Hi. I had a blood test on 4 February with an HcA1C result of 56. I was diagnosed with Type 2 five years ago and have kept putting off getting to grips with my blood sugars. I am currently on 4 x 500mg Metformin daily.
In January I was diagnosed with some narrowed coronary arteries and prescribed statins and aspirin to manage this. My BP is reducing to normal levels. The statins seem to have dramatically reduced my cholesterol from 5.0 to 2.8 (LDL 2.7 to 1.0) in 14 days. Since 22 January I have lost 38lb and I am in week four of Prof Taylor's Newcastle Diet, which I have stuck to pretty well but not 100%.
On day one of the diet my FBG was 8.4. Since then it has been between 4.7 and 6.4, the one exception being a 6.9 after eating a slice of pizza! I have eating chicken and fish with veg and salad with no rise in blood sugar levels.
I am not hung up on the "reversal" or "remission" terms. My aim is to maintain a non diabetic blood sugar level without medication. Accepting that I can't undo damage that has been done, I want to ensure that no further damage/ complications occur. I also like the idea of taking four less tablets a day!
My instinct is to wait until my next HaB1C test in May before discussing reducing medication with my GP/ diabetic nurse. However, I was wondering if I should try reducing the Metformin dosage myself (by say 50%). This led me to the embarrassing realisation that I don't actually know how Metformin works or what side effects it might have? Does it have a direct impact on blood sugar levels or does it serve another purpose?
Grateful for any thoughts based on the greater experience and knowledge on this forum.
Thanks
In January I was diagnosed with some narrowed coronary arteries and prescribed statins and aspirin to manage this. My BP is reducing to normal levels. The statins seem to have dramatically reduced my cholesterol from 5.0 to 2.8 (LDL 2.7 to 1.0) in 14 days. Since 22 January I have lost 38lb and I am in week four of Prof Taylor's Newcastle Diet, which I have stuck to pretty well but not 100%.
Whilst I realise that my current diet isn't sustainable, I know that I will always now follow a low carb, sustainable diet.
On day one of the diet my FBG was 8.4. Since then it has been between 4.7 and 6.4, the one exception being a 6.9 after eating a slice of pizza! I have eating chicken and fish with veg and salad with no rise in blood sugar levels.
I am not hung up on the "reversal" or "remission" terms. My aim is to maintain a non diabetic blood sugar level without medication. Accepting that I can't undo damage that has been done, I want to ensure that no further damage/ complications occur. I also like the idea of taking four less tablets a day!
My instinct is to wait until my next HaB1C test in May before discussing reducing medication with my GP/ diabetic nurse. However, I was wondering if I should try reducing the Metformin dosage myself (by say 50%). This led me to the embarrassing realisation that I don't actually know how Metformin works or what side effects it might have? Does it have a direct impact on blood sugar levels or does it serve another purpose?
Grateful for any thoughts based on the greater experience and knowledge on this forum.
Thanks