Diabetes

[Whamo]

My wife tells me once I get a transplant I'll become diabetic.  Is that a difficult transition for dialysis patients that don't have it?

[MooseMom]

Your wife is incorrect.

Haven't we had this conversation before?  This sounds awfully familiar.

[Charlie B53]

She has bad info.

Your pancreas determines whether you become diabetic, not your kidneys.

Weight does play a huge factor.  Control it.

After umpteen years of being over weight and my Dr warning me about the potential for developing diabetus, it still didn't happen until I started PD, and then it took another 6 months before it really showed on my labs.

2 years later and a 100 pound weight loss I rarely need anything other than my nightly injection of slow insulin.

I don't think you have anything to worry about as long as you maintain a healthy weight.

[cattlekid]

There is such a thing as steroid-induced diabetes.  I know, I have it.  I worked my tail off to get down about 20 lbs and I've been able to bring my blood sugar down about 20 points, back out of the diabetic range and back into the pre-diabetic range.  Does your transplant center keep people on steroids for life?  Mine does...especially someone like me who has IgA nepropathy and is helped by a low dose of steroids.  The steroids also help keep my ulcerative colitis in check.  But I do have to work to keep my weight down, I still could lose about another 50 lbs. per my center.  It's a slow go but they would rather I lose slowly than yo-yo on a super restrictive diet that isn't sustainable for the long term.

[MooseMom]

Cattlekid is right in that some people are at risk of developing med-induced diabetes.  That is not the same as saying that a transplant will make you become diabetic, but yes, the meds can.  This is something your center should talk to you about.

[Charlie B53]

The majority of my weight loss was simply cutting out food items made with flour.  I substituted that 35/40 carb bread for the usual breads we used to eat.  Reduced portion sizes of pasta.    It took two years but the change made a huge difference in me.