As long as you HbA1c is below upper 5’s, I would stick with what you are doing. If you want to lower numbers even more, try Dr. Bernstein’s low carb lifestyle. Many diabetics find it gives them normal bgs.
www.diabetes-book.com
I’m personally just get a bit freaked about having a fasting of 120 mg/dl. The AACE recommends a target of keeping your fasting less than 110 mg/dl. For many type 2s, having your fasting degrade is the last thing to occur, and having a fasting that diverges above 110 mg/dl probably represents essentially a loss of blood sugar control. In my experience, when I have a fasting of 120mg/dl I have a total loss of phase 1 response and a total intolerance to carbs. If my fasting is 120 mg/dl, I probably would only be able to eat 5-10 g of carbs/meal and still meet the goals of 140 mg/dl at 2 hrs.
In my view, normal blood sugar numbers are having a fasting of 83 mg/dl and being able to eat “some” carbs and stay below 140 mg/dl all the time.
Thank you. My endo explained the same to me…he said that in the future, increasing dosage may be necessary. In any case, I’m prepared for that. Right now, I think the diet and cardio exercises are helping me a lot. My latest A1C is 6,still working hard to get it lower.
Diane can i ask you a question?
I am on Metformin and my fasting numbers are often under 83 - I never got to try controlling in without meds because my A1c was 9.2 and my doctor wanted me to go on the Met. My numbers are staying below 110 and in 3 months I hope for my A1C to go way down as my doctor thinks it will.
Question: Without meds, does ones A1c number matter in fasting number control (or even control of your numbers during the day) or it that all based on diet and exercise and the current A1C doesn’t effect those numbers? I was just wondering if it is easier for those not on meds with a lower A1C to control their numbers or have lower fasting numbers than those on meds - or is that all dependant on your diet and exercise and what your A1C is doesn’t matter.
I think at your level you are doing great. My thought on aggresive treatment is that it will impact your quality of life. I will tell you from my experience on metformin. Metformin is a train wreck in your stomach. When I first took metformin I would puke all the time on anything that I would eat. The higher the dose the worse it got. At that time my A1C was 6.7 and i wanted it under 6. I was put on Januvia which just made me insane and the stomach problems got even worse. It got bad to the point that I would have to leave work to puke. Then i would be on the toilet when i was not throwing up. I could be in the middle of meetings and I had to go home because the stomach problems got so bad. I then decided to work out like a mad man and that improved my A1C which lowered my metformin doses.
So my suggestion to you if you dont have a strong stomach then I would hold off on the metformin and any pill as long as you can. It got so bad for me that I asked to be put on insulin only but my doc would not do it. That is when I decided to work out and cut out a lot of food. I am on 750 of metformin now which is better on my stomach but I do get problems sometimes. So with metformin I had to pretty much quit eating anything that was good even healthy good even in small portions. Now my diet consists of bland chicken, salad, fruits and occational different food. the different food is when I dont mind having stomach problems. I practially eat almost the same thing every day.
So be happy with your A1C. Its a merathon and not a race so pace yourself and rejoice on your accomplishments for the day
take care
I was put on meds right away. My A1c number was initially a 9.9 so I was put on Metaformin 500 mg 3 times a day and then a month later got that upped to 5 times a day and Avandia 4 mg a day added to it. Now I’m down to Metformin 2 times a day and no Avandia but my sugars are now under control most of the time.
Well, I was diagnosed in November of 09, with an A1C of 10.5%, and a fasting blood glucose of 235 mg/dL. The doctor wanted to put me on meds right away, but I really pushed to do it myself, with a semi low carb diet… I have good numbers this way, but my A1C is now 5.5%… Yours being at 5.2%, well… You may want to figure out things with your diet, as to see what may not be working as well… or tips on how to get morning numbers down. The meds really lower numbers, and can cause lows, if you’re already at such a low A1C… Perhaps adjust carbohydrate portions here and there, and play with that. It can take a lot of fine tuning, and tweaking, sometimes…
I am recently diagnosed also. I am slim and my highest number was only 264. The endo did a c peptide on me as well and it was within normal limits. At this point the endo does not want to specify on wether it is type 1 or type 2. I don’t really fit either profile. I am not on meds at this point either, I meet with a CDE next week. They said they want to watch my numbers for awhile. I have noticed latley that I am having higher numbers more frequently than I was so just have to wait and see.
Many PCPs don’t know what a GAD is, so don’t blame your accent! What does that mean that your “c-peptides are fine” (not much). Can you get the readings? I would either bring the print out about GAD or else make an appointment with an endo instead, as they know more about diabetes and types. Other indications of a possible misdiagnosis include being young and thin or normal weight (both of which seem the case by your pic), have another autoimmune condition such as thyroid, have lost weight recently and if your numbers start to climb. Worth checking so you know what you are treating.
