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Take control of your diabetes

T

theblokefromstoke

Well-Known Member
Messages
177
Dislikes
Pizza (makes my BG go through the roof), Pasta & potatoes.
Hi all,

I am a bit sad and love to download podcasts from Radio 4 and the world service and listen to them in the car on the way to work - makes a change from all the rubbish the DJ's talk on Radio 2 now Terry Wogan has gone and I don't have to listen to all the depressing news.

I have recently also been downloading from ItunesU - university lectures and broadcasts and have come across a regular podcast called TCOYD (take control of your diabetes).

The podcast is run by a doctor with diabetes and he chooses a specialist topic each week and has a guest in a discussion type programme.

Across all the associated diabetes complications there runs a common theme - Tight BG and Blood Pressure control alongwith Cholestorol levels. The associated nerve damage of high prolonged BG levels runs across all essential organs in a similar manner to I suppose that associated with nueropathy some of us experience on fingers and toes.

I never realised the importance of blood pressure control. Apparently the high pressure damages the nerves and arteries and makes it easier for the cholestorol to affect the walls. The doctor explained it like a pipe being damaged due to excess pressure - which i suppose is what arteries are.

Also apparently Cholestorol is made up from 2 parts - 1 is good so it is beneficial to be higher and 1 is bad which needs to be kept lower. Apparently alcohol in moderation raises the levels of the good one, which incidently is higher in women than men.

Blood pressure has been debated largely on the programme and varying specialists have varying views - although the common theme is high is not good long term and diabetics need to take extra steps as we are more suceptable to the affects of high blood pressure. The bloke i was listening to today talking about kidneys was saying that we should target as low as 120/70 whilst the heart specialist was advising 130/80.

Its all good stuff and has really got me thinking how I can take my diabetes mangement to the next level. It has been a minefield of information since diagnoses some 8 months ago and difficult to take in without overload. I am hoping I am now coming to terms with this lifelong condition that is at the forefront of my thinking most of the time.

It seems like its everything in moderation - good things as well as bad, portion control and regular excercise.

Now I have good control of my Blood Sugars with diet, medication and moderate excercise I am going to focus on Blood pressure and look further into this good cholestorol versus bad cholestorol business. Just to put my situation into context - i am 40, never given a toss about my health, drunk like a fish, not eaten regularly, smoked like a chimney, eaten all the wrong things at the wrong time and been overweight for all of my life. I am now correcting things best I can.

Anyway, the podcast is worth a listen if you are into that type of thing and I would be interested in others views and experiences of longer term general good health maintaining.

Carl
 
Great post BFS........

This is what we here keep telling people .........it sn't ALL about Diabetes. There are many other things you should be looking after. Treat the body in a Holistic manner. Look after all it's parts. Heart, lungs, brain, limbs, other organs. Concentrate only on one thing and you are asking for trouble.

What you do in one area can have a massive effect on other parts of your body so you have to make sure that you keep a check on everything. Diabetes Bg levels, Blood Pressure, Eyesight, Feet etc.....the list goes on.

It isn't all about diet either as some seem to think, although a good diet can be beneficial in all areas. Trouble is a diet that is good for one thing.....can just as easily be bad for something else. My anti Cancer treatment diet was not good for my Diabetes, so the Diabetes had to take a 'back seat' while I got over that little hiccup ! So an overall Holistic approach is what we advocate. Ignore those other areas at your peril. Uncontrolled BP is just as lethal as uncontrolled Diabetes.

I am fortunate in that I have regular full body blood counts along with all the usual HbA1c, Cholesterol, BP and numerous other tests........that way I am never more than a couple of months away from knowing what might need some attention in certain areas of my body. A recent one picked up a Potassium deficiency, drug related. Now what was I presecribed to cure that..........a Banana a day, and plenty of Coffee........did that and result problem solved. Now you will hear that Banana's and Coffeee are bad for you ?? Well, it doesn't always work that way. As you say, everybody is different.

It's great that you are taking such an interest in your Diabetes......it's the only way to manage it. I'm impressed that you are going to such lengths. I just wish we could persuade some of our Diabetic friends to 'listen to the music' too. I have a couple that just will not listen to anything and rigidly follow the NHS 'dogma' about diet in particular. They are both well overweight, got all sorts of complications, generally feel dreadful most days and seem to have lost all hope of any improvement. It's a case of,
"I listen to what the Dr's tell me.........they know best !" Sometimes......I wonder......

