Diabetes Talking

Question:

it’s like which came first  the chicken or the egg?      before i was diagnosed i started having angina pains. they were so severe that i ended up in ICU alot. along with this i lost 80 lbs. in less than 2 months, but i still didn’t put all the clues together.      i didn’t realize how ill i really was. one of my children took me to see a specialist for diabetes. he put me in the hospital with bg of 499.      now, the better control i had with the bg the less incidents i had with the angina. by the time 1 year passed i didn’t need the nitro pills. it’s been over six years without any problems of this sort.      so "i" think that the diabetes caused the angina because when the bg was running wild my body was feeding on itself. (the reason for the rapid weight loss) not just certain parts, but all, including my heart.      right or wrong, this is how i see it. the LORD bless and keep you all always!

Response:

I’m sorry to hear about your problems and about your diabetes onset. As they say here, welcome to the club to which none of us want to belong. The best advice I can give you is that it doesn’t matter -how- you became a diabetic, but that it does matter that you are one.  It takes time to realize that you have to move on to life and forget the "why"s and "hows" and concentrate on being well. It’s a normal part of the grief process many people go through when first diagnosed to question, "why me? why did this happen?"  It’s very normal and I think we all do it.  Don’t listen when well meaning people tell you "there are people who are worse!" and the like. Feel free to grieve, because after grief comes healing.

Response:

This all seemed to start with a breathing problem.  In February I started waking up in the middle of the night, unable to breath.  I would assume the hands on knees position to get some air, then go to the kitchen and make a cup of coffee, then go sit on the front steps and smoke a couple cigarettes, drink my coffee.  the Position would allow me to breathe again, then go back to bed.

Since you don’t ask, I won’t comment on the wisdom of smoking a cigarette after waking up from an episode of SOB. had never had any kind of sugar problem before.  I was discharged on the 18th and on the following meds:  Digoxin(lanoxin) lasix, fosinopril, potassium, iron, and two inhalers albuterol and atrovent.

My nursing manual says albuterol is to be used with caution in patients with diabetes mellitus. Ask your doctor; he’s probably aware of what he’s doing. Sounds like he’s walking a tightrope with your collection of problems.  NOTE WELL: I am not a nurse or a doctor nor do I play one on the internet. Consult your doctor before changing anything; its your life we are talking about.  But don’t allow ignorance to cheat you out of the best care available.  Any doctor worth his salt welcomes patient questions, and can explain why he made his medical decisions.   The meds have side effects and I believe that they are causing this elevated blood sugar.  I know this is denial and I am taking the pills that were prescribed and sugar is coming down.  Has anyone experienced anything similar?  I feel that my diabetes is caused by the medications that I must take for my heart rather than pancreas problems or the meds are somehow causing pancreas problems.   Is this simply denial?  Or is it common with conjestive heart failure?

I was diagnosed as diabetic when the doctor dosed me with 80 mg of prednisone for a few weeks. THe prednisone is gone, but I’m still a diabetic. Type II diabetes is not generally understood to be a pancreas problem, but a problem using the insulin produced (insulin resistance). Exercise, diet and drugs will usually control it. And control is VERY important in the long term. If you don’t know why, ask. With all these problems, ASK YOUR DOCTOR!  Make an appointment, tell the nurse/staff member/gate keeper you have a LONG list of questions.  Write those questions down, leaving room for answers. Take the list with you. Make it clear you will not go away until your questions are answered. Then see if he will send you to a Certified Diabetes Educator. Good luck, and learn quickly how to deal with diabetes and the rest of the problems.  The life you save may be your own.

Response:

   Been there, done that. Your symptoms of the heart attack sound very    similar to me. Denial is one of the major signs of heart attacks. My doctor keeps looking at my heart, shaking his head and saying, "I don’t understand it… It’s perfectly healthy and it should  not be"  (I’ve had high blood pressure more than half my life… Finally got it under control 3 years ago) Have a friend who is retired now, Still kicking around though, a few years ago he was having a heart attack… He did not look good and everybody who saw him inquired as to his health (He was at work, doing union stuff, at the time) Finally the supervisor stopped asking and ORDERED him to the hospital (I’m a police dispatcher, said Supervisor has the authority to order troopers (What he is, or was) to the hospital if he feels it necessary) They called in a trooper off the road  "Threw" the heart attack in the car (Threw = assisted him in gently by the way) and off they went to a local hospital where he got out of the patrol car still complaining that he was ok, Walked in to the ER and promptly collasped  CODE BLUE ER HALL, Full arrest. He’d reached the end of his denial… Good place to do it to. Later we were talking about hospitals good, bad, and otherwise and I said the hospital he went to seemed rather good (He’s not the first person to enter dead and walk out alive that I’ve know)  He advised they had just been sued for operating on the wrong patient (A clerical error after all).  I said, "Well that may be John but you walked in there DEAD and now look at you" (Yes his name really is John)  He thought a bit and agreed with me. "Nothing adds excitement like something that is none of your business" Net-Tamer V 1.08X – Registered

