Re: Those on oral meds?

[Guest guest]

Hi Harry,

I have been on oral meds for over six years now. I try my best at carb

counting, test twice a day, and my A1C is 5.5. I try to exercise as much as I

can, but don't always manage.

The time that I have a very difficult job, is when I am stressed out, which

happens quite frequently! My hardest meal, is breakfast, but I can't keep

eating eggs, sausages and cheese!!

Those on oral meds?

A long time ago I was on oral meds only. I was not on a particular diet, and I

knew nothing about carb counting. If you are on oral meds, do you also do carb

counting. I also knew nothing about doing a two hour post prandial bs test.

I ask because I really do want to know how it does for you. Back when I did

oral meds only I usually ran an A1C of 5.8 or 5.9 until my beta cells finally

played out. Research in the past showed that most T2DM became insulin dependent

after 10-15 years of oral med use.

Also I have never met a T2DM on oral meds that had an A1C of 5.5 or lower. Is

there one lurking here?

[Guest guest]

Ruth,

Not on Actos any more. I got off it over 2 years ago and switched to

Metformin and Glyburide because Actos was all of a sudden not being as

effective as it had been, and it was causing me weight gain. With the

Metformin and Glyburide regimen I seem to be doing OK so will leave well

enough alone.

I have heard that both Actos and I think Avantia were either pulled from the

shelf or were considered for removal for the reason you cited, but have

heard nothing more on that since.

Bill Powers

[Guest guest]

It is good to hear that Bill and are achieving A1C's of 5.5 and lower

using oral meds. Is the secret in doing so carb counting? I ask since I

encountered a neighbor a few days ago who told me his A1C was 6.8 and his

fasting bs level that day was 158. He seemed to be pleeased with those test

results, while I thought they were too high. He is taking glyburide and

macformin. I do not believe he does carb counting. What do you think?

I hope by having low A1C's y'all can avoid insulin therapy, but if you cannot

get that A1C down, then I believe insulin and carb counting is the way to go.

What are your thoughts on the matter?

RE: Those on oral meds?

Harry,

My Hemoglobin A-1-C has consistently been 5.1 to 5.2 ever since I got put on

oral meds 5 years ago. Even when I was first on Actos, which later started

giving me problems with weight gain, my HA1C was good. I find I'm best

taking my post prandial reading about 2-1/2 hours after a meal rather than 2

hours, because perhaps my digestion is slow, I don't know, but that's how it

seems to play out for me. Yes, I am worried about that 10-15 year ballpark

for becoming insulin resistant and I am doing all I can in the meantime to

keep my readings low in hopes I might be one of those who can continue

control with oral meds.

Bill Powers

[Guest guest]

I wish I could tell you that my success of A1C's of 5.1 to 5.2 were because

of strict carb-counting, but not so. I am conscious of what I eat and stay

away from eating a meal with a high carb count but I don't go for exact

numbers. If I know I'm going to do a lot of physical work in the morning I

can allow more wiggle-room in the carb area like 2 pieces of toast instead

of 1, but I don't go critical on exact numbers. However, I rely on the

feedback from my 2-1/2 hour post prandial reading to tell me if I did well

or blew it, and most of the time I seem to have a very good reading. Perhaps

this method won't work for everyone, and if I were on insulin I'd have to be

more critical of the carb factor, but for the time being, I seem to have

found a good method that works for me that seems to come more naturally.

That is, I think of this in a concept rather than just saying " this has 5,

this has 9, this has 14 " etc.

Ultimately, the thing I have learned from the start is that, as a diabetic,

you ultimately pay for what you eat, and you have to be adult enough to

follow up on what you ate and check your readings to make sure you don't get

into that " nobody will know " attitude that can be so detrimental. Doesn't

matter if no one else knows, my body will know, and it won't lie.

Hopefully I'm doing enough good for myself now so I won't pay big-time for

it down the road, but it seems like my labs have always been good, my

cholesterol is very good, with the only thing to really work on right now

being my triglycerides. I keep hoping the doc will finally put me on

something to lower it, but he doesn't want to try anything that will hurt

kidney function so it's something we'll take up again tomorrow when I see

him for a follow-up appointment.

