Reversed diabetes

[jcbman]

No idea really.

Sometime around the start of the decade, blood test in the morning at the docs was about 15
.
Put on metformin.

Cracked on with it for a bit, then lost a lot of weight.
Got my hba1c down to the 50's, then the 40's, been in the 30's for about 5 years, so the doc's knocked the metformin on the head.

Not low carbing, I find just keeping the weight off, not sitting on my backside when I don't have to, and knocking off the extra portions and the junk food and the snacks worked.

 

[Mbaker]

Well done @jcbman. I agree you are reversed as you moved back from where you were and have maintained a steady level without "progressing". I am of the opinion that the majority of people have to watch excessive consumption of modern high glycemic foods.

 

[pk23]

@jcbman Well done. You are an inspiration to me. I am only 40 and newly diagnosed six months ago. I was confused, clueless and scared. But this forum helped me. Now after six months, lost 10 kilo but just diet control only. And just started light excersise this Yr. Doing 10k steps per day and 5k run weekly. Not much but still an improvement from a very sedentary lifestyle. My last hba1c was 36. Give us ideas of how you managed to reverse it. Thanks.

 

[NewTD2]

I was diagnosed with 85 HBA1C last Sept 2017 then it dropped to 46 last Dec and to 38 only last week Feb 2018.

My Consultant Endocrinologist said it’s a miracle and I’m now in “remission” and it all happened in just over 4 months!

I’m down to just one metformin tablet per day.

Had plenty of prayers and anointing of oil in our church.

I would say my diabetes is controlled but not cured!

 

[archersuz]

I dropped from 52/53 to 35 in 3 months without medication. I do not believe I am in remission or cured - I just have very good control and am well disciplined.

 

[Bluetit1802]

I was diagnosed with 85 HBA1C last Sept 2017 then it dropped to 46 last Dec and to 38 only last week Feb 2018.

My Consultant Endocrinologist said it’s a miracle and I’m now in “remission” and it all happened in just over 4 months!

I’m down to just one metformin tablet per day.

Had plenty of prayers and anointing of oil in our church.

I would say my diabetes is controlled but not cured!

I would be doubtful about saying "in remission" as you are still on medication. I think for an official verdict of remission you have to be med free for a period. That's not to take it away from you. You have done brilliantly and that is a huge drop in 4 months. Is there some reason you see an endocrinologist? I thought they just saw unusual cases or T1s. The rest of us seem to be cared for by nurses!

 

[NewTD2]

I would be doubtful about saying "in remission" as you are still on medication. I think for an official verdict of remission you have to be med free for a period. That's not to take it away from you. You have done brilliantly and that is a huge drop in 4 months. Is there some reason you see an endocrinologist? I thought they just saw unusual cases or T1s. The rest of us seem to be cared for by nurses!

You’re absolutely correct but it was the endocrinologist who actually said that I’m in “remission”, and not me.

And it only happened that she was around at the time to congratulate me but I was always seen to by DSNs.

 

[NewTD2]

The endocrinologist also said I was an unusual and a very rare case.

The diabetic team have not seen anything like it in their 8 years of medical practice and experience.

 

[eggs11]

The endocrinologist also said I was an unusual and a very rare case.

The diabetic team have not seen anything like it in their 8 years of medical practice and experience.

Well done on your latest results. Can I ask what they are referring to as the unusual and rare aspects of your case? Was it your improvement to remission in a short time, or something else? thanks

 

[NewTD2]

Well done on your latest results. Can I ask what they are referring to as the unusual and rare aspects of your case? Was it your improvement to remission in a short time, or something else? thanks

I was told that it was very rare for a diabetic to change things around in such a very short period of time.

 

[eggs11]

I was told that it was very rare for a diabetic to change things around in such a very short period of time.

Brilliant!

