Hi all!

I'm new to this diabetes business, was diagnosed in the beginning of 2009. I still don't know what type I have, but I guess that it's LADA, I have GAD65 antibodies but I've read that those can come from other problems, but since there seem to be quite more types, who really knows.

I'm quite fed up, always have been, with western school medicine, as they will prescribe you things that will harm you and may even be of no use, but it largely ignores the potent things that nature gives us.

I'm glad I've found this quite alternative forum, where people are open minded and seem to try out things "not approved".

For now I'm using Bitter Melon extract pills with quite some success, sometimes too much success

I plan to use organic vanadium compounds (BMOV, BEOV, BPOV, etc...) since I've read that in animal and human studies they've shown results and some studies suggest that they may even help in the regeneration of beta cells.

I'm not on insulin, take only supplements and follow a low carb/low gi/high fat diet.

Thank you and I hope to learn a lot for your experiences in treating this weird metabolic disfunction of ours with alternative methods.

Oh interesting! I hadn't heard of vanadium before.

Welcome!

Neither had I, I "discovered" it 4 days ago, when I stumbled upon this:

http://www.innovations-report.de/ht..._ii_122715.html

what makes me wonder is that, apparently, since the early 1900s it was known that vanadium could help in easing diabetes, it looks like it was even prescribed in France as a therapy.

It seems that vanadium has insulin like properties, but its absorption when taken as salt, isn't good. But if "glued" to other molecules the absorption is greatly boosted and the side effects are likely to dissapear.

Very interesting indeed!

Let us know how it works. I'm looking for something that'll reduce my "dawn phenomenon". I've tried Milk Thistle, Bitter Melon, Banaba, and Berberine HCI but so far nothing has worked.

How long have you been on low carb? Have you read Berstein? Taubes?

I have heard of vanadium but didnt' know it helped with blood sugar. Interesting. I just started on banaba today. The bitter melon worked okay but not as well as the berberine.

~nacy

Look into this interesting presentation, it has data of normoglycemic people during a day:

http://www.diabetes-symposium.org/i...chart=33&id=322

Just be careful into interpreting the BG levels given, as they're plasma levels. The graph shows escapades into the 11 (+/-200) in the morning.

What's usually your fasting BG level in the morning? Mine is around 4 to 5 for the moment.

Since 1.1.09, well, I began 9.1.09, because from 1.1.09 till 9.1.09 I could barely eat.

The dietetist I went to, he told me to eat low carb, he told me not to eat bread, pasta, cookies, potatos, fruits, milk, etc... Instead lots of fish, meat, eggs, fat, veggies, salads and always to look in food for a low carb load.

He gave me a booklet with the GI/CL of different foods, so I'm guiding myself with that and what I find on the internet.

He told me that that is called "paleo" diet.

What is berberine? (I found it, the chinese plant)

Did you get lows from the bitter gourd?

Welcome,

You will find plenty of help in this forum.

Many people are here with different experiences.

Since you are really focused on herbs and supplements, I would suggest checking out Cajunboy47's journal.

He follows a supplement program and uses herbs.

He has a distinct advantage in that his wife is a Doctor and she practices alternative medicine; better personal care you cannot get.

You are in good hands in this forum.

Ralph

I never got below 70. And only once did I get over 120 and that was during the holidays when I ate pie on christmas and had cookies previous days etc.

dancinbr

yeah, I saw his postings, extremely interesting stuff and ideas.

soaplvr

the lowest I got since diagnosis was 52, without insulin, I don't know if it was the bitter gourd alone, or the rainbow trout, bitter gourd combination.

But looking into my logs, I'm becoming "suspicious" about seafood and fish in general, I don't know why, but they seem to have something inside them that have quite an effect on me.

Are you a type I or a type II?

PS: while looking again in my logs, I've seen that on that day, I took a hot bath after eating and took a nap of 2 hours to wake up with a reading of 52.

My FBG is almost always over 100, which is 5.5 I think in your scale. Later in the day it drops to 80-90, by late afternoon anyway. I'm just a little alarmed because I've been low carb, paleo for many years now and don't understand why this is happening. I also have a very, very hard time losing weight. So I am afraid I might be insulin resistant.

That presentation was interesting but I would imagine those people eating breakfast were probably consuming a lot of carbs. As near as I can tell, it just shows that eating lots of carbs raises your blood sugar. Which is something everyone here already knows.

It looks like you've tried quite some stuff, I understand that you're not using insulin or taking any other medication, have you tried alcohol? In moderation, like one little serving of whiskey or some other "hard" alcohol have helped others.

Alcohol has it therapeutic uses, as far as you don't abuse, it should be good for your general health.

Maybe a little serving mixed with some green tea before going to bed could help. Just be careful.

Another suggestion, taking a hot bath for 30 minutes before going to bed.

I actually find alcohol interferes with my sleep. And it just seems like one is playing the system to simply get a number. Depress your liver function just to achieve a number doesn't really seem like it addresses the real issue, why is the liver over producing glucose in the first place?