advice please..

[uno]

hi i will try and make this as short as i can,ive been tablet controlled for the last 3 yrs along with watching my diet i have lost 2 stone but still weigh 16 and cant seem to shift any more weight ,my d nurse last year changed my medication and along with metformin being increased to 500m x2 a day i was put on glimepiride 5mg day along with 20mg simvastatin ramipril 5mg daily .i had a very bad car accident last year broken neck and bone in my back i had a head brace on for 15 week 24/7 bones have now healed and im getting pysio .i was put on very strong pain medication but im off it all apart ffrom 9 gabapentin a day at 300mg per tablet ..about 4/5 months ago my belly started to swell and dr sent me for scan.....it turned out i had a fatty non alcholic liver and lots of gas in my bowel area .ive just had my full bloods mot check up ...eyes fine pulse in feet fine ..my hbc has fell from 73 down to 61 and my cholestrol is 3.8....my belly swells like im 9 month pregnant dont matter what i eat or drink its like switching a light bulb on and off ...so at my review with d nurse on the 17th march ,i was taken off my 4 a day metformin increased my ramipril to 10 mg day also my water samples last 2 have been very high in protine.....im to go back in 5 wks for bloods and a water sample this is to see if belly stops swelling ....my normal bloods jab in finger are between 8 and 9 then down to 7 ish ...but since no metformin belly has had no swelling but my bloods have gone up to 18 /20 1st thing on morning and after my 5 mg glimepride only dropping 1 or 2 ......has any one got any advice for me also im drinking lots of water but my mouth feels so dry ...thank you in advance x

 

[Mep]

It's hard to give any advice as such as it sounds like you're being investigated for other health conditions still. Hopefully you're having everything checked out. I also have problems with excessive gas in my digestive tract because mine doesn't move too well. I have a bloated stomach all the time and it gets terribly uncomfortable. I look pregnant as well. I was at the ER on the weekend and the doc was feeling around my stomach and she said you are really sore all over aren't you... I just replied yep. She asked is this normal for you? I replied yep. You are mentioning about your sugar levels being quite high though and I think it may be worthwhile asking for diagnostic tests to be run again for you just to make sure you know what type of diabetes you have. Eg. you could've been diagnosed type 2 when you're in fact type 1.5 or you may still be type 2 but you have insulin deficiency (that's what I have). Then of course there are the other variables like your diet, activity level, etc... I'd imagine you're not too mobile with the injuries you have. Are you doing low carb diet at all?

I wish you the best.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. It does sound like you have a complex set of conditions. Many of us suggest having a low-carb diet to help reduce blood sugar and weight. When you say you watch your diet, what sort of diet do you currently have? Many dieticians suggest low-fat, high'ish carbs, low salt etc. I don't want to conflict with any of your medical conditions but many of us believe that advice from dieticians for us is not good advice, so do follow the advice on these forums.

 

[uno]

It's hard to give any advice as such as it sounds like you're being investigated for other health conditions still. Hopefully you're having everything checked out. I also have problems with excessive gas in my digestive tract because mine doesn't move too well. I have a bloated stomach all the time and it gets terribly uncomfortable. I look pregnant as well. I was at the ER on the weekend and the doc was feeling around my stomach and she said you are really sore all over aren't you... I just replied yep. She asked is this normal for you? I replied yep. You are mentioning about your sugar levels being quite high though and I think it may be worthwhile asking for diagnostic tests to be run again for you just to make sure you know what type of diabetes you have. Eg. you could've been diagnosed type 2 when you're in fact type 1.5 or you may still be type 2 but you have insulin deficiency (that's what I have). Then of course there are the other variables like your diet, activity level, etc... I'd imagine you're not too mobile with the injuries you have. Are you doing low carb diet at all?

I wish you the best.

hi thank you i will get my bloods done in 3 wks again along with urine test ,its just im a bit worried that my blood sugar has doubled in last few weeks with coming off the metformin ,i try to stick to plenty of veg white meat jkt pots ,weetabix i dont drink or eat crisps or chocs ,yes my mobility is very limited at the moment xxx

 

[Mep]

hi thank you i will get my bloods done in 3 wks again along with urine test ,its just im a bit worried that my blood sugar has doubled in last few weeks with coming off the metformin ,i try to stick to plenty of veg white meat jkt pots ,weetabix i dont drink or eat crisps or chocs ,yes my mobility is very limited at the moment xxx

Just be careful what veggies you eat as the carb ones will just increase your blood sugar... so will the jacket potatoes, weetbix and milk.

The tests I'm referring to are the GAD test and the c-peptide test. The regular hbA1c test will only say what your average sugar level has been in the past 60 days or so. Are you getting the GAD & c-peptide done you mean?

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

i had a fatty non alcholic liver

A lot going on so please forgive me for commenting on bits and pieces in a random way. I can only offer anecdotal information.

I had a fatty liver after taking Rosiglitazone for several years (I also gained eight stone), liver function deteriorated and I was put back on Metformin. My liver function hasn't been right for years since then. However, after seeing a Nutritional Therapist about my weight issues (calories cut, dramatically, exercises done, extensively, not a gram lost) and after a whole battery of blood tests and other recommendations, she recommended Milk Thistle. All I can say is that after 6 months and my regular HbA1c and liver/kidney function blood tests, my GP announced that my liver function was back to normal, even she was surprised.

my water samples last 2 have been very high in protine

I had this 'problem', GP said it was because I drink too much water 2-3 litres a day and it was literally flushing the protein out of the kidney.

was taken off my 4 a day metformin

I've had the problem of lactic acid since taking Metformin, exacerbated by taking a statin at one point (a different sort of leg pain), so I am in the process of getting GP to agree to me being a human guinea pig. I've been hearing a lot about Berberine recently as a way of increasing metabolism (mine's knackered, GP's words, not mine). I have been reading some research that suggests Berberine is as effective as Metformin in decreasing glucose excretion from the liver and lowering insulin resistance. It is also an anti inflammatory.

taken off my 4 a day metformin increased my ramipril to 10 mg day

I'm no doctor, but while I can understand that Metformin might be causing bloating etc, did the nurse not replace the Metformin with something else? There are alternatives, some with a similar function or sometimes I've seen Gliclazide prescribed but this actually stimulates the production of insulin so care is needed to avoid hypos.


