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Post by perio on Jan 2, 2007 21:18:05 GMT 8
long live my fellow diabetics! have it for 6 years now. all those classic symptoms when i was diagnosed, including deterioration in vision. listen to the expert advices on this thread if you are suspicious of your health. at the moment i have no medications whatsoever; just constant biking and biking and biking. keeps my blood sugar in check. this is a good support group for us guys. lets keep this up.
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Post by edp773 on Jan 4, 2007 3:59:55 GMT 8
yup, consistency is key, I guess. But edp773, is it actually possible to live a normal, healthy life as a diabetic if I just continue to exercise and eat right all my life? could it be possible for a diabetic to live with the disease and not suffer the complications? Sorry for not replying right away. Yes it is possible, but this is not the most common scenario. My suggestion is to keep excercising and eating a healthy diet. Diabetes is hard on the vascular system, so controlled blood sugar levels along with a low fat diet with lots of fruit and veggies is the key to keeping the complications away. Eating right and excercise is good for non diabetics too. The longer you can avoid the complications, the better off you will be when new medicines or cures are discovered. Good luck and stay healthy.
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Post by edp773 on Jan 4, 2007 4:11:51 GMT 8
Qoute from www.diabetes.orgStudies in the United States and abroad have found that improved glycemic control benefits people with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. In general, every percentage point drop in A1C blood test results (e.g., from 8.0% to 7.0%) reduces the risk of microvascular complications (eye, kidney, and nerve diseases) by 40%. So you can see how important getting an A1c blood test is. A 1% drop in A1C lessens your chances of complications by 40%. Quite a ratio difference. Too BAD I CANNOT FIND A GROUPSET THAT WILL GIVE ME THOSE KINDs OF ODDS.
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Post by phyter on Jan 4, 2007 8:48:57 GMT 8
hehe... thanks edp!
BTW, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you? and what age do you think complications would actually start to set in if a person, let's say, just "mildly" (i.e., regular medication and some exercise) deals with his/ her diabetes?
lastly, how does one actually pull the hc1 count down aggressively?
thanks!
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Post by edp773 on Jan 4, 2007 11:11:16 GMT 8
Hello phyter. I am 47. First off, I am not a Doctor, only a person who has lived a long time with diabetes. From my experince, the length of time you have been a diabetic has more to do with complications than age. I became a diabetic in 1969 and did not start having complications until 1993/94. Back in the days when I became a juvenile diabetic, they did not have glucometers. I know many people who have had major complications in less than ten years. With the knowledge of the disease today you should be able to go much longer. And with proper care you should be able to go linger than myself before having problems.
The best method is to test you sugar regularly and watch your diet. The ideal setup would be to eat the same amount of calories each day and burn the same amount of calories. This is hard to do and almost impractical. I checked my sugar levels regularly to find my patterns and then tried to adjust my meals to level out the variances.
edit: Find a good Doctor and work with him or her.
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okidok
Bike Commuter
MiniMe
Posts: 67
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Post by okidok on Jan 18, 2007 23:09:32 GMT 8
Hello fellow diabetics, I think edp773 has type I or IDDM this is usually early onset and as the name implies is insulin dependent. the other type is of course type II or NIDDM that is what most of us have. We still produce insulin but the insulin receptors develops resistance to insulin. Why does this happens? genetic predisposition and risk factors ie. obesity. If you have it in your genes you are destined to have it but you can delay the onset by being fit as early in life as possible.
@ Phyter, regarding HBa1c this blood test only shows you control of your blood sugar during the past 3 months. Test your blood sugar daily/weekly with your glucometer and Fasting blood sugar (FBS) monthly, If you are always on the mark then after 3 mos. you can be sure your HbA1c will reflect a good blood sugar control.
I hope this helps.
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Post by phyter on Jan 23, 2007 16:43:08 GMT 8
hi okidok, thanks for the advice.
but what exactly does being "on the mark" mean in terms of glucose level? 75 to 110? is it okay if am doing 105 to 130 regularly? is it okay that the blood sugar level shoot up a bit during intense rides so that it gradually subsides at the end of the ride?
also, when i did the reverse palace ride last saturday, i kept on taking chocolates and gatorade so i don't pass out. when i reached the gotohan, i took my glucose level and got 171. any tips on maintaining good blood sugar levels on high-intensity rides like the reverse palace ride i did? is that 171 permissible for short periods, or better not take too much chocolates? am really confused how to deal with this.
