I am so confused!!!
I have just been diagnosed with type II diabetes(early stage) the doctor gave me the lovely pyramid diet plan and said to follow it to the "T"and he would check me again in 4 months for my blood sugar. He gave me loads of reading material all put out by the drug company that makes the diabetes drugs(funny huh?) Well anyway I went right to the library and checked out every low carb book I could find 9 in all and have been reading ever since! I am starting first thing in the morning! Well to add to my confusion the doctors office called today with info that the thyroid test was possitive for Hyperthyroidism....he said this was peculiar because I hadn't been losing weight(no kidding) but I had all the other symptoms. Well I have been looking all through the low carb books for some info on hyperthyroid and all I find is hypo....is low carb good for hyper. I tried asking the doctors nurse but she said low carb is not good for anyone! The doctor is running two more tests on my thyroid but I have to wait another week for results...I want to start helping my blood sugar with low carb and I would like to know if anyone has any thoughts or experiences with this.....I am so confused any help will be wonderful....thank you for a place to blow off some steam and gets some great information......take care all.....JFan

Hi JFan,
I don't know anything about hyperthyroid but low carb is a good diet for type II diabetes. Hope some experts will come in here and help, but I just wanted to say, welcome!
Jeanette

Yes, welcome, Jeannie. I can't answer your questions....but hang tight, someone will doubtless be along with some information for you soon. In the meantime, keep on reading! Check out the articles on this site, too, we have a great collection.

Rachel

Hi JFan,

I've been a Type 2 diabetic for 3 years, taking oral meds for 2 of those years. Low Carb eating is the BEST thing you can do for your blood sugars. I would suggest following DANDR (Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution). Protein Power would be another good choice - I haven't read it yet but have seen it highly recommended. DANDR explains a bit of how insulin works, ie any carbs consumed that aren't immediately required to meet the body's energy needs are converted to transfatty acids by insulin & stored as fat. Insulin does other things too but I don't want to re-write DR A because he does a much better job of explaining. I don't know anything much about thyroid so I won't even touch it.

Please, please try LC way of eating (WOE) for at least one month; you'll lose weight & feel better. If you can do it for 4 months you'll have great results the next time the Dr does the tests.

A wee bit of my own story: eo March this year I started Atkins, my Dr didn't like it but I did it anyway. *When one has done a lot of research & think one has found a diet (WOE) that's livable, doable, you just charge ahead*
From Day 1 stopped taking glyberide (an oral hypoglycemic agent that causes the pancreas to produce more insulin) and my bg (blood glucose) levels have been as good or better since that 1st day. I self-monitor with a glucometer, but not every day since my BG's are good. NOW my GP is happy & thinks it is okay for me to LC. *LOL*

So go ahead, start LCing & prove to the Dr & nurse that it is healthy. It's great that you've got all those books, read lots, get educated about all the good reasons to LC & don't let anyone discourage you. RUN to your PC & check in with this support group if you have ?? or are struggling.

Oh yeah, more of my story. Very high BG with the onset of my diabetes, high ketones, Ruthie very sick. 6 weeks later with a change in diet (not LC but lots of raw vegs, no sugar or bakery products) as well as losing 25-30 lbs and I was off glyberide. This was a dramatic change & the GP & endocrinologist were very pleased, me too..... all of this to say that if you do LC WOE for 4 months, and of course lose weight, you'll test "normal" and the Dr will be astounded. You go girl. Happy reading!

just wanted to welcome you jeannie. welcome!

Thank you to all the welcomers! You guys are great! I am getting charged up and educated thanks mostly to the Atkins books. I sit there reading and go, yeah that sounds just like me! Or oh gosh how long have I needed to do this and have been sitting on my butt listening to the low-fat blabla. Oh Ruthie....thank you so much for your input it has really helped push my start button. I ordered my supplements from atkins tonight(hubby&I) and I am starting tomorrow morning! I have a Doctors appointment on Fri. for the Thyroid(still confused about this) and as per the conversation with the ever enlightened nurse, quote"I will test your bg again but it will be the same". I need the strength to show these people that I truly believe in the LC WOL and that it works....hey I wonder if praying for a diet plan is ok! haha. Well off to the kitchen to catagorize what goes and what stays.....! thanks to all and I think these boards are great!!!!!!! PS Ruthie if you want to email correspond let me know I would love to......JFan

Since you are in early stage of Type 2 diabetes, and not dependent on insulin or medications, likely a lowcarb diet alone should bring excellent results for lowering and - more importantly - stabilizing blood sugar. The weight loss itself will also be beneficial, as reduced body fat will improve the efficiency of the insulin you do produce. To that end, you might consider starting an exercise program as well, and walking is probably the best place to start...

