Type 1 Diabetes

[BuckLobo]

I've been snooping around this cite but have seen hardly any comments on type 1 diabetes. So I thought that I'd throw my 2 cents in. I am 38 years old and was diagnosed about with type 1 diabetes 4 weeks ago. At the time my blood sugar was over 400. I was put on Lantus (22 units/day) and Humalog. My doctor gave me a bunch of government brochures recommending the typical food pyramid. I had read Atkins book about 6 years ago and went through the induction phase but never stuck to it after that. So instead of using the food pyramid I immediately decreased my carb intake, not to induction levels, but close. At my second appointment, my doctor told me to start stepping down the Lantus by 2 units a day until I was taking 1 or 2 shots of Humalog a day. Since cutting my carbs, I didn't need to take the Humalog and over the following few weeks I eventually stepped down my Lantus down to nothing. I started the induction phase in earnest 3 days ago, and have also been walking 3 miles a day. My blood sugar has stayed steady between upper 70's to low 90's. My only problem is that I haven't told my doctor about it because I'm sure that he wouldn't like it, having bought into the traditional approach. I would like to hear more from other type 1's, their experiences, advice, warnings, etc. Thanks, and sorry for the long post.

[Margarita :)]

Are you saying that you don't take ANY insulin at all? If so, that's amazing.

What do you eat? Completely zero carb?

I'm not at type 1, but my son is. If this worked for you, it might work for him.

Also, have you heard of the research by Denise Faustman? Nothing to do with low carb, but her research results have finally gone to clincal trial in March of this year. She's cured type 1 diabetes in mice with an injection of something called BCP. Lee Ioccoca has supported her financially. She says she expects there to be a cure available to type 1 diabetics in 4 years or less.

I've heard promises from doctors before, but this one seems the most promising. Google her name for more info.

Let me know how the low carb goes for you. If it continues to work, I'll definitely talk to my son about it. Although 26 year olds don't often listen to their mommies ... LOL!

Best wishes!

[BuckLobo]

Margarita,
Let me make one important clarification. I have just recently been diagnosed and have been told that my pancreas is still making a little insulin.
I have since talked to my endocrinologist and she said that I should be consuming about 130 g carbs/day. The reason that she cited was that certain organs need carbs to function. but that's old info to anyone who has read Dr. Atkins or has looked through the posts on this site. the 20 grams that Atkins says to consume is enough to keep those organs going fine. she also put me on 2 units of lantus (long-acting) insulin per day but just to help protect whatever beta cells I have left, my blood sugar is already stable--no real highs or lows.
I increased my carbs anyway to see the effects. my weight has not increased but I haven't lost any either. I do not notice feeling any better or worse, and I am going back on induction this week. I have never gone to zero carbs but try to hit as close to 20 a day, going a few over rather than a few under.
I have heard of other type 1's who went low carb but they were diagnosed in their teens and had been doing high carbs for years. when they went low carb, they started experiencing low glucose so they had to cut back on the carbs gradually.
I don't want to give out advice to your son, but I can say that it has been working for me. And I am going to do some research on Denise Faustman. But cure or no cure, I feel that a carb-controlled diet is the healthiest way to eat.
Blessings!

[Alma3000]

I just posted a new subject on Gluconeogenesis. I don't understand why my blood sugars are not going down like you said yours have. I am type 2 but my blood sugars are fairly high (over 250). I will in interested to hear your progress since I feel that those of us who are diabetic have a whole different set of issues when it comes to understanding how the Atkins diet works in relation to our malfunctioning organs.

[waypoint]

I am also a type 2 diabetic. I quit smoking 6 years ago and gained about 50 lbs. Everyone said don't worry it will come off later. I tried Atkins about 5 years ago when it was the rage and stayed on induction for about 5 months and only lost about 10 lbs. I finally gave it up and gained the 10 lbs back. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a couple of years later and I hated the way I felt on the medicine so I quit taking it and tried to do low carb, not Atkins but tried to stay away from simple carbs. My sugar levels were still too high so I am back on Metformin only. I have been on Atkins induction for 3 weeks now and have only lost 3 lbs but I feel great!!! No unstable sugar levels, no IBS, no fatigue, and lots of energy! Both of my parents were diabetic so I didn't have a fighting chance but I also have another problem I have severe food allergies. The great thing is that the Singular that I take for asthma blocks my food allergies. I could eat no animal products for 27 years and carried adrenalin shots everywhere and now I can eat whatever I want. I am guessing that this probably has something to do with my not being able to lose weight. I wish I could lose the weight so I could be off the meds. I never realized just how bad carbs made me feel. Anybody have any thoughts about this? I'd do anything to lose weight and feel good!

