Re: Is it medication or lifestyle change?

[Guest guest]

JustDiagnosed@... wrote:

> So I'm wondering - do the numbers always come down this slow? Is it

> common

> to be on 1500 mg/1xdaily of Metformin 1 month after being diagnosed?

If my husband's numbers were coming down like yours are, we'd be

ecstatic. He was just started on 500 mg. Metformin twice a day for 1

1/2 weeks, then he goes to 1,000 mg. 2x day for 1 1/2 weeks. Then Dr.

will decide on med dose or insulin. So your dosage might even be

considered conservative.

>

>

> Could I be sitting on the couch eating bon-bons and pizza and just

> taking my

> meds and would my numbers still be about the same or is the diet

> change more

> responsible

>

> Shannan

Taking meds is not an excuse for eating incorrectly as I'm sure you

know. Sounds like you are on the right track and don't have to wait all

that long for your Dr. appointment. Just keep up your good work.

Amber

[Guest guest]

In the first few months after I was dx'd, I just took the meds

and " cut down on carbs " but it wasn't very serious work, and I felt

unwell a lot of the time and didn't know why.

Then, I bought a glucometer and worked on bringing the blood glucose

levels down to 90-120. I was successful with a lot more control of

carbs. I still did not always feel well unless I got some exercise

on most days - just shopping for groceries or walking around the mall

does it for me.

I would suggest you write down every food you eat with the calories

and carbs listed beside them. (Calories raise blood sugar too, not

just carbs.) Test your blood sugar at least once each morning before

breakfast which will tell you something about whether & what foods

you ate yesterday were too much.

I take 500 mg. Glucophage XR once or twice a day. I find each

Glucophage takes care of about 100 carbs (at least in my case). I'm

working on eating 100 carbs or less per day. It's up to you, but it

could save your heart -- have you read in the Pill Book (which you

can get at the pharmacy) that diabetics who take Glucophage are more

likely to get heart disease than those who control their diabetes

with insulin or with diet alone? Your liver could also do without it.

I also figure that if I lose all my excess weight, the diabetes will

get better and be more easy to control with diet alone. Perhaps this

could be your goal, too.

Janie

> It's been a month since I was diagnosed. My BS at the time of

diagnosis

> (fasting) was 226. Was taking 1-500 mg Metformin ER

(Glucophage). BS tested

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 10/23/2004 10:42:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

jojane500@... writes:

Test your blood sugar at least once each morning before

breakfast which will tell you something about whether & what foods

you ate yesterday were too much.

This is not true for everyone. What I eat the day before has no effect on my

fasting bg's. If I eat snacks at night, I'm going to get the same fasting

bg's that I do if I don't snack at night.

hugs

Euice

[Guest guest]

janie8002000 wrote:

> I still did not always feel well unless I got some exercise

> on most days - just shopping for groceries or walking around the mall

> does it for me.

My husband has days where he is extremely fatigued and just sits in the

recliner and reads or watches TV. On days when he feels good, he can do

chores and even exercise. Dr. said he needs to force himself to

exercise, but when he has these bads days (which are frequent), he has

no strength to exercise. Is this extreme fatigue typical for diabetics?

Amber

[Guest guest]

Yes it's typical for diabetics who do no exercise. Even walking around the

block will lower his blood sugars. I could never figure out why I didn't want

to get off the sofa until my mom started dragging me to the grocery store and/or

shopping. Afterwards I feel great. On those days he doesn't want to do

anything, make an effort to get him up out of that chair and moving even if it's

walking around the house or the yard for 15 minutes!

Deborah

My husband has days where he is extremely fatigued and just sits in the

recliner and reads or watches TV. On days when he feels good, he can do

chores and even exercise. Dr. said he needs to force himself to

exercise, but when he has these bads days (which are frequent), he has

no strength to exercise. Is this extreme fatigue typical for diabetics?

[Guest guest]

Deborah wrote:

>

> Yes it's typical for diabetics who do no exercise.

>

> Deborah

Thank you. I'm going to print your msg off and let him read it.

Amber

[Guest guest]

Amber -- I don't know everything about his situation, but I do know

that USUALLY when I feel most unwell is just when I need to force

myself up and out the door.

Janie

>

> > I still did not always feel well unless I got some exercise

> > on most days - just shopping for groceries or walking around the

mall

> > does it for me.

>

> My husband has days where he is extremely fatigued and just sits in

the

> recliner and reads or watches TV. On days when he feels good, he

can do

>

[Guest guest]

Eunice

Oh, sorry, I didn't know that. It has seemed to me that with more

calories the day before, I get a higher morning BG.

But at least a morning fasting sugar will tell you how to start.(?)

Janie

>

> This is not true for everyone. What I eat the day before has no

effect on my

> fasting bg's. If I eat snacks at night, I'm going to get the same

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

How do calories raise blood sugar?