any advice will be very, very appreciated. =)
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Post by qt_kat on Jan 24, 2007 12:04:54 GMT 8
but what exactly does being "on the mark" mean in terms of glucose level? 75 to 110? is it okay if am doing 105 to 130 regularly? is it okay that the blood sugar level shoot up a bit during intense rides so that it gradually subsides at the end of the ride? also, when i did the reverse palace ride last saturday, i kept on taking chocolates and gatorade so i don't pass out. when i reached the gotohan, i took my glucose level and got 171. any tips on maintaining good blood sugar levels on high-intensity rides like the reverse palace ride i did? is that 171 permissible for short periods, or better not take too much chocolates? am really confused how to deal with this. any advice will be very, very appreciated. =) On the mark means you strive to keep your blood glucose level under 140 mg/dl preferably closer to the 70-120 range. You should check your blood sugar before you begin exercising to make sure that it isn't too low and that it doesn't drop too low during and after your workout. To help you determine if your blood sugar is stable, rising or falling, test it 30 minutes before you start and then once again immediately before exercising. Follow these guidelines to avoid problems: If less than 100 mg/dl -- No matter what type of diabetes you have, if your blood sugar is less than 100 mg/dl, eat a small carbohydrate-containing snack like fruit or crackers before exercising. 100 to 250 mg/dl -- For most people, this is the safe pre-exercise blood sugar range. 250 mg/dl or higher -- Before exercising, test your urine for ketones. You can use urine strips for this. If the results show a moderate or high ketone level, do not exercise. You should wait until your ketones test indicates a low level. Why? The excess ketones indicate that your body doesn't have enough insulin to control your blood sugar and can lead to ketoacidosis. In case you dont know what ketoacidosis is, Diabetic Ketoacidosis is serious complication wherein there is insufficient insulin level in the body resulting in high blood sugar and the buildup of substances in the blood called ketones. How does this happen? People with diabetes have insufficient levels of the hormone insulin, which is necessary to help your cells take up glucose to use as energy. As the cells' energy reserves become depleted, your body attributes the problem to a lack of glucose in the blood — which isn't actually the case — and prompts the release of hormones that break down alternate fuels such as fat stores into glucose. The process of breaking down fats forms acids known as ketones. Increased ketone levels in the blood upset the pH balance in your blood, making the blood more acidic (acidosis). An acidic environment is toxic to your body's cells. If this is left untreated, it could lead to coma and eventually death. 300 mg/dl or higher -- No matter what type of diabetes you have, dont exercise. You need to bring your blood sugar down before you can safely exercise because you risk an even greater increase in your blood sugar, which can lead to ketoacidosis. During exercise, you should check your blood sugar every 30 min. If you get 70 mg/dl or lower or even if its not low but you feel shaky, weak, anxious, sweaty or confused then eat a snack that serves as a fast-acting source of sugar like five to six pieces of hard candy, half a cup of regular soda (not diet) or fruit juice or 1/2 chocolate bar. So I would suggest to always bring sugar-containing food whenever you bike or go remote places where food are hard to come by. Recheck your blood sugar 15 minutes after the snack to check if its low or it reaches 70 mg/dl or higher. When you're done exercising, you should check your blood sugar again. Its ok if your blood sugar level shoot up a bit during intense rides. The more strenuous the workout, the longer your blood sugar is affected. It will eventually go down because exercise draws on reserve sugar stored in your muscles and liver. As your body rebuilds those stores, it takes sugar from your blood, lowering your blood sugar level. You should check your blood sugar a couple of times after exercising to make sure you aren't developing hypoglycemia, which can occur even hours after you've stopped. Check your blood sugar at least twice after exercising. I know you may think that its tedious to test your blood sugar before, during and after you exercise, but it would really be beneficial to you. Eventually you will know how your body responds to strenuous exercise and then probably you can cut back on testing. And lastly, dont forget to hydrate. When you're exercising, your body uses more fluid to keep you cool. By the time you feel thirsty, you may already be getting dehydrated. Dehydration (not enough fluid in your body) can affect your blood sugar level. Drink plenty of fluid before, during and after exercise. Just take it easy and dont overdo it.
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Post by GALVinChie on Jan 24, 2007 15:26:33 GMT 8
Dr/Ma'am qt_kat,
Would you recommend an insulin pack to be part of the first aid kit?
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Post by kaneda on Jan 24, 2007 23:12:36 GMT 8
qt_kat, are you a doctor? or are you in the medical profession? it seems so to me that you're very knowledgable in the area. nice advice. me, i'm not a diabetic. pre-diabetic, for now. also had fatty liver a few months ago. both was diagnosed at the same time a few months ago. used to weigh 195lbs. i'm in the area of 178-182 now (gaining weight lately). according to my doc, i don't have high blood sugar. high insulin. apparently, my insulin isn't "attaching" properly to the sugar in my blood. so, the compensation is to produce more insulin until blood sugar goes down. but the down side of that is, in the long run my pancreas (not sure, correct me if i'm wrong) will wear out and won't produce insulin anymore. couldn't take any medication while i had fatty liver. had to lose weight first. am now taking prialta daily, after losing the fatty liver. am also supposed to watch my diet (failing on that lately). and exercise daily for 30min minimum. but i make up for it by biking almost the whole day on sundays. for those who don't have a doctor yet, i recommend dra. lani mercado-asis in ust, rm601. ;D she's very knowledgable in her field.