I know you're planning to follow Atkins program, but just for the information, check out Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution website. His focus is on lowering blood sugar and keeping it low, using lowcarb diet ... he includes extensive food lists.

Following a lowcarb program to stabilize the blood sugar should be helpful for the hyperthyroid as well. Stress can worsen the symptoms of hyperthyr. and wild dips and surges of sugar and insulin are very stressful to the body!

One of the best websites for information about thyroid disease is the About.com thyroid site. I highly recommned it .. .. One thing I noted while reading, is that there is a type of Thyroiditis, or inflammation of the thyroid gland (caused by ?? who knows, maybe a virus) where the first stage the person is hypERthyroid for a few months, then swings the opposite and is hypO for a few more months. The condition is not permanent, and can be treated with medication to treat the symptoms.

Good luck to you, and hope you get some answers soon!

Doreen

Doreen.....thank you so much for taking the time and your extensive knowledge on this. You have helped me so much and eased my concerns. I have decided to start this morning and posted my confessional in the 3 digits group. I hope it is ok to use that as a sort of journal to keep me on tract. My hubby is cooking me breakfast and has promised to help me. I am going to deliver my daughters friends home from a hair raising sleepover last night and then I am going to check out both sites you told me more in depth. I looked around this morning there and it looks very interesting. Have you ever wondered why they call it a sleepover when NOONE Sleeps!!
Thank you again....take care and have a great low carb day! JFan

Hi JFan,

I'll be sending you a PM shortly.

Hi, I have just read your concerns about your diagnosis and i totally sympathize with you. I dont know if this will help at all but my son has been diagnosed with hypoglycemia which is the opposite to diabetes and he has to have a high-carb diet. The treatment for him is to eat raw cornflour before going to bed at night. Although i don't know much about your condition this would make sense for you to be on a low-carb diet, so good luck and keep us all post on your progress.

Hi Paula,
Thank you for your well wishes and for posting about your son. I hope he is doing well on that plan. Life seems to always throw a little wrench into things. Well so far so good tomorrow will be one week and I have lost 5 lbs, but more important I feel really good. My doctor canceled my appt for fri. and changed it to tues so I am still waiting on the thyroid information from him. I plan on telling him about LC plan and see his reaction! Well hope all is well with everyone....time for bootcamp entry! Nancy

Hi Nancy

You will have to let us all know what the doctor says about LC. It seems to be working for you though so he can't argue with that. I hope you get the results you are looking for on Tuesday.

The cornflour was like an instant cure for my son, he had the symptoms for 5 years before they would listen to me and all the time i had the cure in the cupboard without realising it.

Keep in touch. Paula

Paula, I posted some very important information about hypoglycemia in a thread in the Daily forum. Click here to read it.

Unfortunately, giving sugar or a highly refined starch carb, such as the cornflour, will only do more harm than good in the long run. A bedtime snack is a good idea though ... perhaps something protein and a high-fiber complex carbohydrate ... such as wholemeal toast with sugar-free nut butter, or a small piece of cheese with a wholemeal cracker/biscuit.

I hope your son is feeling better soon, and I hope the information I posted about this serious condition is helpful to you.

Take care,

Doreen

Hello to All,......once again thank you everyone for helping me through this with all your wonderful comments, concerns and wisdom!
I went to my doctor yesterday....for the bloodwork results. I was down 8 pounds according to their scale, my blood pressure which has been up for 3 weeks because of trying Rogaine & the thyroid was down to 130/80, my blood glucose was down almost 30 points. He said this was amazing and asked what I was doing, I told him about LCWOE, he said "oh yes I have heard this is a wonderful plan for diabetes!" (I almost fell over dead!) He said that right now he is just going to check the BG every month and see how it is because he thinks I can keep it down! soooo happy!

The thyroid was a different story...he says that it is very serious because my brain is not producing any TSH and my neck is swollen, possibly thyroiditis too.....he is running a few more tests but said he would let me know today and he wants me to follow up with a specialist...he knows one who he said and I quote "is the best"! He said she isn't afraid of alternative medicine and that I will like her.

Gosh it is so good to get to see my regular doctor again...I told him he is never aloud to take a 2 week vacation again! The other doctor was a nut....My DR. spent 45 minutes explaining why I feel so sick and what to expect...thank goodness because I thought I was losing my mind.....Well off to make something wonderful for breaky....take care all and thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Nancy

Wonderful news! Congrats on the test results and losing 8 pounds.

It sounds like you have a great Doctor, Jeannie. Thank God there are a few of them out there!

Karen