Hi,
I’m new here and this is my first post. About a week and a half ago I was diagnosed with T2 and A1C 11 and BG 323. My doctor started me on Metformin 500mg twice daily and Ozempic 2.5mg weekly. I got my glucometer yesterday and my BG this before breakfast was 113. This evening my before supper BG was 101. Is it typical for these meds to move your numbers that quickly? Also I started Keto and exercise 30 minutes a day.
Any helpful feedback would be greatly appreciated.
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Depends on the level of insulin resistance you have.
Your keto diet plays a huge role.
Your glucose level changes min to min.
When you check your blood in the morning it’s really just a single point in time.
The most important numbers for type 2 is 2 hours after you eat a meal.
That will give you a good indication of your control.
It’s good to take it in the mornings too to be sure you are not getting too much medication.
Yours look pretty decent.
However as you lose weight and move around more, you will need less medication, so you need to keep up with checking it and reduce your meds appropriately.
Most type 2 don’t bother with CGM but I think it would help you get a better understanding of your sugars over days and weeks.
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Thanks for the reply. I did check it after breakfast and it was 121. I also checked it before and after lunch and it was 104 and 107. So it doesn’t seem like I’m having any big spikes.
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You’re doing great. Good job.
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Welcome to our club, Tim. Good to meet you.
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Welcome aboard - Awesome you are able to reign in your numbers this quickly. You will have many successes and failures along your diabetes journey. Enjoy the success and learn from your failures and you will do just great. Any time you think we can help, just ask.
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Welcome to the group,Tim. As you design your plan and follow it ,you will see changes. Good luck. Nancy50
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With Type 1, checking blood sugar frequently is necessary, because it is difficult to estimate exactly how much insulin you need based on diet and exercise, so one checks and, if low, eats something (or takes a glucose pill) and if high, one takes insulin (or one can get a CGM and a smart pump and let them take care of everything).
With Type 2, the main test is HbA1c. Occasional blood sugar tests are more than enough (and the UK NHS limits test strips for Type 2, causing people who confuse Type 1 and Type 2 to scream, ‘evil socialised medicine’).
Metformin cannot cause hypoglycaemia, so no need to check for that. And if you are high, the only thing you can do is exercise and reduce your next meal, you still take the same dose of metformin at the same time.
Your sugar is responding very well to Metformin (most type 2 diabetics find that metformin works very well for awhile, but eventually fails after many years, and other medications must be added, and some of these can cause severe hypoglycaemia, in which case, one must test often, but you are not there, yet).
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I’m type 1, but my dad & his siblings and my cousins were type 2 and took metformin. Keep using that glucometer as it is a great tool. If doing Keto diet, you may reduce your insulin resistance over time and need less medication. Your doctor will be your guide. Long-term use of metformin can block absorption of vitamin B12, so have the doc check those levels as well. Stay well hydrated as well, especially around exercising. Metformin can lead to lactic acidosis, a buildup of lactic acid in the blood which can happen if a patient has chronic kidney problems or experiences an acute issue such as dehydration. Best of luck!
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Welcome to TuD, @Tim5150! It looks like your meds are keeping good control of your blood sugar. I agree with @Timothy that using a continuous glucose monitor would help you. Many people and doctors don’t think the CGM is as important to a T2D as it is for a T1D. I do agree that taking insulin increases the risk of severe hypoglycemia (low blood glucose).
What all these people miss is the educational aspect of paying attention to the live CGM data-stream. You’ve been diagnosed with a significant impairment of your glucose metabolism. You need to understand your personal and unique response to various meal components, exercise, and stress.
A CGM can also play a crucial role in adjusting your medications if you are losing weight. It can provide key data for a physician to understand what’s going one.
Observing your live glucose status can be a persuasive influence over long held habits. If I were you, I would do everything in my power to wear a CGM, even if intermittent, like 14 days a month or every second month.
Occasional finger sticks just do not have the same persuasive and educational effect of a CGM. I highly recommend finding a way to make this happen.
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