scared to take tablets - do I need them?

[dmcd11]

I had an appointment with the diabetic nurse at my gp surgery. she has told me to increase my tablets. I am taking one metformin 500mg in the morning - she would like me to take 2 metformin and one statin.
I have a blood sugar reading of 6.5 and cholesterol 5.7
since taking the metformin, my blood sugar has stayed the same, my cholesterol went up from 5.2
I asked questions but the nurse cant answer them or it sounds like she is fobbing me off
eg I said I am reluctant to take more metformin as I've been on this one for three months and my blood sugar hasnt gone down plus it upsets my stomach frequently. she said they do have coated metformin which could help that but when I asked for them, she said "not yet" take two first and see what happens.
basically, I dont know what to do...........do I need the tablets??
Im scared of taking the statins too as I've heard about muscle cramps etc
obviously, its about weighing up the risks/whether to take tablets or not
If I change my diet/lose weight/get more exercise........wont that decrease my blood sugar/cholesterol anyway?
the nurse said that everyone with a diagnosis now goes on this amount of med for life, is it right to put everyone on tabs?
any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[hallii]

Not everyone goes on medication, many manage with diet and exercise as I did for 8 years.

Metformin is the first choice medication for T2 diabetics it is safe and effective.

You have a choice, we all do, if you want to manage on diet and exercise and are happy with your BG levels then that's fine.

It is worth remembering that your Diabetic nurse is trained and probably very knowledgeable, is it wise to ignore what is, to me, good advice and treatment.

My DSN advised Metformin even though my HbA1c was about 5.5%, and Statin, I take these as there is good evidence of the protective
effects of both.

Metformin needs to be persevered with, the tummy upsets will ease over time, that's why she wants you to keep taking them for a while. If things don't settle down then go back and ask for the slow release version and you will find that you will be prescribed them.

Don't forget to drink plenty of water, I found this helped a lot in the early days.

Regretably pills are sometimes needed, I would rather take the pills than risk higher BGs and possible complications later in life (although it's a bit late for me at 70).

H

 

[MaryJ]

Hi dmcd11

Whilst I'm not on meds I will give you my take on your situ if it was me.

1- I couldn't accept a dodgy tummy on met, would be insisting on slow release
2- I looked at what I was eating to try and not go on meds (so far, by low-carbing I've succeeded) , so if I was on 1 met and not particularly improving Bg's I'd prefer to try to improve my diet rather than increase my meds.
3-Statins - by low-carbing and losing weight my cholesterol has improved so not needed, however, if I needed them I would research long and hard as there are many cons from what I can gather (eg badly aching limbs) as well as pro's.

Informed decisions are what's needed here.

Mary x

 

[Daibell]

Hi. If your stomach upset doesn't subside within a few weeks I would insist on Met SR. Fortunately my GP started me on the SR version. It doesn't cost that much more so to not prescribe it is not acceptable. Met is a good drug so I wouldn't worry about taking it. It doesn't have much effect on your blood sugar but does reduce your appetite. Ref stains the important thing is to try them and see if you have any side effects. If you have the muscle pain/ache then stop them. I'm lucky and have no side effects so happy to continue with them. Insist on a low dose to start with (e.g. 20 or 40mg max of Simvastatin as an example)

Hallii, I have to disagree with your support for DSNs in general. Some are excellent and I have dealt with good ones but if you follow this forum over the years you will find that some have no relevant training in diabetes (it's not required) and are definitely not very knowledgable hence the need for this forum. The dietary advice many give is lamentable.