Wellness

[Laura14]

@Jackhound Mom  I am so sorry you are dealing with this.  Believe it or not, most side effects are caused by your genetic makeup.  Just like some of us can tolerate aspirin while others must have an NSAID and still others swear by Tylenol.  It's something that won't be remedied if your body just plain doesn't tolerate it.  Good for you for recognizing that and moving on from what doesn't work for you.      

I wholeheartedly agree with the pharmacist talk.  No one is more versed in drugs than they are.  It is who your doctor goes to for suggestions when they are out of ideas.  And if one doesn't have much to offer, try a couple because you never know who might have come across a case like you before or be more up on the latest research and trials or an old fashioned tried and true that isn't very popular anymore but may work for you.  

You will find something that works for you.  I have seen a ton of posts by @cherry on this topic and, while I have no experience other than handing out pharmacy meds, she seems to have figured out managing this disease for herself and others quite well along with the side effects of various treatments.  You may want to steal some stuff from her and try it out.  

Good luck and I'll be thinking good thoughts your way.  

[cherry]

@Laura14  I am thinking ,she also might have some sort of gastric issues. I had the metallic taste ,in my mouth ,when all of this started with me

This is why, it might help her, to investigate gastric problems, and a fod map diet, until she learns, what she can eat ,without making her miserable.

DGL licorice  tablets, work amazing well, for digestive issues

[Jackhound Mom]

Dear Sweet Posters,

I am overwhelmed at your wonderful suggestions and I take them all to heart 

Sending you hugs and sincere gratitude.

Updates will follow so that I may help someone like you all do!

Cathy

[Trinity11]

@Jackhound Mom, I replied to your thread but thought perhaps it really isn't appropriate for me to tell you what medications you should be taking so I deleted my post.

However, I find this thread troubling for a number of reasons. Fine that you think insulin is giving you issues but what exactly are you taking in place of it? What is your blood sugar? What is your A1C? I worry that if you take no meds for your diabetes that you will go into ketoacidosis. A lot of the symptoms you are describing can be attributed to high blood sugars.

Please, know that running high for any length of time can have serious ramifications. I am concerned for you and am worried about you since this has been an on-going problem for awhile. (as per your other threads about your diabetes)

[cherry]

@Trinity11is right. I have never stopped taking my metformin ,even during the worst of my issues.

I have posted some of the dangers ,diabetics face ,on the diabetes thread. They aren't hollow threats, and need to be taken seriously

For your own good ,you need to have a physical ,and have your labs taken  asap.

[Trinity11]

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@cherry wrote:

@Trinity11is right. I have never stopped taking my metformin ,even during the worst of my issues.

I have posted some of the dangers ,diabetics face ,on the diabetes thread. They aren't hollow threats, and need to be taken seriously

For your own good ,you need to have a physical ,and have your labs taken  asap.

---

Thanks @cherry. You are absolutely correct.

The longer the OP continues to run high blood sugars the more dangerous the situation becomes. I do remember her post about a woman who is in a coma from having gone into diabetic shock. This is why she has a fear of insulin. She resides in a facility. The upsetting thing, though, is the same thing can happen to a patient with uncontrolled diabetes from ketoacidosis. Too much insulin or too little insulin....diabetics walk a fine line each and every day of their lives. Their is clearly NO CURE but there is help out there and I pray that the OP posts back to this thread that she is on medication of some kind.

[cherry]

YOu are right @Trinity11 .as usual. There is some type of digestive  problems  that diabetics can get. I can't recall the name. but .I am sure you know it

For all she knows she might be suffering from it. I am not trying to scare her, but diabetes is scary, if you don't  take care of yourself

[Trinity11]

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@cherry wrote:

YOu are right @Trinity11 .as usual. There is some type of digestive  problems  that diabetics can get. I can't recall the name. but .I am sure you know it

For all she knows she might be suffering from it. I am not trying to scare her, but diabetes is scary, if you don't  take care of yourself

---

@cherry, yes, gastroparesis. A number of diabetics after a few years of having diabetes develop it. A kind of delayed stomach emptying.

