How do you handle diabetics?

[Yarrow]

Okay... I know many a folks, including family members who have diabetis... course, some control it by diet... others insulin...

but the "what ifs" is... what happens when they no longer get their insulin... which is supposely (notice the word supposely) control by an european nation...

how do you handle this disease... in a survival situation???

[tangent]

low blood sugar, take glucose (some form of sugar), but high blood sugar where you need insulin is a problem. Other than being REALLY carefull about your diet, I don't know. we were talking about this in the medlab thread over on AW, might look there - the test strips for diabetics have a limited shelf life and from what I understand even the machines have to be callibrated w/ strips from time to time. someone did mention that he'd seen desicated insulin in a pharmacy once (something the pharmacist would use to mix up insulin) and presumably that would have a longer shelf life, but for the long haul it's still a problem.

sorry, but I don't have a good answer for you.

[Reasonable Rascal]

I believe it is possible to approximate a crude form of insulin by grinding the pancreas of a hog. Somewhat the same as the old Armour Thyroid for hypothyroid cases.

This is not definite and bears research but may give you a start point. There are also natural remedies that help but do not cure and cannot replace insulin entirely.

Testing for sugar levels can be done with old fashioned specific gravity bulbs and columns. So long as you don't drop them they have so shelf life but they are not terribly specific but approximate only.

RR

[Celt]

In Christopher Nyerges' "Guide to Edible Wild Foods" there is a short blurb on the prickly pear cactus as a food source. There is also some undocumented stories that people who eat the prickly pear have seen their need for insulin decrease or become non-existant.

HOWEVER, I don't know of any medical or scientific studies relating to this. But since there is virtually no other remedy for this situation it behooves one to get out there and try this. I'm not diabetic and we have no one in our group who is so it's a moot issue for me. But it might be helpful to someone else.

[RESQDOC]

A tough problem. There is good info on some of the other threads. Note that older oral meds are very cheap with indef. storage life under proper conditions, I would recommend that some be put away as you never know when you will need it. I would like to see a few folks try the improvised insulin processes as well & have it lab tested. The discussions on insulin production need fleshed out a bit but I see no reason why a basic lab couldn't produce usable insulin under worst case conditions. This needs extensive practice however. Management of DM under remote/disaster conditions would make an excellent book topic...

[Yarrow]

What scares me... it that someone would go into insulin shock... and I would not have something for them....

tho there are some herbs that could help... I don't know how much they could especially with someone with severe diabetics

[RESQDOC]

Insulin shock = Hypoglycemia = Low blood sugar. That's dead easy to manage, it's HYPERglycemia that's a bitch.

Just give sugar. If you can do it IV or IO, great. If not, give by mouth. Even if unconscious. Yes, they might aspirate some in the lungs, what you rather deal with, chemical pneumonitis or death from drain bamage?

The best sugars are "simple," that is readily absorbed. Glucose paste or honey is best. Also both are thick enough that you don't have so much pesky rundown into the lungs. Milk, table sugar, hard candy will work. Cheese, peanut butter, etc. is too slow for a critical low blood sugar.

All diabetics and medics should carry glucose or honey. Dextrose 50% (D50) if you have access capability (can be dripped in orally also). Glucagon injection kits are helpful also, although a bit slower.