celiac disease And Diabetes

[Christine Z]

I have been recently diagnosed with celiac disease. I am a long time type 1 diabetic. I am now having an issue with my diet. I have switched to a gluten free diet but my sugars are up and down and my weight has increased by 10-15 lbs. I am very depressed and am trying to get into a Dietitian. I am just looking for anyone who may be dealing with both of these diseases. I am told by one doctor that celiac disease is common in diabetics.

[tarnalberry]

Particularly when dealing with diabetes as well, when going gluten-free, you should not rely on packaged, specialty gluten-free foods, as they are even higher in simple carbs than their gluten-filled replacees. Stick to naturally gluten-free whole foods (meats, dairy (if you can have it), vegetables, fruits, legumes, and gluten-free grains). Make sure to look for the higher protein/fat/fiber (and more nutritious) gluten-free grains - not white rice and corn, but go for brown or wild rice, amaranth, quinoa, millet, and buckwheat when you have grains, and make use of beans and lentils as carb sources that are more balanced than grains.

[2kids4me]

I agree with previous poster. My son would like to respond as well, he is 11 and has Type 1 diabetes plus celiac; here he is:

Hi! I have diabetes and celiac too. It's actually good that you gained weight. It means your body is absorbing the proper nutrients again and becoming healthy. Your sugars may be all over the place because the same thing happened to me when I was diagnosed. You might need to take insulin more often or just wait and see if your blood sugars come back into range. If they don't after a while, you should probably see your dietitian. And the doctor is right, they told me the same thing that both diabetes and celiac are common to eventually show up together. Making sure you exercise every day should help too.

Wow, I just realized how good his diabetes team is at the children's hospital!

You insulin intake will need to be re-evaulated over time as your intestine heals and begins to absorb carbs and nutrients normally. My son's insulin requirements went down and the eratic blood glucose readings took 6-8 weeks to settle.

Choose natural foods - fruits, veges, unprocessed meat, nuts (if you are not allergic of course), quinoa is great! The kids like it mixed half and half with the white rice and chicken broth flavour added to the water (Bovril is gluten-free - in Canada anyway). Rice bars, cereal bars by "Enjoy Life"... there are many choices - but when you are new to this , then finding a store that carries them is a challenge initially.

[kevsmom]

I have been a Type 1 Diabetic for 27 years, and was diagnosed with Celiac a year ago. I also have gained weight, and by blood sugars are all over the place. I know that the reason for this is that I am eating way too much gluten free processed food. I go to Whole Foods about once a month and stock up on gluten free cinnamon raisin bread, cranberry-orange scones and blueberry muffins. I know I shouldn't eat them, but they make me feel less deprived. I have found that gluten free pasta as well as other gluten free products, contain a lot of carbs. I have gained back the 30 pounds I lost when I was sick prior to diagnoses, plus an additional 20.

Like Tarnalberry, many people here have suggested sticking to a healthier diet than I am eating.

Cindy

[tarnalberry]

Being hypoglycemic, I don't really have the option to use insulin to address blood sugar issues when they pop up, so if I'm wanting a muffin or quick bread or the like, what I do is make them. That way, I can control the flours that go into them (use the higher protein/fiber/fat flours) and the other ingredients (like adding flax meal) to control the macronutrient content. Then you have options that will make you feel less deprived, but not affect your blood sugar as much. (And while you're at the baking, make a big batch and freeze most of them so you alway have some around.)

