POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Pre-HAART Long-Term Survivors => Topic started by: SteveA on October 26, 2007, 12:59:23 am
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Well it's been 4 months now since I received my new diagnosis of Diabetes caused by the Lipodistrophy caused by the protease inhibitors. Am I the only one here with this new fun addition to my life? I've been POZ since 1987. Retired since 1997 when I had MAC and a viral load over 3.5 million with 7 T-Cells I lovingly referred to as the Seven Dwarves.
The funny thing is, the first I heard of HIV patients converting to diabetic was from my Social Security Medicaid Spenddown case worker and nothing from my Doctor! WTF!?!? If this is common with folks who have Lipodistrophy, why aren't our Doctors telling us? I could have been watching my sugar intake much earlier if I'd known.
Any who, Just needed to vent that. As Marvin the paranoid android from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy was always saying, "I think you ought to know I'm feeling very depressed. <sigh> Maybe I'll just go sit in the corner and rust!"
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Steve,
Type II diabetes has been seen among HIVers on PIs for at least ten years... yes, virtually since they were introduced. Insulin resistance was one of the reasons I didn't want to stick with the class of drugs when I started HAART in 1998, and I was showing signs myself when I got off the class in 2000
Check out NATAP www.natap.org and Project Inform www.projectinform.org for articles on the topic. Search on "insulin" as well as "diabetes"
Please, just don't print all of the material and beat your doctor with it, as tempting as that may be.
Cheers,
David
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I knew some meds could cause this in some people, but have not found a great deal of information discussing it.
Sorry you have run into this Steve. How are you treating it? Are you on insulin yet or are you controlling it in other ways like medications or diet?
I monitor my blood sugar level regularly, along with my lipids, because I have been on PIs for all but two months of the past 11.5 years.
So far, I have been lucky.
As for your doc not talking to you about it, I don't know what to say. What did he say?
HUGS,
Mark
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Hi Steve,
I've been fortunate enough to "dodge this bullet" but a couple of my good friends have not been so lucky. I know how much it complicates their lives, and their treatment issues.
Wishing you the best....
Alan
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Well the only thing I can say at this point is my current Doctor probably assumed that the first Doctor I had that put me on PI's talked to me about the side effects but she didn't. Neither did the next doctor I had after her. I find that most Doctors don't even bring up the side effects these days. I think they all expect you to read the inserts that come with the medicines! Yeah, and I'm gonna read my VCR's owner's manual too! NOT!
Luckily I've been able to get my sugar levels managed by dropping Soda for naturally sweetened Ice Tea. I found a non-sugar sweetener called Stivea which comes from the leaves of an herb my mom grows in her garden. My diet other than too many sweet drinks was just fine. Thankfully I haven't had to start any med's for the diabetes, but i did also join the YMCA to start swimming laps and working out. Just finding the motivation to do that though is the fun part.
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Steve unfortunately that is a common side effect..especially for those of us who have been with things like Crixivan for years....(I still am) my Dr told me it is one of the most common sides he sees and he is very sensitive to the issues of Diet and exercise to help as much as possible...finally about a year ago I started on Avandia. but after the warnings started coming about that drug he switched me to Avandament.....no insulin shot but I watch the diet for "fast carbs" and high sugars...
Hope you can continue with just diet control...
Nick
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Well I've been fairly successful at maintaining sugar levels between 90 and 130 as long as I don't cheat and have a chocolate attack. ;D I do that about once a week and my sugars shoot up to about 170. :'(
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Hey Steve,
Like Nick, I spent a long time on Crixivan - 11 years. As I said earlier, I have been lucky, but I still like to keep tabs on it.
I am now on Reyataz with the Norvir boost, which seems OK. But, my blood glucose levels have crept up into the 90s and there is a familial history of diabetes.
So, I am being a bit more cautious these days. It is good to hear you have been able to control yours with diet. Keep up the good work.
