General Medical issues thread

[Quickstatus]

Glucose is the body's fuel. And the fuel is burnt off in mitochondria which are little powerstations within each cell. The cells use oxygen to burn off the glucose to produce energy for the cell's activities.

Glucose in the blood is just on its way to the cells.... . Then it has to get into the cells. The cells use insulin to help glucose to get in, in large amounts. - especially the liver, muscle and fat cells. Interestingly the brain does not need insulin to absorb most of the glucose that it requires.)



So in Type 1 diabetics who have a poor insulin production, they cant get enough glucose into their cells
In Type 2 diabetics the cells become insulin insensitive/resistant for a variety of reasons but one reason is that the body is producing so much insulin in response to high glucose loading on the body that the cells become resistant to the insulin

This is a problem then is that Type 2 diabetics and other people with insulin insensitivity/resistance such as PCOS often find it difficult to lose weight (although the weight equation also includes energy intake which is the other problem).

Sounds like a Catch-22 but exercise over significant periods of time does help reverse things for the better

Then there is Glucagon...

 

[tgh]

Thanks , I understand the process but will go look for some exercise/stress research.
The body under pressure will try very hard to meet its energy demand.
Hypothetically the imperative could (should??) improve the faulty mechanism
Muscle wastage can be an issue as the body cannibalises to save it self from the approaching predator…..

 

[Quickstatus]

In intense exercise there is initially a short period of hyperglycaemia as the liver breaks down glycogen into glucose. This signals the pancreas to release more insulin. Essentially Type 2 diabetics require much more insulin to overcome the relative insulin resistance and may be more than the pancreas can give, but over time this can be corrected.

There is not one solution because type 2 diabetics have taken many years to get to where they are

And you are correct @tgh because often the focus in these people is the control of blood glucose rather than the long term imperative of reversal of their insulin resisance so that eventually/maybe they can come off their medicines. Some Type 2 diabetics just have to keep increasing their meds just to keep their blood glucose controlled. I dont think this is any solution other than the short term.

Sadly many patients but for their lifestyle choices stay on their pills forever.

 

[cove]

Thanks for the comments on SGLT-2. I do 7 hours of specific exercise each week and my weight has been dropping so I am feeling ok. So far that one has been an easy addition.
When I started on Inpler it took almost 2 months for my body to feel ok so I was quite unhappy when the drug supplier ran out of stock. I got 2 months supply out of the drug reps car stock as I didn’t want to do a substitute equivalent. I didn’t feel well enough to go anywhere.

 

[Pushka]

Now some of you would be old enough to require colonoscopy after a positive Poo Test

Have you heard of the "White Diet" which is now the common preparatory diet before a colonoscopy?

......



Don't know much about Cherry Juice and the associated claims, but in general diabetic suitability would depend on sugar content. Anything that is marketed as a "Juice" is suspect in my view.

I followed that prior to a hysterectomy a few years ago and during which there was potential to nick the bowel. Prior to a colonoscopy a few years later I did it again a couple of days prior.

 

[Quickstatus]

Inpler (Eplerenone) and Aldactone (Spironolactone) are aldosterone antagonists.
Not surprised it destabilised you @cove because it causes wholesale changes in your body water, salt balance and composition. (And we are 70% water)

Lifesaving drugs IMO for severe heart failure. Just watch that potassium.

 

[Quickstatus]

I followed that prior to a hysterectomy a few years ago and during which there was potential to nick the bowel. Prior to a colonoscopy a few years later I did it again a couple of days prior.

Ironic isnt it. We have a colonoscopy to look for bowel disorders that are often caused by a poor fibre diet and prior to one we are told to onloy eat a low residue diet like a White diet.
Seeds are bad in a colonoscopy because they block up the colonoscope and so is red jelly because it can look like a polyp.

Its no point eating healthy just before a colonscopy diet, just like flossing before seeing a dentist.

 

[Pushka]

Ironic isnt it. We have a colonoscopy to look for bowel disorders that are often caused by a poor fibre diet and prior to one we are told to onloy eat a low residue diet like a White diet.
Seeds are bad in a colonoscopy because they block up the colonoscope and so is red jelly because it can look like a polyp.

