Stomach Problems Causing Insulin Resistance - Diabetes Message Board

deedee2074 · 06-03-2002, 06:19 PM

Hi all,
Just went to my doctor to get results of my GTT and other tests and review the readings I've been taking from my monitor. I went to the doctor originally because I was getting low blood sugar every few hours and in a few cases passed out. My doctor ordered a GTT and some blood work, gave me a diet and exercise and told me to come back in a month. He said I might be pre-diabetic and probably had PCOS.

Now it has been 1 month, and I went for my follow up. Unfortunately, my regular doctor was not there and I had to deal with a new doctor. After his evaluation and questions, he came to the conclusion that I have an acid reflux problem that is pretty bad and that because of the acid in my stomach, food is not absorping correctly, but passing through really quickly. Does this sound right? Are there any doctors on the board that can comment on this?

In some respects I feel like it might be valid, but then something in the back of my head tells me its a bogus diagnosis. I do have a problem that I have to go to the bathroom immediately after I eat and I do always feel hungry. He gave me acid reflux medicine to take for 1 month. If I don't see an improvement with this, then he might move on to glucophage and revised diet and exercise. I felt sort of annoyed because he wouldn't let me ask him anything. I felt like he wasn't listening to me. Has anyone ever heard of anything like this? I really don't have any heartburn, but when he pressed in between my ribs, where my stomach is, it hurt a little. That is where his conclusion came from.

As for my GTT, My sugar started at 88, which he told me is high for AM fasting. (I thought this was good.) Then it shot up to 153. He felt that 153 was too high and in a normal person should be about 110-120 at a maximum. I know different people have different opinions about this on this on the board. My regular doctor told me 60-70 was getting low-but this doctor says its normal. When I am in the 60-70 range I start to feel sick and then my sugar drops really fast into the 50s. I told this to the new doctor, but he brushed me off with a no.

I also had high testosterone levels and high blood pressure but good triglycerides. Type 1 diabetes runs in my family and my grandfather died from complications of type 2.

I don't understand why I am getting all these mixed messages from the two different doctors and not feeling quite comfortable with my office visit today. I feel like giving up on finding out what the problem is and waiting until something goes really wrong and I am in the emergency room. I have been going through this crap since last May, and I feel like I'm getting nowhere. I am really angry about this. Am I dealing with a quack?

SamQKitty · 06-09-2002, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by deedee2074:

After his evaluation and questions, he came to the conclusion that I have an acid reflux problem that is pretty bad and that because of the acid in my stomach, food is not absorping correctly, but passing through really quickly. Does this sound right? Are there any doctors on the board that can comment on this?

In some respects I feel like it might be valid, but then something in the back of my head tells me its a bogus diagnosis. I do have a problem that I have to go to the bathroom immediately after I eat and I do always feel hungry. He gave me acid reflux medicine to take for 1 month. If I don't see an improvement with this, then he might move on to glucophage and revised diet and exercise. I felt sort of annoyed because he wouldn't let me ask him anything. I felt like he wasn't listening to me. Has anyone ever heard of anything like this? I really don't have any heartburn, but when he pressed in between my ribs, where my stomach is, it hurt a little. That is where his conclusion came from.

As for my GTT, My sugar started at 88, which he told me is high for AM fasting. (I thought this was good.) Then it shot up to 153. He felt that 153 was too high and in a normal person should be about 110-120 at a maximum. I know different people have different opinions about this on this on the board. My regular doctor told me 60-70 was getting low-but this doctor says its normal. When I am in the 60-70 range I start to feel sick and then my sugar drops really fast into the 50s. I told this to the new doctor, but he brushed me off with a no.

I also had high testosterone levels and high blood pressure but good triglycerides. Type 1 diabetes runs in my family and my grandfather died from complications of type 2.

I don't understand why I am getting all these mixed messages from the two different doctors and not feeling quite comfortable with my office visit today. I feel like giving up on finding out what the problem is and waiting until something goes really wrong and I am in the emergency room. I have been going through this crap since last May, and I feel like I'm getting nowhere. I am really angry about this. Am I dealing with a quack?

Deedee -
Are you seeing an endocrinologist? This second doctor doesn't sound like he knows a lot about blood sugars. A fast blood glucose of 88 is right in the normal range of 80-110. As far as 60-70, diabetics are told to treat for a low if it's 70 or below. And even for a non-diabetic, 60 is really getting low.

Thhe 153 is a bit high for a non-diabetic, but you should have more data from a GTT. In hypoglycemics, you need not only the fasting data and the 2-hour data, but you need the 3 and 4 hour data to see how quickly your BG drops again, and how low.