Other than the fact that things full of empty calories are usually full of

sugar or fat (though we do need some fat)

Where did you get this info?

Angelia in OR who is curious

----- Original Message -----

From: " janie8002000 "

>

> I would suggest you write down every food you eat with the calories

> and carbs listed beside them. (Calories raise blood sugar too, not

> just carbs.) Test your blood sugar at least once each morning before

> breakfast which will tell you something about whether & what foods

> you ate yesterday were too much.

>

>

> Janie

[Guest guest]

> How do calories raise blood sugar?

I don't know how it does it, but I do know from experience that if

you eat too many calories it will also raise your blood sugar. I

think the amount of food you eat is just as important as what you

eat for keeping your blood sugars low. What works for me is a small

amount of carbs and small amounts of food 5 or 6 times a day.

Kat

[Guest guest]

Angelia

That startled me because I think you have a point. Sorry if I became

confused because I thought I had read that all calories, even the

protein calories in a can of fat free tuna (Geisha has no fat), would

count to raise blood sugar. Maybe I misread that and they just count

as calories burned for ENERGY. (If I have just a can of tuna, my

energy level improves, so I thought my BG went up.) Thanks for

catching that.

Janie

> How do calories raise blood sugar?

> Other than the fact that things full of empty calories are usually

full of

> sugar or fat (though we do need some fat)

> Where did you get this info?

>

>

[Guest guest]

Same here, Kat

Janie

> > How do calories raise blood sugar?

>

> I don't know how it does it, but I do know from experience that if

> you eat too many calories it will also raise your blood sugar. I

> think the amount of food you eat is just as important as what you

> eat for keeping your blood sugars low. What works for me is a

small

> amount of carbs and small amounts of food 5 or 6 times a

day.

> Kat

[Guest guest]

janie8002000 wrote:

>

>

> Amber -- I don't know everything about his situation, but I do know

> that USUALLY when I feel most unwell is just when I need to force

> myself up and out the door.

>

> Janie

Yeah, but how do you force a husband to do so when he just doesn't even

want to get out of the chair?

Amber

[Guest guest]

Amber

(One of my keyboard letters is not working.)

This is ery touchy. I' e never been married. But I think you get

very creative with the love talk and build him up and reward him all

kinds of ways before he gets out of the chair, but all the while you

are making a somehow feels all that will be taken back if he doesn't.

??

Janie

>

> >

> >

> > Amber -- I don't know everything about his situation, but I do

know

> > that USUALLY when I feel most unwell is just when I need to force

> > myself up and out the door.

> >

> > Janie

>

> Yeah, but how do you force a husband to do so when he just doesn't

even

> want to get out of the chair?

>

> Amber

[Guest guest]

LOL, I was just wanting to know where the info came from...

No big deal at all...

I was wondering because if I don't eat one speck of carbs (only protein for

a day) it makes me sluggish, sick, and in fact my blood sugar dips too low

many times, causing confusion and a feeling of being drunk. Now, proteins

and fats are higher in calories than carbs...

Now, each person is very different.

I can see where the confusion would come in...

Angelia in OR

Re: Is it medication or lifestyle change?

>

>

> Angelia

>

> That startled me because I think you have a point. Sorry if I became

> confused because I thought I had read that all calories, even the

> protein calories in a can of fat free tuna (Geisha has no fat), would

> count to raise blood sugar. Maybe I misread that and they just count

> as calories burned for ENERGY. (If I have just a can of tuna, my

> energy level improves, so I thought my BG went up.) Thanks for

> catching that.

>

> Janie

[Guest guest]

janie8002000 wrote:

>

> Amber

> build him up and reward him all

> kinds of ways before he gets out of the chair, but all the while you

> are making a somehow feels all that will be taken back if he doesn't.

Not exactly sure what you mean but this sounds like some sort of

manipulation that I'm not willing to engage in. When he has energy, he

can do chores around the ranch and even exercise. I was just wondering

if the extreme fatigue is also a symptom of diabetes.

Amber

[Guest guest]

I was just wondering

> if the extreme fatigue is also a symptom of diabetes.

>

> Amber

Very much so. And so far for me, the hardest one to fight when my BG is

high. But it's going to be key that he just get up and go despite feeling

tired. In the end it will help him by assisting in getting the BG

controlled.

Aazari

The Art of Jolie E. Bonnette

http://www.aazari.com/art/

Art Protection League

http://www.artprotectionleague.org/

[Guest guest]

Aazari wrote:

> Very much so. And so far for me, the hardest one to fight when my BG is

> high. But it's going to be key that he just get up and go despite feeling

> tired. In the end it will help him by assisting in getting the BG

> controlled.

