6 Months Into Peating, I Get Diabetes

[bluewren]

Great post, Artemis!

 

[Giraffe]

Artemis, you can call the new thread "It's not blood sugar control!" or "I don't have diabetes!"

Did you naturopathic doctor explain how cinnamon in supposed to help? - When I crawled out of a deep, deep hole I tried Ceylon cinnamon because it was advised in Chinese medicine. From day two on I found myself craving it for each breakfast. I am sure it helped me, but I don't know how. Only ammonia?

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/97627/ Will keep y'all updated.

We'll follow your progress! :)

 

[Wilfrid]

Great news!!

 

[charlie]

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/97627/ I DON'T HAVE DIABETES!

 

[HDD]

That is wonderful news, artemis, and I'm sure such a relief to hear! I, too, like to have coffee before eating in the morning. Even adding gelatin, sugar, and milk isn't always adequate to prevent low blood sugar symptoms for me. So great you have a naturopath that uses Peat to guide you.

 

[Blossom]

Fantastic artemis! I can't wait to read the rest of your story.

 

[Peata]

 

[Ledo]

artemis, so can you tell us why she thinks you don,t have diabetes? I mean what is the basis of her diagnosis and what did she say caused the spikes and high BG levels. And btw, can you tell us what current fasting and PP levels are right now? I mean it seems strange for her to make that kind of proclamation because how is she to know really with that kind of confidence.

Glad you are better :)

 

[jyb]

From day two on I found myself craving it for each breakfast. I am sure it helped me, but I don't know how. Only ammonia?

Good cinnamon tastes pretty damn good to me. Actually even bad one. For that alone I use it whenever, even if I don't notice any particular change otherwise.

 

[Giraffe]

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/97693/

From day two on I found myself craving it for each breakfast. I am sure it helped me, but I don't know how. Only ammonia?

Good cinnamon tastes pretty damn good to me. Actually even bad one. For that alone I use it whenever, even if I don't notice any particular change otherwise.

Ha-ha! To me cinnamon does not taste good. Therefore I use only small amounts. At the time I craved cinnamon daily I loved the smell of good Ceylon cinnamon. Today I sometimes find the same smell repulsive, at other times it is agreeable.

 

[tara]

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/97459/

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/95795/ Uh, it sounds like you already had diabetes before you started increasing your sugar intake. If you hadn't already had diabetes you would have digested the sugar just fine. I eat tons of sugar every day for the last 18 months and have not only not developed diabetes, but I've lost weight and increased my metabolism.

Hi nate, I'm not suggeting you have diabetes, and I believe your reports about your own improved health lately. And you may well be right that the diabetes was there before the sugar consumption increased.
But you are aware that wasting (->weightloss) is a key (and potentially dangerous) symptom of diabetes, right?

Was someone talking about wasting? I missed that if they were.

Hi Nate,
I certainly didn't mean I thought you were wasting.
When I first read your post I interpreted it as having a suggestion that losing weight was evidence of not having diabetes, which I don't think it is generally (therefore the reference to wasting).
Rereading it now, I can see this may not have been what you meant (though it seems like a possible interpretation of what you said).

 

[tara]

Hi Artemis,
I think you too are seeing that different health professionals applying different labels to your state, and using different definitions of 'diabetes', doesn't change your actual state. It does sound good to me that your new naturopath wants to focus on restoring cellular function more than simply controlling blood sugar levels. She sounds helpful and supportive - great. And if having someone competent challenge the scary label helps you risk eating more nutritious carbs under her guidance, and that helps you resolve the very real issue with sugar metabolism, that's great.

I too am curious, if you feel like telling, did she have access to results of insulin blood tests or other data beyond your earlier extreme hyperglycemia (and accompanying symptoms), or did she just interpret the same data differently?

Glad you are feeling more optimistic and can see a way forward that involves restoring your health, not just accommodating the problem.

 

[artemis]

Do you know your current copper/ceruloplasmin levels as well as iron/transferrin?

Thank you for that excellent post, Wilfrid. I did get some bloodwork done on my own the week before I went to the hospital, and then of course they did some bloodwork at the hospital, too, but I don't see that info on either of those work-ups. I will be having more blood taken after a little while on this new way of eating, and will be sure to check those.

