what supplements have you tried?

[Somalia's Pal]

I am the father of a 5 year old that was recently diagnosed.  She has only been on insulin and low carb diet for a coupe weeks but her blood glucose levels have been consistently good.  I know this may change, and several people (mostly Type 11 patients) have told me giving her Vitamin B12 and chromium would help.  My question s are has anyone here tried those supplements or others?  How did your physician feel about it? and are nutraceutical supplements safe for a child as young as mine?

[JDRF-Team-BL]

i had a doctor appointment this morning with a new doctor nd she asked if there were any over the counter medications i was taking. i had to answer no that i only take things as recommended by doctors. But i question having a diabetic on a low carb diet for two reasons: one was an article i read in Diabetes Forcast the ADA magazine which said it wasn't good and when i told my endocrinologist that another doctor had mentioned it she told me that it can stress the kidneys which is an already bad part of the body for diabetics so i'd only follow with the low carb diet and supplement that an endocrinologist reccommends. i have had diabetes for 31 years now and had only a few problems which i can only say it is because i did my best to follow doctors orders. good luck, bret

[JDRF-Team-LRS]

Your child's initial response to insulin & diet changes are terrific.  You should expect that things *will* change as her pancreas may still be producing some insulin and that will eventually lessen.  In addition, normal growth & development (which you should expect!) will also cause hormonal changes and each such change requires adjustments.

One technique my sister (she & I are long-time diabetics) used when her daughter was dx'd at age 4 was to keep a log of everything imaginable.  They had a small notebook on the kitchen counter where both parents, any baby sitter, and eventually my nieces, would write food info, insulin info,BG info, health info, etc.  They kept those notebooks forever.  They served both as a communication tool when, for example, my sister was home to give her daughter a shot, but wasn't home later when another BG test was given.  Her husband could use the notebook to figure out how mucn insulin was still on board and use that info to figure out if more insulin or a snack or nothing was required.  They also used the notebook to spot trends due to growth & development.

Learn learn learn and know that this disease is chronic, so we may have good BG days and other days.  Try hard to not react emotionally or to create an excessive focus for your child on "the numbers."  They can quickly obsess and feel bad about themselves for high or low numbers.  There are so many variables that affect our numbers and it's heart-wrenching if kids internalize an idea that their self-worth is at all related to their BG numbers.

Good luck and work closely with the pediatric endo, a certified diabetes educator and/or a nutritionist.  If you can find a local JDRF chapter, you and your child'll find camaraderie and a lot of experience to draw from.

[Markie]

It is probably useful at this stage to get clear on the T1/T2 distinction. T1 is essentially an autoimmune problem while T2 is primarily the result of insulin resistance. Supplements like Chromium and Cinnamon are believed to reduce insulin resistance. Which is why they may be helpful for T2s. But they won't do anything for T1s.

Vitamin supplements are good for everyone. But if your daughter is getting adequate veggies and fruit in her diet, she probably doesn't need them. You probably don't need to go low carb at this stage. But limiting hi GI carbs like sweets, sweetened coldrinks, cofectionery etc is a good idea. As the honeymoon period wears off, this will sensible eating habits will become increasingly important.

Cheers,

Mark

[kneazlelady]

Hey--I am not a doctor, just a Type 1 of 23 years since age 5.  I would like to add my two cents. I have noticed a positive effect with using Flaxseed oil, but it can be pretty expensive ($15.99 US dollars for a bottle of...you know, I know it was a lot, but now I can't remember). These were 1000mg tablets. However, I am also 28, and therefore anything I use may not be appropriate for a child. There is a vitamin set called the Diabetes Health Pack that has a multi-vitamin, lutein, Vitmin C, Vitamin E, and some other vitamins, and I have noticed that the E may actually be causing problems. Vitamin C made my BG's run higher than usual, which would be good if they were continuously too low. The best thing I found was a regular multi-vitamin for women and Flaxseed oil. Maybe it was the placebo effect, but I noticed that I was more sensitive to lows and that the highs weren't as bad. Oh, and be careful about the children's vitamins because a lot of them have sugar added for flavor. Take care!