Relation between testosteron and diabetes

i used to be on insulin before testosterone and it used to spike up to 400. i wasnt doing any sports just took testosterone once every 3-4 weeks. i also tried metformine also no results. now im doing like 30 min exercises but my blood sugar sometimes doesnt respond properly. last few days it was spiking when i worked out which was odd. Now im taking 8 ml shot its lowering if i take the shot in the left side. if i take the shot on the right side of the abdo. nothing works... which is odd too. i just wanna be diabetic free.

i am kinda on keto diet. im gluten intolerant. i control my daily carb intake mostly i eat red meat.

i will go for weight lifting

btw my A1C went lower but my blood sugar is not doing well.

if i take my shot on the left side of the abdo. it lowers my bloodsugar, but i inject myself on the right side, it is as if i didn't take anything.

My bs is 130ish in the morning, now is was 240 i took my shot and will workout a bit and c how low it can go... but im scared it would go really low during sleeping hours... i am a bit anxious about it.

What kind of insulin are you taking, long-acting or short-acting?

The short-acting should not cause hypoglycemia at night, the long-acting might. I only took the long-acting for a couple of days - and it did give me a hypo attack, which was no fun at all. The short-acting at least doesn't do that.

I've never tried the keto diet. I guess I have a minor case of type2, and my last A1C was so low I don't even officially have pre-diabetes at this point. If I just count my carbs, keep the per-meal below 80 and the per-day below 200, and take my metformin (and my cinnamon, and my green tea, and a little licorice now and then), I'm fine.

In fact it seems that taking a small amount of fruit or even chocolate may help keep my BG lower. There's a thing called "reactive hypoglycemia", that when your body processes carbs it overshoots (and this is without any insulin injections), and it may be that "reactive" control is still possible even with your own metabolism, a little sugar may trigger the body's own insulin better than with a keto diet.

A diet of mostly red meat - I don't know about that. At least add some green vegetables, also zero carb or close, fiber is very helpful, not to mention many vitamins and minerals. And then a small apple per day - is worth a shot. Just cut it up and sprinkle some cinnamon on it first.

I'm sorry to hear what your going through. It can be scary to have blood sugar issues. Since testosterone seems to get your glucose under control, that means that your pancreas is actually working good. You are likely low on some minerals or vitamins. Do you have a juicer or blender. To determine if this is the issue, you can juice organic dark green vegetables. Spinach and kale will work. It takes a lot to make a quart. If that does not sound like something you can do, there is an alternate. You can buy a container of super food powder. If you have access to Walmart, they stock some at reasonable prices. What we are looking for is a potassium and mineral supplement. Make 1 quart each day and drink 6 oz every hour and test your glucose every 2 hours. It will give us more information if you don't use any insulin during this time. You don't have to fast, just avoid any sweets during this test. Write down your results for each test. Let me know your results and we can go from there.

JX: I'm curious about your history with type 2. How long have you been dealing with T2? When did you start using insulin? Did using insulin help you heal your pancreas?

Jonathan, just about two years ago, out of the blue, I suddenly felt very thirsty. This went on for a while, I finally saw the doctor, he finally got back by blood work - called me and told me to report to the ER. My BG was through the roof. They filled me full of stuff, held me for observation over the weekend, then sent me home - with both long and short acting insulin. Within an hour of getting home, and before I could eat lunch, I had a hypoglycemic attack! So, we stopped the long-acting insulin. I kept taking the short-acting, but within a month my BG numbers looked great so I stopped all insulin and just kept taking metformin - plus Jardiance. After about 60 days on Jardiance, my numbers still looked great so I stopped taking Jardiance. I've just kept on with the metformin, counting my carbs, walking about four miles per day on average - and that's working for me, last A1C was 5.6, under even "pre-diabetes".

So yes, the insulin "worked", and yes the endo says it "gave my pancreas a rest". Cases like mine are apparently unusual, but not unknown. I'm not sure there's a name for them, but I did hear someone call it a "type2a". It can appear suddenly - and then disappear. However, I would not want to pig out on cakes or candy or even french fries, that would be a mistake! And I keep taking my BG three times a day, to help me manage my carb intake and all, even though with such low numbers the doctors say once a day is plenty, and many would recommend skipping it entirely.

Insulin is no-foolin' stuff, I learned that much. Really, I didn't even know enough to change my dosage depending on reading - nobody told me to, and the endo wasn't big on taking phone calls. They got me through it, but it wasn't what they expected, and I was pretty clueless about it all. I've learned a whole lot, since.

Wow! That is quite a story. I'm going to look into Jardiance and see if it looks promising for my situation. I found out the hard way that atorvastatin can raise blood glucose. My doctor was after me to take it to "protect" my heart. Then she got on my case that I was back up to 7 on my A1C. I had to do my own research and got off of it without telling her. She is not interested in my findings. Anyway, I found a natural stanol/sterol supplement and bam! my cholesterol was down from 209 to 157. I can private message the name if you are interested. Thanks for your information. I hope you continue to feel well. John

Jonathan, maybe you want to start a separate thread on your situation? Please don't think I'm recommending Jardiance, it was just what the doctor threw at me. It's still expensive, for one thing. I had no problems with it - but others do, with Jardiance less than other drugs in the class, but still. Don't get all eager because they advertise on TV a lot, that ad makes me crazy.

