Cold and Flu medication for diabetics

Q: Hi Ginny,

I am 67 and have been a type 2 diabetic for 6 years now. I have recently pick up a cold and can not shake it. I have been able to find Diabetic Tussin cough syrup, but unable to find Diabetic Tussin cold and flu tablets. I have been to all of the stores & pharmacies within a 10 mile radius of my home in Kearns and the only thing I can find is Cold-Eze which is a tablet that you have to let dissolve in your mouth and you have to take one every hour. (very inconvenient). My question is, do you know of any stores/pharmacies in the Salt Lake Valley that actually stock a regular supply of diabetic items (cold/flu meds, vitamins, testing supplies, etc.)?

Most of the stores I have been in stock only a token supply and it is mostly creams, sugar free snacks and maybe a bottle or two of Diabetic Tussin cough syrup. When I questioned some of them about their meager display, their response is there is not a big enough call for those items and they end up having to get rid of some items due to expired expiration dates. Yet right across the aisle is three shelf's of at least 20 brands of cold & flu medications which you know are not going to all be bought before the expiration dates. I wish the neighborhood grocery/super market stores would realize that there are a lot of diabetics in the world and we get colds also and we don't want to have to running to our doctor to get medication just for a cold. I would like to be able to buy something off of the shelf for 8 or 9 dollars, rather the paying the doctor for a visit and paying for a prescription.

Thanks for letting me bend you ear.

A: I was so interested in your comments, I began to search for answers and comments about cold medications too. Just as you did, I called many pharmacies and diabetes supply stores in the Salt Lake Valley. The answers I received were very similar to the answers you received---there isn't enough of a demand so often the supplies become outdated and must be thrown away. There is generally a minimum amount the stores must order from large suppliers and if the supplies are not sold by a certain date, they must be thrown away. Most pharmacies, large or small, can not afford to lose any money.

Many pharmacists stated that there is a worry that active ingredients (the ingredients that treat the symptoms) or inactive ingredients (the ingredients that don't have any treatment value but are fillers or give a flavor) in the medications may affect patients with diabetes. If there is even a slight chance that patients will be harmed, the company will print on their labels that their product is not for patients who have diabetes. How can we decide which ones may be O.K.??? Our physicians can be the ones who can help us decide. I know it is expensive, but you want the best advice you can find to choose products that will help you and not harm you.

After checking with several Internal Medicine physicians and Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat specialists, there does seem to be a very simple procedure that may help stuffy noses without using any medication. A recent article by Pynnonen, Mukerji, Kim, Adams and Terrell found that saline irrigation or nasal washing was more effective that a saline spray. A patient I spoke to also uses this procedure to help with his stuffy nose that he gets at times from allergies. This procedure is not done frequently in the United Stated, but it seems to be gaining in popularity. Check with your physician to see if this simple procedure can be done safely at home to relieve some of the symptoms you get when you have a cold.

Thanks for your very interesting letter.

Good luck to you, Ginny

Vegetarian and diabetes diets

Q: Dear Ginny,

Kindly tell me any website where I could get access to diet planning of diabetes patients. In the meantime, kindly send a menu for 1400 caloric vegetarian menu with 40% CHO, 40 Fat and 20 Protein.

A: There are several on line sites that you can direct patients to learn about vegetarian diets. Try www.MayoClinic.com, www.Veggie123.com and for a free diet www.SparkPeople.com. A book can be ordered from the American Dietetic Association "Becoming Vegetarian" for $5.00. It is difficult to just send a diet plan without knowing what type of vegetarian diet your patient is looking for.

• Are they Lacto-ovo Vegetarian: eating mostly plant foods but also eating eggs and dairy?
• Are they Lactovegetarian: eating no meat, no eggs but eating dairy?
• Are they Vegan: eating no animal proteins or animal by products?
• Are they just avoiding red meat?

