[Miss_Hattie]

Iceman, prednisone therapy is a diabetic's worst nightmare.... and cortisone in any form does the same. Because of a relapse of my sarcoidosis a couple of years ago, I had to go on 6 months of high dose prednisone. It increases both your blood pressure and your glucose levels.

In attempts for my doc trying to get my blood pressure under control, I ended up in the hospital in ER and then the cardiac unit because he "overdosed" me when he combined 2 drugs that interacted. My BP was 52/30 in ER and I was in and out of consciousness. Was not far from death.

And oh, those blood sugar problems! Even if I didn't eat anything all morning (I experimented) or ate very low calorie AND low carb ..... my numbers would be in the 300s and 400s. I had to take 2 shots of insulin AND 6-9 (and some 12!) glucose lowering pills scattered throughout the day. I STILL could not get control. Before I began the prednisone, my diabetes was still diet controlled and I took no medications.

And prednisone gives you a ravenous appetite.... AND has a tendency all in itself to make you gain weight including giving you a "lovely" round moon face. Prednisone was the breaker of my dreams making me gain back the 125 pounds I had lost.

I so much FEEL for Adriana because I've been there and done THAT! But at least I was in a position to get some help from pills and insulin, which she cannot.

We're rooting for ya, Adriana!!!!!!



"I am determined to fight and win my battle against Diabesity!"

[IceMan]

Adriana--There is one other snippet of info I can send your way that may or may not help but that you might want to take a look at and discuss with your physician.

There is a naturally occuring compound called HCA (Garcinia Cambogia) that is recommended by an author I'm reading in conjunction with weight loss and glucose control. Here's an excerpt of a description I pulled off the web. I have no personal experience with this stuff but I think I'm going to give it a try. Seeing what substantial weight loss has done for Miss Hattie's glucose numbers makes me want to lose as much as I can just as quickly as I safely can. I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like for you to be experiencing diabetes as a side effect of steroid therapy, seems unusually cruel to me but I guess we aren't always given a choice.

Anyway...if you try the stuff let us know if it helps.

Garcinia Cambogia

Garcinia, also known as Garcinia Cambogia or Mangosteen Oil tree, contains a biologically active compound which is known to inhibit the synthesis of lipids and fatty acids and lower the formation of LDL and triglycerides. Garcinia also contains significant amounts of Vitamin C and has been used as a heart tonic. Research suggests that this natural extract may also inhibit the conversion of excess calories to body fat. Additionally, appetite is also suppressed by promoting synthesis of glycogen. Glycogen is the stored form of glucose, one of the body's primary sources of energy. Increased glycogen production and storage is the body's normal way of signaling the brain's satiety centre that enough food has been eaten. This has made Garcinia a very effective herbal medicine for controlling obesity and cholesterol. It is a well established fat burning agent all over the world and is currently becoming a rage in America, Japan, Europe and many other western nations. It is recommended as a dieting aid supported by exercise and a balanced nutritional diet.


chow......d.

"all is energy...and energy follows thought"

My Diabetes Page (http://www.datainthehouse.com/diabetes/dwdiabetes.htm) -- updated weekly --
iceman@astacalaska.net
266/253/185

[Aggiette]

adrianad,
Hello! Please respond to my getting to know you post. I would like to know more about my new cyber friend. Where on Earth are you living that you have olive trees? COOL!
Aggiette......

[Miss_Hattie]

Good recall, Iceman. Let's put the word out to see if anyone else can come up with some other natural blood sugar reducers!

Gang....... are you listening????



"I am determined to fight and win my battle against Diabesity!"

[IceMan]

Adriana...given the complexity of your medical condition I won't suggest anything in medical sense. But along natural lines we recently reviewed cinnamon as a natural aid to glucose control. It was brought up from a recently published article. I even did a very unscientific consumption and subsequent glucose check after eating the stuff and I noticed a slight difference.

Anyway, it was discussed that a sprinkle isn't enough...at least a teaspoon should be ingested and Miss Hattie gave us the method of quartering an apple, adding an artificial sweetner (sugar raises blood sugar), I used Splenda, sprinkling liberally with the cinnamon and then microwaving for 1 to 1.5 minutes. Have it with a meal then chek your blood sugars two or three times in the first 2 or 3 hours after you eat. It should be harmless but check with your physician first.

chow......d.

