Dr. Richard A. Guthrie, M.D.

Yes it can. anyone can get high BP whether they have diabetes or not. However people with diabetes are more likely to develop it because the diabetes, especially if poorly controlled, can cause hardening of the arteries so they cannot expand with pulses as needed. So keep your BS in control with a HbA1c less than 7% & I like to keep it below 6.5% & you will lessen your chances of developing high BP>

You didn't tell me what kind of diabetes you have or what meds you are taking so I can give you only a generic answer. If you have Type 1 diabetes you can never stop your insulin as it can & will be fatal. I am going to assume you have Type2 diabetes & are taking oral agents. If this be the case, then it might be possible to stop your meds if you lose wt. Type2 diabetes is an insulin resistant state associated with obesity. If you get rid of the excess fat by diet & exercise, you may be able to stop your meds. If you regain the fat. the diabetes will come back. Consult your Dr. & perhaps a dietician and learn how to decrease the insulin resistance & follow their guidelines.

People with diabetes can take anything for headache that any one else can take. More important, Why do you have headaches? If this is just an occasional headache like anyone may have, the asparin, acetomenophen or a NSAID is ok. If these are severe or frequent headaches, like a migraine, the see a headache specialist & find out what kind of headaches they are & get appropriate meds as there are good ones for migraines now.

Antibodies are produced by the immune system to counteract foreign substances such as bacteria and viruses in our systems. Sometimes the immune system gets it wrong and attacks our own tissue such as the thyroid, beta cells of the pancreas (Type 1 diabetes), our joints, our gut and other tissue. The immune system going array usually is due to a defective gene that is inherited. Hasimoto's thyroiditis is most common in females & can frequently be seen in mothers and daughters at the same time. Since the immune system stays array once it starts, the antibodies will increase with time as the damage to the thyroid continues. Yes this may lead to hypothyroid and require thyroid Rx. That's no big deal though. It requires one pill per day which is not too bad. I've been taking it for 26 yrs. and it's easy. So don't worry. I always treated people with antibodies even if thyroid was normal to keep them from forming a goiter. Don't worry.

Probably not. Sugar intake is not the cause of diabetes in most cases. Non the less you should be careful of your intake of them. They do add calories and to many calories can cause wt. gain and being over wt. can cause insulin resistance that can lead to diabetes. Remember what St. Paul said 2,000 yrs ago "be temperate in all things" . Good advice even today or maybe especially in todays world. Yes you can eat too much sugar. These are empty calories that do you no good except to satisfy your "addiction" so ease off gradually and eat sugary things only in a sensible manner, not in excess.

Yes it can. This is function of diabetic neuropathy. In diabetes, if the blood sugar is not well controlled, damage to the nerves that control many functions of the body can be damaged & lose control of their functions. These problems due to nerve damage include gastroparesis (damage to the nerves to the stomach), diarrhea & constipation (damage to other nerves of the intestinal tract, problems of heart beat, problems with sweating, problems of sexual function (impotence in men & lose of orgasmic function & vaginal dryness in women, & in both sexes loss of bladder function with urinary retention & leakage. If you are having bladder problems there 2 things you can do 1) get your diabetes under control (some of this nerve damage is reversible) 2) see a urology specialist as they can help.

Yes. So-called diet drinks have been given a bad rapt by the sugar industry but there are no good facts that they are harmful. I have had diabetes for 27 yrs. & drink diet soda every day & I have had no side effects or complications from them. I also drink unsweetened tea & coffee and that is ok also. Of course plain water is OK also. You need fluids so drink all the water you want & intersperse with other non-sugar drinks as you feel you need.

There are many places to get a 1200 diabetic diet. I will mention only a few here. 1) any registered dietician can give you a diet plan & food amounts as well as food suggestions. 2) The American Diabetes Association can do so. Contact a local Ass. office or go to their web site ADA.org/diet. 3) the same for the American Dietetics Association. 4) The YMCA has a diet program, so contact the local Y. 5) finally many doctors have literature that outlines various diets as do professional groups like Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, etc. Your Dr. should be able to help you find a source of good material.

