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Beta Blockers and Diabetes Numbers

Hi All, It's been a long time since I've been here. I've been really busy with some...

Posted by Phototaker123

Hi All,
It's been a long time since I've been here. I've been really busy with some health issues, which I finally figured out, and I wanted to share them with the rest of you.
If you have diabetes "and" heart problems, and are taking beta-blockers as heart medicine, be aware of side effects, one of them being higher blood sugar numbers. For the longest time, I was able to keep my bs numbers at bay with diet and exercise alone. When I started my first beta blocker, I started gaining weight and getting higher numbers, even with an hour of heavy UJam exercise every day! Even fruit, things I could have before like melons, a small apple started spiking me. I just couldn't figure it out. I started my 2nd heart medicine many months ago, and started having side effects, just little ones at first, but finally depression, nightmares, and even a hallucination, along with hair loss, blurry vision(surely from the diabetes I thought), out of breathe...couldn't make it through my UJam routines or climbing hills,etc. Here's what I want to say. Always research online side effects. Even with talking to both my regular and heart doctor, they would test me but nothing would show up. I finally talked to my pharmacist who told me I had almost every side effect to the medicine(beta blocker). Finally, the doctor told me (after I told him I found out my brother was allergic to the same medicine)that it had affected my nervous system. Guys...I even went for therapy, and she told me I was okay....That's what got me knowing it wasn't me.
So, if you are having many, many side effects, check it out. Don't believe what your friends are telling you. I actually stopped seeing two of my friends who didn't believe me. Believe in yourself. I'm now on another beta blocker. Yes, keeping my numbers lower is much harder. I had to start on Metformin, which doesn't even work that well for me, either, but I "am" able to exercise again, and make it through an hour class! Hooray! My bald spot has grown over, my energy is up, depression has lifted, no nightmares, etc. YES! I'm myself again.
I just believe some people have more trouble with medicines than others. Just be aware that it's not always what you've done wrong, but sometimes something else going on.
I'll try to stop in once in a while. Take care and hi to all my "old" friends. I hope you are doing well with your diabetes!View Thread

Posted byPhototaker123

18 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Beta Blockers and Diabetes Numbers Hi All, It's been a long time since I've been here. I've been really busy with some...

Reply: Beta Blockers and Diabetes Numbers

Let me know what your diabetes doctor says about the beta blockers. There are so many...

Posted by Phototaker123

18 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Beta Blockers and Diabetes Numbers Let me know what your diabetes doctor says about the beta blockers. There are so many...

Reply: Beta Blockers and Diabetes Numbers

Beta, sounds like you had a fantastic trip! Did you get some new ideas for your...

Posted by Phototaker123

18 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Beta Blockers and Diabetes Numbers Beta, sounds like you had a fantastic trip! Did you get some new ideas for your...

Reply: Beta Blockers and Diabetes Numbers

That's so interesting that you said that about your retinopathy. I had the...

Posted by Phototaker123

That's so interesting that you said that about your retinopathy. I had the "beginnings", slightly of retinopathy for the first time on Tropolol, which sent my blood sugars into the 200's, sometimes, high 200's. I also gained 8 lbs., in just a few months. I could not get it off! Now that I've been off Tropolol, and on another betablocker, my numbers are coming down, and staying down, low 100's mornings...128, and yesterday I had 106, which I hadn't seen in quite a while. I'm going to go for another retinopathy to check my eyes again. I'm not waiting a year. This other doctor started my on the Metformin when she heard about my eyes and my higher numbers. She told me to take 4 of these pills at night.
Nothing happened for over a month, but now it's working. I'm exercising again, too. I couldn't with all the problems I was having, some caused by the medicine!

So, "if" you find your bs numbers going up for no reason, check it out!!!!!!!!!! There's something wrong!

Hi NutriJoy and others I know!!!

Hi Beta!!! How was your trip to China?? I've missed you guys! I just have been fixated on my photography. I'll be exhibiting some of my work at a local place in town soon. I'm having so much fun since I retired and continue to work on my photography!

I'll try to peek in every so often. I just didn't feel right about giving advice, when my whole system was out of whack! I wrote about it figuring maybe someone else was also allergic to medicines they take. It's good to check with your pharmacist AND do your own readings on drug interactions!
It may save your life. My mom saved my dad's life when he had some of the same problems with medications that my brother and I do. My mom would say that the medicines caused so many other symptoms in her body. So what do you do...not take heart medicine? It helps regular my heartbeats. I have to do it. I liked taking no medicine for my diabetes. Beta and Flute....I know how very healthy you eat. I really feel your way is the way to go. I just don't know if I could go vegan, though, which one of my friends is doing. I would want to eat some meat, fish, and eggs. It's about moderation! Take care all of you!! How's our lovely doctor doing? Is he still on here?View Thread

Posted byPhototaker123

18 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Beta Blockers and Diabetes Numbers That's so interesting that you said that about your retinopathy. I had the...

Reply: Type 2 needing input on pros and cons of steroid i...

A one time shot will help with the inflammation that also causes painful problems in...