I would direct your patient to a registered dietitian to be sure they obtain the diet they prefer and obtain a well rounded diet so the nutrients that are at times missing in a vegetarian diet are present: calcium, Vitamin B12, Iron and Zinc.

Prediabetes concerns

Q: Hello! I found this Q&A board through Diabetes Daily.

This past January I was told that because my fasting BS was 104 and my A1C being 6.4% that I have early adult onset diabetes. It was quite a shock because I don’t fit the typical profile. I am and always have been the ideal weight for my height, exercised all my life, eaten sensibly and avoided desserts (except small portions occasionally).

My GP informed me that at some point he would put me on medication. Three months later my A1C decreased to 6.1% and my doctor was pleased and merely stated that I should keep on doing what I have been doing. I’m sure you hear this all the time. I did cut back on my carbs and that must have explained the decrease in the A1C reading I did fail to mention that no one to my knowledge had diabetes in my family. In my excitement that my A1c was lower, I didn’t ask my GP about medication and he didn’t mention it at that particular visit.

I have a few questions………….is it possible that I may never get diabetes, how do I keep from losing weight if I cut out so many carbs I’m already compensating by eating walnuts, Omega peanut butter and using more olive oil in cooking, and should I see an endocrinologist for better information?

I am checking my BS upon waking, before meals as well as postprandial. The lowest reading I had was 83 and the highest 120 after a meal.

Any information you can send me is appreciated.

I am female and 59 years of age. My total cholesterol is 220, but the breakdown numbers are good and the reason it’s high is because my HDL is so high, which is a good thing:

• HDL = 120
• LDL = 87
• Triglyceride = 64

Thank you in advance for your response.

A: It sounds like you are doing everything right for your body!

The changes you have made have given you glucose readings that are in the normal range. It is important to control your diabetes when it is in the very early stages in order to help prevent any possible complications. We don't know why some people develop Type 2 diabetes when there is no family history and weight is normal. It is not something that you have caused.

Often, the first medication of choice is Metformin. Your physician may not have thought you needed to start this medication, or any other, because the glucose readings looked like they had improved. Your lifestyle changes have helped control the diabetes. Be sure and stay in touch with your physician and continue with your follow up appointments so you can keep track of the glucose readings to see if you need medication.

If you do need medication, you have not failed!!! Remember diabetes is a progressive decline in beta cell funtion (beta cells are our cells that produce insulin) and often over time your body may just need some extra help. Your glucose readings will let you know if any medication is needed. You want to have a healthy diet, healthy weight and feel physically strong. If you are too hungry and your food intake is too small, please see a diabetes dietician who will help determine a carbohydrate, fat and protein intake that will work well for you.

You are doing such a good job!!!

Ginny

Shoes & Diabetes

Q: Ginny, I have had Diabetes for over 40 years and have been one of the luckier ones, my older siblings both died from complications of having diabetes. My sister never even knew, my brother passed away after 25 years with it.

My question is where is a good and reasonably priced place to purchase a good pair of shoes that work well for a Diabetic who has some problems with finding a shoe that fits and is comfortable to walk and even stand in?

Thank You,

Don

p.s. I have been a pump for over 15 years. (works great)

A: Have you gotten any guidelines from your podiatrist for what you need? There are some specialty shoe stores that will help with shoes for diabetic feet but I think the best place to start may be a diabetes specialty store that also sells shoes. Check in the phone book and call to make sure you find a store that you feel will help you with your special issues.

Very few of our insurance companies in Utah cover specialty shoes but a few do, so be sure and check with your insurance policy to see if there is any coverage. Medicare does cover but you will need a prescription; Medicare will cover 80% of the cost. Generally a pair of specialty shoes will cost $130 to $150. Be sure and discuss the cost with the store you are checking with to see if they provide any assistance for someone paying cash or can help with a payment plan.

I know shoes may be expensive, but it is so very important to take care of our feet! Three cheers for you wearing a pump for 15 years!!!

Ginny