Sugar free drinks themselves do not raise blood sugar but energy drinks may. If you feel the need for energy drinks use sugar free & be sensible in how much you drink. These drinks contain a high level of caffeine that can cause increased heart rate & high blood pressure. In high amounts the can cause changes in blood sugar by activating the adrenal gland causing a rise in blood sugar but in small doses this will not happen. So use good sense & don't overdue it!

This is a very complex question & not sure I can answer it fully here. There are a few things I could suggest. 1) level out her insulin- Lantus id a long acting insulin and supplies the bodies basal insulin. It should not be given "as needed" but if she needs insulin, it should be given daily. You said she also get Novolin-Is this Novolin regular or Novolin fast acting (Novolog) or Novolin NPH? NPH & Lantus should not be given together. Lantus & Novolin regular can be but it is not the best. If she is taking Novolog, it would be better is she were taking Levemir than Lantus as her basal insulin but that is not a big deal. The best regimen would Novolog or Humalog with meals & Lantus, Basaglar or Levemir at bedtime. Now as too the BP. I would need more data to understand what is going on here but I will make a couple of suggestions 1) amlodipine is a calcium CHANNEL BLOCKER & dilates the blood vessels going into the kidney increasing the load on the kidney. An ACE or ARM dilates the arteries coming out of the kidney & thus relieves pressure in the kidney. An ACE or ARB would be a better BP med for a person with diabetes than a calcium channel blocker. I would get it changed. Finally the memantine, gabapentin & donepezil all have sedative properties & the combination may be causing her sleepiness. I'd see if at least one of these could be eliminated or at least lower the doses. If I were you I would discuss these points with the Dr. & see if changes can be made. It's tough to get everything under control is us older people & it may take a consult with a specialist in older people (a geriatrician). Good luck.

Yes a skinny person can get diabetes. There are 2 types of diabetes ( & several subtypes), Type 1 & Type 2. Type 2 diabetes is the most common & is usually thought to be caused by insulin resistance with over weight. But a few skinny people do develop Type 2 diabetes if the genetic & environmental factors are present. Type 1 diabetes, as it develops, usually causes wt. loss so it is associated with skinny people. Type 1 diabetes is more common in children but can occur in older people as well. I developed it at age 57 & have had it for 27 yrs. This form is more related to genetics than weight, So YES skinny people can get diabetes but it is less common that that which occurs to overwt. people.

This is a good question but I don't have a good answer. If the hair follicles are still alive, the hair can grow back. If the follicles have died before you got treatment of the thyroid, then it will not grow back. I have known of no resurection for about 2,000. You need to see a dermatologist who can determine if your follicles, all or part, are still functional. This may require a skin biopsy but they can give you the answer.

This is a hard question since so little data was submitted. I think you are asking "what can I do to get off thyroid medicine?" If so the answer would be Nothing. Most likely at your age the decrease in thyroid function is due to Hashimoto's thyroiditis. This is an auto-immune disease you inherit. The immune system is destroying the thyroid gland. We know of no way to stop that (except to go back to Heaven & be born again WITH different parents-Ha). The treatment for this disease is thyroid medication to replace what has been or will be lost. No big deal-just one pill a day (I've been doing it for 27 yrs.). So it's not difficult to do. If you have some other kind of diabetes, it may or may not be reversible. You need to see a thyroid specialist, find out what kind of thyroid disease you have & get it appropriately treated. There is no behavior or diet that will change thyroid function.

