I am 32, pcos, and very insulin resistant. I am very very close to being full blown diabetic. I had diabetes my last pregnancy and the dr's thought for sure that it would not go away. (because of all the insulin I had to take) It went down to a pre-diabetic level. I was told to lose 35 more pounds.

Honestly, I don't care about the weight as much as I just want to feel good! I feel so bad all the time and the dr's say there is nothing else wrong with me. (It's not my thyroid) If I eat any carbs at all, I get a "crash" feeling. I feel horrible all day. I describe it as a "headache in my eyes" and extreme fatigue.
Even when I follow the diabetic diet and count carbs and balance with protein! Everything I eat makes me feel bad and I check my sugar but it is normal??? I am not a dr, but I am assuming maybe it is an insulin problem ? The dr's don't seem to care since my sugar is in the normal range. That is the frustrating part because I am not making this up!!

I take meds (byetta and metformin) but still feel bad. I have got to do something. I have ZERO energy and I have two small children to take care of (one that has autism). It's gotten so bad I was considering that I may have chronic fatigue syndrome.
DH encouraged me to not eat any carbs with breakfast one moring so I didn't. The difference was unbelievable!! For example if I eat 2 eggs, 1/2 cup oatmeal with stevia, I seriously can't do much of anything for the rest of the day. It's that bad. Then I feel a crash and it's an up and down all day feeling. (even though my sugar is good.... weird). That is crazy because plain oatmeal is "healthy" and a good carb.
I've done the Insulin Resistance diet but reacted to the allowed carbs, GI diet and even reacted to those carbs!

It's not the meds making me feel this way either. I was this way before but I do think the feeling is magnified on met. My dr. says that is impossible.
The weight I have lost so far I have lost on Byetta. That's why I hate to go off of it. But byetta makes me nauseated (which causes you to lose weight) and I can't eat anything with a lot of fat. So I end up doing low fat which in turn is high in carbs, which in turn makes me feel bad!

I know very little about PCOS except that, like all autoimmune diseases, it has a causal link to gluten. (Google is your friend.) Your son's autism is solid evidence of a familial genetic connection to gluten sensitivity. That's even reinforced by the fact that it's a maternal connection. That connects maternally-inherited mitochondrial DNA.

Like you, many lo-carb savvy people succeed at relieving autoimmune symptoms by cutting out starches. So they blame "carbohydrates". The problem is really a combination of complex sugars (fructose and lactose) and the gluten in glutenous grains (wheat, rye, barley and oats).

You and your son should cut out both for three or four months. See what happens. Try eliminating raw milk from your son's diet for a few weeks too. Milk casein has been strongly linked to autism. Casein and gluten are strong opioids to many people.

http://www.childrensdisabilities.in...rsprotein7.html

I'm convinced a sugar-free gluten-free diet represents the cure for type 2 diabetes, and for all maladies of the metabolic syndrome. So that's another strong link tying your PCOS to gluten ingestion.

Here's my model. The pancreas has nerves which monitor blood endorphin levels in order to regulate the release of insulin. Gluten is the glycoprotein in wheat, rye, barley and oats. Gluten is an opioid, a mimicker of endorphin. It plugs into pancreatic nerve cells, and fools them into thinking the blood is full of endorphin.

The pancreas responds with a constant oversupply of insulin. The added insulin:

* stuffs cells with fat and prevents them from releasing fat
* depletes the pancreas's ability to produce insulin
* traps ingested sugar in the bloodstream
* makes cells resistant to the effects of insulin

Exercise, stop ingesting sweets, stop ingesting gluten, cut back on other starches and glycoproteins. Fill in with cuts of meat.

I'm convinced this regimen is the cure for type 2 diabetes.


Somebody else posted this link earlier. I can cite other, more casual connections:

Effect of gluten exorphins A5 and B5 on the postprandial plasma insulin level in conscious rats

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The effect of exogenous opioid peptides, gluten exorphins A5 and B5, which were isolated from the enzymatic digest of wheat gluten, on the postprandial insulin level were examined in rats. The oral administration of gluten exorphin A5 at a dose of 30 mg/kg w. potentiated the postprandial plasma insulin level and the effect was reversed by naloxone. The administration of gluten exorphin B5 showed a similar effect at a higher dose (300 mg/kg w). Furthermore, intravenous administration of gluten exorphin A5 at a dose of 30 mg/kg w. also stimulated the postprandial insulin release. The fact that orally and intravenously administered gluten exorphin A5 stimulates insulin release suggests that it modulates pancreatic endocrine function by the action after the absorption rather than within the the gastrointestinal tract.
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Thanks
I actually considered that I might be allergic to gluten. But I get the same symptoms when I eat other carbs like potatoes (this one is the worst) and rice.

I have celiac disease and I am hypoglycemic .......both controlled by diet. After being gluten-free a few weeks I developed an intolerance to nightshades .......tomatoes, peppers and......

