new here and new to low carb eating

mo1905 wrote:Steady rising BG levels doesn't really mean your diabetes is getting more severe, it just means your current regime for maintaining control needs adjusting. Going onto basal/bolus still needs adjusting and carb counting but the advantage is your control and freedom is much greater. Look on this as a plus, not a negative.

Thanks mo1905. My concerns are that as my diabetes is steroid induced I was hoping it would go away once off the steroids. Last year it was obviously only the Prednisolone that had an impact on BG as they were only elevated and requiring Insulin in the period that the Prednisolone was said to be impacting BG levels. For instance I could eat dinner and not need any insulin as my own insulin would kick in to deal with it. All that time my fasting BG was below 6 which was normal.

So now I seem to be needing Insulin even when the Prednisolone is no longer the culprit. The BG rises in the evenings and the fasting BG is now high each morning.

My fear is that this is an indication that my body is no longer producing enough insulin or my insulin resistance has become worse.

I understand. LCHF will help with resistance. As for insulin production, a C-Peptide test can show if this is the case. A tablet called Metformin can also help with insulin resistance. Take care, Mo.

Good luck with the diet coke avoidance! I found it really tough, but then I was drinking 2 litres a day. I found sparkling mineral water was a good substitute though.

Many years ago I was on holiday in Rome with my family. We went on a coach trip around the city and the tour guide had a dry sense of humour. He offered us drinks and noted that only the fat women had diet coke and said "It's called diet coke......but I think it makes you fat, I don't think it helps you diet at all.......look at the ladies drinking it!" Many a true word was said in jest!

I am convinced it was one of the factors which caused me to eventually become diabetic because it fools the body into thinking you are having something sweet and then the pancreas releases insulin which the body doesn't need.....eventually causing insulin resistance.

So I reckon giving it up could really help you.

zand wrote:Good luck with the diet coke avoidance!  I found it really tough, but then I was drinking 2 litres a day.  I found sparkling mineral water was a good substitute though.

Many years ago I was on holiday in Rome with my family.  We went on a coach trip around the city and the tour guide had a dry sense of humour.  He offered us drinks and noted that only the fat women had diet coke and said "It's called diet coke......but I think it makes you fat, I don't think it helps you diet at all.......look at the ladies drinking it!"  Many a true word was said in jest!

I am convinced it was one of the factors which caused me to eventually become diabetic because it fools the body into thinking you are having something sweet and then the pancreas releases insulin which the body doesn't need.....eventually causing insulin resistance.

So I reckon giving it up could really help you.

Zand you have no idea the horrific day I had trying to avoid Coke Zero. Not sure if it was all due to that or just a huge coincidence. By mid afternoon the headache started and kept escalating.Felt like my head was splitting and my eyes were bulging out of their sockets. It felt like the worst migraine I have ever had. Have not had any for many year. Then finally I capitulated and had a can of coke however ... by now I was very nauseous and suddenly had to run to the bathroom and bring up everything I had eaten since before lunch. I had taken Paracetemol but they did nothing. I assume I brought up the coke again. I had to take some anti nausea meds which luckily stayed down.Then a couple of hours later could not cope with the pain any more so took an Endone (Oxycodone). A couple of hours later I was able to dose off a bit and woke up with the pain in the background. Just had to eat so I can take my evening Meds.

So I am going to wean off the stuff instead of going cold turkey.

I read similar to what you are saying on the internet re the Coke and apparently Coke Zero and Diet coke are much higher in caffeine also than normal coke.  Well time for bed. Thanks for all the advice.

yikes! i don't drink very much of it but your making me want to stop drinking it all

weaning yourself sounds a better idea, I would guess it's the caffeine.

Hi Inge. I'm so sorry you've had such a bad day. I was hoping it wouldn't be so tough for you.

Here's my Diet Coke story.

I first started drinking an awful drink called Tab when I was 17 (40 years ago). It was disgusting, but no calories, so it had to be good, right? I wasn't fat then but I wanted to lose a couple of pounds....like most teenage girls. When other diet drinks became available I switched to them.

I didn't really start to pile on the pounds until I was 34 (my sons were aged 5 and 2 then). I had a car accident which caused bad whiplash and 3 months later I was 2 stones heavier (then 10 stones 8 pounds). Now I know there's a possibility my thyroid was damaged in the accident, but haven't really got very far with exploring this as all my tests were pronounced 'fine' by my doctors. I didn't learn that until very many years later anyway.