Bill Powers

[Guest guest]

I am on oral meds, I am type 2 and my A1c is usally 5.4.

Larry

At 10:01 AM 12-16-2007, you wrote:

>A long time ago I was on oral meds only. I was

>not on a particular diet, and I knew nothing

>about carb counting. If you are on oral meds, do

>you also do carb counting. I also knew nothing

>about doing a two hour post prandial bs test.

>I ask because I really do want to know how it

>does for you. Back when I did oral meds only I

>usually ran an A1C of 5.8 or 5.9 until my beta

>cells finally played out. Research in the past

>showed that most T2DM became insulin dependent

>after 10-15 years of oral med use.

>Also I have never met a T2DM on oral meds that

>had an A1C of 5.5 or lower. Is there one lurking here?

>

>

[Guest guest]

Sorry, but I am a bit behind in reading.

My cholesterol is typically about 149, my hdl is very low, it is

about 30. But genetically I have other brothers who are not diabetic

with similar readings.

My tri-glycerides are about 150.

I do not car count either, but am very conscious of what I eat, and

how much I eat.

Am I always perfect? Of course not! I make mistakes, and when I do,

my blood sugar is higher.

But ai have gleaned so much information from this list.

As Harry can tell you , when his hard-drive crashed last year, I do

collect articles, (lots of articles), now over 300 of them. I pass

them to him, and to others when interested, and when I need a

refresher about an aspect of diabetes, I go back in to the archive

and reread them. I also have them backed up on an external hard drive.

I have tons of diabetic recipes thanks to several newsletters.

I also subscribe to several newsletters including Doctor Merkin's

weekly newsletter.

I frequently check out his web site. There is a great deal of great

information, including several recipe books dealing with diabetes.

So the information is never ending and I am very pleased to have so

much of it at my fingertips.

I feel that I am able to better control my diabetes thanks to this

list as wellas the other sources of information.

I thank you all.

Merry Christmas.

Larry Gassman

At 09:22 PM 12-16-2007, you wrote:

>I wish I could tell you that my success of A1C's of 5.1 to 5.2 were because

>of strict carb-counting, but not so. I am conscious of what I eat and stay

>away from eating a meal with a high carb count but I don't go for exact

>numbers. If I know I'm going to do a lot of physical work in the morning I

>can allow more wiggle-room in the carb area like 2 pieces of toast instead

>of 1, but I don't go critical on exact numbers. However, I rely on the

>feedback from my 2-1/2 hour post prandial reading to tell me if I did well

>or blew it, and most of the time I seem to have a very good reading. Perhaps

>this method won't work for everyone, and if I were on insulin I'd have to be

>more critical of the carb factor, but for the time being, I seem to have

>found a good method that works for me that seems to come more naturally.

>That is, I think of this in a concept rather than just saying " this has 5,

>this has 9, this has 14 " etc.

>

>Ultimately, the thing I have learned from the start is that, as a diabetic,

>you ultimately pay for what you eat, and you have to be adult enough to

>follow up on what you ate and check your readings to make sure you don't get

>into that " nobody will know " attitude that can be so detrimental. Doesn't

>matter if no one else knows, my body will know, and it won't lie.

>

>Hopefully I'm doing enough good for myself now so I won't pay big-time for

>it down the road, but it seems like my labs have always been good, my

>cholesterol is very good, with the only thing to really work on right now

>being my triglycerides. I keep hoping the doc will finally put me on

>something to lower it, but he doesn't want to try anything that will hurt

>kidney function so it's something we'll take up again tomorrow when I see

>him for a follow-up appointment.

>

>Bill Powers

>

>

[Guest guest]

I do much the same, I am conscious of carbs, and try to keep them to a minimum!

I am not sure that I have mastered carb counting!

I have figured out what foods are killers, like pizza, and I stay away from

them!! Now if you think that it is easy for an Italian boy like me to stay from

pizza!!

I keep pasta to a minimum, maybe once a month, I keep to mostly very lean meat

and veggies. From time to time I have a potato for a treat, and eat very little

bread. Yes, I think that being aware of what foods raise the levels, and

keeping them to a minimum is very important!

