Thanks! Well, I not going to stop taking it. I still take it but like I said it hard to swallow them. I do have some unsweetned applesauce in the refrig right now that I bought for baking something. I thought I wasn't supposed to crush ER pills. They need to be swallowed whole??? I have have pill splitter but not crusher.
I am giving up on taking anything. I just think they are not working anymore like they used to and other options need to be explored.
And yes, you are right that I am mad that I have this - mostly because I have been a relatively active and healthy person most of my life - always thin. My immediate family eat the crappiest food you see and none of them have diabetes (they don't exercise either) but I get it??? Why??? And yes, you are right - I have anger about that because even when I try what I do doesn't always work. People who not eat crap and watch their diet do NOT deserve to get this. I have already excepted the fact that I am stuck with this and no I am not happy about it but what makes it extra hard is when I do what I supposed to do and I am not rewarded for it.
I am refusing the Jaunvia because the price. It is apparently a small pill. Plus I read some scarey stuff about it.
I wasn't actually exercising after I ate the apple. Before I leave for work around 5:30 I have a commute home on the train. Just so my stomach doesn't start growing I have small fruit before I leave for my commute. The walking I did was my normal commute walking but I did a bit extra because I went shopping. It wasn't planned "exercise". It is my normal commute.
I know you're probably tired of it when you can't get tested further for it or something but it's something to consider. I'd consider 44 a pretty young age still, if you were 65+ that might be a different story but even then I can't just go oh yeah you're a type 2 for sure if you're 44, as type 1 is less age related than type 2 from everything I know and have observed. Just because you once made enough insulin 4 years ago doesn't mean much. 4 years is a long time. Especially if you're not properly treated the beta cell destruction likely happens faster than just the damage to the pancreas in the way it'd happen with type 1.
I understand that you want the symptoms treated, but if you're being improperly typed still despite everything , you will probably not get the treatment you need. It's a lot more difficult to go on insulin when you're a type 2, but if you're a type 1 (even of the LADA variety) you should be able to get it easily even if you still make some insulin. It's just that you also dont' fit type 2 to really probably anyone here , the only thing pointing a type 2 is family history. You have poor response to type 2 drugs (and metformin is a good one to judge off you don't need tot try more than one) after 4 years, and you're slim, that just sounds like slow onset type 1. I understand being typed is a paaaaaain in the neck, but it's a matter of getting proper treatment. It's about feeling better. I was TIRED o f being sick when I was misdiagnosed as a type 2 , if I wasn't trusting my intuition and annoying doctors about getting typed right and going on insulin I dont' think I'd be alive and as healthy today and that was only a short time ago .
Fight the doctors , that's all you can do. don't let them rule you and improperly treat you. Is this specialist an endocrinologist? If it's not you NEED to see an endocrinologist. I know it's hard but you have to be assertive with SOME doctors. You likely wouldn't need to be with an endocrinologist , but family practice/internal meds doctors are often really ill equipped for people who aren't clear cut type 2's that use diet and exercise only or metformin/other pills only with success. There's something fishy about a skinny vegan person being on this much metformin with little to no success with it.
KimKat, I was 63 y.o. when I was diagnosed with Diabetes. At first they thought it was Type 2, but when the pills did nothing for me but make me sick, they gave me insulin. Much later, when I wanted a pump, they did all the tests and changed the diagnosis to Type 1. I echo the suggestion to see an endo ASAP.
Metformin ER is a a different preparation, it doesn't have anything to do with the pill size or coating. You can get Metformin ER in 500 mg small tabs. And you can split them all into half or quarters or if you are really fed up, get a mortal and pestle and grind them up. If Metformin works, then play that card as long as it works.
It is a hassle I know, but diabetes is always a hassle. We just need to do it. I know you can.
LOL 44 from where I sit that is still young. A person can be misdiagnosed at any age and its even more likely at 44 than at 24. At 44 diabetic's are almost always labeled as t2.
So it doesn't effect the "ER Action' of the pill if I grind it up? I thought the purpose of ER was for it to time release in the body. I think it would have to be whole to do that. I would be ok grinding or making them really small. I could throw them in my protein drink if it was OK to grind.
Haha! Thanks! I don't feel young anymore. Funny but I LOOK 30 or younger - that is what people tell me. Young at heart I guess. :) yeah, that seems to be the "trend". You are old, You must have Type T2. They need to stop with that!
Sensorium, yes it will be an endo! I am picking drs under "Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Internal Medicine" They have a special diabetes clinic at the new hospital I go to. And all the specialist are WOMEN! Yippee!!! I hope they don't tell me I need to be referred by my primary. It would be an awkward convo. I have PPO so I don't think so.