[cherry]

Gastroparesis is a condition that affects the normal spontaneous movement of the muscles (motility) in your stomach. Ordinarily, strong muscular contractions propel food through your digestive tract. But if you have gastroparesis, your stomach's motility is slowed down or doesn't work at all, preventing your stomach from emptying properly.

Certain medications, such as opioid pain relievers, some antidepressants, and high blood pressure and allergy medications, can lead to slow gastric emptying and cause similar symptoms. For people who already have gastroparesis, these medications may make their condition worse.

Gastroparesis can interfere with normal digestion, cause nausea and vomiting, and cause problems with blood sugar levels and nutrition. The cause of gastroparesis is usually unknown. Sometimes it's a complication of diabetes, and some people develop gastroparesis after surgery. Although there's no cure for gastroparesis, changes to your diet, along with medication, can offer some relief.

Gastroparesis care at Mayo Clinic

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of gastroparesis include:

• Vomiting
• Nausea
• A feeling of fullness after eating just a few bites
• Vomiting undigested food eaten a few hours earlier
• Acid reflux
• Abdominal bloating
• Abdominal pain
• Changes in blood sugar levels
• Lack of appetite
• Weight loss and malnutrition

Many people with gastroparesis don't have any noticeable signs and symptoms.

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any signs or symptoms that worry you.

Causes

It's not always clear what leads to gastroparesis. But in many cases, gastroparesis is believed to be caused by damage to a nerve that controls the stomach muscles (vagus nerve).

The vagus nerve helps manage the complex processes in your digestive tract, including signaling the muscles in your stomach to contract and push food into the small intestine. A damaged vagus nerve can't send signals normally to your stomach muscles. This may cause food to remain in your stomach longer, rather than move normally into your small intestine to be digested.

The vagus nerve can be damaged by diseases, such as diabetes, or by surgery to the stomach or small intestine.

Risk factors

Factors that can increase your risk of gastroparesis:

• Diabetes
• Abdominal or esophageal surgery
• Infection, usually a virus
• Certain medications that slow the rate of stomach emptying, such as narcotic pain medications
• Scleroderma (a connective tissue disease)
• Nervous system diseases, such as Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis
• Hypothyroidism (low thyroid)

Women are more likely to develop gastroparesis than are men.

Complications

Gastroparesis can cause several complications, such as:

• Severe dehydration. Ongoing vomiting can cause dehydration.
• Malnutrition. Poor appetite can mean you don't take in enough calories, or you may be unable to absorb enough nutrients due to vomiting.
• Undigested food that hardens and remains in your stomach. Undigested food in your stomach can harden into a solid mass called a bezoar. Bezoars can cause nausea and vomiting and may be life-threatening if they prevent food from passing into your small intestine.
• Unpredictable blood sugar changes. Although gastroparesis doesn't cause diabetes, frequent changes in the rate and amount of food passing into the small bowel can cause erratic changes in blood sugar levels. These variations in blood sugar make diabetes worse. In turn, poor control of blood sugar levels makes gastroparesis worse.
• Decreased quality of life. An acute flare-up of symptoms can make it difficult to work and keep up with other responsibilities.

[Jackhound Mom]

Hello, I just got here.  I do have another doctor appointment.  I read everything you all wrote and tried to read all to DH so he could consider your advice.  Someone (not me) must have reported the snarky one and now it's gone.  Was there more?

I have and will try whatever there is for me but so far I have had "real" problems with what I have tried.  Yes, I had a classmate try to do herself in with her mother's insulin (back in the 70's) and is now a vegtable, so heartbreaking.  I would rather not use insulin if an oral will work for me simply because I would rather swallow a pill than the alternative.  Anyone can understand that.  My fasting blood sugar is around 160, but I have not stuck to a diabetic diet, just a regular diet.  I am average weight and wear 10's or 12's.

My gratitude runs deep and I thank, you all again for writing!!!  You are a compationate group.  This last post was more about my feelings about the doc and his attitude.  I have had 1 other doctor decades ago that told me to continue taking Tavist=allergy RX that gave me a dibilating headache.  I told him "no" also.  

Prayers for all who suffer from this health problem and hoping there will be a cure for all of us.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Cathy