Diabetes

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• May 16, 2013 12:19 p.m.

  My Doctor claims that I am diabetic and my 12 hour fasting is anywhere from 106 to 116 and the other test is at 6.5 I do not take any of the meds he has prescribed and he has caused my life insurance rates to go through the roof. My Question is "Am I Diabetic?"

  - Bill

• May 16, 2013 11:41 a.m.

  I am 73 and have only now started receiving this newsletter. When I was diagnosed with diabetes I was given Amaryl. Now I read that prescribing sulfonlureas does more harm than good. I am now taking a 500mg metformin daily. Despite daily testing and careful eating I seem to have lost balance. Fasting glucose now often is 8 mmol/L plus. I am also taking a chromium tablet a day (200pg). This keeps post-pradial readings low but it seems that chromium and other supplements too have their side effect. I am at my wits' end for I walk regularly as well so what the cause is of the new readings I do not know. Thank you

  - Godwin

• May 15, 2013 1:59 p.m.

  I applaud your reader comment openness. Individual diabetes patients may be different; but our shared experiences help all of us learn in the discussion. My own experience since TypeII diagnosis at age 57, 12years ago, indicates changing standards for Blood Glucose AND A1C. I feel my best when Blood Glucose is in range 70-130 and under 180 after meals. I'm pleased to see that's considered normal now; GenPractitioners, for me, have pressed for no higher than 120 with 160 after meals and a flat 5.0 A1C for years. I've learned to enjoy my baked potato but not eat the whole potato. My, age 85, brother influenced my beef intake; we both have the butcher carve out, usually, 6 to 10 servings of 4-5oz steaks from a tenderloin. This cut survives freezing very well when individually wrapped; that lets me enjoy occasional beefsteak without the temptation to eat a larger, packaged, cut. I buy grass fed beef; it's good to taste the flavor I remember from the time before feedlots changed this food. I follow www.foodnews.org info to buy low pesticide and organic foods. Who knows, pesticide treated foods may just be one origin of my TypeII. There was zero diabetes in four generations of my family until my own and my nephew's diagnosis about the same year. Nephew Dave likes his beer and beef and has been about 30lbs overweight most of his adult life; but I've been slim, active and athletic all my life.

  - Jay

• May 15, 2013 10:01 a.m.

  My doctor wants my fasting blood glucose under 100 mg/dL and one hour after a meal 140mg/dL or under.

  - Sharon

• May 15, 2013 12:28 a.m.

  Thanks for your info on the newsletter about blood glucose targets. Could you tell me what the target is for an individual WITH diabetes type 2? My levels are always within 125 to 130 (mg/dl) My doctor wants me to bring it down to atlease 120. advise?

  - Mary Anne

• May 14, 2013 11:24 p.m.

  Totally and utterly fed up with the doom and gloom attached to diabetes. Some one make it simple: eat these foods, do not eat these foods, blood sugars should be...AND in mmls not huge figured other way. When some one posts and asks for help and I read to find the answer, there is nothing, just more and more people begging for help. So all we do is look and look and look and look and get stressed...darn, there go the blood sugars, through the roof because we get threatened with dire consequences and little factual help. I have decided that my diabetes is under my control and my ways.....no carbs, gentle regular exercise, natural hormones, fish oil and vitamin d, a multi vitamin and mineral and no mega-dollar supplements, just cinnamon and green teas. So many people are peddling miracle cures that cost a fortune, the obscene price of strips and lancets is enough gouged out of my pocket! Yes I am cross and frightened, have been ever since an ad came on tv showing a lady in a swimming pool who then got out of the water and swung her stump up onto the side of the pool to the smarmy voiceover telling us to contact a certain diabetes group ( not yours!). I cried out, felt sick and from then on, doomed, and I can't shake it. My sons and husband then watched like hawks and changed channels quick smart, needless to say, I dont donate to them! That ad was taken off very quickly but the damage was done, what a rotten way to scare people into donating. Grrrrr!

  - Ruth

• May 14, 2013 6:58 p.m.

  I have type 2 diabetes and take metformin. My greatest challenge is keeping my morning wake up glucose level under 130. Do you have any suggestions?

  - Larry

• May 14, 2013 3:50 p.m.

  I'm never sure when I see guidelines such as the ada guidelines for glucose levels in your article whether they refer to serum glucose or whole blood glucose (fingersticks)? There is a 15% difference between wb and serum glucose is there not?

  - melissa

• May 14, 2013 1:34 p.m.

  I am a 81 years old. My doctor tests always my glucose ,was normal.One day I was very thirsty and going very often, next morning I was not waking up and rush to the hospital. My glucose was 903 and I was in coma.The diagnosis wan Diabetes 1 , gastroparesis and esofagitis .I am doing better.Before this episode I was in a hospital with a pain on my right side and they were taking blood test . How do they not discover my diabetes? Thanks

  - Aleida

• May 11, 2013 9:00 a.m.

  My son is 15 yo, weighs 205 pounds,6 ft 3 in, and very athletic. I noticed last night that he was clammy and hard to wake up.he hadn't eaten in 9 hours after football practice so I thought maybe he was hypoglycemic. After he ate his dinner he went to bed.this morning I checked a fasting glucose which was 91.his dad is type 2 diabetic.is my son pre diabetic

  - pam

• May 6, 2013 4:22 p.m.

