# Survival > Bushcraft Medicine >  Diabetes

## GreatUsername

Something I've wondered about for a while: what solutions are available for diabetics in situations where insulin cannot be resupplied for several days, such as a natural disaster or getting lost on a camping trip? I know most diabetics have extra insulin (my grandfather always has roughly four doses with him at all times) but are there any solutions that can be used as stop-gaps once those run out?

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## wildgarlic

> Something I've wondered about for a while: what solutions are available for diabetics in situations where insulin cannot be resupplied for several days, such as a natural disaster or getting lost on a camping trip? I know most diabetics have extra insulin (my grandfather always has roughly four doses with him at all times) but are there any solutions that can be used as stop-gaps once those run out?


One! You cannot eat any carbs what so ever or better yet, do not eat anything until you have an insulin supply handy

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## GreatUsername

Great. I guess heavy or even moderate activity is out of the question until the emergency passes then. Diabetes is one of those many things I'm very thankful to NOT have.

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## wildgarlic

> Great. I guess heavy or even moderate activity is out of the question until the emergency passes then. Diabetes is one of those many things I'm very thankful to NOT have.



It is bad on so many levels. A friend of my dad's is 90 and he is on insulin 4 times a day, but he watches it very carefully and breaks the rules like 2-3 times a yr.

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## jfeatherjohn

Actually, the body will begin to metablize fat, so starvation won't help a "severe" diabetic for long.
If one thinks they are going be separated from insulin resupply longer than their current supply, they can reduce insulin consumption, using a higher target.
For example, my plan would be to target the low 200's, as I can tolerate that well. Doing that would reduce my consumption more than half.
Remember, also, that if you are going to eat only protein, you are going to need a lot of water. The body uses water to metabolize protein, period.

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## Geek

Cinnamon may help a mild diabetic.  For someone who is insulin dependent you've got a real problem.

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## Dropy

I am type 2 diabetic and once I lose the weight and maintain a more healthy lifestyle I can get off the drugs completely. I look forward to this.

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## GreatUsername

> I am type 2 diabetic and once I lose the weight and maintain a more healthy lifestyle I can get off the drugs completely. I look forward to this.


While that's encouraging, my grandfather (for whom I asked about this, since I want to be able to account for him if need be) weighs 305 lbs, and that's AFTER years of trying to lose the 60 lbs he has lost so far. It's going to be years before he loses the next 60 lbs, and at his age I rather doubt he'll be able to get down to a drug-free weight before he expires. Good to know about the other tips though, thanks guys!

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## cowgirlup

> One! You cannot eat any carbs what so ever or *better yet, do not eat anything until you have an insulin supply handy*


Do you have  some info on why that would be the better thing to do?  I 'm curious because I have an insulin dependant cat.  She won't let anyone near her but me.  So when we go away for a weekend she just goes without.  The vet said that while it's not ideal she would be OK as long as she eats.  I would think it would be the same as a person.  

I would think following a strict diet  in that type of circumstance should help unless you have a really uncomtrolable type of diabetes where you have to adjust your insulin daily depending on your blood sugar.

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## welderguy

I know one person that with a strict diet and a dedicated exercise routine she went from insulin to metforman to no meds at all and she was insulin dependent for years and she was told by a nutritionist that Carbs are an absolute no no. she has been med free for 3 or 4 years now, My sister who was taking metforman for over a year changed her diet and exercise program and has been off meds for over a year now

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## welderguy

> Do you have  some info on why that would be the better thing to do?  I 'm curious because I have an insulin dependant cat.  She won't let anyone near her but me.  So when we go away for a weekend she just goes without.  The vet said that while it's not ideal she would be OK as long as she eats.  I would think it would be the same as a person.  
> 
> I would think following a strict diet  in that type of circumstance should help unless you have a really uncomtrolable type of diabetes where you have to adjust your insulin daily depending on your blood sugar.


