Diabetes

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• May 11, 2013 8:21 p.m.

  My doctor is coding me 790.21 (Impaired Fasting Glucose) even though my fasting glucose has never broken past 100; it's usually in the mid 90s and has been as low as mid 80s. I'm concerned this will be used to deny me employment or insurance in the future. I'm mid 50s, BMI is 26-27 and I get a moderate amount of exercise each day riding a bike to work. Is this a common practice? Are there financial incentives for doctors to overdiagnose prediabetes? Not that it's a bad thing, I could stand to lose 10 or 20 pounds. I disagree that "you either have it or you don't". Anyone over 50, with a BMI over 20, and over 50% carbs in their diet should make lifestyle changes to minimize their risk.

  - Anders

• April 23, 2013 9:08 a.m.

  Risk factors for T2 diabetes: family history, being overweight, lack of activity, age, race, pregnancy,and stressors like sugery, infections and medications such as steroids. All risk factors for T2 diabetes may not be known.

  - Nancy and Peggy

• April 21, 2013 11:11 p.m.

  Does type 2 diabetes develop over time due to unhealthy food intake?

  - Laura

• April 16, 2013 1:48 p.m.

  Ann, if your daughter does not have any other conditions that would be contradictory with drinking alcohol; high blood pressure, neuropathy, etc. and it is OK with her provider to drink alcohol. This is what the American Diabetes Association says: 1 alcoholic beverage per day for women and 2 for men. A beverage is considered one 12 oz beer,one 5 oz. glass of wine, and one 1 & 1/2 oz. of hard liquor.

  - Nancy and Peggy

• April 15, 2013 11:52 p.m.

  You don't differentiate between type 1 and type 2 diabetes in your article. My son developed type 1 when he was thirteen and it had nothing to do with lifestyle, weight or eating habits. He was a healthy boy , ate very few sweets and had a healthy diet. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. I'm sure you are aware of all these facts but perhaps it would be helpful to mention the distinct differences between the two conditions as a medical information site should.

  - Joe

• April 15, 2013 9:41 p.m.

  I really think that this blog is informative, however, I also feel that it is very vague for those who are not fully educated on diabetes. The first myth covered about having, or not having, borderline diabetes is very true but there are people whole are hypoglycemic or hyperglycemic. There are also people like myself who have problems both ways with their blood sugar but only every few months. My blood sugar for days at a time will fall well below normal and sometimes well above and then be fine for months. Also, the subject of carbohydrates is very true as well, but I really feel that it should be stressed that it is important for a diabetic to eat complex carbs as opposed to simple. Whole grain breads ands other carbs will do better to keep sugar levels normal then white breads and other refined carbs. Other then those points, I believe this blog is very helpful.

  - Krystle

• April 12, 2013 8:39 a.m.

  My daughter has been diagnosed with Diabetes 1 at age 37. Is she allowed drink alcohol? She tells me it lowers her sugar level.

  - Ann

• April 9, 2013 9:27 a.m.

  Zoe mentioned her blood sugar higher in the mornings, so was mine. It's called dawn phenomenon: not exactly sure how to explain it so maybe looking it up is best for the full information. Anyway I read that eating a small amount of peanut butter before bed works. I tried it and it does. I have a piece of toast with just a little peanut butter. Morning numbers are good :)

  - Trisha

• April 2, 2013 11:10 a.m.

  Warfarin is not on my list of medications that raise the blood glucose. The 132 number on your personal meter does not indicate on it's own you have diabetes. This needs to be verified in a lab showing two fasting blood glucose readings above 126 mg/dl or a random BG reading greater than 200 mg/dl or an A1c test at 6.5 or above.

  - Nancy and Peggy

• March 26, 2013 1:57 p.m.

  I take warfin and other meds.i always had a level of 109. Now I just took a test (home) and it registar 132. Does this mean all Of a sudden I have diabetes?

  - Marie

• March 11, 2013 4:08 p.m.

  Michael: Pre-diabetes is not diabetes, so the statement that "you either have diabetes or you do not" is correct.