Response:

Dear M: Have you heard of the diabetic "X syndrome"?  If not, you should read up on it because there are some of us diabetics that have it and it includes high blood pressure, high cholesterol as well as diabetes.  When I was younger, I had some high blood pressure and they put me on hydrochlorothiazide, which is a blood pressure med that works by easing water retention.  Now that I am diabetic, which means I can get dehydrated much more easily, the doctor uses Vasotec which doesn’t work as a water pill.  Perhaps you need to ask your doctor if Lasix is the right drug for you – you have a heart condition – so did my mom – and she had to take Lasix too.  If you are taking the pills and the sugars are coming down, part of you isn’t in denial.  I have no idea of pancreas and heart conditions are closely related – that is also a question for your doctor.   General advice on doctors: Find a Board Certified doctor in diabetes or endocrinology as well as a cardiologist.   Always make a list of questions before your appointments and let the doc know you intend to ask them so they budget time for it. If you have uncomplicated questions you don’t want to bother the doc with, call their nurse – they are often a wealth of info and easier to get ahold of. Best of luck.  This isn’t the worst disease in the world, but it does take being assertive and getting the info you need until you feel comfortable with your knowledge base. Rachel – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This all seemed to start with a breathing problem.  In February I started waking up in the middle of the night, unable to breath.  I would assume the hands on knees position to get some air, then go to the kitchen and make a cup of coffee, then go sit on the front steps and smoke a couple cigarettes, drink my coffee.  the Position would allow me to breathe again, then go back to bed. After a couple weeks I decided that this was due to eating a spicy Italian Sub sandwich shortly before bed.  I stopped eating those sandwiches and the problem went away!  In March I seemed to run out of breath very easily and by April 13th I could only walk about 100 feet before running out of breath.  I finally went to the emergency room where they took blood samples, a chest x-ray, and an ekg.  They sent me home and told me to come back the next day for a cat scan and pulmonary function test.  I happened to see the x-ray– it looked like someone had spray painted one lung, with overspray dripping down.  I quit smoking on the spot.  On the 14th they did the cat scan and took me back to ER and I was admitted for conjestive heart failure, enphysema, severe anemia, and pneumonia all of which was a total suprise to me, 4 days later they told me I needed a heart transplant!  My blood sugar on admission was 88 and I had never had any kind of sugar problem before.  I was discharged on the 18th and on the following meds:  Digoxin(lanoxin) lasix, fosinopril, potassium, iron, and two inhalers albuterol and atrovent.   One month later I had more labs and blood sugar was 166, but they didn’t notice it or just forgot to tell me about it.  About a week later I noticed that my vision was very blurry, I was sweating from the back of the scalp for no apparent reason and had an uncontolable thirst.  I figured that I would drink stuff that was healthy instead of soda!  I ended up drinking 48 ounces of tomato juice, 32 ounces of orange juice, a quart of apple juice, a quart of grapefruit juice, pineapple juice, milk, water, a liter of sunny delight, and a liter of cola.  Naturally I wasn’t very hungry, but if I got a little hungry: I would open a can of peaches, eat them and drink the syrup.  Obviously I was bombing my body with sugar without realizing it. June 14th I went to the ER….blood sugar was 464 and the Dr. told me I was diabetic (imagine that!)   The meds have side effects and I believe that they are causing this elevated blood sugar.  I know this is denial and I am taking the pills that were prescribed and sugar is coming down.  Has anyone experienced anything similar?  I feel that my diabetes is caused by the medications that I must take for my heart rather than pancreas problems or the meds are somehow causing pancreas problems.   Is this simply denial?  Or is it common with conjestive heart failure?

Response:

This all seemed to start with a breathing problem.  In February I started waking up in the middle of the night, unable to breath.  I would assume the hands on knees position to get some air, then go to the kitchen and make a cup of coffee, then go sit on the front steps and smoke a couple cigarettes, drink my coffee.  the Position would allow me to breathe again, then go back to bed.

