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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Walter Wolf" data-source="post: 1773000" data-attributes="member: 473281">Well, to start from the beginning, I am 40 years old, male, 183cm (6') and around 110 kg (17.5 st) and newly diagnosed Type 2. I had very borderline results 7 years ago (7.1 fasting and 11.2 post-prandial). I was not put on any meds at that stage. Rather I was advised to control it through diet and exercise, which I did. I lost 35kg in about 18 months and brought my blood sugar down to something like 5 on a fasting test.Great, you may say. Except I was so miserable for those 18 months, that once my sugars were down to normal, I relaxed the diet. I simply couldn't stand it.The one thing I did keep up was the exercise. I really love walking and for the last 5 years, I have been doing long distance walks at least 2-3 a week, normally between 7 and 12km. Only in the last 5 years have I had the time to do this.However, my weight has now increased from 98kg back to about 110kg (compared to 135kg seven years ago) and I have recently been feeling the symptoms of Type 2 (dry mouth, excessive thirst, drowsiness and low energy levels).I had a fasting test on Friday and scored 275 mg/dl (about 15.2 on the British scale). I had known for a couple of months that the diabetes was back, but I didn't realise how severe it was.I was immediately put on metformin (1,000mg x2/day), which is causing diarrhoea any time I attempt to eat anything.To be quite honest, this diagnosis has totally flattened me. I have not left my apartment and barely eaten anything in the last 48 hours, partly because of the diarrhoea but mostly because I just can't be bothered.I have just completely lost interest in doing anything, because I remember what sheer misery the whole thing was last time and how it affected every single aspect of my life.I'm not here for advice on healthy eating. I've read all of that and been through it once before. It's too severe and too miserable and I simply can't put myself through that for the rest of my life.I would, however, like to get back into my walking, which has been severely curtailed through my low energy levels.I am willing to take any and all tablets the doctors can throw at me, providing the side effects can be controlled. My questions are about controlling this with medication.1. Do the side effects of metformin subside, once my body gets used to it?2. If they don't, what alternatives are there to metformin?3. How likely is metformin to restore my energy levels and allow me to start enjoying what's left of my life again?At the moment, is seems like I have three choices:1. Ignore it and feel constantly tired and eventually have my legs sawn off.2. Live on rabbit food for the next 40 years and be constantly miserable and hungry.3. Take the tablets and spend my life sitting on the toilet.Frankly all 3 of these options have a similar level of appeal and I can just see this stretching in front of me like a life sentence.I can accept a shortened life expectancy if I have to. It would be disappointing to be around for less time that I had hoped, because up until now I have had a good life.I used to really enjoy my long walks by the lake, as well as travelling for anything up to 4 months a year (I am semi-retired and have a very enjoyable summer job).On the face of it, I have a wonderful life and very little to be miserable about. But this diagnosis has overshadowed absolutely everything.Now, everything is about diabetes. Everything I eat, everything I drink, everything I see and everything I hear is a reminder of how my life is never going to be the same again.What I am trying to achieve here is to find some way of feeling normal again. Some way of getting back to the life I used to enjoy without everything being dominated by carbs, sugar, diabetes, diet, etc., like it was last time.All I want is the energy levels back. If the metformin (or anything else) can do that without restricting me to a 10m radius of a toilet bowl, fine. I have no objection to taking medication.I just can't do the strict dieting again. Everyone said I would get used to it and my tastes would change and my habits would change and everything would be so much better. But it wasn't. It was misery for 18 months and I can't go through it for the rest of my life.Sorry if this is a long and rambling post, but my head is all over the place at the moment.To anyone who has actually read all of this diatribe, I don't want to depress anyone and I don't want to criticise or offend anyone.I truly respect those people who are managing to control this illness by sticking to the right diets. You are stronger people than me.</blockquote>

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