Re: morning blood sugars

February 14, 2002

I subscribe to about 6 different diabetes mailing lists, so I

had about 100 new messages this morning at work. Forgive

me if I missed anyone who replied to me. Also, with all these

lists, it's hard to remember what I've said and where. I'll try to

answer all the questions you guys asked me. : )

I was diagnosed type 2 in December and I've been trying to

control it with exercise, meds, and diet. I'm about 60-80

pounds overweight, 60 over the weight I'd like to be and 80

over the weight the charts say I should be. So losing weight

would definitely improve my insulin resistance. I'm 25 (I turn

26 on Sunday, I hate getting older!) so I'm hoping to put off

injecting insulin for at least a decade or two. I take 1000 mg

of glucophage XR, either with dinner or right after it. The

reason the endo put me on it was to help with my morning

sugars; it's really helped with my sugars the rest of the day,

but not the morning. I started taking 500 mg on 12/27 and

1000 on 1/3. The CDE said we could up the dosage but

she wants to see if exercising later will help.

In terms of crackers, I eat a piece of Wasa rye crispbread

with only 4 carbs. Dipping it in hummus (I know, carbs there,

but I try not to go overboard) or smearing it with cream

cheese and sundried tomatoes makes it a nice substitute

for higher carbs crackers that I'm used to eating, plus I'm

getting the benefits of more fiber. This kind of cracker

(is calling it a cracker misleading?) is okay, right?

My daytime sugars are great, so I'm hesitant to mess

with a routine that's been successful so far. Breakfast is

a sausage egg mcmuffin with cheese, I throw away half

the muffin. Lunch is a marinated grilled chicken breast

from home diced up and mixed with a Mcs garden

salad and ranch dressing. My numbers stay in the 90's

throughout the day. I don't need a lot of variety in what I

eat, so I'm happy eating the same things for breakfast

and lunch everyday.

I work in Chicago and live in a suburb, I take the train

everyday. Although I don't generally mind the trip, the

thought of eating on a crowded sweaty smelly city train

is very unappetizing.

I treated myself and ate a higher carb dinner last night,

chinese orange chicken and pot stickers. This is one

of my favorite meals and I only get it on special

occasions, like after I've reported my blood sugars

to my CDE like yesterday. So these numbers that

I'm about to report are somewhat higher than usual.

I did exercise for 10 minutes last night on a glider that

I have, I just got it and right now 10 minutes is about all

I can handle on it. When the weather gets warmer, I

plan to do nightly walks. Anyway, I tested my blood 3

times this morning, at 5:34 when I woke to take a

shower, at 7:52 right after I officially woke up, and at

8:55 when I got to work. I didn't eat anything until after

the third testing. My sugars were 123-146-156, so

they are definitely on the rise until breakfast. Maybe

over the weekend I can wake up and test at random

times during the night and see if I have a bit of a

hypo dip in there.

Thanks again for the ideas, everyone. I'll keep

experimenting with snacks, exercise, and testing

times and see if I can figure out a routine that works.

I'll let you know. Sorry this is so long!

Sharon Olsen

Research Associate

Lexecon Inc

*I would have made this instrumental but the words got in the way*

February 14, 2002

Sharon, please don't be sorry. Testing and experimenting are all we have

between us and dm complications, and the more facts available, the better!

This is a perfect disease for compulsive people. I think you're doing a

good job of noticing what works and what doesn't for you. I also think

eating a piece of protein and taking some ALA as you're getting dressed

might help your dawn rise.

Barb

> Anyway, I tested my blood 3

> times this morning, at 5:34 when I woke to take a

> shower, at 7:52 right after I officially woke up, and at

> 8:55 when I got to work. I didn't eat anything until after

> the third testing. My sugars were 123-146-156, so

> they are definitely on the rise until breakfast. Maybe

> over the weekend I can wake up and test at random

> times during the night and see if I have a bit of a

> hypo dip in there.

February 14, 2002

Sharon, please don't be sorry. Testing and experimenting are all we have

between us and dm complications, and the more facts available, the better!

This is a perfect disease for compulsive people. I think you're doing a

good job of noticing what works and what doesn't for you. I also think

eating a piece of protein and taking some ALA as you're getting dressed

might help your dawn rise.

Barb

> Anyway, I tested my blood 3

> times this morning, at 5:34 when I woke to take a

> shower, at 7:52 right after I officially woke up, and at

> 8:55 when I got to work. I didn't eat anything until after

> the third testing. My sugars were 123-146-156, so

> they are definitely on the rise until breakfast. Maybe

> over the weekend I can wake up and test at random

> times during the night and see if I have a bit of a

> hypo dip in there.

