Diabetic Survivalist

interesting.. informative thread
thank you for posting.

reply to post by chr0naut


LOL, well it's nice to know that we were at least looking at the same study there! Seems you know alot about this subject as well. I think perhaps we need to find a way to work in tandem to see just we can find on this subject.

Feel free to 'friend' me if you like and let me know if this sounds like an idea you would be interested in.

PS - Everyone, please feel free to friend me and contact me at any time. I would welcome it!

reply to post by MyMindIsMyOwn


Wow, the more I look into this, the more I feel that you would have to be medically trained to deal with diabeties in a survivalist situation. There is so much to take into account.

Im not sure how true this is, but my mother always says that "diabetics that die of diabeties, usually do not die from the desease itself, rather they die from the complications and other deseases that diabeties causes"

I know that managing suger levels and such, is the first step of survival with diabeties, But i think it would be prudent to also look into how to manage commen diabetic side illnesses.

Im not sure if I am making sence here, regardless managing severe diabeties in a survivalist situation seems to be a big job.

Thanks everyone looking into this . . . one day the information I have read here, might save the life of someone close to me.

reply to post by KiwiSoul


Welcome back! Yes, there is alot to process even when not in a survival situation...as you well know with family members who have the disease and you mentioning gestational diabetes as well.

And yes, you are absolutely correct in that finding ways to help ease the other things that go along with diabetes, like heart health, neuropathy, eye health and managing stress levels all plays a part in managing the disease over all.

I do have some ideas on those side issues, but would welcome someone to put up some ideas as well on this. I don't want to hog all the space and I don't know if that would also be something that people would be interested in hearing about.

reply to post by KiwiSoul


You are quite right that it is the effects of diabetes that will get you in the end, but the root cause is the diabetes.

If diabetes goes untreated, and you just dealt with each symptom you'd eventually be overrun with problems and definitely quite sick. The way we use & balance sugars in our bodies is vital to our metabolism and affects everything from RNA transcription to our mental state.

I am relatively lucky that my diabetes was identified early, but I still have had to deal with retinopathy (damage to my retinas caused by diabetes). Fortunately the damage was quite limited and at my last opthalmic exam, all signs of the retinopathy have totally vanished, but I do have a close relative who went suddenly and completely blind from something similar, so it really caused me great concern at the time.

reply to post by MyMindIsMyOwn


I guess I am just a bit shocked because my mother has always taken care of her diabeties alone. She has had type 1 diabeties since way before I was born, and aside from learning what to do in an emergancy, my brothers and sisters and I, were never really exposed to the underlying medical jargon. My own expiriances with gestational diabeties was temporary, and I once again skipped the medical jargon beyond what I needed to know to keep myself and baby safe.

So as you can imagine all this medical jorgon and natural treatments are kind of overwhelming. I wasnt even aware that there were so many natural treatments availble to help.

I would be very interested in learning about natural treatments useful for a survival situation, regarding diabetic side illnesses. I will look further into it, but as I am starting from scratch in learning about the diabetic treatments, I dont think I will come up with any useful information any time soon.

reply to post by chr0naut


My grandfather went completely blind in his teens as a result of ill managed type 1 diabeties. My mother's eyesight is failing slowly despite laser eye surgury.

I am glad your eyesight is fine now. Thankyou for sharing with me your story.

I mentioned Jerusalem Artichoke and Kudzu because they both grow wild throughout most of the US.
Do they look promising to you?

Honey Diabetes treatment
How about Honey? Should be fairly available in survival situations.

Originally posted by MyMindIsMyOwn
DISCLAIMER: I am not a Doctor, nor do I claim to be in the medical field whatsoever...... with that said:

I am just a person with diabetes who happens to want to survive to tell the story of what happened when the SHTF.... if the SHTF. A little background. I am currently in my mid 40's. I have been living with this disease now since I was in my early teens. I am insulin dependent and my motto has always been "I have diabetes, it does not however have me".

