randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11290
posted
both parents were diabetic and now one sister is being tested, so it's in the family.
i'm wondering if my tingly feet and sort of numbness going up my legs can be signs of diabetes. i think so.
but hey, was wondering. can you test with those strip thingies at home instead of going to the doctor? i mean does it have to be tested by blood at his office?
can't you just find out whether it's high or low with those test things and then go in?
i swear...can lyme cause diabetes???
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Yes, lyme can cause diabetes. Many infections can. But there are also ways to work with this. It's not a "stop sign" at all.
IMO, I think the glucose tolerance tests can be very harsh. Although I had severe HYPOglycemia, I got a free glucose meter and test myself at home periodically. As lyme has progressed, the numbers started creeping up so my ND prescribed a good herbal formula that works well for me.
The thing is, because I've not been dx as diabetic (but borderline) I have to pay for the tests strips on my own and they are just sky high. So, I don't test as often as I should. Still, I am vigilant with self-care and that seems to be preventing it from getting over the line.
Your doctor can run a blood test that averages out your glucose for the past month. Something like - A1c. Just cross search at Google for more: glucose, A1c
If lyme is "in your family" that may be genetic - or not (they, too may have had outside influences). But is is important to see a good doctor for a proper work-up.
* INFECTION(s) must be properly addressed
* ADRENAL SUPPORT is ESSENTIAL
* DIET can often prevent or control diabetes. You might also want to learn more about living a "MEDITERRANEAN DIET" - minus the bread (and gluten), of course.
* MOVEMENT, too, matters greatly. Now - due to lyme and the liver, adrenal and mitochondrial damage that often goes with that - aerobic exercise is hard and not always good for lyme patients. (depending upon their point in treatment and the level of success with that).
However, MOVEMENT is still vital. Walking, Tai Chi or Qi Gong, doing some dance steps to a few songs EVERY DAY . . . whatever you enjoy doing - some kind of regular movement can help turn this around. Do something you ENJOY, though, literally - Joyful Movement as a gift to your body.
* SLEEP is vital to blood sugar stability
============================
This book is specific to lyme and other chronic stealth infections.
The author discusses the endocrine connection and effects of endocrine stress on a person with such infections. Lyme really hits the HPA axis hard (hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal working triangle of sorts).
You can read customer reviews and look inside the book at this link to its page at Amazon.
~ James L. Wilson, ND, DC, PhD, Johnathan V. Wright, MD
About $10. And qualifies for free shipping with a total $25. Purchase at Amazon -
[ 03-04-2010, 06:12 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Here are few things that can help: Gymnema Sylvestre tops the list. It is absolutely wonderful - and it helps stop cravings for sweets. Usually best in a formula. --------------------------------
WHAT IT DOES: Gymnema is bitter in taste, and cooling in action. It improves blood sugar control in diabetics, numbs the taste of sweet completely (for about 20 minutes), and decreases appetite (for about 90 minutes).
SAFETY ISSUES: None reported. Should not be used by people with low blood sugars (hypoglycemia). . . .
. . . Gymnema actually means "sugar destroyer." It grows in the wild forests of central India, all the way to Western Ghats and up to the Himalayas.
Research indicates that gymnema stimulates insulin secretion or release of insulin from the pancreas. Japanese studies have shown that it improves glucose tolerance in animal models of diabetes, and other studies show that the effects can last for up to two months after discontinuation.
This herb is a good long-term tonic for Type I and II diabetics. Results are best seen after long-term administration, over six months to a year. I prefer to use it in combination with several other herbs for blood sugar control, because it affects only a few aspects of the imbalance.
In case you're curious, sugar tastes like sand for twenty minutes after you chew on a little gymnema.
- Full chapter at link above. And you can also search the book for ``Diabetes'' for a gold mine of more information.
Avoid extremes in diabetes control, study warns Driving blood sugar down too low can be as risky as leaving it too high
Jan. 27, 2010
LONDON - Moderation appears to be the best approach to controlling blood sugar in a form of diabetes that affects many adults, researchers said Wednesday, since lowering it too far can be as risky as letting it stay too high.
- full article at link above. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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posted
You can buy a test kit for what I think is called Hemoglobin A1C at a drugstore for around $20 or less. It reflects your average blood sugar for the past 3 months. You stick your finger and use a couple drops of blood.
You can also buy a blood sugar meter and test strips and test what your blood sugar is at a particular moment. You stick your finger and get a drop of blood on the test strip, and then put the strip into the machine and see what the number is.
The A1C and your blood sugar first thing in the morning before eating are tests that they use in diagnosing diabetes.
You can also check your blood sugar at different times through the day, to see how different foods, exercise, etc. affect it.
Of course it's better to have a doctor's advice to find out what your results mean, but you can certainly check this yourself without a prescription.
-------------------- Don't forget to laugh! And when you're going through hell, keep going!
Bitten 5/25/2009 in Perry County, Indiana. Diagnosed by LLMD 12/2/2009. Posts: 756 | From Inside the tunnel | Registered: Jan 2010
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posted
When I saw diabetes in the topic, I immediately perked up.. I have neuropathy from lyme disease. It started in my back and moved outwards, affecting my whole body eventually. That progression is opposite of the typical diabetic neuropathy which starts in ones hands/feet and moves inward.
I am extremely active on the American Diabetes Association's Forum for Adults Type 2.
Come over and visit us. We have a wealth of information and can answer most of your questions.
As to a meter, if you are doing it without a prescription, most of the big drugstore chains have contracted with the same supplier.
They sell a couple of different meters, one is incredibly tiny and fits on top of the strip container.
The strips for these meters are the cheapest and they seem to work.
For instructions on how to test painlessly, when to test, what your numbers should be and what kind of foods are recommended,visit the forum.
Alan S., Lizzy Lou both give out great information tailored for newbies.
We welcome people like you who haven't been officially diagnosed.
So, go to the site below and I'll look for you. I'm still bugbarb there, as I am almost everywhere.
-------------------- Lyme is like the flu. You can get it and recover, but you can always get it again. Posts: 607 | From (deer tick)Heaven! Angeles National Forest | Registered: Oct 2000
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merrygirl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12041
posted
I was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I am taking metformin now. I also have the neuropathies as you described, and I had an emg done this week and it showed sensory nerves were damaged...
Posts: 3905 | From USA | Registered: May 2007
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