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Iron Tonic

fumanchu

Well-Known Member
Messages
393
Location
Scotland
Type of diabetes
Family member
Treatment type
Diet only
Husband is taking an iron tonic that contains malt and honey. He only takes one 10ml spoonful a day. Would this, in itself, be enough to raise his BS first thing in the morning?
He is type 2, diagnosed 2009, diet only.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have found that taking carbs in the evening have an effect on my morning readings. I have no idea how much sugar is in the medicine or when he takes it. Does he have an evening meal with carbs in as well?
 
He has a cheese sandwich for supper, so I'm thinking maybe if he took the tonic in the morning then that would help?
 
When I was diagnosed with anaemia and low ferritin stores, I was prescribed iron tablets - almost no sugar in those
 
He won't take them because of a previous "stoppage" problem with them
 
His BG numbers have been going up steadily over the last couple weeks, used to be around 5 and now around 7. We don't know what is causing it, so thought I'd check re this tonic. He does have other health probs, so it might be something else. Will try him on the tonic at breakfast time and see how that goes.
 
fumanchu said:
He has a cheese sandwich for supper, so I'm thinking maybe if he took the tonic in the morning then that would help?
Click to expand...

I am really sorry to interfere with anyone's jollies but the cheese sandwich is exactly the kind of thing I can't eat in the evenings. In my case it is a little worse than that since I can't eat bread at all without a massive sugar spike and I understand that this is true of many posters on this site.

Someone else said that they read the label on a packet of processed cheese to find it contained potato starch.

Maybe the tonic is not the trouble at all.

Additional information: I carried out a series of tests where I did not eat carbs at all after 4pm each day. Eveing meals consisted of things like chicken and salad. In every case the morning readings got lower, typically from 8 down to 5 ish. Each test went on for some 4 or 5 days since improvement was gradual.
 
I would suggest he discussed the contents of the tonic with his pharmacist to ensure he is getting an adequate iron intake from this product. Unfortunately for type 2 it is recommended that iron absorption can be increased by taking with orange juice. The other way is to look at foodstuffs with a higher iron content.


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He's ok with Burgen, he tested this over many months with his meter. And he has always had the cheese sandwich at 8pm, and the meter readings were fine. Is just this last couple weeks, since he started the tonic, that the readings are higher. But he is also so tired and weak (is why I got him the tonic) - that I think there might be something else going on.I will make him see the GP but wanted to ask you re tonic first, in case the doc just said "oh it's the tonic, go home and stop taking it and come back if it doesnt help" LOL!
 
So the tonic is not something his GP prescribed for him then. Maybe it is the tonic that is raising his BS did you speak to the pharmacist to ask if it was suitable for a diabetic to take
 
Many years ago when my daughter was pregnant she needed iron but could not tolerate the iron tablets prescribed by the GP ,We found something in a health shop that was a liquid in a sachet something like the ice pops that you put in the freezer for kids I am sorry I have no idea of the name but maybe if you asked in the pharmacy or a health shop you may find something similar
CAROL
 
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