That is what I think too!! I think they should test the C-peptide EVERY YEAR esp when someone changes like I have. I mean, Ok I will pay for it myself if that is the big deal (and I have done so with my full thyroid, iron and some other stuff because the drs wouldn't do it. It my body!)
Thanks very much. Well, after I found out I had this, my mom tells me that grandma had it (her mom) but she died of bone/breast cancer when I was 3 so I don't remember much on how she was because she was sick in bed.
My mom said that grandpa gave her one insulin injection a day and that was it. Nothing about type. This was back in 1973 that she died. She found out she had diabetes from an eye exam. So my guess is she had it a long time before anyone knew and probably lots of damange. I don't remember her but I think she was more like me - thin and small. My mom is 5'9" and my dad and brother are both over six foot. All of my girls on my moms side are tall. Me and one other cousin are the only short ones. I plan to get the genetic test online. I am ordering it today. I keept putting it off. But I want to know if I am really genetically predisposed to this. If I am, I think will lessen some of the anxiety about this for me. Like eye color - I couldn't help it. A dr friend of mine thinks it is because I do not represent bad health of some diabetic. I am excited to get this test. I hope it can tell me some things. I have high risk of colon (not hereditary as far I know ) and breast cancer. Need to be careful. https://www.23andme.com/howitworks/
That sounds like where I go (Washington University in St. Louis), though I go to a private practice there, there's a huge diabetes center , though it's a mix of men and women. My endo's awesome though and I hope you get one like him (he's a type 1 diagnosed as an adult and seems pretty knowledgeable on how type 1 works in adults compared to someone without that experience). He tells me though he has a mix of type 1 and type 2 patients, all adults of course. He's not much of a talker , but he gets the job done and makes sense and explains things really well and has been pretty comforting in a way as he seems healthy despite being diabetic for 40+ years.
Ah, crap I just read the alert on their page - they don't the health ones anymore. Now I have to look for another place. that is what I get for proscrasinating!
You don't have to be young for LADA/T1. I was 39 when I was diagnosed based on body type and (more importantly) the antibody tests. My c-peptide at the time was almost normal, so your situation of having a good c-peptide early on is definitely possible. No matter the type, diabetes is progressive - so the important thing is finding a situation that makes you healthy - pills, insulin, whatever. I'm glad you're looking into finding an endo to help you. Good luck!
I'm sorry, upon looking into it further I am mistaken. At least some of the ER formulations (see page 22) specifically tell you not to split it or crush it.
Metformin hydrochloride extended-release tablets should not be cut, crushed, or chewed and should be taken whole with a full glass of water once daily with the evening meal.
You can split or crush the Metformin but not the Metformin ER.
And I think I was also mistaken about the size, upon looking into it further it appears that all the Metformin ER pills are the larger size.
I'm sorry for my mistake.
ps. You could still get the regular Metformin and spit them or crush them.
Exactly. The antibodies are the thing that make you a type 1, even if you have a somewhat normal or entirely normal c-peptide it's possible. Granted, 4 years can make a difference . Also good point that diabetes is progressive. All diabetics tend to progress to needing medication or needing more medication (specifically insulin) .
As another poster mentioned, it may be possible to crush/dissolve the pill in a little water, other liquid or jam/nut butter, you can ask your pharmacist and they will know if it changes the medicine. I do this when I have to take potassium as they are big, chalky, get stuck and can hurt to swallow, but, they dissolve in an ounce of water and then I can take it like a shot with a water chaser to get it all down.
I was really helped by my endocrinologist, she was able to give me a great perspective on how your body works and lets face it, only you are there 24x7 to manage your diabetes.
Food wise I find that finding the right amount of carbs and keeping to the slow carbs(glycemic index) helps the most. Basically I follow the perfect health diet, but, for a vegetarian and a diabetic you will make some modifications around food choice and carb intake. Interestingly too little carb can also do weird things to you as well as too many. I look towards traditional vegetarian cultures for ideas on what to eat, such as hindu's or buddhists.
You also want to be careful to get enough food/calories as your body will start to freak out if you get to little and turn down your metabolism as a famine response.
Exercise can lead to increase in blood glucose as it can cause the body to release stress hormones, like adrenalin, which causes your liver to release glucose for a burst of energy.
Do NOT crush or cut ER pills. ER stands for Extended Release which means that they release their ingredients in stages or phases, usually over an 8 to 12 hour time frame. The medication is normally manufactured in multiple layers (at least 2) and the layers are coated with a polymeric substance that helps to release the medicine slowly. Splitting or crushing these tablets destroys the coating, which means that the medication will no longer be released in stages. As a result, you might absorb the medication too fast (which could cause GI distress). If you’re going to do that, stick with regular metformin instead (those tablets are slightly smaller overall).