  - Nancy and Peggy

• March 10, 2013 8:44 p.m.

  http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/m/mmr_ii/mmr_ii_pi.pdf In the 2010 MMR package insert Merck states - "The following adverse reactions are listed in decreasing order of severity, without regard to causality...". Some of those adverse reactions are Pancreatitis and Diabetes Mellitis. Also are Panniculitis, Chronic Arthritis, Thrombocytopenia, Lymphadenopathy,leukocytosis, myalgia, paresthesia and more! All of thses disorders are autoimmune disorders or associated with autoimmune disorders. That one vaccine is repeatedly tied to autoimmune diseases would appear to be a real alarm bell to the medical and regulatory communities. The association of MMR vaccine with Diabetes Mellitis needs to be determine with certainty immediately!

  - Michael

• March 10, 2013 4:48 p.m.

  In response to this comment "I have borderline diabetes or just a touch of diabetes" the authors state - "Either you have it or you don't." Yet on these Mayo Clinic webpages ( http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes/DS01121 OR http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/prediabetes/DS00624 OR http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/prediabetes/MY01421 ) they refer to "prediabetes". Remarkably one of the authors' own blogs talks about prediabetes, but doesn't mention it here.

  - Michael

• February 24, 2013 3:06 a.m.

  @Rebecca: Diabetes is a known risk factor for Frozen Shoulder.

  - Carlos

• February 5, 2013 8:18 a.m.

  My sister has a "frozen shoulder". She was told it might have been caused because she has diabetes. She has done therapy for about one month and it is not helping. Surgery was now advised. Can diabetes cause frozen shoulder? Thanks you

  - Rebecca

• December 20, 2012 9:06 a.m.

  We have worked with many nurses that have diabetes and wear insulin pumps. Many pump wears are diabetes educators. Great nurses.

  - Nancy and Peggy

• December 20, 2012 9:04 a.m.

  Recent research suggests that cinnamon may be helpful as a supplement to regular diabetes treatment in people with type 2 diabetes. I talked with one of our endocrine consultants and it is fine to take cinnamon with Metformin.

  - Nancy and Peggy

• December 13, 2012 9:37 p.m.

  I have found that cinnamon reduces my glucose counts..is this ok to take with my metformin?

  - Joyce

• December 11, 2012 12:41 a.m.

  I have Type 1 Diabetes with an insulin pump, can i get a job as a nurse?

  - STAN

• December 1, 2012 10:49 p.m.

  My 6 year old great niece had to be flown to UC Davis medical center, because she (all of a sudden) developed type1/juvenile diabetes. Her parents have done things in the past like allow to her have pepsi all the time fast food for meals. How can my sister and I help educate the parents as they have 3 more kids 3, and 4months

  - Lisa

• November 15, 2012 5:57 p.m.

  Hi, I went through your posting and found some idea about Type 2 Diabetes. I really appreciate your work. Your writing provides some knowledge about the Type 2 Diabetes and makes people aware of this type of diseases. It gives some idea about the impact of the disease and the steps to be taken care of. All of your posts were awesome. Thanks for sharing.

  - Girivin

• September 18, 2012 2:53 p.m.

  Zoe, you sound very frustrated and understandably. You may be on the wrong medication program and could benefit by seeing a new provider. In addition, seeing a diabetes educator can help you understand some reasons for the ups and downs of the blood glucose and how to balance it. Good luck.

  - Nancy and Peggy

• September 14, 2012 11:04 p.m.

  My blood sugar levels just makes NO SENSE whatsoever. Sometimes it's where it should be but more often it goes high for no reason. I can eat a boiled egg for breakfast and a few spoonfuls of tuna over salad greens for lunch and when I get home my sugar is nearly 200. It's always high in the morning even if it's fine before I go to bed, no matter what I eat or don't eat. I'd do anything it took to get my sugars under control if I could just figure out something that actually works. All my doctor ever says is that I need to lose weight and that my sugars wouldn't be high in the morning if I didn't eat too much at night but I have literally fasted entire days and nothing changes. I want to cry sometimes I get so frustrated, I wonder if I should bother dieting at all because it only makes me feel terrible and doesn't seem to have any effect.

  - zoe

• August 1, 2012 1:23 p.m.

  My question is about insulin. Blood sugar swings are also related to other hormonal factors, in these cases like menopause would insulin help and how????

  - maria

• July 9, 2012 10:39 a.m.

  I'm amazed when offered food (especially desserts) and I say "No thank you", people push it on me. I explain that I have diabetes, and all too often, they say "Oh, you can have just one", or "I have diabetes too, but I eat it". Would you push alcohol on a recovering alcoholic? Would you say "I know you have allergies, but my cat will only be with you a couple of days"? What am I missing?

  - Penny