There are tons of info all over the web,
here is diet info for Felines. Diet is a critical component of treatment, and is in many cases effective on its own. For example, a recent mini-study[10] showed that many diabetic cats stopped needing insulin after changing to a low carbohydrate diet. The rationale is that a low-carbohydrate diet reduces the amount of insulin needed and keeps the variation in blood sugar low and easier to predict. Also, fats and proteins are turned into blood glucose much more slowly and evenly than carbohydrates, reducing blood-sugar highs right after mealtimes.
Latest veterinary good practice is to recommend a low carbohydrate diet for cats[11][12] rather than the formerly-recommended high-fiber diet.
It's now becoming clear that lower carbohydrate diets will significantly lower insulin requirements for diabetic cats. Carbohydrate levels are highest in dry cat foods (even the expensive "prescription" types) so cats are best off usually with a low carbohydrate healthy canned diet.[13] Some prescription canned foods made for diabetic cats are effective, but some ordinary ones work just as well. Between 3 and 9% calories from carbohydrates seems to be optimal. You can use the cat food calculator found at http://www.scheyderweb.com/cats/catfood.html to determine the carbohydrates and calories in any cat food, though numbers in American brands are given as minima and maxima rather than actual estimates, and may be very inaccurate. If in the US, try these commercial food contents lists which are kept up-to-date with actual manufacturer's as-fed content amounts. Numbers in most other countries are "as fed" rather than "guaranteed" values. "As fed" values are generally more accurate and you can use them directly in the calculator. Taken from wikipedia .

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## WolfVanZandt

There is a well documented case of a person with multiple personality disorder with one healthy personality, and one who was diagnosed with diabetes (it's mentioned in this article http://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/21/sc...pagewanted=all ). That makes me wonder if shamanism might be the survivalist answer to treatment of diseases that require "advanced" medication and such. If you can "construct" a healthy alter in a person with a difficult disease, that could be the answer.

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## wildgarlic

Type 2 diabetes is your body is not reacting to your insulin. For some reason, cinnamon helps the body to utilize insulin. Type 1 is you are not producing it. If you do not eat, you do not need it. But how long can that go on: especially in the wilderness

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## cowgirlup

> There are tons of info all over the web,
> here is diet info for Felines. Diet is a critical component of treatment, and is in many cases effective on its own. For example, a recent mini-study[10] showed that many diabetic cats stopped needing insulin after changing to a low carbohydrate diet. The rationale is that a low-carbohydrate diet reduces the amount of insulin needed and keeps the variation in blood sugar low and easier to predict. Also, fats and proteins are turned into blood glucose much more slowly and evenly than carbohydrates, reducing blood-sugar highs right after mealtimes.
> Latest veterinary good practice is to recommend a low carbohydrate diet for cats[11][12] rather than the formerly-recommended high-fiber diet.
> It's now becoming clear that lower carbohydrate diets will significantly lower insulin requirements for diabetic cats. Carbohydrate levels are highest in dry cat foods (even the expensive "prescription" types) so cats are best off usually with a low carbohydrate healthy canned diet.[13] Some prescription canned foods made for diabetic cats are effective, but some ordinary ones work just as well. Between 3 and 9% calories from carbohydrates seems to be optimal. You can use the cat food calculator found at http://www.scheyderweb.com/cats/catfood.html to determine the carbohydrates and calories in any cat food, though numbers in American brands are given as minima and maxima rather than actual estimates, and may be very inaccurate. If in the US, try these commercial food contents lists which are kept up-to-date with actual manufacturer's as-fed content amounts. Numbers in most other countries are "as fed" rather than "guaranteed" values. "As fed" values are generally more accurate and you can use them directly in the calculator. Taken from wikipedia .


Thanks,
 With 3 cats it's nearly impossible to control what that one eats.
But that info is good to have in case there is some emergency and I run out of her insulin.


