Really not happy

[Winterhawk]

Hi everyone, just found this board and have spent four or five days reading the posts and deciding what to do..
I am the worst type 2 diabetic in the world I was diagnosed in 2009 and prescribed pills. Since then I have had a long running battle with varios doctors, nurses etc who get their panties in a bunch because I won't take my tablets consistently and we argue.
The metformin sometimes cause headaches...I can live with that, nausea...I can cope with that and sometimes runny bowels etc.. I can cope with that. All of the above I will tolerate however they also make me impotant..
This I will NOT tolerate under any circumstances..
The doctors say I am wrong.. The pills don't have that effect..I say they are wrong..if I stop taking them then the problem disappears...and do we go round in circles..
Ever decreasing circles.. I may be old but I just got married 2 years ago and until the medical profession gets to grips with this issue I will continue to cause them headaches because I Will Not Tolerate that side effect. No it was never a problem before I was diagnosed but I get the feeling that the doctor and the diabetic nurse I have just don't seem to see it as much of an issue... Both are female by the way..
Anyway hello everyone.. I will try not to be to grumpy or bad tempered but to be brutally honest there are times I feel like telling the mefical profession to insert their stethoscopes in whatever orifice they feel most relevant.

I have read some interesting posts on the site and I honour each of you for the patient way you are dealing with your issues... You are all very inspiational

 

[Robinredbreast]

Hello and welcome Winterhawk :wave:

Sorry to hear of your ongoing problems. Hopefully some Type 2's will be along with some helpful advice and support.

Best wishes RRB

 

[Andy12345]

Hi and welcome
All about priorities you are paying such a high price for it, hehe I suppose we all do in one way or another
good Luck

 

[mo1905]

Wow ! Tough decision lol ! I can give up most things but........
I guess, to please everyone and help gain control, ask for Metformin SR, and ask for Viagra ! You're allowed 4 per month on prescription ! Good luck ;-)


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[Winterhawk]

This is the thing, I am really not that interested in keeping either my doctor or the diabetic nurse happy, my only priority is to get some form of life back..
I have asked for a change in medication but the side effect I am bitching about is, to quote the diabetic nurse "not an important consideration and not enough reason to change medication". Her last comment at our last meeting was that I am "fat because I am lazy". This is pretty rich coming from someone who would be spherical if she was six inches taller and when I pointed this out to her became most offended...
My problem is that they don't listen and as I live in a rural area there is no other surgery that I can transfer to..
There are priorities...I work hard, about 60 hours a week, I don't drink, I gave up smoking eight years ago. Food used to be a pleasure but i don't enjoy it anymore as the things I like are bad for me...
They tell me if I do everything they say I will live a long time... I won't.......but it will seem like an eternity..
However I have a plan.........

 

[mo1905]

Now I'm intrigued ! What is the plan.........

 

[Winterhawk]

Sorry, really can't tell you about the plan because I am not quite sure it's legal... But it's a good one... I think

 

[Andy12345]

That's hysterical ! You need to stop working all day and do standup comedy, thanks for belly laugh

 

[eveshamgal]

Cant you just get some cigars on prescription???

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[initforlove]

could you take vanadium supplements instead? I take a very good supplement called Enzymatic Therapy, Blood Sugar Manager, 60 Tablets which I buy from http://www.iherb.com/Enzymatic-Therapy- ... lets/22399

you may find that helps the blood glucose AND does not have that side effect
I am with you - we all need a little loving in our life and it is bad when illness or medicines rob us of fulfilling our need for loving

good luck

 

[dawnmc]

Do you know diabetes can cause erectile didfunction, something to do with the blood vessels and nerves.
Hope you get stuff sorted.

 

[Winterhawk]

Thank you for all the words of advise...not so sure about the cigar idea though..wife would not like that idea.
The plan pretty simply is to move, or appear to move without actually moving. A colleague at work is diabetic and he gets really good service from his local diabetic clinic. I am, for the purposes of attending there going to change my address to his, register withhis doctor etc..
Maybe that way I will get a bit better treatment...
You could say I live is a state of eternal optimism...generally unsatisfied. It does seems that treatment for type 2 is very hit and miss..some places obviously doing a good job and others not. It does seem like false economy too.neglecting the services for type 2 until it becomes a major problem and a drain on . I have heard it set that type 2 is my fault because I obviously do not lead a healthy lifestyle..this came from a nurse who knows nothing about me or my work or how I take care of myself.. My work requires me to be physically fit as there is a fair amount of physical labour about it..
Anyway thank you all for the welcome

 

[eveshamgal]

Cant you just get some cigars on prescription???

