2 part diabetes question?

Question

my sister just got diagnosed, so we are trying to learn about it by asking questions, i love this site and it was helpful thus far...

1. she was told to get flu and pnemonia shots when they are available. why? obviously not to get these conditions, but what happens if she does and why is it so improtant to get these?

2. she works alot. she has been dragging since she cut out sugar. last night she had a little ice cream because... i guess she felt like it... but after that bite, she felt like she was on top of the world and could work all night. she had so much energy. if she is not supposed to have sugar, why would she feel so much better after having a bite of sugar???

thanks!

Answer 1

1. Diabetics, when sick, can have higher or lower blood sugar levels than normal. So it's important to know that ahead of time, to be extra observant of blood sugars while sick, and prevent getting sick if reasonably possible. I've had docs advise me both ways - get both shots, don't get both shots, and of course the precaution of washing your hands often, covering your nose when sneezing, covering your mouth when coughing, etc. It's a personal choice whether to do these shots or not.

2. As people have suggested, this might be a sugar high. If her sugars are under control, this is most certainly the case. However you said recently diagnosed, so this makes me cautious. If your sister's blood sugar levels are NOT under control and/or have been high for a while and are now much lower, then she eats sugar and her levels jump back up to what she's used to, it can FEEL good but not be good for her body. It takes a while (a couple weeks give or take a few) for a diabetic's body and energy level to adjust from highs to normal levels. You just have to work through this at the very beginning, take the steps to keep your blood sugar under control, and then not have to (in most cases) worry about it again. Barring being sick, pregnant, etc.

You didn't ask, but since you said "cut out sugar" I am curious what kind of diet she's on. Standard diets for diabetics are exchange list and glycemic index, though there is lots of room for variation within these. Did her doc give her information on these or refer her to someone who did? If not, you may want to see the doc again, get referred to a dietician/nutritionist, etc. You can also look at American Diabetes Assoc. website, Google/Yahoo the two diets listed above (caution: make sure websites are reputable), and search Yahoo Diabetes Best Answers for diet questions. In general, it's not as simple as cutting out sugars - there's much more to it than that - AND if she keeps her blood sugars in control, there's no need to deprive herself from what she likes to eat, sugar or no.

Good luck! (:

Answer 2

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Answer 3

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Answer 4

She could probably benefit tremendously from a daily exercise program. I've found that a half hour brisk walk raises my energy level considerably. Good diet is essential too. A small portion of low fat ice cream is okay for an occasional treat, but she'd be better off with something healthier.

Don't take everything you read here for gospel. A few folks here are opinionated and tend to regurgitate misinformation obtained from unreliable sources, so do your homework and encourage your sister to do so as well.

Quotes from a previous answer:

"We count carbs- not sugar grams.Ice cream can be part of a diet for people with diabetes. She needs an endocrinologist ."

Response: Actually, we count calories (or grams) from sugar AND carbs. One gram of sugar or carbs = 4 calories. Doesn't matter whether you use calories or grams, as long as you know the conversion. AND, it doesn't matter if it's sugar or carbohydrates, carbs turn into sugar in our bodies. Dairy fats are a good thing to minimize or eliminate from a diabetic diet. Research reveals that dairy products aren't as good for you as you might have thought.
http://www.notmilk.com/d.html
http://www.sciencentral.com/articles/view.php3?language=english&type=&article_id=218392748

She doesn't absolutely need to pad an endocrinologists's already inflated $175,000/yr salary if she just does her homework. There's plenty of info readily available. Like this book, for example: http://www.diabetesimprovement.com/diabetesbook.html

"Diabetes suppresses our immune systems.It is easier to get sick and harder to heal.I need to get my flu shot too !"

Response: This statement is not always true. High blood sugar weakens the immune system making it harder to heal. I control my diabetes with a very healthy diet and exercise program... and as a result, I have normal blood sugar and a strong immune system. I haven't gotten sick in years and heal very quickly. (Maybe the doctor mis-diagnosed me?).

"Don't worry about the thumbs down. I am every well educated in this subject. It's just Mr. Peachy that hates me."

Emphatic response: I don't hate this sadly misinformed person, I just don't like it when she claims to be "every (sic) well educated", makes erroneous generalizations, and she is clearly wrong. Hence, the thumbs down.

A couple of times this person claimed that type 2 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder. I politely challenged her on this with some facts proving otherwise. The only response I got was to find that she's blocked her email. Genuinely educated people usually can back up their claims with reference data and rarely hide from a challenge.

So, take all of these answers as mere suggestions and do your homework. You won't be sorry.

Answer 5

You take flu and pneumonia vaccines to prevent it. A diabetic can't fight off infections as easily as someone who has an intact immune system. So to prevent a chance of becoming very ill with these particular viruses, they give a vaccine so you don't get that ill. It could be fatal to some.

You sister doesn't have to completely cut out sugar. She can have sugar but it must be counted into her diet. She should be seeing a diabetic dietician who will help her work out a meal plan that tells her how many calories and carbs she can have with her meals and snacks. Sugar has to be counted in that but not cut out. Just limited. Your body needs sugar (glucose) for energy, but you can't over load.

Answer 6

Diabetes can lower the immune system response, so it is better to get immunized against these diseases, so if she does get them, they will not be so bad. AND...Diabetes is the body's inability to process sugar due to a lack of insulin. She was energetic because of the increased sugar levels. There is a normal curve that blood sugar takes, it increases after consumption and tapers off at a specified rate. If there is no insulin to regulate the sugar, it takes longer for your body to break it down, resulting in this feeling. It also may just have been the euphoria over having tasted the "forbidden fruit". Good Luck...diabetes requires life-style modifications that some find very difficult...hope your sister does well.

Answer 7

Cure Diabetes Problems Naturally : http://www.DiabNoMore.com/Guide

Answer 8

1. The flu can be very dangerous for a diabetic. Diabetics get the flu easier. But even worse, they end up in the hospital if they can't keep down food. Also they heal slower. I have had the flu shot for over 20 years now, and it has never affected my diabetes in any way.

2. She had a sugar rush. Just like any non diabetic individual would get, only she will have to deal with higher blood sugars, and the drop when the sugar goes away.

Answer 9

Diabetes is usually treated through a combination of diet (low sugar), exercise and medications/insulin. Milder cases can be controlled with just diet an/or exercise while more severe cases require meds or insulin as well.
Learn more https://tr.im/CUmkm

Answer 10

I'm diabetic too...

1. Diabetes causes your immune system to not work very well and you can catch things REALLY easily, so it is best to take precautions and get the vaccines...

2. You can have ice cream and the such as long as you do smartly... If she is on insulin she'll need to dose that properly to counter act it.... Plus sugar is an addictive thing... She's going to have to try to wean herself off of it... That's probably why she felt so on top of it... She was on a sugar high.