Guest guest Posted May 24, 2003 Report Share Posted May 24, 2003 When I was dx'd with t2 about 4.5 yrs ago my doc put me on glyburide and it worked very well. Within about 3 months my levels were all normal. I asked if I could go off meds and he said ok, you can try it, but you need to make sure you exercise and eat as best you can. So I did, I walked a lot, every day, and was very careful about what I ate. I was able to stay off meds for over two years with my total determination to doing all I can to stay off pills as I really hated the idea of a lifetime of meds. In the end, some super stress from a teenage daughter threw my life and bg levels totally nutty and I had to go on meds again. I was so mad as I had been doing so well, but I just couldn't get myself back on track with diet and exercise alone. So it is possible to go off the meds. I think if the doc had told me no, I'd have tried it anyway, just to see what would happen. I am not suggesting you do that, it's up to you what you do, but I needed to know I could do it on my own, it was very important to me. I hope you are wrong that 60% of people on meds end up on insulin, I am a needle phobe and that would not be a good scenario for me. Elva Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 24, 2003 Report Share Posted May 24, 2003 Hi Elva- Luckily my doc did not put me on meds when first diagnosed. I was so surprised that I asked Eunice if there was something wrong with him. After a few months, I understood and feel incredibly luckly that he gave me the chance to do it on my own. I have seen other posts, with less BGs than mine, that were immediatly put on meds. Last month, I had tendonitis in my elbow so severe that I agreed to go on prednosine for 5 days. Knew that it would cause my BGs to go up, but just could not stand the pain. I fought the BGs for the full 5 days I was on it knowing well that it would raise my A1C. It took me a good 2 weeks to get back under control and my last A1c was up .2%. I was also stressed more than usual. So the doc said, well, I won't put you on meds NOW. I had gone from 6.2 to 6.4. Like you, I will fight this disease to the bitter end and will not go on meds until I feel it is necessary. It is a tough uphill battle, day by day, but I think it I think it is worth it to keep BGs under control w/o meds. My food selection is VERY limited, but that is worth it to me, if I do not have to go on meds or face the complications of this disease. My mom has told me that she could not do the WOE that I do. But, I say to her, if your life is at stake, you would do what you have to to stay alive. Carole Getting off meds When I was dx'd with t2 about 4.5 yrs ago my doc put me on glyburide and it worked very well. Within about 3 months my levels were all normal. I asked if I could go off meds and he said ok, you can try it, but you need to make sure you exercise and eat as best you can. So I did, I walked a lot, every day, and was very careful about what I ate. I was able to stay off meds for over two years with my total determination to doing all I can to stay off pills as I really hated the idea of a lifetime of meds. In the end, some super stress from a teenage daughter threw my life and bg levels totally nutty and I had to go on meds again. I was so mad as I had been doing so well, but I just couldn't get myself back on track with diet and exercise alone. So it is possible to go off the meds. I think if the doc had told me no, I'd have tried it anyway, just to see what would happen. I am not suggesting you do that, it's up to you what you do, but I needed to know I could do it on my own, it was very important to me. I hope you are wrong that 60% of people on meds end up on insulin, I am a needle phobe and that would not be a good scenario for me. Elva Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 24, 2003 Report Share Posted May 24, 2003 Hi carole, My bg level at diagnosis was 18, which is 3 times normal, so that's why he put me on meds right away. It did the trick, fairly quickly too! I wont go down without a fight, that's not my style, and if I have to watch what I eat for the next 40 yrs that's ok with me, I will do it. Elva > Hi Elva- Luckily my doc did not put me on meds when first diagnosed. I was > so surprised that I asked Eunice if there was something wrong with him. > After a few months, I understood and feel incredibly luckly that he gave me > the chance to do it on my own. I have seen other posts, with less BGs than > mine, that were immediatly put on meds. > > Last month, I had tendonitis in my elbow so severe that I agreed to go on > prednosine for 5 days. Knew that it would cause my BGs to go up, but just > could not stand the pain. I fought the BGs for the full 5 days I was on it > knowing well that it would raise my A1C. It took me a good 2 weeks to get > back under control and my last A1c was up .2%. I was also stressed more > than usual. So the doc said, well, I won't put you on meds NOW. I had > gone from 6.2 to 6.4. > > Like you, I will fight this disease to the bitter end and will not go on > meds until I feel it is necessary. It is a tough uphill battle, day by day, > but I think it I think it is worth it to keep BGs under control w/o meds. > My food selection is VERY limited, but that is worth it to me, if I do not > have to go on meds or face the complications of this disease. My mom has > told me that she could not do the WOE that I do. But, I say to her, if your > life is at stake, you would do what you have to to stay alive. > > Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 25, 2003 Report Share Posted June 25, 2003 In a message dated 6/25/2003 6:26:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time, doucar4ever@... writes: > For those of you that have went off the > meds...what led to that? Was it your doctors idea? Did your doctor > suggest going off of it to see what happens? Were your blood sugars > too low and it suggested that you need to come off the medication? Hi Shelby, It was in Aug 2000 that I decided I wanted off meds. I told my doctor this. Her reply was, " I don't think it will happen, we will probably have to increase meds. " Well, I was just stubborn enough to prove her wrong. I changed my way of eating (eating in moderation), started exercising even more. I started losing weight. In Dec 2000, I had lost 19 lbs, but my A1c was still 7.5. In January, I started getting more lows than I should have, so my doctor told me to cut my Glyburide in half. That didn't help and I was also losing more weight (which I wanted to do). In Feb 2001, she discontinued the meds. hugs Eunice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 26, 2003 Report Share Posted June 26, 2003 I just purchased THE FIRST YEAR TYPE 2 DIABETES: AN ESSENTIAL GUIDE FOR THE NEWLY DIAGNOSED, by Gretchen Becker. A marvelous read so far and so helpful. It's all there and I feel so much better after beginning it. She recommends internet support groups a lot and so I am doubly please to have found this group. Regarding the issue of going off meds--she covers that in a chapter and it was very, very interesting. Not everyone can go off meds, it's that simple. It's not a matter of willpower and total control by diet and exercise. If your beta cells in your pancreas that produce insulin are not irreversably damaged, then there is a great chance, like Eunice, that you can control your blood glucose levels by diet and exercise. Glucotoxicity is when your beta cells are exposed to high levels to the point the cells are damaged beyond repair--in which case, medicines are going to play a role in your wellness. One example was given of a woman who once diagnosed, did very well with diet and exercise and kept her bg levels low. Then, at some point, the IR (Insulin Resistance ) kicked in and soon the levels were high enough, and for a period long enough, to damage her beta cells beyond repair. She then went on meds. So, in other words, it is a very individual thing whether you can control your bg levels simply by diet and exercise. (Did I say 'simply'???) It would depend on how far along you are in the disease, I have gathered. Jay, on a hot and steamy day in Maine... > For those of you that have went off the > meds...what led to that? Was it your doctors idea? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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