Advice needed on medication

[mannysehra]

Hi All,

It's going to be a long one (sorry) but please bear with me...

I've had diabetes for a number of years and for those number of years have been in denial thinking my body would kick into gear and sort itself out. It didn't!

I was placed on Metaformin and Glicazide for ages but would never take them as it would make me nauseous, dizzy, constant headaches... just feeling really horrible. Was never sure if it was the Metaformin, the Glicazide or a combination of both. I just stopped taking them.

6 months ago I was put on insulin, Novomix 30 Flexpen. I was told to do 20 units in the morning and then again 20 units at night. after a review, my blood sugar level went down but nowhere great. so I was then given 2 x Metaformin and 1 x Trajenta to take at lunch as well as the insulin. After a few weeks I suddenly developed a fear of needles and couldn't inject myself. My husband then started doing this. Whilst researching a device to prevent me seeing the needle when injecting I came across this forum and read so many posts of people stating they had put on weight whilst on insulin. LIGHT BULB. I have gained over half a stone and never knowing why, and its happened since the tie I started insulin. I panicked last Friday and stopped injecting.

I have leftover medication of Metaformin and Glicazide and started taking them again. So this week I have been really good by monitoring my diet (which is so hard I can cry) and taking blood sugar levels before and after every meal. I previously would never get a reading below 20 (highest ever being 32) but now the difference is amazing! I take 2x Metaformin + 1x Glicazide morning and evening and 2x Metaformin and 1x Trajenta at lunch. One thing... Taking the tablets make me sick. Very sick, to the point where I can't do anything and struggling to concentrate at work (I'm typing this at work!).

I've booked an appointment on Friday to see a doctor to sort myself out. The doctor I'm seeing is a locum doctor and won't know my history and I don't think I can wait to see my doctor (whose on holiday for 2 weeks). I'm hoping she changes my medication for me to try for a few weeks and then review at the end of the month when I go for my HBA1C. I've just read about lactic acidosis and thinking of stopping my medication before I see the doctor on Friday as I have most of the symptoms.

I guess I'm asking for your experiences on taking Metaformin, Glicazide and especially both together. Is there anything can request to be placed on (if i can). Did any of you experience weight gain with these medication.

I've seen a lot of mentions of the LCHF diet but not sure I can be up to doing it. I turned vegetarian a few years ago when I married and don't eat eggs or fish (probably why I end up binge eating junk food) so wouldn't know where to start with regards to what I could eat, recipes and meal plans.

I've messed up a huge chunk of my life being stupid and feeling a bit too carefree and want to turn that around!

Any help will be appreciated.

Muchos Gracis!

Manny x

 

[AM1874]

Hi @mannysehra .. and welcome
Since joining this forum, though, the folks here have given me so much info, advice and support that I am now much more confident about the journey ahead. So ask your questions and be assured that you will receive the answers that you need. It can all seem uphill to start with but, in my experience, it gets easier .. very quickly.

Not sure that I can help with your reactions to your meds but a key point to take on board is that managing and controlling your diabetes through exercise, diet and testing your Blood Glucose seems to be the best way forward for many people. For me, committing to an LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) lifestyle and testing 3-5 times a day seems to be working and you'll find that there is a wealth of info, relevant advice and positive support about LCHF on the forum ..

I have tagged @daisy1 for you and I suggest that you read up on the Low Carb Program in the information that she will soon be sending you. You might also find the discussion on the Low Carb Diet forum helpful .. together with the following Diet Doctor sites which will give you all the info that you need on what and what not to eat ...
Low Carb Intro and Information and Low Carbs in 60 Seconds

Hope this helps

 

[Oldvatr]

Hi All,

It's going to be a long one (sorry) but please bear with me...

I've had diabetes for a number of years and for those number of years have been in denial thinking my body would kick into gear and sort itself out. It didn't!

I was placed on Metaformin and Glicazide for ages but would never take them as it would make me nauseous, dizzy, constant headaches... just feeling really horrible. Was never sure if it was the Metaformin, the Glicazide or a combination of both. I just stopped taking them.

