I last reported on my mom (68, type 2) getting off insulin injections in March. The benefits of the paleo lifestyle continue to stack up, now seeming to ease arthritis pain, as well as nerve damage in the feet from going undiagnosed as a type 2 for so long.
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I don't know if it is removing grains, sugars, vegetable oils, etc. from my diet, or the supplements I am now taking, or a combination, but I am getting amazing results that I didn't even think about at the time I started. Even though I take medication for rheumatoid arthritis I still had some pain. I tried and succeeded in keeping the Methotrexate at a low dosage because of the damage it can cause to the liver. I was willing to live with some pain and did not allow it to alter my lifestyle. I always had some pain in my lower legs and feet, my knees, my hips, my shoulders and neck, and my hands, especially my thumbs. I had additional pain in my feet caused from nerve damage from diabetes. Several of my toes were actually frozen. I couldn't move them except with my hand. They always hurt.
Well, I still have nerve damage in my feet but there is little pain, just kind of a feeling like some of the toes are tingly. I do not have complete movement back yet, but a measurable improvement, especially on my left foot. I can actually separate all the toes without using my hand, just by wanting to. My right foot is improving but at a slower rate. It was the worst of the two so that is understandable. I don't have pain in the rest of my body.
I should be able to get off the oral diabetic meds within the next couple of months. After that I will try to get rid of the meds for arthritis. It is scary, because if it doesn't work it is 3 months of total and complete hell. But I am going to try it. I want to be on the supplements and the paleo program for a while longer before I do.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
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Well, what can I say?
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Awesome. My Mom has also seen dramatic health improvements in the last year, so I know how seeing that just makes you all warm in inside. Just awesome.
I wonder if the nerve pain was caused by chronic Omega-6 induced inflammation? I assume she's taking a fish oil supplement but keeping total PUFA under 4% of daily calories? Those seem to be the "magic" numbers.
I am so very proud of you for starting, hanging in there and not quitting. I love you, looking forward to our 50th anniversary cruise with our family. The best part is that you won't be handicapped by pain and worrying about what to eat and what not to eat. Just eat the right stuff.
Lute
She's taking both fish oil and Mercola's krill oil caps.
First off well done to your mum! Secondly, how is your mum's vitamin B12 level? If it's not over 550 then that could be reason for the nerve trouble maybe? Many medications reduce B12 absorption from the GI tract – including diabetic meds like metformin etc. I took metformin for less than a year and it completely decimated my B12 levels. Drs often don't tell you that it can do that but it's usually right there in the medication information paper insert they include in box. I was having significant tingling and some numbness in my toes and had it checked and found my level was 210 which is considered "normal" in Australia where I live but in reality isn't very normal at all. A normal/optimal level is actually over 1000 – there's really no upper limit and higher really is better. Arond 550 is often the level where nerve symptoms start to kick in. I started taking high dose sublingual B12 (methylcobalamin is the best sort to get – NOT cyanocobalamin) as well as injections and my tingling and numbness completely resolved itself within a few weeks. Even after the first few tablets I could fell a difference. Worth a try maybe? Test before trialling though because once you're supplementing the test results can be skewed for a long time and you won't get an accurate assessment of your baseline. Hope this helps!
Lizzy:
Thanks very much. I've fwd to 'mum' and she's pretty damn adept at her own health management.
The good news is that even if the dr says "you're normal, go away" and declines to treat you it's completely treatable by yourself with over the counter high dose (5000mcg) sublingual methylcobalamin lozenges – Jarrow's a very good brand but there are heaps of others available. 3-4 lozenges per day for at least a month until no further benefit is seen should do the trick. Then down to 1-2 per day as maintenance. But really you can adjust the dosage to suit yourself and take as many as you want – there is no associated toxicity with B12 supplements – ignore the suggested dosage on whatever bottle you get.
You can also add in some adenosylcobalamin (aka dibencozide) if you want maximum results. MethylB12 and adenosylB12 are the two active forms of B12 in the body – methylB12 being more involved in nervous transmission and adenosylB12 being more involved in energy production. Good luck with your 'mom'!
(PS should have introduced myself. I'm Lizzy from your Twitter feed. Been paleo for around a year and loving every minute of it! Love your blog.)
While i’m not totally off of grains i have lowered them a lot. And i eat a lot of protein and loads of veggies and a bit of fruit (mainly berries). I also have arthritis and i take methotrexate. Since starting to eat more and more like this i have been able to basically stop taking anti-inflammatory’s. I am on a low dose of methetrexate still and that seems to be doing enough. I also find the pain and stiffness a lot less than it used to be.
I take an omega 3 oil from norway that with taking 1 tsp per day covers my omega 3 needs!
It is amazing how much more energy i have and how much younger i feel (i’m closing in on 50)
Thank you for writing such a great blog and opening my eyes.
my mother is 74. she has type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and initially breast cancer that has spread throughout her body. she takes insulin injections, has chemo therapy, and gets steroids. i know her situation is complicated and i know you are not a doctor, but i would be interested in learning in more detail how your mother got off insulin injections. thanks so much- v
Weilasmith:
I'm so sorry to hear of your mother. That's one thing us health &
weight loss bloggers don't account for: It's a rare day I don't get
awful news of someone else's pain via email or a comment.
My mom got off insulin by following a very strict low-carb diet, and I
mean very strict and very low carb. Once she was diagnosed and on oral
meds, she managed it for some years by means of moderate carbs, i.e.,
pretty low and pretty disciplined in terms of cheats. However, it
eventually caught up with her. Once she went serious low carb with no
cheats, it was a matter of months and she was off.
It sounds like you mom's condition is extremely serious, so this
advice may be superfluous, but I'd make sure to have her vitamin D
levels checked (search the blog for 'vitamin D' for lots of info). I'd
want her levels above 60, and I'd want her, if way less then that,
which is likely, to start off with three successive days of 50,000 IU,
as recommended by Dr. Cannell & other top V-D researchers.
i'm just wondering at what point she should get off injections. before she
was just taking things like metaformin, but when she got on the chemo and
steroids, they put her on insulin. here appetite has gone crazy since then,
and she's gained a lot of weight. i'm thinking, get her on strict low carb,
while she is taking insulin injections, and as her glucose numbers stabilize
at a good level (cuz they are all over the place), put her on metaformin or
some oral meds. then as she stabilizes on that, get her completely off
meds. she does take a “D” supplement, fish oil, etc. if you can give me any
more additional advice, i would appreciate it. if you are busy answering
other emails and you really have no further advice, no need to answer this
email. thanks again! weilasmith