• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

Hi there

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Agincourt

Agincourt

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi, I have been a T2 since 2005 and pretty much in good control since. However, just recently - this week - it seems to have all gone a bit wrong. Thought I'd sign up here as a way to help focus my attention and get some advice along the way.
 
"Once more unto the breach" would seem to be an appropriate thing to say!

Welcome to the forum.

Andy 🙂
 
Agincourt said:
Hi, I have been a T2 since 2005 and pretty much in good control since. However, just recently - this week - it seems to have all gone a bit wrong. Thought I'd sign up here as a way to help focus my attention and get some advice along the way.
Click to expand...
Hi Agincourt, welcome to the forum 🙂 What's happened this week? Are you on any medication for your diabetes? Any questions, please ask away 🙂
 
Welcome to the forum, glad you found us 🙂.
 
Welcome aboard 🙂 Anything different this week that might explain things, aside from the weather that is which has been unseasonable in all directions?
 
Hi there and welcome, Agincourt.🙂
 
Thank you all for the response, a brief history might answer most of the questions [very brief - promise] this is the medication regime I have been on for quite some time now;
Morning – 2 x 80mg Glicklazide Evening - 2 x 80mg Glicklazide
+ 2 x 500mg Metformin + 2 x 500mg Metformin
+ 1x 20mg Lisinopril
+ 1x 10mg Amlodipine
+ 1x 300mgCanagliflozine
 
Agincourt said:
Thank you all for the response, a brief history might answer most of the questions [very brief - promise] this is the medication regime I have been on for quite some time now;
Morning – 2 x 80mg Glicklazide Evening - 2 x 80mg Glicklazide
+ 2 x 500mg Metformin + 2 x 500mg Metformin
+ 1x 20mg Lisinopril
+ 1x 10mg Amlodipine
+ 1x 300mgCanagliflozine
Click to expand...
I'm not sure, but I think you are probably on the maximum doses of those pills, so if they are no longer working for you then you probably need to go back to your GP and find out what your other options are. Sometimes what can happen is that the beta cells of the pancreas become 'exhausted' and unable to keep up producing sufficient insulin to maintain good blood sugar levels. So it's possible that you may have to start injecting insulin - has this been suggested at all? I know a lot of people are worried about having to go onto insulin, but really it is nowhere near as bad as you might think and is much more flexible than having to eat a lot of pills every day. Another consideration is your diet - you might be able to make adjustments there e.g. reducing your carbohydrates so that your body is better able to keep things under control. Might be worth starting a food diary, recording the amount of carbs in everything you eat and drink for a week or two, then looking for places where you might be able to improve things by reducing or replacing items with more 'diabetes-friendly' things - there are loads of suggestions for low carb alternatives in our 'Food' section 🙂
 
Northerner said:
I'm not sure, but I think you are probably on the maximum doses of those pills, so if they are no longer working for you then you probably need to go back to your GP and find out what your other options are. Sometimes what can happen is that the beta cells of the pancreas become 'exhausted' and unable to keep up producing sufficient insulin to maintain good blood sugar levels. So it's possible that you may have to start injecting insulin - has this been suggested at all? I know a lot of people are worried about having to go onto insulin, but really it is nowhere near as bad as you might think and is much more flexible than having to eat a lot of pills every day. Another consideration is your diet - you might be able to make adjustments there e.g. reducing your carbohydrates so that your body is better able to keep things under control. Might be worth starting a food diary, recording the amount of carbs in everything you eat and drink for a week or two, then looking for places where you might be able to improve things by reducing or replacing items with more 'diabetes-friendly' things - there are loads of suggestions for low carb alternatives in our 'Food' section 🙂
Click to expand...

I have been on this regime of pills for quite a long time with no real issues except me not being sensible with my diet regime. When I came out of hospital they told me to stop taking Metformin completely. I have. I am scheduled for a blood test [Arterial] on Thursday and then a visit to the 'Sister' who manages diabetics. [I have known her for many years now.] Now the Dr said I might have to go on Insulin but she said that 7 years ago!!!! In fact that is the surgery answer to everything. Well my circumstances are going to be a bit fraught from here on in, to say the least. Since my last check I have lost a stone and now only weigh 165lbs naked - which is what I was aged 16 !! [I am 5' 10"] I stopped the Metformin but am still taking the Blood Pressure pills [though my blood pressure is OK ! ]. So far I wake up with 8.0 to 9.1 which for me is normal and for the last two days have not eaten until 7pm. My BG slowly reduces from the initial value down to about 6.5 at lowest during the day. This is irrespective of what I am doing for example, I have just walked 4 miles and only lost 0.4 on my BG. After me evening meal which will be a good diabetic friendly one, I expect anything from 11.0 to 15 ninety minutes later, before bed. It has been like this pretty much since I left the Hospital. No fainting, no weakness and no hunger feelings. Just no breakfast and no lunch. The highest BG so far is 18.8 and the lowest 5.7 with an average of 8.4 throughout the day.

Now in my book I do not think that I am in the range where there is no other choice but to use insulin. Metformin causes production of Uric Acid and that is the issue. It's why they stopped my medication. There are two issues here, a] was the UA increase due entirely to Metformin use or was it a response to me guzzling too much Red Wine? I strongly suspect the later may be the case. b] If my BG range is as stated above [and I am not tightly governing my food types as I could] is that range the one for insulin? Hmmm I wouldn't have said so. I have the feeling that the medical center want me on insulin simply because aside from Metformin it would be a cheaper option. I know little or nothing about insulin use other than once started you cannot stop, or is that wrong? I don't know, but if it is then the choice is more a problem than I thought.

Anyway we will see. I have to wait until the 29th to see a nurse!!

Sorry this was so long but I thought it best to get the whole thing out at the start.........oh by the way, the medic in the ambulance stated that my collapse was not unusual, it normally happens to people of my age in the pub or restaurant when you get up following a good meal, too quickly.........hmmmm
 
Update: Stopped the Metformin over a week ago and went to have me blood stolen again this morning. My weight 13 stones and 7 pounds and average BG over the week 11.8. I have been testing five or six times a day to get a picture of how things are and on average I get 8.5 to 9.1 half an hour after rising in the morning, I then go for a walk about a mile and have something to eat. I then test continually throughout the day and do not eat if my BG is in double figures but I do eat at seven in the evening. Post evening meal [90 minutes I am usually 9.8 ish to 15.0 [worst] and the best I have had is 5.7 at seven in the evening before tea. I have reverted to my old ways and now not eating certain foods at all which works well. I dug out my blood pressure machine yesterday and started using it again just to check once in a while. 125/80 at 66 pulse which is pretty much what it has always been so that's ok.
 
Agincourt said:
Update: Stopped the Metformin over a week ago and went to have me blood stolen again this morning. My weight 13 stones and 7 pounds and average BG over the week 11.8. I have been testing five or six times a day to get a picture of how things are and on average I get 8.5 to 9.1 half an hour after rising in the morning, I then go for a walk about a mile and have something to eat. I then test continually throughout the day and do not eat if my BG is in double figures but I do eat at seven in the evening. Post evening meal [90 minutes I am usually 9.8 ish to 15.0 [worst] and the best I have had is 5.7 at seven in the evening before tea. I have reverted to my old ways and now not eating certain foods at all which works well. I dug out my blood pressure machine yesterday and started using it again just to check once in a while. 125/80 at 66 pulse which is pretty much what it has always been so that's ok.
Click to expand...
Good work Agincourt! 🙂 Keep it going! 🙂
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top