Now that you're off the statin, what is your A1C, your typical pre-meal BG? Are you taking metformin or anything else? Are you counting carbs in your meals? Are you getting daily exercise?

(maybe answer any of these you like, in another thread)

The whole issue of statins and diabetes is a complex discussion too.

I will private message later. I don't want to take over chun.li's thread. Hopefully we can help her .

its okay stay here, i also have cholesterol since i was a child...

chun.li what country do you live in? Can you tell us your history and what medications you take. I could not find any information on why insulin would be more effective on one side of the abdomen. The main thing seems to be to inject into the fat layer rather than a muscle.

I did find that Jardiance has about a 50% patient approval rate. They either love it or hate it. I am very cautious with medications and always do my research. My morning glucose is anywhere between 115 and 135. But, I tend to hover at 135 during the day between meals. I am not good at counting carbs, but I do have good willpower and if I cheat it is small amounts. I take one metformin two time a day total 1000mg. I could go up to 1500 since I have no side effects. I take about 20 herbs, vitamins and minerals a day. Some are for glucose control. If I exercise for 10 minutes I do notice lower glucose for a number of hours. I need to do that more. I usually do it once per day. I am retired and sit too much and could lose 15 pounds but some other issues keep me off my feet. Foot pain, back pain.

The cholesterol supplement is a plant based sterol/stanol called Cholestoff and it works really good. If I take 4 per day my cholesterol total goes down to 130 range, so I just take one twice a day. And I have found a direct connection between my glucose and cholesterol. When my cholesterol goes down, my glucose numbers go up. Apparently this is because the liver does double duty and is involved in many body functions.

Jonathan, so I'm guessing your A1C comes out in the high 6's?

I've found exercise amazingly effective, way under-emphasized by physicians. You have to do this much, and not too much or your BG goes back up, at least short-term. I sympathize with various pains, have some myself, but so far I can still walk and I sure do. I've wondered how I could keep exercising if for some reason (even weather) I could not walk - and it's tough. Indoor bike, maybe?

But surely you can count carbs. Doesn't even mean you can't eat normally, but you can't let yourself pig out. I'm able to eat a normal 60-75 carbs per meal, and as long as it's not all chocolate cake I do fine with it. I know this is not the case for everyone, not by a long shot. But a pasta dish at the Cheesecake Factory might be 150 carbs, and God help you if you then had a piece of cheesecake afterwards, though some are "only" around 72 carbs others are another 150+. I used to be able to do that (and not even gain weight), but if I did that today not only would a single meal like that blast my A1C up a couple of tenths, but it might destabilize things for days and who knows, bring on another crisis like that one that got me into this game. Or worse. The moral of the story being, count carbs! Read the nutrition sheets at the restaurants. It's highly educational, too. And the fat and sodium, too, OMG, fat, fully saturated especially, can play havoc with your BG metabolism too, nobody is too sure how, it might make insulin resistance worse.

Bet you could lower those numbers 10 points in a matter of days!

hello happy new year! I am from lebanon beirut. i took Glucophage 1000XR but wasn't helpful, plus i became allergic to it. I get sever stomach pain when taking it. ( for some reasons i got stomach issues out of the blue. i hope its not Gastroparesis. )

I had several times urine tests it came positive with ketons... I hope im not mistaken with the word. ( sugar in urine). It is on and off.

In 2015-2016 I used to take Lantus, my blood sugar was up to 300's and around end of 2016 i stopped taking insulin because of some idiot who turned of the fridge i had to dispose of them. when i started taking Testosterone on dec 2016 till dec 2017 i was diabetic free. the i got really sick on January 17th ( not being able to eat without getting high blood pressure and panic attacks) and thirsty omg the thirst! I kept on having panic attacks for 7 months. After that I had several food allergies and intolerances and stomach issues, till now. Most probably the cause of my illness was the fact that diabetes came back all of a sudden and screwed me hard.

I got back on taking NovoMix 30, 1 month ago. Today morning it is 130. which is good because usually morning its high and goes lower till i have lunch. ( i don't eat breakfast or rarely do). during the day i find it to be between 160 and 180 after lunch sometimes it spikes to 250. Even if I'm eating the same thing i ate before example day 1 i ate rice and greens my bs was 180 after 1 hour. Day 2 i ate the same, even same quantity bu my bs is 250.

when i have stomach pain, my blood sugar doesn't go low easily.

ps: I'm intolerant to sugar.. even the hospital IV that contains sugar! I have to ask for the one without any sugar in it. i cant eat up to 1 spoon of sugar per day. if i eat more or eat a lot of sugars i get stomach pain and nauseous. good that I'm not a big fan of sweets.

