I Think I Am Diabetic (Grrrrrr)

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

Both parents are diabetic, all four grand parents are diabetic, I’m basically a ball of diabetes waiting to happen.

After a hard workout, I get the shakes. Hands trembling, nervous, can’t keep still. I know you think I’m bullshitting, but sometimes your brain will tell you what you need. Being a fat man it’s easy to make jokes, but when I get shakey or lethargic my brain will scream CANDY!

A bite of candy bar, a few gulps of orange juice or a sliver of bread will calm everything down 99%. Ten minutes later everything is copasetic.

Talked to the doctor, got an appointment on Monday but it’s going to take a week to find out whether I have it or not.

This sucks. Yes, I brought it upon myself, I should have been smarter, blah blah blah, but FUCK! Diabetes is an old man thing. I’m only 36. Fuck, 37.

On a good note, I hear that insulin injections can help growth? Is this true?

Also, will anybody explain this homebrew crap to me? How can I do it? Is it legal? Where do I learn?

2

Sorry to hear. And why are you worried about growth?

The good news is that with Type 2, it can be greatly controlled with proper nutrition (eating frequently of unprocessed foods, including a protein in each meal, much like we should all be eating). Not that that is great news, but manageable.

3

Well it’s good that you’re realizing this before it gets out of control. It’s also good motivation to help you stay on track for your weight loss. You’ll notice a huge difference in how your body handles its blood sugar as you lose weight.

Insulin injections will help to prevent you from wasting away, if you need them, but let’s hope that you’re not there yet.

Let us know what your tests look like and we’ll go from there.

Regardless, it’s a good idea to monitor your blood sugar for a while -your MD can tell you more about that.

Good luck!

4

Tony,

The symptoms you describe are consistent with hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) which is why drinking juice or eating candy (quick sugar source) makes you feel better quickly.

Exercise, since it uses both stored carbohydrates (glycogen) and blood sugar, can result in a hypoglycemic episode, especially if you either haven’t had much to eat in the hour or two preceding your workout or if you ate a quick source of sugar too close to the onset of your workout.

This can happen to anyone, not just diabetics. Diabetes is actually a problem with having too high of blood sugar. Most diabetics will only have a problem with hypoglycemia if their insulin and other medications and their diets are not in sync.

With your family history and your weight issues, it is a good idea to get your blood tested. Keep us posted.

Take care,

Ryan

5

[quote]Dr. Ryan wrote:
Tony,

Diabetes is actually a problem with having too high of blood sugar.

Ryan[/quote]

Not to nit-pick, and seeing as you’re a doctor I’ll take your word over mine, but isn’t that over simplified?

Meaning, I can drink 2 cans of soda and have high blood sugar (albeit a little while), and insulin is cranked up to remove it.

Diabetes is more about the body’s ability not to be able to control high blood sugar.

Maybe I’m just splitting hairs.

6

Fat T,

Welcome to the club bro. I have been type 1 since I was 10 months old. In fact I believe I am around 2 months from the world record, but that’s besides the point. I usually take 3-5 daily injections, many blood sugar tests daily, etc. You probably won’t have to do anything as extreme as me but still be careful man. I wouldn’t even wait for what the doctor tells you (my experience is that most endocrinologists truly don’t know that much because they just don’t have the disease… you can only learn so much without first hand experience; and a lot of docs I have met are bookworm idiots anyways who just repeat what they hear), something is going on. In fact with your history I would have been doing everything I could to stay away from the unhealthy lifestyle! A little prevention can go a long way…

The symptoms you are mentioning are classic symptoms of low blood sugar levels. With your family history I am actually suprised that it took you this long to start having issues, especially if you are overweight (?). Do not even think about saying that you are too young for diabetes!!!

