[ERVINBRAT]

I wake up about 2:30 am with dry mouth every night. I have type 2 diabetes,I was wondering if that is why

[tickle]

I have type 2 as well, but don't believe Diabetes is the cause of my dry mouth. I have a sinus problem and at times tend to breath through my mouth after I go to sleep, therefore making my mouth and my throat dry.

Tick

[KISS]

Diabetes can cause excessive thirst. Take your blood sugar at that time too. Sometimes the liver will raise the blood sugar early in the morning in anticipation of getting up.

If your taking metformin (an Insulin sensitizer), sometimes taking it at bedtime will prevent the sudden rise in blood sugar. Metformin is usually taken with meals, though.

[tickle]

Diabetes can cause excessive thirst. Take your blood sugar at that time too. Sometimes the liver will raise the blood sugar early in the morning in anticipation of getting up.

If your taking metformin (an Insulin sensitizer), sometimes taking it at bedtime will prevent the sudden rise in blood sugar. Metformin is usally taken with meals, though.

Hi KISS, there is excessive thirst at onset diabetes, that is how one is aware that they have diabetes, it is a symptom, but as a diabetic I don't have excessive thirst ever. My blood sugar is where it is supposed to be upon taking at fasting first thing in the morning and that is around 6. I follow the rule of thumb that in testing your sugar level it is 7 before eating and 8 after. Yes, metformin has to be taken with meals. I have never heard of taking it at bedtime. Are you diabetic ?

All diabetics should be well informed about their condition.

Tick

[KISS]

I do lots of things that aren't normal for diabetics. I'm insulin dependent. Taking Levemir and Novolog. Dosages are very weird.

Metformin is used as a sensitizer. I get 500 mg tablets because they are easier to swallow. I take 2 at noon and 2 at bedtime.

I was using a small dose of Lisinopril to keep the BP down, but I'm trying to switch to Benecar. I like it better. It seems to help my weather triggered migraines more. My idea. I want to up the dosage from 60 mg/day to 80 mg/day. I'm still playing. BP generally goes up when it rains.

I'm trying Chelated Copper for the migraines. It MIGHT be helping. Do you know the role of copper in the human body?

Tricor and Avandia (the drug that the US doesn't like) are used for Triglicerides and Cholesterol and sometimes Zetia is used PRN when I eat foods high in Cholesterol. I know, weird.

Levemir dosages are vary asymetric as well. Like 45 units at bedtime and 25 during the day. Novolog has also been asymetric. It used to be like 15, 0-5, 0-5. Now, it's like 10-15, 8-15, 8-15, 0-10 bedtime. Yep, I know. Novolog is for after meals. Not me. I'm very insulin resistant. I've seen 45 (~2.5) and I've seen 450 (~25) mg/dl. They are not Canadian units. Canadian units in parens. I'd really like a real time glucose monitor and possibly the pump.

I can also take Byetta. Oops, not recommended for people on Insulin. Again Asymetric. 2 fixed doses in the morning and 1 fixed dose at dinner. Byetta is an injectable as well. It slows gastic emptying and I can't take it if I eat any foods with oils in it like fish or gravys.

I use Novolog cartridges and the Levimir Flexpen. I have used vials and syringes. I had to give my father insulin injections when he had chemo. I practiced with saline and an orange at the time.

I have autonomic nervous system damage. Breathing and heart rate don't track. Have Asthma and Allergies. Diabetes is a royal pain to manage.

I reuse pen needles like forever. Basically until they dull. Nope, not recommended either. I love the Accuchek Multiclix Lancets. I use various One Touch meters: The mini, the Ultra and the Ultra. All with the computer interface and software.

For the migraines, I have my choice of meds: Neurontin to 3600 mg.day, Fiorinal up to 6/day, Oxycontin usually 10mg x 3 up to 2x/day, Percoset 7.5-500, Zomig and Ice packs. Retin-A and Doxycyclene PRN is used for Acne that occurs with the migraines

Asthma is Symbiacort 2 puffs/nostril 2x/day, Nasacort 2 puffs/nostril 2x/day and Optivar (Optical lubercant - Allergies) 1 drop/eye, 2x/day. Peak flow is usually 450/630 liters/min. 630 is my reference

Yep, everything is weird. I had to prefill mom's insulin at one time. She is Insulin sensitive.

Docs comment: Whatever works.

[tickle]

KISS, that is quite a library of meds you have there and appears you are managing everything quite well. I can't say 'every diabetic is different' anymore; it just doesn't work that way. I have so many diabetic clients and they say diabetes is a real epidemic these days. It doesn't matter how well they take care of themselves and follow the rules, the outcome for them and us is still the same, a bleak old age accompanied with diabetes and it scares me, the more I come to realize there is no silver bullet for it.

I take one metformin a day. That was my choice. Five years ago my doctor when diagnosing me and starting to treat me said, in a years time I will probably have to increase that dose to three a day, ate her words. I still manage mine well enough to be on the same dose and that's the way I intend to keep it. I have other issues to, but not many and they are all managed well too. My doctor now takes the same viewpoint as yours, whatever works, because we know our own bodies well enough to do that. Also, I don't sit on my duff all day, I get out there work, lots of physical activity (because that is essential too). I hope you do the same.

Good luck with your issues, KISS.

Tick

[KISS]

Well said. Diabetes is progressive and it's hereditary. It wasn't caught early enough. Sexual functionality is nearly gone so I need vitamin V. Sometimes, that doesn't even work. No other nerve damage that I know of. I did arrest tingling in the feet by injecting Insulin into the bottom of the foot. Just kept the insertion depth really small. For some reason, it worked. Just did it for a few days. A week at most.

