What do you think?

[LA.Jgirl]

Ok here is the deal. A few months ago I found out I was a diabetic. I was a little worried at first about how my medicine would interact with smoke. Well I did a little experiment and checked my sugar before I smoked and then 15 min after I smoked. My sugar level had dropped by a few points. A friend of mine (who is a medical student) thinks that Cannabis use lowers blood sugar levels. He believes that is why you get the munchies and sometimes feel tired after smoking. What do you think?

LA.Jgirl Reviewed by LA.Jgirl on 08-29-2007. What do you think? Ok here is the deal. A few months ago I found out I was a diabetic. I was a little worried at first about how my medicine would interact with smoke. Well I did a little experiment and checked my sugar before I smoked and then 15 min after I smoked. My sugar level had dropped by a few points. A friend of mine (who is a medical student) thinks that Cannabis use lowers blood sugar levels. He believes that is why you get the munchies and sometimes feel tired after smoking. What do you think? Rating: 5

[floridadread90]

This is interesting. Would love to hear more, unfortunately I can't contribute any words of wisdom.

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

You should probably do this test a few times to make sure the results are consistant. Check it 15 minutes apart when you haven't smoked too, just to see if your blood sugar levels fluctuate on their own.

[LA.Jgirl]

Thanks for the replies and the advice.

[birdgirl73]

I've read about the connection between cannabis and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) before, but not in any sort of medical study or publication, just in anecdotal reports. I think that would be a good idea to test yourself a few more times. If it simply knocks your blood glucose down a few points, that's easy enough to make adjustments for through your diet both before and after you smoke, at least as long as the lows aren't dramamtic and don't leave you feeling shaky and out of sorts. I've read on more than one occasion that cannabis isn't a good mix with diabetes, but I know one thing for sure. It's a far better mix with diabetes than alcohol. Now that's a disastrous combination.

[Storm Crow]

I got the same results- 8 points difference or less after about 20 minutes. Not enough to hassle about. Cannabis is GOOD for diabetics! Read and learn!

Cannabinoid Reduces Incidence Of Diabetes
Non-Psychoactive Cannabinoid Reduces Incidence Of Diabetes, Study Says - NORML

Marijuana Compound May Help Stop Diabetic Retinopathy
ScienceDaily: Marijuana Compound May Help Stop Diabetic Retinopathy


Cannabidiol lowers incidence of diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice
IngentaConnect Cannabidiol lowers incidence of diabetes in non-obese diabetic mi...

Anticoagulant Effects of a Cannabis Extract in an Obese Rat Model
Anticoagulant Effects of a Cannabis Extract in an Obese Rat Model

Neuroprotective and Blood-Retinal Barrier-Preserving Effects of Cannabidiol
Neuroprotective and Blood-Retinal Barrier-Preserving Effects of Cannabidiol in Experimental Diabetes -- El-Remessy et al. 168 (1): 235 -- American Journal of Pathology

The Cannabinergic System as a Target for Anti-inflammatory Therapies
IngentaConnect The Cannabinergic System as a Target for Anti-inflammatory Therap...

Effect of tetrahydrocurcumin on blood glucose, plasma insulin and hepatic key enzymes
Unbound MEDLINE | Effect of tetrahydrocurcumin on blood glucose, plasma insulin and hepatic key enzymes in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Journal article

Cannabidiol reduces the development of diabetes in an animal study
IACM-Bulletin

Getting Eye On Cannabinoids
Getting Eye On Cannabinoids: The Hempire - [cannabis, britain]


Marijuana compound could prevent eye damage in diabetics
Marijuana compound could prevent eye damage in diabetics: The Hempire - [cannabis, britain]


I got stuff on appetite stimulation (and a LOT more!), in case you're interested. Just click the link in my sig!

Loose weight if you are overweight! My diabetes has gotten less severe as my weight goes down. Check for stevia, it's a plant based sweetener. And don't be put off by the fact that it costs $12 for a small bottle- you need about a 16th of a teaspoonful to sweeten a large mug of tea. It goes a long way! Here's a good place to buy it in bulk, if you decide you like it. I got a pound. Bulk Herbs and Spices A - C All Natural Herbs & Spices Wholesale

Watch your diet! Eat as naturally as possible. DUMP THE JUNK!

Take a walk every day in a green place! This gives you some exercise and soothes the soul.

Keep toking! It blocks diabetic neuropathy, which is the root cause of most amputations in diabetics. Yeah, diabetes can cause you to have legs amputated! Sores won't heal as fast, gangrene sets in, and that's it! It also protects your eyes- uh-huh, diabetes is a major cause of blindness! Diabetes is nothing to take lightly!

Good luck, hon!- Granny:hippy:

[birdgirl73]

My husband is on the phone with two of his endocrinologist friends at the moment. He read your post above, Granny, and is having a cow. I expect he'll sign on later once he gets through researching this on his own. The bottom line is it's not by any means good for all diabetics, and even with my second-year med student eye, I can tell that that's not what anyone can conclude from those links above.

[Dave Byrd]

I want everyone to be real clear here. Those links above say no such thing as "cannabis is good for diabetics." That was, at best, an editorial comment.

Those links refer to the effects of a cannabidiol, an isolated compound, in animal studies. They say it may have a beneficial effect in humans. They refer to other mice and animal studies. A couple of them mention the possible potential benefit in humans. Several of the links above donâ??t deal with diabetes at all, and even if they did theyâ??re brief abstracts and are not written so that a medically untrained audience can interpret them. No one can extrapolate that cannabis is good for diabetics from those links, and it is dangerously irresponsible to do so. Thatâ??s especially true in front of an audience of medical laypeople, many of whom fervently want to embrace the cannabis-is-all-good myth.

I spent some time reading about endocrinology/cannabis on my wifeâ??s med school database this evening, and then I talked to two of my endocrinologist friends. What I learned suggested that smoked cannabis can cause some fairly dramatic variations in blood glucose levels in many patients. According to my endocrinologist colleagues, the sicker or more brittle the diabetic, the more dramatic and dangerous the hypoglycemia can be in response to weed. We already know the act of smoking itself, because it initially increases carbon dioxide /decreases the oxygen saturation levels and puts strain on the cardiovascular system before the vaso-dilatory effects kick in, is not beneficial from a circulatory standpoint. If cannabis fans were able to administer cannabidiol alone, theyâ??d be at far less risk.

Every diabetic is unique in his response to different foods and medicines. Cannabis is no different. Iâ??m glad it doesnâ??t cause dramatic effects for your blood sugar, Storm Crow. But just because it doesnâ??tâ??or because you post some links that say CBDs have a positive effect on miceâ??doesnâ??t mean itâ??s flat-out beneficial for all human diabetics. Thatâ??s dangerously far from accurate.

[LA.Jgirl]

Yes the idea of it lowering you levels is very good for me since I am a new diabetic and just getting hold of it!!

[birdgirl73]

The thing about it lowering your glucose levels, LA.Jgirl, is that the hyperglycemia after you've eaten in response to the hypoglycemic period may also be exaggerated. Particularly if a munchie-attack has caused you to eat foods that are high on the glycemic index but even if you've eaten the perfect diabetic meal or snack. Those ranges tend to be much more labile in both directions for diabetics, especially when they're just getting the hyperglycemia under control with meds and dietary changes. I'm just saying you have to look at the bigger picture than the benefit of slightly lower sugar while you're just getting your hyperglycemia under control. You've got to look at the effect what you eat and smoke has on the peaks and valleys, too, and at the pattern over the course of time as you adjust your diet, exercise and meds. Just keep your glucometer handy as you're learning how your particular metabolism responds to both cannabis and foods.