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Discover Three Common Causes of Diabetes

Ronald J. Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., D.A.B.C. M.S.
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Diabetes is growing at an alarming rate. This special report will expose you to the field of functional diagnostic medicine and share how one man was able to reverse his diabetes and improve his health

Steve had been an all star football player when in his prime.. Matter of fact he was groomed for professional ball but unfortunately was permanently side lined as a result of a knee injury. That was 24 years ago. Steve still on occasion likes to get out a throw a few with his boys, but these days his football activity pretty much consists of sitting on the couch (beer in hand) and watching television. Yes, he still gets excited about his favorite team, the Oakland Raiders, scoring a touchdown but he has to be careful not to get overly stimulated.. you see, Steve was just recently diagnosed with Type II diabetes..

Fast Facts about Diabetes

  • 1 million new cases each year in people over age 20 in the US

  • One-third of diabetics are undiagnosed

  • In 1999, approximately 450,00 deaths occurred among people with diabetes aged 25 years and older

  • Diabetes was the sixth leading cause of death listed on U.S. death certificates in 1999

  • Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults 20 to74 years old

  • Diabetes is the leading causes of end-stage renal (kidney) disease accounting for 43 percent of new cases

  • From 1997-1999, 82,000 amputations were performed each year among people with diabetes

He knew his weight was on the high side..tipping the scale at around 255 at a height of 5'10. His family was also worried about his short temper.. Not like Steve to "blow his cool".. Around six months ago, he complained to his wife that he couldn't shake his fatigue.. Even after 7-8 hours of sleep, he still was fighting to stay awake at the office.. Steve had a feeling something was wrong when he needed to be close to a bathroom during most of the day. In fact, during one of his more important business meeting, he just about .. you know what.. in his pants.. Steve had always heard that drinking water was good for you.. but this was rather odd.. sometimes called the CamelMan (could go all day without water or a beverage), he didn't care or simply just forgot to drink.. But.. this was different.. real bizarre.. Steve just couldn't get enough to drink.

Being the "keep to yourself" type of guy, Steve, passed these symptoms off as just a phase. He just knew "it was nothing to be alarmed about".

Classic Symptoms

  • Frequent urination

  • Increased thirst

  • Constant fatigue

  • Unexplained nausea

  • Blurred Vision

  • Poor/slow wound healing

  • Numb/tingling/burning in hands and feet

  • Vomiting

  • An acetone or "fruity" odor to the breath

 

Not one to see a doctor, he secretly scheduled himself an appointment. On the day of his visit with Dr. T, he was feeling queasy and having cold sweats. Maybe I'm having what they call "the white coat syndrome" Steve thought to himself..

With a friendly and caring demeanor in walks Dr. T. With 25 years of experience under his belt, Dr. T immediately observed something he had seen a thousand times.. Steve may not have realized it.. but he was a ticking time bomb ready to explode at any moment.

A quick check of his blood pressure read 220/105. Dr. T called his nurse and requested she do a Finger-Prick Test and a standard urine analysis on Steve. In the mean time, Dr. T carefully examined Steve's eyes. Using drops to dilate his eyes, Dr. T was not surprised when he discovered that Steve's retina had micro-hemorrhages and leakage all so common in diabetic patients. When Dr.T 's nurse returned, she gave him an affirmative nod..indicating the tests were indeed positive. Steve's urine revealed high levels of glucose (sugar) and ketones. Even more concerning, the finger-prick test showed a casual glucose level of 280. Considering the optimal levels should be between 80 to 140, Dr. T was alert to Steve's situation. In addition to a full physical examination, Dr. T had three vials of blood drawn and ordered a comprehensive blood assessment. He made sure his nurse added a Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) sometimes referred to as Glycated Hemoglobin. This was all done stat!! (Stat refers to having the test results done immediately sometimes within a few hours)

Steve could sense something was obviously wrong and sat with some degree of anxiety.. (not like Steve to get nervous) as Dr. T explained his findings. Dr. T expressed his concern that the initial findings all indicated that Steve was suffering with Diabetes and that treatment needed to begin at once.

What seemed like a few minutes added up to 3 hours.. by this time, Dr. T had Steve's blood test in hand and quickly took note of the elevated glucose at 210 and triglycerides at 462. To add insult to injury, Steve's Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was 12.2

Facts on Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)

The glycated hemoglobin test (HbA1c, also called "hemoglobin A1c" or "glycohemoglobin" is an important blood test to determine how well your diabetes is being controlled. The test provides an average of your blood sugar measurements over the past six to 12 weeks.

