Glucose Intolerance

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-18-2003
Glucose Intolerance
8
Mon, 09-13-2004 - 2:43pm
Hi,

Can anyone give me the lowdown on glucose intolerance?

What herbs are you taking? How much? What time of day?

Do you follow the diabetic diet? How strict are you?

Any info is helpful!

Thanks,

Heather

Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Thu, 09-16-2004 - 1:34am

Hi Heather,


Welcome to the board.


All of us are glucose intolerant in one form or another. Most of us follow a diabetic eating plan. We are also trying to increase our exercise levels. And a good many of us are trying to get our weight as close to normal as possible.


Cinnamon and chromium are frequently taken for diabetes and they have varing results. They seem to work the best early on in the disease. There are a number of other herbs and natural medicines that can be taken for diabetes. Unfortuantely there hasn't been that much research into the effects and the necessary amounts to maintain good blood sugar control.


I was started on exercise and medical nutritional therapy. I lost weight and I was able to manage this regieme for five years. Suddenly my blood sugars got out of control and I was started on one med and then a year later a second med. I was cruisin along when last year my blood sugar became difficult to manage and my A1C was getting higher than recommended. I was started on a basal insulin on March 1st. My A1c has come down nicely but I have had a number of episodes of severe hypoglycemia and so I am still adjusting my eating plan and am testing my blood sugar more frequently than before.


I hope this has answered your question. Do you know what your fasting blood sugar readings are? Do you know what your A1C results are? Do you test your blood sugar daily at least? Please answer these questions and let all of us see if we can help you understand what is going on.


A gentle hug,

Mary Frances


cl-maryfrances40

Co-CL Diabetes Board


iVillage Member
Registered: 09-18-2003
Mon, 09-20-2004 - 12:23am
Do you know what your fasting blood sugar readings are? Do you know what your A1C results are? Do you test your blood sugar daily at least?

Thanks Mary Francis!

I don't know what an A1C is - so I don't have a clue.

As for my fasting bs's - I'm down now to below 100 (around 92-96)

After meals (2 hours post) I'm between 110 and 125.

I test my bs right now 6 times a day.

I had gestational diabetes and am now in the in-between. They call us "glucose intolerant" because we're not normal yet not diabetic yet.

I am taking Fenugreek and Chromium since I am nursing. I am just now seeing a lot of info on cinnamon.

I have been educating myself for one week now and I think I'm getting somewhere.

I exercise sporadically (complete lack of energy) and eat well. I'm now adjusting my low carb diet (of 10 years) to a balanced diabetic diet. Boy is that hard.

Any help is appreciated!!

Thanks,

Heather

Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 09-20-2004 - 2:07am

Heather,


Since you are breast feeding you need to be concerned about these supplements getting to the breast milk and doing strange things to your baby's blood sugar. I was told my the medical professors from UCLA that the cinnamon needs to be Pakistani cinnamon. I am sure the soil nutrients must make a difference. I was going to tell you the doseage of cinnamon but when I checked it out in the Mosby's Handbook of Herbs and Natural Supplements it specifically says that it is not be used during pregnancy and lactation and not to give it to children.


Since I was looking up cinnamon I decided to look up Chrominum and the caution there is not exceed the recommended doseage during oregnancy and lactation. I also looked up Fenugreek which I already was a power herb. It also said "Until more research is available, caution the client not to use this herb during lactation and not to give it to children.


So I have to say, that until you are finished breast feeding I can't in good conscious recommend you taking any of these herbs and supplements.


A1C is a measurement of the blood sugar over a 2-3 month period. Glucose attached to certain redblood cells and stays there until the cells die and are disgarded. By measuring the A1C you can tell how the person blood sugar is doing in the long run. The latest recommendation is 6.5 or less.


We don't use glucoes intolerance as a diagnosis much anymore. The more current diagnosis is Pre-Diabetes. this changed about 2 years ago. The idea was that if you could

Avatar for cl_d_minnick
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 09-20-2004 - 5:41am

I just wanted to welcome you to the board since I know Mary Frances has helped you out so very much with some good answers to your questions. As for the Fenugreek, I used that while breastfeeding my younger son and found it to bring down my blood sugars, which is the caution to it especially for those who are diabetic. I do know it is used lots in lactation to help with the production of milk and found to help some just not everyone though. So just be cautious when you take it since it can bring your blood sugar down rather fast or at least it did when I took. I might need to use it again, but time will tell later on if I do or do not need it. I hope I do not, but if I do at least I know it does help me with my milk production. Just be cautious in what herbs you use since some are dangerous for infants especially those that are secreted through breast milk so you might want to discuss it with a pharmacist, lactation consultant, or your own doctor to get more information on a given herg to make sure it is safe.


Do take good care of yourself and have a wonderful day!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 09-20-2004 - 9:46am
Mary Francis,

If I'm not mistaken, Fenugreek is often suggested by lactation consultants for patients who are having supply issues. Mine told me about it and many of the women on the working and pumping board at parentsplace mentioned that they had been told about it too (this was two years ago when I was still nursing my younger son). I didn't take it myself, but I considered it with my second child since carbs are what help produce lots of milk and I was, obviously, eating reduced numbers of carbs.

Ann

Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 09-20-2004 - 8:35pm

Ann,


I need the "e" that you aren't using! There aren't any 'i's" in my name. LOL!!!


I was surprised to read that also. I do know that Fenugreek is a powerful herb. I

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 09-20-2004 - 10:33pm
Mary FrancEs,

Sorry about the "e" :) I even thought I checked my spelling... oh well.

And just so you know, I wasn't trying to be negative in my post (not sure if you read it that way or not) - I just figured that you hadn't heard about that use of Fenugreek and that you might be interested. I found it interesting that the source you used said *not* to use it during lactation, since that is exactly the use that I've heard for it. Just goes to show that we all have something to learn.

I agree about the nature of herbs and supplements - I stay away from them as well, unless under doctor's orders.

Ann

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-18-2003
Mon, 09-20-2004 - 11:31pm
Thanks to all of you who are debating on my behalf LOL.

Fenugreek is widely accepted while nursing (NOT while pregnant) in the more herbal naturopath community than in western medicine. I would never talk to an MD about the herbs I take because they don't specialize in that area. I use a naturopath for herbal remedies and an MD for non-herbal. I keep both completely informed along the way. (Just to clear that up LOLLLL).

The exact reason I chose fenugreek and chromium is because there are no reported/known contraindications for nursing/lactating. They are as safe as you can get while nursing.

But, thank you so much for being so concerned!!

I love the 10,000 steps rule! I'm going to get a pedometer right away and get to work on that.

What do you all do for dessert? I've had some sugar free pudding and "Free" cool whip... but I'm at a total loss.

And thanks for correcting me on the glucose intolerance wording... Pre diabetes sounds much more, um, serious.

-Heather