[Guest Educator]

Hello! I am also a type 1 diabetic with celiac and many, many, many other issues due to long term diabetes and undiagnosed celiac. I have been to the neutritionist about 8 times already this year. She is very good at remembering ALL of my medical problems to come up with foods my "whole body" can tolerate. I have yet to find anyone with these same medical issues. I am sorry that you have them , but also am pleased to meet someone else with whom I can relate. Diet is a real problem with our type of medical concerns. If I had some advise I would offer it, however I am still searching for diet answers and as of yet I have not conquered the quest. I have lost 58 lbs in the past year and was not overweight to begin with. I have tried to be gluten-free, sugar-free, low protein, low sodium, low potassium, low phospherus, fiber-free, soy-free, and dairy-free for a year now and I am not handling it well. There really isn't much left when you remove all of these dietary ingrediants. Please keep me informed if you discover something about these conditions and treatment and diet. My doctors in Oklahoma say I am a complex, complicated case. Mayo clinic said the very same thing. I don't know if there really are many people with long term type 1 diabetes and celiac. Would love to hear from you if you are out there!!!!

[ehrin]

I am also a T1 diabetic and was dxed with celiac and gastroparesis in October 2005 (although I highly question the gastro diagnosis - it just doesn't add up). Anyhow I am not so much having problems with my blood sugars - last A1c was 6.1 - and I attirbute that to the pump. What method of treatment are you using? MDI or a pump? I'd have to agree that all the ready to eat celiac friendly foods are loaded with fast acting carbs. If I'm going to eat a cookie or something I bolus a good 30 minutes before eating it so that the inuslin is ready to combat those carbs! I don't have a suggestion for the weight gain as I can't figure it out myself, how to make it stop that is (I am already overweight), but others are right - a "whole foods" diet will help - fruits, veggies, meats and low glycemic carbs like brown rice and yams vs. white rice and white potatoes. Eating low glycemic, although admittidly hard when being gluten-free, will definitely help your blood sugars. Good Luck!

Ehrin

Edited to add - that yes, celiac disease can be prevelant among T1 diabetics, not T2. You can almost adopt the theory that once you have one autoimmune disease you become more succeptable to other autoimmune diseases.

[Hummingbird-Hill]

Hi Everyone: I am a 15 year Celiac patient. I have (almost 1 year ago) been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I just turned 50 last month. The way I was diagnosed with diabetes, is I was in the hospital for my left hip replacement and felt pretty terrible. Not relating to the hip at all. After doing some blood tests, it was found I was diabetic. I have very competent doctors that I have a lot of faith in. BUT after a year, I am still not in control of my blood sugar levels. The Joslin Center is my medical center for the diabetes. It took almost a year to come to the final decision that I'm type 1 and not A-typical type 2. I'm not a happy camper. I am now on two shots a day, and they are still fiddling with my units etc. I see a second dietition on Monday and hope this will help. Oh, yea, I also have sjogrens disease, fibromyalgia, connective tissue disorder, and a few other things. I think they are all interconnected to the immune area of our systems. My grandmother died from scleraderma, so I count my blessings every day. I am truely a blessed woman. Just wish I felt a little bit better every day. The Celiac is almost an after thought with all the other things going on. One of the questions in the first posting is pump vs MDI? I don't know what MDI stands for, but I have an injectible pen I calibrate for the units I need. I am almost thinking I need the pump to get a better handle on this. My sugars range from 2-300 almost every day. And I'm so tired all the time. Does any one else feel tired? The Educator mentioned her diet issues. Gosh, what do you eat???I have of course the celiac, but I am also wicked sensative to Soy Lesithin. Which just about beats all because all the good candy has it. I have had the most wonderful chocolate in Belgium, but it's a long plane ride for candy, and now that I'm diabetic...oh well.

I am in the midst of building a new house and am the general contractor. I always thought stress added a new level to our diseases if they were auto immune. It is almost impossible to be stress free during construction. Thank goodness I have a great crew, be it slow, working for me. I hired the local vocational high school to build the carpentry, plumbing, electrical, cabinetry of our house. My husband and I put up the shell, which is energy efficient insulated concrete form blocks. That was fun but for the 11 degrees below zero last winter when we were working on the shell. Layers, thats all I have to say about that. We have been working on the house for a long long time. At the end of this school year, the kids will be done with the rough in. We hope to have a lot of work done this summer. Stress?? Me??? nah!!! OK, maybe just a little. It's a wonder I can concentrate at all on my diet and sugar levels. I get really discouraged when day after day I feel so tired. I attribute it to my sugar. On the days it is a little bit closer to normal readings, I do feel better, and I cope better, etc. I have been a celiac for 15 years now, when there were no stores with a gluten free section. It is a breeze now.