Its no point eating healthy just before a colonscopy diet, just like flossing before seeing a dentist.

That’s it. It was called a low residue diet. And yes, I thought the same when I was told to eat white bread and not multigrain.

 

[cove]

So far so good Quickstatus and I am glad I was born in 1949.
Having a near death experience did change my outlook ......I don’t hesitate on lifestyle stuff.

 

[blackcat20]

Getting back to gym after having a baby has been a slow process, but I finally made it this week. Walking has been my staple for the last seven weeks, but now back to body balance and cycling. Now it's just the logistics of getting to the gym as the little miss can't come with me. Hopefully I can start weights again soon.

 

[Flashback]

Getting back to gym after having a baby has been a slow process, but I finally made it this week. Walking has been my staple for the last seven weeks, but now back to body balance and cycling. Now it's just the logistics of getting to the gym as the little miss can't come with me. Hopefully I can start weights again soon.

Do they still do creches these days? Or is that a thing of the past now......

 

[blackcat20]

Do they still do creches these days? Or is that a thing of the past now......

They do have one, I have to suss it out. She's also only just had her first vaccinations...

 

[love_the_life]

Inpler (Eplerenone) and Aldactone (Spironolactone) are aldosterone antagonists.
Not surprised it destabilised you @cove because it causes wholesale changes in your body water, salt balance and composition. (And we are 70% water)

Lifesaving drugs IMO for severe heart failure. Just watch that potassium.

MrLtL has found Sprionolactone a life saver. It has been the only medication to successfully treat his hypertension. He has been on it now for over 10 years and hasn't looked back at all.

 

[RooFlyer]

Mostly these "experiments" would not survive proper the usual rigorous statistical analysis applied to any study.

Well, yes, but they aren't trying to publish in the Lancet or claim that its anything but a demo

So while it is an interesting concept and the value might be to engage the viewer to think a bit more about issues of health, it has as much authority as New (No) Idea telling you what the latest superfood is.

A bit harsh. What I get from the program is that rather than just lecture to you about how to behave, what to eat, what not to eat (which lets face it doesn't cut though that much these days) they go out, grab a sample and demonstrate things. Its part vox pop, mostly 'science' but the message is to give the great unwashed (who can easily 'identify with the test subjects) an idea as to what sort of things are healthier choices and even what may not make such a difference.

Specifically (looking at the big BP study)
Experiment/study number far too low - usually hundreds are required
the study didn't go for long enough - usually months are required
The subjects are not necessarily ramdomised.
The subjects are not blinded -they know what they are eating
The investigators are not blinded - they know what each subject is eating
The subjects are not controlled in each study arm - such that differences in the subject between each study arms are minimised/controlled

... given that these are criticisms that are often made about 'real' medical trials, they aren't doing so bad then . Again, they don't claim to be rigorous ... its just a demo for a TV program.

 

[Quickstatus]

They do claim to be rigorous by using statistical p values <0.0001

It’s Weekend science, but hopefully increase the conversation about health

There are many bad medical trials. The problem is that medical literature only tends to publish papers with positive results and not much with negative results. By that I mean papers where the investigation/experiment did not find an effect or difference. This is in many ways much more important that finding a difference or effect.

 

[JohnK]

Introducing the new Flashback diet, visit KTM and lose 4kg in one week!

I liked chicken pox better. Lost between 11kg-13kg in 10 days. And then lost a few more.

All back and then some.

 

[cove]

We had our quad flu shots today and no issues.

 

[Quickstatus]

Me too. Hopefully this time they predicted correctly.
There was one fainting though despite the Poppa juice and Pizza .

 

[JohnK]

Apologies for being a little late @coriander but good luck with treatment and hope all goes well.

 

[JohnK]

I have to drink water before tests as well or else it’s hard to get bloods.

Me too but I keep forgetting and I'm not really thirsty early in morning. I have deep veins that are not easy to find by those less experienced.

I remember one time in Kogarah the elderly lady had 5 attempts with different needles. Didn't bother me but I felt sorry for her.

And then last year my GP was going to give me anaesthetic for the dental procedure with the dentist and he tried 4-5 times and gave up.

The one I go to now for my regular blood tests is quite good. She generally gets it first time.