Fruity breath

[nvaustin]

Hi everyone

I have had type 2 diabetes for some years now.

Recently my wife has been saying that my breath smells very beery but I don't drink.

I am having a bit of trouble lately keeping my blood sugars low (ave 9 - 14) and know I must go to the nurse soon.

I do drink tons of milk and fruit juice and tend to eat proteins.

I know I have to adjust my diet to lower my sugar levels but is my food causing the beery breath?

Regards

Nick

 

[Steff]

Hi nv and a warm welcome to the forum,the smell you describe is usually a pear drop type smell meaning signs of hi blood sugar or signs of ketones which are usually more common in type 1s,have you had words with your gp about the smell,the numbers you mention are not extraordinary high but if they are consistent like that it could be causing issues

Drinking tons of milk and especially fruit juice could be the problem the juice will contain sugar most certainly,have you tried flavoured water or sugar free squash as alternatives?

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Do you have your own BG meter? It's impossible to tell what effect the food you eat has on your blood glucose without one (though many GPs are resistant to prescribe strips, often on grounds of cost).

Fruit juice may not be the ideal drink. It's 'healthy' for folks with a functioning metabolism, but for someone with T2 it is likely to send your blood glucose very high very rapidly (some T1 diabetics use fruit juice as an emergency treatment for critically low blood glucose levels).

The only 'smell on the breath' think I am aware of is the pear drop smell associated with ketones. This would be a cause for concern and might warrant a call to NHS direct.

 

[Mark T]

Welcome to the forum Nick 🙂

 

[nvaustin]

Hello everyone

Thanks for your replies.

I have taken your advice and have cut down on the fruit juices. I am now eating an apple and a banana as part of my five a day. My nurse says that it is better for T2's to eat solid fruit rather than juices as the sugar content is less concentrated.

I have a blood moniter and my levels are improving and my breath is fresher now.

However I have just been blessed with a new Pilo Nidal Abcess, my third. :-(

I am on antibiotics and hopefully it will just burst on it's own this time so I don't have to have another bloody operation and weeks of packing!

Kind regards

Nick

 

[Northerner]

Nick, I hope things go better with the abscess this time, sounds nasty 😱 Some of the best fruits to eat if you have diabetes are berries, particularly strawberries. Bananas are quite carby, but make sure they are not too soft/ripe (i.e. turning black!) as this means that they are turning to sugar and won't be as good for you 🙂

 

[trophywench]

Fruit itself instead of juice, is better for everybody.

I know two ladies who fairly recently both had their pilonidinal abscesses actually cut out under general anaesthetic. Both T1. They never seem to heal for long.

Owwwwch, and hope you'll be luckier!

 

[nvaustin]

Hello Northerner

Poo, poo poo I love ripe bananas! I also like banana milk drink but my wife has now banned this!

However as part of my new regime my breakfasts are now no sugar muesli with a sprinkling of dried cranberries and blueberries. I do like berries.

Any suggestions anyone for an ideal lunch for me? I have a very long working day with little time for lunch and it is so easy just to grab a Pret a Manger sandwich. We have very little time to prepare fresh food so lunches are a nightmare.

Regards

Nick

 

[nvaustin]

Hello trophywench

I have had two of those operations myself and one I had to self treat as I was travelling and had no access to medical services. I got away with it though! The two ladies you know will now need nursing assatstence for for a few weeks.

 

[Vicsetter]

Hello Northerner

Poo, poo poo I love ripe bananas! I also like banana milk drink but my wife has now banned this!

However as part of my new regime my breakfasts are now no sugar muesli with a sprinkling of dried cranberries and blueberries. I do like berries.

Any suggestions anyone for an ideal lunch for me? I have a very long working day with little time for lunch and it is so easy just to grab a Pret a Manger sandwich. We have very little time to prepare fresh food so lunches are a nightmare.

Regards

Nick

Just a thought, as you mention sandwiches, many years ago when I ate lunch at work. We used to make a weeks worth of sandwiches and freeze them. In the morning take a frozen sandwich and by lunchtime is defrosted. (don't include tomatoes though).

 

[Vicsetter]

Be careful of your portion sizes, it's all too easy with dried fruit to eat a lot more carbs than you should. Have a close look at your dried cranberries as the calorie, carbs and fat bible lists sweetened dried cranberries as 8g per 10g portion😱.
I find apples spike me and although I love oranges I have just about given them up for a similar reason.

Pasta salad for lunch, make your own with say tinned salmon.
I find Pork pie (melton mowbray) is good, not too many carbs.
Try Burgen bread for your sandwiches.

 

[DeusXM]

However as part of my new regime my breakfasts are now no sugar muesli with a sprinkling of dried cranberries and blueberries.

What's your blood sugar like after this? The muesli might be 'no sugar' but essentially, muesli (and any other cereal) is just pure sugar.

Any suggestions anyone for an ideal lunch for me? I have a very long working day with little time for lunch and it is so easy just to grab a Pret a Manger sandwich. We have very little time to prepare fresh food so lunches are a nightmare.

Go for the salads - then you can cut down the proportion of fruit that makes up your five-a-day. Although remember there's absolutely no scientific evidence whatsoever that you need 'five-a-day' - some studies say that it's completely unnecessary, while another school of though says you actually need near 9 or 10 but the Government thought there was no way in hell they could ever get Britons to eat 10 portions of veg every day.

Other good things would be nuts, salamis, cheese, avocado etc. I'd personally avoid sandwiches, wraps, pasta and potatoes. If you're having issues with fruity breath, that's a sign your BG is far too high. Anything beige tends to raise your blood sugar a lot.