Diabetics and ALS

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Hreal85

Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2021
Messages
10
Reason
CALS
Diagnosis
01/2021
Country
US
State
MA
City
Weymouth
Hi
My dad was diagnosed with ALS in January of this year. He has lost some weight (10 lbs) and we are trying to prevent him from losing more since we know it will speed his progression. He is able to eat food without issue. The problem is that he is a type 2 diabetic and has been for many years. So his mindset has always been portion control and low carb to help keep his sugars in check. He knows the importance of eating more but his sugars are higher than normal for him, so is a bit stressed trying to balance eating more and handling his blood sugar as well. We are gonna talk to his PCP about increasing his diabetic medication if possible. I was just curious if there were other people here that are diabetic and had issues with controlling their blood sugar while increasing their calories. And if they have any helpful tips.
Thank you.
 
My husband was type 2 also, and lost about 10 lb around diagnosis since the flesh on his arms basically melted away. High protein/high fat, if his kidneys are sound, was our ticket. He actually reduced his diabetes meds as time went on, but I know others here have needed an increase.

If he's below the "sweet spot" BMI of ~30-35, it's time to lose the portion control mentality and move over to eating hearty but still avoiding processed carbs. If he's above it, it's probably still best to hold his current weight, in consultation with his docs (the evidence base is weak as yet, but further weight loss overall may be a risk).

Eggs, bacon, whole wheat bread, sandwiches w/ meat or nut butters, home-prepared puddings, salads with a protein, cheeses, fried chicken, burgers...yes, I'm serious. Potatoes, cooked carrots/greens, rice, noodles, butter, olive oil, not-sugar-laden yogurt....with proteins. Not low carb per se, but whole grains and eating carbs with proteins.

You want to keep him in that sweet spot BMI but not with doughnuts -- eating "real food."

Best,
Laurie
 
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I’m battling the same DM Type 2 and finally got into an ALS Clinic High Protein High Fat. I don’t have much of an appetite so force myself to eat more. Priemere Protein makes a low carb shake powder that’s not bad tasting I add avocados nut butters fruits vegetables and try to make them taste good add the calories. Increased my insulin so my A1C won’t go sky high, it a balance when I have no appetite. I eat when I have the urge or it goes away.
 
My dad’s fatigue has gotten worse and I think part of that is he is losing weight. He also doesn’t have an appetite so I’ve added high calorie boost to see if that will help. I was also thinking about asking his doctor about a prescription drug to stimulate his appetite. Anyone have experience with medications that have helped or ones to avoid?
 
One of our late members used megestrol with success. But because your dad is a diabetic, I would keep in close touch with whatever doc is helping him manage that, start with ensuring hydration and glucose control, etc. Fatigue and depression walk hand in hand, and both are unsurprising with a new ALS diagnosis, so the adjustment process (what has and wasn't worked) could be another topic to tackle if everything is OK from the physical side. And of course weight loss interacts with glucose, so you don't want to overshoot or undershoot his control.
 
we are in a same boat. in may i found my postprandial glucose and insulin are high. normal glucose is ok, so i didnt pay attention to postprandial values never. dmt2 and als often go together and i think that they are under same umbrella if, at least, they had not same root in a certain variants of als. my dr. dissmised me, so did i them. i tried with metformin, 2x1g/day, but it sucked all my hidden carbs and fat, so i feel dizzy. i quit with metformin after i found out that carbs are the thing that i can not live without. home sugar, poison, seems to be energy filler. two oposite metabolic diseases - what is poison for one, helps other one. incredible. so i started with trehalose, no home sugar. time will tell.
 

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