......potatoes.

If you read the celiac bulletin boards you'll find it's very common. The standard explanation seems to be that people like us never properly tolerated nightshades in our digestive systems. The gluten-free diet merely exposes this fact.

Gluten sensitivity is characterized by the "zonulin dump". Upon ingesting gluten, the small intestine releases zonulin, a cytokine which makes the intestinal lining permeable. It washes the intestine's contents into the bloodstream so the bloodstream's immune system can handle the gluten overload.

......the "zonulin dump"

When we stop eating gluten, the intestines stop releasing zonulin. This keeps the intestinal contents intact, and digests them properly before releasing them into the bloodstream. Before the gluten-free diet the circulatory system's immune system digested nightshades. After going gluten-free, the digestive system is forced to try and digest nightshades.

It makes me wonder what roll nightshades might have played in initiating the standard zonulin response. I've seen referenced a few nightshade chemicals. You could Google them. They are far more reactive than standard starches.

Funny, when tomatoes were first introduced from Mexico into Europe, it caused an uproar. Medical professionals equated tomatoes with their relative, deadly nightshade. Some claimed tomatoes would make people ill. For some of us, looks like they were correct.


.......a reaction to potatoes AND glutenous grains?

It's no wonder many people blame all starches.

P.S., Besides deadly nightshade, the nightshade family includes ginsum weed, tobacco, and the belladonna plant (angel trumpet).

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It sounds like you could have an autoimmune disease or something else going on. It seems like autoimmune diseases all cause fatigue usually.

Anyway, the good news is a proper diet can fix a lot of things. I found that the Paleo diet really helped me maintain my weight and also improved my health tremendously. I have a history of autoimmune diseases so this was really a good thing.

Please google "Paleo diet" and read up. In a nutshell, you eliminate grains and dairy products, basically all foods that come from a factory and eat fruits, veggies, meats, fish, poultry, nuts and so on. People do variations on it or are not 100% strict with all the rules. The one rule I do adhere to best is no-grains.

Wow.

I can learn a few things here too.

I wonder about gluten and if it is a problem for me.

I will study up.

I am always tired.

I cannot seem to get my weight going down.

I am using levemir and novolog insulin.

When I do cut back on carbs I do lose weight.

I need the discipline.

I have seriously thought about trying a surgical procedure and have a band inserted to get this weight off and then work from there.

But I will study up more on gluten. I still have some amount of bread each day. Perhaps, I simply must eliminate it entirely.

Ralph

Absolutely! However, I would not depend on it working, i.e. make any assumptions about dosing responses on your current medication. If my theory is correct, you high blood sugar and insulin levels will abate. I'm guessing, after that, your medication would cause sub-levels of both. You should have your blood glucose AND insulin levels checked as you slowly but totally wean from all gluten and sugar intake .......including fruit.

Blood insulin levels are key. But diabetics usually do not monitor their need for insulin by testing blood insulin levels. They test blood glucose levels. Blood insulin levels are affected by pancreatic insulin production. Blood glucose levels are affected by many things.

This dietary cure would be available only to type 2 diabetics whose pancreases are still capable of producing adequate supplies of insulin.

Triage-ing your condition........ Cutting out glutenous grains and sugars is safe .........harmless .......to anyone .......including type 2 diabetics.

If these foods are causing your high insulin levels, and cutting them out makes your insulin levels normalize ........then your medications could cause you trouble.

I've gotta say, it's nice talking to people who are already receptive to low-carb eating. Most people with metabolic syndrome hear me say to stop eating wheat and sugar, and they wanna hurt me ......leaving no doubt what caused their symptoms in the first place.

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Previously I explained that gluten is an opioid. It mimics endorphin and plugs into pancreatic nerves. In that capacity gluten is also an opioid to the central nervous system. Gluten can be highly addictive, and is a mind-altering drug to many people.

I should note that gluten has this property via a couple of glycoproteins in its structure. Several other ingested glycoproteins can have similar opioid properties. But none of these glycoproteins can reach the bloodstream undigested without gluten and sugar causing the premature zonulin dump.

Broken down....... if some non-gluten glycoprotein, like casein, is causing a particular case of type 2 diabetes, cutting out gluten and sugar should help keep it out of the bloodstream.





Zonulin's purpose is to make the intestinal membrane permeable. In the "zonulin dump", besides passing the intestinal contents into the bloodstream, zonulin also passes itself into the bloodstream.