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Post by phyter on Jan 29, 2007 22:06:07 GMT 8
but what exactly does being "on the mark" mean in terms of glucose level? 75 to 110? is it okay if am doing 105 to 130 regularly? is it okay that the blood sugar level shoot up a bit during intense rides so that it gradually subsides at the end of the ride? also, when i did the reverse palace ride last saturday, i kept on taking chocolates and gatorade so i don't pass out. when i reached the gotohan, i took my glucose level and got 171. any tips on maintaining good blood sugar levels on high-intensity rides like the reverse palace ride i did? is that 171 permissible for short periods, or better not take too much chocolates? am really confused how to deal with this. any advice will be very, very appreciated. =) On the mark means you strive to keep your blood glucose level under 140 mg/dl preferably closer to the 70-120 range. You should check your blood sugar before you begin exercising to make sure that it isn't too low and that it doesn't drop too low during and after your workout. To help you determine if your blood sugar is stable, rising or falling, test it 30 minutes before you start and then once again immediately before exercising. Follow these guidelines to avoid problems: If less than 100 mg/dl -- No matter what type of diabetes you have, if your blood sugar is less than 100 mg/dl, eat a small carbohydrate-containing snack like fruit or crackers before exercising. 100 to 250 mg/dl -- For most people, this is the safe pre-exercise blood sugar range. 250 mg/dl or higher -- Before exercising, test your urine for ketones. You can use urine strips for this. If the results show a moderate or high ketone level, do not exercise. You should wait until your ketones test indicates a low level. Why? The excess ketones indicate that your body doesn't have enough insulin to control your blood sugar and can lead to ketoacidosis. In case you dont know what ketoacidosis is, Diabetic Ketoacidosis is serious complication wherein there is insufficient insulin level in the body resulting in high blood sugar and the buildup of substances in the blood called ketones. How does this happen? People with diabetes have insufficient levels of the hormone insulin, which is necessary to help your cells take up glucose to use as energy. As the cells' energy reserves become depleted, your body attributes the problem to a lack of glucose in the blood — which isn't actually the case — and prompts the release of hormones that break down alternate fuels such as fat stores into glucose. The process of breaking down fats forms acids known as ketones. Increased ketone levels in the blood upset the pH balance in your blood, making the blood more acidic (acidosis). An acidic environment is toxic to your body's cells. If this is left untreated, it could lead to coma and eventually death. 300 mg/dl or higher -- No matter what type of diabetes you have, dont exercise. You need to bring your blood sugar down before you can safely exercise because you risk an even greater increase in your blood sugar, which can lead to ketoacidosis. During exercise, you should check your blood sugar every 30 min. If you get 70 mg/dl or lower or even if its not low but you feel shaky, weak, anxious, sweaty or confused then eat a snack that serves as a fast-acting source of sugar like five to six pieces of hard candy, half a cup of regular soda (not diet) or fruit juice or 1/2 chocolate bar. So I would suggest to always bring sugar-containing food whenever you bike or go remote places where food are hard to come by. Recheck your blood sugar 15 minutes after the snack to check if its low or it reaches 70 mg/dl or higher. When you're done exercising, you should check your blood sugar again. Its ok if your blood sugar level shoot up a bit during intense rides. The more strenuous the workout, the longer your blood sugar is affected. It will eventually go down because exercise draws on reserve sugar stored in your muscles and liver. As your body rebuilds those stores, it takes sugar from your blood, lowering your blood sugar level. You should check your blood sugar a couple of times after exercising to make sure you aren't developing hypoglycemia, which can occur even hours after you've stopped. Check your blood sugar at least twice after exercising. I know you may think that its tedious to test your blood sugar before, during and after you exercise, but it would really be beneficial to you. Eventually you will know how your body responds to strenuous exercise and then probably you can cut back on testing. And lastly, dont forget to hydrate. When you're exercising, your body uses more fluid to keep you cool. By the time you feel thirsty, you may already be getting dehydrated. Dehydration (not enough fluid in your body) can affect your blood sugar level. Drink plenty of fluid before, during and after exercise. Just take it easy and dont overdo it. WOW! Such great advice, doctora! Actually, based on the things you've mentioned here, I think I've been pretty successful in controlling my glucose levels before, during and after rides. In a sense, the tips came out as very re-assuring. What I didn't know though was that dehydration actually affects glucose levels also. Now I know! Thanks a lot for the advice! Hope to see you and your hubby in the trails one of these days!
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Post by edp773 on May 9, 2007 10:35:59 GMT 8
Hello phyter. Another suggestion from me would be to use the time released glucose bars during long activity. The glucose bars will give a more steady release of sugar to the blood than chocolate candy. I know they cost more.
Eating complex carbs (like carrots) helps to maintain blood sugar levels for a longer period of time without the higher levels of simple sugars.
I hope this information will help.
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Post by tristan1925 on Jun 30, 2007 11:53:26 GMT 8
i was also diagnose like you. im 6'2 and weigh 216lbs. what i did is i jog every morning 24/7 for a month and bought a heavyweight bike from pier and did biking for a month. eat less and refrained from sweets and whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.. from 216 lbs to my normal weight 185lbs. my sugar and cholesterol level went back to normal.
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