Body Swelling..Retaining water??

[charkennedy1225]

My last A1C was on 7/15/11. It was 12, so my doctor upped my medicine. I'm taking Novolog 16-24 units every meal, and Lantus 12 @ bedtime. I've noticed that since then my face, and body, are both swelling. Not pain swelling but bloated swelling. I feel and look very....FLUFFY is the best way I can describe it. I havent weighed, but it feels like I have gained a ton. Is this insulin causing me to bloat and gain weight? Anybody else have this issue? I hate it, my face is starting to look very chubby.

[WaveRider]

Call your doctor immediately. Swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue, of the arms or legs are severe Lantus AND Novolog side effects.

I might add, your last A1c of 12% is dangerously high, almost suicidal. An A1c of 12% equates to a daily glucose level of 298 mg/dl - 3 times above the maximum normal range of 99 mg/dl . Please do yourself a BIG BIG favor by making a lifestyle change now. Focus on a diabetic diet/nutrition plan, maintain normal body weight, and perform 30 minutes of daily physical exercise to help burn off that excess sugar. No amount of medicine will prevent the nasty side effects of diabetes. If lifestyle change is ignored, then amputation, at worse, is in your future. Good luck

[charkennedy1225]

Thanks Waverider. My doctor knows about the swelling. Its been going on for a while, he thinks it is water weight gain..or bloatness. I work a 12 hour shift where Im sitting most of that time. Last summer I made the decision to change my life. I walk about 10 miles a week and I've lost about 40 lbs since. I really can't understand how my A1C could be so high! I don't know how else to control my diabetes. I exercise, I watch what I eat and I've lost weight. I was very depressed when he told me of these results. It makes me want to just give up.. Since finding out my results, my dr has ordered a renal panel and he has put me on Cozaar which is susspose to help my kidneys.

[WaveRider]

I think everyone gets frustrated when they hit that "I did everything right" wall. And I'm glad to see that you've made a concentrated effort to change your lifestyle. Continue with the exercise even though it may seem futile it is doing your insides good so please do not stop.

Making lifestyles changes to ones diet is not awful, not difficult and can be accomplished with the right mindset. Instead of trying to figure out what not to eat focus on what you should eat. You start by avoiding white foods as these quickly turn into sugar after digestion. For example; foods made with white flour - white breads, crackers, any type of cakes, cookies, muffins, pretzels, bagels, and so on. Starches are to be avoided too - potatoes and pasta [unless whole grain]. Eat fruits in moderation and always with other foods. Fruits contain fructose [fruit sugar] and tropical fruits like pineapple, mangoes, guava have higher levels of fructose than say melons. Not everyone can eat fruits as it jacks up their glucose levels as table sugar does.

Focus on eating foods made with whole grains, lean meats, poultry and fish instead. Restrict your carbohydrate intake too. Carbs to diabetics has the same affect as table sugar. Use Google to learn about Simple carbs vs Complex carbs. On all packaged foods read the nutrition label carefully. Sugar is listed in grams under carbohydrates. Every 7 grams equals one heaping Tablespoon of refined sugar. For example, that Dannon Light & Fit yogurt has zero fat, zero carbs, zero calories so it looks healthy right? Wrong. It contains 11 grams of carb sugar, about 1½ HEAPING Tablespoons of sugar per container.

To see how the foods affect your glucose levels it is important to test preprandial [b4 meal] and postprandial [2-3 hrs after a meal]. Preprandial will provide a baseline to measure against, postprandial how the food/s affected your glucose levels. Keep in mind that not everyone can eat the same type of foods. What you can eat may not be the same for me. This is why testing is important in controlling and managing your diabetes.

Cozaar for your kidneys? Cozaar is usually Rx'd for high blood pressure. Your 12% A1c triggered your doctor to check your kidney function [creatinine] as uncontrolled diabetes wreaks havoc on your renal function and cardio system. To help your kidneys and blood pressure drink lots of water; no diet sodas and for sure no energy/sports drinks and fruit juices. Drinking lots of water flushes your kidneys and helps maintain blood pressure. Good luck

[diabetes86]

Carbs raise BG (blood Glucose)
ALL carbs raise BG

[WaveRider]

"ALL carbs raise BG "

Paradox

[charkennedy1225]

thanks for the useful info :-)
and yes i questioned the cozaar too. i am already on atenelol for blood pressure.. my blood pressure was good, 110/70. i called the nurse, she spoke with my doctor and he says that the cozaar is for my kidneys.. but everything ive read says its for blood pressure

[WaveRider]

Call around to your local pharmacies. Ask the pharmacist/s if cozaar is used to treat kidney issues and if its safe to combine with atenelol when your BP is 110/70.

[charkennedy1225]

good idea, im going to do that first thing in the am.
tks :)