I was mostly just curious why someone would suggest  for a person not to eat at all if insulin wasn't available for a limited time.

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## welderguy

> Thanks,
>  With 3 cats it's nearly impossible to control what that one eats.
> But that info is good to have in case there is some emergency and I run out of her insulin.
> 
> 
> I was mostly just curious why someone would suggest  for a person not to eat at all if insulin wasn't available for a limited time.


wildgarlic touched on that in the post above yours   "Type 2 diabetes is your body is not reacting to your insulin. For some reason, cinnamon helps the body to utilize insulin. Type 1 is you are not producing it. If you do not eat, you do not need it. But how long can that go on: especially in the wilderness" .

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## WolfVanZandt

That's, of course, the problem. people with diabetes have issues with both hyper- and hypo-glycemia.

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## WolfVanZandt

Interesting....

The Learning Company has a series called "The Science of Natural Healing". Lecture 12 is called "Healing Diabetes Naturally." Given that these are auditioned college level lectures given by renown college professors, it might be worth a look-see.

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## letslearntogether47

I thought I would just mention coconut oil.
I had Type 2 for a while until I went from 238 lbs. down to 190 lean lbs.
Good eating and lot of farming excercise(throwing hay)as well as bike riding.
I still check my blood sugar and once in a while if I'm bad my glucose will spike.
My wife told me about how coconut oil is suppose to help.So one day after being bad I used some in my coffee.
It solidifies so warm drinks are best to disolve it.You can also eat it as a solid.My glucose level dropped immediatly 30-35 points.
That's just with one teaspoon.

Lot's of folks add this to their BOB.
1)It's edible and has lot of nutrients and fats.
2)It's flamible and can be made into a primitive candle
3)It can be used to protect guns,metal from the weather similar to tallow
4)It's been shown to have medical benifits(diabetes). 
5)can use it for cooking 

Here's an article.

http://coconutoil.com/diabetes/

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## 1stimestar

And best of all, you can make coco crack with it!

Melt and dissolve some coco powder in some.  Pour it out in a thin layer in a baking sheet and freeze.  Break it up and put it in a ziplock in the freezer.  Take a piece whenever you feel the need for something yummy.

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## Rick

I'm an advocate of talking to your doctor and explaining your concerns about something happening. Keep it in the weather related arena and they understand that. Not so much your concern on zombies or aliens. You should be able to get an additional 30 day supply for any necessary medications. If your doc won't do that then it might be time to find another doc. The biggest worry for some meds would be refrigeration. But there simply isn't any reason a doctor won't accommodate an extra 30 days of necessary medications in case of hurricane, tornado, blizzard or whatever calamity your locale might face. 

You might have to pay for it out of pocket but that's a decision you'll have to make on your own. Even some more exotic meds like analgesics or antibiotics should be accessible if you can explain the need. 

Good luck.

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## tacmedic

The important thing to remember is that there are two (actually three, but I am assuming that no one is pregnant) types of diabetes.  Type 1 and Type 2.  Type one means that for some reason your pancreas produces no natural insulin on its own.  There is no getting off of insulin in this case, it must be supplemented in order for you to survive.  It is true that your body is capable of burning fat to attempt to compensate for not being able to utilize the carbohydrates that have been taken in however, this causes a severe build up of toxins in the blood that will rapidly lead to a build up of acid (known as diabetic ketoacidosis) which can progress rapidly to coma and death if not treated.  Type 2 diabetes (as has already been pointed out) means that your body has lost its "sensitivity to insulin," it takes a much larger amount to utilize the same amount of sugar in the blood than it would for a normal person.  Typically, in this case, you still produce insulin just not enough of it to compensate for what you have eaten.  In this case changing your diet and avoiding high sugar foods will often reverse the problem.  Many type 2 diabetics wind up on insulin because their insulin resistance continues to increase throughout their life and they continue to require higher and higher doses of oral medications and it becomes necessary to supplement the bodies' own insulin supply.  This is where people can lose weight and exercise and reduce or eliminate their dependence on insulin injections.