This ? seems simple but it is not. Diabetes of any kind is a complex group of symptoms & management. In some ways Type 1 is more difficult because it occurs in younger people (children) and is totally insulin dependent. On the other had type 2 can also occur in children & also in old people where management is similar to Type 1. Type 2 would seem easier because most people with it can take oral meds instead of injections, but the plethora of oral meds now makes it difficult to know which one is best for an individual and when to change or add too the medication. Also many Type 2 patients will progress to insulin dependency & need injections. Both types of diabetes are "not fun to have". I know because I had it for 27 years. It is not easy to have a normal life with any kind of diabetes and prevent complications. It can be done with the tools we have today. I am free of complications except some neuopathy in my feet after so many years of diabetes, so I know it can be done. Which ever type you have, monitor frequently & keep it in control to prevent complications.

Blood sugar (BS) is usually lowest in the morning. There is usually a slow fall in BS overnight as you are in a fasting state while asleep for several hours. In some people it can be higher in the morning. This is caused by the secretion of "wake-up" hormones produced in the early morning hours. This is known as the "dawn phenomenon". Usually during the rise in these hormones, the body secrets more insulin to keep the BS down but in people with diabetes they can't produce insulin or secrete too little so BS rises in early morning. But the short answer is: yes BS is usually at it lowest point in the morning.

Your Dr. should be able to tell if your child has diabetes in about 10 seconds with a finger stick blood sugar test so I don't understand why he or she should say your 9 yr. old "may" have it. Anyway here are the cardinal signs you should watch for: 1) polyuria=excess & frequent urination. 2) polydipsia=excess thirst 3) polyphagia=increased hunger that in spite of eating a lot wt. loss occurs. These are the cardinal signs but there are others such as severe fatigue, loss of coordination, dull mentality, etc and just plain "I don't feel well"
Your child needs a urine test for sugar & ketones, a blood test for sugar & a test called HbA1c. He may also need a test of his antibodies to differenciate Type I from Type 2 diabetes since this will determine the treatment if he or she has diabetes. Get the Dr. to do these tests & find out for sure & I'll pray he does not have it. Good Luck!

When to test your blood sugar depends on the reason for doing it. If you do not have diabetes, you don't need to test & your insurance will not pay for it. If you still want to test even if you do not have diabetes the best time is in the morning before you eat. If you have type 2 diabetes, the guidelines say test once a day in the AM 3x/week. I personally believe it should be tested 4x/day for 3-5 days a week & prefer fasting & 2 hours post meal. If you have Type 1 diabetes you should test at least 4x/day every day. I prefer Fasting & 2 hour post meal but on some days you might test pre-meal & bed time to fill all the time slots & establish your pattern. If you do have diabetes & your DR. has not answered this ? I'd find another DR. & see a Diabetes Educator for further instruction.

The thyroid is a very important organ of the body. It's function is to keep the furnace running. Without thyroid hormone (thyroxine) body organs slow down. This results in fatigue, fluid accumulation, swelling of the extremities that can be very painful & can ulcerate, very slow heart rate with poor blood circulation, dry scaly skin, very slow brain function with mental retardation, many other symptoms when all organs fail due to lack of stimulation by thyroxine. If you don't feed the furnace with more fuel, it will die and if you don't stoke your body furnace with thyroxine it also can cease to function. So don't let that happen. If you have hypothyroid please take your medicine and stay well.

Yes it can and also hair loss. Thyroid hormone stimulates all organs & if deficient those organs including the one that produces hair color will cease to function & gray hair and/or hair loss will result. Gay hair can also be caused by many other causes including your genetics. My mother was a red head but I can hardly remember her as a red head. She became gray when she was in her early 30's as did her father who also had red hair. I started to turn gray in my 40's & was completely gray by age 50. So look at your relatives & see when they went gray. It may be thyroid, genetics or several other causes. Your Dr should be able to tell the cause.

Yes it can. Hashimoto's disease is an auto-immune problem that comes through your genes. It can result in a hypothyroid state in which your organs do not function well. This can effect your hair follicules that may die and produce no new hair. Hair loss and/or graying may be the result. Be aware though that there are other causes of hair loss so see your physician or a Dermatologist to determine the cause of the hair loss.