What was your fasting blood glucose? (full on chat)

[Annb]

BG was pretty stable all day yesterday but last thing it shot up to 12.2. I was in my bedroom by then, so I just left it. By the time I got up at 03.00 it had only dropped to 9.6. Since then, it has dropped twice into the 3's, so I've had to take action with a can of sweetened coffee and later with a couple of ginger biscuits. At the moment in the 5's.

When we collect prescriptions from our pharmacy, they always put in the 2nd part of the form which lists the regular prescriptions. I don't often bother to look at them because the print is so feint on them. Yesterday though, I did check and discovered a medication that I had never noticed before. Looking back over one from a week or so ago, I saw that it was still there. Whatever it is, I have never actually been prescribed it and had no idea what it was. Looking online, I see that it is a weight loss drug - Dapagliflozin. As far as I am aware, there is still a conversation going on about whether I should be given this drug, so why it has been on my prescription list for at least a week or so, is a mystery. I would have thought, since they are so wary about it, someone might have told me and advised on how to take it. Odd.

 

[dogslife]

Hello @Annb. Is this the medication you mentioned? I Googled it as I was prescribed it some time ago for diabetes and there was no mention of it being for weight loss. I had a bad reaction to it so it was discontinued for me so I checked it and this is what it said.
Dapagliflozin is a prescription oral tablet used to manage type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. [1, 2]

What It Is Used For

• • Type 2 Diabetes: Lowers high blood sugar levels by helping the kidneys remove excess sugar through urine.
  • Heart Failure: Reduces the risk of hospitalization and death in adults with heart failure.
  • Chronic Kidney Disease: Lowers the risk of kidney disease worsening, end-stage kidney failure, and related cardiovascular events. [1, 2]

How It Works

• • Belongs to a class of medications called SGLT2 inhibitors (sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors).
  • Blocks SGLT2 proteins in the kidneys, stopping them from reabsorbing glucose back into the bloodstream.
  • Forces the body to eliminate extra sugar, salt, and water via urine, which also lowers blood pressure and reduces strain on the heart. [1, 2, 3]

How to Take It

• • Taken once daily by mouth, with or without food, usually at the same time each day.
  • Swallow the tablet whole with water.
  • Drink plenty of fluids daily to avoid dangerous dehydration, especially during illness involving vomiting or diarrhea. [1, 2, 3]

Common Side Effects & Risks

• • Genital and urinary tract infections due to elevated sugar levels in the urine.
  • Dehydration and low blood pressure causing dizziness or lightheadedness.
  • Diabetic ketoacidosis (a serious condition with high blood acid), which is rare in type 2 diabetes but requires immediate medical attention. [1, 2, 3]
  Maybe worth contacting your GP to ask for clarification??? Best wishes.

• 
  
  
  
  
  

 

[Annb]

Hello @Annb. Is this the medication you mentioned? I Googled it as I was prescribed it some time ago for diabetes and there was no mention of it being for weight loss. I had a bad reaction to it so it was discontinued for me so I checked it and this is what it said.
Dapagliflozin is a prescription oral tablet used to manage type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. [1, 2]

What It Is Used For

• • Type 2 Diabetes: Lowers high blood sugar levels by helping the kidneys remove excess sugar through urine.
  • Heart Failure: Reduces the risk of hospitalization and death in adults with heart failure.
  • Chronic Kidney Disease: Lowers the risk of kidney disease worsening, end-stage kidney failure, and related cardiovascular events. [1, 2]

How It Works

• • Belongs to a class of medications called SGLT2 inhibitors (sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors).
  • Blocks SGLT2 proteins in the kidneys, stopping them from reabsorbing glucose back into the bloodstream.
  • Forces the body to eliminate extra sugar, salt, and water via urine, which also lowers blood pressure and reduces strain on the heart. [1, 2, 3]

How to Take It

• • Taken once daily by mouth, with or without food, usually at the same time each day.
  • Swallow the tablet whole with water.
  • Drink plenty of fluids daily to avoid dangerous dehydration, especially during illness involving vomiting or diarrhea. [1, 2, 3]

Common Side Effects & Risks

• • Genital and urinary tract infections due to elevated sugar levels in the urine.
  • Dehydration and low blood pressure causing dizziness or lightheadedness.
  • Diabetic ketoacidosis (a serious condition with high blood acid), which is rare in type 2 diabetes but requires immediate medical attention. [1, 2, 3]
  Maybe worth contacting your GP to ask for clarification??? Best wishes.
• 
  

Thanks for that @dogslife. Very informative. I emailed my GP practice yesterday to ask for clarification and, if I hear nothing from that, I'll get onto the phone and see what they have to say. Anyway, not the weight loss one.

