I have found, just lately, if I have a DOUBLE Hot Chocolate (Swiss Miss Dark Choc made with water)with my night meds, my blood sugars are good in the morning. If I try to low carb it...my blood sugars are over 130 in the morning.
Insomnia Eats
- Thread starter buckytom
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Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
About 1.5 years ago, I was waking in the middle of the night with my sugars spiking sometimes over 300. I was starting to panic. Doc put me on Metformin. Brought the situaton under control. Then after about nine months, the Metformin was making me vomit. Didn't need it anymore. I was keeping my sugars around 110-120. Then everytime I went into the hospital, they would get all screwed up again. It seems that the acceptable numbers for the hospital are a lot higher than they were to me. So they would wait until they were over 200 and then give me insulin by injection. Otherwise they weren't giving me anything for my sugars. As long as they were under 200. Next time I am going to pitch a fit over their acceptance of their numbers. They are wrong for me. And when they are acceptable by their standards, it messes up my A1c.
My original doctor was happy with most of my blood sugars under 150...he wouldn't even consider trying a different medication and working to bring them down more. Since I got a new doctor and started the medication I wanted, my sugars have not gone over 140...and those are the times I've been trying out new snacks, I've been under 110 with those few exceptions for an entire month!
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
Just out of curiosity, was your original doc an older man?
No, younger, but I think he got a bit complacent and forgot I was a nurse. Very good at first about making sure I had copies of my labs and testing. This past year I couldn't even get a thumbs up or down on my Pap Smear. And it was miserable trying to get pain medications from him., I have degenerative joint disease in my shoulders and knees and I couldn't take Ibuprofen because of my Plavix, I just wanted something for waking up and going to bed...no go. The new doc got it for me without a problem and now since I'm done with the Plavix I can start back on the Ibuprofen. Very happy about that, it works so well for me.
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
As I am sure you know, the motto of every doctor is "First I Shall Do No Harm." And to let a patient be in pain is doing harm. When my son graduated from medical school, I embroidered the motto in gold with the double snake thingy. (don't even ask me to spell it in Latin.) He has it hanging all framed in his office at home. It was my graduation present to him.
I have been on Vicodin for about six years now due to an ulcer and graft I had on my leg. It is very painful for me to go up stairs. Can run down backwards. But my son told me it is very difficult to become addicted to pain medication when you are in pain. I get a 14 day supply at a time. But only take them when I know I am going to be doing stairs. So my 14 day supply usually lasts me about three or more weeks. Because they know I am not abusing them, my doctor is not hesitant to renew my script as long as I feel I need it. And as long as there are stairs or ramps I have to go up, I will need them.
As I am sure you know, the motto of every doctor is "First I Shall Do No Harm." And to let a patient be in pain is doing harm. When my son graduated from medical school, I embroidered the motto in gold with the double snake thingy. (don't even ask me to spell it in Latin.) He has it hanging all framed in his office at home. It was my graduation present to him.
I have been on Vicodin for about six years now due to an ulcer and graft I had on my leg. It is very painful for me to go up stairs. Can run down backwards. But my son told me it is very difficult to become addicted to pain medication when you are in pain. I get a 14 day supply at a time. But only take them when I know I am going to be doing stairs. So my 14 day supply usually lasts me about three or more weeks. Because they know I am not abusing them, my doctor is not hesitant to renew my script as long as I feel I need it. And as long as there are stairs or ramps I have to go up, I will need them.
This began my quest for a new doctor and I let her know up front why the last doctor failed.
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
PF, are you able to load your meter reading into your computer? I can and then I fax the right to my doctor's computer and he makes them part of my medical record. Nice system.
Yes, I do that and my Blood pressures too.
SarrahMendez
Assistant Cook
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2012
- Messages
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You shoundn't eat late at night (although I have to admit that those hotdogs look awesome. You should focus more on whole grains, fruits, herbal teas, stews and soups 
http://isleepbetter.com/5-foods-that-will-improve-your-sleep
http://isleepbetter.com/5-foods-that-will-improve-your-sleep
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babetoo
Chef Extraordinaire
calories are calories, it doesn't matter when you eat them. your suggestion about whole grains etc, is a wise one. but if i want a hot dog, they just won't do
vitauta
Executive Chef
it does matter when you eat your calories. your metabolism is not a constant entity--it fluctuates throughout the day, and responds to activity levels.
Claire
Master Chef
I avoid eating in my wee hours. Harder to stay away from is alcohol, although I'm doing pretty good at that in the past few years. It's hard to stay away from when you've had 2 hours of sleep and want to get a few more before sunrise. Even with the very real knowledge (both from reading and experience) that self-medicating with alcohol only exacerbates the problem in the long run.
When trying to avoid pouring a drink at 3 a.m., I learned that something starchy (ramen noodles come to mind, or Liptons with macaroni tossed in) would sooth me back to sleep. Uh-Oh. Ironically, the hootch didn't put the pounds on the way those extra noodles did. Now I just try to do boring chores (laundry comes to mind) and read. Sometimes I come here, but computers are not soothing (before internet, I'd write (longhand) a lot; long letters, etc.). But now there's no point to it because no one writes at all any more, so it's like talking to a wall.