I wouldn’t assume that you will need to ever go on meds. I was diagnosed in Oct 2009 with an A1C of 11.1. Normally, the ADA recommendations would mean I should have immediately been put on Insulin (I think they recommend at with an A1C above 9.0). Anyway, my doctor, knowing me and that I would take my diagnosis seriously, told me he was going to give me 3 months to prove to him that I can get my diabetes under control through diet, exercise and supplements. I went from 11.1 to 6.0 in those three months going very low carb (darn near the Dr. B. levels but not quite that low). Now, 8 months later, my A1C is 5.1. I am glad that my doctor gave me the chances to make the necessary changes without immediately putting me on insulin or oral meds. Maybe one day I will need them, but I plan to do whatever it takes to control this without them.
I do take supplements. I take Carlson Nutra-Support Diabetes and Insulow with EPO (evening primrose oil). I also take Metagenics multi-vitamin since I am eating very low carb (probably in the 40-50g a day range). They seem to help me quite a bit.
I have talked with my doctor (family doctor, not an endo) about metformin and Byetta but with the success I am having with the diet/exercise and supplements, he sees no reason to even think about putting me on meds. It is tough but if you can go low carb, you can get control without meds. I have easily adapted to my new diet and actually really enjoy it now. I don’t miss breads or pastas or sugar.
So, you can start off with a very high A1C like I did and through just diet/exercise and supplements, get control of your blood sugars. I had a c-peptide of 4.2 which is above average and I assume that is why I was able to do this without meds. I just got another c-peptide test yesterday and hopefully it is back in the average range showing that my pancreas isn’t having to work as hard anymore due to the severe limiting of carbs. I plan to stick with my current regimen as long as I can and am open to taking meds if I just can’t sustain this regimen. It has only been 8 months so we’ll see how long I can do this.
Good luck and remember that this isn’t a sprint but a long distance race in which you will need to control this disease for the rest of your life. Make the changes you are able to sustain for as long as possible and it that means needing to add meds, don’t be ashamed.
Dan
I too take Gymnema and Fenugreek. Haven’t heard about Nopal powder but I will check it out. I would be jumping up and down if I can get below 5.0 like you have! Congrats!
I just ordered the nopal powder. I have heard good things about it, I hope it works for me…My A1c last month was 5.2, but I still have fasting blood sugar above 100 and below 112. Post prandial readings at 2 hours are usually around 135-142…no matter what I do. I eat little carbs and exercise every, jogging or biking…I just hope this nopal powder works…It’s very famous in Mexico, I know a lot of people who use it there…I just never paid attention until I was diagnosed not so long ago…Good luck!
I too am recently diagnosed with T2. My first A1c was 11 and fasting was 231. My Dr is pretty good and started me right away on a low dose of Ameryl (2 mg 1/day) and Metformin ( 500 mg 1/day). I told my Dr. on my first follow-up visit that my goal was to get off the drugs and he king of shook his head like it was an unobtainable goal.
I immediately quit smoking, started exercising 20 minutes twice a day and went on a low carb diet. I try to keep my carbs below 30 g per meal (8 g for snacks) and probably average about 20 g/meal. in two months i have lowered my fasting BG from 130 to 85-90 and post meal down to 120 1 hour after a meal and under 100 2 hours after a meal.
Now my doctor is talking about taking me off the drugs but i have to say that after reading as much as i could (and i continue to do so), my goals have changed a bit. After reading bloodsugar101, my first priority is to do whatever I have to, or can do, to reach my blood sugar goals. If that means I stay on the drugs, so be it. If it means 2 years from now I move to insulin, that ok to.
For me, and I know I am new to all this, but my overall goal is doing whatever I can to stave off long term complications. To keep my body working so I can continue to do the things I love doing, skydiving, scuba and snowboarding. The only way i know how to do that is to own my disease educate myself. Thanks god there are a lot resources, tool and communities like this to help us figure it out.
I was Dx’d nearly a year after I should have been. When my PCP finally paid attention to a fasting BS last July of 250. Only because I questioned it. I immediately was put on Metformin. Much good luck to you.
I was diagnosed March 2007 by my GP. He put me on Glipzide but that did not last long. I insisted on a referral to an ENDO. My ENDO is one of the best physicians I have ever run across. He immediately put me on Byetta and I did well for almost 2 years. I lost weight eventually had A1C’s in the 5’s. I was walking 5 miles aday. then I started having knee problems and could not keep up my walking. He took me to Lantus and Novolog in March of 2009 before I had my knee surgery. It was a lot easier to stay under control on insulin but I had to go back to no carb/low carb and I have my A1C’s back to 5.5.
I was just diagnosed about 3 weeks ago with an 8.4 a1c. My fasting numbers were in the 190-200 range. Just starting a 20min walk each night and going lo-carb moved my fasting numbers to 150 or so. I asked my Dr about meds today and he prescribed metformin. I basically asked him if it would do me good to help get my numbers in check, along with my new lifestyle changes. He didn’t suggest it, but he wasn’t opposed to it. I feel like I’m directing my own care right now based on the research I’m doing.
How long after pregnancy were you diagnosed as a type 2?
I was dx’d in 2008 and my A1C @ that time was 11.x (forgot the exact #) I was put on metformin and glipizide right away.
Let me know if you start taking them, that’s the EXACT same situation I am in right now! SOOO FRUSTRATING!! I was also diagnosed January 2010 and you seem to be a thin type 2 like me how funny!