A parent's observation on diet and insulin sensitivity

So, some of you have asked on other threads if cold weather effects BG.

I just read an article from the Journal of Physiology that said that cold weather over the course of days upregulates AMPK. Which means that cold weather could conceivably make one more sensitive to insulin and less likely to release glucose form the liver into the blood stream.

Is this consistent with what people have noticed with cold weather?

 

I would think, if weather has anything to do with it, it would everything to do with the exposure to cold weather and not necessarily if it's cold outside.

 

Turmeric is a staple in India yet type 2 diabetes is very prevalent in India.

Did you actually ask about metformin.

Metformin is a very safe and effective drug that has been on the market for many years. It is even safe for use during pregnancy.

 

Having done both MDI and used a pump, I can tell you that our immediate conclusion upon starting pumping was that it provided my son with much greater freedom than MDI ever could. Yes, it is a lifestyle change, but 100% positive for us, and for many kids. YDMV, of course. But keep in mind that it is really impossible to know which is better for your child until you try both.

Keep in mind too, that for those of us with functioning pancreases, the body automatically provides greater basal insulin during times when it is needed. There is nothing unnatural about doing so with a shot or through a pump, other than the fact that you're doing it "manually."

But basically, you're just seeing what most of us saw at one time or another on MDI - basal needs vary throughout the day or night, and for many kids, it is very hard to match those needs with one or two shots a day of long-acting insulin.

 

I would like to point out the fallacy of saying that food is not a drug. If a food has biological or physiological effect then it's a drug. I would also, preemptively, point out that the appeal to nature is a logical fallacy.

Just sayin'

 

I would also like to add that your can use a insulin pump as simply an intelligent adminstration tool just like you would with MDI. Only using it for straight bolusing and not basal, but with the added benifit of it doing the math and keeping track of everything and calculating insulin still left in the body so a child can eat when they want to eat but receive insulin with a lesser fear of stacking.

We are untethered and this is how we use the pump right now. She only hooks up to bolus we do not use temp basals or combo boluses, mostly because she does not want to be attached anymore. And I am ok with that. The site on her body is small just bigger than a quater and it takes less than a minute to put on her.

If we are in the car on a trip or at an event that there will be grazing she will wear her pump to make it easier for everyone.

 

Going back to what I believe is the original thought, of cinnamon, turmeric, does anyone else take a supplement pill of one of those or another that they believe helps their BGs? I was just reading more on that (just a bit), and I thought it just stabilized the BG - meaning not so fast spikes and drop. So it is also supposed to lower the amount of insulin you would need?

This is not a problem we have, but I am surprised the cost of insulin vs the cost of turmeric (etc) has not come up. A bottle of turmeric or cinnamon pills for a month, I would think would be cheaper than the insulin used. But that would depend on how you use the insulin. If you only use one vial, it's only going to last a month anyway, so a little less than one vial wouldn't really help cost wise. But if it somehow means using less in cartridges, that might be worth the cost. That's all speculation, I really have no idea about how much less a person might use on a supplement.

 

I am wondering if splitting your basal the otherway might give you better results?

If you were to give a majority of the basal at night timing for the higher peak to happen during the time that you currently see "IR" that would help your corrections work better and there would be more already circulating in the AM for breakfast.

 

Metformin would be cheaper than cinnamon or turmeric capsules. I think there is some program in the US where you can get a month's supply of certain generic drugs for a very low price.

http://www.walmart.com/cp/PI-4-Prescriptions/1078664

you can even get 180 metformin extended release for 10$ http://i.walmartimages.com/i/if/hmp/fusion/customer_list.pdf

 

In the research I have done since the endo suggested putting my daughter on Metformin it was said it was not ok to use during pregnancy ... or rather not enough study had been done. While it DID say it was a very safe drug .. I know someone who has been on it for years and just had ot go off since it was damaging his kidney's. Yes, the endo admitted we would have to monitor my daughter's kidney's. So in the mean time we have been tweaking her diet ... trying to get more active (hard right now in the middle of a snow storm) and researching cinnamon and now turmeric. I would much rather give a food or supplement than another medication which could cause issues down the road. Even the safest drugs have side effects .. they are synthetic.

Crystal Grant

 

Exactly my point in asking about this a few posts above this. I'd rather just make sure something is given every day instead of only in some recipes, than add another drug. Yeah, food can be called a drug. But I put cinnamon and turmeric in food anyway. It's just eating healthy instead of adding in fake stuff.

 

I think you just can?t take it if you have poor kidney function, and poor kidney function can come as a complication of diabetes. I don?t think metformin leads to kidney damage.

There is no money to be made it getting it approved for use during pregnancy because it is a generic that costs 4 $ a month or less.

If you are one metformin for PCOS and get pregnant there is evidence that going off the metformin after conception can lead to miscarriage.

Metformin improves fertility in women with PCOS so they would need to be on it at conception. The early weeks of pregnancy are the most important in terms of development and since women with PCOS don't always have monthly periods or have predictable cycles they might not realize they are pregnant until later in the pregnancy. They would be on metformin that whole time.

I think most insulins are not even approved for use during pregnancy. In fact some maternal fetal medicine specialists switch women to regular and NPH when they are pregnant.

 

My endo told me it can cause kidney damage hence we would have to have hers tested often while on thie medicine .. and as I said before also know someone who was taken off it since it was causing kidney issues. I also know someone who is on it for the fertility issues ... which is different since it will not be forever. I am just saying I would rather explore some all natural ways before just putting my child on metformin ... which is why she is playing her kinect xbox jumping around right now But that is my opinion and everyone does not have to agree with it ... I also liked that cinnamon will help her immune system .. which should help with overall numbers also.

Crystal

 

http://sideeffectstoday.com/metformin-side-effects/

I would be very cautious about using ANY drug that affects B12 absorption when the rates of both depression and nerve damage are already so high for persons with T1. B12 is a common first line of defense recommended for another with depressive issues. Sometimes I wonder whether some of the complications of diabetes are caused by other things rather than the diabetes itself.

 

Interesting . a potential side effect of injected insulin is hypokalemia (low potassium.) I guess the best thing to do is get your B12 levels tested regularly if you are on metformin

 

Um, sorry that is what I meant.

 

The endo called me back today. She absolutely loves the turmeric though she was more familiar with cinnamon.

She just wants me to watch for upset stomach, diarrhea, and to check with her in a month. She warned not to raise the amount we are giving for at least two weeks and said that for some people this may stop working after a while.

Someone here mentioned watching the kidneys and I will ask for a test next visit.

 

Will the tumeric do different things than the cinnamon? I had mentioned the kidneys is earlier comments but that was if someone is on Metformin (if you were referring to my comment) She should have labs done every 1-2 years anyway .. and they would check her kidneys.

Crystal

 

I figured as much but was just clarifying.

 

So how does the fudge taste?

We noticed with selenium supplements that would increase her incidence of lower blood sugar through out the day. She needed less TDD.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21608432