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/97658/ Did your naturopathic doctor explain how cinnamon in supposed to help?

No, I will have to ask her about that. There are so many questions, and I always go over my allotted time with her! It does seem like it must be doing something other than taking care of the ammonia, though.

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/97691/ artemis, so can you tell us why she thinks you don,t have diabetes? I mean what is the basis of her diagnosis and what did she say caused the spikes and high BG levels. And btw, can you tell us what current fasting and PP levels are right now? I mean it seems strange for her to make that kind of proclamation because how is she to know really with that kind of confidence.

I don't know, I didn't delve into it too deeply. Of course she can't say for sure what caused the sudden high BG levels, it's likely a combination of factors. I tend to think of it starting in May when I had the sudden severe symptoms, but she seems to think it's been coming way before that, after a lifetime of metabolic stress, what with my hypoglycemia my whole life prior to this, along with skipping meals, etc. Lots of things.

As far as my current BG levels, I haven't taken them in about a week. I'm out of test strips and need to get to the store to buy more. I'm just kind of enjoying this little break from pricking my finger right now. She's only interested in my temps and pulse right now, anyway, and I'm having to take those a lot (on waking, 20 mins after each meal, and before bed).

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/97749/ I too am curious, if you feel like telling, did she have access to results of insulin blood tests or other data beyond your earlier extreme hyperglycemia (and accompanying symptoms), or did she just interpret the same data differently?

She has my 2 sets of bloodwork, the one I had done on my own and the one they did at the hospital. But as far as I can tell, both sets were just the usual CBC, metabolic panel, lipid panel, no specific testing for insulin. I guess we'll do that at some point in the future. She said she "feels" that my pancreas are fine, based on different things I've told her about my symptoms. And I don't think her recommendations would be any different either way. I know it may seem a little crazy to some, but she is an "alternative" health practitioner, after all. And I happen to trust her. But yeah, it's a good point that the emergency room doctor heard my symptoms, took blood, told me I was diabetic, gave me a pamphlet about diabetes and a prescription for Metformin, and told me to find an endocrinologist. She heard all the same symptoms, probably more, looked at the same bloodwork, yet approached it in a whole different way.

 

[thebigpeatowski]

Hi artemis, I'm so glad to hear that you don't have diabetes!!! What a terrifying hospital experience.

I got slapped with the diabetic label 5 or so months into "peating" too. My situation was a little different in that I DID gain a TON of weight. I didn't have the wicked thirst/vomiting/weight loss that you described and I don't think my blood sugars got as high, but I don't really know for sure because I put the blood glucose monitor away. I found it to be waaay too stressful which wasn't helping my situation.

There were times where I would practically pass out after eating something sweet and I had to take naps all the time only to be startled awake moments later with a pounding/racing heart. My digestion was EFFED up and I struggled with a chronic yeast infection in my lower gut. Man, I'm so glad those days are over, it was a rough time for sure.

I'm at the two year mark now and things just keep getting better, I have no blood sugar issues whatsoever. Pre-peat I used to get shaky, super cranky, start to sweat, get clammy hands and feel like I was gonna pass out when I was hungry, that's when I was "pre-diabetic" even though I was eating practically zero carbs. I was also unbelievably freezing cold. Adding carbs back in was a nightmare because I couldn't handle sugar at all, but I can absolutely promise that it gets better. Stuff heals, even at my old age, (I'm 49 and feeling FINE ).

I hope you're doing well and am eager for you to post an update soon, if ya feel like it.

 

[artemis]

So yeah, I guess I do have "diabetes" after all. After struggling to get ahead of it on my own for over a year, and living with BG numbers around 350, I finally gave up and went to see a regular doctor, an internist, and she put me on insulin, which I knew she would. My insulin test number was a 2. I just could not go on trying things that weren't working. I was steady losing weight in spite of eating like a horse, constantly. It was very scary to watch my body disappear before my eyes.