  Michael: You are correct! Good catch and thank you.

  - Nancy and Peggy

• May 6, 2013 4:21 p.m.

  Michael, I most definitely typed that wrong. Good catch, it will be corrected immediately.Thanks, Nancy

  - Nancy and Peggy

• April 30, 2013 2:15 p.m.

  I am just discovering that I fall into the prediabetic range and am taking steps NOW to change things. I have lost 10 lbs and am finding the monitoring numbers to be going slowly but steadily down. I had pneumonia about the same time I discovered this so exercise for me has just resomed. My question is this: Why would my glocose levels be higher in the morning after an all night fast, with lots of water during the night and a GOOD night's sleep than they were 3 or so hours after my last meal of the day before bedtime? Is this normal - what is it? Thanks for any help AND this website

  - Lee

• April 29, 2013 11:12 p.m.

  I am a type 1 diabetic with hypoglycemic unawareness. Your article states "Individuals with hypoglycemic unawareness (limited or no awareness of low blood glucose symptoms) may require a lower target range." I believe we require a HIGHER target range,...at least that's what my endocrinologist told me. Other than that, thank you for providing this information!!!

  - Michael

• April 24, 2013 2:43 p.m.

  I found this blog helpful but also am very surprised about how uninformed people are about type 1 or type2 diabetes. People if you are concerned about your sugar please just go see your doctor.

  - Jessica

• April 9, 2013 9:42 a.m.

  I am a 43 y/o diabetic since 1994, but was dx in 2002 with type 1 by a positive GAD antibody test. I have always - ALWAYS had an A1c of 6.8 or less. My insurance recently changed and they required a fasting blood sample to check for general health. All my lab levels are great except my fasting that particular day was 136. The lab reference interval is 65-99! They have one reference for any insured individual whether they have diabetes or not...This puts me in a higher paying bracket if I do not do a minimum of 40 days wellness program for diabetes management program on the computer. To me this a slap in the face and a waste of my time. I am very educated in diabetes management and feel this is discrimination. What are your thoughts on this?

  - tammy

• April 9, 2013 7:30 a.m.

  Hello everyone. This piece was really helpful to me. My grandmother was diabetic, my mother is diabetic and my sister too. I have been really worried about what my blood sugar reading should be. I'm happy to know now that my blood sugar is normal and in good range, I am pretty informed now and am very grateful. Thanx a lot

  - Fidel

• March 14, 2013 8:52 p.m.

  I was diagnosed a few years ago with hypoglycemia and I still get these after I eat bottom out and it feels awful. Now my fasting glucose was 110 I am so confused. I have other auto immune problems like RA and Crohns. Could these also affect my blood sugar? Not sure how much more bad news I can take. Can't eat anything without it effecting one of my problems.

  - Cyndee

• March 9, 2013 4:49 p.m.

  I am a diabetic I was told that levels range from 50 to 300. Is there a chart that has the different levels and a description like 50 or less near death call 911. Or a high of 300 or more critical too high call doctor. And all the ranges between? Thank you

  - bill

• February 27, 2013 9:18 a.m.

  Richard: When your blood sugar levels are in goal range this means that your cells ARE getting the food energy transported into it as there is enough insulin to carry the glucose into the cells.

  - Nancy and Peggy

• February 26, 2013 9:03 a.m.

  Julie: Most people do not appreciate unasked for advice regarding their diabetes management. Your boss is correct in that he can eat whatever the average person eats as long as he covers the carbs eaten with insulin. Respect your boss's privacy. We ALL should eat healthy so I wouldn't single out a person and tell them what they can and cannot have just because they have diabetes.

  - Nancy and Peggy

• February 22, 2013 12:46 a.m.

  I want to make it absolutley clear that you are wrong to say a person's diabetes is "under control" when their blood sugar levels have been brought into normal ranges. The problem is one in which the cell is not getting the food energy transported into it, and blood sugar levels are only half the equation, the less important half I daresay. This attempt to focus on blood sugar levels is a marketing device, and displays basic ignorance.

  - Richard

• February 18, 2013 3:38 p.m.

  My boss is a Type I diabetic and wears a pump. He vehemently insists that he can eat anything he wants because his pump can compensate. Is that true? He goes through a vile of insulin a day. Is that normal? He gets very angry if you remark about his eating habits. Is there anything I can say/do to encourage him?

  - Julie

• February 1, 2013 9:39 a.m.

  Linda: Great job making lifestyle changes and bringing your blood glucoses under control! Your doctor is correct. You do have diabetes but it is under control.

  - Nancy and Peggy

• February 1, 2013 9:37 a.m.

  Karen Lewis: Per the American Diabetes Association guidelines: "•Normal FPG is below 100 mg/dl. A person with prediabetes has a fasting blood glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dl. If the blood glucose level rises to 126 mg/dl or above, a person has diabetes." and "•An A1C 5.6% or below is normal. In prediabetes, A1C levels range between 5.7%-6.4%. If the A1C is 6.5% or above, a person has diabetes".

  - Nancy and Peggy