Hemoglobin is a substance within red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout your body. When the level of sugar (glucose) in your blood is too high, the sugar binds with the hemoglobin. When this happens, your hemoglobin is "glycated."

When your diabetes is not controlled (meaning that your blood sugars are too high), sugar builds up in your blood and your hemoglobin becomes glycated. If your sugar levels have been high over recent weeks, your HbA1c test will be higher. The HbA1c test offers a picture of what your blood sugar control has been like over the course of the past three months or so.

For people without diabetes, the normal range for the HbA1c test is between 4%-6%. The goal for people with diabetes is to have an HbA1c less than 7%.

People with diabetes who are on insulin should have this test every three months. The test should be performed no sooner than every six weeks.

 

As Steve listened to Dr. T reviewing his findings and explain the treatment, he began thinking about his life and family and wondered how in the world was he going to make these changes.. He was hoping this was just a bad dream..but unfortunately it wasn't.

Over the next few weeks, Steve was getting use to checking his sugar (never liked the idea of getting his finger stuck) and taking the prescription Glucophage. He even began walking and watching his diet. With the help of his wife and children, Steve was on his way and happy to see his glucose levels improve.. 85, 78, 91, 81 not bad he thought..

Common Medications

Acarbose (Precrose): These drugs interfere with an enzyme called alpha-glucosidase in the small intestines which are responsible for breaking down sugars. It is thought if sugars are not broken down, they cannot be absorbed thereby the blood glucose level is less likely to rise abnormally

Possible Side Effects

Abdominal pain, diarrhea, gas, elevated liver enzymes in the blood.

Risk: Patients with inflammatory bowel problems, such as irritable bowel disease, ulcers and colitis need to tell their physician

Should not be taken with:

Airway-opening drugs such as Proventil
Calcium channel blockers (heart and blood pressure medications such as Cardizem and Procardia)
Charcoal tablets
Digestive enzyme preparations such as Creon 20 and Donnazyme
Digoxin (Lanoxin)
Estrogens such as Premarin
Isoniazid (Rifamate)
Major tranquilizers such as Compazine and Mellaril
Nicotinic acid (Nicobid, Nicolar)
Oral contraceptives
Phenytoin (Dilantin)
Steroid medications such as Deltasone and Prelone
Thyroid medications such as Synthroid and Thyrolar
Water pills (diuretics) such as HydroDIURIL, Enduron, Moduretic

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Metformin(Glucophage): These medications cause the liver and musles to utilize glucose better. It also causes the liver to slow down production of glucose

Possible Side Effects:

Bloating, nausea, muscle cramps, abdominal fullness and diarrhea. Abdominal distention, abnormal stools, altered sense of taste, chest discomfort, chills, constipation, dizziness, flu-like symptoms, flushing, increased sweating, low blood sugar, light-headedness, muscle pain, nail disorders, pounding heartbeat, rash, shortness of breath, upper respiratory infection

Warning:

Glucophage can cause a serious side effect called lactic acidosis, a buildup of lactic acid in the blood. This problem is most likely to occur in people whose liver or kidneys are not working well, and in those who have multiple medical problems, take several medications, or have congestive heart failure. The risk also is higher if you are an older adult or drink alcohol. Although the condition is rare, it can be fatal. Lactic acidosis is a medical emergency that must be treated in a hospital.

Symptoms of Lactic Acidosis are:
Feeling very weak, tired, or uncomfortable, feeling cold, dizzy, or light-headed, increasing sleepiness, muscle pain, slow or irregular heartbeat, trouble breathing, unexpected or unusual stomach discomfort, (especially if you already have been taking Glucophage for a while)

Patients with kidney problems, congestive heart failure or liver problems should not take this medication

Should not be taken with:

Amiloride (Moduretic)
Calcium channel blockers (heart medications) such as Calan, Isoptin, and Procardia
Cimetidine (Tagamet)
Decongestant, airway-opening drugs such as Sudafed and Ventolin
Digoxin (Lanoxin)
Estrogens such as Premarin
Furosemide (Lasix)
Isoniazid (Rifamate), a drug used for tuberculosis
Major tranquilizers such as Thorazine
Morphine
Niacin (Niaspan)
Oral contraceptives
Phenytoin (Dilantin)
Procainamide (Procanbid, Pronestyl)
Quinidine (Quinidex)
Quinine
Ranitidine (Zantac)
Steroids such as prednisone (Deltasone)
Thyroid hormones (Synthroid)
Triamterene (Dyazide, Dyrenium)
Trimethoprim (Bactrim, Septra)
Vancomycin (Vancocin)
Water pills (diuretics) such as HydroDIURIL, Dyazide, and Moduretic

