Question for the Diabetics on Meds

mistressfaye

I just last week stopped taking Glipizide for a two week test to see if I can stay off it right now. My numbers were excellent, A1C, BP and cholesterol. I only changed this with my endocrinologist's help and guidance. I have a wonderful endo and she's on top of things with my changes. Each person is different in how they react.

On Glipizide I was hitting lows, like 50s when working out. I continue to drop weight, watch my carbs, as I'm now doing no more than 90 per day under doctor and dietician supervision. Honestly, I feel great and glipizide has one potential side effect of slowing weight loss or adding weight. Off a week and my weight dropped nicely so far.

Good luck

I love hearing this!!

littlelaura

I am a type 2 diabetic on oral meds and insulin, I take 500 mg Metformin twice a day , 4 mg Glimepiride twice a day ( or half to none depending on my glucose reading at the time), I also take 15 units of Lantus insulin at bedtime.

I have been off meds in the past due to losing weight but regained the weight when I resumed eating a higher carb diet and letting junk slip back in too, as well as slacking on exercising.

It can be done, its not easy but you can lose weight and get off medication, if you are at 100 after meals I would talk to your Dr.

I have recently began on here again just a week or so ago after a diabetic complication with my nerves in my hands/feet, so you are doing the right thing and I think in time if type 2 your Dr will remove medication when he is sure you are able to keep the weight off and sugar down on your own without them.

Good Luck, Best Wishes to you.

LL

Defren

my last A1C was 6.2...and its been that way for the last two years...Im not due for another one until December, so we'll see what it says then.

Defren, lol the UK way of measuring always throws me off too, I can NEVER remember how they convert back and forth. I'd never go off them without asking him...Im lucky, I have an awesome doctor who actually listens when I tell him what my body is doing. Unless something drastically changes, I will go over it with him at my next check up (He runs my tests every three months)

jaharrison, my diabetes isn't really caused by my weight (though Im sure that doesnt help) but I have hemochromatosis and that affects both your liver and pancreas....my hemo will never ever go away, so neither will my diabetes (Im the only one in my family on either side with it) and its entirely possible when Im old, I'll have to move to insulin because of the damage hemo does.

I've worked it out, here in the UK we divide your figures by 18 so 100 US BG is 5.5 here. So if we divide, you multiply by 18. :-)

mistressfaye

I am a type 2 diabetic on oral meds and insulin, I take 500 mg Metformin twice a day , 4 mg Glimepiride twice a day ( or half to none depending on my glucose reading at the time), I also take 15 units of Lantus insulin at bedtime.

I have been off meds in the past due to losing weight but regained the weight when I resumed eating a higher carb diet and letting junk slip back in too, as well as slacking on exercising.

It can be done, its not easy but you can lose weight and get off medication, if you are at 100 after meals I would talk to your Dr.

I have recently began on here again just a week or so ago after a diabetic complication with my nerves in my hands/feet, so you are doing the right thing and I think in time if type 2 your Dr will remove medication when he is sure you are able to keep the weight off and sugar down on your own without them.

Good Luck, Best Wishes to you.

LL

Thank you for posting that, I really mean that. So many people don't realize that even if they come off their meds, they can go right back where they were if they gain the weight back and/or don't watch what they eat (this is what I mean by not being "cured" but "controlled"

Unfortunately, I've already got nerve issues with my feet and one of my hands....I'm hoping by losing this weight, it wont get any worse than it already is (its manageable at this point)

Cyngen

I should have added that there is a Type 2 diabetes group on MFP as well. You can search for it. Can be a bit slow, but it could be helpful

mistressfaye

my last A1C was 6.2...and its been that way for the last two years...Im not due for another one until December, so we'll see what it says then.

Defren, lol the UK way of measuring always throws me off too, I can NEVER remember how they convert back and forth. I'd never go off them without asking him...Im lucky, I have an awesome doctor who actually listens when I tell him what my body is doing. Unless something drastically changes, I will go over it with him at my next check up (He runs my tests every three months)

jaharrison, my diabetes isn't really caused by my weight (though Im sure that doesnt help) but I have hemochromatosis and that affects both your liver and pancreas....my hemo will never ever go away, so neither will my diabetes (Im the only one in my family on either side with it) and its entirely possible when Im old, I'll have to move to insulin because of the damage hemo does.

I've worked it out, here in the UK we divide your figures by 18 so 100 US BG is 5.5 here. So if we divide, you multiply by 18. :-)

thanks!!!

mistressfaye

That might be where your doctor/nutritionist says you should be two hours after a meal, but mine and not the ADA or AACE (and my body) say nope...100 is where I should be when I wake up in the morning after not having eaten for 7 hours, not after having carbs (my target is 165 per my nutritionist, the ADA says less than 180 and the AACE says 140) . (now this might be totally different for someone that is T1, I dont know, I'm T2, so if you're a type 1 then this might not apply to you at all)

6.2 is considered "controlled". They ADA says anything under 7 is the target and the AACE says anything below 6.5, Anything over a 5, and a doctor is going to want you on medication.

165 is too high. When I was in the hospital for surgery and my blood sugar was over 150 - I was getting insulin.

My targets are (set by the doctors office and the diabetes educator)
Fasting - under 90
1-2 hours after a meal 120 or lower. Preferrably 110 or lower

From the lab report I got at the doctors office today:
A1C > 6.4 is diabetes
A1C between 5.7 and 6.4 is increased risk of diabetes - this also indicated control of diabetes if a person is on medication
A1C between 4.8 and 5.6 is normal range for non diabetic.

Anything over 120 is what contributes to a higher A1C and leads to nerve and kidney damage.

Interesting that your lab report is totally different from mine, but as long as you are doing what YOUR doctor says thats awesome (again you havent said if you're type 1 or 2)

icimani

I carry the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, but I'm in the process of going off of meds. I was on Byetta - an injectable that helps your body use its own insulin more effectively. I was borderline diabetic, my A1c was at 5.0, and my Dr suggested Byetta because one of the ways it does its job is to slow down your digestion, and the side effect is that you're not hungry, particularly in the evenings. It certainly did that because the first year I was on it I lost 45 lbs. That's what started me changing my lifestyle - it gave me the jump start I needed.

I've now lost 100 lbs (with another 75-80 to go) and my A1c is down to 4.8. Under Dr supervision, I'm cutting the Byetta dosage in half and making sure that my A1c will stay stable.

Whatever you do, do it under a Dr's supervision. A lot of diabetics don't have any symptoms until something reaches the critical stage.

mistressfaye

I carry the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, but I'm in the process of going off of meds. I was on Byetta - an injectable that helps your body use its own insulin more effectively. I was borderline diabetic, my A1c was at 5.0, and my Dr suggested Byetta because one of the ways it does its job is to slow down your digestion, and the side effect is that you're not hungry, particularly in the evenings. It certainly did that because the first year I was on it I lost 45 lbs. That's what started me changing my lifestyle - it gave me the jump start I needed.

I've now lost 100 lbs (with another 75-80 to go) and my A1c is down to 4.8. Under Dr supervision, I'm cutting the Byetta dosage in half and making sure that my A1c will stay stable.

Whatever you do, do it under a Dr's supervision. A lot of diabetics don't have any symptoms until something reaches the critical stage.

Congrats on the 100 lbs and getting the A1C down so low!!!