6 months ago I was put on insulin, Novomix 30 Flexpen. I was told to do 20 units in the morning and then again 20 units at night. after a review, my blood sugar level went down but nowhere great. so I was then given 2 x Metaformin and 1 x Trajenta to take at lunch as well as the insulin. After a few weeks I suddenly developed a fear of needles and couldn't inject myself. My husband then started doing this. Whilst researching a device to prevent me seeing the needle when injecting I came across this forum and read so many posts of people stating they had put on weight whilst on insulin. LIGHT BULB. I have gained over half a stone and never knowing why, and its happened since the tie I started insulin. I panicked last Friday and stopped injecting.

I have leftover medication of Metaformin and Glicazide and started taking them again. So this week I have been really good by monitoring my diet (which is so hard I can cry) and taking blood sugar levels before and after every meal. I previously would never get a reading below 20 (highest ever being 32) but now the difference is amazing! I take 2x Metaformin + 1x Glicazide morning and evening and 2x Metaformin and 1x Trajenta at lunch. One thing... Taking the tablets make me sick. Very sick, to the point where I can't do anything and struggling to concentrate at work (I'm typing this at work!).

I've booked an appointment on Friday to see a doctor to sort myself out. The doctor I'm seeing is a locum doctor and won't know my history and I don't think I can wait to see my doctor (whose on holiday for 2 weeks). I'm hoping she changes my medication for me to try for a few weeks and then review at the end of the month when I go for my HBA1C. I've just read about lactic acidosis and thinking of stopping my medication before I see the doctor on Friday as I have most of the symptoms.

I guess I'm asking for your experiences on taking Metaformin, Glicazide and especially both together. Is there anything can request to be placed on (if i can). Did any of you experience weight gain with these medication.

I've seen a lot of mentions of the LCHF diet but not sure I can be up to doing it. I turned vegetarian a few years ago when I married and don't eat eggs or fish (probably why I end up binge eating junk food) so wouldn't know where to start with regards to what I could eat, recipes and meal plans.

I've messed up a huge chunk of my life being stupid and feeling a bit too carefree and want to turn that around!

Any help will be appreciated.

Muchos Gracis!

Manny x

Hi and welcome. Where to start? I am tagging @daisy1 to make sure you get the Welcome pack that has loads of useful info/

The first thing I will suggest is that you research the LC part of this Forum There is mucho advice and recipes, tips etc on ways to reduce bgl. There are other vegetariams using an LC diet successfully, and there are many different variants to try, such as Paleo, Atkins, LCHF. I am using LCHF and I am also on Metformin and Gliclazide. My diet has been so successful that I have managed to significantly reduce my dose of both meds, an well as my BP meds,

I am lucky in that I can use the standard Metformin without too much gastric upset, but many find that the Extended (XR) or Slow release (SR) variants suit them better. Some though have to give the Metformin up completely due to tummy issues etc. The thing with Met is to start on a low dose (i.e. go back to 1 tab a day for a week), and build it up over about 1 month so your body gets used to it gradually. It has to build up anyway and will not drop your bgl much in the early days. The Glic is a better bgl lowering drug, and again I tolerate it without any side effects However it is not a drug that should be used long term (i,e years) since it can overwork the pancreas.

Metformin has benefits over and above its small bgl lowering effect in terms of protecting your cardiovascular system, and is also supposed to be an appetite suppressant. The advice is to try to persevere with it if you can. The side effects are often only there in the first few weeks, and subside in time. Certainly, until recently I was on 2 grams a day, and tolerating it with just the occasional wobbup.

Any med that increases insulin in the blood can lead to weight gain since one job of insulin is to make the body store excess blood glucose as fat for future use. So the Glic may do this. But a good LC diet should be effective in removing it. My weight and girth have both reduced, and although I am not a male model, I am considerably better than I was.

 

[daisy1]

@mannysehra

Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope it will be useful to you in addition to all the information other members have been able to give you. The Low Carb Program could also help you. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 250,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
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