February 14, 2002

Sharon, please don't be sorry. Testing and experimenting are all we have

between us and dm complications, and the more facts available, the better!

This is a perfect disease for compulsive people. I think you're doing a

good job of noticing what works and what doesn't for you. I also think

eating a piece of protein and taking some ALA as you're getting dressed

might help your dawn rise.

Barb

> Anyway, I tested my blood 3

> times this morning, at 5:34 when I woke to take a

> shower, at 7:52 right after I officially woke up, and at

> 8:55 when I got to work. I didn't eat anything until after

> the third testing. My sugars were 123-146-156, so

> they are definitely on the rise until breakfast. Maybe

> over the weekend I can wake up and test at random

> times during the night and see if I have a bit of a

> hypo dip in there.

February 14, 2002

Thanks Barb. I do compulsive very well and love bs testing.

When I was diagnosed, my father, who is also type 2, told me

that diabetes is called the intellectual's disease because

there is so much to learn and study. But he keeps giving me

books that were written in the 70's and 80's, I don't think he

gets that there have been so many advances since then.

He keeps talking about this book he read that he considers

the best book written on diabetes, but he can't remember

the title because he lent it to someone in 1985! I'm going to

try to get him to read Bernstein's book. I remember one

time, I was shopping with my mother and felt ill so I wanted

to test my sugar, but I had used my last test strip that

morning. I thought I would try his meter and just use my

pricker. My mom searched everywhere in the house for it.

Finally she found it, pulled the strips out, and they had

expired in '98! Perhaps this is why he only has 6 toes.

Somehow I don't think he is the best person to be giving

me advice, no matter how well-intentioned it is. Augh,

I could go on forever.

</dad rant>

Is it best to take ALA all at once or take one with each meal?

Sharon Olsen

Research Associate

Lexecon Inc

*I would have made this instrumental but the words got in the way*

February 14, 2002

Thanks Barb. I do compulsive very well and love bs testing.

When I was diagnosed, my father, who is also type 2, told me

that diabetes is called the intellectual's disease because

there is so much to learn and study. But he keeps giving me

books that were written in the 70's and 80's, I don't think he

gets that there have been so many advances since then.

He keeps talking about this book he read that he considers

the best book written on diabetes, but he can't remember

the title because he lent it to someone in 1985! I'm going to

try to get him to read Bernstein's book. I remember one

time, I was shopping with my mother and felt ill so I wanted

to test my sugar, but I had used my last test strip that

morning. I thought I would try his meter and just use my

pricker. My mom searched everywhere in the house for it.

Finally she found it, pulled the strips out, and they had

expired in '98! Perhaps this is why he only has 6 toes.

Somehow I don't think he is the best person to be giving

me advice, no matter how well-intentioned it is. Augh,

I could go on forever.

</dad rant>

Is it best to take ALA all at once or take one with each meal?

Sharon Olsen

Research Associate

Lexecon Inc

*I would have made this instrumental but the words got in the way*

February 14, 2002

Thanks Barb. I do compulsive very well and love bs testing.

When I was diagnosed, my father, who is also type 2, told me

that diabetes is called the intellectual's disease because

there is so much to learn and study. But he keeps giving me

books that were written in the 70's and 80's, I don't think he

gets that there have been so many advances since then.

He keeps talking about this book he read that he considers

the best book written on diabetes, but he can't remember

the title because he lent it to someone in 1985! I'm going to

try to get him to read Bernstein's book. I remember one

time, I was shopping with my mother and felt ill so I wanted

to test my sugar, but I had used my last test strip that

morning. I thought I would try his meter and just use my

pricker. My mom searched everywhere in the house for it.

Finally she found it, pulled the strips out, and they had

expired in '98! Perhaps this is why he only has 6 toes.

Somehow I don't think he is the best person to be giving

me advice, no matter how well-intentioned it is. Augh,

I could go on forever.

</dad rant>

Is it best to take ALA all at once or take one with each meal?

Sharon Olsen

Research Associate

Lexecon Inc

*I would have made this instrumental but the words got in the way*

February 14, 2002

> Is it best to take ALA all at once or take one with each meal?

**I would start with one before dinner - the 300 mg extended release, that

is, and one before bed. Otherwise, if you have the short acting, I'd start

with 150 mg an hour before dinner. If it really helps, take it before every

meal. It doesn't do much for me, but I'm not overweight and not very

insulin resistance. It seems to do wonders for insulin resistance and I

think there is someone on the list who got off her insulin using ALA. I do

take the 300 mg timed release twice a day anyway, because it's so good for

me.

Barb

February 14, 2002