To make a long post even longer, I am with Rick.  Talk with your doc about being able to keep some extra meds on hand in case of emergencies.  Also, there is a somewhat new type of insulin on the market.  The Novolog Flex Pen that does not require refrigeration for up to 28 days. So this may be something to talk with your provider about to see if it is something that you could use.

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## sigma42

being a diabetic myself I have started now to prepare. I am insulin dependent. But thur diet and lots of exercise I have been able to skip some of my injections, not all but some. Any type of exercise that will increase your metabolism will burn sugar. 

If you start *NOW* on teaching your self, and controlling your sugars you will be ahead when the SHTF and there is no more insulin

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## namastemama

FYI there is a stem cell therapy now that completely reverses diabetes. My brother had it and he is diabetes free.

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## RandyRhoads

Your brother wouldn't happen to be a mouse would he? As to my knowledge only in the last two weeks has that been shown to work, on the equivalent to diabetes in mice, and hasn't been successful in humans. Sources and links please...

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## Rick

I read something on this back in January or February. They had just been successful in mice studies. I don't remember them even mentioning human studies so I would gather it is sometime in the future. Yeah, links would be good.

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## phreshayr

Devils Club (Oplopanax Horridus) has been used to successfully treat diabetes.   What type?  How much devils club?  I don't know.   the Aunt of a Tlingit Indian fella that I work with used devils club tea to treat her diabetes for years.   The doctor told her that whatever she was doing, to keep on doing it because it was working.   She was using devils club as a tea.   Might be a good idea to check it out and how to use it if it ever happens to be a survival situation and you are in need.   Of course Devils Club does have to be available. either native to your area or gathered and dried or bought.

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## MItygrr

EEeRegardless of the myths they tell you, the loss of weight and strict adherence to diet does not necessarilky mean you will become drug free.  I lost 130 #, reduced my carb intakes, ate much better and excercise and my glucose levels thanked my by putting me in diabetice ketoacidosis.  Spent 3 days in a CV unit and the doctors had to increase my levels even with strict control over my intakes. Diabetes is an immune deficiuency disease! Anything from stress, excercise, diet to medications can raise or lower glucose.  Best answer; is track what raises and lowers you glucose levels!  Keep records of what you eat, what excercises or life styles help or hinder, remember to track spices too!  How long an individual can "safely" go without needs to be gauged and tracked by the individual.  Your physician is a tool, only as good as the information you give them.  Listen to your body.  When your sugar goes up, how do you feel? New aches, pains changes in eye sight? Low? Dizzy? "Light" in your vision.  Remember the most important thing in your diabetic "survival" kit, is the same as what need for any "survival" kit.  YOU!  I, myself have "tells" I.E. I have COPD, so when sugar elevates over 200, I have what feel like my asthma attacks, when I was a child.  Speak with your physician, see if they will set you up with a "workable" non refridgerated pen system.  Mine allows me a month and half supply once a year.  Just be sure to use it before it expires!  Under new health care requirements, they may be limited in amount or capability.  But talk to them, most they do is say no.  Just remember these WILL be synthetics!  Recap: research, notes, test, and practice! And especially in a supply shortage/survival situation.

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## hunter63

I'm thinking that most anyone the requires maintenance meds is gonna be screwed to a large extent.

Currently I am on all sorts of med after heart surgery.....Is it all needed?...don't know, Dr. isn't saying.....just take your meds and see us in 6 months.
I can fill scrip's for 3 months....but is a matter of timing...if SHTF at the beginning of a cycle, gonna have 3 month....if at the end...good luck.

Seems the medical profession is adding more and more meds, but they are controlling what, when, and how much.

Some relief can come from diet, healthy life style, natural substitutes and such......but not all. 

Grid down, meds run out, lots of population won't make it for 6 months.

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