So, I saw an endo. today for my Hashimoto’s and type 2 diabetes. I had controlled pre diabetes for many years but after I tore a meniscus, my A1c went up to 7 and then 9. I’ve been struggling with metformin for a year and a half with diarrhea and I thought I’d be better managed by an endo.
My numbers are in the low 200’s because I am only on 500 mgs of metformin. She wants me on a CGM?? Has anyone else experienced this? I could certainly see if she was putting me on insulin, which she isn’t. I don’t want anything expensive or troublesome at this point. I have checked my sugars a lot for the past 10 years and I know my patterns, they are very predictable.
She prescribed Victoza. I am so afraid of nausea and vomiting. I hope if I get this, nausea meds will help??? I am going to have to work up the nerve to take it. Fingers crossed!!!
A CGM gives you real-time actionable data which will bring your A1C down as you learn the effects of different foods, different medications and different exercises. There is no tool that will help you more than a CGM. Go for it, especially if covered by insurance. If not, your health is still worth every penny a CGM will cost.
I think you may find it very surprising to see what’s going on in between those fingersticks. That was the reaction of a T1 friend of mine who’d resisted getting a CGM for much the same reason you voice here. Thing is, even if you’re testing fairly often, a fingerstick is a still image, and a CGM is a movie. It can really be an eye-opener to learn what your glucose is doing during all those hours between snapshots.
The use of CGM’s are game changing for all people with diabetes. I think you will be surprised at what you find.
A Libre is pretty cheap which is probably what you would qualify for? But it’s pretty cheap even if not covered by insurance. No one could test the equivalent of what a CGM will show you, you just don’t test the hour after you eat and then 2 hours 2 and a half etc. Or know what your blood sugar was doing at 2 in the morning.
It is worth the investment even if not paid for by insurance. You usually can get a reader at a discount, but you can download the ap on your phone free if you want to use that. (The phone does more anyways) The sensor itself is only $37.50 twice a month at Costco with no insurance. I know because I use one on my dog!!!
I agree with Marie on the libre. I’ve paid out of pocket for almost 3 years now, and the libre stores 8 hours of glucose information, so as long as you scan at least 4 times a day, you’ll have an entire picture of your glucose readings. You can use your phone to scan also…the miaomiao2 is more for type1s or when or if they put you on fast acting insulin… the Cgm is ideal for new medications and different amounts of medications… victoza might work better for you. But might also cause lows… the Cgm will help tremendously there. I have Cigna and they recently started covering the libre with my prescription co pay, I’d set up the prescription and decide at the counter… but I still think its amazing technology
CGM or not, running in the 200’s isn’t good for your long-term prospects for avoiding serious complications. I hope you know that. You seem to have just poo-pooed those numbers in your OP.
Jean, I think running in the low 200’s is much too high and you certainly don’t want to end up with diabetic complications.
I think using a CGM is a great idea for you.
Agreed, CGM is the absolute BEST move I ever made.
I think everyone with diabetes can benefit from a CGM. It is so incredibly illuminating to see what’s happening in between finger sticks!
I am type 1 but used Victoza for about 5 years - I lost a lot of weight because I felt fuller faster - more normally. Now I’ve been switched to Trulicity but hoping it has the same effects. Don’t be afraid to try medicine and/or insulin when prescribed. It’s worth it if your blood sugars are better!
Wow, I am very humbled by your expertise and appreciate you sharing it with me. So many good pieces of advice. And yes, I most certainly know that anything over 180 is damaging the body!!! I worked in health care. LOL… But when it’s you, a lot of ah-ha moments happen for sure!!! I think going to the next level of care and commitment shocked me. I expected her to maybe do some lab work and give me a script for Januvia. LOL… It’s very scary to me because I know exactly what diabetes does all too well. I don’t metabolize drugs properly and have auto immune diseases, so it’s been a long haul with health issues for me. If I can do something simple and get on with life, I want to do that. However, a real big take home point from your suggestions was having an alert for low’s. That might be the deciding factor for me. I have a relative right now who is basically dying from complications of diabetes. I certainly don’t want anything like that for myself. I am going to call my insurance company to see if they will cover a CGM for me. Thank you so much again everyone!!! 
