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1st set back

mark51

Well-Known Member
3 months in after being diagnosed, lowering my Hba1c from 11.5 to 5.1. Now it appears I've become metformin intolerant, severe Stomach cramps, dizzy spells, severe wind issues. Doctors now discussing meds and the best way forward, talking about injections etc. I've been put back on gliclazide temporarily 40mgs twice a day. But as I still end to loose a few more kids (18kgs lost so far) , it's not the best med. Any one else had similar issues?

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Hi Mark, there is a version of Metformin called SR ( slow release ) which many here have found much kinder on the stomach. Ask your doc.
 
Hi thanks mo1905, I've been on that for the last 6 weeks after the std metformin caused similar issues, but the effects on the sr were much worse. Only been managing about 2hrs sleep for the last few nights. So something had to change!

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Are you Low Carbing? Not enough carbs for the increased AMP:ATP ratio may be. If your HBa1c is at 5.1 why do they want to put you on different meds?
 
No idea! Carbs at aroundI 150g per day. Apparently I need to be around 4.5 Hba1c? Just totally fed up with feeling sh*t most of the time recently.

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mark51 said:
No idea! Carbs at aroundI 150g per day. Apparently I need to be around 4.5 Hba1c? Just totally fed up with feeling sh*t most of the time recently.

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That's not just non-diabetic level, that's superhuman!!

I'd be asking for clarification, and justification, in your shoes.
 
Can someone explain AMP:ATP ratio? I've not heard of it, still new but trying hard to reduce risk of compilations and live as normal a life as possible.

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If your level is 5.1%, I think you must have a pretty strange diabetes team. I have an HBA1c level similar to yours on no medication and my doctor considers me to be a star patient. Normal A1c is anything below 6.0%. Are you using a BG meter? What results are you getting with that?

This sounds pretty odd to me, unless I'm getting confused about the A1c level (I do find the 3 different ways of reporting it very strange, I admit).

Unless you're doing extreme exercise, 150g of carbs per day should be more than adequate. You could probably come down even more if your postprandial BG levels are still high.
 
You're the only one confused, (5.1 or 54 was 103)meter readings around the 6 Mark all the time now. I felt I was doing well! But maybe I'm doing to good too soon and Dr and do don't understand my commitment to reducing risks and attempting to be normal r as close as for as long as possible ;-)

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I guess I am confused at that. My last A1c results said: 5.7 average BG (I assume that's the figure you're quoting?), 33 mmol/mol, 5.2%.

Seems weird that my Australian doc says I'm doing so well when yours is telling you to go even lower!?!
 
I concur with the others. An HbA1c of 5.1% is well into the normal range. I was at 5.8% at my first 3 month review and I am now not on meds (I was, in fact, taken off them about one month in). I would question your team why they even still have you on meds as there may be something we are missing.
 
Andrew Colvin said:
Are you Low Carbing? Not enough carbs for the increased AMP:ATP ratio may be. If your HBa1c is at 5.1 why do they want to put you on different meds?
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Hi there Andrew,
Apologies - I don't know the AMP:ATP ratio. Please would you be kind enough to elaborate and explain the significance? Bx
 
AMP and ATP are the 2 chemicals that your liver uses to convert glucose to glucogen and vice versa. They are normally maintained in a 1:1 ratio in your body but metformin changes that ratio to up to 4:1 in favour of glucose -> glucogen

ATP is also used by your body to convert lactic acid (important to understand when you do heavy exercise)
 
My last HbA1c was 5.3% (35) and this is in the normal range. The one previous to that was 6.9% (52) which was 3 months after diagnosis of T2. I had my metformin reduced from 3 doses of 500mg to 2 at that point. Now I'm at 5.3% it's been reduced to one dose but changed to the slow release version.

I agree with the others, if your HbA1c result is what you said in your OP then your doctor seems to be giving incorrect advice. Mine has been reduced because I was feeling dizzy and had been for a few months. This was possibly due to too much metformin once my bg levels had reduced from the original 12.7% (115) in November.
Perhaps you should double check?


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