[maryjo]

My 14 yr old daughter was diagnosed two weeks ago with type 1. You cannot believe the heavy push to eat off their food pyramid which has grains being the highest. The holistic drs for years have been saying no to grains and some say eat them only if fermented. They want her to eat 75 carbs per meal and snack. The dr can't comprehend why I would want to lower her blood sugar through diet when you can just use insulin. The insulin has not lowered it properly yet. I got it to drop right away when I started low carb. We are following dr Bersteins book.

The dr says eggs will raise your cholesterol, oh okay. I think this dr is in the dark ages. Fat is bad for you as is too much protein. You wouldn't believe her food tray in the hospital, cupcakes, nutrasweet, white flour products, fruit.

They say I can't expect my daughter to eat healthy when we have made the change as a family and she can do it. Her health is contingent on it. I homeschool so I think it will be easier as far as fitting in.

Today is her sisters bday and I am making cheesecake with stevia and pork rind crust pizza.

I would love some support as I feel like I am in a battle with these drs and dieticians. I feel like they think they can decide what is best for my daughter when it is just not the case. They have this 9 hour class I am supposed to take and most of it is going to be about diet. I don't know what will happen when I don't take the class. Tomorrow is a 2 hr meeting with the nurse and dietician but I have my doubts that I can sway them about low carb. I am gathering articles and will bring my dr bernstein book with me.

Thank you for listening.

Maryjo (and Lizzie)

[BuckLobo]

Maryjo,
Since my diagnosis in February of this year, I have been on atkins (mostly faithfully), and have lost almost 50 lbs. But more importantly, I have greatly reduced and stabilized my blood sugar. The more I stray from the diet the more it destabilizes. I look and feel better.

I was frustrated this past summer when I served as a chaplain in large hospital in the (US) south and saw heart patients and diabetics being served meals like you described your daughter getting. Many were already overweight and suffering from advanced symptoms of diabetes.

the controlled-carb diet is still very counter-intuitive to the vast majority of medical community that I have encountered. And all the years of training they have paid for gives them a certain degree of arrogance and condescension. Why should they listen to you when their professors and textbooks have told them otherwise? All I know is that atkins has been working for me when their advice has failed.

I hope you are still fighting the good fight and doing what is best for your daughter and keeping this under control. The doctors aren't stupid but they're not always right either. I wish you the best.

Grace and Peace,
Buck

[Tril]

"the controlled-carb diet is still very counter-intuitive to the vast majority of medical community..."

And that just boggles my mind. It makes no sense at all to feed a person carbohydrate when they can't use it for energy. Especially when the SAME person could use ketones instead. Hello... how hard is that to understand?!? They've got it all backward.

Tril

[firelady]

Mary Jo: I have a metabolic syndrome close to Type II diabetes (My HemA1C is OK but short term blood sugar spikes send my blood sugar through the roof). When I was first diagnosed they put me on a low fat diet. Two months later I was in the hospital with uncontrollable high blood pressure. That is what started me on the diet 5 years ago. I am fone as long as I limit simple carbs (I vary between 40-100gms per day). When I violate this I get sick.

Most MDs STILL do not understand this!!! When I was in the hosital they gave me an MRI contrast agent in cranberry juice. I asked the nurse several times whether there was sugar in it and she said NO. After drinking half of it I knew she did not tell the truth and 15 minutes later they were giving me insulin shots to prevent a stroke. THEY ARE IDIOTS. You need to look out for yourself. Type I is harder but there is plenty of literature you can access on MEDLINE that supports low carb for diabetics. Their response is just use more insulin rather than trying to control blood sugar!