@jean63 A Libre, which is generally cheaper doesn’t have alerts, it just gives you 24/7 BG numbers. You can personally buy a Miao Miao to attach to a Libre that will make it have alerts.
A Dexcom CGM gives alerts besides 24/7 readings. It is generally more expensive but that really depends on your insurance. But it also is a little harder to qualify for.
A CGM is like watching a movie for 24 hours instead of seeing photos 2 to 12 times per day. When I first got mine, the amount of information available from the CGM was almost overwhelming. I spent many hours going over the data and making comparisons at various times of the day and with various foods. The dots on my fingertips have healed, for the most part and no longer bleed for no apparent reason. My initial CGM was the initial Medtronic Sensor and transmitter. It was not fast enough to catch my ‘quickly’ changing blood sugars. I would be below 50 before it alarmed me at 80. Now Medtronic has a third version of the transmitter. They could not tell me if it registered faster than the 1st version. I went to a Dexcom G4 as I was told it had a quicker response. The G4 sensor and transmitter was faster than the Medtronic 1st generation sensor and transmitter, for me. I have used the Medtronic 723 pump and CGM system, the Animas pump with a Dexcom G4 sensor and transmitter and now a tandem T:Slim X2 and Dexcom G5 sensor and transmitter. They all have advantages and disadvantages, most are determined by how you live your life. What works for one of us (me), may not work for another of us (you). Do your research…ask questions…Remember the companies will only tell you the advantages of using ‘their’ CGM. They will accentuate what they believe is their positive and never tell you the negative. Have a good life! I hope the will help.
A CGM is a great teacher about how your glucose metabolism works. Combined with sufficient motivation, attention, and appropriate follow-through action, it can make your life easier and safer.
Accepting use of a CGM is not a milepost of degrading health. Instead it shows you can adapt to changing circumstances. If you choose to adopt a CGM, you will likely look back on your reluctance to use it and wonder what you were thinking!
Good luck and good health.
Some docs are mistrustful of patient’s bg logs and are more likely to act and take decisive action based on CGM log. I know my endo never really trusted my bg logs but has complete and total faith in my CGM log.
Not all insurance will instantly cover a non-insulin using T2 for CGM. Some T2’s go on CGM for just a week or a few weeks and their doctor’s office supplies the equipment.
It’s possible or even likely your endo wants CGM data to justify more aggressive treatment (sounds like you might be a good candidate for insulin).
Tim, I think that is what she is going to do with the CGM for me. I just wish she had explained it more, not rushed through it and and shoved the back page of a consent form she didn’t let me read. I guess that’s on me for not saying I wanted a copy…
Yea, people have been known to fudge their logbooks, that’s why doctors like to see their meters and download them. LOL… But, it’s just a moment in time with a finger stick. If I go on stronger meds that can cause low’s, I want alarms!
Again, I really appreciate your response and advice.
I just hope I don’t get too nauseous with the Victoza. I would rather get a root canal that get super nauseous and throw up. 
My understanding is that T2’s who do a week or few week CGM run under their endo’s office do not actually buy the equipment but instead use equipment supplied by and owned by the endo’s office and there is insurance paperwork just for this case. And the T2’s don’t usually insert or change the sensors themselves, this is done at an appointment at the doctor’s office. You might see if this lines up with what you have scheduled at the endo’s office this week.
Again my best guess is that your endo knows that it’s time for more aggressive treatment and will use CGM data to pick the right one. Being a T1 for 40 years I’m an expert on insulin but there are other options out there too that I know little about.
I only got a CGM 6 months ago myself! And it was weird to know that my T2 friends who are younger than and had been on a week-long CGM run, had their sensor inserted at the endo’s office. And they thought it was weird that I had a CGM and changed the sensors myself. And we all go to the same endo’s office.
CGM’s and insulin pumps seem to be the gold standard these days for those with T1. I hope you have a good experience with the CGM and it helps you out a lot.
Thanks again for the expert info on the CGM!!!
I switched to SENEONICS EVERSENSE. SO ACCURATE. LOVE IT.
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