It's So Noisy at the Fair: The Diabetic Thread

That's great then--it was a blip. Make changes, and you'll bring both numbers down (the three-month more gradually).

I assume the numbers trayce mentioned are blood glucose readings in mmol/L, which are the units they use outside the US. multiply by 18 to get mg/dL

get well soon, trayce!

Trayce, I read your post on 77 and it reminds me a lot of my weekend from hell in 2019 when I learned I also had type 2. I was soooooooooo thirsty. And peeing every 20 minutes, and the pee smelled like maple syrup. When I tried to eat, every food tasted like eating a 9volt battery. I finally got in to see a doctor. My A1C was 14 and my blood glucose reading during my first visit was 355. My eyes were fucked up for months and I kept having to buy new glasses prescriptions until they settled down again.

Four years in, I'm being far more lax with my diet and exercise than a lot of the other people in this thread lol. Maybe Jardiance covers up too many sins when it comes to A1C, but I'm steadily between 5.5-6.5 at every doctor visit now and my waking sugar levels are right around 100-120 each morning.

Four years in, I'm being far more lax with my diet and exercise than a lot of the other people in this thread lol. Maybe Jardiance covers up too many sins when it comes to A1C, but I'm steadily between 5.5-6.5 at every doctor visit now and my waking sugar levels are right around 100-120 each morning.

I haven't really confessed my eating habits in detail because I didn't want to upset anyone who's got it tougher, but yeah, I'm waking up somewhere between 80-90 and still managing to eat bagels, hamburgers, pizza, and even a few cookies or a Snickers bar once a day. Jardiance has been a fucking miracle.

Going to ask my primary care doc about Jardiance, and about semaglutide (Ozempic et al) at my next checkup in a couple of weeks. I've been relying on metformin, glipizide and willpower for several years now and the willpower part is starting to wear me down mentally and emotionally. Part of me wants to take the just-stop-eating route (semaglutide) but I fucking love good food and drink. So if Jardiance can be a fucking miracle for me too and still allow a place for food in my life, sign me up.

There's a clinic in Tupelo that does semaglutide for anyone, barely any screening involved, $66 per weekly shot, cash and carry.

Fully sweetened soda is probably what got me into this position in the first place (I was a Coke and Mountain Dew fiend for decades), and that's the main thing I'm almost entirely eradicated from my diet and probably why my regular diet isn't throwing off my levels too much. Even if you pre-diabetic or not diabetic at all, STOP DRINKING SODAS.

WmC, my mom tried Jardiance for a while and her body didn't like it very much, so it's not a solution for everyone. But if it works for you, it REALLY works. Hope you can try it.

Mr. Jaq has been on ozempic for a month or so. The appetite reduction hasn't been much noticed but it also causes your liver to make/release less glucose and your pancreas to make more insulin. He's been able to taper back his injected insulin, drop the starch-blocker (still taking metformin) and his blood sugar readings have become more stable. His next A1C will indicate just how stable I guess.

Sugar being the cause of type 2 is actually not true!

I’m pre diabetic but I haven’t been taking my metformin rx. I can never remember to take it with meals because I eat so erratically, and it often makes me feel nauseous.

One of psych meds fucks with my blood sugar levels too.

My partner's type 2 as well and been on Metformin quite a few years, and he doesnt watch what he eats AT ALL, but his bloods are remission level. He mustve had it mild - maybe prediabetes (though he never said thats what it was), because he never had any symptoms.

fingerstick test at the GP today was 18 again FFS. But tbh this was only a couple hours after a meal of fish and some basmati rice so it mightve boosted things a bit.

But on the metformin finally (1000mg). I'm getting hit from all sides I also have to start taking blood pressure and cholesterol meds.

For someone who was beanpole thin til my 40s and never ate sugar or junk food, this is all really annoying. I tell you its good to live in my country though. We have a National Diabetes scheme that subsidises glucose meters and strips, our meds of course are all low-price thanks to the PBS scheme (govt subsidised medicine).

I don't know if this is medically advisable, probably not, but as I mention above, I only home-test now after I've had a good couple of days, and I only test around 10 at night, a couple of hours after my evening snack. I want the best possible result, and it usually gets me what I want. Tonight was 5.2.

Also, I think fish is a good thing. I've cut back on rice, but eat lots of fish.

(Canada's got good supports in place too.)

I'm fortunate enough to have excellent prescription coverage through my health insurance, and anything "preventative" is no-copay. Would be nice to not worry about the cost of things, but always in the back of my mind somewhere I know that if I ever got laid off from this job I'd be fucked.