In my household I am the person charged with the food preparations as well as the laying in of medical supplies and simple basic medical knowledge of what to do in emergency situations. As stated above I am not a medical Dr nor am I involved in the medical field in any way. With that said, since I am charged with prepping med supplies and basic knowledge I got to thinking one day.... what happens when/if I can no longer get my supply of insulin or needles? What he heck happens then? What do I do? Just die? Because I have been a fighter all my life I decided that no, rolling over and letting diabetes win is NOT an option for me. So, I took to the internet...and I researched...and researched...read everything I could possibly find and came up with a working list of herbs that credible medical studies have shown assist with glucose regulation. Criteria for these herbals would be that:

1. They had to be readily avaiable in the US. I don't want to have to rely on overseas suppliers as I don't trust their regulations on these things (although to be honest a lot of other countries don't seem to have the stigma of herbal applications for main stream medical issues like the US does). Mail order is OK, but I would prefer to strike up a relationship with local stores.
2. Easy to use application. I don't want to have to setup a distillary, wait 5 days or until the moon goes into retrograde and chant spells in Swahili in order to get this stuff to work. Pill, powder, tea or culinary applications please!.
3. Relatively inexpensive. I am not made of money. Hazard a guess that not alot of us are these days. I want to be able to stock what I need relatively cheaply without compromising the herbs integrity in what I need it for and not take away from other prepping materials my family and I may need just as much if not more than my herbal stock.

After I did my research into these herbals I took the list to a holistic doctor that was referred to me by my local natural food store.. just to see if I missed something, misread something or left an important herb out that they would have more information on. I then saw my general practioner and asked that he and my endocronologist get in contact with each other to discuss the options on my list. I explained to the GP that I wanted a viable alternative for a just in case scenario where my insulin was no longer available and stressed that IN NO WAY WOULD I BE REPLACING THE INSULIN THERAPY WITH THE HERBAL TREATMENTS, unless there really and truly was no other option left to me. The 2 of them conferred and we all worked together to test individual herbs and combos to get the right dosages for me.... and it worked. I realize every 'body' is different and what works for me may not work for you, but I urge you to try and work with your Dr to come up with something that in a SHTF situation will keep you alive and well. I will not divulge the formula that my Drs and I came up with simply because I honestly don't want to be held responsible if that formula puts you in danger. Below is a list of just some of the herbs that I found in my research.

1. Tanners Cassia or Cassia Auriculata. Now as a disclaimer let me say that this is not available in the US (so it breaks my rule #1), or if it is I am not able to find it. If you do, let me know. This would be my first choice out of all of them because this herb out of India has been tested and shown results comparable to Metformin (Glucophage) which is a perscription pill form for glucose control here in the US and I would gladly go thru more tests with my Dr to get the doses right for me.
2. Fenugreek - Can be used as a culinary spice but best in capsule form. No matter what form just be prepared to be breathing fire within about 2 hours of ingesting it!
3. Gymnema Sylvestre - The neat thing about this is that while it helps control your glucose, there are claims that it also helps to curb the cravings for sweets
4. Alpha Lipoic Acid - Can lower blood sugar levels, and its ability to kill free radicals may help reduce pain, burning, itching, tingling, and numbness in people who have nerve damage caused by diabetes (called peripheral neuropathy).
5. Bitter Melon - Bitter Melon, also known as Karela, Momordica Charantia or Bitter Gourd is a herb that helps regulate blood sugar levels and keeps body functions operating normally. It contains Gurmarin, a polypeptide considered to be similar to bovine insulin, which has been shown in experimental studies to achieve a positive sugar regulating effect by suppressing the neural response to sweet taste stimuli.
6. Cinnamon - Can use what you get out of the spice isle in the market but would be easier in capsule form. But there is a certain satisfaction of knowing that the cinnamon I just slapped on my toast with butter is actually doing me some good.
7. Ginko Biloba - Not so much for glucose control but perhaps for early onset of diabetic neuropathy
8, Stevia - Not so much for glucose control but for a sweetener. You can grow this plant on your own (I do) and use it in teas etc. It is becoming more and more popular and I am seeing more of it show up on the shelves at my local markets.

This is a very very small sample of the things I was able to find in my research into this issue. I have a lot more. If you are interested in any way furthering you knowledge I will be more than happy to help you in ANY way I can. Just remember though that never never never undertake something like this without consulting with your medical professional first. I hope this helps someone out there.

