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Diabetes Medication recommendation

rabbyduby
rabbyduby Posts: 123 Member
edited November 16 in Social Groups
Hi All,

I am trying to see if anyone can recommend a diabetes medication that my doctor can prescribe in addition to the metformin i take. I am currently on Metformin 1000mg 2x a day. That does not seem to be working. My A1C has been steadily rising even though i have changed my diet quite a bit. I try to do lowcarb under 20g but haven't been quite consistent. I usually get discouraged when i don't see the weight loss and that leads to me bingeing. Ultimately i want to get off all meds, loss weight and bring my a1c down.

Replies

  • jvcjim
    jvcjim Posts: 812 Member
    i take metformin like you and januvia 25mg in the morning... combined with weight loss and more activity and eating less my a1c has moved from 7.9 to 6.1... when the dr added januvia last year the a1c dropped from 7.9 to 7.0 without any real changes in my diet or activity.
    YMMV
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    If you want more information on LCHF diets I would try Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. It's a really good LCHF to ketogenic book with a great plan for T1Ds and T2Ds in it.

    Other LCHF books for health are The Wahl's Protocol (LCHF helping autoimmune disease), What if There is a Cure? (LCHF helping Alzheimer's - thought to be a type of insulin resistance like T2D is) and Obesity Code (LCHF with fasting).

    For diet books, The New Atkins is good. South Beach was relatively low carb although I think it has gone up.

    I hope you don't mind the book recommendations. I know meds can help, but diet seems to have the most impact on BG levels. I tend to worry about side effects with meds, and the fact that the disease may still be advancing if it was dietary linked and my diet was not changed. KWIM?

    Do you have a glucose monitor? Self testing can REALLY help you discover what foods are a problem for you.
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
    @nvmomketo, did you see Dr. Bernstein's latest video? It shows him working out at age 82. Not bad for a guy with T1D for 7 decades!

    https://youtu.be/6Oi6ucdxBDA
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    RalfLott wrote: »
    @nvmomketo, did you see Dr. Bernstein's latest video? It shows him working out at age 82. Not bad for a guy with T1D for 7 decades!

    https://youtu.be/6Oi6ucdxBDA

    Wow... I am hanging my head in shame....
    He is amazing!
  • judyvalentine512
    judyvalentine512 Posts: 927 Member
    When I was first diagnosed I was given Metformin 1000 x 2 a day and glicizide 2 pills every morning. The glicizide helps your pancreas produce insulin, the Metformin helps your body use it. Excercise and diet are a big part of this journey as well.
  • shadus
    shadus Posts: 424 Member
    edited March 2017
    Suggestion-- Get a blood glucose monitor if you don't have one, it really helps me when the weight loss isn't coming fast enough to keep focus. A1C responds too slowly to really help motivate you, BG responds quickly. If you can, walk a little bit after finishing eating. Even if its just a lap around the interior of your house or something, 5-10-15 minutes. Helps *a lot*.
  • shinycrazy
    shinycrazy Posts: 1,081 Member
    edited March 2017
    I took tanzeum for 6 months and was able to drop my a1c from 8.7 to 4.5. I'm now off the medication (a once weekly shot that is NOT insulin, it's a GLP-1, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucagon-like_peptide-1) and my A1c is at 5.1 with diet and exercise and 1000mg of metformin daily. There is potential for serious side effect, especially if you have a family history of thyroid cancer, but I did not experience this. I also lost 60lbs+ due to the appetite suppression of the drug. My insurance would not cover it and I was able to get up to a year free from the drug company.
  • ConleighS
    ConleighS Posts: 1,058 Member
    I am currently on 850mg Metformin 2x a day, plus 30mg Actos once a day... and now a shot of insulin if my BG goes over 200, which is often. I also have to take Creon as I have a malfunctioning pancreas. My A1C and my BG still on the rise... this morning it was 267! some days its as low as 145 once then later in the day its back up to 200.
  • beesmum
    beesmum Posts: 21 Member
    I'm taking victoza. I tried metformin but I was constantly in the bathroom.
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
    edited April 2017
    There are 20+ generic Metformins out there, and they produce different amounts of *fireworks* in different people (by way of gross understatement).

    If your insurance will work with you, a good bet is to have your MD fill out a "statement/certificate of need" form (or whatever your insurance co calls it) saying that you need an exception/price tier lowering to take brand Glucophage because you can't tolerate generic Metformin.

    It took me a few weeks with each of my 2 different prescription carriers over the last few years to get the co-pay for brand Glucophage XR down to $40/month. It is well worth that amount for the distress and Imodium saved. (The refill lasts me longer than a month, as my endo wrote for 5x 500mg, and I can get by with 4x most of the time.)

    Fireworks, adieu!
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