Sabri (Larkspur) on 06/28/2023
Better But With Side Effects
Hello! Berberine has been near-miraculous for my blood sugar. An absolute wonder. My only issue is that I am constipated in a way I have never been before. As though my intestines are filled with concrete. Nothing moving. I'll keep taking it as it has helped my brain function immensely (which had been impacted by high blood sugar) but would love to know if anyone has resolved a constipation issue. I tried MSM which gave me a headache and I cannot take magnesium due to a parathyroidectomy.
Any ideas??
Thank you all so much! I love this place â¤ï¸
Replied By Art (California) on 06/28/2023
What can help both the diabetes and the constipation is Magnesium Citrate (MC). You can also try reducing your berberine dose slightly. MC can also help maintain blood glucose level so the MC can potentially compensate for the reduced berberine dose to help you maintain your blood glucose in a healthier range.
Normally I would recommend Magnesium Glycinate (MG), but the MC is better at getting the digestive tract moving. I wrote a little about using magnesium for diabetes here :
https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/magnesium-for-diabetes-art-solbrig.html
I also wrote a little about berberine for diabetes here :
https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/berberine-for-diabetes.html
If the above does not resolve the constipation issue, I can suggest a substitute for the Berberine.
Art
Replied By Sabri (Larkspur) on 07/11/2023
Dear Art;Goodness, I hadn't realised there were any responses until now! My apologies for the delay in responding! Thank you so very much for your detailed and kind response. I would be interested in your ideas for substitutes though to be used with the Berberine rather than in lieu of.
A few things: as mentioned in my initial post, I cannot take magnesium due to a parathyroidectomy which means that my calcium can fall dangerously low in the presence of extra magnesium. I do take melatonin (I know it is one of your suggestions) though recently I have read that there is a subset of people for whom melatonin can raise blood sugar so I am cutting back on it, ever so slightly. I drink Ceylon Cinnamon sticks simmered in water for blood sugar properties and also raw apple cider and pumpkin vinegars which sometimes help with the constipation.
Thank you again for the wonderful suggestions and for taking the time to respond with such thorough information.
All the best, Sabri.
Replied By Hollyhock (America ) on 06/28/2023
Replied By Sabri (Larkspur) on 07/11/2023
Thank you so much for the kind counsel, Hollyhock. Alas, I cannot take magnesium due to a parathyroidectomy which leaves me at risk of low calcium. My apologies for the delayed response!
Replied By Gary (Kitchener On) on 06/28/2023
Whenever I have that problem, I put 1/4 teaspoon of Ginger powder in a glass of water and either drink it all at once or sip until finished.
Usually drink around supper, and morning I have relief.
Works every time,
Take care
Gary
Replied By Sabri (Larkspur) on 07/11/2023
I'm ordering some, right now, Gary. I appreciate your taking the time to respond and to include dosage and times taken. I'm optimistic that this might help.Your kind counsel is appreciated!
Replied By connie (UT) on 06/29/2023
If you have high potassium from kidney disease, then it's not recommended.
The potassium won't interfere with calcium.
Replied By Sabri (Larkspur) on 07/11/2023
Hi, Connie! Thank you so much for your very kind response.My kidneys are somewhat compromised due to repeated kidney stones from hyperparathyroidism so I should likely be somewhat chary of potassium -- and I appreciate your alert to this very issue. Hoping your kind counsel may be of use to another perusing the website.
Thanks so much for your response!
Replied By Art (California) on 07/12/2023
One that has shown benefit for T2DM is vitamin K2-Menaquinone 7 (K2-MK7) and it also helps calcium to get to the bones.
K2MK7 lowers HbA1c, glucose and insulin level while increasing short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and adding more richness to the gut microbiome diversity.
It is available in 100 mcg or 200mcg capsules or soft gels. The 100 mcg size should be sufficient to see a positive change over a 6 month period. This is a gentle method for glucose control.
If you want something that works faster to lower glucose and HbA1c, you can use vanadium in the form of vanadyl sulfate such as this :
It should help within 3 months and vanadium also lowers inflammation and oxidative stress levels which are generally at elevated levels in diabetes.
Art
Replied By Sabri (Larkspur) on 07/15/2023
Art,Thank you so much for this wonderful information. I do take Vitamin K2 with my D3 in the morning -- but I had no idea that it boasted such wonderful properties! I will definitely look into the Vanadyl Sulfate -- it seems to be reasonably priced and likely has positive benefits.
Thank you for dedicating your time and expertise!
Appreciatively, Sabri
Replied By DD (South Carolina) on 11/08/2023
Replied By Art (California) on 11/08/2023
DD,One other you can consider is vitamin K2M7 as it is noted for multiple beneficial effects in diabetes including the ability to lower HbA1c level, reduce the risk for osteoporosis which is at increased risk in diabetics, increase insulin sensitivity while reducing insulin resistance and reducing atherosclerosis risk which diabetics are not only at increased risk for, but also accelerated development of atherosclerosis.
