and yes I am working on losing weight.

A: the sugar mentioned in “blood sugar” is glucose. natural sugars and starches are metabolized to glucose. if you use a sweetener that is not a carbohydrate, those with chemical formula Cn(H2O)n, you probably won’t see an increase in glucose (although, since there is carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen present in those artificial sweeteners, it is theoretically possible for your body to build glucose out of their metabolites). For example, aspartame has the chemical formula C14H18N2O5. in order to raise your blood glucose, your body would need to convert this to C6H12O6. i’m not aware of any enzyme that catalyzes this conversion. xylitol, sucralose, saccharin, and others do not have the necessary Cn(H2O)n structure to be converted to glucose.

on the other hand, your body still needs glucose for efficient energy production, so it will convert other molecules in your body– such as glycogen, triglycerides, and proteins– into glucose. it sounds like you are doing all the right things… exercising will help you get rid of extra glucose storage forms (fat, glycogen) as well as keep your muscle proteins from being broken down and converted to glucose. controlling your diet is going to be extremely difficult, as carbohydrates are present in pretty much everything, from bread to milk to fruit… you are forcing a big change on your body and it will probably be very stubborn about accepting it. so your glucose levels will probably drop very gradually provided you follow your doctor’s advise precisely. you may notice that eating foods sweetened with artificial sweeteners actually cause you to crave more sweets. it’s frustrating, i know…

if you are an adult, as i suspect you are, then you most likely have what is known as type II insulin-resistant or adult-onset diabetes mellitus. your pancreas makes plenty of insulin, but your liver doesn’t recognize it. so taking insulin supplements will not help you. i know some people who have been diagnosed with type II diabetes and they take insulin shots, but there is no medical or biological reason why they should. it’s generally a bad idea to overdose your body with any hormone. then again, i suppose it is possible that you had juvenile diabetes which went undiagnosed. in that case, you are probably taking the wrong medication for your condition, and insulin injections may be a very good option.

metformin is great for reducing insulin-resistance (allowing your body to use the insulin that it has been producing), but it doesn’t work for everyone. since you are taking a metformin combination, you’ve probably already tried regular metformin, right? have you tried any other anti-diabetic medications? there are a number of good ones out there, talk to your doctor about your individual needs. you might ask about thiazolidinediones like avandia which also help you use the insulin your pancreas makes.

if at any time your pancreas stops functioning for whatever reason (worn out, cancer, whatever) you will need insulin supplements.

Q: Blood sugar levels in diabetics?
Here’s the deal, Yesterday I was diagnosed with Diabetes. I’m only 21. My blood sugar levels were 307. Does any one know if you can tell what type of diabetes you have by the number? How would I know? I am currently looking for a doctor since I dont have one at the moment.

A: I was diagnosed on July 3rd. Let me suggest an EXCELLENT book for understanding the whole thing… and it’s an easy read. Not overly clinical, written in laymens terms.

Conquering Diabetes
A Complete Program for Preventaion and Treatment
Anne L Peters, MD

a quote from the book I’ve found very interesting….
“People without diabetes never have blood sugar levels that are greater than 140 mg/dl, even after eating a sugary or high-starch carbohydrate.”

I’ve heard people try to blow off higher readings saying… Oh it’s nothing, I had a donut before testing… B.S. a normally functioning body would handle the carbs/sugar and the reading would be 120 or less… It’s unfortunate that many people don’t take the early warning signs of an occasional high reading more seriously and change their diets. Okay, rant over.

check out the book. and take care of yourself.

Q: Why does high blood sugar levels in diabetics cause nerve damage and increase risk of infections?

A: When sugar levels are high as in diabetes, firstly, there is a thickening of the capillary basement and the endothelial walls of the blood vessels undergo hyperplasia, that is it becomes bigger. Therefore the microcirculation is able to carry less oxygen to various tissues including the nerves. As for the risk of infections, due to the decrease in oxygen circulation as well as the diminishing ability of the microvascular circulation, an small infection that usually begins in the foot is not cleared as soon as possible. This is due to the fact also that there is decreased sensation in the foot area as a result of nerve damage (neuropathy). Therefore the foot becomes gangrenous.