So I dieted harder....and then harder to try to lose weight. I drank diet drinks before meals to fill myself up. I got back to 8 stones 10 pounds for a while.....but then kept piling on the pounds. I cut back on calories but I guess insulin resistance was kicking in then and despite a lot of different diets and effort my weight just kept increasing.

I suppose I drank at least 2 litres of diet coke a day for maybe 6 years? Then I cut it down to a can a day or maybe just a can every few days. The reason I stopped drinking so much was that I was getting terrible headaches and pains in my jaw. The doctor was useless. I asked my dentist if she thought it could be due to aspartame and she said Yes, it could well be that.

Then I started trying to lose weight. No diet I tried worked. So I decided I must be the only one in world like this and started to devise my own way of eating healthily. I started changing the drinks first, thinking this would be the easiest place to start! lol Wrong! It wasn't, but for me it was the best place to start. I gave up fruit juices and low calorie squashes. I had San Pellegrino sparkling mineral water when I could afford it and a supermarket home brand one when I couldn't. When I got bored with the taste I put of splash of squash (the full sugar ones) in it - only a splash made a whole new taste. So I gave up all artificial sweeteners as a first step. This step took me several years to complete! I am sure you will do better than me. I wasn't diabetic then, just trying to lose weight and be healthy.

For me diet coke was an addiction and it's the hardest thing I have ever had to give up. I can't even manage to have a sugar free jelly without getting side effects from the artificial sweeteners.

So yes, I agree you need to cut down on the amount of coke you drink first. I started drinking it only when sitting down to have my lunch so that I wasn't absent-mindedly drinking it without thinking throughout the day.

Later I found I could easily go 3 days without having any, but after that I got withdrawal symptoms. I'm getting embarrassed talking about it because it sounds so weak. I got headaches and felt weak and dizzy and shaky too. I persevered and would get through a few months and then weaken ...and 3 days later have the same problem with craving more.

I suppose I got through it by using the anger I felt at companies producing poison to addict us....and all for profits. I was paying them to kill me.

Now very many years later I can tolerate one diet coke once in a while whilst out for a meal. Why on earth I even risked trying one after all that time I don't know........

Anyhow, good luck, you may be right that some of the side effects were coincidence. Let's see what tomorrow brings!

This highlights what I have been saying for years, eat the food nature provided us with. Every time man meddles with nature there are side effects. If you really want to upset yourselves Google up aspartame, see how it is made and the long list of gruesome illnesses and conditions it can bring about.

Great advice so far Ange. Good idea to gradually reduce intake rather than go cold turkey.

Thanks all. I am back to normal today ie. no headache no nausea. Lesson learnt. Will do a gradual withdrawal. Wow Zand quite a story. I am glad you persevered and came through it. No need to feel embarrassed. I drank more and more diet coke to compensate for all the stuff I stopped eating when switching to LCHF diet. Funny enough the diet coke is beginning to taste awfully sweet so I am sure once I have gotten over the withdrawal I won't want to drink it again.
Same happened many years ago when I gave up sugar in coffee. I could never drink sugar in coffee or tea again as it tasted yucky sweet. Mind you I could easily eat yucky sweet other stuff Anyway... I am halving my coke consumption and then will halve it again in a few days and see where that leads me.

Welcome Inge! Glad you found us. I can't give any diabetic advice as I'm not diabetic or on any meds, however regarding diet sodas, I went through what you are going through. I didn't cut back so much as one can went a lot further because I had to keep adding more water to it because it had become so sweet I couldn't tolerate it. So after a long while after diluting it more and more, I finally gave it up. Now I have a good cup of coffee with cream (which tastes a lot better in my opinion) in the morning and that keeps me going all day.

Survived the day on half what I normally drink of diet coke. No headaches so I will keep that up for a week then halve it again. I think that will work for me.
On another note. Have been having a lot of shortness of breath issues. Saw my respiratory specialist today and looks like I have Asthma. At least I know what it is after months of testing and finding nothing. Reckon once I lose more weight that too will disappear

Glad you're starting to feel better Inge. Sorry to hear about your asthma but at least you know why you were getting short of breath now. Take care, Mo

Hi Inge .... sorry to hear about your asthma but at least your shortness of breath has now got a diagnosis. So pleased to hear your headaches are better, good idea with the cutting down (and then out) of the diet cokes / drinks.

