Diabetes meds

[Meffy]

I am on the full dose of Metformin but my blood sugars have shot up - I am under enormous stress and suffering from infections/flu.My GP says that he must put me on Gliclazide in spite of possible weight gain (I already weigh 22 stone) because it will work in weeks rather than the months Jardiance, for instance, would take. Surely it is possible to bring down very high readings - 25.9 - sooner than a few weeks?

 

[urbanracer]

I am on the full dose of Metformin but my blood sugars have shot up - I am under enormous stress and suffering from infections/flu.My GP says that he must put me on Gliclazide in spite of possible weight gain (I already weigh 22 stone) because it will work in weeks rather than the months Jardiance, for instance, would take. Surely it is possible to bring down very high readings - 25.9 - sooner than a few weeks?

Hi and welcome to the forums.

Only faster method I can think of is to start injecting insulin, but once a person starts on insulin it's difficult to come off it (at least that's what my endo' told me).

Your doctor will probably view this as the last resort so will try you on whatever medicatons he has at his disposal beforehand. These med's are not designed to work really fast.

You might find it helpful to look critically at what you're eating every day and try to reduce your carbohydrate intake if you have not already done so?

@daisy1

 

[Guzzler]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I cannot give advice as I am not on bg lowering drugs but many members are and I am sure they will be here soon to tell you of their experiences, perhaps in the morning.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Stress and infections won't be helping you.

One quick way of reducing blood sugar is to reduce carbohydrate consumption. Foods such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, flour, breakfast cereals and fruit. Have you given this a try? Not only will it help lower BS levels but should also help you lose weight.

 

[Liam1955]

Welcome @Meffy to the Forum .
Stress pushes up Blood Sugars, as well as Infections/Flu.

 

[Crocodile]

Think I'd be looking at the 22 stone first. If you can lose about 50kg over the next year or so gradually it will make a big difference. You probably already know that though. I dropped only 16kg and it was like a rebirth.
Glenn

 

[Rachox]

Welcome to the Forum Meffy. I second what @Crocodile says. I have been overweight for more years than I care to count. Straight away on diagnosis of type 2 having sought help here, I went on a low carb diet. I have tried many diets over the years, calorie counting, milkshakes, fruit diet etc... and low carb is by far and away the easiest. Since last May I have lost over 5 stone and got my blood sugar levels down to normal levels. I wonder if you have got into a vicious circle of high sugars causing infections, then infections causing higher blood sugars. If you haven’t already I’d try a low carb eating plan, be cautious and monitor your blood sugars if you have started on any meds apart from Metformin.

 

[Brunneria]

My understanding is that the three quickest ways to reduce blood glucose are
- strong medication (as offered by your doctor)
- changing your way of eating to reduce or eliminate the carb foods that are sending your blood glucose so high
- exercise, which will lower insulin resistance for insulin resistant type 2s

Fortunately, you get to choose which of these you will use, either singly, or together.

Lots of us struggle with the kind of consistent exercise needed, but it can be very effective.

Many type 2s on the forum have found carb reduction to be amazingly effective and allowed us to reduce or avoid the drugs., with the added benefit of weight loss.

Www.dietdoctor.com has a wealth of information on how to reduce carb intake to a level that works for you, if you are interested.

 

[daisy1]

@Meffy

Hello Meffy and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will 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 235,000 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 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. Most of these are 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
  
  
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
  

 

[Meffy]

I am on Metformin and have taken other drugs in the past. I have had a very bad reaction to Glipizide, a cousin of what your doc is suggesting. A scary other drug, because it can cause medulary thyroid cancer, is exenatide and related drugs (Byetta, Victoza, other names). I found, on using Byetta, that the lower dose worked as well as the higher dose, and the endocrinologist suggested it had lower risk of its awful side effects. Byetta will make you somewhat nauseaous or at least not so hungry.

In terms of you, I would ask how much and what kind of Metformin do you take? I take Metformin extended release 750 three times a day and I personally supplement spikes of bloodsugars (often in my case because of infections and other physical problems) with various amounts of fenugreek capsules. Fenugreek is an herb native to Greece and nearby that has been used since ancient times for diabetes. I have tested several brands to see which ones work best for me. A higher than normal reading after eating usually merits two capsules but
I have in a pinch used up to 9 capsules without any gastrointestinal side effects

In terms of the Metformin itself, over time I have adjusted what kind, how much and when I take it:

1. I moved from normal tablets to time release.
2. I moved from the non generic form to a generic brand colored white. (no reactions from bad colors or fillers affecting their efficacy)
3. I now do equal spacing of taking the tablets. I never take more than one at once.
4. I only take Metformin (tip learned from this forum) after 1/3 of a meal. this get the hunger edge off and protects the stomach.
5. I never take Metformin with difficult to digest food like tomatoes, hot peppers, etc. In fact, I have modified my diet to exclude items normally excluded on a diet for esophagitis or ulcers with the exceptions of garlic, ether members of the alium family( like onions and shallots) and mint.

When I have a period like you are going through, I tend to have more vegetable soup or bone broth, be vigilant about carbs, add more oil to m diet or butter and do more frequent testing of my blood sugars and use my blood pressure and irregular heart beat meter.

A hot bath will lower both blood pressure and blood sugar. If you have access to a sauna you will help your infections, your immunity and your weight. Sweat is your friend and any kind of movement. Put on extra covers, extra clothes.

I am looking up Fenugreek capsules on Amazon and, as usual, am bewildered by the choice. You said you have tried several brands, can you recommend?

 

[Daibell]

Hi. A low carb diet is really your highest priority - same for many of us. Gliclazide only causes weight gain if you have too many carbs with it. Like insulin, Gliclazide itself does not cause weight gain. Metformin never has much effect. To be honest I suspect Gliclazide may not help you that much as it stimulates the pancreas to produce more insulin and excess weight and being T2 may mean you are already producing too much thru insulin resistance? So, go low-carb. There are a few other meds available such as a weekly injection etc that may be relevant.

 

[kokhongw]

Surely it is possible to bring down very high readings - 25.9 - sooner than a few weeks?

From my experience, yes. It came straight down after I remove carbs from my diet. No meds, no insulin, no exercise, no will power...

419 mg/dl ~ 23 mmols.

 

[Boo1979]

I have been on a stable ( until it was recently halved) low dose of Gliclazide for over 20 years and have used quite aggressive blood sugar testing to adjust my carb intake as necessary in order to stave off any increase / change in meds whenever control has become more challenging.
When I strted out on Gliclazide around 40-45g carbs per meal seemed to work well but over the years that has had to reduce to 35-40 ish ( sometimes 20 sometimes 50g) a day to maintain the same level of control
In terms of weight I was a few stone heavier than you with no weight loss approach appearing to stop me gaining weight let alone lose any until I was tested and treated for a range of food intolerances - I then lost 61/2 stone in 6 months with no effort and a total of 10 stone in all - which has stayed off - that was all 15years prior to diagnosis with diabetes