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Diabetic remission

sue512

sue512

Well-Known Member
Messages
233
Location
Wales
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Rude people
Can I ask of those of you that have achieved remission, how easy is it to stay there and do you have to control your carbs as strictly as when bringing your numbers down?
 
lucylocket61 said:
There are many definitions of remission, but yes, I have to keep watching my carbs, blood sugar levels and weight or my hba1c rises again.

I am still a type 2 diabetic. I am controlling it, but the potential for higher numbers remains for me.
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I have found it physically very easy to achieve and maintain it - so far - but mentally the situation is not so simple. I am conscious all day of having the condition, glued to endless pondering of the fact that whilst one in 20 T2Ds achieve remission a year after diagnosis, the number has dropped to less than one in 10000 after five years: the relapsers will almost all be on meds by then. This is why HCPs have little interest in remission and will urge newly diagnosed to take meds straightaway because that’s what nearly all are going to land up on eventually. So for me this is highly preoccupying, to the point of obsession. Remission has also brought the anxiety that the 20% reduction in body weight that I made to achieve it has perhaps left me with much reduced capacity to survive any future illness. We skinnies generally die younger. But all that said, I’ve found the physical aspect trivially easy and just wish I’d done it some years earlier.
 
Some of us never achieve what is considered remission no matter how hard we try, it’s not the be all and end all, just because you are not in remission doesn’t mean you will end up on meds. I’m 13 years T2 and still on diet only with a small dose of metformin I think that’s quite successful in my eyes.
Just want to put this out there yet again, being on meds isn’t failure and there is no shame in needing medication to achieve a goal, if you need meds because everything you’ve tried isn’t working and they help you control your numbers then that’s a success too. What’s important at the end of the day is that we do the best we can with the tools we have.
 
lovinglife said:
Some of us never achieve what is considered remission no matter how hard we try, it’s not the be all and end all, just because you are not in remission doesn’t mean you will end up on meds. I’m 13 years T2 and still on diet only with a small dose of metformin I think that’s quite successful in my eyes.
Just want to put this out there yet again, being on meds isn’t failure and there is no shame in needing medication to achieve a goal, if you need meds because everything you’ve tried isn’t working and they help you control your numbers then that’s a success too. What’s important at the end of the day is that we do the best we can with the tools we have.
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That’s a very thoughtful and positive reply and I appreciate it and will try to adjust my anxieties in the light of it.
 
chrisjohnh said:
one in 20 T2Ds achieve remission a year after diagnosis, the number has dropped to less than one in 10000 after five years:
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But that doesn't say what techniques, methods, support or education they had, of any. Or medications.
The vast vast majority have just been told to cut down, lose weight, eat healthy ...advice we now believe to be largely wrong.
And any major life change need motivation, support, monitoring, education etc to stick and remain stuck.
Just diagnosis and no support or follow up is almost bound to fail.
 
chrisjohnh said:
I have found it physically very easy to achieve and maintain it - so far - but mentally the situation is not so simple. I am conscious all day of having the condition, glued to endless pondering of the fact that whilst one in 20 T2Ds achieve remission a year after diagnosis, the number has dropped to less than one in 10000 after five years: the relapsers will almost all be on meds by then. This is why HCPs have little interest in remission and will urge newly diagnosed to take meds straightaway because that’s what nearly all are going to land up on eventually. So for me this is highly preoccupying, to the point of obsession. Remission has also brought the anxiety that the 20% reduction in body weight that I made to achieve it has perhaps left me with much reduced capacity to survive any future illness. We skinnies generally die younger. But all that said, I’ve found the physical aspect trivially easy and just wish I’d done it some years earlier.
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Can I ask you to quote the reference you take the “one in twenty” from, please?
 
Personally I’m over 8 years in remission. Indeed, by some definitions I would be classified as achieving “Operational Cure”.

I still moderate my carbs, but I do eat some more carbs than when driving my numbers down.

I haven’t found maintenance to be onerous. I’d describe it as having found my new normal.

Not everyone can achieve remission, and that isn’t the end of the world. The challenge is to live your best life, in a safe, and healthy way. Other conditions can get in the way, and sometimes targets or goals need to be amended, but we just need to do what we can.
 
Resurgam said:
Although I am not bothered by high blood glucose, in remission I am, if anything, even more able to put on weight, so I stick to under 40 gm of carbs a day and my weight seems to be drifting downwards or my shape changing gradually.
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I too have to guard against weight drifting down further. Have been managing to hold the line there on 135g daily carbs so have leeway to reduce if things go pear-shaped, or rather twig-shaped. Am attentive to calories too but I know many here would say no need for that.
 
chrisjohnh said:
I have seen this sort of figure cited in several independent studies. An example is the paper in PLOS Medicine reporting a study of nearly 8000 T2s in Scotland, 2019.
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Do you have a link to that?

I'm certainly not saying you are wrong, but I can't say I have seen figures anywhere, on bigger studies. Lots of anecdotal examples on here and other places, but whilst self-reported information is key critical, robust studies tend to have better credibility in the medical/research arenas.
 
MrsA2 said:
".... Just diagnosis and no support or follow up is almost bound to fail...."
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I don't know about that bot. So many on here (including myself) found themselves in exactly that position and haven't done so badly.

Not all those living with T2 need to take drastic actions to improve or achieve remission, but sadly many do. For some, eating less of the heavy carb foods is enough.
 
AndBreathe said:
Do you have a link to that?

I'm certainly not saying you are wrong, but I can't say I have seen figures anywhere, on bigger studies. Lots of anecdotal examples on here and other places, but whilst self-reported information is key critical, robust studies tend to have better credibility in the medical/research arenas.
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Don’t know to paste here on iPhone so will give link when I get to my iMac later today.
 
AndBreathe said:
Do you have a link to that?

I'm certainly not saying you are wrong, but I can't say I have seen figures anywhere, on bigger studies. Lots of anecdotal examples on here and other places, but whilst self-reported information is key critical, robust studies tend to have better credibility in the medical/research arenas.
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Similar to @AndBreathe I have had a normal hba1c for approx 9 years and maintain it whist eating about 130 carbs per day. However I was diagnosed with an hba1c of 48 so ‘on the cusp’ which rapidly increased to 54 when I started taking statins. When I came off them due to other side effects my hba1c quickly reduced to normal levels where they have stayed.
 
Daphne917 said:
Similar to @AndBreathe I have had a normal hba1c for approx 9 years and maintain it whist eating about 130 carbs per day. However I was diagnosed with an hba1c of 48 so ‘on the cusp’ which rapidly increased to 54 when I started taking statins. When I came off them due to other side effects my hba1c quickly reduced to normal levels where they have stayed.
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Very encouraging as another 130g-er!
 
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