I started Metformin (1 a day) at the end of February this year. I had a Hba1c reading of 53. I have since been dieting and started walking regulary and lost approx 2 and a half stone. On my follow up appt 8 weeks later i had to go for a blood test and provide a urine sample, i received a letter a few days later saying i needed to retest but the doc did not specify why, the same thing happened a few days later and i had to go for more blood tests, however, the doctor still did not ask me to come in for a review, i had to ask and got one a couple of weeks later. When i saw him he was pleased with my recent Hba1c test as it had gone down to 45. I thought i would be taken off the metformin but ended up on another tablet (ramipril) as there was a large amount of protein present and my bp was very high. I thought that i controlled my blood sugars well and most readings have been from 5.5 to 8.9 regulary unless i have a bad day and eat something that may spike to about 11.9. I didnt think my case of diabetes was bad so im shocked about the protein and am now worrying about my kidneys? I thought i would be tablet free by now. Can you have lowish readings and still produce alot of protein then? Sorry for the ramble but im confused.
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Jenny15
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Diabetes and hypertension are separate but inter-related conditions. At first glance, it looks like your diabetes is improving (well done! keep up the good work) but you now have an issue with hypertension. The two *might* be unrelated in this instance. So it may be an idea to put diabetes to one side for a moment (in your mind) and look into hypertension and its treatment.
Ramipril seems to be a fairly good medication (provided you don't have side effects) and your doctor obviously thinks your BP is high enough to warrant this strong medication to bring it down asap. As you get your BP checked at regular intervals, you should see it coming down. The target for T2 diabetics is under 130/80, IIRC.
You might not need to take Ramipril for more than a few months, I don't know. With both diabetes and hypertension, if you are going to use a drug, the goal is to find the "minimum effective dose" for the minimum effective duration of treatment. This is a standard medical approach used for all disorders, as far as I know.
The blood tests that show the kidneys are under stress from high BP are scary when they are abnormal (been there) but in most cases the next time you get a blood test they are back to normal because of medication.
I can't guarantee you will be able to come off either or both meds but most people seem to be able to. I hope my post has encouraged you to stay positive and keep at the good work you have been doing, but let me know if you would like more info.
Ramipril seems to be a fairly good medication (provided you don't have side effects) and your doctor obviously thinks your BP is high enough to warrant this strong medication to bring it down asap. As you get your BP checked at regular intervals, you should see it coming down. The target for T2 diabetics is under 130/80, IIRC.
You might not need to take Ramipril for more than a few months, I don't know. With both diabetes and hypertension, if you are going to use a drug, the goal is to find the "minimum effective dose" for the minimum effective duration of treatment. This is a standard medical approach used for all disorders, as far as I know.
The blood tests that show the kidneys are under stress from high BP are scary when they are abnormal (been there) but in most cases the next time you get a blood test they are back to normal because of medication.
I can't guarantee you will be able to come off either or both meds but most people seem to be able to. I hope my post has encouraged you to stay positive and keep at the good work you have been doing, but let me know if you would like more info.
Jenny15
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Another thought I has was whether you had these kidney function tests at the start in February... if you can find out, you can compare then and now, to see if there were early changes or if your BP went up quickly over a few months. It would also be great to know what your BP was in Feb.
Daibell
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Hi. It's possible the Metformin has caused the proteins which it does fairly rarely in which case it should be stopped which the GP has done. Ramipril reduces blood pressure. If you are not already on a low-carb diet then that it better than any tablets in reducing blood sugar.
Jenny15
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When I was on a strict LCHF diet for long periods at a time, I still needed Quinapril to keep my BP under control. There are lots of people who can keep their BP low enough through dietary changes and no meds for it, but not everybody is in this boat.
