Can someone please explain? :/
Hi there, I am having a hard time understanding this whole blood sugar thing, would be SO grateful if someone could help...
So last year, being overweight, found to be pre diabetic and diabetes being rife on both sides of my family, I started alternate day fasting
. I didn't have an issue with hunger, but felt really bad. No energy at all, and an extraordinarily dry mouth, which drinking more and more water only seemed to exacerbate.
So I put this down to an electrolyte issue, but taking electrolytes didn't seem to help. Nevertheless I continued with ADF, and my sugars went back to normal.
Then followed about a year of terrible eating, with months and months of nothing but sweets consumed, my sweet tooth and cravings were completely out of control and I seemed wholly unable to stop them.
So I started taking mounjarno. When I went up a dose from the starting dose of 2.5mg to 5mg, I started getting the same symptoms that I had had while alternate day fasting, the terrible dry mouth and not an ounce of energy. I started to think that this must be a blood sugar thing - that I had actually now got T2D, ( and it would have been a miracle if I hadn't), and the mounjaro was causing my sugars to drop to low.
So on the particular day that it got really bad, I had taken the mounjaro shot in the morning, and then fasted until around 4PM. Terrible symptoms that were consistent with hypo glycemia. I ate a load of sugar and then my friend came over with one of those prick your finger kits, and it said it was 4. something, I can't remember, but she said it was a bit low. A bit later and it was normal.
Since then I really can't articulately explain things, but I seem to have see sawing sugars - ie- felt bad, had a glass of orange juice, felt better, and then a lot of other confusing stuff I can't explain.
What I don't understand is - I know that to get blood sugar evened out, you're supposed to eat slow releasing carbs, essential fats and protein - steering totally clear of anything that spikes the blood sugar. So! If I'm taking mounjaro to lose weight and sort my sugars out, if I'm always taking in sugary stuff to stop hypoglycemia, how will my sugars ever normalise?
I'm due my next 5mg moujarno shot today, and I am having a blood test at 5PM today. I don't know if I should take the moujarno shot before or after the blood test.
I asked two different pharmacists for advice - one said I should wait until 6 days after a shot, in order to get an idea of what my sugars are doing with moujarno affecting anything, and the other said I should have the test with moujarno very much in my system, because I am trying to establish what effect it has on my sugars.
I'm just so confused with the whole thing, I would love - if it's a thing that's actually possible, and not dependent on any number of variables, but I would love somebody to explain really clearly what's what with this whole blood sugar thing - have some kind of hard and fast rules around - if I do this, this happens- always.. that kind of thing.
Also when I took berberine I found it did the same thing. I don't understand how it works. I'd be SOOOO very grateful id someone could explain it , in a really easy to understand way -if thats possible as I have learning difficulties.
Apologies for this very long post, if you have read it all thank you so, so much!
Hi
I can hear your frustration! There are so many variables that go into monitoring and regulating your blood sugar, and of course, everyone is different. Here's a list of tips that one of our health leaders put together, based on what works for her. If you haven't asked them already, perhaps these are questions you might ask your healthcare team to educate you about. Or if your insurance covers it, perhaps a consultation with a registered dietician who specializes in diabetes might provide you with some answers. Here's an article about how to get a good education in diabetes. Please let us know how you are doing! Warmly, Kathy (Team member) My first year I had your problem. Go to CVS or another store like this and spend the money on a blood test kit. Start keep track of your numbers. After a meal the blood sugar level increases. When I get up in the morning my blood sugar can be high. GLP stands for Glucagon-Like Peptide-1. It is a naturally occurring hormone produced in the intestines that helps regulate blood sugar levels and appetite. This is not the FAKE stuff sold in stores. The GLP helps release insulin which controls sugar. If you have a sweet tooth invest in sugarless candy or ice cream. Learn to eat less and be happy with what you eat. I was a size 36 when I was 12 yers old. By the time I was 16 I was size 30 and 5' 11" so weight has never been a problem. I know my insulin is hit and miss so I eat low carbohydrate foods like "riced cauliflower" which can be used instead of sugar loads regular rice. My wife has found cauliflower flour pizza crust where you can make your own pizza. Learn to pace yourself with a planned health meal a day? Then the next month two healthy meals a day? I am glad I had focused on my health my whole life and at 73 I do visit the gym 3 times a week. I paced myself and started with a 30 minutes visit using all the equipment. Then each week I added more time. After two months I am at 55 minutes. Last summer & this summer I cut and split dead oak trees for fire wood to heat my house. I live on 5 acres with 80 oaks and 15 pines. Maybe you need a hobby to distract yourself from thinking about eating? My first year my A1C was 11 and a year later 5.3. Good number but it did not solve my blood sugar going up & down even though my diet was good. I just learned form an article that stated the body stress like fasting, exerting, etc. can have a positive effect on the body. I think my going to the gym 3 times a week has stressed my body to work better with both releasing hormones (GLP) and the good bacteria (micro biome) because my blood sugar is so normal? I can check my blood sugar 2 hours after eating and it can be 108 or 113? I do have big meals but it might be string beans with pork chops over rice cauliflower. Nutritionally my diet is great with low carbohydrates but my insulin is hit and miss in the past. I also added cinnamon pills which I think is good for controlling blood sugar. Cinnamon may increase insulin sensitivity, decrease inflammation, and reduce blood glucose, but it is not considered a reliable treatment for type 2 diabetes.
Thanks for sharing the dietary and lifestyle changes that have helped you along the way. How awesome that you brought your A1C down so much without medication. I love your approach -- making only a few changes at a time. Personally, I find those are the changes that become habits and really stick. I hope the addition of cinnamon pills helps and that you can remain med-free. Your post just reminded me that I forgot to sprink cinnamon in my coffee this morning. Warm wishes. - Lori (Team Member)