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

I really need to proof read things!!! I meant viagra lol

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[fluffy2560]

It's up to you what you do with the docs and nurses. You don't say anything about your lifestyle, obesity, exercise, high blood pressure, cholesterol etc. If you are morbidly obese, don't exercise, eat rubbish, smoke and drink to excess then maybe these will exacerbate problems. You've been diagnosed about the same time as me. I was mega depressed when I was diagnosed (aged about 49 then, 52 now) but now it's been a while I realise it's an opportunity to change my lifestyle - lose weight, get exercise, eat properly. I realise now I was on a slippery slope (fat, drinking, eating **** etc) and diabetes was a wake up call. I've lost weight, eat the right things and now cycle 70 miles a week, swim regularly and I feel quite ok generally. I do get fatigued, have burning feet etc but I try and work around those issues.

It's pretty clear the medications do work. On the other hand, just being better informed is easy these days and you can check on anything they say to make sure. One thing I know about the NHS is that it's thinking is that one size fits all so check, check and double check to make sure what they say is correct. The docs and nurses are trying to help so I'd suggest working with them from a position of knowledge rather than against them. They are only doing their jobs.

 

[Sid Bonkers]

Hi Winterhawk and welcome to the forum.

I have never heard of ED problems being associated with Metformin. High blood glucose (BG) levels however do cause ED problems and this is well documented.

You have not mentioned what your HbA1c is or what your bg levels are generally running at but If your levels are high this would definitely be the reason for your erectile problems and stopping your medication will only compound this issue.

The side effects you mention often disappear after a few weeks/months and as has already been mentioned the slow release (SR) version is often tolerated better, there are also other drugs that can help control bg levels and diet of course is the biggest asset we have to control our bg levels. That is if you do in fact have high bg levels of course but as I said at the beginning ED is not a side effect of Metformin that is documented.



Metformin Side Effects List
metformin side effects

Stomach pain is a very common metformin side effect

Trouble breathing
Stomach pain, including nausea and vomiting
Irregular heart rate
Shortness of breath
Blurry vision
Seizures
Chest pain
Confusion
Weakness or fatigue
Headaches
Diarrhea
Bloating due to gas buildup
Low blood sugar or high blood sugar
Sudden weight loss or gain

These are the known side effects of Metformin but are of course not mandatory and most people do not experience any bad side effects although stomach cramps, Diarrhoea and nausea are probably the most commonly reported here.

 

[Winterhawk]

Hi,
Thank you for the advise. Just to clarify I am not morbidly obese, my work is fairly physical involving manual lifting climbing etc my last hba1c was 7.9 and my bp at last check was 125/80. I am currently running about 10 lbs overweight but that is normal for me after the winter. It's very simple when I stop taking the pills the problem goes away. When I start them again it returns.. It takes about 2 days for things to return to normal. Viagra gives me headaches. Don't worry I WILL get it sorted. Thanks for all the encouragement.

 

[mo1905]

Gives me a stiff neck ;-)

 

[Sid Bonkers]

Hi,
Thank you for the advise. Just to clarify I am not morbidly obese, my work is fairly physical involving manual lifting climbing etc my last hba1c was 7.9 and my bp at last check was 125/80. I am currently running about 10 lbs overweight but that is normal for me after the winter. It's very simple when I stop taking the pills the problem goes away. When I start them again it returns.. It takes about 2 days for things to return to normal. Viagra gives me headaches. Don't worry I WILL get it sorted. Thanks for all the encouragement.

Hi again Winterhawk, on this site there is a converter that converts HbA1c to average bg levels, try it and you will see that your HbA1c of 7.9 shows your average bg levels are running at around 10 mmol/L this level is high by any standard and will almost certainly be the cause of your erectile problems.

Link to the HbA1c to average bg level converter http://www.diabetes.co.uk/hba1c-to-bloo ... erter.html

Get your levels down and get your sex life back. Erectile problems are a very very common symptom of high blood glucose levels. The longer your bg levels stay at this level the higher the chances of diabetic complications become. Stop the Metformin if you like but it is highly unlikely to be causing your erectile problems and you really do need to get your blood glucose down to a safer level either by diet or meds or a combination of the two. Speak with your doctor again ASAP.

You might want to look at reducing the amount of carbohydrates in your diet as all carbohydrates turn to glucose in the stomach and are absorbed into the blood stream in the intestines.

 

[Winterhawk]

I appreciate the info thanks Sid, however the problem is pretty cut and dried.. I take the metformin and I have problems, I stop taking them and after a couple of days the problem goes away. I am sure you are right about high glucose levels etc but in my case there is a direct correlation between the metformin and the problem.
On the positive side I have managed to get an appointment at a diabetic clinic so we wills e what happens.

 

[WeeWillie]

What an interestingly fascinating post Winterhawk.
It's serious and humorous at the same time which has attracted a lot of attention
from all these good members with their excellent thoughts and/or advice.

I don't think I could add further comment that would help, however I felt compelled to at least, acknowledge your post.

One thing for sure though, you certainly have guts and determination which I admire tremendously.

Fight the good fight.....you win.

Best wishes.
weewillie.