Brittle Diabetes

I don't know about post pancreas removal, but I do know that some so-called "brittle" diabetics have done very well on Richard Bernstein's doctrine of small numbers. You'll find it in "Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution"

I think you find that when they say Brittle Diabetes that the feel that with the other complications of not having your pancreas, which involves taking medication for digestion etc, that they are expecting your BG to be difficult to control...

The Bernstien is a method of extreme low carbing to control the BG's, by limiting the amount of carbohydrates to around 30g of carbs a day... He does this by removing a lot of the startchy carbs, such as rice, potatoes alongside removing bread pasta and other types of carbs from the diet...

It does however take a lot of commitment and motivation to maintain such a strict diet, so you might need to adapt this diet to match you as a individual...

I really couldn't say as extreme carbing is based on using veg, meat and cheese ect...

I don't actually follow a extreme low carb diet, but do how ever work with the carbs that I eat, such as potaotes, fruit, bread etc... Some carbs like pasta I only eat in small amounts that I know I can get my insulin to work with, So it is a mix and match affair.. Restricting as and when requirred on individual items.. I eat anywhere from 60g to 150g of carbs a day depending on what I'm eating and what I am doing...

If you are on a basal/bolus regime then this would be more flexible to dealing with your needs, as you can inject to your carb amount when you eat... This allows you to work out how the carbs you are eating and the insulin are reacting, and this will with good monitoring help in building a diet that suits you, identiying the foods that are probmatic, so that you can either reduce portion size of avoid as you deem fit.

Hello Stuart,

I can highly recommend the Bernstein book.

Apparently, the exact term for your condition will be pancreatogenic diabetes.
It's about as "brittle" as diabetes gets, I'm afraid.

Metabolic consequences of (regional) total pancreatectomy

Pancreatic Resection: Effects on Glucose Metabolism

All the very best,
timo.

Not sure...

It could well be to get a good guide to extreme low carbing, other books that have good information of the basal/bolus regime are Think Like A Pancreas and Using Insulin, which cover a unrestricted carb intake..

I would have a look around the low carb forum, read what they are saying and perhaps start to incorparate some of the suggestions that they make, and see if this might suit and work..

Any questions just ask either here or on the low carb forum.

I've sent you a PM stuart I had my pancreas removed 8 years ago

Hi, I am also a brittle diabetic, caused by lack of hormones I think. Im poly-glandular type 3 but also borderline Addisons as my cortisol hormones are under the norm but not enough to put me on meds, yet.
I also am on a low carb diet, not as low as 30 gms carbs per day, but around 60 - 70 per day. I take a very small dose of basal and bolus insulin, usually 2.5 - 3 units when I eat carbs.
I have found that this helps my control although I still get sudden drops in bs levels and I can also go high due to other hormone interuption. I have also found that it is a healthy way to eat and it has made me feel much more in control.