However it sounds that your symptoms are not too terribly bad. If it only takes a small amount of food to get back to normal then you probably are not experiencing low blood sugar at its worst… for example a few weeks ago I was walking home from class in the middle of a huge area of campus and just collapsed. Literally, I fell down with hundreds of people walking by and had to crawl to a tree to pull myself back up. Then I kinda stumbled to a building and straight to the coke machine. Usually the symptoms don’t hit me like that (very fast and impacting in this case), but still shit like that can happen. Plus I have lots of experience with it and can deal with it fairly well but you get the idea. If you are having things similar to this then I can basically guarantee that you have some form of type 2 (with your family history). It sucks but the amazing human body can only work so perfectly when we begin to exploit it…

7

Why am I worried abotu packing size/muscle? If I can pack on 20 pounds of muscle, I’ll burn up a LOT more calories not just during my workout, but thruout the day. I knew a few steroid heads that loved insulin, but never paid attention to why. According to my grandmother, I wont need insulin for a long time.

Now, according to her, she tested me 20 times in the past 4 hours with all kinds of foods and etc. I am NOT diabetic. She has more experience then the doctors, she’s 90ish (she actually forgot how old she is and has no ID).

Problem is I don’t eat or drink anything before the workout. According to the old lady, it’s just low blood sugar because of what I’m burning up. She suggested an apple or banana before workout. I suggested a double cheese burger.

I know I brought this upon myself and with my history, a smart person would have done EVERYTHING to prevent the weight and prison, but if I knew where I was going to fall, I’d put a mattress there (it sounds better in Italian, it’s an old guinnea proverb).

Brian, you are right, it’s a small dose of food/sugar and I’m fine. It never happens again and never happens on my days off.

Have you guys ever experienced this? Yoru body will crave what it neeeeeeds. Not what you want, but what it NEEEEEEDS. The first time it happened, I got scared and my brain was screaming for sugar. I said no, candy bad, but I never had a craving like that and when I took a bite or two, BANG! Everything started to get better.

I told my wife, and she says that I am a fat bastard and my lard wanted the candy. It’s funny, but I swear that my body told me what it needed.

8

[quote]Fat Tony wrote:
but I swear that my body told me what it needed.[/quote]

Absolutely, if the case was low blood sugar.

Much like when people go on a crash diet where they severly restrict calories, they’ll eventually binge on sugar and/or fat.

9

[quote]Fat Tony wrote:

Now, according to her, she tested me 20 times in the past 4 hours with all kinds of foods and etc. I am NOT diabetic. She has more experience then the doctors, she’s 90ish (she actually forgot how old she is and has no ID).
[/quote]

You still need a medical evaluation. She forgot her age, dude. The doctors have better equipment and tests for this kind of thing. You need to know your cholesterol, blood pressure, etc…Is your waist more than 40 inches? You seem like a good candidate for metabolic syndrome…

10

[quote]Fat Tony wrote:
According to my grandmother, I wont need insulin for a long time.

She has more experience then the doctors, she’s 90ish (she actually forgot how old she is and has no ID).

[/quote]

I laughed pretty hard at this. It’s just plain funny. <:-)

You may be neglegting a few points here. If you were to sum up a few days of your eating / supps / drug intake, it would likely lead some of the experts here to make a more informed diagnosis.

Of course, you have to actually see a doctor and take the tests ect. Which you have.

However, if I am correct… You take some form of ‘internet amphetamines’, and from previous posts, you are surviving on protein shakes, mostly.

I can’t advise you on managing diabetes, but I can tell you that you should take and use more of the advice that you get from T-Nation.

If you’re not eating properly, and taking shit that speeds your heart up, then godamn, no fucking wonder you get all shakey and shit.

Wait for the test results, but I’d suggest you post a log of your food / drug intake and workout schedule for several days.

I think you’ll find that people here could revise it for you, so you’re eating real food, feeling better, and still making good progress.

|/ 3Toes

11

sigh

Don’t feed the trolls.

Literally and figuratively, in this circumstance.

12

Tony,

Whenever you have one of those hypoglycemic incidents, it would be common to crave sweets. Actually a candy bar is not your best choice as it has fat and doesn’t get your blood sugar back up as quickly as some kind of liquid or simple sugar.

You could take Surge (or gatorade or any carb containing drink) to the gym with you and sip it during your workout. That should prevent the problem. I would make sure to eat something 1-2 hours before your workout. Not a large or heavy meal, but something with some protein/mod. carbs and some healthy fat. Since you are trying to lose weight if you eat as suggested, you wouldn’t have to drink the beverage during your workout, but it would be good to have on hand just in case.