Look forward to reading more of your posts

Take Care and .........

All the best Jan

Inge Danaher wrote:Survived the day on half what I normally drink of diet coke. No headaches so I will keep that up for a week then halve it again. I think that will work for me.
On another note. Have been having a lot of shortness of breath issues. Saw my respiratory specialist today and looks like I have Asthma. At least I know what it is after months of testing and finding nothing. Reckon once I lose more weight that too will disappear

Well done with the diet coke. I'm impressed. I think j is right - in your case it was the caffeine causing the problem.

My sons and I have asthma too. It's a good thing you're giving up the colas because they can make asthma worse I used to go to watch out local football team play regularly. One of the women supporters often had an asthma attack after having a bottle of coke. She never saw a connection! Or maybe she fancied the St Johns Ambulance guy?

zand wrote:

Well done with the diet coke.  I'm impressed.  I think j is right - in your case it was the caffeine causing the problem.  

My sons and I have asthma too.  It's a good thing you're giving up the colas because they can make asthma worse I used to go to watch out local football team play regularly. One of the women supporters often had an asthma attack after having a bottle of coke.  She never saw a connection!  Or maybe she fancied the St Johns Ambulance guy?  

Interesting about the connection with Diet Coke and Asthma. Had not heard that one before. So maybe all will heal itself when I get off the coke

Jan1 wrote:Hi Inge .... sorry to hear about your asthma but at least your shortness of breath has now got a diagnosis. So pleased to hear your headaches are better, good idea with the cutting down (and then out) of the diet cokes / drinks.

Look forward to reading more of your posts

Take Care and .........

All the best Jan

Thanks Jan. I have been trying to tell the doctors that I believed I had asthma but this is the first test that backed me up. SO it's no surprise to me because I can't explain my terrible coughs that get so bad that I can't breathe in any other way. Then the shortness of breath is a recent addition, started in September last year. Hopefully once I lose weight and get off the coke as well it will all settle down again.

YIPPEE... lost 1.1 kg in 1 week so that makes 2.7 kg in 5 weeks. Finally get the feeling this is working as it should.
As for diet coke, I have cut down slightly, will cut down more next week.
Seeing my Endocrinologist today. Will be interesting to hear what he thinks of low carb eating style. Not sure how I will approach it. Probably say I have cut out some of the nasty carbs lol He may relate better to that and then if he brings up the LCHF diet idea I will feel great and if he doesn't it won't matter I just keep doing what I am. Hopefully he will prescribe basal insulin. I am worried he may feel that as long as my fasting bg is below 10 (i.e. not double figures) Things are going well

Hi Inge I am so pleased for you, it's great to see you so happy. You are are doing great, as for the endo, I reckon you know the score. Stick with us through thick and thin, and remember this ain't no race. Let's see if we can get you to fasting BG's around six. Keep posting and the very best of health to you and yours.

Kind regards Eddie

Inge Danaher wrote:YIPPEE... lost 1.1 kg in 1 week so that makes 2.7 kg in 5 weeks. Finally get the feeling this is working as it should.
As for diet coke, I have cut down slightly, will cut down more next week.
Seeing my Endocrinologist today. Will be interesting to hear what he thinks of low carb eating style. Not sure how I will approach it. Probably say I have cut out some of the nasty carbs lol He may relate better to that and  then if he brings up the LCHF diet idea I will feel great and if he doesn't it won't matter I just keep doing what I am. Hopefully he will prescribe basal insulin. I am worried he may feel that as long as my fasting bg is below 10 (i.e. not double figures) Things are going well

Amazing I was only thinking about you earlier and hoping things were going well and then you post this, TRULY AMAZING, and I am so pleased for you.  

Do please keep in touch and feel free to ask any questions - I know we will all try to help you.

All the best for your appointment with the Endocrinologist.

Take Care and .......

All the best Jan

Thanks Eddie and Jan. Even more excited now. The first time this year my BG fell below 4. Came in at 3.6 a few minutes ago. And the other amazing thing is until now, when I came close to 4 all the hypo symptoms set in. Not sure if the Oxycodone I had to take due to excessive pain distorts the symptoms. Anyway I will have a snack now just in case But I am expecting the pred to start kicking in and raising it anyway

Hi Inge. Glad that the diet is beginning to work for you.