Anyway. I am so pleased to have found you all. Thanks for listening.

[2kids4me]

MDI = multiple daily injections. With the types of insulin out there and everyone is so individual - you can use pumps, mixed insulin ect.

My son uses Lantus (also called Glargine) (a background insulin with no peak), Humulin N (intermediate)= N, and Humalog(rapid) = H - the rapid insulins are used in MDI.

Example of a couple of approaches:

N and H in morning, H at supper and N at 9 pm (my current regime)

N and H in morning, H at supper and Lantus at 9pm. My son uses this approach as he is growing and the Lantus at night smoothed out the highs.

There is another approach where Lantus is given in the morning and then only H is used at each meal - this would be refered to as MDI)- this allows more freedom, you can sleep in and you take H when you eat breakfast, again with lunch, then at supper or whenever you eat. It is good for teens who like to sleep in or eat later in the evening with their buddies while they watch a show.

We both know about pumps but my son is uncertain about them and I am fine with the needles. Everyone has personal preference. My son likes the idea of the freedom that comes with the Lantus H combo but does not want to have to give insulin at school.

If they are still having trouble with BG control - have they talked to you about Lantus?

[ehrin]

Hummingbird-Hill -

Since you were dxed about a year ago you may still be in the honeymoon phase? Has Joslin discussed this with you? In the honeymoon phase your pancreas is still producing a small amount of insulin which can be the problem of your erratic blood sugars - it is quite common in newly dxed diabetics. I take it you are a LADA (Late Adult onset) T1 diabetic, if this is the case, and it certainly sounds like it, than I HIGHLY suspect your pancreas is indeed producing a small amount of insulin. Unfortunately you'll just have to ride it out. Frequent testing though can help you get a better reading on this. I wear a pump and I just love it. I've had diabetes for 26 years and wish I've had the pump for that long - it's given me more control than I'd ever be able to acheive with MDI. Hang in there! It certainly seems that you are full of optimisim and to me that is key!

Good Luck

Ehrin

[kevsmom]

Welcome Hummingbird-Hill!

If you are running 200-300 blood sugars every day, this is a very possible reason for you to be tired. (Although it could be due to age too - I'm right behind you ).

I also take multiple shots daily. I take Humalog on a sliding scale (depending on what my blood sugar is) at meals and at bedtime. I take Lantus at breakfast and bedtime. You can't mix Lantus in the same syringe as any other insulin, so the breakfast and bedtime shots are done with two different needles each time.

The physical work that you are doing should help to lower your sugar levels. As you start to gain control of them, make sure that you have something sweet with you at all times to counter-act an insulin reaction, they can come on pretty quickly.

I'm glad you found us. I know that I have learned a lot on this site, but with your Celiac experience, there is probably a lot that you can teach me!

Cindy

[Hummingbird-Hill]

Thanks for the nice reply's. I am on Lantus in the morning at 18 units and Novolog (?) at dinner depending on my levels. I did ask what the time frame for getting this under control was and the Dr. said if this doesnt do it there are 41 other meds out there to fool around with. I am making a little insulin now with my pancreas according to the Dr. I do have faith that this will all work out fine and I will get things under control. I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired. I know that is something most of you understand. Now, today I felt better and my levels were 150-115. Pretty good. Lets hope this continues. I actually felt like doing something today. Thanks for all the good words of advice. I might just talk to the Dr. about a pump. I have had some low sugars when the Lantus was at 20 units. They are a little bit scary, but I always carry my sugar tablets with me. Funny isn't it, the only time I can indulge in sugar with out guilt. My Dr is in Washington DC at an international convention with about 45,000 others learning about the new trails, meds and advances in diabetes happening in the world of medicine. We are lucky to be living in this time of medicine. I was reading a historical paper from our town about medicine at the turn of the century and before. A young teenager died from diabetes. Amazing that they knew about it then, but had no clue as to treatment. One of her letters was so sad. She said she was taking off some time from school to get her strength and would be going back in a few months. She died shortly after that letter. So I count my blessings. Anyway...Glad to have found you guys. BTW What Mayonaise (brand name) do you all use? Thanks for everything. Cynthia