>

> Aazari

I'm going to have to keep working on him. Thanks. He has had a LOT of

medical tests and everything else is normal, so I guess the fatigue is

just because of his diabetes.

Amber

[Guest guest]

Amber

Yes, if my blood sugar was over the 200 range, I'd be feeling unwell

and VERY groggy and tired.

I would let the doctor know this as he might need the hospital. (I'm

not experienced in advising people when they need a hospital, but you

can find out from the doctor.)

Hope things work out fine.

Janie

>

> >

> > Amber

> > build him up and reward him all

> > kinds of ways before he gets out of the chair, but all the while

you

> > are making a somehow feels all that will be taken back if he

doesn't.

>

>

> Not exactly sure what you mean but this sounds like some sort of

> manipulation that I'm not willing to engage in. When he has

[Guest guest]

janie8002000 wrote:

> I would let the doctor know this as he might need the hospital. (I'm

> not experienced in advising people when they need a hospital, but you

> can find out from the doctor.)

>

>

> Janie

The Dr. did mention during our last visit that he had put someone in the

hospital with a similar problem, but didn't go ahead with my husband.

He has just increased his dosage from 500 mg. 2x day to 1000 a.m. and

500 p.m. Next week he'll go to 1000 mg. 2x a day. If there is no

improvement by then, I do believe the Dr. will put him on insulin.

Amber

[Guest guest]

Amber wrote:

>I was just wondering if the extreme fatigue is also a symptom of diabetes.

Extreme fatigue can be a symptom of high (and continuously high) BG. High

BG can make me feel overwhelmingly sleepy. Also, if BG is quite high, the

food being eaten is not being processed by the system (with sufficient

insulin) so the effect (on energy, etc.) is as if no food is being eaten .

.. . thus fatigue and low energy.

Sandy

T1 - 1979

[Guest guest]

Sandy Burdsall wrote:

>

> Extreme fatigue can be a symptom of high (and continuously high) BG.

>

> Sandy

> T1 - 1979

I don't remember exactly when he was diagnosed with Type 2, (maybe 6-7

years ago), but he's been exhausted for well over 20 years, so I'm sure

he's had diabetes for many, many more years than we have known about.

His numbers are still mid-300s this morning. I don't know how long it

should take to see a difference with Metformin.

Amber

[Guest guest]

I didn't see any appreciable difference in my BG until I'd been on the

Metformin for about three weeks. Until then I was still testing well over

200. Now I get through the whole day with my highest test being between 140

and 160 if it gets that high. It's consistently testing more normal now

(96-128). Do note, though, that this is with regular exercise and a very

conscious count of carbs. Now that I've got the slow burning whole wheat

breads, I'm getting closer to the number of carbs I'm supposed to (though

still less than the dietary recommendation) and that seems to be helping a

bit, too.

Aazari

The Art of Jolie E. Bonnette

http://www.aazari.com/art/

Art Protection League

http://www.artprotectionleague.org/

[Guest guest]

Aazari wrote:

> I didn't see any appreciable difference in my BG until I'd been on the

> Metformin for about three weeks.

Thanks. Maybe there's hope for him yet.

Amber

[Guest guest]

Amber

I feel for both of you in your situations -- I guess I kind of have

both your problems, but more mildly.

You can tell your hubby, if you would like, that if I had sugars over

300 I would do EVERYTHING to get them down, the same day if possible.

Perhaps I would try hardly eating ANYTHING, considering the damage

the high blood sugars were doing to my kidneys, heart, eyes, etc.

Of course, I don't mean to offend. I may not understand his

situation at all, such as he is trying and his system just isn't

responding yet. I can't wait till I hear he gets better. If he

lived around here, I might come take him OUT for a walk.

I was feeling so groggy after two carb items this evening. I got

myself out and went to a church service. I came home and collapsed on

the sofa, still a bit groggy. I had some crackers (mistake) and got

groggier lying there. Then, I FORCED myself up to clean up the

kitchen, which needed it. And now I'm here, SITTING UP, typing.

This happens every time I overdo it, which isn't too often, but I'm

trying the new cancer diet, which includes foods I don't ordinarily

try.

Everything bad has already happened. You are due for some good

news.

Hoping for the best,

Janie

>

> > I would let the doctor know this as he might need the hospital.

(I'm

> > not experienced in advising people when they need a hospital, but

you

> > can find out from the doctor.)

> >

> >

> > Janie

>

> The Dr. did mention during our last visit that he had put someone

in the

> hospital with a similar problem, but didn't go ahead with my

husband.

> He has just increased his dosage from 500 mg. 2x day to 1000 a.m.

and

> 500 p.m. Next week he'll go to 1000 mg. 2x a day. If there is no

> improvement by then, I do believe the Dr. will put him on insulin.

>

> Amber