New T2 diagnosis. Month 3
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EdinTx
Posts: 87 Member
Since my diagnosis, I've radically changed my diet. My very first home test read 320 and now it hovers around the 80s and 90s. The last couple of months, I've had some low blood sugar episodes where my readings are in 60s and even the 50s. It usually happens around 10 am or so. I don't want to eat sugar/candy or eat a glucose pill just to bring up my blood sugar level-that seems a little counterproductive. Am I thinking about this wrong? If I have T2 diabetes and am taking meds, exercising, eating well (mostly plant based about 5-6 days of the week), shouldn't that help stabilize my glucose levels throughout the day so that spikes and pitfalls don't happen? Any input or advice on how to approach my questioning with my medical team would help and be appreciated. What do I ask? Should I change my perception?
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Since my diagnosis, I've radically changed my diet. My very first home test read 320 and now it hovers around the 80s and 90s. The last couple of months, I've had some low blood sugar episodes where my readings are in 60s and even the 50s. It usually happens around 10 am or so. I don't want to eat sugar/candy or eat a glucose pill just to bring up my blood sugar level-that seems a little counterproductive. Am I thinking about this wrong? If I have T2 diabetes and am taking meds, exercising, eating well (mostly plant based about 5-6 days of the week), shouldn't that help stabilize my glucose levels throughout the day so that spikes and pitfalls don't happen? Any input or advice on how to approach my questioning with my medical team would help and be appreciated. What do I ask? Should I change my perception?
Good for you!
A couple Qs... What meds are you taking, how many carbs are you eating, and how often are you measuring?
(If you're asymptomatic in the upper 50s, eating low carb, and not on any meds with hypoglycemic tendencies, it's probably not a concern..... )0 -
Taking glimepiride and metformin 2x a day. My carbs fluctuate between 170s and 250s depending on the day. My doctor wants me to measure 2x per day, but since I'm still trying to equate how I feel with a number, I'm measuring between 2 and 6 times a day. Since Monday, my bgl has ranged from 70-108 with one day with low bgl levels. Today's readings were espically surprising since I had forgotten to take my meds this morning and only took my evening dose with dinner.0
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Wow. You've done an amazing job!
It's possible that you may need to cut back on some glimepiride. You may not need that much help now.
How did you feel when you were in the 60s and 50s? Brain fog, light headed? cold sweats or shakes? When I eat very low carb (under 30g per day) I can hit the 60s and feel completely fine still. Getting into the 50s is a bit low though, and your carbs are high enough that it should not naturally go that low. The 60s is okay but it looks like the glimepiride might have caused it to go that low, and 50's is getting a bit low.
I don't take that, and am not the most knowledgeable, but my advice would be to discus meds with your doctor1 -
Taking glimepiride and metformin 2x a day. My carbs fluctuate between 170s and 250s depending on the day. My doctor wants me to measure 2x per day, but since I'm still trying to equate how I feel with a number, I'm measuring between 2 and 6 times a day. Since Monday, my bgl has ranged from 70-108 with one day with low bgl levels. Today's readings were espically surprising since I had forgotten to take my meds this morning and only took my evening dose with dinner.
I would second @nvmomketo 's thoughts.
I believe glimepiride actually increases insulin production - it would be preferable in the long run to lower your need for insulin by lowering your carbohydrate intake - it may be that as you lower your carb consumption, you won't need more than Metformin alone - and you may even be able to get off that, too.
I totally agree with measuring more rather than less. Is your doc an endocrinologist? 2x daily during a period of BG swings and dietary adjustment seems pretty primitive.
The more measurement, the more info you'll have and the clearer trends will be. I followed Dr. Bernstein in testing 10x / day for a year. (Morning and before & 1 and 2 hours after each meal.) Lots of surprises and, therefore, valuable info!
PS Are those calories or grams?0 -
Yeah... I think doctors assume that we can't handle testing many times per day, or adjusting some medications to fir our BG. I'm sure many T2Ds refuse to take responsibility for their own BG, and that is probably a huge part of it, but but if kids with T1D can handle their more serious situation, I figure that we should be able to handle multiple testing too.
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Of course, having been fed idiotic lines (and meds and carbs
) by the ADA - such as "there's nothing you can do to prevent the progression of this chronic disease" - it is understandable that many T2Ds feel helpless.
But that myth is something a good doc can help dismantle rather than reinforce.