I hope these details give u some ideas 😃

this week i should do some blood tests. Lets c what we get this time. i went on a small diet i hope it will work.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I am going to start with increasing my exercise program because that definitely does improve my numbers right away. Thanks for all the advice. It's good to know the facts.

Thank you. I hope you start feeling better so you can be happy again. I have done some research and found a number of things that could explain your symptoms.

Not everyone can tolerate Glucophage(metformin) . And it can even become an allergen causing all sorts of bad symptoms. I found this information online. But, it does explain many of your symptoms. See my next message for side effects of NovoMix 30.

"Some people using metformin develop lactic acidosis, which can be fatal. Get emergency medical help if you have even mild symptoms such as:

unusual muscle pain;

feeling cold;

trouble breathing;

feeling dizzy, light-headed, tired, or very weak;

stomach pain, vomiting; or

slow or irregular heart rate.

Common Glucophage side effects may include:

low blood sugar;

nausea, upset stomach; or

diarrhea.

Warning

Oral route (Tablet; Tablet, Extended Release; Solution)

Death, hypothermia, hypotension, and resistant bradyarrhythmias have been reported due to metformin-associated lactic acidosis. Onset may be subtle and include nonspecific symptoms such as malaise, myalgia, respiratory distress, somnolence, and abdominal distress; laboratory abnormalities include low pH, increased anion gap and elevated blood lactate. The risk of lactic acidosis increases with renal or hepatic impairment, aged 65 years or older, having a radiological study with contrast, surgery, or other procedures, hypoxic states, and excessive alcohol intake. If lactic acidosis is suspected, metformin hydrochloride should be discontinued, supportive measures started in a hospital setting. Prompt hemodialysis is recommended.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking metformin:

More common

Abdominal or stomach discomfort

cough or hoarseness

decreased appetite

diarrhea

fast or shallow breathing

fever or chills

general feeling of discomfort

lower back or side pain

muscle pain or cramping

painful or difficult urination

sleepiness

Anxiety

blurred vision

chest discomfort

cold sweats

coma

confusion

cool, pale skin

depression

difficult or labored breathing

dizziness

fast, irregular, pounding, or racing heartbeat or pulse

feeling of warmth

headache

increased hunger

increased sweating

nausea

nervousness

nightmares

redness of the face, neck, arms, and occasionally, upper chest

seizures

shakiness

shortness of breath

slurred speech

tightness in the chest

unusual tiredness or weakness

Rare

Behavior change similar to being drunk

difficulty with concentrating

drowsiness

lack or loss of strength

restless sleep

unusual sleepiness

NovoMix 30 possible side effects:

signs of low blood glucose:

anxiety

blurred vision

confusion

difficulty concentrating

difficulty speaking

dizziness

drowsiness

fast heartbeat

headache

hunger

nausea

nervousness

numbness or tingling of the lips, fingers, or tongue

sweating

tiredness

trembling

weakness

Stop taking the medication and seek immediate medical attention if any of the following occur:

rash or blisters all over the body

seizures

symptoms of a serious allergic reaction (e.g., swelling of the face or throat, difficulty breathing, wheezing, or itchy skin rash)

unconsciousness

So it appears that you have experienced both allergic reactions and side effects of both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia.

There are some foods that cause my glucose to spike: rice, honey,raisins .

So, I recommend that you stay away from rice. You would likely do better on an Atkins type diet. Small portions of meat and mostly vegetables. And I would recommend that you inject into your shoulder ,thigh, or buttocks. I read that injecting in the same area can build up scar tissue and cause a delay or completely ineffective insulin reaction. Do not inject too deep, only in the skin fat.

And do not skip breakfast. You need to eat 4 to 6 times a day for a while until you become stabilized.

You also need a complete blood work up to determine if you have kidney issues or any vitamin /mineral deficiencies.

I hope this helps you find an answer. John

Damn this diabetic issues. thank you so much John 😃

I think I'm sensitive to diabetes it self, i mean with my reading people with a reading of 600 700 till they get symptoms.

Today I'm taking an appointment from my General doctor to check the issue with these head flashes im getting. To rule out everything that is not related to diabetes. So i can dive in fixing it.

thank you again

As Jonathan said, rice is a bad food for diabetics.

You MUST count carbs. All this talk of medicines hardly matters, if you eat the wrong things, or even too much of the right things.

The "white" foods are generally the worst - white rice, white bread, white potatoes, white sugar.

The brown versions of same are slightly better, they have a lower "glycemic index".

You can have small servings of these, in combinations with other foods that give you fiber and protein, but a keto diet would include ZERO amounts of the white foods, that's what keto is all about.

You're welcome. You may also want to have your glucose meter checked because I have found that many are 20 to 40 point off all the time, which is just bad and frustrating. The only one I found to be consistent is called Trueresult but the strips are hard to find and not covered by insurance. Keep us posted, John