Diabetic Pet Peeves

i was just diagnosed with metabolic syndrome by my doc. (along with a laundry list of my other problems). i have central obesity, (40"), no high blood pressure, triglycerides of 575 and chol 0f 210. when i was in the hospital in january with severe generalized edema (i gained 35 pounds in two days), they ran a lipid profile and came up with those numbers. two years ago they were all WNL. is it possible to skyrocket like that? i do have familial h/o diabetes (dad has been type 1 since age 20, he's now 64 and had a CABG, renal failure, retinal damage, etc).

my diet is not perfect, but i don't eat a whole lot of meat at all (maybe 10 days a month). i have had episodes of symptomatic hypoglycemia confirmed by blood work. but along with my SLE, asthma, migraines, endometriosis, and my chronic pain issue with my herniated discs, i'm a mess.

i had never heard about metabolic syndrome, or syndrome X, as my Pcp called it until he diagnosed me. He told me to diet and increase my exercise.

have any of you had this disease, or treat pts with it? what can you tell me about it?

i was just diagnosed with metabolic syndrome by my doc. (along with a laundry list of my other problems). i have central obesity, (40"), no high blood pressure, triglycerides of 575 and chol 0f 210. when i was in the hospital in january with severe generalized edema (i gained 35 pounds in two days), they ran a lipid profile and came up with those numbers. two years ago they were all WNL. is it possible to skyrocket like that? i do have familial h/o diabetes (dad has been type 1 since age 20, he's now 64 and had a CABG, renal failure, retinal damage, etc).

my diet is not perfect, but i don't eat a whole lot of meat at all (maybe 10 days a month). i have had episodes of symptomatic hypoglycemia confirmed by blood work. but along with my SLE, asthma, migraines, endometriosis, and my chronic pain issue with my herniated discs, i'm a mess.

i had never heard about metabolic syndrome, or syndrome X, as my Pcp called it until he diagnosed me. He told me to diet and increase my exercise.

have any of you had this disease, or treat pts with it? what can you tell me about it?

What do you want to know about it? Causes? symptoms? treatment? mortality and morbidity? pharmacological approaches to treatment?

Grannynurse:balloons:

I have just read all the posts and have to add, that each and every person is an individual and what works with one...Therefore as nurses we have to understand the necessity to treat our diabetic patients with a lot of understanding and patience, and NEVER pass judgement or YELL or criticize. Our doctor does just that and we have patients hiding and refusing blood work out of fear! We must remember that a diabetic patient means a long term relationship, that has to be nurtured. We don't want to push them into denial!

We must be educated and then we must educate properly, gently and empathetically. Only then will we succeed in helping our patients minimize complication and control their disease/health situation/ disability/ health challenge ( whatever you want to call it!!!!!!)

We must guide the patient through the maze of doctors, nutritionist, specialists, lab work etc. We must encourage them to turn to us or the appropriate health care provider with problems and questions (no matter how big or small). We must help them be educated about their situation and then some!

Believe me our task is not small and I can tell that we have some excellant nurses out there. Keep up the good work!

Regarding the post where a nurse gave incorrect information, ...we all make mistakes, it takes a big person to admit to them.... But since we all depend on each other, lets try to keep our info up to date and accurate!

What do you want to know about it? Causes? symptoms? treatment? mortality and morbidity? pharmacological approaches to treatment?

Grannynurse:balloons:

anything and everything ....lol, i've been researching it online because i've never heard of it before. i've been a lpn for 10 years. what my doc told me was it was a precursor to type 2, and that it was the body becoming more and more resistant to insulin. leading my body into not being able to use insulin, causing excessive glucose and weight gain, esp in the central area. i've always gained weight in my abdoment and nowhere else.

basically, just wanted to learn from those who have this syndrome, or who know of it/treat patients with it.

thanks!

I imagine its possible for type 2's to use a pump (like in pregnancy when oral meds are contraindicated) but I suspect the insurance companies don't like it. The pump is expensive ($5000) and there are less expensive options. Like everything in health care: it comes down to $$$$$.

I've seen it done (I'm currentlly working on a study comparing two different dietary education programs for type 2 diabetes).

Pet Peeve #7 ADA diet. No such animal but that doesn't stop the unknowledgeable.

Grannynurse:balloons:

I know what you mean. In the research group I'm working with, we all know it's not really the "ADA diet" but more like the "ADA guidelines", and sometimes we still slip and say "ADA diet"--even I've done it!

Question - Are you in the US advocating the use of the Low GI diet in Diabetes??

It's being looked into--there is disagreement as to how much it adds to standard carb counting advice as far as improvement in glycemic control. I'm curious to hear what's generally done in Australia, as I know the GI is more widely used there.

I'm type II and control it with diet and exercise. It's very hard work, but I do it. I didn't get much help when I was diagnosed, so I had to learn on my own. While type II can be put in remission, it doesn't go away as I think one poster said. Remission is a wonderful goal, but microvascular damage is most likely still going on, so even motivated people need excellent medical care. I have good insurance, but I've had to be very assertive in getting the care I need.

As a diabetic and a nurse I really appreciate this discussion. It's a tough disease to live with and sometimes you just want a vacation. I'm an insulin dependent Type 2. It's so nice to see the support here. I'm so tired of people who think it's easy to eat right etc. I'm losing wt. using Byetta. It's been a wonder drug. Anyone familiar with it?

Yes!! My mom has been put on Byetta. And you're right, it works wonders. Her blood sugars have gone from the high 300s to the low 100s and lower. I am so proud of what it does. I believe it will become more mainstream as time goes on. My mother was really doing what she could to control her blood sugars, but her oral hypoglycemics alone were not doing the trick. But, finally, with Byetta, her blood sugar is finally under control. And this is within less than 3 months.

I am a nurse and am on an insulin pump. When I first put the pump on, I noticed a weight gain of 15 # within the first 2 weeks - and I was eating LESS carbs than I did before the pump was put on. I've noticed edema in my face, hands, and feet. I took off the pump and lost #12 in 2 days. I now take the pump off every couple of weeks for a few days so that I can drop the water weight and then put the pump back on. I've not been able to find any info on insulin edema. My doctor thinks I'm fabricating all this......any info you might have would be helpful to me. Also, can U500 insulin be used in a pump? What is DDAVP and Byetta?

Just wanted to contribute and say that I like this site and especailly all of the opportunities to learn from other nurses. I was unaware of the many treatment for diabetes. My students will be informed about changes d/t your information and to the fact that they need to keep up with the changes.:typing

I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes less than a month ago. I've been trying to control BGs with diet and exercise....I've lost 5 pounds so far and have been stepping up the exercise, but today I had to call and report a BG of over 300 Saturday night (we'd gone to a birthday party...I had 2 glasses of wine and a smidgen of cake...sigh) and a FASTING BG of 201 this morning. My doc called in a prescription for Glucophage, but I'd love to know more about Byetta. I soooo need to lose about 60 pounds.

I'm off to look up carb counting....wish me luck

Talk to your MD or a Certified Diabetes Educator about yopur food plan and/or Byetta. It's an injectable med supposed to work with oral meds and may promote some wt. loss..My insur. co. just denied it but I'm appealing and my Dr. will give me samples. It's helped dec. my Sugars and I've lost about 12 lbs. over the last mon. I think you also have to havve a AIChgb below 9 to qualify for byetta. good luck!