From the bloodstream zonulin defeats the purpose of membranes throughout the body. It facilitates the opioid action of undigested glycoproteins. Zonulin forces blood-born antibodies to spill their cytokines .......causing systemic inflamation .......Google "TNF-alpha". Zonulin also interrupts mitochondrial membrane integrity. Mitochondria are responsible for manufacturing cellular energy. Zonulin interrupts mitochondrial energy conversion.

http://www.vrp.com/articles.aspx?ProdID=art912&zTYPE=2

http://courses.coe.asu.edu/dbclark/...%20Marathon.htm (Don't miss the little animation links)


Stop eating gluten and sugar. Supplement with vitamin C and B complex. You might also want to supplement with a few mitochondrial building blocks ......CoQ10, R-alpha lipoic acid and carnisol. I don't recommend supplementing with L-carnitine as it can act as a digestive vehicle for metals.

Believe it or not, we're still in metabolism-lite territory.

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To add to and NOT CONTRADICT the previous post may I suggest.

people with PCOS are almost always vitamin d deficient.
and
Vitamin D and calcium dysregulation in the polycystic ovarian syndrome.(Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) has been corrected by supplementation of D and calcium

You may also find this blog from Stephan Whole Health Source interesting Gluten Sensitivity: Celiac Disease is the Tip of the Iceberg

I totally agree with vitamin B12 supplements. Low vitamin B12 has even been implicated in cancer. Some autoimmune sufferers start with or develop a genetic inability to metabolize B12. In those cases, Sam-E supplements may also be needed.

Calcium supplements help, but I think calcium deficiency is more of an effect of autoimmune disease than a cause, often pointing at thyroid and parathyroid involvement.

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It's even worse than your blogger explains. He says 10% - 12% of the American population tests positive to "gluten sensitivity" via blood IgA antibody test. "Gluten sensitivity" generally defines, as your blogger states later, all diseases induced by eating gluten.

"Gluten intolerance" generally defines gluten-induced autoimmune diseases ........where the immune system attacks tissue compromised by gluten. So gluten intolerance diseases are a subset of gluten sensitivity diseases. Gluten intolerance diseases elicit immune antibodies.

The diseases covered by gluten sensitivity and not by gluten intolerance are the diseases where antigens, including gluten, directly attack tissue. Antibodies are not involved. Type 2 diabetes, as I describe it above, is just such a disease. As such, counter to your blogger's thesis, there are no antibodies to test, and cannot be included in his 10% - 12% statistic.

Gluten sensitivity, non-gluten intolerance, diseases represent an extremely large portion of chronic disease in grain eating societies.

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OK, I am Type 2 and pretty much EXACTLY like you.

First...throw out the concept of "healthy" grains. there is no such thing for a diabetic. All of them make us sicker, and raise our blood sugar. No grains. No grains. No grains.

Second...exercise. Our bodies require much more to stay feeling healthy than just correct diet. Start slowly and build up weekly. You can do it.

Third...vitamin supplementation. get a high potency multiple (I prefer Solaray's Twice daily High Energy) and take fish oil, D3, calcium and a multi-B. For starters.

PM me if you'd like. I've been at this for years

The blog does make the point that Feeding wheat bran to "healthy" volunteers caused them to burn through their vitamin D reserves at an accelerated rate. I think this is part of the reason why celiac patients have extremely poor vitamin D status and as Vitamin D status controls calcium magnesium uptake from the diet this leads to a vicious downward spiral so celiac patients also have low serum calcium and magnesium, and elevated parathyroid hormone.

It really is critical to improve Vitamin D3 status with effective amounts of Cholecalciferol daily This will cause calcium & magnesium levels to rise and PTH to drop.
I don't take a calcium supplement as I have plenty of calcium food sources and dietary calcium is better utilised than supplemental. I do supplement with magnesium because I suspect a lot of our veg nowdays is grown on magnesium depleted soils. (magnesium is water soluble so leaches out of the ground and indeed out of your greens if you boil them in water, better to steam or stirfry. )

Gluten and Glucose Management in Type 1 Diabetes I thought this was quite interesting. Yes I know it's type one and may not be relevant but it's still interesting and worth considering.

Wow.

That triggered a bunch of responses.

I need to study this thread more.

With regard to supplements, I take them.

I take a b-complex, I take a strong multi-vitamin and mineral, I take krill oil for omega 3 , I take Ocuvite, magnesium 1000mg, potassium klo-chor, niacin 1000mg.

So I think I am doing well with the various supplements. I simply need to eliminate grains.

I will read up more on the URLs presented.

Thanks,

Ralph

As a herbalist, I have known for some time that potatoes, bell peppers, tomatoes etc, belong to the belladonna (Atropa belladonna family, yet, these make up about 60 % of my vegetable intake, especially tomatoes and peppers. The belladonna or nightshade family all have some measure of toxin or poison in them. (By the way, the drops the eye doc puts in your eyes came from belladonna - Atropa > atrophine). I know this, and eat them anyway. I'm probably somewhat addicted, since these are my favourite veggies. I am going to try to cut down on them after reading these posts.

Same for gluten, but I am wondering about B vitamins - I do eat barley and oats; What whole grains, with B vitamins, can I use to replace these?