When trying to avoid pouring a drink at 3 a.m., I learned that something starchy (ramen noodles come to mind, or Liptons with macaroni tossed in) would sooth me back to sleep. Uh-Oh. Ironically, the hootch didn't put the pounds on the way those extra noodles did. Now I just try to do boring chores (laundry comes to mind) and read. Sometimes I come here, but computers are not soothing (before internet, I'd write (longhand) a lot; long letters, etc.). But now there's no point to it because no one writes at all any more, so it's like talking to a wall.
Greg Who Cooks
Executive Chef
I'm sorry to disagree with you but calories are NOT calories, or at least they are not some common denominator or currency that all food consumption can be reduced to just calories.
Nor can you reduce it to just carbohydrates, protein and fats. Our diet is far more complex than that, and it matters too when we eat them and in what combination.
Perhaps you meant that it's wise to consider food cravings that when you have them it's good to find healthy ways to satisfy them.
Or maybe I'm just putting too much into considering your comments.
I didn't even want to address that. I think it's vitally important to adjust our diet and what time of day we consume specific food groups, although I'm too tired tonight to address that. Perhaps tomorrow when I'm on my breakfast/coffee curve I'll feel more inclined to discuss time of day and what foods are best.
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Claire
Master Chef
Yeah, believe me, I know, both options are wrong and have been successfully avoiding them for quite awhile now (as in years). The thing is, since I don't have to work any more, I just say screw it. If I'm up all night, I'm up all night. Not the end of the world. When I had to get up and go to work before dawn, I neither ate nor drank (besides water or tea) and managed to get by on 3-4 hours of sleep a night for weeks on end. But I'm way too old to get by on that now. But, then, most of the time I don't have to do much. I mean, I love my morning exercise classes, but if I miss them it just makes insomnia worse, so I get off my butt most of the time! But if I decide I'm not awake enough, I can live with that. But my librarians DO often wonder how I manage to read 3-5 books/week. Ha! You spend the time I do at night reading!
Greg Who Cooks
Executive Chef
I just didn't want to address that. I have a serious insomnia problem. I can't do anything, particularly consuming food or anything else, without considering what impact it has on my problem. It may seem ironic but I'm just to tired tonight to come up with a well considered reply to why its important to consider time of day when deciding what to consume. It's not much past 7 p.m. tonight local and nothing but water will pass my lips until tomorrow morning. If I just absolutely had to consume something it would be warm milk or chicken broth.
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
I am on my night schedule. Nights are my days, and days are my nights. The only way I can get back to the schedule the rest of the world is on, is to have daytime appointments. So right now I will be up for the rest of the night. I will make a small meal for my self, do some cleaning, reading and other activities. I am retired and I can have any schedule that my body gives me. Even for eating. When I really want something to eat that will be satisfing I usually want protein. And that is mostly meat. I try to listen to my body. It tells me what I am missing. Last week it was vegggies. Every time I combed my hair, there were hairs on it. That tells me I need my veggies. No more hair loss.
OP
OP
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
man, you guys (except addie's last entry) are just a party waiting to happen.
NOT!
try working my schedule and then tell me (without a lecture) of what and when to eat. my guess is you'd fold faster than superman on wash day.
NOT!
try working my schedule and then tell me (without a lecture) of what and when to eat. my guess is you'd fold faster than superman on wash day.
Aunt Bea
Master Chef
man, you guys (except addie's last entry) are just a party waiting to happen.
NOT!
try working my schedule and then tell me (without a lecture) of what and when to eat. my guess is you'd fold faster than superman on wash day.
I used to work very strange and long hours, when I was in IT, food was our substitute for sleep and it was always our reward from the guys in the corner office. Now because I don't work and live alone I sleep when I feel like it and eat when I feel like it. I actually enjoy going out to eat at 3:00 AM when the city is just going to sleep and yet just waking up. Some of the best grill men in the world only seem to work the 3rd shift and I don't want to know why. We all need to do what is right for us, to the extent that it is possible. Oh, in case anyone is keeping track, I am from the camp that believes a calorie is a calorie.
Yes, a calorie is a calorie, it's the same amount of energy whether you get it from fruits, veggies, protein, fat, carbs...the kicker is, you can have a larger serving of lean proteins and veggies and feel full longer than with servings of carbs and fats. Fruits do take a bit longer to digest and your body to utilize d/t to the conversion of fructose to glucose in your system and the fiber involved makes you feel fuller, too.
Since I no longer work nights, I am still having issues of when I get hungry, even a year later. 11 years on night shift...it wasn't until I moved to dayshift that my health problems started.
It's important for you to decide if you are really hungry or just eating to kill time while you are awake at odd hours. If you are really hungry...eat!
Since I no longer work nights, I am still having issues of when I get hungry, even a year later. 11 years on night shift...it wasn't until I moved to dayshift that my health problems started.
It's important for you to decide if you are really hungry or just eating to kill time while you are awake at odd hours. If you are really hungry...eat!
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