I am 16 stone (heaviest Ive ever been) Im type 2 and have been prescribed diabetic meds, statins, angina meds, depression meds, I hate all the side effects and dont like taking so many tablets. I wonder if I stopped the meds and lost a few stone, if I would be healthier and obviously not have the side effects either. Has anyone ever done this? thanks for any suggestions
advice on stopping medication - would losing weight be enough?
- Thread starter dmcd15
- Start Date
Welcome aboard.
The best bet is to tackle the blood sugars, and weight before stopping any med's, and only then with the help and advice from your health care professionals.
If you can give an idea of the meals you eat, we would be in much better position to advise of the things that helped us.
Also what med's you are actually on, and what side effects are you getting, and what your Hba1c result was at diagnosis, it will be a number greater than 47 mmol, or even as a percentage, depending on where you're from, but depending on number, the necessary degree of intervention, could vary greatly.
losing the weight would be a great help to your overall health and well being, as MANY on here can testify. It all seems rather hopeless at the begining, but things can rapidly improve, often with just a few small tweaks to your diet.
The best bet is to tackle the blood sugars, and weight before stopping any med's, and only then with the help and advice from your health care professionals.
If you can give an idea of the meals you eat, we would be in much better position to advise of the things that helped us.
Also what med's you are actually on, and what side effects are you getting, and what your Hba1c result was at diagnosis, it will be a number greater than 47 mmol, or even as a percentage, depending on where you're from, but depending on number, the necessary degree of intervention, could vary greatly.
losing the weight would be a great help to your overall health and well being, as MANY on here can testify. It all seems rather hopeless at the begining, but things can rapidly improve, often with just a few small tweaks to your diet.
eventhorizon
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 529
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
I think a better way forward, working with your doctor, would be to lose some weight and then reduce meds.
MissMuffett
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 1,232
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
I’m about 3 stone overweight and lowering my BG has started my weigh loss! I hate taking so many medications but before taking them my BG was between 13and 17 and couldn’t lose weight. Now with the meds and low carb eating I’m in the 6s and 7s and losing most weeks. I’ve lost 20lbs in 3 months 
When I’m at my ideal weigh I will start thinking of reducing the meds. I also take 6 supplements a day so definitely feel like I’m rattling
When I’m at my ideal weigh I will start thinking of reducing the meds. I also take 6 supplements a day so definitely feel like I’m rattlingYou are inspirational.......well done. May I ask what you did to lose weight?I’m about 3 stone overweight and lowering my BG has started my weigh loss! I hate taking so many medications but before taking them my BG was between 13and 17 and couldn’t lose weight. Now with the meds and low carb eating I’m in the 6s and 7s and losing most weeks. I’ve lost 20lbs in 3 months
You need to take steps to reduce your Blood Glucose levels before attempting to reduce medication.
Which method do you intend to use?
Are you measuring your blood glucose response to each meal you are eating?
The method I used was a Low Carb way of eating (i.e. without conscious calorie reduction), but fasting, very low calorie diet ) Newcastle or Fast 800 etc.), Gastric surgery are alternative methods.
Certainly I feel healthier than I was when I had an HbA1C of 53 ( now it's 38) was 1/5th heavier and was takin statins and several other drugs, but I can only speak for myself.
AloeSvea
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 2,276
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Other
Hi @dmcd15. As you probably gathered from above - there is no short answer.
Because Type 2 Diabetes is a metabolic disease, all those metabolic processes and systems come into play, and these things play out differently for different people. It's the nature of the beast - and what a beast this disease is! (In my humble opinion at any rate.)
I am a type two who considerable weight loss has not made a long-lasting impact on my insulin resistance based type two, as in complete remission at any rate. Metformin does not have a long-lasting effect on my morning insulin/glucose spurt (aka the dawn phenomenon). I have just recently lost a couple of kilos, and watched my blood glucose readings make no response at all. So, it turns out I am good on weight loss, not a high flyer on remission (which is what I was going for, but hey!).
In the early days post diagnosis, weight loss and exercise, and of course - eating much lower carb and no added sugar made a tremendous impact on my HBA1c. But now I am all about defending the status quo, which is in the prediabetes range, as low on it as I can (not very low as it turns out). I now also understand the life of my cells, and how they work and don't work, much more deeply.
My main advice and answer to your question is - you can only try it, and find out! Keep good records. Buy or have prescribed if you are lucky enough for that - lots of blood glucose test strips, start measuring your waist for a waist height ratio reading, get a set of scales you can bear looking at for your marker records - and start experimenting and recording. By the end of a significant marker recording period you will have a lot of information about how your T2D plays out, so you can treat your T2D accordingly, and keep and gain the best health in the circumstances. (Your circumstances!)
But yes, I agree with those above, do all this with medical supervision. I had very close medical supervision in my early days when I was trying the big experiments. I learnt a lot from that, and now there is no point in medical supervision at all (I am 9 years on). But they are how you get the good important tests done, and having medical professionals onside when it comes to what they do really well - the medications side of it, is VERY important, indeed.
Good luck with your weight loss experiment, in any case. I look forward to following that journey of yours, if you decide to proceed.
Because Type 2 Diabetes is a metabolic disease, all those metabolic processes and systems come into play, and these things play out differently for different people. It's the nature of the beast - and what a beast this disease is! (In my humble opinion at any rate.)
I am a type two who considerable weight loss has not made a long-lasting impact on my insulin resistance based type two, as in complete remission at any rate. Metformin does not have a long-lasting effect on my morning insulin/glucose spurt (aka the dawn phenomenon). I have just recently lost a couple of kilos, and watched my blood glucose readings make no response at all. So, it turns out I am good on weight loss, not a high flyer on remission (which is what I was going for, but hey!).
In the early days post diagnosis, weight loss and exercise, and of course - eating much lower carb and no added sugar made a tremendous impact on my HBA1c. But now I am all about defending the status quo, which is in the prediabetes range, as low on it as I can (not very low as it turns out). I now also understand the life of my cells, and how they work and don't work, much more deeply.
My main advice and answer to your question is - you can only try it, and find out! Keep good records. Buy or have prescribed if you are lucky enough for that - lots of blood glucose test strips, start measuring your waist for a waist height ratio reading, get a set of scales you can bear looking at for your marker records - and start experimenting and recording. By the end of a significant marker recording period you will have a lot of information about how your T2D plays out, so you can treat your T2D accordingly, and keep and gain the best health in the circumstances. (Your circumstances!)
But yes, I agree with those above, do all this with medical supervision. I had very close medical supervision in my early days when I was trying the big experiments. I learnt a lot from that, and now there is no point in medical supervision at all (I am 9 years on). But they are how you get the good important tests done, and having medical professionals onside when it comes to what they do really well - the medications side of it, is VERY important, indeed.
Good luck with your weight loss experiment, in any case. I look forward to following that journey of yours, if you decide to proceed.
