Re: Metforim

December 12, 2001

Jacky,

Many of us have to START on meds in order to get some kind of a handle on

this disease. Metformin, if you can tolerate it, is an excellent start. It

forces your body to use the insulin you are already making as opposed to

forcing the pancreas to manufacture more. Once you get the hang of the diet

and start eating right and exercising more... you may start experiencing

lows, which is when you start backing off the meds. You don't starve

yourself (pre-insulin treatment for type 1's)because it isn't something you

can live with. Your poor body is already confused and working improperly...

no need to make it think that a famine has set in. You need to have help

controlling your levels while you find out what causes insulin dumps in your

diet... i.e., most of us can't eat pizza, some of us can eat Chinese some

can't. Some can eat a small potato with an evening meal some can't. Each

of us is different and we've all had to find out what we can and can't

eat... and when. There are going to be times when no matter what you do

your levels will be high for a while... you have to learn that you aren't

going to be just like any one of us. Each of us is unique. When you are

ill or stressed your bs will react. Many go on insulin to control their

levels during those periods (guaranteed to make you gain weight) until their

lives or health stabilize. Most important is controlling your bs levels.

If you can do it without the meds, more power to you... but if you can't,

and it has nothing to do with self control, use the medication!!

Twenty pounds in twenty-one days is too much too fast for most of us. We

want to get rid of the fat... and a pound a day usually means that muscle is

going too. Don't try to be super-woman Jacky. It isn't necessary and you

will be more likly to wake up some morning a little high and say, " What the

h***, nothing is working anyway! I give up!! " It may be three steps

forward two steps back at first... but as long as you're working at it...

you'll still be going forward. We're here in the middle of this battlefield

with you. You aren't alone. Stay with us. You are dedicated to

controlling this, so you will.

Rita

" Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just. "

-- Jefferson

Metforim

Hello all,

I have an appointment with my GP tomorrow and I am considering

metformin. Here is why, I have to really struggle to keep my blood

sugar levels under 6.6 and I wonder if I am strong enough to keep up

such a low calorie and low carb diet. It has only been 4 weeks, and I

have come a long way but my dr. is retiring in a few weeks and I don't

know when the appointment with the specialist willbe . I assume in the

Spring. If I had the prescription then I could start it when I felt I

just couldn't do this any more. Right now I am eating about 900

calories a day, 30 grams of carbs and I am still spiking (today I had a

9.0 or 162) two hours after eating 1/2 a sandwich at a work party. I am

slightly over weight, maybe about 25 pounds at this point, but I have

lost 20 pounds in the past 21 days. I have to exercise twice a day to

keep my levels in the 5's and my son and husband are tiring quickly of

my preoccupation with this disease. I don't want this to sound like

another whine post, because I am not whining.

I just want you feed back because I feel like I am giving in already and

I don't want to.

As always, thank you so very much.

Jacky

**All email sent through this mail list is Copyrighted by the original

author. Permission must be obtained from the original author for the re-use,

of any text (in whole or in part).

Shared Files: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/diabetes_int/files

Bookmarks: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/diabetes_int/links

Home Page at Yahoo Groups: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/diabetes_int

December 12, 2001