I did a bit of research on the Wegener's. Dr. Sarah Myhill has an interesting snippet about it and 'autoimmune disease' in general in the following info.... http://www.drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/Autoimmune_diseases_-_the_environmental_approach_to_treating

As you will probably pick up from my posts, I avidly believe that disease is a combination of the ingestion of food and substances that take more nutrition away from the body than it provides triggering a welcome environment for pathogenic microbes and parasites to move in and proliferate (and eat our food and nutrition!)

Many products and 'food-like substances' gradually erode health and vitality, undermining the body's ability to defend itself. It doesn't happen overnight, it's a gradual process that wears away at the nutritional strength over years.

Unfortunately, things like diet coke are among the worst culprits. Contrary to popular opinion, our bodies cannot cope with everything we throw at them! Food containing 'empty' calories like sugar, unnatural chemical additives, that is denatured or fractionated or missing any of its original nutritional elements, robs the body of nutrition.

If you think of nutritional elements in food being like codes, each element fits into the digestion in different ways. So the elements in say, an orange, are like a code, telling the body what the food is, and how to metabolise it. Remove any one, or a part of one element and the code gets scrambled. The body says, oooh, something's missing! It then has to go off and 'borrow' the missng element in order to complete the process.

You imagine that happening with products that are a jumble of mixed messages or missing 'code'. The more of that type of food or drink we are ingesting, the more the body has to 'borrow' from other processes. It cannot do that indefinitely. Eventually, somethin's gotta give.....

The benefit of going low carb is that a lot of the 'empty', denatured, fractionated, and jumbled food is taken out of the equation. Highly processed wheat, meat, and sugar products are avoided, and get replaced by fresh vegetables (the more, the better), meat, fish, eggs, fats, etc. So straight away people are getting considerably more nutrition and are starting to build the supplies back up.

Healing through diet doesn't happen overnight - all the niggly symptoms we get over the years are our bodies telling us they are struggling - but healing can happen over time once the antagonistic substances are removed and replaced by the protagonistic ones.

Thank you Alib for the interesting information. I had a quick look at the website you mention. Some of the info I would agree with but some of it I am not convinced. For instance I believe the issue around Vitamin D is totally different to what conventional medicine thinks. But that would take a book to explain .
I do believe that micro bacteria are the culprits when it comes to Autoimmune disease however it is not nearly as simplistic as saying one bug one disease. The bugs mentioned are commonly found in all people and hence every one should have multiple diseases if that were the case. Hence what I believe, and this is based on modern research, is that it requires a multitude of bugs to trigger autoimmune disease and hence it is so darn difficult to treat. Anyway ... another long book to explain it all. There is a lot of info on Autoimmune disease on this website if you want to follow up on what I said: http://mpkb.org
However I do believe getting back to basics and following a low carb lifestyle will do a lot to help us back to good health. Which is why I am trying it out I can't totally blame my poor health on diet coke as it is a recent addition to my diet. I mean by that I was sick a long time before I turned to diet coke However I agree it's not doing me any good and could have pushed me over the edge with the diabetes. Thanks again Alib. Our body is such a complex mechanism that it's good to study up on how others have managed to heal people. Still a lot to learn

I had my appointment with my Endo and it went very well. I didn't get what I wanted but ... he was over the moon with my good results lol so I have shot myself in the foot by having such tight control over my BG that he is not worried about my higher Fasting BG (levels are between 7 and 9 regularly and have not been below 6 since last year) and wants to give this healthy living a few more months before making any drastic changes to my insulin. He was also happy with the weight loss. Last visit (4 months ago) my cholesterol level was over 6.2 so he wanted to put me onto statins. I managed to put him off until this visit. So I was sitting in the waiting room wondering how I could get out of swallowing statins. When he looked at my cholesterol levels from recent blood tests he was incredulous. Said someone must have put me onto statins for them to drop to 4.6. He said he never believed it would be possible to lower the levels by diet So he is going to keep watching that also for the next 4 months
No statins for me for now!! I was sent home with instructions to keep doing what I am doing as it is working. I mentioned at the start that I was so depressed about my weight that I decided to do something drastic and changed my diet. He didn't ask what diet I was on as he was too elated by the great results to worry about it so I didn't enlighten him this time but if my results keep looking this great I will buy him a copy of Dr. Bernsteins book LOL before next visit. Thanks everyone here for your support and encouragement. I am now even more committed to this new lifestyle.

Hey Inge you are doing so well! The weight loss is brilliant and so is the cholesterol level. Reading this was a very good start to my day.