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Metformin, surgery and depressed.

M

madfish69

Active Member
Hello fellow sugary people :)

I need to have surgery for inguinal hernia and gallbladder removal.

I've had type 2 for 15 years and have pretty much been in control with my Hba1c at 48 ish range (6.5 old numbering system). My A1c was 48 even this March.

Suddenly despite my usual low carb diet for my pre op tests my A1c went up to 55 (7.2)! I'm so depressed as not only do i need to control my sugar for surgery, but even after doing the right things more or less, it seems my disease has progressed. It's my fasting numbers that are really messed up. My PP usually comes to 8-9.....but my fasting is coming out around the same?

I have 2 questions if any of you can throw some light on, or have experienced it yourself:

1. I also have sliding hiatus hernia which unfortunately has flared up with my acid reflux. Is it possible that the stress from my acid reflux could add to higher sugar readings?

2. Despite having been a pretty well controlled diabetic with low carbs, some exercise and metformin 2000mg daily....is it just the natural progression that Metformin alone isn't enough and loses it's effectiveness over time?

After 15 years is it just the way it is? As I usually live alone I've really done the best I could to not progress on to sugar reducing meds so I don't have the worry of hypos.

It's really depressing having to deal with so many things at the same time, and also having done my best to keep my A1c at a good level only to see it go up at the most inopportune time.

It's always depressing when you get bad results in anything after you've done the best you could. It's life....but it's a bummer nonetheless :(
 
Any stress can affect your blood sugars, nobody can quantify how much by though. You also have the stress which may not be apparent but going on in the background, of the upcoming surgery. Hang in there, and recover after the surgery, then is the time to evaluate and see what the situation really is, once you're stable again. You may find the situation improves, when all the little niggles are sorted.
Stress in the body doesn't always show on the surface, this is why minor infections etc affect us so much, it's the body doing battle with the underlying problem.
 
@madfish69 I was diagnosed in 2008, so 16 years ago.
It sadly does get harder the further on you are from diagnosis, at least in my case.

Over the first 10 years or so I could cope with a reasonable amount of carbs as long as I didn't go wild.
Theses last few years my carbohydrate tolerance has gradually reduced.

I was on 2,000 mg of Metformin for ages, and managed OK.

Over the last few years I have graduated to Vipidia/Alogliptin and then recently to forxiga/dapagliflozin.

Only the forxiga carries any hypo risk, so there are plenty of medication steps available without any risk of hypos.
My GP surgery were very worried about me eating low carbohydrate with the forxiga because of the alleged hypo risk but it turns out that I still need to eat low carbohydrate to keep my BG at a reasonable level.

It is possible that I could drop the extra drugs and revert to just Metformin if I was super strict on my diet.
However (especially since the COVID years) I have lost motivation to be strict with my diet.
I also had low grade bladder cancer, thankfully treated and in remission thus far, but that was another case of "eat drink and be merry for tomorrow you die" syndrome.

I am back on the wagon at the moment after being encouraged to up my carbohydrates by the surgery.
Which was fun but turned out not to be necessary, in fact quite the opposite.

I just find it increasingly hard to forgo pleasure now in the hope of better health in the long term.
I put this down to mild depression, but have not had this diagnosed.
Just I have realised that the world might hate me instead of unconditionally loving me.

So - chin up, you have done very well so far and you probably still have more options on diet before you need more drugs.
Full keto and carnivore are hard core but some posters here live that way and seem happy with it.
 
I’ve had both inguinal and more recently ie 12/21 a femoral hernia same side I was in hospital for about 4 days, they kept taking someone else for operations They didn’t monitor my glucose levels, I had to and just as well I took my kit in. I’d had no food for days wonder I didn’t have a hypo. One day a nurse bounced around the ward, literally saying oh Mrs your BG was really low you have to have something, a lady who was a paramedic in the next bed said she’d got mine and another’s levels mixed up as she was awake and listening Anyway, said nurse made me eat a huge tablet - 2hr later, I checked with my kit and was way over
More recently I’ve had a heart ablation, Privately, they did not monitor my diabetes I think the operation did have an effect on my BG readings, went higher, I think there’s a lot of variables as the cause. So, hang loose, be calm Hopefully the level will return to previous levels.
 