I wanted this way of eating to work for me. I really did. I jumped in head first. I was infatuated with Dr. Peat and all of his work, and didn't even consider for a moment that it might not be right for me. After a year of denial and struggle and worry, I must now conclude that it was a disaster for me. I now must inject insulin into my stomach every day, probably for the rest of my life. I know that it's what I need at this point -- as much as I fought it and hate to admit it, my body reacted so positively to the insulin from the very first day, both from a muscle-testing standpoint and just overall feel ... it was like pouring some water on parched ground.

The doctor said I don't fit into any category. I was making lots of ketones for a long time, was actually in diabetic ketoacidosis. That fact, along with the unintentional weight loss, means I am definitely not a type 2. Yet here I am 53 years old and just getting this diagnosis, no one in my family has ever had diabetes or anything. She says to stop beating myself up about it, that you can't "give yourself diabetes," but I just have to wonder. I made some pretty drastic changes to my diet, and I can't help but think that if I never did any of that, none of this would have happened, and I wouldn't be on insulin now.

I wasn't going to post this update -- I don't want to cause any controversy or anything, I know this way of eating works great for most people. It just didn't work for me. It didn't seem right to post, but then it didn't feel right not to, either. So that's my update, I'm now insulin-dependent! Woo-hoo!!

 

[Blossom]

I'm glad you came back to update us @artemis. Please don't blame yourself or feel like a failure. I know it's hard but we're all human and sometimes things happen beyond our control. I think we can all look back at times and wish maybe we had done things differently too. Peat has given us lots of excellent information and things to try out to help ourselves but no one person could ever have all the answers for every person and every situation. There are way too many variables. You should be proud of yourself for trying so hard! Just because you weren't able to cure your diabetes with a Peat inspired approach doesn't mean you can't benefit from his work. Forum member @Tarmander is on insulin and still incorporates Peat's ideas into his lifestyle. I'm happy you're feeling better.

 

[Tarmander]

So yeah, I guess I do have "diabetes" after all. After struggling to get ahead of it on my own for over a year, and living with BG numbers around 350, I finally gave up and went to see a regular doctor, an internist, and she put me on insulin, which I knew she would. My insulin test number was a 2. I just could not go on trying things that weren't working. I was steady losing weight in spite of eating like a horse, constantly. It was very scary to watch my body disappear before my eyes.

I wanted this way of eating to work for me. I really did. I jumped in head first. I was infatuated with Dr. Peat and all of his work, and didn't even consider for a moment that it might not be right for me. After a year of denial and struggle and worry, I must now conclude that it was a disaster for me. I now must inject insulin into my stomach every day, probably for the rest of my life. I know that it's what I need at this point -- as much as I fought it and hate to admit it, my body reacted so positively to the insulin from the very first day, both from a muscle-testing standpoint and just overall feel ... it was like pouring some water on parched ground.

The doctor said I don't fit into any category. I was making lots of ketones for a long time, was actually in diabetic ketoacidosis. That fact, along with the unintentional weight loss, means I am definitely not a type 2. Yet here I am 53 years old and just getting this diagnosis, no one in my family has ever had diabetes or anything. She says to stop beating myself up about it, that you can't "give yourself diabetes," but I just have to wonder. I made some pretty drastic changes to my diet, and I can't help but think that if I never did any of that, none of this would have happened, and I wouldn't be on insulin now.

I wasn't going to post this update -- I don't want to cause any controversy or anything, I know this way of eating works great for most people. It just didn't work for me. It didn't seem right to post, but then it didn't feel right not to, either. So that's my update, I'm now insulin-dependent! Woo-hoo!!

