Sugar Tolerance testing

Last year I was told that I had hypoglycemia because my sugar levels would sink low.  I was also told that this was probably what causes me to get waves of lightheadedness.  I started keeping oranges and juice around and it seemed to help some.  

My GLU-RD #  (new range 60-99) has been crawling up from 101,103 107 and now 109
My GLycohemoglobin *Hemoglobin A1C # (range 4.0-6.0) was 5.8 and now is 6.0       No biggy right?

My 12 fasting Tolerance testing says
GLU-FST (60-99 MG/DL range) is 109
GlU-1HR  (58-160  MG/DL range) is 231
GLU-2HR (70-125  MG/DL range) is 236

She has on the sheet...Diabetes!  I eat very healthy and usually never  put sugar in anything.  How could I be hypoglycemic and have diabetes too.  She asked me about starting pills, but I don't really think I need them unless I drink a massive sugar drink that makes me dizzy and want to puke.  LOL  Or am I just that ignorant to this?  

I already take Lopressor, and Diazide/Maxide for high blood pressure and edema, Levothyroxine for hypothyroidism, Lipitor for high hs CRP and cholesterol and low dose aspirin for heart issues.  I really hate to add another life long pill to this list.  

I would greatly appreciate any comments.

[troytroy]

Let me say first, that I know how you feel about taking all those pills. Prior to being diagnosed with diabetes my medication included many of the same meds you take with the addition of a beta-blocker. In 1998 by fasting glucose level was 117, a little high but no biggy. Eighteen months later my glucose level was 418 and a cardiac catherization revealed numerous blockedges in my coronary arteries due to my untreated diabetes. I subsequently had to undergo triple bypass heart surgery. Since you already have in your words "hypertension, elevated cholesterol and heart issues" untreated diabetes could either kill or severely cripple you.

If you have doubts about your diagnoses contact an endocrinologist (sp?) and if indicated take your pills.

Take Care of Yourself,
troytroy

[Me967]

Thanks for the reply.  So sorry you went threw triple bypass heart surgery.  
Sorry I'm new to all of this and have to understand..  Would my levels prove me to be diabetic since they continue to raise on the 2nd hour or would I wait a month and retest and see what I test then to prove it?  How many times does it have to be positive to prove diabeties in other words?  

Thank you again for your help.   Amy.

[Laceybug77]

Well you have to think of diabetes on a continuum with hypoglycemia on one end and hyperglycemia on the other.  You need to be in the middle, but apparently your body was/is releasing too much insulin, making you hypoglycemic.  But with so much insulin hitting the cells the cells become resistant which means type 2 diabetes.  If you are on medication your cells will not be so resistant (if you are on metformin which I think is the only medication that works for insulin resistance) and you will sometimes drop too low if you do not eat right (I mean eating the right amount of carbs at meals and regularly not necessarily eating healthy).  
I would give the medications a try even though it is hard to deal with.  I had to start with real low doses and work my way up.  Usually if you give it enough time you will get used to it and won't get so sick.  Don't think of it as a life long pill though.  Type 2 diabetes is usually reversible so if your weight is under control and your diet figured out you might not even need the pills, but for now it is better to do whatever you can to prevent it from getting out of control (take that from someone who ended up going blind).  i'm sure a pill is worth it in comparison to one day possibly losing your vision, right?
Also, when it comes to diet try to stay away from refined foods.  Stick with whole grains and high fiber which helps regulate blood sugar.  People don't realize how important that is but if you start reading labels you will be shocked at how much refined flours and sugar is in EVERYTHING. No wonder type 2 diabetes is an epidemic!  Sugar has many other names on labels that people don't recognize.  
Anyway, watching your diet is crucial because at this point with extra insulin being produced by your pancreas anything you eat (with the help of the medication) the insulin will store it for energy which makes it really easy to put on weight.  If you start to put on too much weight the insulin resistance gets worse and then not only do you have to battle diabetes but you have to battle weight problems.  So do what you can now.
hope that helps.