 

[Resurgam]

Well - arguing over the terminology is great - nothing else to gripe about, obviously.
I did Hba1c of 91 to 47 in about 80 days - no one at the surgery cared - just said don't come back until we send for you sometime next year.
I think that they are a bit upset about my results to be honest - after telling the nurse that I'd stopped taking those dreadful tablets.

 

[eggs11]

Well - arguing over the terminology is great - nothing else to gripe about, obviously.
I did Hba1c of 91 to 47 in about 80 days - no one at the surgery cared - just said don't come back until we send for you sometime next year.
I think that they are a bit upset about my results to be honest - after telling the nurse that I'd stopped taking those dreadful tablets.

See, that's a shame - I think if people who've managed to improve were always acknowledged and encouraged by their gps/nurses in the way @NewTD2 was, that will give them a real boost to keep it up. Obviously we are doing all this to help ourselves, not in the hope of some outside approval, but I feel encouragement and a pat on the back would make a huge difference to patients.

 

[NewTD2]

Well - arguing over the terminology is great - nothing else to gripe about, obviously.
I did Hba1c of 91 to 47 in about 80 days - no one at the surgery cared - just said don't come back until we send for you sometime next year.
I think that they are a bit upset about my results to be honest - after telling the nurse that I'd stopped taking those dreadful tablets.

What is your current HBA1C?
Just curious.

 

[Resurgam]

I think it would also make a big improvement for some very frightened and concerned people if they were told 'you can beat this' rather than told to stick to the Eatwell plate.
I am still bothered by the memory of the couple at the second diabetes education session - he was so ill and she was so worried. I tried to reassure them that low carb would help a lot - and I even took along a copy of the Atkins book I use - but they weren't there.

 

[Resurgam]

What is your current HBA1C?
Just curious.

No idea - last time I was tested was about June last year when it was 41.

 

[eggs11]

I think it would also make a big improvement for some very frightened and concerned people if they were told 'you can beat this' rather than told to stick to the Eatwell plate.
I am still bothered by the memory of the couple at the second diabetes education session - he was so ill and she was so worried. I tried to reassure them that low carb would help a lot - and I even took along a copy of the Atkins book I use - but they weren't there.

I have been very lucky in this respect - my DN is up on the latest evidence and I asked her - if I continue to lose weight, then get and remain at a healthy weight, could I reverse this for life? She said yes. I had a less positive experience 15 years ago when I had gestational diabetes and saw the hospital dietician about it - her advice included 'don't eat mars bars' (I told her I didn't) and to eat diet yogurts, not normal yogurts. It's all a bit of a lottery as to who you see isn't it?

 

[NewTD2]

No idea - last time I was tested was about June last year when it was 41.

Hopefully itmust be much lower by now in their 30s I would expect!

 

[Dexterdobe]

I would be doubtful about saying "in remission" as you are still on medication. I think for an official verdict of remission you have to be med free for a period. That's not to take it away from you. You have done brilliantly and that is a huge drop in 4 months. Is there some reason you see an endocrinologist? I thought they just saw unusual cases or T1s. The rest of us seem to be cared for by nurses!

I do think we need to be mindful of the science of diabetes when we talk of 'cured' or 'in remission'. There is much that we still don't know about the causes of diabetes and of course, there are many different forms and degrees of the disease. Everyone is different. Some of us no doubt have permanently damaged glucose control systems and all we can hope to do is to keep our weight down and sugar out of our diet as much as possible. Until medical science advances there will never be a cure for such people, just good control. Others may have overwhelmed their bodies glucose control system, but following diet change and weight loss, their systems were able to recover. Such people may stay 'cured' so long as they don't go back to their old lifestyle. Those in the former group should not be jealous of those in the latter group. We are all different and some of us will be able to eat normally in the future whereas others never will. That's life.

 

[Incyb]

My last A1c was 30. I consider myself still T2 because I know that if I went back to eating lots of carbs my BG would go haywire again. My GP is clueless and the DN a horrible creature. I didn't rely on them in any way, shape or form. Thank God for the internet!