Thank-you ... thank-you ... thank-you, for this greast information. My youngest son has been an insulin dependant diabetic since he was 2 yrs old and one of my greatest concerns has been what would happen in a SHTF situation as far as this is concerned because stockpiling insulin would only be a short-term solution.

Your OP (thanks to your research) has made me feel a lot more positive.

Woody

reply to post by Asktheanimals


They do indeed look very promising. The thing about both of them is that if the right dosage or combo for the individual can be obtained with a Dr's help these are 2 'home remedies' that can easily be grown by the individual. (depending on the area and I am fortunate to live in an area where both are abundant in the wild!) This is especially appealing because this would be even more beneficial than my solution as this would allow continued fresh supply. The other thing to consider is that both are easily stored for over wintering.

Kudzu can be dried and used as a tea with some honey, although I can't imagine that would be appealing but who cares if you live to see another day, right? The other thing about Kudzu that I am finding is that it is also being studied to help migrains (which I have on occasion) and hypertension. There is also a component of Kuduz that they are claiming to be a cancer preventative. Below are just a few things I found to be of interest on the plant doing a google search. I used the term "Kudzu use in Diabetes" if anyone is interested in seeing a lot more info than I can put here.

Kudzu Wiki Info
Kudzu info on Healthline.com
Smithsonian mag article on Kudzu

The one thing about Kudzu that worries me is that it grows like a madman.... honestly. It will overtake anything and everything it can in a very short matter of time. Wondering if growing it in containers would be a viable option? Any ideas on this anyone?

Jerusalem Artichoke seems, in my opinion, to be the most versatile in terms of growing and usage I think I'll be talking to my Dr about this one. So, asktheanimals, I really do appreciate this tip. From what I am reading it takes very little to have a big result. A person can use it by cooking it like you would any root veggie, it can be pickled (thinking in terms of overwintering), it can be dried and pounded into a flour to be used in baking and noodle making (also useful in overwintering), and of course can be eaten raw which would be the most preferable. Here are some of the sites I found the most valuable for info on this root veggie. Again I used google and used the term "Studies on Jerusalem Artichokes in Diabetics" and "Jerusalem Artichoke and Diabetes"

Jerusalem Artichoke general info
Add'l Info on Jerusalem Artichoke
Blood Sugar Control/Liver Benefits

Sorry this was so long. I was not intending it to be so. Again, asktheanimals, thank you for the information. I have done alot of reading into these 2 things and will be doing more before taking the info to my Dr. to see if either of these would be a viable alternative in a SHTF scenario.... I can just hear him now... "Oh sheesh... here she goes again!!"....

reply to post by sligtlyskeptical


Thanks for the input! I infact have it in my 'medicine cabinet' for use. However, it is important to note that honey is good for anyone to use in wound care, not just for diabetics. I can attest to is affectiveness personally as I have used it on minor scrapes and cuts that I've gotten while working out in the garden. Just a quick wash off with some soap and water, topical application on the cut and then a bandage on that. I noticed a marked decrease in the time it took the cut to heal, which for a diabetic, is a comfort.

This may be a nice tip for KiwiSoul as it would apply to her concern over side issues that arise with diabetes since the risk of infection is of concern for us.

reply to post by woodwytch


Well, I am glad that what I posted was of use, and thank you for your kind words. I can't imagine having to deal with this condition since the age of 2, it was bad enough at 18. But for your son being so young at diagnosis, I am sure that he, and you, had a difficult time with the feelings of "Why can't I do ________" (fill in the blank, like have a piece of cake) and the "Why am I different?" which can lead to feelings of isolation and depression.

Huge kudos to you as his parent as I am sure that it is just as hard on you as it is on him. This is a disease that really does affect the whole family and not just the individual who lives with it. I know my parents had a particularly hard time with me in the beginning with the whole "Is she being a sour puss pain in the rumpus because of an insulin reaction or is it just teenage angst"!!

Originally posted by chr0naut
Another thing, and I have no proof, just a gut feeling. It seems to me that diabetes in society seems to increase (per head of population) as we "modernise" (ie: there seems to be more now than ever).

In more "primitive" (not really, but I don't have a better way of describing it) cultures, it seems that once they come into contact with modern foods, then the incidence quickly ramps up.