[Me967]

Thank you for explaining.  So I guess I am diabetic now huh?  As far as eating goes I eat pretty healthy.  I grow and home can our fruits and veggies.  For applesauce I use lemon and honey (if needed only).  For meat we eat a lot of fish, chicken and hunt and butcher our own deer in which is our red meat.  As for breads I like 15 grain.  I really don't like sugar.  It seems to make me sick to my stomach.  
I guess I'm angry and just not wanting to add sugar to heart and thyroid.  So sorry for your eyesight issue.  I have been having vision issues lately.  I was checked last year and given bi focal's and already cannot see right out of them.  Grrrr
Right now they are questioning womanly issues and doing a lot of test to rule out cancer there.  Test are still pending and some more next week.  Plus I've been having a lot of body pains.  
I'm guessing now that my skin dryness may or may not be thyroid or heart now along with the cold sweats, body aches, lightheadedness and bladder pressure and maybe it's just a lot of different systems.  So I'm angry about that too I guess.  Heart, Sugar, Thyroid and Cancer all run high in my family.  Yay.  Sorry I'll stop there.  I guess I'm just venting.  So sorry.  I hit 3 out of 4 family issues in which is scary combined.  
Just hoping I don't go 4 for 4. ;-O

Thank you so very much for your kind time to explain.  And thank you troytroy also. ;~)

Amy.

[Laceybug77]

Well it sounds like you caught in time to take positive action.  Your A1C is still good although high for the normal range.  I am supposed to be at 7 or less, but I am also a type 1 so it is harder to control the insulin without a pump.
Anger and denial are normal with finding out you have diabetes too..so you're not alone there.  I come from a family of all type 2's who didn't take care of themselves.  Two of my aunts went blind and had kidney failure and my mother also had kidney failure.  My dad's best friend went blind in one eye and was a triple amputee.  I don't menan that to discourage or frighten you or anything, but that's the reality for people who don't take care of themselves.  So, at this point it is good you caught in before it's really out of hand and difficult to control, plus it realy helps that you eat healthy.
Depending on the issues, the womanly issues you refer to could be related to the insulin resistance (it's actually pretty common), obviously your doctor will let you know for sure.  In the meantime try not to be discouraged or too upset.  Keep in mind it is reversible, even if you do become insulin dependent one day, in most cases it can be reversed with diet, exercise, and medication.  Until that day though you have people on here to talk to, support you, and help you get through it. :)

[Me967]

Well I received a list of healthy low glycemic index foods and bad ones from my doctor.  It looks like I eat everything right.  The only bad ones I have is sometimes I eat regular white rice though and pasta noodles.  (my husband on likes the reg. pasta noodles)  We have been eating a lot more of the basmati rice though lately.  

My doctor seems to think that my diet is not an issue as much really; but, proportion and eating at better regular times are.  

I'm debating on trying to eat 3 times a day will make a difference on it's own or whether to start taking a pill or something for it.  I think I'll check out the local hospital and find out if they have a diabeties class for beginners type of thing on eating.  It's a starting place I guess to understanding it better?  

[aml74]

I had found out a few months back-like in November that I had Glucose intolerance.  It was found by way of doing saliva testing.  The blood testing a few weeks later showed a issue with the blood sugar.  
When a person is said to be Glucose intolerant what is that incomparison to being Type 2 diabetic?
I still am doing a lot of studying out the blood sugar subect, with the hopes that I have a more detailed understanding.

[Laceybug77]

Me967~
I think you might be able to control it with diet alone.  Your blood sugar is really only too high 2-4 hours after you eat so if you paid attention to eating smaller portions and eating about the same level of carbs per meal you might be able to control it that way. bear in mind too that if your body is producing too much insulin that will trigger hunger and that's where many type 2's gain weight making their problem worse.  I think a class would be great, honestly I think even non-diabetics could benefit by being educated more than they are, if at all.  You might look up exchange lists too they are much easier to follow than the glycemic diet (although a list of low glycemic foods is good to follow).  I personally think exchanges are easier and less time consuming than trying to figure out the glycemic load of foods.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-diet/DA00077

Aml74~
It's my understanding that glucose intolerance and diabetes are th same thing (although there may be other medical conditions that exist that also cause intolerance I believe they are all diabetes related somehow...that includes hypoglycemis which is the opposite end of what we typically label "diabetic").  Depending on how intolerant (resistant) you are you may still be in the pre-diabetic stage where your blood sugar is higher than it should be, usually after meals.  Your fasting level should indicate whether or not the resistance is to the point of needing medication or insulin shots in some cases.  The blood sugar after a meal shows your body is not using the insulin as quickly as it should so it is important to watch your intake of carbohydrates (including fruits and starchy vegetables) and portion sizes to prevent any further problems.
The problems with type 2 diabetes is that most times th e body is still making insulin so a a fasting blood sugar won't tell much (for instance Me967 was still in the normal range).  So a glucose tolerance test has to be done to tell whether or not the cells are getting the glucose.  If the blood sugar is too high after a meal then the glucose is still floating around in the blood stream and not getting to the cells as it should. The pancreas will keep pumping out insulin so eventually it goes back down to a normal level and that explains why it's not uncommon for people to be a type 2 diabetic for years and not know it.