RE: Those on oral meds?

I wish I could tell you that my success of A1C's of 5.1 to 5.2 were because

of strict carb-counting, but not so. I am conscious of what I eat and stay

away from eating a meal with a high carb count but I don't go for exact

numbers. If I know I'm going to do a lot of physical work in the morning I

can allow more wiggle-room in the carb area like 2 pieces of toast instead

of 1, but I don't go critical on exact numbers. However, I rely on the

feedback from my 2-1/2 hour post prandial reading to tell me if I did well

or blew it, and most of the time I seem to have a very good reading. Perhaps

this method won't work for everyone, and if I were on insulin I'd have to be

more critical of the carb factor, but for the time being, I seem to have

found a good method that works for me that seems to come more naturally.

That is, I think of this in a concept rather than just saying " this has 5,

this has 9, this has 14 " etc.

Ultimately, the thing I have learned from the start is that, as a diabetic,

you ultimately pay for what you eat, and you have to be adult enough to

follow up on what you ate and check your readings to make sure you don't get

into that " nobody will know " attitude that can be so detrimental. Doesn't

matter if no one else knows, my body will know, and it won't lie.

Hopefully I'm doing enough good for myself now so I won't pay big-time for

it down the road, but it seems like my labs have always been good, my

cholesterol is very good, with the only thing to really work on right now

being my triglycerides. I keep hoping the doc will finally put me on

something to lower it, but he doesn't want to try anything that will hurt

kidney function so it's something we'll take up again tomorrow when I see

him for a follow-up appointment.

Bill Powers

[Guest guest]

What you say about carb counting if you are oninsulin very true-.

From what I have seen, type 2's need to do what you do Bill. Figure

out what is not good by doing BG tests after eating. Too many of the

type 2's thatI know do not do that and they moan and groan when their

A1Cls ave over 7 or 8!

RE: Those on oral meds?

I wish I could tell you that my success of A1C's of 5.1 to 5.2 were

because

of strict carb-counting, but not so. I am conscious of what I eat and

stay

away from eating a meal with a high carb count but I don't go for exact

numbers. If I know I'm going to do a lot of physical work in the morning

I

can allow more wiggle-room in the carb area like 2 pieces of toast

instead

of 1, but I don't go critical on exact numbers. However, I rely on the

feedback from my 2-1/2 hour post prandial reading to tell me if I did

well

or blew it, and most of the time I seem to have a very good reading.

Perhaps

this method won't work for everyone, and if I were on insulin I'd have

to be

more critical of the carb factor, but for the time being, I seem to have

found a good method that works for me that seems to come more naturally.

That is, I think of this in a concept rather than just saying " this has

5,

this has 9, this has 14 " etc.

Ultimately, the thing I have learned from the start is that, as a

diabetic,

you ultimately pay for what you eat, and you have to be adult enough to

follow up on what you ate and check your readings to make sure you don't

get

into that " nobody will know " attitude that can be so detrimental.

Doesn't

matter if no one else knows, my body will know, and it won't lie.

Hopefully I'm doing enough good for myself now so I won't pay big-time

for

it down the road, but it seems like my labs have always been good, my

cholesterol is very good, with the only thing to really work on right

now

being my triglycerides. I keep hoping the doc will finally put me on

something to lower it, but he doesn't want to try anything that will

hurt

kidney function so it's something we'll take up again tomorrow when I

see

him for a follow-up appointment.

Bill Powers

[Guest guest]

The idea of taking that 2-1/2 hour post prandial is all-important. I'm the

kind of guy that needs feedback on what I do, and in this way I know if I'm

accomplishing my goal. Otherwise, it's kind of like driving without seeing

where you're going. Just deciding what NOT to eat is only part of the

equation, you have to follow up on what you've done to make sure you're

on-target, then if you're not, you do something proactive to get in better

condition. Some people won't be as lucky as I for whatever reason, so even

if they do the same thing I do on selecting food, their sugars may not be as

well controlled. I have the advantage of doing lots and lots of walking and

I keep myself very busy, and this helps me to keep my sugars in better

standing. If I were docile all the time, I might have a real problem with my

BG management.