Posted by Phototaker123

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Type 2 needing input on pros and cons of steroid injection. A one time shot will help with the inflammation that also causes painful problems in...

Reply: Beta Blockers and Diabetes Numbers

It's so good to hear from some of my "older" WebMD buddies, and some of the rest of...

Posted by Phototaker123

It's so good to hear from some of my "older" WebMD buddies, and some of the rest of you. I'm glad you're doing so well, Beta, Flute, Auriga! For me, I just have to remember I have a body that doesn't do well with medicines. I've also had trouble with statins reacting with my heart medicine, Zocor with a past heart medicine. I had read it online before my heart doctor had even known about it. I had to get off the Zocor. That had upped my cholesterol medicine, and that made me sick, too. Now I take 1/2 of a statin a day, and that seems to be working fine. I do have memory issues, though...and not sure what caused that. We are the only ones that know own our bodies. We have to check things out, and make sure we are not have reactions. I'm also allergic to some anitbiotics. So....with that, I'm doing well, now. I just did a salsa class, 55 minutes of dancing. I have to be very careful of my lower back, and have had hip flexor problems when I couldn't exercise for months, but now am doing just great! I have learned how to modify my exercise. I was doing it too heavily. I'm 66 years old, and keep forgetting that!! My cholesterol numbers are doing fantastic! My trigs. and LDL are down, but I still struggle to get those HDL numbers up. Anon 615, you mentioned that. They had me on high doses of Zocor. My HDL numbers are okay, just not great! I "have" to be on Beta blockers for my irregular heartbeat. I have not had problems with that, except when in a spa hot tub for too long a time. My heart doctor said not to do that anymore. I have read these can cause heart damage. I just had an echo done of my heart, and thank goodness it wasn't damaged through this. I feel my dance exercise and walking on my photo trips is really helping keep my heart healthy. Anyhow, I just wanted people to know the dangers of some medicines for some people. Check online if you're having symptoms you've never had before. I'm very happy now, don't dance as vigorously as I did before, and am doing well. Photography has become my passion, even more through all of this, and I'll be starting to sell my work in a local place, soon. I'll try to visit once in a while! Keep well,my friends! Photo...View Thread

Posted byPhototaker123

18 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Beta Blockers and Diabetes Numbers It's so good to hear from some of my "older" WebMD buddies, and some of the rest of...

Reply: children with diabetes

Get him to the doctor right away. Don't wait! Listen to Dave. Let us know what the...

Posted by Phototaker123

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:children with diabetes Get him to the doctor right away. Don't wait! Listen to Dave. Let us know what the...

Reply: Am I diabetic? From only one blood sugar test? HEL...

You cannot tell from one testing. It might be a bad test strip, or you had some food...

Posted by Phototaker123

7 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Am I diabetic? From only one blood sugar test? HELPP :) You cannot tell from one testing. It might be a bad test strip, or you had some food...

Reply: Photo how are you?

Oops...1,000 mg. of Metformin each day! I forgot to say "what" medicine! How's Dr....

Posted by Phototaker123

8 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Photo how are you? Oops...1,000 mg. of Metformin each day! I forgot to say "what" medicine! How's Dr....

Reply: Photo how are you?

Thank you, Deb! A friend told me someone had posted asking about me. I needed some...

Posted by Phototaker123

Thank you, Deb! A friend told me someone had posted asking about me. I needed some time away to get a hold on my diabetes. I've been struggling with my numbers and needed to get much more strict again. I think my two cruises to Europe, trip back East, and trip to Yellowstone really upset my regular eating schedules. Actually, the cruises were mostly okay, as I got to choose what to eat. My diabetes has progressed a bit. I'm now on 1,000 mg. a day. I thought I was only to take one pill a day, and that did no good so now I'm taking 500 mg. "twice" a day. It doesn't seem to help me that much and my numbers are like I was when I wasn't taking medicine, so I'm assuming I've progressed. The biggest part of the problem is that I haven't been able to do my exercising every day for an hour. I pulled a hip flexor muscle and had to do exercises for that for the last three months, every day. I couldn't even walk without sharp pains. I had overdone my zumba, U-Jam, ballroom, salsa dancing, and even did aerobic swimming and walking on my photography trips. I "was" able to get through the cruises, no problem, and was almost healed before going to Yellowstone in Aug. of this year. I then went back East for my brother's birthday party, and was able to do some walking then, too. I'm "just" about ready to go back to dancing again. I will only start with one dance a week, continuing my swimming and walking. I gained about five lbs., but I'm starting to get it off now.

The best part is that I'm very happy with my life, sort of like a glowing inner peace within me. Michelle and others like you have inspired me not to let the little aches and pains get me down, and just to move forward, enjoying every moment I can in life.

How have you been? How's your health the past few months? What's happening with our other friends? I haven't read the blog in months! If others are reading and know me, let me know how you've been. There are others I've cared about, but just needed this time to get myself well again!

Thanks for asking, Deb!View Thread

Posted byPhototaker123

8 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Photo how are you? Thank you, Deb! A friend told me someone had posted asking about me. I needed some...

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