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Is this true?

tree-peony wrote
My GP has just told me that body fat is converted back into blood glucose by your liver....

Think of it like a car. You need to pop to the local shops. Need petrol ? A dash will do.
Need to drive to Scotland (or London if you're from Scotland :lol: ) Let's fill up.
Your body will always get the appropriate amount of fuel from it's reserves. Any carbs going ? We'll take them first. No carbs left ? Let's go to the stored fat. We'll convert that to glucose and USE it.

The process your GP described is not a problem.
It's only when you 're popping to the shops and you overfill the tank, that glucose is a problem.

Geoff
 

I do love your reply Geoff. Its a great response and very simple. :thumbup:

Sue
 
so if that's the case, how on earth do my levels ever come down?

(sorry, forgetting my manners!)

Thanks for replying!
 
tree-peony said:
so if that's the case, how on earth do my levels ever come down?

By NOT overfilling the tank (eating too many carbs) when you're only going to the shops (not doing huge levels of exercise)
The conversion of fat won't give you huge glucose levels as it only really works in the absence of carbs.
 
Hi. Assuming you are not young and in fact have Type 1.5 LADA, then keeping with a low carb diet and your meds hopefully you should see a gradual decrease in blood sugar. There are other tablets that can be added such as sitagliptin; also your metformin and gliclazide dosage could be increased if necessary. Normally the liver only dumps glucose as needed whereas eating a high carb diet means the carbs are converted to sugar immediately and dumped into the blood i.e. 'overfilling the tank'
 
LOL well something's keeping my levels up there! They're static, but high (around 14/15 on average). I don't spike much (as long as I'm eating sensibly, which I manage when I'm at home) and I'm doing approx 40-60g of carb a day, nearly all of which is from vegetable sources.

I've only just started the Gliclizide (this morning in fact) and 1000mg of Metformin SR seems to be the maximum I can handle without the side effects being too horrendous for words
 
Good luck with the Glic . Your BGs are obviously much too high on that level of carbs, so hopefully the glic will sort it.
 
why do I have a nasty feeling the answer is going to be "no chance"!!!

15.4 2 hours after lunch which was

3 slices beef
lettuce
half a tomato
cucumber

5 strawberries, no added sugar jelly and a splash of cream
 
tree-peony said:
why do I have a nasty feeling the answer is going to be "no chance"!!!

Not sure what the question is...
But that's a very high reading after a meal like that. If it carries on with your new Glic meds, you'll need to see the doctor again. You might need even more meds, or a check on what type of diabetes you have just to make sure.
 
yes I know it's high, but it's normal for me. I've been 15 all day... and the same yesterday. I can't see that one tiny pill is going to bring it down much realistically. GP has asked me to phone him in 2 weeks.
 
tree-peony said:
My GP has just told me that body fat is converted back into blood glucose by your liver....

Just wanted to jump in here; are you sure that's what they said?

Because that is wrong; there are 3 ways that you can increase blood glucose levels; by eating carbohydrates, by burning up glycogen in the liver and by the process of gluconeogenesis which turns protein to glucose. Possibly gluconeogenesis occurs in the liver as well; I'm not sure.

Fat (and any food that has calorific value - which is after all just a statement of how much energy is in the food) can be converted to energy (ATP - which is the fuel that our cells burn in their mitochondria) through ketosis.

But unless I'm missing something fairly significant fat does not turn into glucose; it's a one way street.

Best

Dillinger
 

The Doctor probably DID say that, either through them not understanding, (I've found that doctor's knowledge of such matters is suprisingly short of where I thought it was prior to diagnosis) or as a clumsy way of saying that the body can use fat for energy.
 

Poor old doctors; thinking they are talking to complicit patients who won't question them when in fact they are speaking, one step removed, to the entire diabetic internet hive mind...

Best

Dillinger
 
Dillinger said:
the entire diabetic internet hive mind...

WAIT! Is this the theme for a new horror movie? Could we get Stephen to direct it? (Spielberg not borofergie) Could it be about us using our hive brainpower to influence the rest of the world to gorge sugar so they become diabetic like us? Then we, as knowledgeable diabetics, living on fat and protein, eat them?
 
Yes, yes and yes! You get the Coca Cola I'll sharpen the knives! :shock:
 
Yay! I've always wanted to be part of a gestalt intelligence! :crazy:

Go easy on the cannibalism, though. Too much can reinforce all sorts of nasty diseases - and we still need Vit C.

Long pig - and the crackling would be much less hairy (at least mine would :lol: )

Viv 8)

Sheep are vegetarian.
 

yes that's EXACTLY what he said, and I was pretty sure it was incorrect. I'm working up to trying to get him to give me a C Pep test but at the moment he won't even acknowledge the possibility. My point is that as I'm consuming about 1700 calories a day, and 60g ish of carbs, where exactly is all the glucose in my blood coming from. I can get the level down by 2 or 3 points by exercise, but even if I don't put a single crumb in my mouth, the level will float back up to where it was within a couple of hours.

Having said that, the overall trend is still down over the last 3 months, but only by about 3 points. I'm due my HbA1c soon and it wlll be interesting to see what it reveals.
 
I was told at Coventry Hospital that everyone is entitled to a second opinion and referral to the Diabetes Team in hospital if they are in any doubt about their care or diagnosis. You doctor cannot refuse to refer anyone.

Maybe this could be true for your hospital?
 
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