Always looking for a reason why.

[DavidGrahamJones]

Usually I'm trying to figure out what causes a rise in BG, although I'm always learning, these days a rise in BG is much easier to explain, it's usually obvious.

Over the last 36 hours my BG has been stable, between 5 and 7, with a slight blip for that one piece of toast yesterday morning. I should be delighted and I am, I just can't understand why things have leveled out so dramatically. One other thing I have noticed is a rapid increase in weight, mostly down to fluid retention if my ankles are anything to go by.

I have read that fluid retention affects BG but I didn't think it would be so dramatic.

 

[Guzzler]

Do you know the root cause of the fluid retention? This may have a bearing.

 

[ickihun]

If not normal to you get fluid retention checked out please.

I've had mine checked up to a limit as its not heart related.
I'm waiting for bariatric surgery pre-op endoscope to answer a few more of my whys!
It seems mine is either tramadol related but had it less on codeine but still had it.
GERD seems likely but I'd like an endoscope to rule out anything sinister as all my fluid retention is in the stomach area only. No legs only when bad bg control over the years. Arms swelled up on atorvastatin with numbness so stopped it immediately and told gp.

Is yours mainly in legs and feet?
How has your walking or sitting around more levels? Increased, decreased or same?
Often I had swollen feet if the office heating up too high in the winter on top of extra hours sitting at my desk!

Get it checked out regardless.

Bgs are irratic more for me in the winter, my diet changes and dark nights keep me indoors more.

Editted to also add.
Bgs need more insulin per weight to keep steady. I know you're not on insulin but your own insulin needs will change.
Also the only time I've had fantastic run of bgs is when I was losing weight without any effort in the summer. When I believe my tsh was perfect was when my body clicked into weight loss and excellent bgs.

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

root cause of the fluid retention?

The amount of salt in soluble cocodomol. Been avoiding them quite successfully for a few months, but the pain (muscular spasms in back) just gets too much sometimes. I've been decorating and shifting furniture from pillar to post, not ideal for bad backs.

Soluble preferred to tablets although capsules OK I'm going to go without for the time being. The increase in weight is so rapid it has to be fluid especially the way my ankles look and the tightness in the skin in my shins.

I'm sort of alluding to a theory that the more water in the body, the more the glucose is "thinned out". Just wondering if anyone else has noticed anything similar.

 

[ickihun]

The amount of salt in soluble cocodomol. Been avoiding them quite successfully for a few months, but the pain (muscular spasms in back) just gets too much sometimes. I've been decorating and shifting furniture from pillar to post, not ideal for bad backs.

Soluble preferred to tablets although capsules OK I'm going to go without for the time being. The increase in weight is so rapid it has to be fluid especially the way my ankles look and the tightness in the skin in my shins.

I'm sort of alluding to a theory that the more water in the body, the more the glucose is "thinned out". Just wondering if anyone else has noticed anything similar.

Because I'm constantly reducing my insulin inj units I'm at sometimes at a loss or gain on bg levels I must admit, at mo I'm a little higher than normal, normal for me.
Summertime was when I started with furosemide which only helps on a morning. By evening I'm swollen again.

However when I do too much painful walking my water tummy is horrendeous! Evening times are very very uncomfortable and difficult to breath as all pushing my lungs up. (Like heavy pregnancy).

 

[Freema]

If not normal to you get fluid retention checked out please.

I've had mine checked up to a limit as its not heart related.
I'm waiting for bariatric surgery pre-op endoscope to answer a few more of my whys!
It seems mine is either tramadol related but had it less on codeine but still had it.
GERD seems likely but I'd like an endoscope to rule out anything sinister as all my fluid retention is in the stomach area only. No legs only when bad bg control over the years. Arms swelled up on atorvastatin with numbness so stopped it immediately and told gp.

Is yours mainly in legs and feet?
How has your walking or sitting around more levels? Increased, decreased or same?
Often I had swollen feet if the office heating up too high in the winter on top of extra hours sitting at my desk!

Get it checked out regardless.

