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why does normal Bg make me feel hypo?

from your link, it seems that a drop of 3% A1c may increase in the short term but overall is the better course of action
http://www.diabeticretinopathy.org.uk/retinopathyprogression.htm#co
A 3% drop in HbA1c may increase the progression rate for 1-3 years. But after 3-4 years of good control, progression rates drops significantly (lilac line). In the long term, good control causes much less progression.

from what I read, tight control is 6% and 6.5-7% is better to start with from a high of 10%
 
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Hi MushyPeaBrain,

I actually just started pycnogenol in combination with l arginine which is suppose to improve circulation. i am currently on 50mg daily. what kind of "good size" dosage would you recommend?

I had my eyes checked in the last 6 months and am on preventive glaucoma drops. No retinopathy was mentioned. however, i am fairly certain that my A1C has dropped drastically in the last two months (testing next week) & what i read in this thread certainly has me worried..

Thks
 
this is too difficult two said:
That is interesting. I never heard that before. What problems does it cause. That may explain some of the things that happened to me. Where did you hear this?
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A sudden drop is not good. Thats when damage occurs to the eyes too. You should do it gradually. Aim for a target each week and try stick to it.
If you aim to keep your blood glucose under 10, you should have an HBA1C of about 7.5%. Do that for a while and then aim for 9.
My target is 9 and my HBA1C is 7%. Im happy with that.
 
Diabetes produces oxidative stress and continuously damages blood vessels. The protective action of Pycnogenol® for blood vessels and capillaries helps to keep blood vessels in diabetes well functioning. Of course, a strict normalization of blood glucose is the best way to prevent these damages. Often a retinopathy is observed in diabetics. Without protection diabetics often develop retinopathy: Tiny capillaries nourishing the retina of the eye spill blood onto the retina causing vision loss. Intake of Pycnogenol® has been found to reduce the micro bleedings in the retina and to improve eyesight.
 
For general use as a supplement, a typical daily dosage would be 1 mg per kilogram of body weight, or follow the directions on the packaging. Please consult your physician if you are taking Pycnogenol® for a specific condition.
 
Omnipod said:
For general use as a supplement, a typical daily dosage would be 1 mg per kilogram of body weight, or follow the directions on the packaging. Please consult your physician if you are taking Pycnogenol® for a specific condition.
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Thanks for the informative feedback Omnipod. Much appreciated!!
 
I had a standard high street eye check pre diagnosis as my eyesight had worsened. Would any early signs of retinopathy had been detected on a routine check or is this something that is only found on specialised checks through the hospital?
 
Hi Marie,
A lot of peoples eyes do have temporary problems around diagnosis. The changing glucose levels results in osmotic pressure with more fluid entering the eye, to 'dilute' the higher glucose level. This can distort the lens and make vision blurry. This is not retinopathy and as glucose levels get lower, some of the fluid leaves the eyes and the shape may change again. Eventually this gets back to where it should be. They always tell you not to get new glasses soon after diagnosis or if your glucose levels are higher than they should be as it will cause you to get a wrong prescription (most Opticians seem to be very aware of this but there have been a few stories of people spending a lot of money on new glasses that became useless ) This explains in a little more detail http://www.empowher.com/diabetic-retinopathy/content/blurry-vision-diabetes

( Remember as I said last night, you weren't at the sort of level that the article and MPB had nor probably had diabetes for the length of time they had.)
Occasionally people are diagnosed at that sort of level and have had undiagnosed diabetes for many years. Reduction of levels over a longer time could be very important in those cases.
I shouldn't worry at the moment at all, take things gradually . If you have suddenly adopted a very low carb diet then you should tell your doctor about it. He should be adjusting your drugs on the basis of your glucose levels but he may also have in mind a diet with higher carbs.

It is important though to have a retinopathy check for everyone being newly diagnosed it establishes a benchmark.
It's one of the things the NHS should be proud of, the introduction of regular scans for all people. It was one of the first countries to do so I believe different areas do things in different ways so talk to your doctor about it. In some areas there are mobile units, in others the tests are done at the opticians. Basically you have the back of the eye photographed. Most older people need to have drops in their eyes to dilate the pupils so it's usually done as a special appointment. .
 
So would you say I've confused matters and give into this a little to much too soon by starting a LCHF diet and gliclazide at the same time? I did think to myself I now don't know whether it's the meds or diet making the difference.
 
Just had my yearly eye check for Diabetes..... got my letter back all is ok..thank goodness
 
Marie4james said:
So would you say I've confused matters and give into this a little to much too soon by starting a LCHF diet and gliclazide at the same time? I did think to myself I now don't know whether it's the meds or diet making the difference.
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But if you come off the LC now, your BG will go bouncing about like a Ping pong ball.

I should try and stabilise where you are, for now. Stick with the medication (but your doc or diabetes team may be better advisors), and give your body time to adjust.

Then when you want to lower your BG levels further, do it in gentle steps.

I'm so sorry that all your wonderfully good intentioned low carbing efforts has led to increased stress.

Does anyone know what percentages of people are affected?
I cannot believe it is everyone - or even a majority.
 

Omnipod is right with that ratio I'm sure as I was about 60kg when I started on it and have kept my dose the same 60mg ever since. I remember there are some guides online about effective dosage for retinopathy too. Make sure you buy the proper branded stuff as it's not all the same pure quality. I get mine from Holland and Barrett. I'm also on eye drops, Alphagan, for glaucoma suspect. This was brought on by the level of laser surgery I had to have. I've had all the laser allowed now so just have to hope my sight stays. I'm blind in one eye due to an NHS **** up with the laser for my retinopathy so it's pretty scary.
 
[ Marie;
I think that this thread has become complicated by there being two questions going on at the same time.
I think Brunnerias advice
I should try and stabilise where you are, for now. Stick with the medication (but your doc or diabetes team may be better advisors), and give your body time to adjust.
Then when you want to lower your BG levels further, do it in gentle steps
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is sensible. . To re-iterate you aren't making the massive decreases that MPB or to be honest even I did. Forget about the eyes (well don't forget to get a normal routine check) but do keep your doctor informed about any diet and weight changes because they need that info to adjust doses.
 
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Thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated!! Have increased to 150mg daily. Fingers crossed.

Very sorry to hear about your eye. My best friend's mum suffered a similar **** up in New York and lost vision in one eye as well.
Hope all goes well for you.
 
Marie, with the increase in dose. Make sure that you do keep an check on your glucose levels in case you go down below 4mmol/l . Just like us on insulin, it's a good idea to have some quick acting carbs on hand (lucozade, glucose tabs) You may never need them but its better that they are available
I know you know the symptoms of hypos; after all you started this thread talking about false hypos but do check if you feel that way.
http://www.patient.co.uk/medicine/gliclazide-diamicron-dacadis-nazdol-zicron
 

How strange you jut wrote that. I have literally just come out of a real hypo. I was at 3.5 and really not feeling good. Thank you so much for your post, timing couldn't be better to give me some reassurance. I have just been looking at the best way to treat a hypo as I felt like I was going on the rampage in the kitchen an hour ago. Last thing I want is to end up going too high. Please tell me this gets easier!!
 
 


Will be interested to find out when available Freestyle whoohoo
 
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