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All or nothing

Martinjd

Martinjd

Well-Known Member
Messages
60
Type of diabetes
Type 2
As the title says I’m an all or nothing type of person. At the start of my life with type2 I was fanatical and got my HBA1C down from 95 to 38 in 12 months, but as with everything else I couldn’t keep it up so everything started to yo-yo . As a result this morning I have taken my first metformin tablet. ☹️
 
Martinjd said:
As the title says I’m an all or nothing type of person. At the start of my life with type2 I was fanatical and got my HBA1C down from 95 to 38 in 12 months, but as with everything else I couldn’t keep it up so everything started to yo-yo . As a result this morning I have taken my first metformin tablet. ☹️
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Hi. I too used to be unsettled in my life and this reflected on my maintenance too. However it may be you hv been so strict with your carb intake that its hard for you to maintain that stringent level.
I guess you feel you only hv 2 options. No. You hv whichever options suit you and your diabetes. This is your time to explore what can work for you as well as strict low/no carb.
Is it possible to write down the typical eating plan you were following for hba1c 38?
Then write through it what you can change but to something you enjoy that's similar carb content or maybe just a little higher or as high as you feel confortable and no hypos. Hypos are as dangerous as hypers. Hypos has been proven now to excelerate alzheimers. Goodness knows what else.
So bouncing around from highs to lows etc isn't good for your systems, including your brain function.
Finding what works for you better can be interesting.
Play around with your food options?
 
Martinjd said:
As the title says I’m an all or nothing type of person. At the start of my life with type2 I was fanatical and got my HBA1C down from 95 to 38 in 12 months, but as with everything else I couldn’t keep it up so everything started to yo-yo . As a result this morning I have taken my first metformin tablet. ☹️
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Well, at least now you have some kind of safety-net.

But I think it's worth examining this idea/label you've given yourself. I'm not at all qualified to psycho-analyse, Im just quite familiar from considering my own experience and others't hat these labels (whether placed on us from an external source or our own internal beliefs) can be left-over from a time when they might've applied, and no longer serve us, or may even have never really been true. Even if you always acted this way, that doesn't mean it's hard-encoded into your very fabric, and unchangeable.

Of course, the fact that you've accepted the medication seems to be you acknowledging that this is the first step away from such diametrically-opposed extremes. But you still start the post off saying you are an all-or-nothing person. Perhaps, with time and self-examination that label will give way and you'll eventually hit on Buddha's (Or Goldilocks') middle-path i.e Not too much; not too little...but, just exactly what you need to do.

All the best :)
 
Beating-My-Betes said:
Given the way Metformin seems to work, i'd say it was a horrific idea ;)
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Metformin gets a lot of flak on these forums from those who can't tolerate it. However it works well for a lot of people (not just diabetics, it's a treatment for PCOS) and has been around for long enough so that the side effects (long and short term) are very well understood. I didn't hesitate to enter a medical trial to see if it would help T1s (it was double blind and I never found out if I was taking a placebo) and I can understand why it's a first line treatment for T2s.

I don't think diabetes has to be all or nothing at all, you just do the best you can and try not to be too hard on yourself if you need some medical help. But needing some help doesn't mean you have to give up on the low carb.
 
The notion of adding any drug or unnecessary substance into the water supply is most definitely a horrific idea. But besides that ridiculous notion, Metformin is nothing to be ashamed of if it works for you and you can tolerate it.
 
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EllieM said:
Metformin gets a lot of flak on these forums from those who can't tolerate it. However it works well for a lot of people (not just diabetics, it's a treatment for PCOS) and has been around for long enough so that the side effects (long and short term) are very well understood. I didn't hesitate to enter a medical trial to see if it would help T1s (it was double blind and I never found out if I was taking a placebo) and I can understand why it's a first line treatment for T2s.
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Well, I already said I thought it was good that the op had it as a safety-net. I'm not totally anti. Unfortunately, the mechanisms by which it works (Unless I'm completely mistaken) made it so I was blocked from doing the very thing I needed to do to get control of my sugars (i.e exercise). The constant bowel evacuation was one thing (Something I understand can be offset by using slow-acting variants), but finding myself on many occasions shaking and immovable for hours on end (Liver blocked from performing its normal response to my false-lows) was something I wasn't going to tolerate.

But at least I had the choice.

My comment was very specifically in relation to the absurd idea of putting such a substance in the water-supply. Do you agree with that sentiment?
 