Hope that helps

[Me967]

It used to be I was hungry all the time.  Now my problem is; I'm hardly ever hungry.  I used to think it was thyroid related along with the weight gain.  I figure I'll let the decision up to her on Friday when I talk to her about all my bld work and U/S's results.

I found a GREAT RECIPE SITE I thought I would check out.  Unfortunately it doesn't have any recipes for thyroid issues; but, it does have the diabetic and heart issue type foods.  It is:
http://www.everydayhealth.com/publicsite/recipes/viewall.aspx?ShowValueDatas=

I figure I I look at these along with the low Glycemic index type of food and how often to eat it would be a good start.  I love most of the low glycemic foods so that makes it easy for me.  Proportion is my main issue.  When I do eat.....I like to eat.  

Thank you for everything.  

[Me967]

Hi.  I was wondering.........Sorry for my ignorance in all of this.

Do you think I will have to test at home?  If so is the stuff to do so covered by insurance?  
Or do you think this is something that could be checked every month or every few months along with thyroid and stuff?  A dah... sorry I'm confused on all of this.  I grabbed the new diabetes tracker just in case I'm told to check it at home.  Just curious.

I can't thank you enough for everything.  I hope you are doing well.  Take care;  Amy.

[Laceybug77]

Sorry for trhe late reply...I've been so busy with school work lately.

Thanks for the link...I'll have to check it out.  I'll have to research thyroid problems more too.  The doctor thought I had an underactive one, and I guess for awhile I was borderline, but now I'm fine.  I think that might be what is leading to the type 2 diabetes or at least a big contributor in your case...but I'm not a doctor lol.

I think testing is something you probably should do, but I don't know how often.  I know some people who are borderline sometimes only test once a week, but if you have been diagnosed some people test usually 1-4 times a day.  Diabetics who end up on insulin have to check at least that many times and pump users it's as high as like 10 times a day (but that is because they have to regulate the insulin where type 2's usually don't have to do that).  

The testing supplies are almost always covered by insurance.  I had state medical once and they wouldn't cover certain brands, but they still supplied the machine and test strips for one that was lower cost to them.  Usually you can always get a free machine, but the test strips cost a lot.  I currently don't have insurance, because as a diabetic I have a pre-existing condition so I'd have to wait a year to be covered.  And the rates are higher than if I paid for everything on my own...crazy.  Anyway, I just bought a machine from Walmart and I can buy test strips for it at a lower cost than anywhere else and without a prescription if needed.  

So, I guess checking blood sugar would depend on what medications you are on for it.  i think the main goal is to figure out patterns so you know how certain foods affect you and certain activities might drop you too low (you want to avoid constant and drastic up and downs in blood sugar because that apparently is what leads to complications, whereas running to high isn't good, but not as bad because it remains stable...  you just don't want it too high for too long).  

At least in the beginning, while you are figuring out everything, it would probably be best to test daily, but your doctor will probably tell you how often is necessary.  If you only waited to do it each month though it would be hard to correct a problem or notice it right away and before you know it your blood sugars are running too high all the time.  Your A1C gives a number that shows the doctor what your average blood sugars have been running over the past 3 months.  A whole month gone by with unnoticed high blood sugar can throw that off quite a bit.

Anyway, don't worry about feeling ignorant on it all.  I don't mind sharing what I know and at least you are looking into what you need to do.  I know too many people who are type 2's and they think just taking a pill will fix things, but to reverse it you need to make a lifestyle change with diet and exercise. So, you are on the right track :)

ttyl

~Lacey

[Me967]

Lacey hi.  She told me to test it 4 times a day for three weeks and then show her the results.  Eating at certain times are my problem trying to force myself to eat.  I'm supposed to test one time before eating, two times 2 hours after eating (or vise versa) and then at bedtime.
I have only checked them now for 1 1/2 days but I think my numbers are great.  I think it was that sugar drink that made them go so high during the tolerance testing.  I don't like sugar and neither dose my body.  LOL

I don't want it to become an issue though so I'm going to take the class.  I don't want to have to take any more med's for anything if I can help it.

I hope all is well with you and hypothyroidism isn't an issue with you.  Take care;  Amy.

