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Impaired Glucose Tolerance IGT

S

Sceptic-Andy

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I have been told I have IGT. My GP is telling me he is not allowed to prescribe Metformin for prediabetetes and I will have to manage my blood sugar levels by diet aned exercise only. I know Metformin can delay the onset of Diabetes Type 2 for prediabetics and that Metformin is prescribed for the condition in the US. Is there anything I can do? Is my GP correct?
 
Not sure if the doctor is "not allowed" to prescribe Met. for pre-diabetes or not, but it IS normal to go on diet and exercise alone. In fact, most newly diagnosed full diabetics go on diet and exercise alone initially unless their blood sugar levels are really high. A change in diet will have a far bigger influence on preventing the onset of full diabetes than metformin ever could. Look at the dietary information on Daisy's (forum moderator) posts on "greetings and introductions" and "newly diagnosed"

This is a copy of it, although the links won't work so you'll have to copy and paste:-


"BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

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 30,000 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes ... rains.html

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

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"
 
Another reason for giving newly-diagnosed Type 2s metformin straight away is if they are obese, like me.

I asked my GP for Metformin for weight loss about 3 months after he had diagnosed me but while I was still in denial and refusing to let them register me. I admitted to insulin resistance but believed I could turn things round by diet and weight loss. He gave it to me, and I think he got into trouble with a senior partner for doing so, as I believe it is only licensed for the treatment of diabetes.

It seems unless you are registered as diabetic, it shouldn't be prescribed.

Viv 8)
 
Hi Helena! Should have said "lots" rather than "most"! Point I was making though, is that all things being equal, someone at pre-diabetic levels wouldn't normally go onto Metformin.
 
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