Been there, done that. Your symptoms of the heart attack sound very similar to me. Denial is one of the major signs of heart attacks. In a group of 10 people who are taking a heart program with me, every one of us denied that we were having heart problems. Your weakness is was like mine and it was heart. I am recovering from the heart attack but at this point the doctor, says this is a about how I will be for the rest of my life. I am happy that I survived but I wish that a long time ago I would have listened to the people who kept telling me that good control was necessary to avoid or delay the side effects of diabetes. Good luck in your recovery program and do listen to the doctors with an open mind. I know what you are going through. I think a person would have to be there to understand the fear that comes when your life is in eminent danger. I know I have further limits now but I figure there is still lots of things I can do so rather than complain about what I cannot do I am thankful for what I can do….best wishes… — …Ron diagnosed 1953, type 1, regular x3, NPH x1

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This all seemed to start with a breathing problem.  In February I started waking up in the middle of the night, unable to breath.  I would assume the hands on knees position to get some air, then go to the kitchen and make a cup of coffee, then go sit on the front steps and smoke a couple cigarettes, drink my coffee.  the Position would allow me to breathe again, then go back to bed. After a couple weeks I decided that this was due to eating a spicy Italian Sub sandwich shortly before bed.  I stopped eating those sandwiches and the problem went away!  In March I seemed to run out of breath very easily and by April 13th I could only walk about 100 feet before running out of breath.  I finally went to the emergency room where they took blood samples, a chest x-ray, and an ekg.  They sent me home and told me to come back the next day for a cat scan and pulmonary function test.  I happened to see the x-ray– it looked like someone had spray painted one lung, with overspray dripping down.  I quit smoking on the spot.  On the 14th they did the cat scan and took me back to ER and I was admitted for conjestive heart failure, enphysema, severe anemia, and pneumonia all of which was a total suprise to me, 4 days later they told me I needed a heart transplant!  My blood sugar on admission was 88 and I had never had any kind of sugar problem before.  I was discharged on the 18th and on the following meds:  Digoxin(lanoxin) lasix, fosinopril, potassium, iron, and two inhalers albuterol and atrovent.   One month later I had more labs and blood sugar was 166, but they didn’t notice it or just forgot to tell me about it.  About a week later I noticed that my vision was very blurry, I was sweating from the back of the scalp for no apparent reason and had an uncontolable thirst.  I figured that I would drink stuff that was healthy instead of soda!  I ended up drinking 48 ounces of tomato juice, 32 ounces of orange juice, a quart of apple juice, a quart of grapefruit juice, pineapple juice, milk, water, a liter of sunny delight, and a liter of cola.  Naturally I wasn’t very hungry, but if I got a little hungry: I would open a can of peaches, eat them and drink the syrup.  Obviously I was bombing my body with sugar without realizing it. June 14th I went to the ER….blood sugar was 464 and the Dr. told me I was diabetic (imagine that!)   The meds have side effects and I believe that they are causing this elevated blood sugar.  I know this is denial and I am taking the pills that were prescribed and sugar is coming down.  Has anyone experienced anything similar?  I feel that my diabetes is caused by the medications that I must take for my heart rather than pancreas problems or the meds are somehow causing pancreas problems.   Is this simply denial?  Or is it common with conjestive heart failure?

a very similar thing happened to me.  i’m trying to take control of my nasal allergy problems and claratin is pretty weak but doesn’t have the side effects of many other anti-histamines so i took the big one, zyrtec.  wow. this dried me out like a prune.  i was drinking tons of water and eventually water wasn’t enough so i downed gatorade and soda. a few days later i wasn’t feeling very good, started throwing up, felt dizzy, weak, and nausea.  i went to the hospital and they told me i had a blood sugar of 1400 !  after 3 days my bg returned to normal and i went home with an insulin starters kit.  i was suprised but suggested to the doctors before i left that the medication, zyrtec, i was taking could of indirectly or directly caused the high blood sugar.  the doctor said no way, even though it makes sense that it might.  you get dehydrated due to a drug.  you then drink, then drink more, then drink soda to see if that will quench your thirst and soon you’re drinking about a case of soda a day.  would a normal person’s pancreas handle this much sugar without high bg levels?  i don’t know.   i’m not taking zyrtec anymore.  i went from 15+15 units of 70/30 a day down to 3+3 units in about 3 weeks.  many say this could be my honeymoon period or could it be my body back to normal or almost back to normal from the dehydration zyrtec caused.  i have drank a soda at times and had my sugar recently go above 200.  so maybe i was always a borderline diabetic but zyrtec caused dyhydration which made is very obvious. time will tell. darrin — Please reply by Post & E-Mail or just E-Mail.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This all seemed to start with a breathing problem.  In February I started waking up in the middle of the night, unable to breath.  I would assume the hands on knees position to get some air, then go to the kitchen and make a cup of coffee, then go sit on the front steps and smoke a couple cigarettes, drink my coffee.  the Position would allow me to breathe again, then go back to bed. After a couple weeks I decided that this was due to eating a spicy Italian Sub sandwich shortly before bed.  I stopped eating those sandwiches and the problem went away!  In March I seemed to run out of breath very easily and by April 13th I could only walk about 100 feet before running out of breath.  I finally went to the emergency room where they took blood samples, a chest x-ray, and an ekg.  They sent me home and told me to come back the next day for a cat scan and pulmonary function test.  I happened to see the x-ray– it looked like someone had spray painted one lung, with overspray dripping down.  I quit smoking on the spot.  On the 14th they did the cat scan and took me back to ER and I was admitted for conjestive heart failure, enphysema, severe anemia, and pneumonia all of which was a total suprise to me, 4 days later they told me I needed a heart transplant!  My blood sugar on admission was 88 and I had never had any kind of sugar problem before.  I was discharged on the 18th and on the following meds:  Digoxin(lanoxin) lasix, fosinopril, potassium, iron, and two inhalers albuterol and atrovent.   One month later I had more labs and blood sugar was 166, but they didn’t notice it or just forgot to tell me about it.  About a week later I noticed that my vision was very blurry, I was sweating from the back of the scalp for no apparent reason and had an uncontolable thirst.  I figured that I would drink stuff that was healthy instead of soda!  I ended up drinking 48 ounces of tomato juice, 32 ounces of orange juice, a quart of apple juice, a quart of grapefruit juice, pineapple juice, milk, water, a liter of sunny delight, and a liter of cola.  Naturally I wasn’t very hungry, but if I got a little hungry: I would open a can of peaches, eat them and drink the syrup.  Obviously I was bombing my body with sugar without realizing it. June 14th I went to the ER….blood sugar was 464 and the Dr. told me I was diabetic (imagine that!)   The meds have side effects and I believe that they are causing this elevated blood sugar.  I know this is denial and I am taking the pills that were prescribed and sugar is coming down.  Has anyone experienced anything similar?  I feel that my diabetes is caused by the medications that I must take for my heart rather than pancreas problems or the meds are somehow causing pancreas problems.   Is this simply denial?  Or is it common with conjestive heart failure?