Just as when we weigh ourselves regularly, we have to check our BG's to be

sure that on top of what we're trying to do, that there are no underlying

problems creeping up that need our attention. For example, if you're getting

a cold your BG will go up, if you're getting a fever or even if you ate

something that might wind up making you sick, these things can trigger

higher sugars and are an early warning sign of something that needs your

immediate attention. Without this feedback, your best efforts can get

wasted.

Bill Powers

,_._,___

[Guest guest]

Hi Bill:

I like to know what kind of exercise do you do besides walking. How often and

how much do you walk. I try to walk on the tread mill 3 miles 4 times a week.

My a1c went up from 5.2 to 5.6. I stopped the glipzied because it was causing a

lot of hypoglysimia. I think my next test my a1c should even improve. I

understand that the harm from frequent low sugar can be worse than a slightly

high sugar...

Victor

Bill Powers wrote:

The idea of taking that 2-1/2 hour post prandial is all-important. I'm

the

kind of guy that needs feedback on what I do, and in this way I know if I'm

accomplishing my goal. Otherwise, it's kind of like driving without seeing

where you're going. Just deciding what NOT to eat is only part of the

equation, you have to follow up on what you've done to make sure you're

on-target, then if you're not, you do something proactive to get in better

condition. Some people won't be as lucky as I for whatever reason, so even

if they do the same thing I do on selecting food, their sugars may not be as

well controlled. I have the advantage of doing lots and lots of walking and

I keep myself very busy, and this helps me to keep my sugars in better

standing. If I were docile all the time, I might have a real problem with my

BG management.

Just as when we weigh ourselves regularly, we have to check our BG's to be

sure that on top of what we're trying to do, that there are no underlying

problems creeping up that need our attention. For example, if you're getting

a cold your BG will go up, if you're getting a fever or even if you ate

something that might wind up making you sick, these things can trigger

higher sugars and are an early warning sign of something that needs your

immediate attention. Without this feedback, your best efforts can get

wasted.

Bill Powers

,_._,___

[Guest guest]

Unless your blood sugar is getting low enough that you are in danger of

passing out or are unable to treat yourself, hypoglycemia is significantly

less harmful than hyperglycemia.

Jen

RE: Those on oral meds?

> Hi Bill:

>

> I like to know what kind of exercise do you do besides walking. How

> often and how much do you walk. I try to walk on the tread mill 3 miles 4

> times a week. My a1c went up from 5.2 to 5.6. I stopped the glipzied

> because it was causing a lot of hypoglysimia. I think my next test my a1c

> should even improve. I understand that the harm from frequent low sugar

> can be worse than a slightly high sugar...

>

> Victor

[Guest guest]

Viktor,

Your understanding about low blood sugars is wrong. Research has shown that

damage from low blood sugars is not as dangerous as once thought. In fact there

is little to no evidence that low blood sugars causes any lasting damage at all.

While low blood sugars can be extremely uncomfortable, while having them, it is

still those high or hyper gglycemic sugars that causes the diabetic

complications, not the low or hypo glycemic ones.

RE: Those on oral meds?

Hi Bill:

I like to know what kind of exercise do you do besides walking. How often and

how much do you walk. I try to walk on the tread mill 3 miles 4 times a week. My

a1c went up from 5.2 to 5.6. I stopped the glipzied because it was causing a lot

of hypoglysimia. I think my next test my a1c should even improve. I understand

that the harm from frequent low sugar can be worse than a slightly high sugar...

Victor

Bill Powers wrote:

The idea of taking that 2-1/2 hour post prandial is all-important. I'm the

kind of guy that needs feedback on what I do, and in this way I know if I'm

accomplishing my goal. Otherwise, it's kind of like driving without seeing

where you're going. Just deciding what NOT to eat is only part of the

equation, you have to follow up on what you've done to make sure you're

on-target, then if you're not, you do something proactive to get in better

condition. Some people won't be as lucky as I for whatever reason, so even

if they do the same thing I do on selecting food, their sugars may not be as

well controlled. I have the advantage of doing lots and lots of walking and

I keep myself very busy, and this helps me to keep my sugars in better

standing. If I were docile all the time, I might have a real problem with my

BG management.