Kudos to @EdinTx for taking charge!0 -
Thanks for the advice. The carb measurements are in grams. My ultimate goal is to live pill-free. I honestly don't know if it's attainable, but I'm going to try. I still have my "bad" days when I choose to not stay with my "diet" and eat something I know inshouldnt. For example, I had lasagna last night. It was "veggie" but the noodles are the bad part.
Yes, my doctor is an Endocrinologist. My blood screening in mid December (which was the indicator that I was diabetic) showed my A1C level at 13.8. I had a follow up lab test a month ago and it was down to 8.something, but it was much lower than December. So, whatever momentum I've gained I think was from meds, diet and exercise. I'm proud of the progress, but a huge part of me thinks it not "fixing" quickly enough and not good enough. -that's a whole different issue entirely. Ha!2 -
So, this is interesting. Today's food percentages (195g carbs, 74g fat, 95g protein) and my blood glucose readings were 83 (fasting) 68 before lunch, 71 after 40 min cardio at gym and 83 1 hour after dinner. My average the last 7 days is 83 with 5 readings under normal.
What are typical before/after meal blood level trends? Is it different for everyone?1 -
Sounds great - Basically non-diabetic BG levels!
At the risk of gross oversimplification, typically T2Ds lose the first-phase insulin response, which serves to keep your BG from elevating when you begin to eat. This tends to give T2Ds post-prandial peaks at 1-2 hours that can be quite a bit higher than whatever the fasting level is.
Your normal levels would spare you from increased BG-level dependent risks for heart disease, vascular disease, Alzheimer's, etc. (!)
However, I don't know what the relative risks are from Glimepride that might partially offset the obvious benefits of keeping your BG under control.
Great numbers, though! (Those lows into the upper 60s don't seem like a concern, if you're asymptomatic for hypoglycemia.)1 -
8months since the initial diagnosis. I'm totally off of glimepride and take metformin (500mg) 2x per day with food. A1C 5.8 and daily readings hover in the 80s - 90s. My cholesterol is "normal" and I've actually cut my high blood pressure in half from 10mg to 5 of lisinopril.
Working out 3/5 times a week and a plant based diet is working for me. The "grade grubber" in me wants All of those blood test numbers to be normal and live pill free. I don't comment here often, but I follow the posts. Thanks for the advice you guys have given. It has really helped me understand how to approach my diagnosis.3 -
Congrats on getting off glimeperide! I got off it a couple months ago and I don't miss having to eat more carbs to keep from going low after taking it. However, my carb tolerance with meals has dropped from about 50g to about 40g.
I'm not in any hurry to get off the metformin. It's an appetite suppressant and there's new evidence it's protective against dementia. As long as your stomach and kidneys can handle it, it seems to be pretty good stuff.0 -
rheddmobile wrote: »Congrats on getting off glimeperide! I got off it a couple months ago and I don't miss having to eat more carbs to keep from going low after taking it. However, my carb tolerance with meals has dropped from about 50g to about 40g.
I'm not in any hurry to get off the metformin. It's an appetite suppressant and there's new evidence it's protective against dementia. As long as your stomach and kidneys can handle it, it seems to be pretty good stuff.
Sorry to sound like a broken record, but...
In the event your bowels do impressions of Mt. Vesuvius on Metformin, there are a couple tricks that might cool off the volcano before it erupts.
Per Dr. Bernstein:
1. Switch to XR
2. Switch to name brand Glucophage
Others:
3. Take with imodium and/or psyllium (Metamucil)
4. Avoid taking with carbs.
5. If all else fails, give it a few weeks before you give up....
I can vouch for all of these. Not going out in white pants with just a thong underneath anytime soon, but still.....
@EdinTx, congrats on your great progress!0 -
Weirdly enough Metformin gives me constipation. My doctor never heard of such a thing but there's a small but notable minority of people on diabetes forums with similar experiences.1
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rheddmobile wrote: »Weirdly enough Metformin gives me constipation. My doctor never heard of such a thing but there's a small but notable minority of people on diabetes forums with similar experiences.
Constipated?
I had wrongly assumed that the GI deviations only went in one direction....0 -
Congrats on getting off the glimiperide. I hated that stuff, any time I did anything good it would completely tank me into a low blood sugar, its only job was to save me from myself if I insisted in having more Dr Pepper even after a diagnosis of diabetes. Eventually I figured out "hey if I do good things all the time I won't have this problem anymore" 4
