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Off drugs...

A

Anthony King

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I recently diagnosed for Type 2 Diabetes after a lot of rapid weight loss in a very short period. My GP put me on Metformin with the intention to start with one tablet for 2 weeks and to then increase to 2 tablet. I stuck with a single tablet and adjusted my diet which is very low in carbs perhaps less than 10-15 grams per day. I have also taken out most salt and lower cholesterol etc. When diagnosed my fasting level was 16.8 mol/l and with a single Metformin my fasting sugar level has been 4.6 mmol/l. I have taken myself off Metformin and my fasting level is now 6.5 mol/l. I am still just over my BMI target and can get fitter. Anyone else have a similar experience or any guidance to share?
 
Hi welcome to the forum.

You've made an excellent start, and the figures look good,

But, you should consult with your GP before altering your meds.
I personally would prefer to see my fasting level back into the normal range.

Exercise always seems to help me as well.
 
hello and welcome
i would also consult my gp before coming off metformin
 
Hi and welcome to the forum.

You have made an excellent start, well done. I am med-free. I was never prescribed any on diagnosis as my HbA1c was only 53 (7%) with a fasting glucose of 7, so not too bad in the grand scheme of things. I intend to stay med-free as long as possible with a low carb diet.
 
Congratulations on your weight loss!

However, cutting salt while on a LC diet is not necessarily a good move (although of course it depends how much you were eating before...)

Have a look at this
http://authoritynutrition.com/5-most-common-low-carb-mistakes/
The Volek and Phinney book referred to in the article is the best LC book I have found, so far. :)
 
Metformin is a pretty benign drug, assuming you're not experiencing the intestinal side effects. I think you will be better off long term with an average BG of 4.5 on one Metformin vs 6.5 average with no Metformin.

What kind of time period are you measuring these averages over, btw?
 
If your 6.5 average is not over the same length of time as the 4.5 then your average BG may still be rising after discontinuing the Metformin.

Having said that, drug free control and normal BG is achievable for T2, and worth working for.
 
Think you should really discuss your plan with a GP ....good luck with all your aims
 
Anthony King said:
I recently diagnosed for Type 2 Diabetes after a lot of rapid weight loss in a very short period. My GP put me on Metformin with the intention to start with one tablet for 2 weeks and to then increase to 2 tablet. I stuck with a single tablet and adjusted my diet which is very low in carbs perhaps less than 10-15 grams per day. I have also taken out most salt and lower cholesterol etc. When diagnosed my fasting level was 16.8 mol/l and with a single Metformin my fasting sugar level has been 4.6 mmol/l. I have taken myself off Metformin and my fasting level is now 6.5 mol/l. I am still just over my BMI target and can get fitter. Anyone else have a similar experience or any guidance to share?
Click to expand...

On 10-15 grams of carbs a day its advisable to make sure that you are getting enough micro-nutrients or at least using a multivitamin pill to cover any short falls due to your new way of eating .

FYI I eat about 15 grams of carbs a day, plenty of vegetables from, tomatoes ,lettuce, celery, radishes, avocado and bell peppers.etc. My BMI was around 35 in the beginning ,now its 22.5.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
i was the same i lost alot of weight quickly but the gp made me do 2 hba1c to check it was regualar before stopping my metaformin , took a few months but he did stop then hang on and keep doing what ur doing with ur fitness ur doing absolutly fab well done x
 
Great comments! Really interesting re protein and salt and I will bear this in mind. I was only diagnosed at the end of November hence very early stages. I was put on Metformin as a precaution as my GP didn't seem to know much about Diabetes. I take a multivitamin each day to cover me for any missed vitamins etc. my diet now includes far more healthy greens and a lot more fluid (not sugary drinks!). My fasting level needs to be maintained and closely monitored which I do each day via self testing. I am due for further tests this week to assess binding levels and I guess to review my progress.
 
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