Hi. I just joined.

[Guest guest]

Greetings to all. I recognize a couple of names on messages here...(Hi

Duncan!) My name is , and I am type-1 diabetic for 36 years now (I am

52). It looks like this list is for both kinds of diabetics, right?

I guess I've moved more and more towards " alternative " over the years. The

M.D./Pharaceutical approach tends to cause more trouble than it solves in my

system! So I've tried many other 'healing arts', - struck gold with a few of

them. Probably a lot of people here find that diabetes becomes as much a

spiritual challenge as a physical one! Anyway, here are some areas I would

both appreciate hearing other's knowledge and experience, and gladly share

mine:

1)Best deals on Lantus and Humulin R insulins (I have no insurance, so must

buy all my supplies), test strips (accucheck active? I pay ~$21.50/50),

syringes (I pay 13$/100)

2) I was diagnosed with Graves disease 13 years ago. Thyroid was nuked=gone,

so I take armour thyroid from organically raised pork. Anyone else dealing

with this combination?

3) Candida - 1985 I got a kidney infection that kept coming back. 4 rounds

of antibiotics later I changed tactics, visiting a Homeopathic Doc instead.

Kidney infection cleared up for good! But ever since, I've been battling

systemic yeast. I keep it pretty well under control thanks to Duncan's

reccommendations and grapefruit seed extract, but would love to hear others

stories/advice.

4) Until recently I had no real complications in spite of a life of pretty

wild fluctuations in BS - I somehow got away with almost ignoring my

diabetes (I was even a bulemic teenager/young adult, and somehow survived).

Since the Graves Disease I have to try much much harder. Got a little

retinopathy in one eye - macular area and, if my sugar is up at bedtime, my

feet burn or shoot pain. Glad for non-drug suggestions there, and I can

offer two homeopathic remedies for the last one that are working well for me

now.

5) Psoriasis - Scalp kind. Yuck. Appreciate ANY help there. I guess it's all

just auto immune stuff that is at the root of most of these problems. Any

other folks like that here?

6) Just got dentures this year. Damn. Big adjustment!

7) Last thing, I am moderator of another Yahoo group, still small (and

lately very quiet) - only 30-some members, where I'm trying to make a

links/files library for alternative-minded diabetics. I'll include a couple

of thought-provoking links here, one for type-1 and one for type-2. You're

most welcome to join if you are interested. It's called Diabetescured 2 in

the group directory.

Thanks for any responses. Thanks for your time! -

[Guest guest]

R wrote -

> 4) Until recently I had no real complications in spite of a life of pretty

> wild fluctuations in BS - I somehow got away with almost ignoring my

> diabetes (I was even a bulemic teenager/young adult, and somehow survived).

> Since the Graves Disease I have to try much much harder. Got a little

> retinopathy in one eye - macular area and, if my sugar is up at bedtime, my

> feet burn or shoot pain. Glad for non-drug suggestions there, and I can

> offer two homeopathic remedies for the last one that are working well for me

> now.

For the retinopathy I would suggest trying pycnogenol and grapeseed

extract. Worked for me; I have no signs of retinopathy now and maintain

with grapeseed extract alone. Pyc is rather expensive.

Neuropathy can be a hard nut to crack. Of course, if you are at the

beginning, the best thing you can do for yourself is getting into tight

control and maintaining that control. You can also try alpha lipoic

acid, timed release, 300mg twice a day along with oil of evening

primrose, app a gram a day. The best prices and reliable brands are at

http://www.iherb.com

If you don't have too much luck with the ALA/EPO, you can try

benfotiamine, also available at iherb. This may help with kidney and

eye problems too, as well as neuropathy.

Hopefully, making these changes will nip your problems in the bud and

you will do fine in the future.

Welcome to the list!

Helen

[Guest guest]

Thank you Helen! I will try these things. For immediate relief of

foot/leg neuropathy, the homeopathic remedy 'Arsenicum " works for me

if it's burning in nature, and if it is shooting kind of pain, the

remedy 'hypericum' works. -

[Guest guest]

It's interesting - with all the things I have tried for my neuropathy, I

have never tried any homeopathic remedies. Yet I have taken them for

other things. I will have to look into this. Thanks.

Helen

[Guest guest]

Welcome !

I think you'll like it here, very friendly folks, and quite

knowledgeable. I'm a reciently diagnosed T2-D/E diabetic, which took

me totally by surpise. If it wasn't for a routine checkup, I wouldn't

have known.

Thanks to these good folks, I went from a BG of 300 in July, to a

steady fasting mid-90s in the last few weeks. I'm working on becoming

'Club 5' diabetic someday . (That's a sort of internet club of

diabetics, who's A1C reaches 5 or better.)

I control mine though a low-carb diet and exercise, 900 mg of alpha

liopic acid, and 1 teaspoon of cinnimon a day. The ALA was from a

gentleman here (Hi Cappie!) and the low-carb diet was taught by Dr.

Bernstein, who's well followed as well on this list.

I'll sign up on your list too. I'm already part of this, Dr.

Bernstein's site, and about 4 usenet forums as well. Knowledge is a

powerful thing, and I make full use of the internet.

Of course, I maintain always to take everyone's advice with a grain of

splendra, and try and test yourself. Every diabetic is different, and

one group may have a lot of money behind it, to push their agenda.

(sorry, won't get into a duel of money is the root of all evil thing

here.) That sort of fits in your holoistic vs MD thread. I started

with ALA, cinnimon, low carbs, and exercise/weight loss because I

didn't want to go on meds (I found later I can't, highly alergic to

sulfa) I'm also one of those odd-balls who HATES to take meds. The

only immumity problem I've had reciently, is a bout of peritantis

(fluid around the heart), but that was cleared up with antibotics.

Guess it's cause my immume system may be a bit taxed.

I wish I could help, or join you in all your other things, but I've

been healthy all my life (which is why the diabetes was a complete

shock.) but I wish you all the luck and desire to see you getting

cures to all of them, quickly.

Hope you enjoy your stay!

> Greetings to all. I recognize a couple of names on messages here...(Hi

> Duncan!) My name is , and I am type-1 diabetic for 36 years now

(I am

> 52). It looks like this list is for both kinds of diabetics, right?

>

> I guess I've moved more and more towards " alternative " over the years.