Not only in our countries but back in their countries, forests & islands too.

Anyway, the gut feeling I have is that Flouridation of the water supply may somehow be inhibiting the natural insulin utilization process in cells and because the onset is very slowly cumulative, we haven't "made the link".

I do know that there have been studies finding higher levels of fluoride in the pancreas of type 2 diabetics, and that flouridosis is more prevalent and serious in diabetics.

Just my 2 cents.

edit on 17/2/2011 by chr0naut because: (no reason given)

Hi.

I am a type II diabetic. I was diagnosed in 1995 when I was 30.

I am also a doctor of pharmacy and a chemist. I have done extensive research over the last year when it occurred to me that I became Diabetic the same year we switched from well water to floridated city water in my home.

I then went and researched the incidence of Diabetes versus FL being added to the water system, circa 1955 or so and the trend is amazing. The incidence of diabetes is almost a straight line trend compared to the addition of FL to the public water systems across the US.

I also have researched and found that FL inhibits the glycolysis (break down of complex sugars). This was found by one researcher who noted that the waxy substance found at the bottom of test tubes used to draw blood contains FL for this exact purpose -- to slow the break down of sugars in the test tube so that the lab would be able to adequately measure the amount of glucose in the blood sample without it being broken down first.

So, i took things one step further and stopped drinking tap water COMPLETELY. Within one month, my fasting glucose levels dropped an average of 100 points from an average of 250 down to 150 over the same time period.

I realize this is a non-scientific approach, but I strongly feel that there is a correlation between floride and diabetes.

Someone needs to fund a true study to put the pieces together.

Not to sound too absurd, but a diabetic would have somewhat of an advantage in trade: Junkies all over would want needles.

reply to post by phantomjack


I for one would certainly love to see a study linking the 2. Glad to have you weigh in on the thread. Almost makes me wonder if it would not be worth while to contact a teaching or research hospital. Johns Hopkins perhaps? Wonder if any young enterprising Drs out there would want to do any reasearch on this subject of Flouride and Diabetes.

I'd be willing to bet that there are more people who have noticed the same thing that you have and ChrOnaut have.

reply to post by ClapOnKyle


You know....at first when you posted this I was a little taken aback... I didn't quite know how to respond or even if I should. But the more I thought about it the more I realized that you actually have a point there and it's a little scary. All the more reason to not broadcast the fact that I am insulin dependent and I have a ready supply of needles.

Thanks for making me think outside the box!

reply to post by phantomjack


Wow, I have seen the substance that they use in the bottom of test tubes when I provide my pathology samples for HBA1C testing but I was unaware of what it contained.

It adds significantly to my argument if there is a direct link between Flouoride and glycolysis.

Can you suggest somewhere I could look to determine the exact chemical structure of that substance? I really need to know chemically how it interacts (I usually do that with molecular modelling software).

I feel that if the process is better understood, diabetes may be reversible!

Hi there,

I have found a study that says that fluoride toxicity is greater in diabetic rats. I think it is related to what you guys are talking about. Bear in mind, i cant understand all the big words though, so if i am off topic just ignore me.

here is a summery of the study:

Wistar rats were given 20 ppm fluoride in drinking water, or single administration of 115 mg/kg alloxan i.m. to induce diabetes, or single administration of 115 mg/kg alloxan i.m. followed by 20 ppm fluoride for 31 days. Blood sugar level increased in rats given alloxan and alloxan + fluoride. Body weight gain in rats given alloxan + fluoride decreased significantly compared to other groups. Decrease in haemoglobin and glutamic oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) was seen only in rats given alloxan + fluoride. In this group alkaline phosphatase, the target enzyme in fluoride toxicosis, increased considerably. The toxicity of fluoride in diabetic rats was further reflected in organ weight data. This investigation shows that fluoride toxicity is greater in diabetic rats.

Link to study: toxicity of fluoride to diabetic rats

reply to post by KiwiSoul


Presenting info that you have found on this, to me, is not 'off topic'. I thank you for sending that link our way to read it over. See? And you said it would take you a long time to get into finding any real info on this... looks like you are having some success! Keep up the good hunting!