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Oatmeal and Blood Sugar


Edted

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You may remember the actor and diabetic, Walter Brimley, who did some ads for Quaker Oatmeal some years ago. His tag line was, "Quaker Oats, so good and so good fer ya". I've written about my son's ongoing struggle with withdrawal from Abilify in my intro section. He's been derailed a number of times by the somatic disorders that psych drugs create. If you are of the scientific bent, you can read plenty about the crippling effects of atypical antipsychotics (and I suspect SSRI's....chain of events starts with disruption of serotonin) on the glucocorticoid system. The crazy, and crazy making, results of blood sugar disregulatiin are far reaching. Read any diabetes site for more information. When my son has aggravated the sensitivity to sugar with too much carb (a few too many beers, donuts, whatever) the crest and crash sugar levels (leading to daily carb cravings) have been tough to resolve. For him the "go to" food has been oatmeal. Within a day or too, the carb cravings are gone. I was curious about why a grain that is a carb helps so much. I did a little reading and here is what I think is the common understanding. In the morning the body is naturally at a low blood sugar level and actually could use a bit. Oatmeal does raise the level fairly quickly, but due to it's high fiber content, the release of sugar after the initial surge is very slow. You don't suffer the sugar crash that sends you back into the cycle. Some people find the initial increase too great and may want to add a little (about a 1/4 teaspoon) of cinnamon. Cinnamon causes a rapid insulin release. Cal will sometimes add a little (emphasis on little) dried fruit for flavor, but fruit has sugar too. Like they say in the car ads, "Your mileage may vary", but for Cal, oatmeal has always taken care of the carb craving problem. He also finds it "comforting", if that makes sense.

All the best,

Ed

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Ed, this is a great suggestion, thanks! I'll try it.

Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. 

Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010.  Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea.

 

Feb 15 2010:  300 mg Neurontin  200 Lamictal   10 Celexa      0.65 Xanax   and 5 mg Ambien 

Feb 10 2014:   62 Lamictal    1.1 Celexa         0.135 Xanax    1.8 Valium

Feb 10 2015:   50 Lamictal      0.875 Celexa    0.11 Xanax      1.5 Valium

Feb 15 2016:   47.5 Lamictal   0.75 Celexa      0.0875 Xanax    1.42 Valium    

2/12/20             12                       0.045               0.007                   1 

May 2021            7                       0.01                  0.0037                1

Feb 2022            6                      0!!!                     0.00167               0.98                2.5 mg Ambien

Oct 2022       4.5 mg Lamictal    (off Celexa, off Xanax)   0.95 Valium    Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet 

 

I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion.

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yes, thanks...this is great...I just bought some gluten free oatmeal and given all my food sensitivities was feeling shy about trying it...I now will add it back in sooner than later.

 

thanks! 

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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Dear GiaK and Rhi:

Hope it helps. These meds sure do complicate (understatement) one's life.

Be well,

Ed

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I've found humble oatmeal to be very good to "even out" the morning cortisol surge. It's very calming. Steel-cut oats, the densest, are the best, followed by rolled oats. Depending on your digestion and insulin sensitivity, quick oats may be too easily digested into carbs to be beneficial.

 

I'm looking into Nairn's Oat Crackers (oatcakes) for a version of portable oats.

 

A sleep doctor recently told me that low blood sugar plays a part in the early-morning cortisol surge, as the body increases adrenaline when blood sugar gets low. He suggested complex carbs such as legumes (split pea soup) at dinner to reduce this. I've found this to be effective.

 

Oatmeal before bed might also do the trick....

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Very good info. Thanks!

Pristiq tapered over 8 months ending Spring 2011 after 18 years of polydrugging that began w/Zoloft for fatigue/general malaise (not mood). CURRENT: 1mg Klonopin qhs (SSRI bruxism), 75mg trazodone qhs, various hormonesLitigation for 11 years for Work-related injury, settled 2004. Involuntary medical retirement in 2001 (age 39). 2012 - brain MRI showing diffuse, chronic cerebrovascular damage/demyelination possibly vasculitis/cerebritis. Dx w/autoimmune polyendocrine failure.<p>2013 - Dx w/CNS Sjogren's Lupus (FANA antibodies first appeared in 1997 but missed by doc).

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