Type 2 Need for meds?

Hi and welcome to the forums. Alpha 1 Anti Trypsin isn't anything I know about.

The question you've asked about diabetic medication doesn't (I think) have a single answer. The real answer is "it depends". My diabetic experience since diagnosis in 2019 has not involved any medication of any kind. No statins either. I responded very well to a very low carb way of eating and my HbA1c dropped from 50 in January 2020 to 36 in April 2020. In the years that followed I lost around 90lbs. I've not had anything other than "normal" BG readings since.

In the ten years before being diagnosed (I was told all through this time that I definitely wasn't diabetic) I had a wide range of increasingly unpleasant high blood glucose/diabetic symptoms. They went (with the exception of some permanent but minor damage) as my BGs normalised. The point I want to make is that if lowcarb/keto had not worked for me I would have tried any medication if it might have helped to get rid of the symptoms. The question for would have been something along the lines of "does the result of taking meds outweigh any side-effects?" - a med that only produced a very small BG reduction might not have been worth it.

If you're not having any symptoms at the moment, I can see that the question might be a little less urgent for you. After all, the key thing is that elevated blood glucose does damage, but at different rates and in different ways with different people.

Is it worth (before you have to make a med decision) going at low-carb a bit more intensely?

Melba said:

Diagnosed as pre diabetic 10 years ago. ( female now aged 69) managed to date by LCHF diet, but admittedly some carbs have crept up - although still well below diagnosis.
But now HB1ac is 6.9% / 52 and DN says I need to go on meds. I’m very reluctant because of side effects. I also steadfastly refuse statins.
Any advice welcome.
Also does anyone have Alpha1Anti Trypsin too? This affects liver enzymes.

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I was on a very low carb diet, but it did not help with my blood sugars. Exercise did though. I know exercise is not everyone’s thing, but it helped me. I do take a glucose lowering meds, actually it was by accident . It’s Wellbutrin which is used off label for ADHD ( I can’t take other ADHD meds as they are vasoconstrictors which gives me secondary Reynauds. ) Wellbutrin stimulates the pancreas to produce more insulin - I don’t produce enough insulin as my C-Peptides are low/normal.

As for statins I take them - 20 mg of Rosuvastatin . I have no side effects from them. They have brought down my LDL cholesterol and raised my HDL . I have very low Triglycerides.