I also have never heard of acid reflux causing hypoglycemia. While I can see that it might make your food process a bit more quickly, I don't know how that would make you have dramatic drops in your blood sugar unless you're also producing too much insulin. In a normal person, the islet cells are easily able to adjust for the amount of insulin you need.

And, if you have hypoglycemia, it would seem to me that glucophage would only make it worse. On the other hand, if you're in the "honeymoon stage" of diabetes, it might help.

How high was your blood pressure? And did he give you any indication as to what the high testosterone level means?
Ruth

deedee2074 · 06-10-2002, 08:05 AM

Hi Ruth,

Thanks for your reply. I've been really worried about all this. Yes, the docs I am seeing are diabetic endocrinologists. My BP was 140/92. During my office visit last month it was higher-approx. 160/90. The doc didn't say much about my testosterone levels being high other than that they were. The previous doc told me that if my testosterone levels were high it could be an indication of PCOS. The new doctor did not address this at all. Also-keep in mind that I am 28 years old.

I don't know if you saw my other post-but I got some advice on herbal remedies. I think I am going to try them first and see what happens. Fortunately, since I have changed my diet and increased my exercise I have not been getting low blood sugar as often as before and I haven't passed out in about a month.

I'm so sick of going to doctor's offices and getting a different story everytime I go that I am tempted to just let everything go and pray that things don't get worse.

drs · 06-10-2002, 01:18 PM

DeeDee, I can sympathize with you, even though I'm not having as much trouble as you are with the health part, I can feel for you in the doc's part. For me, everytime I get somebody decent, they leave. This spring I had to have a pysical exam.
to refill my thyroid persciption.(had cancer of the thyroid, Graves Disease in 89'. And my PA (phsysians Assitant)that I was seeing, went to Urgent Care only! So I made an appt. with another female dr., I found out some stuff because I wanted those test done! Needless to say those test never would of been run if I hadn't pushed for the testing! For my own piece of mind! Then she wanted to mess around with my thyroid meds. and I told her that in my med. history chart, (that she had) the internist I was seeing(who moved also!)could never lower my dosage without it going to low! Oh, she said, do what ever you think is best then. AND I DID!! I know that because I am over Med. on synthroid that I'm prone to other problems and need to make sure that those are taken care of. Sorry I'm so so off topic but, hey this is a health board of, a lot of people who aren't getting good results elsewhere, Right?

Now for on topic

!!!! lol. My Mother who lived with me and my husband for 3 yrs up untill last Oct.(we found her a real nice place that's affordable)had severe diabetes when she moved in. Many times in the morn. when I would get ready for work. And she would come out of her room to start her day. And we would be chatting away then I'd look at her and say are you OK?!! Her blood sugar had dropped to below 40, it wasn't reading anything on her machine,and I could tell right away!! To make a very hectic story shorter. They found she had a slow growing tumor on her adrenial(sp?)gland she had been pretty sick to her stomach for over a year. At least if she complained to her doctor he kept digging for answers for her. By the time they took out the tumor I was the largest one the doctor had seen and the gland was triple it's normal size. Terribly sensitive and painful surgery to undergo, we almost lost her twice. But after the surgery her blood sugars have leveled out! Does take glua(something) but no more insulin shots. She was taking alot of insulin per day, pior to the surgery. Now she still gets stomach aches, not as bad as before, but won't try anything except pain meds and ex-rolaids. She isn't doing the right things at all. But she's stubborn. Anyway, what I'm getting at would be if you could try and go the route of making sure your adrenal gland if functioning at an A1 compacity? It kind of makes sense in a way. Do you ever find your self easily startled, I know my mom was as jumpy as all get out. Another issue I wanted to comment on was that my Mothers whole family (8kids)has diabetes. So her kids are prone to getting it too. I'm 41 and after the stressful time of getting everything ready for Mom to move, and then it was and extremly busy time for me after that, plus with the holidays I was cooking and eating alot of fatty, sugary, foods. So my spring physcial show all the signs of becoming insulin resistant. Here's what I did, I went on the 'carbohydrates addict', diet. Took the red yeast rice, My cholesterol was 329, I weighed at the time 127 and I'm 5'3" tall. (But all my weight had gone to my gut. Talk about distended! Plus I had had a total hysterectomy when I was 36, so I finally feel better hormonally with a natural combination of hormone creams I am now taking.)
Then I went on the 'watercure' diet
do a search or you can go to the allergy board for some info, under jackpot's last posting. Now I weigh a consistant 117 to 115. Belly gone. (I'm a mother of two by the way) My cholesterol went from 329 to 192 in 2 1/2 months. And my blood pressure came down! It was very high for me, but not to the regular standards. The average reading for me was 90/60, when it went up it was, 135/90, now it is,110/70. Talk about a gabby post.

Hope you feel better.
Like I said I can sympathize. Diana