Taking Metformin, and no dietary changes.

[Andydragon]

My cousin and his wife are my age (60ish) and both T2. I mentioned low carb to my cousin and he said that he liked his carbs too much, and was happy on his injections of lantus. His wife, however, sounds to have brittle diabetes and needs a dexcom to control the lows. (They live in the US and have good health insurance.)

There's nothing wrong with insulin per se, it keeps me alive so I'm a big fan, but it does have certain issues (hypos for one and need for care in balancing it to your carb intake, aka carb counting for two). So I wouldn't go there if I didn't have to, but others make different decisions.

But my T2 dad got up to gliclazide before going low carb and eliminating his diabetic meds, and now manages on a max of 30g per meal. Admittedly, he's running an hba1c in the low 50s (53 or 7%?) but as he's 90 his GP is happy with this as they are a lot more concerned with hypos for a 90yo than slightly high bgs. He's been T2 for over ten years now, low carb for two years. I don't think you have to go full keto to control T2, but you do need a blood sugar testing meter so that you can see how well your diet is currently working. (Having said that, my dad hardly tests at all now, but he did while he was staying with me and converting to low carb.)

I personally wouldn't hesitate to take metformin if I needed it, it's a very well researched drug and has been in use for decades. (I possibly took it for a couple of years while on a drug trial, but it was double blind and I never got to find out whether I was having a placebo or not.)

No you don’t always need full Keto to control T2, some of us are able to get into non-diabetic levels for more, I’m running < 150g but generally more like 100g with occasional splurge days but I’m lucky, not everyone can do that. You need a meter and/or regular hba1c to know. blood meter is much more regular, but I’m testing a lot less. Maybe twice a day as I mostly know what foods do to me now. If I go high carb of say 300g (fish and chips day) (note I used to be much higher) then I will see increased bloods in the 6s the day after. But again, I’m lucky, my tolerance (for now) is pretty good

I had my annual review today so will see if my levels are stable and it may lead to no drugs at all. However I am not against taking them if I need to and am aware metformin doe have some other benefits. There is some research into helping in weight loss for example

so, May stay on a low dose. But let’s see what the blood tests tell

 

[Hotpepper20000]

I take metformin as well and with very low carb I have had non diabetic numbers for three years.
For me it was very helpful because I have PCOS and it helps with insulin resistance. But I do believe it wouldn’t have been effective if I hadn’t gone low carb as well.

 

[G0ldengirl68]

Don’t try zero carb - very tough - you can afford to lower them slowly till you get to the level that suits you why not experiment? I do on average 20 to 30 g of carb daily and have for three and a half years but started out for a few weeks at about 80g and then worked my way down
Some guys here - calling @Rachox -do low carb but also take metformin very successfully it’s what works best for you and take your time to experiment to see how you can manage this condition for the rest of your life in as enjoyable way as possible.

I know you are right @shelley262 I don't think I've been successful with even one day of zero carbs. But I'm pretty sure I have been below or close to 30g a day, maybe, lol! Starting today I'll see what the count is. Heck, I think I could even have a slice or even 2 of my whole wheat toast maybe. Have to try it out. Trial and error (or success)

While I'm here with you, I'd like to know about a snack say, and hour or less before bed, when I won't be awake in 2 hours to test the effect. How do people manage that? I used to do my toast, easy to digest. I know tea does the trick most of the time, Green decaf tea, or chamomile, cinnamon anything I have

Thanks so much for your help today, I appreciate everyone's help,

 

[G0ldengirl68]

My cousin and his wife are my age (60ish) and both T2. I mentioned low carb to my cousin and he said that he liked his carbs too much, and was happy on his injections of lantus. His wife, however, sounds to have brittle diabetes and needs a dexcom to control the lows. (They live in the US and have good health insurance.)

There's nothing wrong with insulin per se, it keeps me alive so I'm a big fan, but it does have certain issues (hypos for one and need for care in balancing it to your carb intake, aka carb counting for two). So I wouldn't go there if I didn't have to, but others make different decisions.

