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Having been hypoglycemic most of my life the concern of diabetes was never foremost in my mind even though most of my blood relatives had it. I was very active and had a good diet and did not believe it would happen to me.
But it did. When undergoing treatment for a heart condition I learned that I had suddenly developed high blood sugar. Thinking it was temporary I followed my doctor's advice and started testing at home. I was almost consistantly between 200 and 300 on the tests.

After about 18 months of this my eyes began to suffer and my heart took a turn for the worse. I moved to a new state and changed my doctor. My new physician was alarmed that this had gone on for so long.
I have multiple allergies and do not react well to most medications so I was given insulin injection in the hospital and, sure enough, reacted badly. I was put on an exercise regimen and strict diet which did not seem to help much. I was given a multitude of herbal "remedies" including gymyma, cinnamon, chromium and vandalian. Nothing seemed to help. I finally found a multiple that I was able to tolerate and though it has helped a lot of things for me, it had no affect on my blood sugar or weight fluctuations (gaining and losing up to 15 pounds at a time).
Finally, in desperation, my physician suggested bitter melon. It is a supplement used in India for patients who are allergic to pork or otherwise cannot handle the insulin injections. I started taking the capsules, first two a day and gradually up to 6 a day. They seemed to help some, but not more than ten points. Then my doctor said to take the powder out of the capsule and start placing the powder under my tongue after meals and any time my glucose levels rose over 200. I started doing this and within days my blood sugar hit a record low of 120 (prior low was 164 in last 12 months). I continue my exercise regimen and try to eat sensibly and continue to take the bitter melon. I have been able to wean down to one capsule at bedtime and two to three pinches of powder per day under my tongue. Not only is it a natural substance, it is much cheaper than medication or insulin would be. After 2 years of suffering the affects of diabetes I am finally gaining control and getting more energy. My weight has been stable for over a month and is finally starting to come down. I sleep better and feel better in just a couple of short weeks of taking this. My doctor believes by the end of the month I will regularly have lower, acceptable levels of blood sugar. Unlike insulin, the bitter melon does not seem to take me into hypoglycemia either.
It tastes a lot like coffee grounds and the first couple of days I had headaches (though there is no caffeine at all in the melon) but they leveled off and were presumably from the adjustment of weaning off the high sugar levels. The bitter taste goes away in a few seconds or with a swallow of water.
If you are suffering from Diabetes and not getting sufficiant relief from your medication or want to try something different please talk to your doctor about trying bitter melon. ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE STARTING ANY SUPPLEMENT (even herbs as some will react adverseley to certain medications) and DO NOT STOP TAKING ANY MEDICINE YOU ARE ON WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF YOUR DOCTOR. Educate yourself about what you want to try and gather your research to discuss with your doctor at your next visit. Most doctors are beginning to realize the benefits of companion medicine/herb treatments for their patients and will be completely honest with you on their feelings in your particular circumstance.

Learn more about this author, Dawn Williams.
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