Medication can elevate blood sugar levels in diabetics, but does not cause diabetes.  Your heart problems can also have an impact on blood glucose levels, but does not cause diabetes.  Another words, your heart problems and medications do have an impact on your diabetes but did not cause the illness! Diabetes is not a death sentence… When you get it under control you will feel great again.  It takes time and detection, but there is not anything you cannot achieve. I have been diabetic for 20-years and have a wonderful life.         Be Healthy,         M.H. Moman — @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Our brightest blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks.                      -Samuel Johnson @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Response:

This all seemed to start with a breathing problem.  In February I started waking up in the middle of the night, unable to breath.  I would assume the hands on knees position to get some air, then go to the kitchen and make a cup of coffee, then go sit on the front steps and smoke a couple cigarettes, drink my coffee.  the Position would allow me to breathe again, then go back to bed. After a couple weeks I decided that this was due to eating a spicy Italian Sub sandwich shortly before bed.  I stopped eating those sandwiches and the problem went away!  In March I seemed to run out of breath very easily and by April 13th I could only walk about 100 feet before running out of breath.  I finally went to the emergency room where they took blood samples, a chest x-ray, and an ekg.  They sent me home and told me to come back the next day for a cat scan and pulmonary function test.  I happened to see the x-ray– it looked like someone had spray painted one lung, with overspray dripping down.  I quit smoking on the spot.  On the 14th they did the cat scan and took me back to ER and I was admitted for conjestive heart failure, enphysema, severe anemia, and pneumonia all of which was a total suprise to me, 4 days later they told me I needed a heart transplant!  My blood sugar on admission was 88 and I had never had any kind of sugar problem before.  I was discharged on the 18th and on the following meds:  Digoxin(lanoxin) lasix, fosinopril, potassium, iron, and two inhalers albuterol and atrovent.   One month later I had more labs and blood sugar was 166, but they didn’t notice it or just forgot to tell me about it.  About a week later I noticed that my vision was very blurry, I was sweating from the back of the scalp for no apparent reason and had an uncontolable thirst.  I figured that I would drink stuff that was healthy instead of soda!  I ended up drinking 48 ounces of tomato juice, 32 ounces of orange juice, a quart of apple juice, a quart of grapefruit juice, pineapple juice, milk, water, a liter of sunny delight, and a liter of cola.  Naturally I wasn’t very hungry, but if I got a little hungry: I would open a can of peaches, eat them and drink the syrup.  Obviously I was bombing my body with sugar without realizing it. June 14th I went to the ER….blood sugar was 464 and the Dr. told me I was diabetic (imagine that!)   The meds have side effects and I believe that they are causing this elevated blood sugar.  I know this is denial and I am taking the pills that were prescribed and sugar is coming down.  Has anyone experienced anything similar?  I feel that my diabetes is caused by the medications that I must take for my heart rather than pancreas problems or the meds are somehow causing pancreas problems.   Is this simply denial?  Or is it common with conjestive heart failure?

Response: