Puzzled

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Cheyne

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi,
I'm T2 age 72 and confused. I have CKD, Extreme IBS, high BP and cholesterol and riddled with osteoarthritis. Everything but my lungs and heart are trying to kill me, the heart is enlarged. I'm intolerant of oral medications which systematically destroy my gut each time I trail any, requiring 30 days of starvation and weeks of bland food to recover. I'm under specialists for gastrology and dietary needs. I barely eat and am sugar and salt free, as much as possible, that I can control.
My normal day starts in the small hours with BG at average 12+ BP 170/110 average. My HbA1c is 66. After the tests it is a cup of tea, trim milk and a token of less than half a gram of sugar. One day I will cut it out. Within 30 minutes the body is turning to jelly from the waist down and the arms. My constant companions are vertigo and tinnitus with a unhealthy dose of severe migraines for good measure. This is becoming a daily feature now when not so many months ago it was occasionally. My glucose can spike to 17+ during the day. I have a wholemeal sandwich with plastic butter and Marmite on for lunch and another cup of tea. For an evening meal it is usually more of the same during the week. Weekends I will usually have 1/4 of a chicken breast dry grilled with a small spud or sweet potato and a large handful of vegetables. With my IBS it limits the amount of food I can eat or drink of a day.
Currently trialing a BP external patch with some weird side effects and managing to keep it together. I have asked to be prescribed insulin and am waiting the answer.
What puzzles me is that successive Dr's have all claimed the figures are OK. On the other hand I say they are not and require urgent intervention being above the health guidelines. Who is correct? I realise it only affects my life and not theirs, but some help could come in handy.
Anxiety is building with the knowledge I have no tactile sense in the legs and am concerned the next symptom is likely numb legs.
I am comforted with the instruction that if I record BG 20 or my BP hits 240/120 I should ring for an ambo. My highest recordings have been BG18.3 and BP 240/140, and I'm still here managing and trying to kick butt.
Anybody else been through this sort of thing?
Cheers
 
No salt is bad - we need some salt.
I don't touch bread, or potato as they are so high in carbs, which we do not need. I only eat natural fats, no seed oils.
Low carb tends to bring down blood pressure, so if you do cut them out it would be advisable to check your blood pressure. I have read of people lowering their blood pressure with medication sticking to it and then having bad falls when starting to eat low carb. My blood glucose was 17.1 at diagnosis, but was soon much lower. I don't eat anything over 10% carbs except for a small amount of high cocoa chocolate.
I'm afraid that eating low carb I have never felt better and many of my problems have gone away - though some of them were caused by the medication I was prescribed, so I really want to stay away from that situation.
 
Have you had your vitamin B12 checked as people with IBS are more likely to suffer a deficiency as they are unable to absorb the vitamin from foods.
Your diet seems to be very slim on protein but quite high in carbs with bread, sweet potato. How do you cope with soups and yoghurts.
 
No salt is bad - we need some salt.
I don't touch bread, or potato as they are so high in carbs, which we do not need. I only eat natural fats, no seed oils.
Low carb tends to bring down blood pressure, so if you do cut them out it would be advisable to check your blood pressure. I have read of people lowering their blood pressure with medication sticking to it and then having bad falls when starting to eat low carb. My blood glucose was 17.1 at diagnosis, but was soon much lower. I don't eat anything over 10% carbs except for a small amount of high cocoa chocolate.
I'm afraid that eating low carb I have never felt better and many of my problems have gone away - though some of them were caused by the medication I was prescribed, so I really want to stay away from that situation.
Hi,
No salt is for CKD which I have at stage 3B. I'm in no man's land, damned if I do and damned if I don't.
 
Have you had your vitamin B12 checked as people with IBS are more likely to suffer a deficiency as they are unable to absorb the vitamin from foods.
Your diet seems to be very slim on protein but quite high in carbs with bread, sweet potato. How do you cope with soups and yoghurts.
Hi,
Yes when it was tested 147 pmol/L last year. Not been able to get the course as prescribed as none available in this country. Managed to push it to just over 200 myself with supplements. Checked recently and still none available. I also boost my vitamin D3 with supplements as I'm immune deficient.
Detest yoghurt and am transiting to home made veg soup this week for winter, Southern hemisphere. Arm muscles are little more than Bee's knees now! Five hours after my breakfast and quite bad jelly feeling in lower body and arms, BG 12.5. At least the brain function is not affected until the BG gets higher. In fact will be having a mug of soup shortly for lunch to see what happens.
Cheers
 
I am very sorry to hear you are going through all this. It is very difficult for you to know what to eat.

A friend of ours had a kidney removed and I found the Kidney Patients Association for them and noticed that there are suggested recipes on there for people with CKD. I don't know if that would help you. It certainly sounds as if you need expert advice.
 
Hi,
After putting up with this problem for 12 years it is just another day at the coal face. I'm never going to cure it, but being comfortable is what I strive for.
Typically, it is exceedingly difficult to find any recopies for those with both CKD and diabetes, with IBS thrown in for good measure. Simple rule is to stay away from man-made foods as much as possible and don't touch anything with sugar substitutes unless it uses Stevia. Most sugar substitutes start with aspartame which does not do well for kidneys. It takes a while, but you can re-educate the brain to not crave sugar and salt, as they are a learnt craving from birth.
Cheers
 
Sorry to hear about your overlapping conditions and how difficult they make things for you. :(

Since you have problems with oral meds, have you been offered insulin? Your BG levels do seem rather higher than the usually recommended ranges.
 
Sorry to hear about your overlapping conditions and how difficult they make things for you. :(

Since you have problems with oral meds, have you been offered insulin? Your BG levels do seem rather higher than the usually recommended ranges.
Hi,
Going through the process right now after asking for it, myself. Getting to the point of running out of options and patience.
Cheers
 
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