Insulin Resistance and Diabetes

Is this just another weird side affect or could it be diabetes?

Last month I had heart surgery, and ever since I’ve noticed changes in my appetite and what I want to eat, and drink. I used to basically live on pop(Dr Pepper mostly) ate burgers & fries often. I was majorly lacking in fruits, vegetables, even water. The healthiest thing I would eat was the occasional salad. Since the surgery its been Salads, fruits, veggies, chicken, juice, tea, and water. I do sometime still have a pop and some candy here and there. Its not all extremely healthy but its what I am now craving. I have insulin resistance and have had for at least 10 years. I am on glucophage for treatment of it. The last week or so I have noticed that I’ll get up and eat if I stick to the healthy stuff and take my gluc as prescribed I’m fine. But as soon as I eat any candy or have a pop I get light headed, nausea, and eventually get a headache. Now I am drinking a lot more than I used to but that started right after the surgery and is not continuing to increase. Any ideas?
I agree the bad stuff makes you drag a bit…but I’m having a major affect like enough to make me go lay down because I’m sick from just 1 pop(which I can’t even get halfway thru a can of because I feel ill from) or about 10 M&M’s.

You’ve grown up. You have some very serious health problems, and you are finally living the way you need to live to get healthier and stay healthier.

Eating crap makes you feel like crap. Once you get off the junk food, you really notice how bad it makes you feel. With insulin resistence anything with sugar or a lot of white flour will make your blood sugar climb.

When you were eating it all the time you didn’t notice how sluggish, tired, and crappy it made you feel.

Now you do.

Stick with the healthy stuff, your body needs and craves it.

I suggest you get tested for diabetes, because of the problems you are having processing sugar. Ask your doctor to do an HbA1c test. It should be below 5.5%.

Good luck!

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Is it impossible for me to have a healthy baby?

I have pcos (polycystic ovary syndrome) and the insulin resistance that comes with it as well as crohn’s disease. I am trying to get all my health situations straightened out before I try to conceive, which will probably be in a year or so. I am on a prenatal and DH supplement, metformin, and iodine, an anti-inflammatory for the crohn’s (just recently in remission) and have started a special diet without dairy products, red meats, limited grains, and limited caffeine. I have lost 100lbs in the past year through very hard work and dedication (usually crohn’s causes weight loss, but the pcos actually made me morbidly obese). My doctor seems to think because my menstruals have returned somewhat regularly, and her test indicated I did ovulate, that I shouldn’t have a hard to conceiving. But I’m not just worried about conceiving, I’m more concerned about having a healthy child. I know my PCOS puts me at risk of miscarriage, gestation diabetes, preeclampsia, and preterm delivery and the crohn’s puts me at risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, and preterm delivery. She has assured me that my treatments will greatly reduce my risks, but I’m still nervous. Do you think I’ll be able to have a healthy child?

The risks you list are increased for you due to your conditions, but these risks occur across all pregnancies. It sounds like you could certainly conceive and carry a healthy child to term. Just keep in touch with your doctor to address any problems along the way.

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Is it impossible for me to have a healthy baby?

I have pcos (polycystic ovary syndrome) and the insulin resistance that comes with it as well as crohn’s disease. I am trying to get all my health situations straightened out before I try to conceive, which will probably be in a year or so. I am on a prenatal and DH supplement, metformin, and iodine, an anti-inflammatory for the crohn’s (just recently in remission) and have started a special diet without dairy products, red meats, limited grains, and limited caffeine. I have lost 100lbs in the past year through very hard work and dedication (usually crohn’s causes weight loss, but the pcos actually made me morbidly obese). My doctor seems to think because my menstruals have returned somewhat regularly, and her test indicated I did ovulate, that I shouldn’t have a hard to conceiving. But I’m not just worried about conceiving, I’m more concerned about having a healthy child. I know my PCOS puts me at risk of miscarriage, gestation diabetes, preeclampsia, and preterm delivery and the crohn’s puts me at risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, and preterm delivery. She has assured me that my treatments will greatly reduce my risks, but I’m still nervous. Do you think I’ll be able to have a healthy child?

The risks you list are increased for you due to your conditions, but these risks occur across all pregnancies. It sounds like you could certainly conceive and carry a healthy child to term. Just keep in touch with your doctor to address any problems along the way.

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Anyone have experience with horses with hypothyroidism, Cushing’s disease, or insulin resistance?

Sorry in advance that this is so long! I started to suspect my 7 y/o paint mare was showing signs of what I thought would be hypothyroidism. I called out my vet, he has to see her for her allergies anyway and I ordered some blood work that he suggested. His initial impression was that she was hypothyroid or insulin resistant, but he made it seem like it was more of a thyroid problem than anything and didn’t even suggest that I get her tested for insulin resistance. I’m still waiting on the results of the blood work, it has been about a week and a half. I have another veterinary clinic that I trust to get a second opinion if I need to but this vet that I currently use is extremely well respected and knowledgeable so I will see what he suggests first.

When I did a little research on the subject, I found a couple of medical studies and articles that said that the normal blood panel for thyroid problem testing for T3 and T4 levels is not accurate enough to fully diagnose a horse as hypothyroid. They also go on to state that most horses that have been diagnosed as having thyroid problems are actually insulin resistant or are in early stages of Cushing’s disease and that confirmed cases of thyroid problems are extremely rare.