[elye]

Hey, fellow diabetics!

I've been a type one diabetic for thirty-three years, a known celiac for eight months. There's only one piece of advice I can give that hasn't been mentioned yet, and it is an absolute necessity for my tight control, and that is REGULAR (daily, preferably) exercise. I don't know how any diabetic can keep their blood sugars down steadily without it. It is essential for optimum health, forget the diabetes! Exercise lowers blood sugar naturally and, for me, more effectively than a shot of fast-acting insulin. In fact, I treat exercise exactly like a shot of insulin--if I miss my daily cardio session, it is like I've missed an insulin dose. I know I would be taking a lot more insulin than I am now, in more injections, if I were not working out. The less insulin you can be on with healthy BS readings, the better! And building muscle is paramount to efficient insulin absorption. Weight training, then, is also a great idea. Exercise really shouldn't be a choice, just as insulin injections are not a choice for us. They are necessary!

[kevsmom]

Cynthia,

I'm glad you had a good day yesterday!

Clan Thompson's Celiac Food SmartList says that Hellman's Lite, Hellman's Reduced Fat and Hellman's Regular Mayo are gluten free. I don't use mayo that much, but when I do, I try to stick to the low fat.

Cindy

[Guest Educator]

Hi Everyone: I am a 15 year Celiac patient. I have (almost 1 year ago) been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I just turned 50 last month. The way I was diagnosed with diabetes, is I was in the hospital for my left hip replacement and felt pretty terrible. Not relating to the hip at all. After doing some blood tests, it was found I was diabetic. I have very competent doctors that I have a lot of faith in. BUT after a year, I am still not in control of my blood sugar levels. The Joslin Center is my medical center for the diabetes. It took almost a year to come to the final decision that I'm type 1 and not A-typical type 2. I'm not a happy camper. I am now on two shots a day, and they are still fiddling with my units etc. I see a second dietition on Monday and hope this will help. Oh, yea, I also have sjogrens disease, fibromyalgia, connective tissue disorder, and a few other things. I think they are all interconnected to the immune area of our systems. My grandmother died from scleraderma, so I count my blessings every day. I am truely a blessed woman. Just wish I felt a little bit better every day. The Celiac is almost an after thought with all the other things going on. One of the questions in the first posting is pump vs MDI? I don't know what MDI stands for, but I have an injectible pen I calibrate for the units I need. I am almost thinking I need the pump to get a better handle on this. My sugars range from 2-300 almost every day. And I'm so tired all the time. Does any one else feel tired? The Educator mentioned her diet issues. Gosh, what do you eat???I have of course the celiac, but I am also wicked sensative to Soy Lesithin. Which just about beats all because all the good candy has it. I have had the most wonderful chocolate in Belgium, but it's a long plane ride for candy, and now that I'm diabetic...oh well.

