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High sugar levels ALL THE TIME

What would cause my husband's blood sugar levels to always be high?  We discovered he was diabetic 2 1/2 years ago when he had a very, very severe pancreatic attack.  Taken by ambulance to the hospital and stayed in ER for about 8 hours.  When we returned home, it was only 20 minutes before we were in the car rushing to the hospital again.  This time they kept him for 2 weeks.

Ok, thats the history.  Now I would like to know about these high numbers.  He has even gotten as high as almost hitting 400.  His average is 220 to 320.  It's been a long time since he had too low of numbers and that only happened a few times.  He takes metformin and tricor for the diabetes, as well as several other medications such as methadone (for pain), vicodin (only occationally) and ativan for anxiety.

He gets blood tests about every 4 months, but the doctor doesn't seem to care very much to resolve this.  He only goes to our family doctor because the specialist is an hour away and we just can't afford the gas.

Are these constant high numbers dangerous, or could they be 'his normal'?
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180749 tn?1443595232
This will help your husband very much and he will do it regularly to get healthy naturally.You can also do it and notice the difference to your quality of life with lower stress.

These pranayam exercises will help control the diabetes and the side effects.Build up the timing gradually.If you feel tired or dizzy, stop and resume later(after about a minute).The benefits will be noticed in weeks as the sugar level is checked daily.Over the long term the diabetes will be in full control.

Kapalbhati -(Do it before eating) Push air forcefully out through the nose about once per second. Stomach will itself go in(contract in). The breathing in(through the nose) will happen automatically. Establish a rhythm and do for 15 to 30 minutes twice a day.
Children under 15 years – do 10 to 15 minutes twice a day.
Not for pregnant women. Seriously ill people do it gently.

Anulom Vilom –
Close your right nostril with thumb and deep breath-in through left nostril
then – close left nostril with two fingers and breath-out through right nostril
then -keeping the left nostril closed deep breath-in through right nostril
then - close your right nostril with thumb and breath-out through left nostril.
This is one cycle of anulom vilom.
Repeat this cycle for 15 to 30 minutes twice a day.
Children under 15 years -  do 10 to 15 minutes twice a day.
You can do this before breakfast/lunch/dinner or before bedtime or in bed.Remember to take deep long breaths into the lungs.You can do this while sitting on floor or chair or lying in bed.

Also everyday, press the centre point of the palm of both your  hands 40 times with the thumb and press the tips of all fingers 40 times each.
To stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin: mandukasan - kneel down(with feet pointing inwards,and sit on the ankles/heels, Vajrasan position), breathe in and breathe out completely and hold your breath, pull the stomach in, press both your  hands on stomach, bend forward as much as possible keeping the head straight, hold for 5 to 15 seconds and come back up while breathing in. Repeat  this 3 times daily  to stimulate the kidney and pancreas.Mandukasan2 - Repeat the whole process,but this time with with fists of both hands pressing against the stomach.Mandukasan can be done sitting on a chair, if you cannot bend the legs.
Continue the breathing exercises once a day, after the diabetes is in full control.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I find it a bit shocking that a "doctor" would attempt to prescribe medications over the internet! Advice provided by peers and even "doctors" is just that...advice. Only his own doctor can or should prescribe medication. I have reported this abuse.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
When you are giving the history of pancreatic attack, I am assuming that he suffered from an attack of pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is often a trigger for development of diabetes mellitus. Right now, the fact is that you husban is a patient of poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. Please get his HbA1C done from a pathology lab and let me know. I also need his current fasting and post prandial blood sugar. For the time being please allow him to continue with the current medications. Metformin now needs to be 1000 mg twice daily along with Amaryl 4 mg before breakfast once a day.
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Avatar universal
My husband does have a different insulin he is SUPPOSE to be using - it's called HUMALOG.  He only used it for a short while so we have this vile sitting in the fridge.

Of course, his test results today showed levels going down.  Today his Triglyceride came in at 376.  Remember, July is was 446, then December it jumped to 969. Well, today its 376.

His July A1C was 7.3, jumped to 8.8 in December and today was 8.1.

This is just so confusing!  I AM talking more and more about going to the endo and I think I'm actually seeing him thinking it over.  I really think that sore on his toe may have been the turning point. Even tho the doctor told him the cure I told him to use (Tea Tree Oil) was the best option and his toe looks so much better.  

But, funny as it goes, back in 1999 I went to our doctor for an ingrown toenail, he asked me how long it had been since I had my last seizure and I said mid-1980's ( but I'd only a a few in my life ), he requested me to get an MRI.  This scan detected an AVM (something similar to an aneurysm).  If I hadn't gone in for an ingrown toe nail, he said I could have walked out of his office and keeled over from it bursting.  I had my brain surgery 6 months later. And now my husband's toe may be the turning stone for him to finally take this diabetes seriously.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Everything you state, Karri, Makes that endo seem more and more necessary. Three years and his numbers have always been high??? He is at serious risk for diabetic complications. I can't believe his doctor would accept this. Lantus is a basal insulin and needed for background, but if your husband is high (which it sounds like he is) two hours after eating, he also needs bolus shots, to cover his food. A basal/bolus regimen is standard. As for Type, I was misdiagnosed as Type 2 at age 58. I'm LADA which for all intents and purposes is Type 1. It is not only for children. I'm not saying that is your husband's case. He definitely needs to see that endo ASAP and get on a treatment that will work.
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Avatar universal
Hi Zoe ~

As far as him being type I or type II, we've never been told anything but type II and from what I've researched, type I is when you get it at a young age.  Is that wrong?  My husband was 49 when diagnosed.  And I've definitely never heard anything, or read anything about LADA/1.5.  

