Update on my "Blood Sugar Blues"

[artemis]

post 104071 Do you have symptoms (not directly related to high blood sugar) that can give you a clue that you are lacking specific nutrients? You mentioned calf's cramps in another thread, didn't you? (magnesium or potassium?)

The naturopath does think the leg and foot cramps are directly related to the high blood glucose. I don't remember how she explained it, but I know they are related, because when my BG is high (upper 200's to mid 300's), I get them every morning, and when it's lower, I don't get them. It's definitely not magnesium, as I get that from a few different sources: I drink mag. bicarb water every day, take a mag. malate tablet most days, soak in epsom salt bath most days, and I also have a bottle of mag. oil that I spray on most days. As far as potassium, I don't know. I think I'm going to order some liquid potassium and try it.

One other symptom that has come up recently is I'm shedding hair like crazy. It's been like this for about a month now (right after I stopped all supplements, hmm !) Of course, it could be just a delayed reaction to all the stress I've been under worrying about all this. Who knows. I have resumed the B-vitamins as of this past week. No change in the hair shedding yet. I don't actually notice any bald spots or thinning, thank goodness, it's just shedding all the time, a lot more than usual, and when I gather it all up to put it in a ponytail or something, I can tell that there's a lot less there! Oh joy, the fun never stops!

Today is my 7th day of taking high-dose biotin, 20mg a few times a day. No great results so far. BG was 334 last week and 309 today. Better, but not by that much. Anyone else been trying this? The two supplements that the naturopath recommended came in the mail today, so I have begun those. I guess I'll keep up the biotin, and the other B's, too.

I can relate one small bit of good news: I had to go to the dentist last week for a problem with a crown. The assistant looked at it, then went to talk with the dentist in another room, then came back and said "He wants me to get an x-ray." I refused the x-ray. She tried to convince me it was safe. At one point she said "It's digital" (!). I still refused, the dentist came in and did what he had to do without the x-ray, and everything turned out fine. I'm celebrating small victories these days!

 

[Giraffe]

post 104244 One other symptom that has come up recently is I'm shedding hair like crazy. It's been like this for about a month now (right after I stopped all supplements, hmm !) Of course, it could be just a delayed reaction to all the stress I've been under worrying about all this. Who knows. I have resumed the B-vitamins as of this past week. No change in the hair shedding yet. I don't actually notice any bald spots or thinning, thank goodness, it's just shedding all the time, a lot more than usual, and when I gather it all up to put it in a ponytail or something, I can tell that there's a lot less there! Oh joy, the fun never stops!

High prolactin?

I think these threads/posts are useful:

Vitamin B6 is a dopamine agonist and prolactin inhibitor - Dose? post 38393
KMUD: Hair Loss, Inflammation and Osteoporosis (2012)

post 104244 I'm celebrating small victories these days!

:10

 

[Giraffe]

post 103801 Someone will probably be curious which supplements the naturopath recommended. I guess it's OK to put such info out here? Mods can do their thing if not. Both are found through a site called "Poliquin Group" -- one is "Gluco-Reg," the other is "Carnitine Synergy 2.0." I hope they arrive soon, and I hope they work.

Hi Artemnis, I am currently reading a bit about amino acids. This reminded me of the Carnitine supplement your naturopath recommended. Maybe I just do not understand how it is supposed to help... I do not like the ingredients.

L-Carnitine is anti-thyroid and increases oxidative damage to the cell.
Alpha lipoic acid interferes with the conversion of T4 to T3.
Evodiamine seems hardly understood.

+++++

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6407537
"Carnitine administration in the neonatal period seems to act by increasing ketogenesis and lipolysis."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6423792
"Low carnitine plasma concentrations do not necessarily signify a depletion of body carnitine, and sufficient tissue carnitine concentrations can probably maintain good lipid utilization for an extended period."

 

[artemis]

post 104485 I do not like the ingredients.

Yeah, I know, I'm just trusting her on this one. Something's gotta work to get my BG down! I've been mega-dosing biotin for the past 9 days with no change (20mg, at least a few times per day). I just don't know what to do or who to believe. I know the one thing that brought it down quickly was eating zero carbs, but I know that I can't rely on that as a long-term solution. I'm between a rock and a hard place.

There is lots of info out there about alpha-lipoic acid for diabetes, though.

I really appreciate your concern, Giraffe. I am reading all your links, and taking it all into consideration. You're a gem!

 

[Nicholas]

Hey Artemis - what has your temp. and pulse throughout the day been like lately?

 

[artemis]

post 104608 Hey Artemis - what has your temp. and pulse throughout the day been like lately?

My waking temp is usually around 96.3 to 97.3, somewhere in that range. It goes up to goes up to 98.3 or so in the afternoon, occasionally hitting 98.6 but not too often. Waking pulse is usually 68 to 75, goes up to low 80's most afternoons. Occasionally I will have a day where something goes awry and my pulse goes up to 105 to 115 or so. Adrenaline, I guess -- still trying to nail down the precursors to that. I'm pretty sure it's got to do with simply not eating enough food earlier in the day. Although lately I've noticed that even if I eat the same amount of calories and ratios, if I eat my lunch on the run (while driving or something), I will still get the high pulse later. It's like my body will not be fooled, it wants me to sit down at a table and eat a proper meal! But even when my pulse goes way up, my temps don't follow. They stay in the high 97's to low 98's.

So temp and pulse not ideal, still working on them.