I am in the midst of building a new house and am the general contractor. I always thought stress added a new level to our diseases if they were auto immune. It is almost impossible to be stress free during construction. Thank goodness I have a great crew, be it slow, working for me. I hired the local vocational high school to build the carpentry, plumbing, electrical, cabinetry of our house. My husband and I put up the shell, which is energy efficient insulated concrete form blocks. That was fun but for the 11 degrees below zero last winter when we were working on the shell. Layers, thats all I have to say about that. We have been working on the house for a long long time. At the end of this school year, the kids will be done with the rough in. We hope to have a lot of work done this summer. Stress?? Me??? nah!!! OK, maybe just a little. It's a wonder I can concentrate at all on my diet and sugar levels. I get really discouraged when day after day I feel so tired. I attribute it to my sugar. On the days it is a little bit closer to normal readings, I do feel better, and I cope better, etc. I have been a celiac for 15 years now, when there were no stores with a gluten free section. It is a breeze now.

Anyway. I am so pleased to have found you all. Thanks for listening.

Well, Hummingbird_Hill, I drink what hospitals give their tube fed patients, Nestle's Peptimen. It tastes horrible. I cheat often and pay the price of severe pain, bloating and gas. Today I had a sugar-free Hershey chocolate bar and am thinking I will have to get much better just to get to the level of death. Even my medication is causing a problem because it affects the kidney, liver, heart, or sugar level. Tough road I hoe and I am ready to meet my "Lord".

[elye]

Educator, that is such a sad post! I feel so badly for you. We have had diabetes the same amount of time, and any time I meet or talk to a type one like yourself with so many long-term diabetes complications, I silently say a prayer of thanks for my good fortune. I am truly one of the few healthy, HAPPY diabetics. It is, indeed, a very tough road to hoe at times, particularly with other autoimmune diseases like hypothyroid and celiac happening (I've got those, too). I so wish there was some secret, some excellent piece of advice, I had to give that could turn things around for you. Just know that we're out here, thinking of you.

[Guest Robbin]

Educator, please know that we all care and are in this together to help each other. Your post breaks my heart. Please don't give up. You can do this. There are many diabetics on here and the recipe/cooking section can be helpful for getting help with meal planning.

P.S. A good cookbook I use is The New Diabetic by Mabel Cavaiani --Not all gluten free recipes but are low in salt, are sugar free and have all the nutrients listed. Many of them can be adapted to gluten-free. It is an older book but can be ordered from Amazon or a book store. It is simple, easy everyday cooking and my family loves all the recipes. I think I have tried every one of the recipes in the book and they are all good. God bless,

Robbin

[Guest Educator]

Educator, please know that we all care and are in this together to help each other. Your post breaks my heart. Please don't give up. You can do this. There are many diabetics on here and the recipe/cooking section can be helpful for getting help with meal planning.

P.S. A good cookbook I use is The New Diabetic by Mabel Cavaiani --Not all gluten free recipes but are low in salt, are sugar free and have all the nutrients listed. Many of them can be adapted to gluten-free. It is an older book but can be ordered from Amazon or a book store. It is simple, easy everyday cooking and my family loves all the recipes. I think I have tried every one of the recipes in the book and they are all good. God bless,

Robbin

To all who have responded to me, I thank you! I really need support and people who understand the problems. I have read many of your signatures and see that I should thank GOD for His goodness to me. My children are healthy! My grandson is healthy. I truly do appreciate your responses and support. Sincerely, Kris

[Hummingbird-Hill]

Hi Cindy, Elye, et al: Thank you for the kind notes. I appreciate the help on the mayonnaise. Elye, the information on excercise is very important and I hate it. I truly hate excercising. BUT I know it is something I have to do for myself. One of the most difficult things for me to do is make time for myself. Right now I am working on our new house, building it almost literally. We are going to have a very busy summer putting in drywall painting, flooring, tile, trim etc. Does that count for excercise????? I sure hope so. Regular excercise will have to wait till the house is finished. It is a nagging thing in the back of my mind of one of those things I have to do. Like eat 3 meals a day. Every day. Count carbs, test my sugar every dinner and bedtime. It is coming all so slowly, but I am seeing a change in my life patterns. Does everyone else excercise regularly? The photo I was finally able to upload is at my darling daughter's wedding in July. She got married in South Africa after meeting her husband while in the Peace Corps. I'm putting on her pearl necklace. Yes, I'm wicked proud of her. Today is her 27th Birthday. Anyway, it gives me so much pleasure to share with you all. I hope your days are going well. My sugar today was 167 fasting, dinner 87. Not bad. As my father says, Bisque pau bisque. (Little by little) Cynthia