Bgs are irratic more for me in the winter, my diet changes and dark nights keep me indoors more.

Editted to also add.
Bgs need more insulin per weight to keep steady. I know you're not on insulin but your own insulin needs will change.
Also the only time I've had fantastic run of bgs is when I was losing weight without any effort in the summer. When I believe my tsh was perfect was when my body clicked into weight loss and excellent bgs.

what is your ideal level of TSH...? I ask because it is one of my "why´s"

 

[ickihun]

what is your ideal level of TSH...? I ask because it is one of my "why´s"

I didn't get them to print it off nor have used their on-line blood test results but in front of dn at hospital on screen it was hugely improved. Endo stated that due to a much improved diet this has occured but I feel more due to a switch had just been switched on in my body at last.
Unfortunately its not like that anymore. Well I'm hoping til I go back to lower carbs again after xmas. We'll see. Also I've had no blood test recently either.
I'm hoping to have blood tests after I've had a chance to improve my diet first.
I honestly cannot do strict low carb when kids are so young and Christmas is all about treats, from everyone..
I waited a long time for my children and they deserve treats at christmas and I'm nibbling too. January will be different thou.

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

Is yours mainly in legs and feet?
How has your walking or sitting around more levels? Increased, decreased or same?

Noticeable in legs and feet. I've been on my feet a lot more because of the decorating, carpet comes tomorrow and I'm all set to lock myself away where I don't have to listen to my wife and her mother talking over anything I might want to watch on the TV.

It's surprising how much the ankles go down just by having my feet up. The fluid goes somewhere else. I'd almost forgotten that the lymph nodes in my legs aren't 100%, I've even attended a lymphodema clinic several years ago.

I'm not taking soluble cocodomol now, so hopefully fluid retention should ease. It will be interesting to see if less fluid means BG becoming less stable.

 

[Boo1979]

Could all the lifting and shifting have independently led to both the reduced BG and increased back pain with the cocodamol then causing the fluid retention?

 

[ickihun]

@Boo1979 has a point especially if your enjoying the diy and relaxed with it.

 

[ickihun]

Noticeable in legs and feet. I've been on my feet a lot more because of the decorating, carpet comes tomorrow and I'm all set to lock myself away where I don't have to listen to my wife and her mother talking over anything I might want to watch on the TV.

It's surprising how much the ankles go down just by having my feet up. The fluid goes somewhere else. I'd almost forgotten that the lymph nodes in my legs aren't 100%, I've even attended a lymphodema clinic several years ago.

I'm not taking soluble cocodomol now, so hopefully fluid retention should ease. It will be interesting to see if less fluid means BG becoming less stable.

Yes elivated legs does reduce their swellings and then you pee the water out if your kidneys can do their job properly.
I hope mrs @DavidGrahamJones kept you well hydrated or anyone really whilst exercising. Drink plenty of water to help kidneys do their job easier!
Only trouble i have is im totally shattered after similiar family needs and i have to sleep or similiar to recouperate. Which i guess doesnt help the swellings much, my tummy can be worse after sitting relaxing.
I've been told from various quarters that i should pace myself steadily everyday rather than needing to do 3 things in one day then needing to relax from the agony of it all.
Me and you @DavidGrahamJones should try and say "No" more often, ive bern told. Diabetic psychologist gave me a worksheet to do practicing NO to people more. My mum is the worse for her selfishness causing me physical anguish as she want me to take kids to her and she wont come to us. She lives on a hill and im not driving at mo. Sunday service buses are a nightmare with a 4yr old in tow. I'm down the hill in a bungalow, for a reason.

I've decided i will be putting my health first especially in thewinter when i can end up in hospital and missing Christmas. My mum has my 2 other sisters who have no children or health problems other than lazyitis.

Im not advising sayinb no but just no to the intensity and a little per day is what im constantly advised. You?

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

Drink plenty of water to help kidneys do their job easier!