I join other members who have suggested that you explore the use of insulin with your doctor. You do not have to be a Type 1 or LADA to start insulin therapy. Vials of regular insulin (Novolin-R and Novalin-N) can be purchased at WalMart for less than $25 per vial which is probably less than the co-pay on the quicker-acting analog insulins. Syringes cost about $12.50/box of 100 when purchased with a Rx. You can also buy them over-the-counter but the cost rises to nearly $2 for a pack of ten syringes and there are usually limits on how many you can purchase O-T-C at any one time. You can also buy syringes online but the WalMart ones are usually of better quality (ReliOn brand) and less expensive.
There are two books that I often recommend to those who are struggling with good blood glucose control. One of them is Dr. Bernstein’s “Diabetes Solution: A Guide to Normalizing Blood Sugar” and the other is “Blood Sugar 101: What They Don’t Tell You About Diabetes” by Jenny Ruhl. Both books are available in both printed and digital formats. You can also read portions of both books online for free. Dr. Bernstein’s book (selected chapters) can be found at this link: http://www.diabetes-book.com/readit.shtml
and major portions of Jenny’s book can be found online at her Blood Sugar 101 website: http://www.bloodsugar101.com/
In fact, most of the contents of Jenny’s book is available on her website except that the book organizes the content more efficiently. This makes the book more cohesive and easier to read. It is also much easier to find stuff in the book. I personally use MDI (multiple dose injections) instead of an insulin pump. I also use doses based on what I eat instead of following the rigid low carb diet that Dr. Bernstein recommends. The effective use of insulin will require timing of your doses (normally up to 45 minutes before you actually eat) and learning what your insulin:carb ratio is. This will require keeping a written log, lots of testing initially, and a very healthy dose of trial and error until you find your sweet spots.
Many members can’t cope successfully using “only regular” insulin but require both basal and analog insulin which costs significantly more. However, I have been quite successful using only regular (Novolin-R which I get at WalMart), experience very few lows, and have A1c test results between 4.8 and 5.0 over the last three consecutive years. To accomplish that, I not only dose conservatively (one injection before each meal) but also inject “correction factor” doses when I am higher than my desired target ranges (I shoot for normal values between 70 and 85 as my goal). The Blood Sugar 101 site has a fairly good article on insulin use for T2 diabetics that you can read at this link: http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/15478720.php
Hope this helps get you away from the edge (wit’s end).
Just a thought but why worry about the test so much? When I read your original post I kept thinking "time for insulin" throughout the read. Doesn't really matter at this point what the results of the c-peptide test are it really sounds like your body is telling you that it's time. At some point that may be valuable information to have but at this point it won't change anything regarding eligibility, etc. Another plus is that IMO any of the pills beyond metformin represent increased risk that is just not acceptable. Insulin is proven and is something your body makes (or made) naturally.
At the end of the day though, you have to be comfortable with your treatment plan. Like you, my PCM is not an endo. In fact, I used my PCM to manage my diabetes for the first 5 or so years including when I started and the first four years I was on insulin. It was only since last July that I see an Endo and that is only because I am a pumper now. Quite frankly, the endo is the queen of the pump but my PCM is much better at diabetes management and advice (I still see her)!
■■■■, I was splitting mine in the half the past few days and it made it easier...crap.
So they want to give me a "coupon" for the Javania (however the hell you spell) that. I told the recep women (who gave my dr the message) Ok is this for ALL the time or just once. A coupon for ONE time isn't going to do me any good. I don't think the receptionist got that grrrr...
THey said if it still too expensive for me than they will find somthing else for me. If this coupon is just a one time deal, than yeah it is too expensive and I want something else.
And it looks like now that I can't crush or split the ER pills that i am going to ask to be switched back to regular - It is really torturous for me to swallow those ER pills. IF it was like once a week than no big deal but everyday is very stressful for me.
I am still going to make an appt with a endo. I am pretty sure that coupon things is a one time shot. Do they even listen to us???
I am not sure what to say when I call for the appt. They always ask WHY you want to see the dr. Well, what the f do you think why? It's a specialist - so I obviously have diabetes.
But than they ask who your primary care is and I am afraid they will ask about diabetes management through them - and what will I say?
"Oh, I think I need different treatment," I am not sure what to say.
I am wondering if I should wait and see if whatever new meds I get will work. Honestly I don't really care. I see a listing of all the tests the endos at my hospital do - and I WANT some of those tests. All drs I have seen are surprised because I am thin - don't they want to investigate further? No. It is like I have to tell them to do their jobs.
What is good thing for to say? Esp to the endo when I see her. You know, they walk in the room say "So why are you here today?" What do I say? Other than I have diabetes...