 

[ianpspurs]

Afternoon all from a showery LA. Fbg of 4.9 on the Wonderwheel here. @Annb fortunate that you decided to read the whole document. @dogslife very good of you to find and share that information. @alf_Josiah, sorry to disabuse you over your impact on the recent rainfall but ......... No family scheduled today but a granddaughter has called in to borrow something. #3 son, partner and children (2) will be here tomorrow for Sunday lunch. Peace be with you all.

 

[Krystyna23040]

5.8 this morning.
Today I finished reading my textbook and started writing new exercise sheets. It does feel good to have finished reading it as reading the textbook was beginning to fry my brain.
Mr K was able to join me on the morning walk with Bonnie. He is improving day by day.
Wonderful to see more rain.

 

[ianpspurs]

4.9 this morning. My morning readings are provisional for a while as I sleep on my side and the pressure means the sensor reads low so I have to wait a while for things to stabilise. I am surprised with the fbg as I went off Piste yesterday and ate a Krispy Kreme doughnut (finding the jam was one of Morse's toughest cases). JKP does "the big shop" online and decided we needed a box of doughnuts for Bank Holiday. Later I ate 3 of JKP's triple cooked chips. I had eaten cauli rice prawn paella - nutrient dense, reduced from the "this is not just food" guys via Ocado.. One has to help those struggling like that Tom Kerridge . #3 son' partner and 2 grandchildren will be here later after a driving lesson. The cost of the course is £1k Pork shoulder on the menu as the children like crackling and the local Sainsburys seem to have good pork at a competitive price. @Krystyna23040 good news on two fronts: you finishing reading the textbook and Mr K being able to join you on the dog walk today. Enjoy Sunday - peace be with you all.

 

[Annb]

8.9 at 04.00 today. That's because it went high (12.9) around midnight, but I was already in the bedroom so didn't bother to do anything about it.

Slowly coming down before breakfast. Carby breakfast but I dosed for it. That was 3 hours ago and Libre sounded a low alarm at 12.00, just as I was talking on Zoom! Grabbed a can of espresso coffee and it is now back into the 4's.

 

[Krystyna23040]

5.5 this morning.
We had a proper day of relaxation, just dog walks and reading.
Then we watched The Marlow Murder Club in iPlayer - which actually was good.

 

[Krystyna23040]

4.9 this morning. My morning readings are provisional for a while as I sleep on my side and the pressure means the sensor reads low so I have to wait a while for things to stabilise. I am surprised with the fbg as I went off Piste yesterday and ate a Krispy Kreme doughnut (finding the jam was one of Morse's toughest cases). JKP does "the big shop" online and decided we needed a box of doughnuts for Bank Holiday. Later I ate 3 of JKP's triple cooked chips. I had eaten cauli rice prawn paella - nutrient dense, reduced from the "this is not just food" guys via Ocado.. One has to help those struggling like that Tom Kerridge . #3 son' partner and 2 grandchildren will be here later after a driving lesson. The cost of the course is £1k Pork shoulder on the menu as the children like crackling and the local Sainsburys seem to have good pork at a competitive price. @Krystyna23040 good news on two fronts: you finishing reading the textbook and Mr K being able to join you on the dog walk today. Enjoy Sunday - peace be with you all.

The doughnuts sound really delicious @ianpspurs. Really good fbs after going off piste yesterday.

 

[Annb]

7.8 at 03.00 today.

Busy morning ahead - expecting a visitor but this is the lady who is T2 and has just decided to cut out snacks so she will just have a cup of coffee with no cake or biscuits. Makes it easier for me - especially now. Food prep is much more difficult now than it has been in the past.

 

[dogslife]

Good morning all. Fbs was 9.7. Was planning to go on an informal group walk this morning but the buffet we went to on Saturday night has decided to have it's effects and also rain is expected throughout so I think it is wise to give this one a miss. This morning one of our conifers suddenly started shaking and a beautiful black cat emerged from it , landed on our patio and stood transfixed and staring at us for some time before strutting away as though it owned the place and we were the intruders.I have not seen this cat before although our garden is visited by neighbour's cats quite often. It is good to see the rain but preferably from indoors. Stay dry and cosy if you can. Best wishes.

 

[ianpspurs]

Morning all from a dry and breezy L.A. though still polo shirt and shorts weather - no socks. My FBG was 4.7 today after a wonderful family meal with #3 son and family. Yesterday seemed about right climate wise for a Sunday roast and it was also 7 years to the day since I had an operation to remove a growth on my bladder. JKP and the gels had visited this vineyard (among others, poor #3 son was driving them around the Route des vins ) in the 40C heat last summer and purchased - among other things - some wine to celebrate the anniversary. I need to enter the various foods into Cronometer to analyse the meal but at 2 hours the bg was 5.8: high but ok. @Annb I hope the visit is enjoyable for you both. @dogslife shame about the weather spoiling the planned walk. @Krystyna23040 yesterday sounds like the ideal way to help recharge batteries. Enjoy today your own way and peace be with you all.