Recently I wrote about six useful and commonly available supplements for diabetes that you may be interested in, here :
https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/six-supplements-for-diabetes-art-solbrig.html
Art
Replied By Dree (NJ) on 11/08/2023
Replied By malcolm (Sydney, Australia) on 11/08/2023
The claim is that it has a 9.6 better bioavailability without the side effects.
Replied By Sherri (Seattle) on 12/09/2023
Having my own experiences with these same issues my Naturopath clued me in to "root causes" and remedies: Benfotiamine / thiamine supplementation.
This is a complex issue however, thiamine B1 deficiency (TD) is a common cause for constipation associated with Diabetes. In fact, TD can cause a type of "GI Beriberi" causing chronic nausea, gastroparesis, constipation, dysmotility disorders, abdominal pain, Crohn-like symptoms, SIBO-like symptoms, etc...
Berberine could exacerbate "GI Beriberi" in several ways thus causing constipation (e.g., further depleting thiamine levels, killing parasites/pathogens which can cause constipation).
To remedy TD, Benfotiamine (BF) is a better form of thiamine to take for TD and diabetes. The dose is 600 - 1200 mg/day, divided.
BF is a highly absorbable (levels increase 5X higher in the blood), fat-soluble form of thiamine which is able to cross the blood brain barrier and can penetrate (by a factor of 360%) into the fat layers surrounding every cell in the body, the nerves/myelin sheath, CNS, heart, arterial walls, etc...
"Game changing" advances in diabetic treatment occurred when Thiamine / Benfotiamine was incorporated as the KEY treatment. This is because a plethora of research and clinical practice since the early 1900s indicates Diabetes is considered a thiamin-deficient state.
In fact, almost all of the pathology related to DM is caused by the degree/chronicity of thiamin deficiency: neuropathies, retinopathy, cardiovascular disease, CHF, kidney damage, dementias, memory loss, arterial blockage, ... And, these conditions are effectively treated with thiamin/benfotiamine.
The key association is this: thiamin is required for glucose-carbohydrate regulation & metabolism! And, it is required for fatty acid and branched-chain amino acid metabolism, nerve function/protection and mitochondrial function!
In other words, the body can not regulate sugar and insulin levels, oxygen availability nor energy production without B1. This is why of all the B Vitamins, B1 is unique and "quintessential", it has been called "the spark of life" in medical research because "thiamine availability dictates molecular oxygen homeostasis and mitochondrial ATP production"!
Stuart Lindsey, a well known pharmacist, developed a highly effective holistic DM protocol which he used to reverse his own DM symptoms, he notes the neuropathy pain in his feet cleared in a week and others note constipation clearance:
1) Benfotiamine, Source Naturals -Thiamine 150mg tabs (2 tabs 3x/day). Pure Encapsulations is also a good brand & others.
2) Pyridoxal-5-phosphate 50 mg caps (2 caps, 100mg/day)
3) Magnesium Citrate 150 mg caps (2 caps with meals, 3x/ day). Can also add other forms: ionic liquid, glycinate, ....
4) Acetyl-l-carnitine 500 mg caps (2 caps between meals, 1000 mg/day)
5) Vitamin C 1000 mg caps buffered (2-3 caps per day with or between meals)
also recommended by other top practitioners:
6) Alpha Lipoic Acid, 600 mg, x3/day
7) Source Naturals Vanadium with Chromium, 180 Tablets
8) Dietary Fiber (pectin, coconut meat, vegetables, ...)
9) Tocotrienol Vitamin E
10) Exercise and Weight Reduction Program (call my office for details)
11: Diet: "healthy" KETO (ideally combined with intermittent fasting) absolutely required to correct DM! No sugars, very low carb.
12. Nutrients required for thiamin-dependent reactions: Magnesium, Vit C, "healthy" forms of Calcium, D3, B Vitamins (B6, B12, ).
This protocol (and its variations) is used by many other practitioners which have significantly improved or reversed DM symptoms. This information is all over the web, UTube (e.g. Dr Eric Berg) and in research.
The items in BOLD are the "core" treatments.
Thiamine deficiency is an epidemic in the US. The causes for this are many and generally entail chronic exposure to thiamine-reducing agents, examples: typical American high carbohydrate/bad fat diet, many toxins, medications, alcoholism, any illness, significant physical/mental stressors, specific thiamin-depleting foods, high nicotine/coffee/tea/caffeine consumption, malabsorption disorders, and many other causes.
A nutrient can not be patented which is why this information was not widely known.
__________________
References
Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, May 28,2012; orthomolecular.org. "Substituting Vitamins and Supplements for Pharmaceuticals
in Type 2 Diabetes", Commentary by Stuart Lindsey, PharmD
Dr. Thornalley's theory of diabetes as an acute thiamine deficiency, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18220605/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8839250/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22116701/
https://jeffreydachmd.com/thiamine-deficiency-and-diabetes/ (LISTS MANY STUDY REFERENCES)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8533683/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8505293/ Page 1 of 15
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18220605/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537204/
https://www.drberg.com/blog/benfotiamine-why-every-diabetic-should-take-it
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/benfotiamine
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