**********

Avandia and Actos: these are new type of diabete medications.Avandia is used to hold down blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

Possible Side Effects:

Back pain, fatigue, headache, high blood sugar, respiratory tract infections, sinus inflammation, swelling. Anemia (low blood cell count), diarrhea, congestive heart failure and low blood sugar.

*********

Repaglinide (Prandin): Repaglinide helps your body regulate the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood. It decreases the amount of glucose by stimulating the pancreas to release insulin.

Possible Side Effects:

Back pain, bronchitis, chest pain, constipation, diarrhea, headache, indigestion, joint pain, low blood sugar, nasal inflammation, nausea, sinus inflammation, skin tingling, upper respiratory tract infection, urinary tract infection, vomiting. Allergic reactions, angina (chest pain), tooth problems

Should not be taken with:

Airway-opening medications such as Alupent, Proventil, and Ventolin
Alcohol (excessive amounts can cause low blood sugar)
Aspirin
Barbiturates such as the sedatives Seconal and Nembutal
Beta blockers such as the blood pressure medications Inderal and Tenormin
Blood thinners such as Dicumarol and Miradon
Calcium channel blockers such as the blood pressure medications Cardizem and Procardia
Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
Chloramphenicol (Chloromycetin)
Erythromycin (Eryc, Ery-Tab, PCE)
Estrogens such as Premarin
Ketoconazole (Nizoral)
Furosemide (Lasix)
Glucose lowering agents such as Glucotrol and Micronase
Isoniazid
Major tranquilizers such as Mellaril and Stelazine
MAO inhibitors such as the antidepressants Marplan, Nardil, and Parnate
Niacin (Nicobid)
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Advil, Motrin, Naprosyn, and Voltaren
Oral contraceptives
Phenytoin (Dilantin)
Probenecid (Benemid, ColBENEMID)
Rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane)
Steroids such as prednisone
Sulfa drugs such as Gantanol
Thyroid medications such as Synthroid
Water pills such as the thiazide diuretics Dyazide and HydroDIURIL

***********************

Insulin: Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a large gland that lies near the stomach. This hormone is necessary for the body's correct use of food, especially sugar. Insulin apparently works by helping sugar penetrate the cell wall, where it is then utilized by the cell. In people with diabetes, the body either does not make enough insulin, or the insulin that is produced cannot be used properly.

Possible Side Effects or Allergic Reactions:

Swelling, itching or redness at the injection site (usually disappears within a few days or weeks). Fast pulse, low blood pressure, perspiration, rash over the entire body, shortness of breath, shallow breathing, or wheezing. Patients must be alert of symptoms of low blood sugar resulting from too much insulin

Symptoms of low blood sugar include:
 Abnormal behavior, anxiety, blurred vision, cold sweat, confusion, depressed mood, dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue, headache, hunger, inability to concentrate, light-headedness, nausea, nervousness, personality changes, rapid heartbeat, restlessness, sleep disturbances, slurred speech, sweating, tingling in the hands, feet, lips, or tongue, tremor, unsteady movement

Should not be taken with:

ACE inhibitors such as the blood pressure medications Accupril and Lotensin
Anabolic steroids such as Anadrol-50
Appetite suppressants such as Tenuate
Aspirin
Beta-blocking blood pressure medicines such as Tenormin and Lopressor
Diuretics such as Lasix and Dyazide
Epinephrine (EpiPen)
Estrogens such as Premarin
Isoniazid (Nydrazid)
Major tranquilizers such as Mellaril and Thorazine
MAO inhibitors (drugs such as the antidepressants Nardil and Parnate)
Niacin (Nicobid)
Octreotide (Sandostatin)
Oral contraceptives
Oral drugs for diabetes such as Diabinese and Orinase
Phenytoin (Dilantin)
Steroid medications such as prednisone
Sulfa antibiotics such as Bactrim and Septra
Thyroid medications such as Synthroid

 

Three months into treatment Steve was questioning his doctor about alternative treatments and was wondering if there was something that could be done to figure out how this happened in the first place. Dr. T was quick to discount anything other than FDA approved medications. Like a father lecturing his children, Dr. T held to his belief that alternative treatments were not part of traditional medicine and that Steve should simply place his trust and confidence in established medicine.