Diabetes is progressive. It will only get worse over time. I just wish the doctors told me what I now know about the disease. Particularly, when to test. My initial doc did not care about the 1 hr after a meal value. He only cared about hA1c.

My blood was so thick when they diagnosed me, that's when I think the problems started. The finger test was very poor. Press on fingernail and watch blood return. I think mine took about 10 seconds at that time. The docs never did this test. I think the treatment failed at that point. Metformin should have been used first and not glyburide. Blood viscosity reducers should have been prescribed. Something like Trental and Insulin or Glyburide very slowly added until the red blood cells died over 3 months.

I surely can't tell anybody because I'm not a medical professional. My initial fasting glucose value was about 350 (~19) which wasn't good. My migraine symptoms masked the diabetes symptoms because same were identical. Who knows what "frequent urination" is when it occurs very gradually over time. The should define it as fluid intake/output or "No more than x times per day with a typical water intake of X" or "about every X hours" or something else. I would still like the government or the state to create a system where a pamphlet is given to anybody with x problem. Whether it be Asthma, diabetes, allergies, pregnancy, a sprain, etc. Focus on the more common problems first and the focus on the odd ones like MS or Lou Gerhig's disease. Cancers seem very hard to do on the surface.

Heck, when my oral surgeon did the lowering of the jawbone surgery or an extraction I was given a sheet of paper with instructions. Id like to see the same for diseases at diagnosis with updates at significant change intervals,

Drugs are a big expense and right now my drug coverage has been cancelled and it could take up to 90 days to re-instate it.

Ativan for migraines is on the list too, Usually PRN at bedtime.
So, you;ll find me contributing to the medical boards for dieseases I have typically, pain meds (I have a pain med PDR) and diseases I know about or had a reason to research. So far, no big disagreements except age appropriateness of a response which was warrented. I'll also contribute on human sexuality since I had a semester course in it. There were like 11 guys and 240 women in the class.

My current doc is very conservative but will maintain all previous meds. He is my preferred choice for refills because his office does it well. I send an SASE with the needed prescriptions checked and he sends them in an envelope. I ask that controlled substance prescriptions not be mailed on a Friday because of the must fill within 7 days of written rule. Sometimes he post dates, so I have to watch. Now, they have there prescriptions automated and clearly written on tamper-proof paper. Usually none of that PRN, PO q.i.d. stuff or the capital T with the dots over it.

Issues I had was that at changeover they used caps/tabs and I wanted tabs. The nurse didn't change it. Most of the time the drug comes in caps or tabs but some come in both versions. Doxycycline is one such drug. Eventually things worked out. You always have an opportunity to review the drug list at every visit.

[tickle]

Well said. Diabetes is progressive and it's hereditary. It wasn't caught early enough. Sexual functionality is nearly gone so I need vitamin V. Sometimes, that doesn't even work. No other nerve damage that I know of. I did arrest tingling in the feet by injecting Insulin into the bottom of the foot. Just kept the insertion depth really small. For some reason, it worked. Just did it for a few days. A week at most.

Diabetes is progressive. It will only get worse over time. I just wish the doctors told me what I now know about the disease. Particularly, when to test. My initial doc did not care about the 1 hr after a meal value. He only cared about hA1c.

That was a lot of excellent input KISS, I now understand your input on the medical board a lot better now from reading your responses. I am in the front line of diabetes in my professional life. I get the clients who need guidance and understanding when they come out of the hospital, etc. We have an excellent diabetic clinic here in town and new diabetics have to go through the educational procedure. We also have a health network whereby every time we visit the doctor it goes in a database to be accessed throughout Northumberland Cty. My doctor knows my visits to the vet (just kidding), but that is how good it is. I see her every six months. She knows when I cut my fingernails etc.

Yes, unfortunately diabetes just races along inside our bodies and takes it toll on our organs. I just don't want legs with edema. I have a lot of diabetic women clients with that and it can never be controlled or reduced or fixed no matter how many nurse visits they get every week to dress and diagnose. It is the ugliest condition I have ever seen on a human body.

I am okay for my meds. I am over 65 so old age security kicks in and I get the benefits of much reduced prices. Every prescription is $6.11.

You take care

Tick

[KISS]

Yep, I've even had some close calls. My mom had bleeding ulcers so I had to deal with diarehea emergencies and keeping her hydrated. Yep had medical input.

Had to deal with her having pneumonia for a few months. Wasn't fun, but the doctor's goal was to keep her out of the hospital and I did.

I had to deal with a fall that left a 2" gash in the head. Emergency visit happened the next day for a CT scan and chest x-ray and some staples.

I layed mom on the floor when she got up from breakfast at McDonalds. She spent a few days in the hospital and they found nothing.

When I found her on the floor one morning, I took vitals and glucose and found that her BP dropped way to low. Something like 60/40. Nursed her back to life. Called the doc and he said give fluids and rest. A BP med has been dropped from therapy and she's been fine ever since. If I hadn't taken vitals we would be in the same undiagnosed state.

One of the worst things I had to do is remove bandages from a wrapped head and dried blood from my father's hair after a visit to the emergency room from work. No fun at all.

Yep, you also learn from the school of hard knocks. It so happens I have extremely good troubleshooting skills. I can ask the right questions to a knowledgeable person who can guide me to an answer.

Formal training I may not have. If I need the skills to take a chimney apart and rebuild it, I learn them. If I need to patch drywall, I learn them. My father said when I was about 10, "you broke the lawn mower, you fix it". So, I had to rebuild the engine. You learn to learn quickly on your own.