I have taken it alongside Metformin for several months with no ill effects, sadly no significant weight loss either, I just need to stop Metformin and take Berberine and see what happens.

 

[uno]

Just be careful what veggies you eat as the carb ones will just increase your blood sugar... so will the jacket potatoes, weetbix and milk.

The tests I'm referring to are the GAD test and the c-peptide test. The regular hbA1c test will only say what your average sugar level has been in the past 60 days or so. Are you getting the GAD & c-peptide done you mean?

hi i have not heard the above tests all i get done are my hba 1c what go back 10 weeks ...think i need to look at my food again and lower my carb which i didnt think was bad x

 

[uno]

A lot going on so please forgive me for commenting on bits and pieces in a random way. I can only offer anecdotal information.

I had a fatty liver after taking Rosiglitazone for several years (I also gained eight stone), liver function deteriorated and I was put back on Metformin. My liver function hasn't been right for years since then. However, after seeing a Nutritional Therapist about my weight issues (calories cut, dramatically, exercises done, extensively, not a gram lost) and after a whole battery of blood tests and other recommendations, she recommended Milk Thistle. All I can say is that after 6 months and my regular HbA1c and liver/kidney function blood tests, my GP announced that my liver function was back to normal, even she was surprised.



I had this 'problem', GP said it was because I drink too much water 2-3 litres a day and it was literally flushing the protein out of the kidney.



I've had the problem of lactic acid since taking Metformin, exacerbated by taking a statin at one point (a different sort of leg pain), so I am in the process of getting GP to agree to me being a human guinea pig. I've been hearing a lot about Berberine recently as a way of increasing metabolism (mine's knackered, GP's words, not mine). I have been reading some research that suggests Berberine is as effective as Metformin in decreasing glucose excretion from the liver and lowering insulin resistance. It is also an anti inflammatory.

hi i drink about 2 litres of water a day ,when i was taken of my metformin i was on 5 mg day of glimepride which nurse wanted me to carry on with so thats the only medication im on for my type 2 thats why she increased ramipril from 5 to 10 mg day to protect my liver/kidneys x




I'm no doctor, but while I can understand that Metformin might be causing bloating etc, did the nurse not replace the Metformin with something else? There are alternatives, some with a similar function or sometimes I've seen Gliclazide prescribed but this actually stimulates the production of insulin so care is needed to avoid hypos.


I have taken it alongside Metformin for several months with no ill effects, sadly no significant weight loss either, I just need to stop Metformin and take Berberine and see what happens.

 

[uno]

It's hard to give any advice as such as it sounds like you're being investigated for other health conditions still. Hopefully you're having everything checked out. I also have problems with excessive gas in my digestive tract because mine doesn't move too well. I have a bloated stomach all the time and it gets terribly uncomfortable. I look pregnant as well. I was at the ER on the weekend and the doc was feeling around my stomach and she said you are really sore all over aren't you... I just replied yep. She asked is this normal for you? I replied yep. You are mentioning about your sugar levels being quite high though and I think it may be worthwhile asking for diagnostic tests to be run again for you just to make sure you know what type of diabetes you have. Eg. you could've been diagnosed type 2 when you're in fact type 1.5 or you may still be type 2 but you have insulin deficiency (that's what I have). Then of course there are the other variables like your diet, activity level, etc... I'd imagine you're not too mobile with the injuries you have. Are you doing low carb diet at all?

I wish you the best.

thanks for your advice i did not know you could have 1.5 im going to have a good read on here on diet as i thought i was good lol xxx

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

hi i have not heard the above tests all i get done are my hba 1c what go back 10 weeks ...think i need to look at my food again and lower my carb which i didnt think was bad x

The c-pep test is one way to see exactly what your pancreas is doing with respect to producing insulin . . . . . . or not so much. It's not the sort of test the GP will routinely have done, and I have no idea why. I wish you good luck in getting your GP to give you the c-pep blood test, I paid for my own, it was about £90 about 2 years ago. Some Googling for alternative prices would be useful if you decide to "go it alone".
When I cut out potatoes, rice, bread, pasta and cereal, my carb intake was reduced to about 80gms a day. I still eat plenty of veg which although containing carbs doesn't take me much higher than 80gms.

 

[Mep]

The c-pep test is one way to see exactly what your pancreas is doing with respect to producing insulin . . . . . . or not so much. It's not the sort of test the GP will routinely have done, and I have no idea why. I wish you good luck in getting your GP to give you the c-pep blood test, I paid for my own, it was about £90 about 2 years ago. Some Googling for alternative prices would be useful if you decide to "go it alone".
When I cut out potatoes, rice, bread, pasta and cereal, my carb intake was reduced to about 80gms a day. I still eat plenty of veg which although containing carbs doesn't take me much higher than 80gms.

It may be similar to here where I am? Here only the endocrinologists request the GAD and c-peptide tests. They're both diagnostic tests to determine what type of diabetes you have. I would think both should be done regularly as type 1.5 doesn't present as auto-immune straight away. Also type 2's can lose their insulin production because of beta cell damage caused to the pancreas by insulin resistance and oral meds stimulating it to produce more insulin over time.