As the months marched on, Steve happened to see a television show in which a medical physician was being interviewed by a respected newsperson. This physician was explaining things that were contrary to what Steve's doctor had told him.. He went into depth about the possible causes of diabetes and shared his successes using medically proven natural treatments (yes medically documented). He discussed the importance of having special tests done in order to determine why one developed diabetes and how a person can actually reverse it.

Steve was glued to the television soaking up every word this physician said. He thought.. just maybe there really was something that could stop this dreadful disease.

Steve was 9 months into treatment and he began to realize that diabetes had its share of complications.. with cardiovascular disease at the top of the list.

Diabetic Fact

80% of diabetics die of cardiovascular disease

 

Steve was excited about the potential of uncovering the possible causes of his condition and approached Dr. S's plan like a man being given a second chance in life.

Three weeks after completing his last test, Dr. S had finally gathered all the results and was prepared to present his diagnosis and treatment plan.

Steve decided to bring his wife to meet Dr. S and get her support. Steve's wife was a little on skeptical side.. although she did believe in her husband. She felt it was the right thing to do to at least go with him.. just in case..

Dr. S entered the room and proceeded to share the information he had obtained from the tests. First thing on the list were the results of Steve's mineral tests. Low levels of magnesium, chromium and zinc stood out like a sore thumb.

Steve's oxidative stress profile was quite shocking revealing Free Radicals out of control.

Last of the tests was the testosterone. At 50% of normal, Dr. S realized the serious impact this had on Steve's health and ability to maintain glucose (sugar) metabolism.

After a 90 minute consultation. Dr. S carefully outlined his treatment recommendations and placed Steve on a specific low glycemic diet. He encouraged Steve to purchase the book called the "Glucose Revolution" and follow the diet plans. Finally, Dr. S prescribed therapeutics doses of essential minerals as noted on Steve's lab tests. A low dose of testoserone was also administered.

Steve was encouraged to keep a journal and carefully log what he ate for 21 days.. Developing a new habit takes a consistent effort and Dr. S found that having his patients keep a journal led to a higher compliance rate and of course a greater percentage of success.

Steve was to remain on his medication for the first few weeks and then be re-evaluated. As was expected by Dr. S, Steve's glucose and Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) plummeted. Although this would have been good when not taking any medicine, it did present a problem when on medicine. As a result of Dr. S closely monitoring Steve's labs, he was able to make the appropriate adjustments in his medication. Within 6 weeks, Steve was completely off his meds and was to continue with the nutritional protocol as outlined by Dr. S.

Three months after beginning Dr. S's protocol, Steve's glucose, Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), triglycerides were remarkably improved.. Steve constantly had to remind himself that this was all without medication.. He felt wonderful, lots of energy.. a new man.. and a new lease on life..

Steve admitted unfortunately, it had to take something major like be struck down with diabetes to wake him up to the importance of making health a personal responsibility.

Yes, Steve, stills watches football and on occasion will have a beer.. but these days.. he can be seen working out at the local gym 2-3 days a week.. enjoys eating nutritious foods and has even thought of trying out for the Oakland Raiders.. (just kidding :-)

Comments from Dr. Grisanti

This special report is just a glimpse into the potential of alternative medicine and functional diagnostics. This is a true story with maybe a little extra added to help get my point across.. Yes, I have and do treat people just like Steve.. They are like you and I.. people who really want an answer but for some reason will not get it at their traditional medical physician's office. I am in no way criticizing the actions of competent medical physicians. My experience over the last few years has seen an emergence of physicians seeking to work "outside the box" and find a "real" solution" for the ills of their patients.. The time of.. take this for that and that for this is entering an era where the "baby boomers" are fed up and are demanding answers.. A growing number of discerning health consumers are no longer buying into the "hallmark television commercials" that show a women with a tear trickling down her cheek only to find that the new drug on the block has lowered her cholesterol by 20 points.. Yes it is true.. the meds can do that.. but at what risk to your health.. If there is a better way.. a proven way that works.. but to my frustration will NEVER be seen on television along side the Madison avenue mega ads, then I am committed to doing whatever it takes to share the good news and help as many people as I can through my writings and professional service.

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