Good luck with your endeavours.

Ken
 
Its important to keep a close eye on blood pressure/cholesterol levels as it is blood glucose levels for all diabetics. My Ophthalmologist stressed after I developed diabetic retinopathy 10 years ago, that keeping bg, bp and cholesterol levels below normal will helps prevent or delays the onset of complications due to neuropathy and retinopathy, hence why I monitor them closely and test my bp once a week on my home bp monitor.

Whether someone is diabetic or not, the message is quite clear from our HCP, that is to eat a healthy diet of fresh fruit and vegetables, keep saturated fat and salt levels low whilst exercising daily to the best of one's ability. Stopping smoking is paramount also, whilst keeping alcohol consumption below the safe recommended levels will go a long way in preventing long term complications.

Nigel
 
I wish mine was just about diabetes.
I have suffered from high blood pressure since my late teens, now 53, and have had to take meds ever since. I was never overweight, my brother used to call me "snake" because I have always been thin.
This didn't stop me having high blood pressure as it is a genetic problem within the family.

I quickly learned how to sort my diabetes out when diagnosed in 2003 but my blood pressure has always been a problem resulting in many permutations of meds over the years. I seem to be able to get good results for about 6 months and then I have to start over with a different treatment. I think I have exhausted all the tablets available. I have been lucky over the last 18months and have good levels taking three different pills and am hoping that the medics have found the magic formula for me. I eat healthily, exercise, control my stress, all the things you are supposed to do but I know that I will never be able to come off meds for high blood pressure. I have regular checks for kidney function because of the high blood pressure and retinal screening every 6 months.
My cholesterol levels are good, including triglycerides so I have no worry there.
No one should be complacent that the only thing you need to do is to sort your blood sugar levels out as diabetics are more at risk for other health problems including cardiovascular events.
A holistic approach encompassing body and mind is the right way to go and never worry that your blood sugar levels are higher than others. There is no magic number that we all have to get to. I know that some here are competitive and feel they have to go that extra mile to get them lower than anyone else. As long as they are acceptable and you have no other health problems then count yourself lucky and live life to the full.
I learned the hard way, when my husband died in his prime after being involved in an RTA, that you have to make the most of your time here and that there are worse things that can happen than being diagnosed with diabetes.
Once diagnosed, we are probably one of the healthiest groups of people as we do all the right things to stay healthy and this is probably something we wouldn't have done without the diagnosis.
 
Very interesting Catherine et al.
I got my DM diagnosis after that for the hypertension... talk about a double whammy and how not to keep calm!
My latest GP is indian and says if you have high BP which many indian men, and others, have then you are much more likely to get DM... the two are hand in hand sadly.
I have been through various pills and currently on lisonopril. I would like to get my BP routinely below 80 but that is rare... a family thing... What pills are you on Catherine? Statins?

My indian neighbour who has high BP and his wife DM both practise yoga.

Once again, Ken I so admire your bravery and great attitude! Bananas? Lucky you if you can tolerate them. I have a bit of one a couple of times a week.

What always troubles me is how many others are out there as ticking time bombs. Some with their heads in the sand, some unaware of their situation and too busy etc.
 
Hi Jim,
My blood pressure meds are:-
Losartan 100 mgs.
Bisoprolol 7.5 mgs and
Bendroflumethiazide 2.5 mgs.
My usual reading now is 120/75 so this combination seems to be doing the trick. I have been hospitalised before with a reading of 237/137 :shock:
Don't take statins as the side effects are bad for me personally.

Thanks to the OP for starting this thread, we do need to look at the bigger picture and not just the blood sugars.
 
Cowboyjim said:
Once again, Ken I so admire your bravery and great attitude! Bananas? Lucky you if you can tolerate them. I have a bit of one a couple of times a week.
.
Click to expand...


I know ......it's been hard being the 'Librarian' here.........bit like an 'Unseen University'.
As for the Banana's......what can I say Jim.........hasn't affected me at all.........Ooook !

Ken
 
Like Catherine I have always 'run high' blood pressure and also have always had a fast pulse I guess the two are connected.