[Laceybug77]

Yea I think it's good your taking steps to keep it form getting worse.  Sounds like you are still in the pre-diabetic stage, but the drink would still show that there is some resistance going on.  Any amount of glucose you have in your body should be regulated within two hours after eating.  Did your doctor say you had to eat at certain times or just more regularly?  I have to eat at certain times because I'm on insulin, but I wasn't sure how it worked with type 2's except that you have to control portion sizes and eat regularly.
Anyway, since I have changed my diet and have been exercising I don't have blood pressure problems.  I'm still having problems controlling my blood sugar, but it is a lot better than it was.  It's tough trying to deal with both types though.  My doctor is going to switch insulin types for me so hopefully that will help.
Anyway, ttys
~Lacey

[Me967]

She talked to me about so much that day, I honestly can't remember.  A lot was about the ultrasounds I had done and having biopsy's done along with more test of my stomach.  Then she told me I was diabetic (because my number the last 3 times checked kept rising 2 hours later over the 200 range when they should've went back to the 107 range).  I told her I' de decide on the other tests 3 wk's down the road when I turned my glucose reading chart in, since alot of the pressure went away that I was having.
  
I know she said I had to try to take baby steps if nothing else....to eat 3 small meals a day and two snacks.  I'm working on the 3 small meals a day, and trying to get up earlier to get them all in.  Urgg.  Snacking is extremely hard for me with 3 meals because I'm having to *force* myself to eat 3 meals.  If that makes since.  A couple days I cheated and just had a cheese stick and a banana for lunch.  Plus food seems to put pressure on my stomach in which makes me choke a lot and is painful at times.

I have noticed my numbers going up higher the more I eat; but, they are still pretty good I think.  I'm hoping that I don't gain a ton of weight.  I've been gaining weight I think due to my thyroid though because my appetite is slim to nothing anymore.  Who knows maybe I'll loose by eating more often.  LOL  Anyhow, just trying to get this right for now as a 1st step.  With heart, thyroid and womanly issues; I don't want this too.  

One thing I've noticed so far is that when my numbers are 99 I don't feel the heart palps, chest pains or lightheadedness; but when they are 75 or go up over the 110 I feel them again.  I never related them much to eating before because I never thought about diabetes really.  Unfortunately the sweating issues are back though.  Urgg.  I still have alot more to learn.  

Best of wishes to you on switching your med's.


Anyhow, Thanks a million for everything my friend.  ;~)  Amy

P.S.  What is ttys?

[Laceybug77]

I'm glad you can still tell the difference between high and low blood sugar :)  I ran so high for so long that I actually felt sick and went through withdrawals when I tried to get them back under control.  NOw I'm doing better, but this last wek I started running too high again and the doctor doesn't know what else to do for me.  We increased my pill and are still waiting on the new insulin, but if those don't work then I have to go to an endocrinologist for special assistance.  Unfortunately, I don't have insurance so I don't even know if I can be seen by one :(
Anyway, I'm just gonna keep doing what I can and hopefully it's enough to keep me from losing more sight before I can see another doctor.  Once I can get social security I can go back on my pump....but for now I gotta jump through hoops to keep alive.
I'll get through it....

~Lacey
P.S ttys= talk to you soon  ttyl= talk to you later (internet lingo)

[Me967]

Lacey I'm worried about you.  How are you doing?  Thanks for the note on the Internet lingo.  LOL.  Please take care and leave me a note.

I have a little over a week to go with checking four times daily and I guess I'll find out then if I need med's.  I noticed when I do a lot of hard work my numbers go up so I've been sort of laying back a little.  You would think the numbers would drop instead and sometimes they do.  The food (3 X daily) seems to raise them a little too.  Hopefully I'm checking at the right times.  

I thought after you ate your meal you could not eat anything else for 2 hours until you tested.  I was told later that I could.  So my numbers have really no rhyme or reason to go by them.  LOL  O Boy, I feel so ignorant with this.  I'm still trying to get the insurance to pay for the classes.  I don't want this to progress.

Anyhow, please leave me a note.  I'm worried about you.  TTYS  ;~)

[Me967]

Lacey I'm worried about you.  How are you doing?  Thanks for the note on the Internet lingo.  LOL.  Please take care and leave me a note.

I have a little over a week to go with checking four times daily and I guess I'll find out then if I need med's.  I noticed when I do a lot of hard work my numbers go up so I've been sort of laying back a little.  You would think the numbers would drop instead and sometimes they do.  The food (3 X daily) seems to raise them a little too.  Hopefully I'm checking at the right times.  

I thought after you ate your meal you could not eat anything else for 2 hours until you tested.  I was told later that I could.  So my numbers have really no rhyme or reason to go by them.  LOL  O Boy, I feel so ignorant with this.  I'm still trying to get the insurance to pay for the classes.  I don't want this to progress.

Anyhow, please leave me a note.  I'm worried about you.  TTYS  ;~)