Trayce, I got loaded up w choloesterol & BP meds too, it sucked! First time i ever needed a goddamn carry bag for my prescriptions

i’m a year in and it’s become manageable
my BP is pretty goddamn great & my cholesterol is back in normal range

i never went for anything more than metformin & i think i’m doing good, have been in 6.5 range for the past 2 a1c tests, but i do worry that i’m going to level off and i would like very much to try to get lower so i try not to get complacent & keep my daily exercise going etc

while also not stressing about it too hard

a delicate balance that i haven’t exactly mastered but i’m getting there

only downside of aging is that my stupid body is falling apart so i’m like pulling my hamstring getting out of bed or blowing a knee muscle walking up stairs

who knew just walking around could be so life threatening lol

I threw my back out getting into bed one night. If I can't sleep without being careful, stick a fork in me.

First time i ever needed a goddamn carry bag for my prescriptions

LOL yes I felt like I was toting a lunch sack.

So the GP called me today after speaking to the Endocrinology dept at my local hospital and given my numbers has decided to up the metformin dose and add Sitagliptin to it. Its probably just for initial "woah horsey lets rein this right in" management, it will prob change if I improve.

First night on met was kinda unpleasant, I slept really bad and was sweaty with a racng heart. But I woke up feeling better than in quite some time.

So its been a bit of a circus with my meds. The metformin wasnt agreeing with me, I wish she hadnt put me immediately on 1000 and then made me up it to 2000 the next night - I had 2 nights of racing heart, sweats and pukeahontas.

In addition, my kidney infection means I was on antibiotics but those started fucking with my liver, so now Ive had to swap THAT out too.

ANYWAY. My A1C it turns out had only been about 9, but the spike sincewas prob all the stress and infections. Since beingon Xelevia and being really strict with my eating, I've lost some weight and my daily bloods, while still too high, are steadily coming down (from 15 to 13 fasting, and as low as 10 just after lunch yeterday).

I'll try a lower dose of metformin once I'm off all the antibiotics and fingers crossed it doesnt give me crap at night because it made a huge diff the 2 days I was on it.

I'm cool with eating oats, grainy bread, lentils and chickpeas but I can NOT dealwith brown rice. It is gross, it reminds me of barley.

9.0 is basically where I started, and I moved down below the six-month goal in half that time. That's not a bad place to start. I'm eating chick peas for the first time in my life (add them to salad). I was already eating brown rice, but switched to basmati, and only two or three times a month.

gosh i eat basmati at least twice a week i thought it was ok cos low GI.

I consulted a dietician once, early on, and everything else I've adopted concerning diet I've gleaned piecemeal from--yikes--the internet. And my understanding is that any kind of rice is generally not ideal; okay occasionally, or okay in smaller quantities. The basmati I have has 33 g of carbohydrates/1 g of sugar per 45 grams.

After pizza, cheeseburgers, and baked goods, I probably miss rice more than anything.

I have rice probably twice a week now. Basmati mostly. Brown rice suuuuucks. My wife and I talked about it at one point and came to the conclusion that a life extended by eating brown rice is no life at all.

personally i think GI is bullshit

carbs are carbs imo and i treat them accordingly-eat sparingly, balance w fat & protein as much as possible, eat mostly veg & if i am carbing i go wholegrain

but everyone does this shit differently
find the way that works for you & your levels & your sanity

carbs are carbs

The way I approach it too, although I do deduct the fibre, which as I understand it--and please correct me if this is wrong--they are not converted into sugar.

yeah that’s the gist
i do that too here and there but i also am wary of it

net carbs seems to be magic keto math and idk enough to say it’s ~not~ true but i think it can also lead you into eating more carbs per serving than you maybe should.
ymmv tho

Brown rice just has the fiber already present. Eat your white rice with a source of fiber and you’re good.

There’s a really great diabetic registered dietitian on TikTok I follow: @diabetesnutritionist

that’s good to know! there’s so much varying info around.

So, I've had a real roller coaster of issues because of bad (liver/kidney) reactions to antibiotics, but now I'm back on Metformin 1g and Xelevia. Have been scrupulously eating only multigrain carbs, loads of legumes, veg, no sugar/white bread, even avoided alcohol aside from 1 day where I had 4 drinks. Lost a little weight.

Sugars still hovering around 10/12 fasting, even after all this. I guess it will take a while? I'm so annoyed. Its only been 2 weeks I guess?

Christ I'm sick of lentils. And I like lentils!

Sorry you're having a tough go. Not that I know, but it sounds like the other thing is interfering, and that when you get past that, the sugar-level will stabilize?

Got to work this morning and realized I forgot my Metformin pill. So it'll be just like I'm all hopped up on cinnamon swirls.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A494YWDurQA

I tried to get on Jardiance based on my reading/research (and unperson and clemenza's anecdotal recs) and my doctor was amenable but my insurance won't cover it and I can't afford $700/month or whatever, so it's still meformin/glipizide for now. A1C was up from 6.2 to 6.3 this quarter, doctor said "I can't fuss at you for anything, carry on." We're off to Asheville for a few days on Friday and I will eat and drink my fill.

