When to start medication

[Mr OC]

I recently tested for sugar, when I bought my dad's glucose testing kit. I discovered it was high, and since then, I have been testing myself every morning.
My results have ranged from 7.2 -8.5 (9 days). Tonight I tested 2 hours after eating, and found it to be 13.8.
Should I go and seek drugs, or I can just change my lifestyle. I weigh 105kg, 1.83 tall, male aged 40.
Am worried of causing damage to my organs.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. The first thing is to adjust your diet if needed to have lower carbs. What sort of diet do you have now? You could arrange to see the GP to possibly have an HBA1C blood test. The GP may offer Metformin or wait to see how your revised diet works.

 

[Rach612]

I recently tested for sugar, when I bought my dad's glucose testing kit. I discovered it was high, and since then, I have been testing myself every morning.
My results have ranged from 7.2 -8.5 (9 days). Tonight I tested 2 hours after eating, and found it to be 13.8.
Should I go and seek drugs, or I can just change my lifestyle. I weigh 105kg, 1.83 tall, male aged 40.
Am worried of causing damage to my organs.

hello Mr OC. It’s probably best to see your GP to get a HBA1C (test for diabetes).

 

[Andydragon]

I recently tested for sugar, when I bought my dad's glucose testing kit. I discovered it was high, and since then, I have been testing myself every morning.
My results have ranged from 7.2 -8.5 (9 days). Tonight I tested 2 hours after eating, and found it to be 13.8.
Should I go and seek drugs, or I can just change my lifestyle. I weigh 105kg, 1.83 tall, male aged 40.
Am worried of causing damage to my organs.

We can’t give medical advice, especially about drugs. If you are worried you should seek a professional diagnosis from medical professionals. You said you are resting yourself, so does this mean perhaps you are having some symptoms?

Lowering carbs and changing your diet could be an option for helping improve things as the levels do appear high. You are roughly the same weight and height as when I started improvements at the start of the pandemic, so there are opportunities there as an overall health improvement

 

[Antje77]

Should I go and seek drugs, or I can just change my lifestyle.

Making an appointment with your GP and getting blood tests doesn't equal seeking drugs. It means you'll have information on where you stand to make informed decisions instead of going fully DIY.
It also means, should you get a diabetes diagnosis, you'll get eye and feet checks for diabetics, and be monitored on your diabetes. Getting a diagnosis doesn't automatically mean medication. If you choose to try with lifestyle changes there is no reason to do so without getting diabetes care by the NHS.

 

[Resurgam]

I did LCHF whenever I could get away with it most of my adult life, and the difference between those times and the diet sheet days makes me question the way Humans are supposed to eat. Even if you are not yet diabetic, but have an intolerance of carbs, eating Atkins style, or simply avoiding the high carb foods we are told are so healthy could suit you far better.

 

[Geordie_P]

Agree with the above: you should go to see the doctor and get an HBA1C to see what the situation really is. After that, you'll have a better idea of your options. Should it turn out that you have type 2 or prediabetes, there's a high chance that diet and exercise would be the main part of your diabetes control anyway. Equally, if it turns out you *don't* have diabetes, you should probably think about changing your lifestyle anyway, as you'll feel better for it, and it will help reduce any future issues.