Martinjd said:
Thanks everyone for the words of wisdom much appreciated.
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Keep on keeping on buddy!
I'm on one metformin per day still even though I've been able to reduce to 37 ... and I still have my weak moments where I eat too many carbs in one go, but this forum keeps me from falling over the edge completely. Metformin has never upset my system so I'm one of the fortunate ones who can take it. Hope it helps you too :)
 
I can totally sympathise. Whereas some people are able to stick to LCHF for life, others (including myself) find it difficult. If I can get to the point where I can manage my BGS with around 100g of carbs per day, exercise and medication, then I would consider that more sustainable than keto, which I can manage for short periods but makes me depressed & irritable.
 
Martinjd said:
As the title says I’m an all or nothing type of person. At the start of my life with type2 I was fanatical and got my HBA1C down from 95 to 38 in 12 months, but as with everything else I couldn’t keep it up so everything started to yo-yo . As a result this morning I have taken my first metformin tablet. ☹️
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You know from experience what is possible when you put your mind to it. That's useful, and you can build on that. As for the tendency to lose focus and say oh sod it, well, you know yourself well enough to be on guard this time. Don't assume that you are a prisoner of history/habit: you're the boss here and you can do things differently.. .
 
Beating-My-Betes said:
My comment was very specifically in relation to the absurd idea of putting such a substance in the water-supply. Do you agree with that sentiment?
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Sorry, didn't mean to disagree with your stance in the water supply, given that some people really can't tolerate the stuff, just wanted to point out that it works well for many.
 
EllieM said:
Sorry, didn't mean to disagree with your stance in the water supply, given that some people really can't tolerate the stuff, just wanted to point out that it works well for many.
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Thanks for the clarification. To further clarify my own position: I know it works well for many, and I'm sure that in the doses we'd likely be talking about that no adverse digestive issues would occur. my issue solely focuses on the drug inhibiting the normal functioning of the liver. That's something each diabetic has to weigh up for themselves, but certainly shouldn't be forced on people (diabetic or otherwise).
 
Beating-My-Betes said:
Well, I already said I thought it was good that the op had it as a safety-net. I'm not totally anti. Unfortunately, the mechanisms by which it works (Unless I'm completely mistaken) made it so I was blocked from doing the very thing I needed to do to get control of my sugars (i.e exercise). The constant bowel evacuation was one thing (Something I understand can be offset by using slow-acting variants), but finding myself on many occasions shaking and immovable for hours on end (Liver blocked from performing its normal response to my false-lows) was something I wasn't going to tolerate.

But at least I had the choice.

My comment was very specifically in relation to the absurd idea of putting such a substance in the water-supply. Do you agree with that sentiment?
Click to expand...
NOTHING should be put in the water supply except water IMO. However, though I have heard that many get horrid bathroom issues with metformin, if you don't get any side effects, or if they don't last, I can see no reason why anyone should be against taking metformin or any other drugs for T2. If they work why ever not? What is so special about treating T2 with low carb if drugs would lower BGs just as well? And some drugs actually have extra beneficial effects beyond treating T2 eg reduce cancer risk.
 
Tannith said:
I can see no reason why anyone should be against taking metformin or any other drugs for T2. If they work why ever not?
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As has been explained many times before all drugs come with side effects.

Some of us would far rather be in remission without them and save them for any possible future use if required.
 
Tannith said:
NOTHING should be put in the water supply except water IMO. However, though I have heard that many get horrid bathroom issues with metformin, if you don't get any side effects, or if they don't last, I can see no reason why anyone should be against taking metformin or any other drugs for T2. If they work why ever not? What is so special about treating T2 with low carb if drugs would lower BGs just as well? And some drugs actually have extra beneficial effects beyond treating T2 eg reduce cancer risk.
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I agree. I take metformin (on and off,) alongside low carb as it helps reduce liver dump and helps me lose a little weight.
However I recently suffered from one of the worst side effects in that it depleted my B12 levels. I am not sure I will risk taking it again
 
Just the thought that I might be pushed to take medication again is enough to keep me keeping on with eating low carb.
The Metformin and Atorvastatin just about destroyed me.
Yes, I had a pretty severe reaction, but no one at the surgery made any effort to check on my ability to cope.
 
I take medication only when strictly necessary. As stated by others, all drugs come with side effects. Often (certainly in my case) prescribed drugs affect each other, and not in a good way. Why would I risk these when I can simply eat a suitable diet with no health risks at all?
As has been said, the drugs are a fall-back position. And one I hope I will never need. So - for me - that's why.
 
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