 

[Annb]

6.3 at 03.00 today.

Wet and windy here today. Back into the winter jumpers but, so far only two layers. We did have a day of warm sunshine last week when the temperature got up to 23C; actually too warm for me. That was our summer - that one day. We'll just have to be grateful for that for this year.

 

[ianpspurs]

4.9 today. This promises to be another pleasant day weather-wise here in L.A. - sorry about that for those not so blessed. @Annb that is a good fbg. So, another September which brings with it so many hopes and new routines for the very young (4 year olds), students (young adults) and young teachers (often not much older than those they teach) starting their careers. Family life becomes more hectic with clubs, sports and homework. It is as if the world springs back to life. It all starts again here on Thursday. By next Monday some senior teachers will look as though they have aged 5 years. Peace be with you all.

 

[Krystyna23040]

5.5 yesterday and 5.8 this morning.

Have delivered the company accounts to the accountant and also our self assessment paperwork. It always feels good to get that stuff done months before it is due. It feels like a weight has been taken off my shoulders.

Did a 'going over the basics' with a client who hasn't been to classes for 15 years. So much has changed in that time so I am glad we went through it all.

 

[Krystyna23040]

Good morning all. Fbs was 9.7. Was planning to go on an informal group walk this morning but the buffet we went to on Saturday night has decided to have it's effects and also rain is expected throughout so I think it is wise to give this one a miss. This morning one of our conifers suddenly started shaking and a beautiful black cat emerged from it , landed on our patio and stood transfixed and staring at us for some time before strutting away as though it owned the place and we were the intruders.I have not seen this cat before although our garden is visited by neighbour's cats quite often. It is good to see the rain but preferably from indoors. Stay dry and cosy if you can. Best wishes.

Definitely better to see the rain from indoors. Hope you have recovered now from the after effects of the buffet.

 

[Krystyna23040]

Morning all from a dry and breezy L.A. though still polo shirt and shorts weather - no socks. My FBG was 4.7 today after a wonderful family meal with #3 son and family. Yesterday seemed about right climate wise for a Sunday roast and it was also 7 years to the day since I had an operation to remove a growth on my bladder. JKP and the gels had visited this vineyard (among others, poor #3 son was driving them around the Route des vins ) in the 40C heat last summer and purchased - among other things - some wine to celebrate the anniversary. I need to enter the various foods into Cronometer to analyse the meal but at 2 hours the bg was 5.8: high but ok. @Annb I hope the visit is enjoyable for you both. @dogslife shame about the weather spoiling the planned walk. @Krystyna23040 yesterday sounds like the ideal way to help recharge batteries. Enjoy today your own way and peace be with you all.

Thank you @ianpspurs. Batteries are charging well.

 

[Mrs Redboots]

6.0 this morning, just before breakfast (haven't measured for over a week as we've been away, and forgot). Rather tired today after a week looking after my 98-year-old mother (not that she needs much looking after, but she isn't very mobile these days), and trying to cook in her kitchen! Also trying to cook her sort of food rather than mine, not very successfully (although she loved the shakshuka I made one evening).

 

[ianpspurs]

6.0 this morning, just before breakfast (haven't measured for over a week as we've been away, and forgot). Rather tired today after a week looking after my 98-year-old mother (not that she needs much looking after, but she isn't very mobile these days), and trying to cook in her kitchen! Also trying to cook her sort of food rather than mine, not very successfully (although she loved the shakshuka I made one evening).

Welcome @mrs RedbootsI hope you stick around. I sympathise with need to cater for an elderly parent at the same time as yourself.

 

[Mrs Redboots]

Welcome @mrs RedbootsI hope you stick around. I sympathise with need to cater for an elderly parent at the same time as yourself.

Thanks. I like chatty threads!!! I don't often measure my blood glucose, though - my surgery only prescribes monitoring if you're on insulin, which I'm not. But out of interest I treated myself to a monitor and a supply of test strips and sharps.

My sister is my mother's main carer, but we're happy to provide respite care as and when - assuming, that is, we are free, as we have responsibilities in London we can't always discard. Also we are motorhomers and spend several weeks a year travelling on the Continent. But we can usually manage a few days, and this time we were able to be down for ten days, which was great - quite apart from anything else, we both love being in the country! We travel a great deal, but we agree that you have to go a very long way to beat the kingdom of the South Saxons!