As for neuropathy, there are 3 suggested causes. One as mentioned before as the decreasing blood circulation and oxygen supply. Secondly, the increase in sugars in the neurones causes the reduction of its antioxidant capacity. Therefore this results in oxidative damage. Thirdly, the increase is glucose also results in the increase in intracellular calcium by a signalling process. This results in neuronal cell death. Hope this answers your question!

Q: does anyone know if taking novarel will increase blood sugar levels in diabetics?

A: Eat, drink, or take something that contains sugar that can get into the blood quickly. Your doctor may tell you to have really sugary foods or drinks (like regular soda, orange juice, or cake frosting) or might give you glucose tablets or gel to take — all of these can help to raise your blood sugar level fast, which is what you need to do when it’s low.

glc

Q: does prednisone elevate blood sugar levels in diabetics?

A: Steroids can cause hyperglycemia in anyone regardless if they’re diabetic or not.

Q: Blood sugar levels in non diabetics?
Just wondered what is a normal blood sugar level for a non diabetic before breakfast? Is 4.9 a normal reading?

thanks

A: Fasting Blood Sugar levels should fall within the range of 4 to 7 mmol/L (that’s millimoles per litre); as yours is 4.9, you’re just fine!

Q: What is normal blood sugar level for non-diabetics?
So i’m really interested in blood sugar and diabetes and my diabetes Type II runs in my family. I’ve been taking my blood sugar about once a day for the last 3 weeks. The lowest I have been was 76 and the highest was 157 (this was about 4 hours after supper one night and I really wasn’t feeling well). I just took my blood sugar because I’m really not feeling well (tiredness, nausea, headache, and a few other things) and it was 149. Could this be a reason I’m not feeling well? I’ve taken it a few days 4 times a day and my blood sugar is kind of strange because it is low in the morning (so that’s not weird) then goes high before lunch and supper then kind of drops off. Could I have pre-diabetes?

A: Fasting is the same for both diabetics and non diabetics… 80 to 110. Post prandial (after meals) should remain below 150. Many type 2 diabetics have some difficulty with this. The trouble with your example is the chicken and egg syndrome. Being ill (or stressed) will raise your blood sugar. So, it’s more likely that whatever is making you feel bad is raising your blood sugar. The reverse is possible, but less likely. I’ve been at 200 and felt fine. But, then I’ve felt lousy and been at 135, so you never know. If you’re unsure, the glucose tolerance test will answer your question. It’s easy to do and shouldn’t cost a lot.

Q: Why do high levels of stress cause high blood sugar in diabetics?
When my chihuahua died, I had never seen such high numbers. They were near 400 for a few days following her death. Why does this happen? What is the science behind it?

A: stress releases several hormones, such as cortisol which can affect blood sugar levels. It is part of the response mechanism of “fight or flight” to prepare the body to either fight or run from a physical danger (and increasing blood sugar provided the energy reserve for it).

Q: Why are women with Gestational Diabetes expected to keep their blood sugar levels lower than non-diabetics?
For instance, I have researched that a regular non-diabetic person is expected to have a fasting blood glucose level between 70-126 (3.8 – 7.0) and a 2 hour post meal reading between 126-180 (7.0 – 10.0). However a women diagnosed with GD (a faulty system of testing in my opinion) must maintain a fasting reading of 95 (5.3) and a 2 hour reading of 120 (6.7). Is my research on regular non-diabetic readings false or is something wonky going on here? Also worth mentioning, I was diagnosed with this in my last pregnancy, never changed my diet but never tested over either during any of my 4-times-a-day pricks. Any thoughts/facts appreciated, just not those who take a doctor’s word as gospel….looking for people who think for themselves.