[Hummingbird-Hill]

To all who have responded to me, I thank you! I really need support and people who understand the problems. I have read many of your signatures and see that I should thank GOD for His goodness to me. My children are healthy! My grandson is healthy. I truly do appreciate your responses and support. Sincerely, Kris

Dear Kris: I was so glad to read this. I was very worried when I read your last posting. We need each other. I don't think people who have never gone through something as difficult as chronic illness can understand. They may have compassion, but to truly understand? My excavator of all people is someone I can talk to. He is a 250# big bear of a guy who is also diabetic along with some heart issues. Today we had a heart to heart about how tired and weary it is to have diabetes. I cried and he understood the frusteration. You can cry with us. Chronic illness is such a difficult thing to have in our lives. BUT, I believe it has made me a better person. I appreciate so much now more than ever. I think it brought me closer to God also. Before I was on the fast lane of life, working my butt off, raising a child alone before I married my second husband, and not breathing let alone smelling the roses. Now I thank God for everything I do have. I hope your doing better as you read the supportve posts and know we are praying for you. Cynthia

LOVE THE DOG AND LITTLE BOY!

[sleepingbean]

You've already gotten a lot of great input here, but I thought I'd add that we really love to cook following the guidelines of this cookbook www.thegardenofeatingdiet.com (I think it's on amazon too).

It is a gluten free cookbook that is really geared toward a healthy way of eating that is delicous and they do not use any refined sugars in this book (nor do they use any sugar at all)

They use stevia and honey or agave, but you could just use stevia in place of the honey where requried.

It will take some getting used to, of course, but it will make you feel good to eat such a healthy variety of foods. I am sorry to hear you have to add this to your list of worries, but I"m glad to hear that you know so you can do what you need to do to become healthy!

Warmly,

Laura

[elye]

Hi Cindy, Elye, et al: Thank you for the kind notes. I appreciate the help on the mayonnaise. Elye, the information on excercise is very important and I hate it. I truly hate excercising. BUT I know it is something I have to do for myself. One of the most difficult things for me to do is make time for myself. Right now I am working on our new house, building it almost literally. We are going to have a very busy summer putting in drywall painting, flooring, tile, trim etc. Does that count for excercise????? I sure hope so. Regular excercise will have to wait till the house is finished. It is a nagging thing in the back of my mind of one of those things I have to do. Like eat 3 meals a day. Every day. Count carbs, test my sugar every dinner and bedtime. It is coming all so slowly, but I am seeing a change in my life patterns. Does everyone else excercise regularly? The photo I was finally able to upload is at my darling daughter's wedding in July. She got married in South Africa after meeting her husband while in the Peace Corps. I'm putting on her pearl necklace. Yes, I'm wicked proud of her. Today is her 27th Birthday. Anyway, it gives me so much pleasure to share with you all. I hope your days are going well. My sugar today was 167 fasting, dinner 87. Not bad. As my father says, Bisque pau bisque. (Little by little) Cynthia

Hey, that stuff sure does count as exercise! Awesome. I know how tough it is to make time for oneself, being a wife, mother and essentially the head of the family in the nurturing department. By the time we take care of everyone else, there's often nothing left for us. It's essential, however, to make your own health your number one priority. Not number two or three, ONE. We are absolutely no good to anyone else that we are taking care of if we ourselves are not well. It's the greatest gift we can give all those we love--a healthy, happy spouse/parent to share life with. As my beautiful nine-year old son has been known to say to me, "Mom, what a great week we've all had. Thanks so much for all your work to get those great blood sugar readings". Out of the mouth of babes...