3 ms·

Also not an MD (yet) so grain of salt, but from my experience: Yeah, D50 is a more direct way to get glucose into the blood stream. It does take a lot more time

by et2o 10y ago

Also not an MD (yet) so grain of salt, but from my experience: Yeah, D50 is a more direct way to get glucose into the blood stream. It does take a lot more time to mobilize liver stores of glycogen. But using glycogen stores isn't necessarily bad for you metabolically. Glucagon is used by your body everyday during periods of fasting between meals to maintain a minimum blood sugar. Your glycogen stores can supply enough glucose for several hours of fasting before you turn to other routes of metabolism, which would next preferentially be fatty acids. Glucagon IM injectors are given to lots of diabetics to prevent hypoglycemic emergency if drinking fruit juice or something isn't enough.

et2o 10y ago
Another interesting thing is that your body has three signaling mechanisms to maintain a minimum blood glucose (can't live without it!). First glucagon, then cortisol, then epinephrine all function on a variety of pathways to generate glucose.
monkmartinez 10y ago
We agree on the metabolic reasoning! I freely admit that 98% of my experience with diabetes has been in the field dealing with hypo or hyperglycemic patients. Obviously, we are talking about diabetics that aren't the most compliant with their disease. However, even "good" diabetics have bad runs with questionable supplies, or any host of issues (sickness, environment, diet change, etc.) I happen to live where a very, very large cluster of diabetics are studied. We do a lot of diabetic emergencies... I can count on my hands how many times we've used glucagon. Like I said, we can treat and release with D50. Not so with Glucagon. If "they" figure out the delicate balance between all the systems in order to use glucagon the same way it is regulated in a non-diabetic; it stands to reason that "they" should have a way to repair/replace the islets of Langerhans as the first priority, don't you think?
- et2o 10y ago
  Sort of different problems. People are definitely working very hard on b-cell replacement with stem cells, there was a cool nature (I think) paper a few months that I can't find now. Definitely would be Nobel-prize worthy and would help a lot of people.
terminalcommand 10y ago
I've had type 1 for nearly 10 years, after 4-5 years I think my body stopped producing glycogen. That's why I am super-alert for lows. The constant fear of trying to catch if you're low is exhausting. Especially when a diabetic like me goes through sad phases, can't get enough sleep etc. The main symptom of being low is dizziness, and if you're blood sugar levels are not in control you always feel that diziness. I've had panic attacks, thinking I'm low when I'm not, got really depressed, my blood sugar levels were like a roller coaster. This year I managed to get a grip of my life, right now I'm on vacation and relatively happy, I noticed that I get by with much less insulin. Stress definitely has an effect on diabetes management. During exam weeks for example, it's nearly impossible for me to keep my levels under control. A CGM could end all this suffering, but the cost of having one is very high. The insurance, at least here in Turkey, covers only 3 strips a day of the cheapest brand available. I've seen 22 mg/dl at a time, and didn't lose consciousness. Most diabetics can feel when they're hypoglycemic. PS: These are my own experiences, sorry if it's too verbose.
- et2o 10y ago
  I'm really sorry to hear about your troubles, thanks for sharing. That sounds so tough and I am glad you're doing what you can to stay healthy.
- robobro 10y ago
  I think that my body stopped producing glycogen too. I'm fairly thin and cardio tends to send me into a drop... CGMs are definitely worth it, it's unfortunate they're so hard to get in Turkey. I've found the best ways to stabilize my glucose are, well, eating lots of protein and fats, eating smaller carb portions in more meals, and smoking cannabis. 22 mg/dl is really scary. The lowest I've found myself at was 30. Talk about scary! Is glycogen cheaply available in Turkey? It's really damn expensive here.

by et2o 10y ago

et2o 10y ago

Another interesting thing is that your body has three signaling mechanisms to maintain a minimum blood glucose (can't live without it!). First glucagon, then cortisol, then epinephrine all function on a variety of pathways to generate glucose.

monkmartinez 10y ago

We agree on the metabolic reasoning! I freely admit that 98% of my experience with diabetes has been in the field dealing with hypo or hyperglycemic patients. Obviously, we are talking about diabetics that aren't the most compliant with their disease. However, even "good" diabetics have bad runs with questionable supplies, or any host of issues (sickness, environment, diet change, etc.) I happen to live where a very, very large cluster of diabetics are studied. We do a lot of diabetic emergencies... I can count on my hands how many times we've used glucagon. Like I said, we can treat and release with D50. Not so with Glucagon. If "they" figure out the delicate balance between all the systems in order to use glucagon the same way it is regulated in a non-diabetic; it stands to reason that "they" should have a way to repair/replace the islets of Langerhans as the first priority, don't you think?

et2o 10y ago
Sort of different problems. People are definitely working very hard on b-cell replacement with stem cells, there was a cool nature (I think) paper a few months that I can't find now. Definitely would be Nobel-prize worthy and would help a lot of people.

terminalcommand 10y ago

I've had type 1 for nearly 10 years, after 4-5 years I think my body stopped producing glycogen. That's why I am super-alert for lows. The constant fear of trying to catch if you're low is exhausting. Especially when a diabetic like me goes through sad phases, can't get enough sleep etc. The main symptom of being low is dizziness, and if you're blood sugar levels are not in control you always feel that diziness. I've had panic attacks, thinking I'm low when I'm not, got really depressed, my blood sugar levels were like a roller coaster. This year I managed to get a grip of my life, right now I'm on vacation and relatively happy, I noticed that I get by with much less insulin. Stress definitely has an effect on diabetes management. During exam weeks for example, it's nearly impossible for me to keep my levels under control. A CGM could end all this suffering, but the cost of having one is very high. The insurance, at least here in Turkey, covers only 3 strips a day of the cheapest brand available. I've seen 22 mg/dl at a time, and didn't lose consciousness. Most diabetics can feel when they're hypoglycemic. PS: These are my own experiences, sorry if it's too verbose.

et2o 10y ago
I'm really sorry to hear about your troubles, thanks for sharing. That sounds so tough and I am glad you're doing what you can to stay healthy.
robobro 10y ago
I think that my body stopped producing glycogen too. I'm fairly thin and cardio tends to send me into a drop... CGMs are definitely worth it, it's unfortunate they're so hard to get in Turkey. I've found the best ways to stabilize my glucose are, well, eating lots of protein and fats, eating smaller carb portions in more meals, and smoking cannabis. 22 mg/dl is really scary. The lowest I've found myself at was 30. Talk about scary! Is glycogen cheaply available in Turkey? It's really damn expensive here.