Just as when we weigh ourselves regularly, we have to check our BG's to be

sure that on top of what we're trying to do, that there are no underlying

problems creeping up that need our attention. For example, if you're getting

a cold your BG will go up, if you're getting a fever or even if you ate

something that might wind up making you sick, these things can trigger

higher sugars and are an early warning sign of something that needs your

immediate attention. Without this feedback, your best efforts can get

wasted.

Bill Powers

,_._,___

[Guest guest]

how long do you spend on the treadmill. karen

RE: Those on oral meds?

Hi Bill:

I like to know what kind of exercise do you do besides walking. How often and

how much do you walk. I try to walk on the tread mill 3 miles 4 times a week. My

a1c went up from 5.2 to 5.6. I stopped the glipzied because it was causing a lot

of hypoglysimia. I think my next test my a1c should even improve. I understand

that the harm from frequent low sugar can be worse than a slightly high sugar...

Victor

Bill Powers wrote:

The idea of taking that 2-1/2 hour post prandial is all-important. I'm the

kind of guy that needs feedback on what I do, and in this way I know if I'm

accomplishing my goal. Otherwise, it's kind of like driving without seeing

where you're going. Just deciding what NOT to eat is only part of the

equation, you have to follow up on what you've done to make sure you're

on-target, then if you're not, you do something proactive to get in better

condition. Some people won't be as lucky as I for whatever reason, so even

if they do the same thing I do on selecting food, their sugars may not be as

well controlled. I have the advantage of doing lots and lots of walking and

I keep myself very busy, and this helps me to keep my sugars in better

standing. If I were docile all the time, I might have a real problem with my

BG management.

Just as when we weigh ourselves regularly, we have to check our BG's to be

sure that on top of what we're trying to do, that there are no underlying

problems creeping up that need our attention. For example, if you're getting

a cold your BG will go up, if you're getting a fever or even if you ate

something that might wind up making you sick, these things can trigger

higher sugars and are an early warning sign of something that needs your

immediate attention. Without this feedback, your best efforts can get

wasted.

Bill Powers

,_._,___

[Guest guest]

That is ;not true Victor. It has been proven that low blood sugars ,

although not fun to go through, don not cause any damage, but

consistently high blood sugars efinately do in the long run.

RE: Those on oral meds?

Hi Bill:

I like to know what kind of exercise do you do besides walking. How

often and how much do you walk. I try to walk on the tread mill 3 miles

4 times a week. My a1c went up from 5.2 to 5.6. I stopped the glipzied

because it was causing a lot of hypoglysimia. I think my next test my

a1c should even improve. I understand that the harm from frequent low

sugar can be worse than a slightly high sugar...

Victor

Bill Powers <powersradio@ <mailto:powersradio%40verizon.net>

verizon.net> wrote:

The idea of taking that 2-1/2 hour post prandial is all-important. I'm

the

kind of guy that needs feedback on what I do, and in this way I know if

I'm

accomplishing my goal. Otherwise, it's kind of like driving without

seeing

where you're going. Just deciding what NOT to eat is only part of the

equation, you have to follow up on what you've done to make sure you're

on-target, then if you're not, you do something proactive to get in

better

condition. Some people won't be as lucky as I for whatever reason, so

even

if they do the same thing I do on selecting food, their sugars may not

be as

well controlled. I have the advantage of doing lots and lots of walking

and

I keep myself very busy, and this helps me to keep my sugars in better

standing. If I were docile all the time, I might have a real problem

with my

BG management.

Just as when we weigh ourselves regularly, we have to check our BG's to

be

sure that on top of what we're trying to do, that there are no

underlying

problems creeping up that need our attention. For example, if you're

getting

a cold your BG will go up, if you're getting a fever or even if you ate

something that might wind up making you sick, these things can trigger

higher sugars and are an early warning sign of something that needs your

immediate attention. Without this feedback, your best efforts can get

wasted.

Bill Powers

,_._,___