A: You need to keep it lower because you need a cushion of safety–having a high glucose level damages your organs and tissues, and your baby’s organs and tissues, permanently. Plus, while you can be sure that a person without diabetes will quickly be able to lower their glucose after eating, so time at high-normal will be brief, people with diabetes don’t have the same guarantee. Plus, having a high glucose level for prolonged periods of time while pregnant can permanently mess up your child’s metabolism. They can end up with extra sensitivity to glucose, and insensitivity to insulin, making them more disposed to get diabetes at a younger age. The thing you have to understand is that even diabetics who religiously follow all the rules still end up with all kinds of problems and damage, because it really is that dangerous to have high glucose.

Q: assuming ginger and cinnamon help lower the blood sugar level in diabetics?
how good would gingerbread be for a diabetic

A: It is still high in carbs and sugar… so, in extreme moderation, OK… but generally speaking, there is not enough cinnamon or ginger to counteract the spike in blood sugar you would get from the other ingredients.

Q: Will Metformin decrease blood sugar levels in pre-juvenile type 2 diabetics?
My 11 year old 4′9″ 140 lb nephew was just diagnosed with pre-juvenile type 2 diabetes. They did the oral glucose tolerance test and his result was right around 300. They put him on a 1800 calorie ADA diet and started him on Metformin 500mg twice daily. This morning his blood sugar was 59 3 hours after eating a bowl of cereal for breakfast. (he was at school) His mother called the nurse at the endocrinologists office & she told her the sugar drop was not because of the Metformin. How can this be? He was just diagnosed on Tuesday. This happened today (Thursday). I understand he may not have ate enough for breakfast, but if he was not on the Metformin his sugar wouldn’t have dropped. Why wouldn’t they just try diet and exercise first instead of diet, exercise and pill? At lease until they see how his blood sugar would respond to the diet.

A: According to the standard of the Dutch GP association treating type II diabetes starts with exercise and diet, but I think the endocrinologist doesn’t believe your nephew will follow the diet, since that is quite tough on teens, especially when they are already quite overweight: BMI 30,3! Of course the lowering of the blood sugar after meals is due to metformin, since that prevents the liberation of glucose from the liver after meals. Maybe your nephew is really serious in following his dietary advice, and could discus not using metformin and see what happens on just exercise and a strict diet.

Q: How much variability in blood sugar levels is normal for non-diabetics?
My fasting (14 hours) bs level 3 days ago came back 233 but a 3 hours post-meal glucose home test today was down to 94. Is such an extreme a spike and drop off within a range of possibility or is one of the measurements likely contaminated ? (There wasn’t quite enough in a drop to fill the reaction site, so those results may be prone to misinterpretation.)

I’ll do another draw tomorrow before talking to the clinic and deciding whether this warrants an emergency visit or not. Absolutely no other symptoms, though, so I may well be able to wait a few days.

A: Something does not sound right. Although different sources will give different ranges for glucose the consensus is that a fasting glucose is approximately 70 to 100 mg/dL while a post-prandial (after meal) glucose should not typically exceed 140 mg/dL. The post-prandial reading is fine and is most likely not compatible with a fasting reading of 233 mg/dL. There may have been an error although modern glucometers are extremely easy to use and virtually error free. Nonetheless the only way to answer your question if for you to take additional readings. If I may be of further assistance please let me know. I wish you the very best of health and may God bless.

Q: do all diabetics have a high blood sugar level in the morning, before they eat?
or is it that some of them only get abnormal readings after they eat something?

A: No, some diabetics wake with very low blood sugars, as they have not eaten for 8 hours (over-night).
If your BGL are controlled you should also be with-in the recommended 4-8, two to three hours after eating.

Q: does the diet pepsi increase blood sugar level in type1 diabetics?

A: No. Diet sodas do not increase blood sugar level in type 1 diabetics.

Q: Is there a form out that can track daily food intake, sugar levels and insulin time and dosage for diabetics?
Hi again. I asked the question regarding grandma who can’t say no to diabetic child. Does anyone know of a site I can go to where I can download a form for her to keep track. At one time my boyfriend’s sister had their mother tracking and his blood sugar levels were excellent. Since she quit the form, well, you know. Also, a pamphlet or book where she can look up the carbs in things so that she knows? Your help is greatly appreciated.

A: Ask the child’s endocrinologist for a log book.

You can always make your own.

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