"all is energy...and energy follows thought"

My Diabetes Page (http://www.datainthehouse.com/diabetes/dwdiabetes.htm) -- updated weekly --
iceman@astacalaska.net
266/253/185

[adrianad]

Hi Guys !!!

Iceman -- thank you soooooooooo much for your concerns. you are such a kind and caring person. i was so sick for the two weeks prior to being hospitalized that i could barely drag myself out of bed, let alone onto a computer. my son, the soldier, had wanted to post a short message, but something just kept coming up every weekend for him and he never made it to the computer either.

Miss Hattie -- thank you for the wonderful welcome home too http://boards.dietwatch.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif you are soooooooooo wonderful http://boards.dietwatch.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif http://boards.dietwatch.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif -- it is the prednisone that is doing the job on the blood sugars. i hate those steroids so much. 8 straight months of them have really sent me in every direction there is. now i'm on yet another regime that will make it at least another 5 months, if not one year. we'll see when i get down somewhere around 40 mg per day (right now i'm at 100mg/day, going down 5mg/week !! http://boards.dietwatch.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif)

anyway, it was my wonderful family doctor who first brought up the olive leaf infusions and i trust him with my life. he has proven over and over again that he's probably the best diagnostician alive and he really cares and follows up with everything. everyweek he calls me with my lithium levels, even though he knows i check them on the internet !! he's just something.

i started the infusions last night. olive trees grow in abundance here so all i have to do is send one of the kids out, or when i'm out myself i can pick as much as i want. i check my blood sugar twice a day, early morning, and before my 5th meal at about 7pm. i usually start the day out okay (about 100-110) and finish the day bad. i can't take many more meds because since i once had hepitits my liver is super sensitive to a lot of meds, even those that control my blood sugar. i HAVE TO, NEED TO do this the most natural way possible or else i'll cause very serious liver damage. i can't even take some of my MS meds because of this problem!!

anyway, i'm going to monitor this quite closely and let you know about the whole thing.

thanks for all your help http://boards.dietwatch.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif http://boards.dietwatch.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif http://boards.dietwatch.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif you guy are THE BEST !!!

~~~~~~~~~~~
take care,
adriana

whatever i have i need,
whatever i need, i have

[Miss_Hattie]

First of all, welcome back!!!! Glad to see you.

I have never heard of this at all. In my search to help you find information, however, I came across interesting reading of olive oil and olive leaf infusions but NONE of them were promoting any hint of a help with diabetes. Could he possibly have been suggesting that for help with some of your other problems?

This is an area I simply don't know about. I do know and can empathize about prednisone type meds throwing your blood sugars out of whack ---- totally ---- and uncontrollably!

You can't take insulin?

Perhaps others here might have more knowledge on the subject. Keep me posted on how you're doing, please!!!!



"I am determined to fight and win my battle against Diabesity!"

[IceMan]

Adriana....Where the hell have you been. We've been worried sick since you disappeared from the board. Given the political climate you live in and your medical condition the imagination runs rampant.

I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO glad to see this post this morning. I was really very worried and concerned for you and am very, very thankful that you've returned and blood sugar is the most pressing thing on your mind. Welcome Back...!!!

I don't know anything about olive leaf tea and glucose control. Do you check your blood sugar regularly? That is the only way I know of to gauge the effect any particular treatment may or may not have on you. If you find it does work I want to order...do you ship internationally..??.. http://boards.dietwatch.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

My best advice is just to work closely with your physician and do the best you can given the multiple factors you have to deal with. You may end up just juggling evils trying to catch the lesser one.

Good Luck & Welcome Back...... http://boards.dietwatch.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

chow......d.

"all is energy...and energy follows thought"

My Diabetes Page (http://www.datainthehouse.com/diabetes/dwdiabetes.htm) -- updated weekly --
iceman@astacalaska.net
266/255/185

[adrianad]

olive tree leaf infusions helping to keep blood sugar in check?

i have a major problem with the steroids that i'm taking.... with time the diabetes that they have created just rockets into the outer limits. however i am basically forbidden to take any meds to help the diabetes because of the havoc they cause on my liver functions.

i started the infustions (just fresh olive leaves seeped in boiling water for about 5 minutes). my family doctor has been recommending this to me for months and i'm just wondering if anyone has ever heard of it.

i desperately need to keep away from as many meds as possible, since i'm already taking a handful a day that i can't do without.

thanks http://boards.dietwatch.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

~~~~~~~~~~~
take care,
adriana

whatever i have i need,
whatever i need, i have