LittleGreyCat said:
@madfish69 I was diagnosed in 2008, so 16 years ago.
It sadly does get harder the further on you are from diagnosis, at least in my case.

Over the first 10 years or so I could cope with a reasonable amount of carbs as long as I didn't go wild.
Theses last few years my carbohydrate tolerance has gradually reduced.

I was on 2,000 mg of Metformin for ages, and managed OK.

Over the last few years I have graduated to Vipidia/Alogliptin and then recently to forxiga/dapagliflozin.

Only the forxiga carries any hypo risk, so there are plenty of medication steps available without any risk of hypos.
My GP surgery were very worried about me eating low carbohydrate with the forxiga because of the alleged hypo risk but it turns out that I still need to eat low carbohydrate to keep my BG at a reasonable level.

It is possible that I could drop the extra drugs and revert to just Metformin if I was super strict on my diet.
However (especially since the COVID years) I have lost motivation to be strict with my diet.
I also had low grade bladder cancer, thankfully treated and in remission thus far, but that was another case of "eat drink and be merry for tomorrow you die" syndrome.

I am back on the wagon at the moment after being encouraged to up my carbohydrates by the surgery.
Which was fun but turned out not to be necessary, in fact quite the opposite.

I just find it increasingly hard to forgo pleasure now in the hope of better health in the long term.
I put this down to mild depression, but have not had this diagnosed.
Just I have realised that the world might hate me instead of unconditionally loving me.

So - chin up, you have done very well so far and you probably still have more options on diet before you need more drugs.
Full keto and carnivore are hard core but some posters here live that way and seem happy with it.
Click to expand...

I too have had problems since Covid, every time I had a jab my Hba1c went out of control. So much so that my doctor has advised no more jabs. As things got more and more out of control and my doctor took longer and longer to help, I started eating badly out of depression. I figured the readings were high and I wasn’t enjoying what I ate so sod it I might as well eat what I like. The galling thing was sometimes a bad week food wise could be a good week readings wise and vice versa. I have now finally been referred to the hospital and I am buckling down on the food, and trying to work out an exercise regime. My problem is I am permanently tired, and fall asleep at any time I’m sitting down. I lack the energy for exercise and feel exhausted even after sleep. My nightly routine is waking up every hour to pee, I am so down but I hide it well. I just need to put myself first but at 56 it’s not easy, I guess everyone has wobbles, some are just bigger than others
 
MrsA2 said:
What other medications are you on?
Click to expand...
Just logged in and saw your question.
I was diagnosed as Type 2 in 2011 and have controlled my diabetes by diet only. I have been stressed beyond belief for over a year with my husband's health issues which are escalating (not diabetes), plus my own of shingles in early February followed by appendicitis 17th/18th and then Covid in May.
I am 68 and my GP surgery is obsessed with pumping me with meds, not taking into account any stress at all, and also not listening to me. I have tried Metformin to play ball with them and suffered leg pains and the most horrendous sweats (I was like a walking waterfall and had to change my clothes) within 2 weeks. They now want to try Canagliflozin which I have looked up and the potential side effects have scared me stupid! I have had two strikes of breast cancer (2016 and 2019) and on meds for 10 years for that, so my immune system is already tired, so I am not going to go with that suggestion. I have had more support from a pharmacist today which is why I'm here. I understand there are diets and education courses available. Would I find them here?
Many thanks
Diana
 
Hi @Diana Gray & welcome to the forum :)

It may be better that your question has its own thread, if you would like mods to move it for you just let us know here :)

Sorry to read you’ve had such a tough time, sometimes when we are dealing with loved ones health issues our can tend to take a back seat and we forget to care for ourselves too.

If you can share the type of things you normally eat in the day maybe we could help see if there is any advice we could give you there. Lots of our T2 members, myself included manage our diabetes with a low carb or even keto diet with good none processed fats & oils, so basically no bread, pasta, rice, flour & wheat goods, potatoes, below ground veg. I eat any type of meat, fish, above ground veg, eggs, cheese, butter, olive oil, avocados, a few nuts, berries, cream, bacon

Have a good read around the forum, especially the recipes thread and what have you eaten today threads, also don’t be afraid to ask any questions you have, our members love to share!

We have a cook book section & free meal plans here on the forum if you are looking for recipes, just click on the link below- once again welcome to the forum :)

 
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