So…I’m not quite sure what to think now. She does show a few of the signs of Cushing’s: cresty neck, easy keeper (even though I manage her weight she does sometimes get fat deposits but they are not in strange areas on her body), sometimes lethargic (this may be related to the heat here), and has a slightly decreased immune system. I was told that vertical ridges in her hooves, weak hooves, and her mane and tail rubbing are also signs of these diseases by a friend of the family. I don’t know if there is any truth to the hoof ridges but the mane and tail rubbing also can tie in to her skin allergies and fly/mosquito allergies. She’s on antihistamines for that. She however does not drink an excessive amount (I usually have to make sure she has extra salt to encourage her to drink), does not have a thick shaggy coat or slow shedding, or abnormal urination.

Does anyone have a horse with any of these diseases who could give me any insight on if any of this sounds familiar to you and what treatments your horse is on and the cost that I would be looking at here? Any vets, vet techs, anyone with medical experience, etc that could offer some help would be greatly appreciated as well.

*Selling her is not an option because I am very afraid she would end up in the kill pen if she is diagnosed with this disease combined with her other health problems. She is very well taken care of here.*
Thank you all for your answers!

She doesn’t have the coat of Cushing’s horses. Her coat is extremely short and thin, even in winter.

I realize that the mane and tail rubbing is most likely from her allergies and fly and mosquito hypersensitivity, I had just heard that it was also related to these other diseases and was wondering if there was any truth to that. She is currently treated for the itching twice daily plus the antihistamines and for the mane and tail re-growth. The lethargy is unrelated to the antihistamines, she has always been kind of pokey (especially in summer) but she has a shiny coat and bright eyes. I wasn’t sure if this was related either.
She has access to several salt/trace mineral blocks at all times and I see her frequently licking them several times a day.
Thank you all so much for the info and links, so many great answers The fly and mosquito allergies are actually quite common where I live in southern Louisiana but she has other allergies as well. The climate here is horrible for animals and people with allergies, myself included. I’m miserable so I can only imagine how she feels. I’m still waiting to her from the vet on the rest of the results and from what it sounds, she doesn’t have hypothyroidism but that isn’t a surprise. I will have him come out and draw blood to do the test for the insulin resistance. He couldn’t do it from the blood he drew the other day because she hadn’t been fasting. Hopefully each problem will improve together, it seems when one disorder is off, it throws the whole body out of whack. I’m researching diet changes now to see what I can do to make small adjustments until I find out for sure if this is the problem. I don’t want to do anything major based on my hunch alone.
I also forgot to mention that I would consider selling her to someone in the Midwest or Northwest (she originally came from Iowa) where there are not so many nasty bugs, allergens, heat, and humidity as there are here. I don’t want her to suffer so it would be unreasonable for anyone to tell me that I am selfish for keeping her here because of her allergies. However, with her other health issues and that she is still relatively green broke and needs an advanced intermediate and up rider…I have valid reason to be concerned that she’d be sent to the kill pen because healthy horses are these days. Selling is not an option unless I can no longer manage her care and until I get the health concerns straightened out to where I can at least educate potential new owners on how to manage them. And to avoid that, I would rather relocate from Louisiana because I’m sick constantly and I really can’t stand the weather here either!

I have a gelding with Cushing’s and a mare with insulin resistance. The gelding was diagnosed after the vet noticed a slight crest forming on his neck. He never exhibited any shedding problems or other of the typical signs. But when he was tested, his hormone levels were all over the place. He has done so well in the years that followed, that we have retested several times, still showing the same hormonal abnormalities. My point is, a horse doesn’t necessarily exhibit all of the signs, but may still have the disease. My gelding has had the disease for several years now, and still has no coat or shedding abnormalities. He is managed with diet and Evitex (chasteberry extract). He has not needed Perolide to maintain him in good condition. Pergolide can’t be used if the horse also exhibits insulin resistance, though.
I have read the same research on diagnosing hypothyroid or hyperthyroid conditions in horses. My gelding’s thyroid levels are always off, but his diagnosis is Cushing’s. Early on he was tried on Thyrol, but it was later determined to be unnecessary. These days, I don’t think it is used very often.
You probably need further testing to come up with a diagnosis. Be aware that in the fall there is more risk of false positives since the hormone levels are altered normally during the transition to shorter periods of daylight.
In the meantime, it doesn’t hurt to restrict soluble starches in her diet, which is indicated in either condition.

One more thought on thyroid insufficiency…..I did have a hypothyroid horse decades ago, that was treated successfully by adding iodized salt to her diet. Iodine is needed to make thyroid hormones. Iodine deficiency in today’s feeds are probably rare, but could occur if the feed is grown in areas where iodine is deficient, and the feed is not fortified. If a horse was fed only hay and pasture, and both were deficient, it might be the problem. I doubt that it is the case in your situation, but is something else to consider.

My insulin resistant mare is a whole other story, and I am posting an excellent article on it that you should read before you proceed. It will give you a very good overall knowledge base for decisions on what comes next. I hope it helps.

http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=12588

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Insulin Resistance and ways to treat it….?

What are some tried and true ways that everyone has found to treat their insulin resistance?
I have recently been diagnosed and am taking meds, but what are some other things that I need to be doing. Also, what have your isnulin levels been at their highest? To me my numbers seem outrageous, but I have nothing to base them on or compare to.
Also, what have pregnancy success rates been without doing the fertility treatments of any kind?!

You treat it the same way a type 2 diabetic treats it. Diet, exercise, weight control, and supplements. If you don’t…. guess what… You become diabetic, like me.

More here:
http://www.geocities.com/seabulls69/Type_II_Diabetes.html

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