is getting to remission possible

S

sandy669

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
So I was diagnosed T2 Dec 22.
I have now managed to get my bloods to a healthy range. Have lost 24kg and looking to get to remission is it possible.

My meds metformin have been reduced to 500 x 2 from 4 x day. I am over the moon. DN said I would need to be careful with my weight ie not to put any on

I know I need to exercise more and loose some more weight. Is there anything else I can do. I have never self tested would I need to start doing this as meds have changed. I have so many new questions do no where to start


HbA1c level 59 mmol 7.5% Jan 23

HbA1c level 42 mmol , 6%
March 23

HbA1c level 38 mmol 5.6%
August 23

HbA1c level 38 mmol 5.6%
Dec 23 HbA1c level

HbA1c level 39 mmol 5.7%
Oct 24
 
Yes, remission (no signs, no symptoms) is possible and many have done it, but it's not guaranteed even if you do all the right things. No one knows why some are successful while others aren't. The current definition is HbA1c below 48 for 3 months without taking any diabetes medication. Remission doesn't mean cured, though.
 
Not medically trained, obviously, but with the figures you have @sandy669 I would be asking the DN about maybe reducing or stopping the metformin, unless you have another reason to take them?
Obviously everyone is different, but I was on 4xmetformin a day (2000mg), then reduced to 3xmetformin and then stopped taking them at all when I started the pathway to remission program.
As above though, even if no symptoms and no signs and no meds, from everything I have read, its a lifestyle thing, having to watch weight and watch what we eat as an ongoing thing, as Diabetes could easily raise its ugly head again at any point if we are not vigilant.
Good luck with it....
 
Well first of all, remission schemission @sandy669 !! An absolutely HUGE well done for the amazing progress you have made, the reduction in your HbA1c, the improvement in your blood glucose management, and the weight you have lost.

You have every right to feel extremely proud of what you have achieved.

In the DIRECT trial, which forms the basis of the current 'remission pathway' programme, a significant number of participants were able to achieve the remission criteria following substantial weight loss, and only those that regained weight came out of remission once it had been achieved. But not everyone was a 'responder'. And as @Martin.A says, the reasons for that are not entirely unclear. The prof involved developed a concept of a 'personal fat threshold' which needed to be met to clear visceral fat from around the organs and 'reboot' the metabolism. This may vary from person to person. And remission seems most possible in the early years after diagnosis.

Keep talking to your GP / nurse, and take their advice about whether stopping meds may be right for you. Keep chipping away at the weight loss. And look for ways to move more which may or may not resemble 'exercise'. There are all sorts of social community volunteering groups you may be able to find near you that might involve 'doing a thing' while making connections with people and having a nice time that will have the added benefit of getting you to move more. Eg walk to public place... gather with the volunteers, litter pick or tidy the woods / canal tow path / patchwork urban garden... have cup of tea and more chat... walk home exhausted and satisfied :D
 
pjgtech said:
Not medically trained, obviously, but with the figures you have @sandy669 I would be asking the DN about maybe reducing or stopping the metformin, unless you have another reason to take them?
Obviously everyone is different, but I was on 4xmetformin a day (2000mg), then reduced to 3xmetformin and then stopped taking them at all when I started the pathway to remission program.
As above though, even if no symptoms and no signs and no meds, from everything I have read, its a lifestyle thing, having to watch weight and watch what we eat as an ongoing thing, as Diabetes could easily raise its ugly head again at any point if we are not vigilant.
Good luck with it....
Click to expand...
Hi

I was diagnosed T2 in July HbA1C 89 and then 30 last wee following weight loss and LC diet. Have been reduced Metformin 3x500 to 1x500 and thought I might be better off without. However, having read about the benefits of low dose metformin ( see Prof. Tim Spector) not sure I would be rushing to give them up. Just my take.
 
Yeah, metfartin was long said to be heart and kidney protective - but whether people find that generally or not, is anyone's guess as far as I currently know.
 
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