Stroke and glucose Intolerance

Hi Toni @avmcbellar, I'm hoping other members may be able to share their experience with you. I was not aware that this occurs but did find some information on your question of glucose intolerance after a stroke.

Disorders of Glucose Metabolism in Acute Stroke Patients - An underrecognized problem
-- https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/29/4/792

I know from your past posts that diet and healthy eating has been part of your focus with your health. Has your doctor offered any suggestions?

Hi John @johnbishop I was not aware either. I had a concern about losing weight and told my new pcp I had trouble and wanted advice but either he did not hear me or ignored my request. Since I did not know much information I did not push my concerns until I got my lab results. I couldn’t understand why my blood glucose level, although within normal limits, was on the high end of the spectrum. I spoke to his office and mentioned I was on the Keto diet at the time, why was it so high? I had been on the diet for 4 months. All the nurse told me was to continue what I was doing. I decided to stop the diet but I remained eating low carbs til this day. I will see my pcp in 2 months to get my new lab results. This time I will be adamant for information and answers. If he doesn’t know I will see a physician who can help. I started researching online a few days ago when I discovered other stroke survivors had difficulty losing weight. Thanks for the information. I am thinking maybe a nutritionist may also offer guidance. Have you had experience with a nutritionist? Toni

Hi Toni @avmcbellar, I did meet with a nutritionist 4 or 5 years ago but was a little disappointed since I felt they weren't telling me anything I didn't already know or maybe I wasn't listening well. Since reading @LeeAase's My Health Journey (https://social-media-university-global.org/my-health-journey/) I think I've found a way that I can lose weight and maintain it through alternate fasting by making sure I have at least a 16, 18, or 20 hour fasting period daily. I started out at about 246 pounds in Jan of last year and am now at 210 with a goal of 200 pounds. What's helped also is having a Bluetooth scale that shows body fat, muscle mass, water weight and BMI so that you can tell that the fat is being burned vs water weight loss. The entry in Lee's health journey that got me started was "An Unfortunately Named Book - The Obesity Code" which had the following video link by Dr. Jason Fung:

Hey John @johnbishop, I believe I have discovered how to treat blood glucose intolerance through my online research. I had followed the Lee Aase diet recommendation for weight loss which was not difficult for me but after a few weeks of no results I became discouraged. Early last summer I began a 10 minute daily exercise program using my portable elliptical machine. I am very limited with exercises due to balance issues and heat sensitivity. I was feeling well. I couldn’t exercise for long because after a few minutes I began to heat up so I purchased a table fan. It was helpful. It allowed me to exercise daily up to 12 minutes for 8 weeks. I got too hot exercising so I stopped. I didn’t notice much of a weight loss with only a few minutes of exercise.
My research in stroke survivors having a risk for glucose intolerance after a few months of their stroke made sense. A stroke would cause a person to be less active. That has been true for me. Before, I visited the gym 3 days a week for at least 1 hour at a time. Then I suddenly stopped due to my AVM. The types of foods I ate before is pretty much the same with the exception now I consume far less carbs. I did exercise last summer but apparently not long enough. For stroke survivors the research recommended exercising for at least 20 minutes, 3 days a week. Exercises can benefit stroke survivors by doing several 10 minute intervals in one day. That is what I will start next and monitor my results more closely with a bluetooth scale you had used(good idea!). I will use a mini stationary cycling machine and the elliptical. I hope this makes a difference. Sounds like it may. Not much else I haven’t tried. I have two months before my pcp appointment to achieve a better blood glucose level. You have done a remarkable job with your weight loss, found the right exercise by being patient. You are almost at your goal and soon will need to figure out a maintenance program. Thank you for helping me figure this out. You have been a great inspiration. Wish you well. Toni

That is really good news Toni @avmcbellar. Exercise has been a big part of my losing weight also combined with the fasting. Glad to you have it figured out!

Thank you John @johnbishop. You did the right things for your weight loss. I at first tried to lose weight by eating less shortly after my AVM. I lost a couple pounds with difficulty. The scale fluctuated. I was suspicious then because the numbers seemed odd. I am surprised the medical staff had no answers when I had developed thirst, dry mouth, and a sensitivity to the sweet taste in foods a couple months later. With any food I ate, the sweet taste was overwhelming. It became difficult to eat. I ate very little but my weight increased. I continued to try with the Keto diet. My husband lost weight. I did not.
Which bluetooth scale did you use? I have a couple of digital scales I use without bluetooth capability. Through the websites I learned that having a high blood sugar count can cause injury to nerves. No specifics as to how much blood sugar exactly. I believe we need to keep being mobile to avoid becoming blood glucose intolerant. In my case diet alone did not help treat my blood glucose intolerance. Thankfully, I later consumed low carbs. I learned by trial and error. Imagine people seek medical attention for help but instead they develop more health issues. That is why it is so important to be your own advocate. My neurologist was well known for his specialty in AVMs. He is an author of several books on the subject. In fact, I had him sign one of his books for me. I don’t blame him or the medical industry for not knowing. Just remember our doctors may not be the best person for answering our medical questions because they do not experience the issues as we do.

I use a GreaterGoods Smart Scale $25 - syncs well with my iPhone and has a free Weight Gurus app you can download to keep track of all of the readings. https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-GreaterGoods-Composition-Bathroom-Connected/dp/B07DHSSND5/ref=sr_1_7