Mayo Clinic Health Manager

Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.

Free

E-Newsletter

Subscribe to receive the latest updates on health topics. About our newsletters

• Housecall
• Alzheimer's caregiving
• Living with cancer

• November 6, 2009 Noon

  Peggy & Nancy, i posted my blog yesterday, do you both have any suggestion/advise for me? Pls help me.

  - mitatx

• November 5, 2009 8:42 p.m.

  I am Diabetic type II, by diet control only. My dr has advised me to take Apple Cider vinegar, Vitamin D, Magnesium Citrate, Fish oil, cinnamon powder & B12 shots(this is only once a week). Have been feeling good but lately I am feeling very tired n sleepy all the time. I am getting a good 7 hrs sleep each night. Please help/advise.

  - mitatx

• November 5, 2009 3:12 p.m.

  I have high fasting blood sugars. Even if I go to bed with normal sugar level I wake up with very high fasting sugars. Can anyone shed light on this and do you know what can I do?

  - Pageen

• November 4, 2009 1:41 p.m.

  I have type 2 diabetes, and on several recent occassions, I woke up in the night with chills and low blood pressure & a migraine. I have seen a doctor at emergency last night as my bp was extremely low

  - JJ

• November 2, 2009 7:55 a.m.

  Nancy and Peggy, Wife is long term diabetic, now on PD with ESRD. Is losing mobility. More recently has been having trouble with frequent bowel movements(and many false alarms). Remains still in control. But am wondering and worried that this may be precursor to bowel incontinence.

  - fred

• October 30, 2009 11:09 a.m.

  Crystal, stress of illness and pain can cause variable fluctuations in the blood glucose levels in diabetic individuals.

  - No name given

• October 29, 2009 8:50 p.m.

  My mother in law is diabetic. For the last four weeks she has had diarrhea and vomiting along with blood in her stools. They have found that she has a large blockage in her large intenstine, and there is only a small gap that is allowing the diarrhea to pass through. The doctors have not been able to offer much assitance other than keeping her hydrated. She will have one good day and two bad days. At times her blood sugar will drop down to 60 and then it will go up to 320? The doctors really aren't sure what the cause is or how to help her. Has anyone ever heard of these symptoms being linked to diabetes? Is there a specific specialist that she should see? Is there anything they can do for her? Four weeks and it is still not any better.

  - Crystal

• October 29, 2009 3:35 p.m.

  Louise, see an endocrinologist, they specialize in treating all types of diabetes.

  - Nancy and Peggy

• October 28, 2009 6:41 a.m.

  I have been tracking my glucose levels on my husband's meter. I am 61 years old. Initially, I was getting readings between 100 and 130 even in the morning before breakfast. I switched my diet to fruits and vegetables, whole grains, less starchy foods. I'm not much of a sweet eater. My levels have gone below 100 - between 82 and 98. I need to lose 20 pounds. If I maintain this diet (which hasn't been too difficult), begin exercising, and lose the weight, will I prevent my self from getting type 2? Please advise.

  - Judy

• October 27, 2009 3:46 p.m.

  I am 52 w/type 2 diabetes. I have struggled with maintaining my glucose level for the last few years. My first attempt with medication gave a severe depressive reaction and I am already on anti depressants. So I worked hard to lower my weight and watch my diet. I worked out 3-4 times weekly until I injured my shoulder and had to have rotator cuff surgery in March. At the end of September I had a very bad case of bronchitis (nurse at the school where I work says it was possibly H1N1). It has been nearly 4 weeks and I am just starting to feel like I have energy again. I currently take Glyburide, Crestor, Pristiq, and Avalide. I am now back at the gym trying to lower my glucose. In the morning it can be as high as 250's and after work it is in the 140's. I am concerned that my current Doctor who I have had for 30 years is not addressing my health issues as a whole. How do I find another doctor who is informed about Type 2?

  - Louise

• October 22, 2009 8:28 a.m.

  Kathy, Jimmy's comments are right on track. Thanks, Jimmy.

  - Nancy and Peggy

• October 19, 2009 8:36 a.m.

  Kathy, You think you have Diabetes? If you are at 217, you definitely have it. Have you seen a dietician? You need to start an exercise program and a diet and lose some weight. That will help your glucose condition more then anything else. Try the 1800 calorie diet. Weight Watcher's is another great program to do.

  - Jimmy

• October 18, 2009 4:36 p.m.

  I think I have diabetes. I had one test and my sugar was 217. Dr put me on metofrim and gave me instructions for a no sugar/no white flour diet. To say I am comfused it putting it mildly. I have read everything on this site. My questions are: How many carbs per day? grams of sugar per day? How many calories per day? I need to lose about 50 pounds. HELP!!!!!