But my T2 dad got up to gliclazide before going low carb and eliminating his diabetic meds, and now manages on a max of 30g per meal. Admittedly, he's running an hba1c in the low 50s (53 or 7%?) but as he's 90 his GP is happy with this as they are a lot more concerned with hypos for a 90yo than slightly high bgs. He's been T2 for over ten years now, low carb for two years. I don't think you have to go full keto to control T2, but you do need a blood sugar testing meter so that you can see how well your diet is currently working. (Having said that, my dad hardly tests at all now, but he did while he was staying with me and converting to low carb.)

I personally wouldn't hesitate to take metformin if I needed it, it's a very well researched drug and has been in use for decades. (I possibly took it for a couple of years while on a drug trial, but it was double blind and I never got to find out whether I was having a placebo or not.)

Thank you for this @EllieM I do have my meter finally, been using it too, keeping record. Missed a few times, and now I'm seeing when there's no need to test because same meals etc. I do need some safe snacks so going to back a little here and there.

I felt so good today, went out grocery shopping, even felt like looking at some new jeans as I am losing a little of that belly fat/waist Didn't have that horrible "omg, just keep breathing and get this shopping done and out of here". So tired, but today was way different. More like my old energetic self. Yesterday I poured out some higher carb cereal I had, right down the drain after I took one bite. I just heard me saying "don't screw this up, you are going to feel good again you don't need this"!

 

[G0ldengirl68]

You know what I think I love most?? NOT counting every calorie!! Yeehaw!!

 

[shelley262]

I know you are right @shelley262 I don't think I've been successful with even one day of zero carbs. But I'm pretty sure I have been below or close to 30g a day, maybe, lol! Starting today I'll see what the count is. Heck, I think I could even have a slice or even 2 of my whole wheat toast maybe. Have to try it out. Trial and error (or success)

While I'm here with you, I'd like to know about a snack say, and hour or less before bed, when I won't be awake in 2 hours to test the effect. How do people manage that? I used to do my toast, easy to digest. I know tea does the trick most of the time, Green decaf tea, or chamomile, cinnamon anything I have

Thanks so much for your help today, I appreciate everyone's help,

Hiya
Just a quick response
Re snacks I find it’s really important to ditch as many snacks as possible especially in the evening it’s so much better if you can eat to satiety at your main meal test for that and then give your body a rest.the fewer eating times the less you need to raise your insulin. I always do intermittent fasting. I tend to have a low carb treat as a pudding and then that’s it for a minimum of 16 hours but usually aim for 18hours before my late breakfast or lunch. So most of my eating happens in a 6 or 8 hour window.works for me with the occasional one meal a day day.
Re the toast why not buy or make some low carb bread if you really love it? That will allow you some leaway for things like a few berries or veggies?

 

[G0ldengirl68]

Hiya
Just a quick response
Re snacks I find it’s really important to ditch as many snacks as possible especially in the evening it’s so much better if you can eat to satiety at your main meal test for that and then give your body a rest.the fewer eating times the less you need to raise your insulin. I always do intermittent fasting. I tend to have a low carb treat as a pudding and then that’s it for a minimum of 16 hours but usually aim for 18hours before my late breakfast or lunch. So most of my eating happens in a 6 or 8 hour window.works for me with the occasional one meal a day day.
Re the toast why not buy or make some low carb bread if you really love it? That will allow you some leaway for things like a few berries or veggies?

Maybe dumping as many carbs as I can will stop me from being hungry every 4-5 hours. Some of that is just habit, have to retrain myself. I'm plenty full after dinner I eat by 6 most of the time, and not later than 7. I've gotten my Almond Flour, did make one loaf of carb free. It's not bad, especially when I put creamcheese on it. I hadn't eaten cheese in years because I thought all dairy was giving me sinus/allergy issues. It wasn't. I started eating cheese after I knew what foods I was to eat the day I was diagnosed 2 or so weeks ago now. No issues at all with allergies, NONE!

I got it into my head I was one of those people that need to eat several small meals instead of large portions in a smaller number of meals. Lots of changes, but yesterday was the best I'd felt in ages, so I'm sticking to it, and it's easier with each day. I also found on a little insert that came with my Meter this statement, and if it's true, I've been in good shape with testing numbers since day 3 of my new trip Edit: Actually, I see I found it in the CareTouch information online where I bought it, and I forgot to thank you again Shelley, so thank you for your help. I see on charts that they differ on "opinions" of numbers. Makes me wonder I mean what range of numbers is good, pre-diabetic and diabetic: