Did I quit smoking just to get diabetes?

Question

First you need to know a little family history.There is NO ONE on either side of my family with diabetes.I come from healthy stock.I quit smoking about 15 months ago and in the process gained about 20 or so pounds.I had a diabetes test about a year ago and was fine.Well I found out today that i've got diabetes.What the HELL???? Did I get it from the 20 lb. gain?Did I quit smoking just to get sick?This is a serious bummer.

Answer 1

No it didn't come from that - I don't think. I am sorry to hear you have it but try to think like this instead maybe - that you are lucky that you did quit smoking cause your body needs to be strong right now and since you quit smoking, it is - and you need that -

Diabetes seems to come from something with the body's inablity to product insulin or something with the pancreas and even unknown reasons - like I mention below, there are risk factors or traits that they do see in people who have it- escpecially with Type 2 but not a direct cause.

I do know that being overweight can put you at risk, but that is not enough to cause it - and 20 pounds is not enough weight to make you overweight enough to develop a disease - I think this has been coming on in your system perhaps and the timing is coincidental. You quitting smoking was the best decision you could have made - even doctors tell you that gaining even 30 pounds is better than smoking so I do not think this was the problem here.

Obesity can add to the risks of developing type two diabetes but you didn't say you were obese - you said healthy and that you only gained 20 lbs which is not that much. Eating sweets and bad foods does not cause it - that is a myth too.

It was a blessing that you quit.. cheer up :o) My aunt has had diabetes for as long as I remember and has led a totally normal, healthy life. I know it is hard now but it will get easier.

You are at a point now where you can get even healthier and your body will follow along - since you did gain some weight, you can lose it when you feel up to it - some people develop things and there is nothing they can do to get any healthier but you did one - quit smoking so now you can lose the extra weight when you are ready.

Here is a site with info on what causes diabetes - I am not sure which one you have so I pasted both. Sorry to take up the room. :)

Type 1
People with Type 1 Diabetes have little or no ability to produce insulin and are entirely dependent on injections of insulin for survival.

The cause of Type 1 Diabetes is unknown, although childhood infections and a genetic tendency are two possibilities. The pancreas undergoes a change and cells that normally produce insulin are destroyed. This may be a result of the body's own immune system believing the pancreas to be a foreign organ.

This form of Diabetes often appears at times of physical stress and during illness when the body produces additional glucose.

TYPE 2 DIABETES

In Type 2 Diabetes, the pancreas retains its ability to produce insulin, but either the quantity is inadequate for the body's needs, or insulin cannot be used to its full extent by the tissues. Most people who have this condition suffer from being overweight and require treatment, together with a strict weight-reducing diet and exercise program.

95% of people with Diabetes have Type 2.

Answer 2

Well, type 2 diabetes can be related to weight gain, so though I don't know much about your situation, I can't say that it's definately unrelated. It may just be a coincidence in timing, although some diabetes seems to have a genetic basis, I see plenty of people with diabetes who don't have any family members with the disease. As for the weight gain coming from stopping smoking, though many people do gain weight after they stop smoking, 20 pounds is a lot, did you change anything else around the same time?
The best thing to do in this case is to try to loose the weight, and the best way to do that is to eat less and exercise, not to start smoking again (obviously). Especially for someone with diabetes, tobacco is pure poison, diabetic smokers have some of the highest rates of heart disease.
And if no matter what you do the blood glucose levels don't come down, then it's time to start on medication for diabetes. If managed correctly, you can minimize the rate of complications from the disease and limit it's impact on your life, the people who do the best with diabetes are those who take control of the disease and make sure to keep their sugar under control. Your doctor can help you with that, but in the end, it's going to be up to you.

Answer 3

Well, it is good you quit smoking. So, you gained some weight - if it weren't for the diabetes diagnosis would you really be willing to do what ever it takes to get the weight off? If your like me - this scare is the kick in the pant needed to get moving. Don't go back to smoking - that will make the diabetes worse.
Did you know diabetes has strong links to cancer, infertility, and heart disease? - When bad thing like this get found out - it's actually a good thing. It will give you the reality check needed to start taking better care of yourself so you can live a long healthy life and be around for your loved ones. I wish you all the best. I know it is a bad situation but if you look it as a way to get motivated to take care of your health - you could be better off a year from now than you were 2 yrs ago. Good luck.

PS, I do know if you get rid of the weight - especailly around the middle - you might not even need the diabetic medication.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

You didn't quit smoking to get sick, you quit smoking to be healthier. If you were at your normal weight and gained 20lbs it's highly doubtful your weight gain has anything to do with it. Just because you had a test a year ago and it came back normal doesn't mean that you weren't already on the way to diabetes and didn't know it. If you had a fasting blood test then you very well could have been diabetic at the time and the fasting test just didn't catch it. It's common for those who are in the early stages of type 2 diabetes to have normal fasting blood sugar. Even if you were already over weight before the 20 lbs your body was more than likely at the very least in a prediabetic stage and the extra weight just pushed you on over the edge. Extra weight causes more insulin resistance. You might think that you don't have a family history but you might have had members who were not aware they had diabetes themselves...or members on up the family tree that you don't know. Or you could have a different type of diabetes altogether! It really doesn't matter. You didn't quit smoking to get sick, you quit to be healthier. Smoking in itself is a deadly habit. A regardless of what you're reading here, smoking has been shown to raise your risk of diabetes...please refer to this article....http://www.webmd.com/content/article/112/110471.htm

You stopped an addiction that would most assuredly made your risk for all the diabetic complications higher. Stick to your quitting, make lifestyle changes to lost those extra pounds like exercising. Exercising is the number one treatment for most of the complications and diseases associated with diabetes, HBP, cholesterol, heart disease...anything that is caused by circulation problems....you're one step ahead of the game. Take care of yourself, diabetes is not a death sentence and you can live a very long and healthy life if you chose to take care of yourself. The possiblities of that happening while smoking are close to nothing.

Answer 6

Sorry to hear about your diabetes cause yeah i too am diabetic and have been for a little over three yrs. I know diabetics of whom never smokedddddddd and still wind up with diabetes SO NOT SMOKING AND OR SMOKING DOESN'T KEEP YOU FROM NOT GETTING . Check your family history IT COULD BE HEREDITARY. DON'T be sooo angry ok.

Answer 7

You were probably pre-diabetic and didn't know about it. You don't have to have a strong family history of it. Weight gain itself puts you at risk of problems with diabetes.

You didn't get diabetes because you quit smoking, you got diabetes because you started eating more bad stuff.

Quiting smoking will always improve your health.

Answer 8

It's better to be 20 pounds heavier, be able to lose the 20 pounds and control diabetes, than be 20 lbs lighter and a smoker. Not only that, you can lose 20 pounds, but you can reverse the aging effects of smoking (unless your able to afford plastic surgery, which also can cause a few more problems for you). All I know is I wish you the best of luck, and if you can stop smoking, you can lose weight!

Answer 9

people who smoke, regardless of history are 3 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes

Answer 10

Heal Diabetes In Three Weeks : http://DiabsNoMore.com/Recommend