SaltyAndSweet
New member
Welcome Sara!
I have had CFRD for almost 7 years now. I have a feeling it was undiagnosed for a while before that, because I craved carbs, was always exhausted (from high blood glucose) and my pfts tanked for several years before my dx. Things are going better now I am on insulin shots(and out of denial). <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
For treatment of my CFRD I take Lantus, a long lasting insulin shot once a day, which keeps my baseline glucose level down. When I am sick I need more Lantus then when I am healthy.
Then for meals and snacks, any time I eat carbs, I count how many carbs I eat and take a sliding scale of short acting insulin, Humalog or Novalog (shot form).
I have read that pills don't usually work with CFRD. I read that with our impaired digestion the pills effectiveness is to unpredictable. Also:
<i>"Oral medications used in type 2 diabetes can not be used in CF
* Major side effects may be liver damage
* Sulfoylureas* interfere with the chloride transporter"</i>
(trying to re-find my source)
Experiencing highs and then having deep lows is common with CFRD when sugars are out of control. What happens is that when you eat carbs your blood sugar rises, sends a message that your body needs X amount of insulin and your pancreas releases that insulin (sometimes it is enough, sometimes not enough). The problem is that with our thick sticky mucus, the insulin is delayed as it tries to get into your system. A while later the insulin hasn't all gotten into your system and sends more. It is just too slow and the body doesn't realize how much it already sent. It just knows that your sugars are still high. Once all the sluggish insulin from your pancreas reaches your blood stream it ends up being too much and you end up low. To help control the lows, we have to control the highs first.
I hope all that made sense!
Check out my blog. I have a lot of info for people with CFRD on it. There are few specialists in the world that understand CFRD and I am really lucky to see one of them. I try to pass on the info I learn from my doc to everyone else who isn't so lucky.
I have had CFRD for almost 7 years now. I have a feeling it was undiagnosed for a while before that, because I craved carbs, was always exhausted (from high blood glucose) and my pfts tanked for several years before my dx. Things are going better now I am on insulin shots(and out of denial). <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
For treatment of my CFRD I take Lantus, a long lasting insulin shot once a day, which keeps my baseline glucose level down. When I am sick I need more Lantus then when I am healthy.
Then for meals and snacks, any time I eat carbs, I count how many carbs I eat and take a sliding scale of short acting insulin, Humalog or Novalog (shot form).
I have read that pills don't usually work with CFRD. I read that with our impaired digestion the pills effectiveness is to unpredictable. Also:
<i>"Oral medications used in type 2 diabetes can not be used in CF
* Major side effects may be liver damage
* Sulfoylureas* interfere with the chloride transporter"</i>
(trying to re-find my source)
Experiencing highs and then having deep lows is common with CFRD when sugars are out of control. What happens is that when you eat carbs your blood sugar rises, sends a message that your body needs X amount of insulin and your pancreas releases that insulin (sometimes it is enough, sometimes not enough). The problem is that with our thick sticky mucus, the insulin is delayed as it tries to get into your system. A while later the insulin hasn't all gotten into your system and sends more. It is just too slow and the body doesn't realize how much it already sent. It just knows that your sugars are still high. Once all the sluggish insulin from your pancreas reaches your blood stream it ends up being too much and you end up low. To help control the lows, we have to control the highs first.
I hope all that made sense!
Check out my blog. I have a lot of info for people with CFRD on it. There are few specialists in the world that understand CFRD and I am really lucky to see one of them. I try to pass on the info I learn from my doc to everyone else who isn't so lucky.