I have quite a thirst most of the time. Usually water, sometimes berocca, tea or coffee. HID doesn't do waiting on me, even now she's retired. She under cook the steamed vegetables last night, I'm beginning to think it's intentional LOL

The decorating is as a result of a realisation that the MIL has been with us every christmas since my wife's father died 35 years ago. A very nice man, how he got lumbered with . . . . . . . . . . you get the picture. I don't want to be stuck in the same room as
MIL for too long so I'm looking after number one this year.

You're dead right about pacing yourself. This decorating has taken several weeks but when you consider I have removed all the furniture on my own, dug up central heating pipes because new radiator is not the same size as old one, filled god knows how many cracks and holes, painted ceiling, walls and skirting (replacement knees are fine, just not as bendy as real ones). And installed a TV on the wall, dug holes for power sockets etc etc. I feel that I have accomplished something. I hope there's some decent TV over christmas! LOL

 

[Alexandra100]

I started with furosemide

I recently took Furosemide for a short period. Raised bg is one of the side effects mentioned in the patient leaflet, and this did happen to me. I'm not sure whether it is because it reduces the amount of fluid in the blood, so making it more concentrated, or because it causes potassium to be lost, or some other reason. I got myself put onto Frumil, which contains a combination of the potassium-sparing drug Amiloride with Furosemide, but the raised bg continued, so I persuaded my GP to let me take Amiloride alone. When taking only Amiloride it is very important not to take in too much potassium, especially in the form of supplements or Lo-salt, as it could be dangerous. Amiloride is supposed to be less effective than Furosemide. Btw people usually prefer to take Furosemide only in the morning, to avoid having to get up in the night to pee. However at one point I was taking two pills in the morning and one at night and I still didn't have to get up, so you might like to experiment with a slightly higher dose.

 

[ickihun]

I recently took Furosemide for a short period. Raised bg is one of the side effects mentioned in the patient leaflet, and this did happen to me. I'm not sure whether it is because it reduces the amount of fluid in the blood, so making it more concentrated, or because it causes potassium to be lost, or some other reason. I got myself put onto Frumil, which contains a combination of the potassium-sparing drug Amiloride with Furosemide, but the raised bg continued, so I persuaded my GP to let me take Amiloride alone. When taking only Amiloride it is very important not to take in too much potassium, especially in the form of supplements or Lo-salt, as it could be dangerous. Amiloride is supposed to be less effective than Furosemide. Btw people usually prefer to take Furosemide only in the morning, to avoid having to get up in the night to pee. However at one point I was taking two pills in the morning and one at night and I still didn't have to get up, so you might like to experiment with a slightly higher dose.

I asked gp to increase but said no as liver is a fatty liver. Still. Scan confirmed it recently again. Low carbing strictly helps but causes more palpatations if too low carb.
Still trying to please all organs needs regarding liver and palpatations pressure on the heart.

 

[ickihun]

I have quite a thirst most of the time. Usually water, sometimes berocca, tea or coffee. HID doesn't do waiting on me, even now she's retired. She under cook the steamed vegetables last night, I'm beginning to think it's intentional LOL

The decorating is as a result of a realisation that the MIL has been with us every christmas since my wife's father died 35 years ago. A very nice man, how he got lumbered with . . . . . . . . . . you get the picture. I don't want to be stuck in the same room as
MIL for too long so I'm looking after number one this year.

You're dead right about pacing yourself. This decorating has taken several weeks but when you consider I have removed all the furniture on my own, dug up central heating pipes because new radiator is not the same size as old one, filled god knows how many cracks and holes, painted ceiling, walls and skirting (replacement knees are fine, just not as bendy as real ones). And installed a TV on the wall, dug holes for power sockets etc etc. I feel that I have accomplished something. I hope there's some decent TV over christmas! LOL

And Christmas presents for all your hard work!
Is your swellings calming down?

 

[Alexandra100]

Still trying to please all organs needs regarding liver and palpatations pressure on the heart.

Indeed! I often feel I have far too many organs, all with their problems and their own separate hospital appointments and sometimes incompatible drugs. Sigh! How anyone over a certain age can find time to work is a mystery to me.