I discovered I was diabetic in January 2017.
I was hospitalised with dangerously high blood sugars and severe dehydration. Luckily treatment worked and I was home after a couple of days and back at work within a fortnight.
Initially they thought I was Type 1 but after some testing they decided I was actually Type 2 and my 'incident' was a combination with another event maybe pancreatitis.
I was part of a local NHS diabetic clinic and I was on insulin and metformin for a while and then I gradually stopped using the insulin on my doctor's guidance. I struggled a little when it was only Metformin at first.
Then I lost a ton of weight and was eventually taken off Metformin and discharged from the clinic as I was in remission.
After a couple of years I piled a lot of weight back on and had to start taking Metformin again as my blood sugars were going in the wrong direction.
Just over a year ago I started to see worryingly high sugar numbers and went to the diabetic nurse at my local surgery and he put me on Jardiance. My blood sugar is now totally fine and I don't even have to be ultra careful with my diet any more.
It's been a bit of a journey

WmC, check out Good Rx, they have good coupons, and I just checked jardiance and there’s some type of copay card you can sign up for if you’re eligible

Yeah, it looks like there might be a couple of low cost/no cost Jardiance options through Good Rx.

Also, I just learned there is a med called Synjardi that combines your Jardiance and Metformin into a single pill.

Sorry, "Synjardi" rather.

Goddamn spell correct

SYNJARDY

I asked my GP about the newer meds like Jardiance and (yeah yeah I know) Ozempic and she... wasnt dismissive but here I am on metformin anyway.

I'm unhappy with how slowly my numbers are coming down but yesterday and today were promising, 8 last night, 9 this morning. I admit I'm doing almost zero exercise so that isn't helping at all. I WFH and its the middle of winter, lemme alone lol.

I figure the only way I'll ever go on walks is if I get a dog and have to do it out of necessity.

Trayce: how are you making out?

I'll get my first blood test since mid-March next week. Fairly confident: home readings since then have been 5.3, 5.3, 5.4, 5.8, 6.1, 4.9, 5.2, 5.7, and 5.2 tonight. I always test around 10:00 p.m., a couple of hours after a snack. I've gradually brought a bit more bread and pasta back into my diet, and I cheat on snacks (too many more than what I actually have), but mostly remain mindful and within boundaries. When I see my doctor after the test, I'll ask about some of these drugs that have been mentioned.

Seeing a new doctor on the 13th, first appointment since moving cross-country. My numbers have been pretty good, so I feel like it'll go fine, I just need him to write me new prescriptions for all my various drugs.

Thanks for asking Clem :) I'm doing ok! My blood sugars have steadily come down, and I'm now averaging 7-8 MMol on my morning pre-breakfast check. Still a little too high but way better than 15-22!

I've had a couple of booze blowouts in the last week after weeks abstaining, so I'm feeling a bit erghh in the guts, but otherwise doing ok, sticking to a good diet with only one or 2 sneaky hot chip sessions :)

Still yet to see the diabetes clinic (who I gues will go over lifestyle stuff mostly). Also need to go to the optometrist and podiatrist, but am lazy.

You can probably skip the podiatrist unless your feets are giving you very evident problems. An eval from your regular doc just to make sure your toes aren't turning black will do.

Yeah my GP was over-enthusiastic and threw EVERYTHING at me at once - NDSS scheme signup, referal to the podi, diabetes clinic, scrips for diabetes, BP and cholestorol + the strong antibiotics for the infection (all of which at once gave me the most insanely bad LFTs).

Good to hear. I had my orthotics doctor (same as a podiatrist?) check my feet once, no issues; I'll check back once a year.

3-month A1C test today - still holding firm at 5.7 (going on 6 months or more now)

happy with that number as I’d been mildly paranoid that i’d spike up this time around as i’d fallen off the wagon a bit

That's solid, good to hear.

new HbA1c test yesterday - 7.8 :) Still not perfect but much better than before, which I think was 9+? For my first 2 months on meds/better diet I like to think thats a pretty good start. I see the diabetes clinic next week, guess I'll find out wether its good/could be better etc.

And it occurs to me that only 2 of the last 3 months were treated anyway, so that blows the average up a bit. My daily pre-breakfast fingerprick tests are now often down around 6.5-7, and now I see the effects of blowout clearly - one night I had pizza and some hot chips and it went back to 12 :( But it seems to recover quickly which, good I guess?

That's all good, exactly what happened to me. Your first numbers are high, you adjust, and they go down quickly. Scared straight, I think they call it.