My last A1C was 7.1…not good, not great, not the best, but not fatal. So I am working on it.
My new PA did take one of the met tabs away, yipee, but my blood sugars haven’t measured below 170 since then. Met was making horribly sick to my stomach to the point of vomiting after each meal I took it at, that would be three times a day. Now I am fine, except my numbers don’t show it. Shoot!
I eat 100 - 125 carbs perday, more like 110 on a good day. I don’t eat sugars, pastas, etc. But it’s not going down. We are trying to get rid of pills, but not at the expense of my health. I swim four days a week, bike three. I am a type 2 have been for 11 years. Along with the met, I take amaryl and januvia…those work very well.
I so don’t want to go back to Met, and asked about LA…she said if this caused me problems so would the LA. The pharmacist said there is an antacid that could help, but then living on that is not fun either.
So…I’ve said it, my numbers are out in public, now what to do…
I’m wondering when you say the doctor is trying to “get rid of pills” what he means to replace them with? At 11 years you might be at the point where your body isn’t making sufficient insulin. Is he considering insulin for you? Sometimes doctors will try and try with other pills, other doses, for awhile before seeing that they are no longer working. Have you had a c-peptide done to see how much of your own insulin you are still making? I’m not saying insulin is the right choice for you, but just another possibility to consider. Being sick to your stomach is no way to live, but neither is being 170 or higher all the time!
I don’t know alot about the T2 meds but I have head that the XR Met doesn’t cause the same stomach issues as the regular Met. I don’t know if that would be a consideration for you or not.
Like Zoe asked, I also wonder about the last time you had a c-peptide was? T2 does not mean that you won’t have a decline in c-peptide and it is possible that adding some insulin in might be what you need.
I haven’t taken Met myself but many who have report gastrointestinal problems. Many of those who experience these problems have reported taking an ER (extended released) formulation of Met has solved their problem. I’m curious as to whether you’re taking the standard formulation or the ER. Not saying the ER version will help everyone but with Met working so well for you otherwise it might be worth a trial if you aren’t taking it already. By the way, you’re walking the walk. Congratulations on your fine efforts.
I wonder if you need insulin. Even Type 2s eventually have to go on that as the condition progresses.
There is a good antacid called esomeprazole which I practically live on - I know when I have not taken it but have absolutely no problems with it. Okay, it is another pill, but it works a treat on my indigestion - though mine is caused by a sliding hiatus hernia.
Agree with the others that it’s time to explore the possibility of using insulin. You could try lowering carbs some to see how much that brings down BG.
I am also pro insulin here. Please do not think that this a negative comment. Insulin might cause other problems like weight gain. But on the positive side you will have better glucose control and much more freedom. There is the possiblity that just by adding one shot of basal insulin per day (with Lantus) your current high activity regime will work out perfectly.
All Very good ideas, thank you. My last blood work up did include a P/c and it was good, well not good, great…so we know that I am producing some insulin, just not using it effectively. My “dropping” some pills, I am sure she means finding one or two or a lower dosage of what I am taking to control my sugars. There isn’t going to be a time that I am not on some kind of med for diabetes. And I am okay with that. We’ve talked about insulin, I am also okay with that, after kicking and screaming for 9 years…but as I said or didn’t say, she and I are new to each other, I think this last visit was my third since switching to her care. So this weekend, I went from one Met to 2 and things are better, watched my carbs very carefully and my AM numbers were closer to 120 than they have been for a very long time. After another long talk with my CDE we came to another conclusion that I am a stress person. Stress causes additional insulin in to your system, and I don’t deal well with stress…so we have to address that problem which may be all or part of the reason my sugars are off. IF my numbers on two met don’t level off here this week, then I will call the PA and ask for the LA Met instead. I think I can do that and still have ins cover it…I am now taking the Met an hour after I eat. OH, and other meds play a part in this too. I just don’t have diabetes, I have high blood pressure, two pills for that, some “old lady” incontinence, so another pill for that, arthritis in every joint in my body, 2 bills for that, and some mental health issues, 4 pills for that…I joke about the handful of pills I take in the AM as being breakfast in a palm. We’ll be looking at possibly updating those also, since many of them I have been on for over 5 years. Life is such a big ball.
Breakfast in a palm cracked me up – I do that for bedtime snack!
Obviously, the best treatment for your diabetes is the one that works! Insulin may indeed be necessary. Some people will warn you that insulin causes weight gain, but that isn’t absolutely true. Carbs cause weight gain. And people who use insulin to feed their high carb intake do gain weight.
I binged on carbs last year and almost killed myself. Since I got on this list, and especially the Flatliners Club, I have started limiting my carbs to about 60g per day, and have lost 27 lb. (that I gained while bingeing on carbs!) And I almost always manage to keep my BG under 140 at all times, unless I intentionally eat carb-rich foods (like the chocolate milkshake I had today!)
So I guess what I’m saying is do what you need to – it takes discipline (which I totally lost today!), but the result is worth it.
But, ifit were me? Have you explored ALL aspects of Physical Therepy…
Meaning? Being very aggressive in a Work out routine on a Daily basis…
Especially when you “Fall off the wagon”…
sometime we have to inflict Pain after having those kinds of pleasures for the future too… To help us Not do them again…
The only concequences for eating thos Carb Rich foods is a Bad Meter Reading and that disappears awhile after the meter goes off… or the next day and the serious concequences don’t happen until YRS later…
When I could Walk, I used to “pig out”, but I also would go “walk it off” for 2-4 miles… Cross training, Jog and walk, Jog and walk …Or go Hiking…
I’d take the approach, this is your last chance before having to go on shots…
Throw Caution and whatever else that may hold you back doing so,to the wind
