Okay people, I need some inspiration and helpful advice from people who have been there. I was diagnosed in September and am now on metformin and Byetta. I really really really do not want to keep taking these drugs if I can aviod it. And believe me I have totally changed my lifestyle and diet (I’m down 15 pounds already) but I’m just want to have some kind of realistic goal for when I could possibly wean myself off these meds. Has anyone out there done it? Can you give me some kind of inspirational stories to keep me motivated?
I haven’t been able to get online much but I sure have appreciated the advice I’ve found on this forum so I will thank you all in advance for your stories.
Metformin and Byetta is a pretty brutal combination as far as the digestive tract is concerned. I can see why you would not be happy about a future taking both.
Taking only one or the other might be a lot easier to live with. Met is cheap, very well understood, and known to reduce insulin resistance. Byetta has been hyped a lot, but what I’ve observed is that it either works dramatically for people or not at all. Doctors may tell you it rejuvenates beta cells but this is based on some very questionable data. If your body tells you it isn’t for you, it might not be. OTOH, if it is making it easy to lose weight, and that’s a goal of yours, it might be worth sticking with for a while until you get down lower and then you can discontinue it and watch closely what happens with your blood sugar and weight. Also how you feel.
Alternatively, you can start cutting way down on the carbs, and if you are like most type 2s, you may be able to normalize your blood sugar completely without any drugs. It takes dedication, but it can be done.
Drug companies sell doctors on the idea that people have to stay on these drugs for life, but if a drug is ruining your quality of life, that’s not a great idea.
The only med that I won’t stop using is Insulin, because it doesn’t cause unpleasant side effects and it does bring my blood sugars down to the safe range. Compared to most of the Type 2 oral diabetes drugs it is downright benign.
Laurie,
I agree with Jenny. I couldnt handle the Metformin or Januvia; so I’m on Byetta.
I"m slowly losing weight. I go for my next A1C on the 14th. I’m not sure what to totally expect.
I cheated here and there/tried eating foods that I had previously given up. ( I know now; that was a
bad idea!) I’m back to low-carb/veggie diet to keep my numbers coming down to a better range.
MeadowLark
Hi ladies and thanks for the info and inspiration. I think the worst thing is realizing there is no quick fix. I’ve got to keep motivated over the long haul to keep those numbers down and get off the drugs.
I try to be mr positive. Take this address below (bottom line) and put it in your webbrowser. It should send you to a podcast I did on the importance of attitude and my thoughts on this vital topic.
Hi Laurie, You seems to be away of this page for a while. I just came back here, I can see I do feel just like you about the diabetes situation. I,m 65 y/o sometimes I feel depressed too. i try to keep my glucose in between 100 to 120, most of the time I got it. Metformin upsets my stomach and liver, I take Nopalina ,it’s working, diet and excercise as part of treatment. This is not a negative message, is just to say I understand your feelings.
Thanks for your time to read this.
Haly
Bingo!! You are so right… there’s no quick fix. It takes lots of hard work. I mean really hard work. I’ve spent untold hours researching this stuff, trying different things, and working my tail off. The best method I’ve found is going back to basics. Were we meant to eat manufactured, refined, processed, preserved, and packaged foods? NO! Were we meant to sit around all day peering at a computer monitor or TV screen? NO! So, what were our bodies designed to do? Well, a quick visit 200 years into the past, before type two became an epidemic, should tell you. Or, a look into the rural areas of South America or Asia (where type two diabetes is virtually unheard of) might give you a hint. It’s the food and the activity level… lifestyle, in other words. Since I adopted these basics, started a wholesome, raw, natural foods based diet, exercised at least an hour a day, and lost nearly fifty pounds, my insulin resistance reversed so significantly, that I was able to quit taking Metformin over a year ago. My energy has soared and my blood glucose has settled back into the normal range. Yes, if your disease hasn’t progressed too far, there’s plenty of hope in getting off the meds. It just takes a major effort. If you do as I have done and make it a life or death decision, it becomes much easier. You see, I don’t have a choice… I can’t afford medical insurance, and I certainly can’t afford the meds. When it comes down to survival, it’s surprising what one can do.
Having said that, after re-reading your initial post, I would say that six to twelve months would not be an unrealistic goal for you. Provided you are willing to do what it takes. (yes, that is a challenge)