His high numbers have always been the case.  I can think of only two times he went down to 60 and we had the quick fix sugar pill and it worked fast. And his doctor knows this. (quack quack)  But ~~~ so has my husband - so who is worse? the Doc or my husband?

His pancreatic attack, well, his triglycerides were at 5,000.  These, I believe are normal at 35 to 160 or so.  The doctor even told us he made a new Nevada State record. (we were visiting Reno when all this happened on our weekend trip).

I'm looking at 2 of his ACL test results.  The one dated 7/9/09 show his triglyceride at 446 and the ALC at 7.3,  Then on 12/22/09 the tri's  had jumped to 969 and the ALC was at 8.8.  Well, without knowing what all this means, all I can tell is that EVERYTHING is HIGH. He went this morning for another blood test and we will know Thursday, 2/25.

I don't know what you mean by DNK.  I'm not sure, either, what a pancreatic attack is, but thats what they told us. We've never had anyone suggest it has anything to do with cancer of the pancreas, but I can sure tell you it's painful.  (the only time I would agree with my husband that a man-pain is worse than a woman's labor pain)

I've got him on Splenda and absolutely no sugar (I don't even buy it anymore) occasional fresh fruit, only peas and broccoli for green vegetables, I try my best to send him out on errands to town so he gets up and has to walk even a little.  I'm lecturing all the time about him needing to follow the rules.  I'm also trying to wear him down about going back to that endo.  I am doing the best I can, but to tell ya, I'm totally disabled myself, I can barely walk, along with the anxiety, stress, depression, problems resulting from 3 back surgeries and even a brain surgery.   I have his mom getting on him, both his daughters getting on him....I just don't know what else to do.  I make him read anything I see on line (such as these two comments)  I can't stand for very long, so he's always done the cooking.  He's an excellent cook, too, but if I request green beans, I see them on my plate but not his.  I've even gone as far as to do what I did with my boys when they were little ~ they had to take one bite a year of something they hated. Thats all, once a year. And, eventually both of them ended up liking most of those previously 'icky' food.

He got a sore on a toe hang nail yesterday and it looked infected and I got the opportunity to get him so freaked out he made it to that blood test finally and made a doctor appt. the next day.  He's already gone thru a sore on his arm that a dermatologist gave him ointment for.

Your statement that 'money is hard, diabetic complications are a lot harder' got a rise from him. Even an 'mmmmm' in a deep thinking way.

Thanks again for your reply

Karri
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Avatar universal
Hi Sally,
Thanks for your post.  Even tho my husband has been diagnosed for going on 3 years, we still don't know too much about this.

One thing I forgot to mention is that he is already on insulin and has been since diagnosed.  He takes 30 to 40 units of Lantus every night.  

I can't tell you how much nagging (and every other type of method available) I've done to get him to eat right.  He is under a lot of anxiety, stress and depression right now (finances!) and has gotten into a routine of not getting up until 10am, drink coffee and watch TV and MAYBE move around a little bit during the day and then have his first meal somewhere between 2 and 4pm.  I finally got him to eat some fruit, but he's like a little boy trying to eat vegetables!  Some he likes, but he just doesn't have a very good diet at all!

The exercising is only done when he needs to walk into a store or bank, etc, after driving there.

I'm at my wits ends trying to get him to change.  He understands the seriousness of it all, but just doesn't have the ambition to follow thru.

I think my next step is to get him set up with that endo again.  Thanks again.
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Avatar universal
I absolutely agree with Sally and I don't think your husband should wait, as the more time spent at these high numbers the more likely diabetic complications.

My question is, is your husband Type 1 or Type 2? I'm not sure what you mean by a pancreatic attack; was he in DKA when he was first diagnosed? This is much more common with Type 1's than Type 2's. (though not unheard of). You also don't say if he had good numbers for awhile but then it started creeping up. If this is happening at 2 years in, there is a chance he was misdiagnosed as Type 2 (I was) and is in fact Type 1 or LADA/1.5. I strongly encourage you to see that endo. You can't afford NOT to pay for the gas. (not meaning to be unsympathetic, money is hard, diabetic complications are a lot harder.)
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231441 tn?1333892766
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi,

these constant high numbers are not normal and your husband has very high risk of severe complications and damage to his body.

Target 'normal' numbers even for a diabetic are < 140 (with a range of about 80 - 140).

Your doctor is doing him a grave disservice by not managing him properly.  If he cannot get his numbers down with diet, exercise and his current meds he may need to be on insulin or a different medicine.

I strongly recommend he find another doctor who would be willing and able to treat him properly.
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