  - KAthy

• October 16, 2009 12:47 p.m.

  Nancy and Peggy, I appreciate your descretion re, wife's situation. But reality is that as caregiver I am in need of what to expect without causing her undue alarm. I know you cant give prognosis for her. But given general situation of insulin diabetic with ESRD is this kind of irreversible degrading to be expected. Fred

  - fred

• October 16, 2009 11:15 a.m.

  Laura, I checked MicroMedix about whether Celebrex raises the blood sugar and there was no indication for this. I know that pain can raise the blood glucose and you are probably having pain with the RA.

  - Nancy and Peggy

• October 16, 2009 11:08 a.m.

  Ruby, how is your blood sugar control? Uncontrolled blood sugars make you prone to infections and infections cause blood sugars to go up. A catch 22. If your blood sugars are out of control, see your health care provider to adjust medication to bring them back into control.

  - Nancy and Peggy

• October 16, 2009 11:00 a.m.

  Fred, you should probably talk to your wife's doctor about her deteriorating condition.

  - Nancy and Peggy

• October 16, 2009 10:57 a.m.

  Beth, I think you sound like a great patient to have. I generally tell people with type 1 diabetes to see an endocrinologist for care, but as long as you're comfortable with your family MD and he is doing all the appropriate tests and follow up for diabetes and is willing to send you to a specialist if needed, that should be fine. Sometimes people will see a endocrinologist once a year and follow up with the family MD every 3 months.

  - Nancy and Peggy

• October 16, 2009 8:20 a.m.

  My wife age 67 is diabetic and ESRD patient o PD for three years now. Her dialysis situation for all practical purposes is stable, but her overall physical and mental condition have been deteriorating last six months. Attempts at PT have not born good fruit so far. Is this to be expected?

  - fred

• October 15, 2009 5:12 p.m.

  To all of you on this blog, we can attest to the advice provided here to keep your blood sugars under tight control to avoid diabetes complications. You might find our story as a warning on one of the things that can happen if you don't: http://sites.google.com/site/diabeticshock/diabetic-complications/retinopathy

  - Gary Bryant

• October 14, 2009 2:47 p.m.

  jon, symptoms of yeast or fungal infections are redness, itching, cracking, peeling of the skin; and is commonly seen in skin folds. Yeast infections and fungal infections are a common symptom of high blood sugars or poor diabetes control.

  - Nancy and Peggy

• October 14, 2009 1:39 p.m.

  Iam disabled & home all day alone. Managing diabetes is an all day job! Temptation & craving sweets is constant! Diabetic nephropathy & severe skin disorder seem to have started to show up around the same time. I get huge skin eruptions that get the size of pencil erasers and REALLY HURT! They're on my forhead, neck, behind my ears and lots of them on my shoulders & down my spine. No leakage or head formation, just a big red bump that hurts for 4-5 days, then recedes and another one shows up elsewhere. On the back they come in large outbreaks. Most hurt, some itch. Neurologist tested legs & feet & found sugar around 10-1-09. I'm a newcomer. I THIRST, CRAVE SUGAR quite a bit. I take sugar medicine- no shots. Hands hurt bad, feet REALLY HURT BAD! Feels like I'm walking barefoot on stones, even on the carpet. I have 3 gel inserts in each shoe trying to help the pain. Only pain medicine that works is morphine. (also have spine injuries for 15 yrs. now, neck to butt) Going off the diet is .......well, you know better than me. Good luck in your battle. My friend was bad diabetic. Got kidney problems, went on dialasys & died of heart attack few years ago. I never knew severity of diabetes. God bless you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  - Vinster

• October 14, 2009 12:21 a.m.

  having type 2 diabities i have been having this problem, i have boils or something on the inside of my thighs, they have been giving me antibotics but they are not doing any good. these things ooze and are very painful. what should i do? or what is happening

  - Norma

• October 13, 2009 8:23 p.m.

  I've had type I since 2004. I'm 52 yrs. old and hate having diabetes. I count carbs and have a pump. My last a1c was 7.4. I've recently moved to a new town and dread that first visit to a Dr. I don't think most Drs. are excited when they see a 50 + diabetic patient walk thru their doors. Do I need to see an endocrinologist at some point or is a family MD adequate?

  - Beth

• October 13, 2009 5:27 p.m.

  Has there been any research on replacing the patients insulin producing cells using their own stem cells, and giving anti-rejection medications to halt the destruction of those cells?

  - Brandon