metformin

Oldvatr said:

I am cutting my Gliclazide dose to adjust this. When I am stable, then I will tell my GP what dose I have ended up with, and if he insists on giving me more,

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That's exactly what I did when I started low carbing, I ended up ditching Gliclazide and Januvia all together and finally ditched Atorvastatin as well, but mainly because my cholesterol dropped dramatically.
I had discussed lower carb before hand and my GP was well aware that my BG would drop and therefore I would be lowering the dose. I don't think a GP would advise giving more Gliclazide if your BG is dropping, especially if your HbA1c was in the "good" range. My GP actually put "well done" in my notes.
I would hypo as soon as I took Gliclazide after a a few days of low carbing. I haven't gone the "higher fat" route because I gain weight.

HI everyone, what I do not get is the docs and diabetic nurses keep telling us to eat what we want [ in moderation] mine is fine with me eating porridge and toast for breakfast [ which I have never have porridge now] eat potatoes as they are good for you???? her opinion. I wish I could be with one of these people and eat what they tell me to then be with me when I do my BG readings after eating what they tell me is ok. Debateable I guess

DavidGrahamJones said:

That's exactly what I did when I started low carbing, I ended up ditching Gliclazide and Januvia all together and finally ditched Atorvastatin as well, but mainly because my cholesterol dropped dramatically.
I had discussed lower carb before hand and my GP was well aware that my BG would drop and therefore I would be lowering the dose. I don't think a GP would advise giving more Gliclazide if your BG is dropping, especially if your HbA1c was in the "good" range. My GP actually put "well done" in my notes.
I would hypo as soon as I took Gliclazide after a a few days of low carbing. I haven't gone the "higher fat" route because I gain weight.

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I did discuss ditching my Gliclazide and statins with my GP, even after his pat on the back for my HbA1c results. I had no problem over that statins. As for the Gliclazide, he agreed to me altering my dose as I saw fit, but he did suggest continuing leaving the full dose in my weekly pack since the savings to the NHS are small, and if I have trouble with the diet that I have them available and on hand. I will on my coming review ask for the dose to be changed since I am satisfied with the diet and am daily dropping the med (in the bin????).
I am using the HF quite succcessfully to adjust my weight, and I do not binge out on fat/ If I need to add weight then I go bulleproof coffee - having said that the carboholics I live with have twigged that the fridge has double cream in it briefly, and a large carton now lasts less than a day. The butter likewise disappears down other peoples gulllet like a gannet eating fish. There was a thread here on the cost of being diabetic, and I think I need to add to it CARBOHOLICS.

Oldvatr said:

carboholics I live with have twigged that the fridge has doubke cream in it briefly, and a large carton now lasts less than a day. The butter likewise disappears down other peoples gulllet like a gannet eating fish. There was a thread here on the cost of being diabetic, and I think I need to add to it CARBOHOLICS.

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This is, indeed, one of the main disadvantages of being a low carber in a household of 'normals' (if you can call anyone 'normal' which I question!).

Don't they realise that my butter, cream and 70% choc are MEDICAL NECESSITIES?!?!?!

amgrundy said:

HI everyone, what I do not get is the docs and diabetic nurses keep telling us to eat what we want [ in moderation] mine is fine with me eating porridge and toast for breakfast [ which I have never have porridge now] eat potatoes as they are good for you???? her opinion. I wish I could be with one of these people and eat what they tell me to then be with me when I do my BG readings after eating what they tell me is ok. Debateable I guess

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Its my life, and I will do what I want.- The Animals.

Surely it doesn't matter what thay say about diet. They are not sat at the table with us, they do not inspect our larders. There are no Food Police so while it is good to try to educate them, there comes a time when we have to do our own thing and take responsibility. I remember there being major furore when Atkins diet was launched. Keto = starvation ! Saturated fats!!!!

It is the same thing with meds. If GP advises us to go on certain medication, then we are not forced to take it if we think it is detrimental to our condition. The only problem with this is that GP may think you are getting better / worse because of what he thinks you are taking, and this may not be true and could led to incorrect follow up treatment or diagnosis. With this in mind I always keep my GP informed. Even supplements that I try out are discussed.
The other reason to discuss these things is that some medications have contraindications (such as reaction with grapefruit as discussed in another thread ) and these could nullify the effectiveness of the medications, or lead to health hazards.

Yes, I'm crossing my fingers that by my next HbA1c, my bs will have plummeted and my cholesterol will still be ok. I can't imagine what I'll say if the lower carb HF regimen I'm following, (against his advice) doesn't work. My family still believe that fat is unhealthy and diabetic Dad "eats whatever he wants in moderation". So I'm the lone voice. I hope I did the right thing. Time to re-read the success story threads I guess.

amgrundy said:

what I do not get is the docs and diabetic nurses keep telling us to eat what we want

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It is my opinion that if medics were to tell people to cut carbs they'd get a lot of people who'd say yes and do nothing. Once you have been prescribed something like Gliclazide, you really do have to eat carbs. It's much easier for them. Consider how many people on this forum have lowered their carbs and then look at how many diabetics there are. I know 3 type II diabetics, 2 on insulin (both family as well), who literally glaze over when I mention how successful lower carbs can be. I think their attitude is common, just keep taking the tablets and eat what they like. BTW, my 2 family members both have poorly controlled BG.

DavidGrahamJones said:

It is my opinion that if medics were to tell people to cut carbs they'd get a lot of people who'd say yes and do nothing. Once you have been prescribed something like Gliclazide, you really do have to eat carbs. It's much easier for them. Consider how many people on this forum have lowered their carbs and then look at how many diabetics there are. I know 3 type II diabetics, 2 on insulin (both family as well), who literally glaze over when I mention how successful lower carbs can be. I think their attitude is common, just keep taking the tablets and eat what they like. BTW, my 2 family members both have poorly controlled BG.

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This is my experience too, and not just T2D's. None of my diabetic acquaintances at home or at work would consider going onto a forum such as here, or do significant online research into their treatments. What the GP says becomes gospel, especially since our surgery has a huge poster warning against using Google Doctor or other web sources. It is also reinforced by the DAPHNE / DESMOND courses, and the specialist DCE's. Those of us who use this forum are an elite few. Even the competive forums I use are not as forward thinking as here.

Ignorance is bliss. My friend T2 for 15 years now on insulin told me that he no longer can be bothered with all that dieting nonsense and I believe he visited this forum once and totally discounted it. Oddly enough it was he who pointed me in the direction of the Carbs and Cals book.