Just taken my BP and pulse 111/75 and 88 which is good for me.

My BP combo:
Ramipril 2.5mg
Diltiazem 90mg twice a day and
Bendroflumethiazide 2.5 mgs.


My bg levels have risen slightly since coming off insulin but I am expecting my next Ac1 to be around the 6% mark which I shall be happy with, fingers crossed
 
Catherine.... what can I say except express my utter astonishment at that level you quoted...!
Didn't realise it was possible for a human being to reach such heights. I wonder what the world record might be?

I have been on bendro wotsit and rampiril etc which were OK but not doing as much as I wanted.
Hence my combo drug. Maybe I will ask the GP for some of yours. I am tall tho so I don't want to be fainting away.

Had a bit of a banana for brekkie this morning Ken... then out for a walk etc.

Def a good notion to have more discussion on BP etc and DM rather than in isolation.
I presume most people have a BP meter next to their glucose meter?
8)
 
Yes, I certainly do :!:
It's something I have to watch closely.
 
Jim,

Bananas, mushrooms and broccoli to name a few are very high in potassium and great foods to help combat rising blood pressure.

Nigel
 
Hi Daisy
I do mine at least once a week. Stays fairly steady but when I go to the GP it's always up... the so-called white coat syndrome they say.

Unlike BG there is no real dynamic feedback tho. Not much I do makes any difference. Hence the pills.

I have not found losing weight, exercising, diet etc has done anything to get my BP down.

Tried statins but they disagreed with me... nursey says I can have some different ones tho. 8)
 
Hi Jim
I suffer severely from the white coat syndrome too. I have to make a list of my BPs at home to show her when I go there. Then we compared my meter with hers to see if I had accurate readings. I can't find a way to get them down either. I take Captopril for that without much success. I have to be very careful as high BP killed my Father.
 
My BP is well controlled, usually readings around 110/65 most times. I went out and bought the same BP uppers arm machine that my Doc uses and that is how I monitor my own BP's. I note the readings in my Bg meter and when I do sometimes visit the GP or Practice Nurse I show them the readings. Those readings are the ones they go by.

You can guarantee that when they take a reading it is through the roof........I do have 'White Coat Syndrome.' This was proven some years ago when I wore a monitor for 24 hrs and it consistently showed that my BP was fine throughout the day......just went up as soon as I saw the (female) Nurse.......
Not my fault......honest ! :wink:

I have to take BP meds as I tried all the usual measures that are recommended without success. I did end up having a Heart Op in 2004 and since then the BP has been more stable although I did have some horrendous numbers during my recent anti-Cancer treatment.....side effect of a couple of the drugs. Thankfully not the case now.

As I and others have said before, you cannot just treat your Diabetes at the expense of other things. It has to be a holistic approach. Neglect one area at the expense of others and you do so at your own risk.

Ken
 
Ken - I think we have chatted about this before. I totally agree with your holistic approach.

Everyone should at least consider this DM or not.

Trouble is as if DM were not enough if you include BP, cholesterol and other diseases etc you quickly find yourself painted in a corner I feel. There is some overlap with these but it makes your diet even more difficult.

In common are exercise, personal monitoring and awareness.

Not sure high BP in itself can kill any more than DM. It is why they call hypertension the 'silent killer'.

My GP also offered me diazepam to take the edge off. Not really tried this though.

I used to have a frightful temper but having been warned I am a lot 'cooler' these days. Though I doubt that's the underlying cause of my hypertension. Genetic they say... hmm.

Maybe we should have a sticky or some kind of thread for the discussion of BP too? Its very existence might make visitors stop and think.
8)
 
Jim.
We'll give it some thought and see if maybe we can put a sticky on the Forum. Good idea.

There are a myriad of previous posts about the subject and one minor problem is that if we just post the information from one source there will always be differences of opinion about what is good or bad.
We will have to decide whether we leave the thread open......or closed to avoid diluting any information. The informtion WE (Sue and Ken) post would have to come from official Mediical sources and not just be anecdotal. In other words what is recommended not just what somebody thinks.

There is nothing to stop anybody posting a new Topic about the subject if they want to start another discussion, preferably in 'Diabetes Discussions or 'Ask A Question.'

Ken
 
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