Hey Artemis. Your story definitely sounds like one of a type 1 diabetic. It is rare, but I have heard cases of type 1 diabetes being diagnosed later in life, in people's 30s, 40s, and now even 50s. The fact that you were able to go for a year without insulin really speaks to your good health, despite what you may think. Many kids who are diagnosed with type 1 go into DKA relatively quickly and waste away at an alarming pace. There was an anecdote I heard from doctors who used to treat type 1 diabetes back in the early 1900s. They said the earlier you got it, the faster its progression and inevitable death. The fact that you lingered in ketosis for so long attests to this. Also, before insulin was discovered, they tried EVERYTHING. High sugar diets, high protein no sugar, high fat no sugar, the list goes on. But it was literally hopeless. If people were diagnosed later on in life, they could live for maybe 5-10 years, but diagnosed younger and they had under a year easy. It was such a hopeless and sad situation for a doctor and a parent because it really was a death sentence. The stories of people trying to stop their children from dying, the lengths they went to, and their inevitable failure really makes insulin such a miracle in my mind. The fact that taking insulin was such a relief to you is something I have experienced, and other type 1s have as well. You really are not producing much insulin, and insulin can bring you back to life again.

So from here, now that you are on insulin, your life will change a bit. You are going to have to watch everything you eat, not to avoid it, but to account for it in your injections. I am not sure what your lifestyle is, but the more predictable and stress free it is, the better your blood sugars and mood will be.

If you get into the rollercoaster, pinging from lows to highs, you will experience anxiety from the lows, and then depression and fatigue from the highs. It can be hellish. A dexcom can become your best friend, look into it.

No one will understand the constant vigilance you will have to experience. Depending on how understanding your friends and family are, they may wonder why you make such a big deal out of your food and schedule. Finding other type 1s to mingle with can also be a breath of fresh air. Join type 1 groups on facebook and you will see the similarity of experience across people.

Your sleep may get messed up, you will be woken up with lows that make you ravenous and then wake up two hours later needing insulin from the massive spike.

SOMETIMES NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO IT DOESN'T WORK OUT. This is a big one. No matter how good at this you become, you will never be 100% in control and you will have random ***t happen that will ruin plans, make experiences that are supposed to be fun suck, and throw a wrench in anything.

I am sorry this happen to you, it does suck, no way around that. But you are not alone, there are many people out there doing this same thing, it can be a blessing in disguise. Feel free to message me any time.

 

[dfspcc20]

Sorry to hear you had to go through this.
My grandfather got type-1 in his mid-30s. My grandmother always blamed it on stress. My grandfather worked for his brother, who was very "abusive" to him, from what I was told. He was never overweight or carried much body fat.
It's something my brothers and I have always been told to watch out for, since it "skips a generation". I've never really bought that, but being in my mid-30s now, I still have that lurking in the back of my mind.
@artemis @Tarmander Anything to watch out for or be mindful of? Anything you remember happening leading up to your symptoms and diagnosis?
I've only checked my blood sugar a few times in my life, when my wife was pregnant and she was checking hers. It was upper 90s mg/dL before a meal, ~120-130 1 hour after, back to ~100 after 2 hours.

 

[Tarmander]

Sorry to hear you had to go through this.
My grandfather got type-1 in his mid-30s. My grandmother always blamed it on stress. My grandfather worked for his brother, who was very "abusive" to him, from what I was told. He was never overweight or carried much body fat.
It's something my brothers and I have always been told to watch out for, since it "skips a generation". I've never really bought that, but being in my mid-30s now, I still have that lurking in the back of my mind.
@artemis @Tarmander Anything to watch out for or be mindful of? Anything you remember happening leading up to your symptoms and diagnosis?
I've only checked my blood sugar a few times in my life, when my wife was pregnant and she was checking hers. It was upper 90s mg/dL before a meal, ~120-130 1 hour after, back to ~100 after 2 hours.

I have heard of it being triggered by a stressful event, but that is usually an acute occurrence...like falling off a ladder, your parents getting divorced, getting a bad viral infection. I guess prolonged stress could trigger it too, but it is harder to see that. It is not really something you can "be careful" for, like type 2 diabetes. Personally, my parents divorced, I got really sick, and got a bunch of vaccinations before I got it. But it took a little while to come on. If you start getting really thirsty, have to pee a lot, and you start losing weight, or are unable to keep it on, you probably want to get checked out. It is not like type 2 diabetes at all, where they are trying to control their lifestyle and food intake. It starts to come on and literally no matter what you do, you start losing weight and getting thirsty.

 

[bluewren]

Thanks Artemis for your thoughtful, honest posts.
I have found them so helpful.