Keep us posted on your test results.

Take care,

Ryan

13

I was wondering, wouldn’t the low blood sugar increase beta oxidation, thus increasing fat loss if he were to just “grin and bear it”. This is assuming that the doctor tells him that he isn’t diabetic or hypoglycemic.

[quote]Dr. Ryan wrote:
Tony,

Whenever you have one of those hypoglycemic incidents, it would be common to crave sweets. Actually a candy bar is not your best choice as it has fat and doesn’t get your blood sugar back up as quickly as some kind of liquid or simple sugar.

You could take Surge (or gatorade or any carb containing drink) to the gym with you and sip it during your workout. That should prevent the problem. I would make sure to eat something 1-2 hours before your workout. Not a large or heavy meal, but something with some protein/mod. carbs and some healthy fat. Since you are trying to lose weight if you eat as suggested, you wouldn’t have to drink the beverage during your workout, but it would be good to have on hand just in case.

Keep us posted on your test results.

Take care,

Ryan[/quote]

14

a lot of docs I have met are bookworm idiots anyways who just repeat what they hear

Hey I’m a Doctor so don’t put me in there. Hey Tony,
why don’t u try eating or drinking a protein shake b4 and after your workout. It should help you with the shakes. And just because your grandma fed you and checked u over 4 hours is really not the way to check for it. But you should be concerned and you are so u are on the right track. PM if u need more info. And I’m dissing your granny.

15

[quote]ballbuster wrote:
a lot of docs I have met are bookworm idiots anyways who just repeat what they hear

Hey I’m a Doctor so don’t put me in there. Hey Tony,
why don’t u try eating or drinking a protein shake b4 and after your workout. It should help you with the shakes. And just because your grandma fed you and checked u over 4 hours is really not the way to check for it. But you should be concerned and you are so u are on the right track. PM if u need more info. And I’m dissing your granny.[/quote]

Please don’t tell me that an MD just wrote that. If you truly are an MD, I respect what you’ve accomplished, but get the hell off of my lawn. Sigh.

16

yes sir,

I am truly a MD. And don’t worry I’ll stay off your lawn…BLAH

17

Hey Tony. Do you have a ‘Chef Tony’ in your family?

If so, I think I saw him selling cookware on an infomercial this morning.

<:-)

|/ 3Toes

18

[quote]ballbuster wrote:
a lot of docs I have met are bookworm idiots anyways who just repeat what they hear

Hey I’m a Doctor so don’t put me in there. Hey Tony,
why don’t u try eating or drinking a protein shake b4 and after your workout. It should help you with the shakes. And just because your grandma fed you and checked u over 4 hours is really not the way to check for it. But you should be concerned and you are so u are on the right track. PM if u need more info. And I’m dissing your granny.[/quote]

I think some sort of carb source in there would be a little more important to prevent “the shakes” rather than just protein.

19

Yay! I’m not diabetic or hyposimethingic!

I’ve been eating an apple or banana before the workout. I also quit Phentermine (not easy, but I did it). Immediately after the workout I’ll down another apple or orange and everything is totally copastetic.

Without the Phentermine (speeeeeeed) I can no longer go the day on just protein shakes and a small green meal. I need food and it’s a fight I can’t win.

I do feel better without the speed, but I eat 50% more which makes me feel worse, yet I’m not going back.

I’m going to say a dirty word, a very dirty disgusting word, so I’ve given you warning. PLATEAU!

I’ve hit a plateau! Sure it’s early in the workout, but I did it. Not discouraged though, screw it, I’ll get thru it somehow.

I’m stuck at 355 and I know if I go back to speed, it’ll go away but speed bad. Speed from satan.

The strength increases stopped abruptly. It was fun going thru a 25% increase in strength every week, and I knew it had to stop sometime. Doesn’t mean I’m going to stop and I know I’ll never see a 25% increase again, more like 2% but whatever.

I was able to use 85’s (dumbells) for my chest workout yesterday. It’s just a matter of time before I move on up to the hunnits.

Just an update.

20

I don’t suppose you plan on reading anything on this site about nutrition and diet?