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Traditional Chinese Medicine

M

morlandg

Newbie
Messages
3
Location
Northeast england
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I have DM t2. Im on metformin and forxiga. I've discovered a TCM for diabetes and have been using these patches for the last 3 months. Alongside my usual medicine. As far as I can tell the TCM has improved my BSL control. I Will have a better idea when I have my Hba1c test in August. The research I have managed to conduct online suggests that the use of this mixture of plants is successful and without serious side effects. Once I have my next Hba1c result I will either stop using TCM or continue and try and discuss the use of it with my surgery.
Has anyone else researched this or even tried using TCM?
 
No, but I have tried some ayurvedic remedies with some success. I am currently using a herbal supplement to replace my Metformin which was withdrawn due to my having developed reduced kidney function following an MRI scan.

TCM is probably quite a wide range of items to mix and match. Do you test your BSL at home, and if so have you noticed any effect so far? Or will the HbA1c be the main arbiter?

Has your lifestyle altered in the last 3 months that could also be affecting BSL? change of diet or exercise routine for instance?. When I was testing the supplememts myself I kept a daily log with meals and test results, and I was able to create trend analysis graphs that showed changes in BSL levels before and after starting a new treatment. The change in slope was usually apparent within a week of making the change.
 
Hi oldvatr - thanks for your reply. Very interesting. I have heard of ayurveda but really know nothing about it.
Your story about your metformin withdrawal is an incredible coincidence. My wife is diagnosed as pre-diabetic, type 2. She is currently being investigated for reduced kidney function due to metformin. The doctor has told her if they cannot resolve her low GFR then she will probably have her metformin withdrawn and replaced by a drug which allows her kidneys to excrete more glucose into her urine and thereby reducing her bgl. One of these drugs is called Forxiga. The very one that I was originally prescribed in Spain some 5 or 6 years ago when we lived there! What a coincidence!
Can you tell me the name of the herbal supplement that you take, replacing metformin?
The TCM patches I use I buy in from China through a company here in the UK. They are a mixture of plants and herbs which have been ground down and applied to a sticky patch. I apply a new patch every fourth day. I have had no apparent side effects. I am 75 in august so I don't have any change in exercise routine or diet. I like to do DIY and now in the UK I also spend time gardening. Too hot in Spain!!
So any effect on my bsl will almost certainly be due to the patches. Unfortunately I am finding it difficult to monitor my bsl at set times during the day. And do comparative studies. So the HbA1c test is the easy way out for me. But it should give me the average bsl over the past 3-6 month period. My dilemma is how do I tell my nurse/doctor that I am taking herbal supplements without their knowledge or agreement?
I am more than willing to give you all the details about the composition of these patches. Just let me know. Graham
 

Hi there - Where are you located? I'm just curious as to why your wife was prescribed Metformin as a pre-diabetic. In my neck of the woods that would be very highly unusual.
 
Whats in a a name dapaglifozin / Forxiga are the same and I have tried it twice now with bad side effects both times. And no change to bgl either. Suggest you buy a meter and strips to do an on the spot trial of your own.

I am currently using Gymnema Sylvestre capsules, but I have also in the recent past used Bitter Melon capsules. I found these were effective in reducing insulin resistance, but after a while their action became limited so they do not seem to reduce blood sugars directly. Same thing with magnesium - it only seems to work if your diet is deficient but not if you are at RDA already. I do not tell my GP about these since they do not seem to interact with anything my doctor prescribes according to the BNF, From what I have seen and experienced from herbal remedies is that they are generally weaker than medications. If they were properly effective then they would be snaffled up by big Pharma and given fancy names and prices. There are success stories for some herbs - Metformin, Aspirin, Digoxin to name a few. The problem with patches is that transdermal transfer is not very efficient,

There was a study recently to trial TCM patches for relieving diabetic neuropathy, and of the 38 they tried, none had any reported efficacy. Remember the problems they had getting nicotine patches to work? They are still trying to get an insulin transdermal working. Personally I think that nasal or sublingual seems an easier portal that bypasses the gastric system.

When your wife goes for her next blood test for GFR, she could try not eating meat for a few days prior (to reduce the Creatine) and to seriously fast from the night before the blood draw. I did that and my eGFR recovered significantly.
 
A popular Chinese dish, bitter melon is supposed to lower BG. Never tried though.
 
I think complications in DM is related to Hba1c and diet control. In long term to prevent complications is diet control and increase muscle mass to increase your metabolism.
 
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