# weight loss query



## steveadams (Mar 11, 2012)

I have been caring for a 70yr old male who has type 2 diabetes for several years now...My problem is one of logic, so please bear with me as my brain is getting tired looking at the astonishing array of advice, opinion, products, books,'t'shirts,etc.....Mr W needs insulin, he takes this to process the sugar that his brain needs to keep operating...if he didn't have the available sugar he would go into a HYPO and coma...I therefore logically deduce that he cannot access stored sugar in the body tissue...if he cannot access this stored energy then I further deduce that he cannot reduce this store...and what can I conclude from this?  thankyou for any help you may have in this 'conundrum' yours Steve.


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## margie (Mar 11, 2012)

Hi Steve 
Welcome to the forums. I have removed your e-mail addres from your post - as there is a danger that it could be picked up and Spammed. People can reply to you here though so there shouldn't be a problem.

A hypo is caused when there is too little sugar in the blood stream and a hyper when there is too much. Both conditions can be problematic.  Even non diabetics can have hypos if they say have done lots of strenouous exercise and have not eaten for a long time. Its not common but does happen. 

Some type 2 drugs make hypos more likely - they help the body make better use of the insulin that the body already has.  Hypos are more common in people injecting insulin and more dangerous to them to. In a non diabetic if your blood sugar reaches hypo levels the body would reduce the circulating insulin and release sugar into the blood stream. If you inject insulin then you can't remove what is already there and you need to eat carbs to bring levels back.

If Mr W is regularly going hypo then its likely that he is on too much insulin. He needs to balance the insulin he is inhecting with the carbs he is eating. Does he have a DSN (Diabetes specialist nurse) who can help with this ?


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## Robster65 (Mar 11, 2012)

Hi Steve. Welcome 

Just to add some of the basics about insulin and the endocrine system.

All cells in the body require glucose for energy. When you eat carbohydrate (starch or sugars), this breaks down into glucose and passes into the bloodstream.

In order for the cells to utilise the glucose, insulin needs to be present. Since Mr W's pancreas obviously isn't producing any, or enough insulin, the injected insulin enables the glucose to be utilised. This lowers the circulating glucose in the bloodstream. If it drops too low, because too much insulin is injected, or his muscles use the glucose at a higher rate when exercising, he will go hypo.

Similarly, if there's not enough insulin, or if his liver exudes(?) glucose because of stress (for example) his blood glucose will go too high and he will become hyper.

Either of these conditions, untreated, can lead to coma and/or serious medical problems, but hypo is usually the more urgent and more obvious.

I hope that clarifies some points and that I've actually got it right! 

I thought I'd better add the link for the DiabetesUK explanation about type 2. http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Type-2-diabetes/
Rob


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## steveadams (Mar 11, 2012)

Hi Margie..All I wanted to know, sorry I didn't make it clear, is how does Mr W use stored glucose in the body not, in the blood stream...Yours S.


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## steveadams (Mar 11, 2012)

Thanks for the reply Robster65...Sorry I didn't make it clear that I'm intrigued to know how Mr W can access the stored up glucose, sugar, fat already in his body not that sugar/glucose/sucrose/lactose..etc in the blood stream administered recently by eating/drinking..yours S.


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## Mark T (Mar 11, 2012)

Steve,

From what I understand, the liver stores glucose for the bodies use as an immediate energy source, but the majority of the energy reserves are stored as triglycerides in the body using insulin.

The body only draws on these reserves when it needs energy but there is no energy coming from food at the moment.  If the body uses these reserves it will produce ketones (look up ketosis) and there must be insulin present in order to process these ketones.


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## steveadams (Mar 11, 2012)

Thanks Mark T for info, something to chew on..every little helps!!!


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