HUGS,
Mark
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90's is normal range. If your normally below that I'm surprised you haven't been diagnosed with hypoglycemia! When my blood sugar hits 70 or below I literally loose brain functions. It's like being drunk without the fun part! I also break out into serious sweats when my Blood sugar gets that low.
I did Crixivan for several years myself but am now on Truvada with the Norvir boost, Lexiva and Fuseon.
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Hey Steve,
I was at a conference on HIV and TB today and one of the discussions was on side effects of the meds, including diabetes induced by the meds. It seems the majority of people who suffer a side effect involving blood sugar levels develop hyperglycemia (or hypoglycemia, I always get them confused.)
About 2 percent of those who develop problems involving blood sugar develop full-blown diabetes.
Or at least that is what the said at the conference. I didn't get a chance to corner the doc who made the statement because they kept things moving too quickly.
That doesn't change things for you, but I did find it interesting.
I have problems when my blood sugar suddenly drops, including the weakness, butterflies in the stomach and breaking out in a cold sweat.
When I get to the sweating part, I have to eat or drink something quick - something containing sugar.
Once I do that, I usually get sleepy. So, I understand what you are talking about.
That is one reason I can't eat just carbs, especially for breakfast. I either need to include protein or not eat at all.
But this isn't new or something caused by the meds. I have had this happen as long as I can remember.
By the way, how do you like the Lexiva? I have heard good things about it, but I don't know many who take it as yet.
HUGS,
Mark
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Well I had Hypoglycemia a for a year back in 96/97 when I was also coming down with MAC but it cleared up once I retired from the airlines and I hadn't had a low blood sugar drop till about a month and a half ago. Walgreens accidentally gave me somebody Else's Diabetes medicine with my test strips. Luckily for me I knew how to treat the rapid blood sugar drop. After two days of serious drops I faxed my blood results for the week to my doctor noting that I had the drops on the medicine (That at that time I assumed he had prescribed for me) and his nurse called me back immediately to ask why I was taking it and who prescribed it. I told her, I thought you guys did. She said no and to stop taking it. Apparently the drug store scanned in somebody else's Glybuterol(SP) with my test strips. Lucky for me I knew how to treat the symptoms from my previous history with hypoglycemia years before. Fun fun fun!
The Lexiva's fine as far as I know. I haven't had any bad side effects that I can attribute to it that I know of.
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Hi Steve,
I thought I was just having a hard time controlling my Diabetes type I but I knew it was acting like type two. I was trying to tell the doctors what was going on but they just didn't get it. I was in their eyes a not compliant type I that was trying to manufacture a reason for my screwy blood sugars.
I still have to check 8 to 10 times a day. When the glucose starts to get high I have been aggressive with it and given more insulin from my insulin pump. This is deffinately not one of those things that one should do at home. I have had this disease for almost 40 years and now I have Combo diabetes or what I call Type III. It acts like type II but seeems to fluctuate more with a rapidity that comes on fast and then after a week or more of struggling it crashes with rapidity that is unlike the usual insulin reaction. The meter may be saying 69 or seventy but I am experiencing symptoms that I know are related to lows of less than 35. My partner keeps a glucagon kit available It is a real rollecoster ride these days. and just to think that I used to love rollercosters. Thanks for the post
David
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Ouch! I can only imagine how difficult it would be for someone with natural Type I to acquire Type II as a medical side effect! That's got to royally suck!
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Thanks Steve. I could not have said it better my self. There are days when I spend the day like a Yo YO. high then down to the basement. It is this days that I wish that I could set that day out. But one things for sure like my Neurologist said about the Parkinson's that showed up. It is a small price to pay to be alive. I will second that. These medicines are great and life saving but I think most of the doctors are afraid to let the patient know what might happen due to taking them.
I would gladly suffer more disease if I could bring back all those I lost in a totally healthy state. But I decided years ago that I would survive if at all possible to tell the story. I have begun writing my memoirs. I assure you that I won't be putting what I write here in the writings.
David