Dr. Stoll,
I'm not sure if this is something you would usually address, but I'll give it a shot anyway.
I just tested positive for islet cell antibodies. The lab writes that this is a very good indicator of Type I or a pre-Type I diabetic condition. I've had a few fasting blood sugar levels, and a GTT in the past year, and they were all normal or borderline hypoglycemic - nothing even near a diabetic level.
Obviously there is something going on if I have antibodies to my pancreas cells. Besides diabetes, could you think of anything else? I've heard of Hashimoto's disease doing something like this along with attacking the thyroid, but I'm still waiting on the thyroid antibody results.
I'd really like to try and figure out what this is so that I can try and deal with it, even though my Naturopath says that there is nothing I can do, and she has no idea why my antibodies are up. The only thing she recommended was a no carb diet. I'm not convinced that that is the right way to go. I'd like to know why this is happening. There must be something I can do.
Thanks Dr. Stoll.
Tony
Follow Ups:
Re: Islet Cell Antibodies - Dr. Stoll (MAH, MAS!)
Posted by Walt Stoll on February 10, 1999 at 16:43:52:
In Reply to: Islet Cell Antibodies - Dr. Stoll posted by Tony on February 09, 1999 at 22:51:44:
Hi, Tony.
You are fortunate to be finding this while you can most easily do something about it.
First: Hypoglycemia is a precurser of diabetes.
Second: ALL your endocrine glands are interconnected to the point where you cannot stress one without effecting all the others (Think of a spider web.) I discussed this at least twice today on this BB.
If you want to understand this in a greater depth, you are going to have to read stuff about "psychoneuroimmunology". A good place to start would be the most recent edition of Dr Pelletier's classic: "Mind as Healer, Mind as Slayer".
THEN, get back to us with what you have learned and any questions you might have.
Walt
Follow Ups:
Type I not inevitable?
Posted by Tony on February 11, 1999 at 11:08:35:
In Reply to: Re: Islet Cell Antibodies - Dr. Stoll (MAH, MAS!) posted by Walt Stoll on February 10, 1999 at 16:43:52:
Dr. Stoll,
What you said makes perfect sense, and it seems all of my questions keep leading back to the same book. I can't find it anywhere out here. I guess I'm going to have to try and borrow a credit card form someone and order it through the sight. My birthday is coming up!
Anyway, are you saying that Type I diabetes isn't inevitable, even with these antibodies present? Both my Naturopath (not Peter, yet) and my MD said that this means that I either have Type I now, or I am inevitably going to get it soon. I have so many other problems, that the thought of getting this too seems so overwhelming. I felt like you, that maybe finding this now could help me avert this by taking some kind of measures, but both doctors say no. Their best advice is a no carb diet (Rob would love that!), to take stress off the pancreas and just prolong the inevitable.
What do you think?
Thanks,
Tony
Follow Ups:
Re: Type I not inevitable?
Posted by Walt Stoll on February 12, 1999 at 10:06:42:
In Reply to: Type I not inevitable? posted by Tony on February 11, 1999 at 11:08:35:
Dear Tony,
I hate to say it but only a nutritionally ignorant person would recommend a "no carb" diet.
If it was even possible to eat a "no carb" diet, the body would just convert the proteins & fats one ate, to make up the difference, DIRECTLY INTO CARBOHYDRATES.
Anyone who stayed awake in biochemistry class in medical school knows that. This recommendation reminds me that until about 10 years ago the AMA had an obligatory speaker at their annual meeting in Chicago whose message was that "nutrition has nothing to do with health".
At least they finally got too embarassed to continue with THAT.
This, along with the fact that still less than 25% of medical schools have even one class in nutrition and that only 3 hours. THESE ARE THE GUYS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO GIVE NUTRITIONAL ADVICE?! Come on!
The only thing that is known so far (And I think we are just beginning to learn about this.) is that a large % of type 1 peoples' problem is directly caused by the protein in cow's milk (from peptides leaking through the LGS).
If I had anti-islet cell antibodies, I would TOTALLY eliminate dairy from my diet and recheck the antibodies in about 6 months. If they were starting to go down, I would TOTALLY eliminate for 2 years & recheck again. If this is YOUR problem, eventually you would be able to have dairy without the problem recurring ESPECIALLY if you did the wellness thing in the meantime.
If the antibodies were still going up, or staying the same, at the end of the 6 months trial, it is not dairy. The next most likely would be wheat but, before I would do THAT trial, I would be seeing a good Clinical Ecologist in consultation. You would need a professional on the spot to help you figure this out.
In the meantime, don't stop learning. We are ALL just learning. The problem with the AMA types is that they still are not to the place where they know that they do not know.
Is this making sense to you?
Walt
Follow Ups:
Re: Type I not inevitable?
Posted by Tony on February 12, 1999 at 10:56:06:
In Reply to: Re: Type I not inevitable? posted by Walt Stoll on February 12, 1999 at 10:06:42:
Thanks Dr. Stoll.
I've never even heard of a clinical ecologist. Are they common, or am I going to have to search all over the country for one? What do they do?
Also, does this islet antibody thing mean that I might eat some carbs or sugar next week and have a bad diabetic reaction, or is it something that would take a long time to develop? Basically I just mean do I have to start having GTT or fasting sugar levels very frequently while I am avoiding the dairy, or I am I just worrying to much to early.
And about the dairy avoid, would the casein in soy cheese be something to avoid then too? I think casein is the milk protein, right? And would goat cheese be okay, since it's not cow milk, or no dairy anything?
As an aside, I've read a few places that niacinamide has produced complete reversal in some Type I patients when caught early. Do you know anything about that?
Thanks.
Tony
Follow Ups:
Re: Type I not inevitable?
Posted by Walt Stoll on February 13, 1999 at 08:57:00:
In Reply to: Re: Type I not inevitable? posted by Tony on February 12, 1999 at 10:56:06:
Hi, Tony.
It has only been a very few years that we have known about the direct connection between Type 1 Diabetes and caseine. We don't yet know all the answers & until we do, it would be best to be very careful about stimulating that imunological bag of worms. We don't know how long the problem continues after stopping the stimulus OR how much damage the pancreatic cells can endure before it becomes irreversable.
If tthere is caseine in soy cheese, I would avoid it. I have not heard of niacinamide reversing this but would be VERY interested in any research you can share that I could learn from.
Refined carbohydrates create a special stress on the pancreas. Untill you have reversed this, I would look at them as a special poison for YOU.
You can learn about Clinical Ecology AND find a competent local practitioner by calling the American Academy of Environmental Medicine at (215) 862-4544 or contacting them at their email info@aaem.com
Let us know what you learn.
Walt