Medication Options for Type 2

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Richard1234

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Type 2
Hi all - I am new to the forum and at the moment I have a specific query.
In August 2021 following a full bloods test prior to heart surgery I was diagnosed as being type 2 diabetic, with a reading of 54.
I have a BMI of 22 ( 10st 5lb/ 5ft 9inch) and I am not supposed to lose any weight prior to the heart surgery. I am on statins for cholesterol control and have amended my diet to reduce the amount of fats intake to help this.
Have been seen by the Specialist Nurse at my doctors and after two consultations was prescribed Sukkarto 500mg slow release as they could not suggest any dietary solutions.
This was problematic due to the after effects of throat cancer treatment I received in 2017. The radiotherapy has left me with a narrowed throat and an aesophagus that does not work 100%. The result being that the large tablets stuck in my throat and all I did was cough them back up.
I was then changed to Glucophate SR 500mg. Whilst these tablets look smaller they are round rather than oblong and cause the same problem for me in swallowing them.
As both of these tablets state "swallow this medicine whole. Do not chew or crush" I am at a loss to know what to do and so it would appear are my doctor's team.
Does anyone have any suggestions
 
Your Hba1c of 54 is only a little above the diagnostic level of 48.
I can't help with the medication - though I seem to remember that Metformin can be got in liquid form if that is any help, but changing your diet was not proposed?
Reducing the amount of carbohydrate in your meals could have a far larger effect than tablets, so why it was not suggested is rather baffling.
Dr Atkins, famous proponent of low carb eating was a cardiologist, after all.
Maybe a few swaps - swede for potato, cauliflower for rice would be the way to go. They can be mashed and should be easy to swallow - I hope.
I'd have thought that it was at least worth making a trial of it rather than just giving up - your medical team seem rather a feeble lot, to be blunt.
 
Drummer said:
Your Hba1c of 54 is only a little above the diagnostic level of 48.
I can't help with the medication - though I seem to remember that Metformin can be got in liquid form if that is any help, but changing your diet was not proposed?
Reducing the amount of carbohydrate in your meals could have a far larger effect than tablets, so why it was not suggested is rather baffling.
Dr Atkins, famous proponent of low carb eating was a cardiologist, after all.
Maybe a few swaps - swede for potato, cauliflower for rice would be the way to go. They can be mashed and should be easy to swallow - I hope.
I'd have thought that it was at least worth making a trial of it rather than just giving up - your medical team seem rather a feeble lot, to be blunt.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the prompt response. I think it's the fact that I have to maintain my weight that caused the issues. I did change my diet to reduce sugars but started to lose weight at about 1lb per week. I was hoping to reduce my score through diet - as you say 54 is not that high.
.
 
There are two types of Metformin.
The slow release, SR, needs to be swallowed whole.
It's a preferred solution if you have any form of stomach upset on the standard version.
However , I was fine with both, and the normal version can be chewed, as it won't affect the release.
To be fair though, you can chew the slow release, it'll just act like the normal version.
Any stomach upset, (which doesn't happen to everyone) can soon clear as you built up the Metformin in your body, from a couple or days onwards.
 
If you are avoiding fats, avoiding carbs, can you up your proteins.
Even if you look at making a high protein smoothie, that may be an option.
Obviously, this would need running past your medical team, as you need to discuss any change in diet with them.
 
Richard1234 said:
.................................. I was diagnosed as being type 2 diabetic, with a reading of 54.
I have a BMI of 22 ( 10st 5lb/ 5ft 9inch) and I am not supposed to lose any weight prior to the heart surgery. I am on statins for cholesterol control and have amended my diet to reduce the amount of fats intake to help this.
.....................................
Click to expand...
Hi @Richard1234 and welcome to the forum.
Reducing the carbohydrates that you eat has already been mentioned as a way to reduce Blood Glucose.
But there may be a downside to that because low carb is often known for reversing Obesity - thus there may be a tendency for you to lose a little weight.
I'm a little shorter than you and was a little heavier when I had heart surgery (before my Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis), however when I started eating Low Carb I increased the calories I was eating by replacing the starches and sugars with more protein (eggs, meat, fish, cheese) and this made my weight loss slow and steady - down to a BMI of 22 (I 'd got up to a BMI of 25 at diagnosis). Since then I have remained Low Carb but have increased protein and fats a little more and am now a BMI of 23.

I understand your concern about fat and cholesterol even though many say that all the studies which show a link only do so because of flaws in the study. Dr David Unwin a UK GP with a practice in Southport has (currently) 101 (= 50%) of his Type 2 diabetic patients in remission using Low Crab way of eating (i.e. not restricting calories). His figures actually show that despite them eating more saturated fat on Low Carb, their Lipid ratios have improved (HDL up, Triglycerides down) and even their LDL is lower than before. Thus I see no reason why you shouldn't relax a bit about natural traditional fats in butter, eggs, meat, cheese etc.
 
Richard1234 said:
Hi all - I am new to the forum and at the moment I have a specific query.
In August 2021 following a full bloods test prior to heart surgery I was diagnosed as being type 2 diabetic, with a reading of 54.
I have a BMI of 22 ( 10st 5lb/ 5ft 9inch) and I am not supposed to lose any weight prior to the heart surgery. I am on statins for cholesterol control and have amended my diet to reduce the amount of fats intake to help this.
Have been seen by the Specialist Nurse at my doctors and after two consultations was prescribed Sukkarto 500mg slow release as they could not suggest any dietary solutions.
This was problematic due to the after effects of throat cancer treatment I received in 2017. The radiotherapy has left me with a narrowed throat and an aesophagus that does not work 100%. The result being that the large tablets stuck in my throat and all I did was cough them back up.
I was then changed to Glucophate SR 500mg. Whilst these tablets look smaller they are round rather than oblong and cause the same problem for me in swallowing them.
As both of these tablets state "swallow this medicine whole. Do not chew or crush" I am at a loss to know what to do and so it would appear are my doctor's team.
Does anyone have any suggestions
Click to expand...

Ask them about the possibility of insulin injections, perhaps a beginner's mix like Humalog Mix 25.
 
Last edited:
ianf0ster said:
Hi @Richard1234 and welcome to the forum.
Reducing the carbohydrates that you eat has already been mentioned as a way to reduce Blood Glucose.
But there may be a downside to that because low carb is often known for reversing Obesity - thus there may be a tendency for you to lose a little weight.
I'm a little shorter than you and was a little heavier when I had heart surgery (before my Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis), however when I started eating Low Carb I increased the calories I was eating by replacing the starches and sugars with more protein (eggs, meat, fish, cheese) and this made my weight loss slow and steady - down to a BMI of 22 (I 'd got up to a BMI of 25 at diagnosis). Since then I have remained Low Carb but have increased protein and fats a little more and am now a BMI of 23.

I understand your concern about fat and cholesterol even though many say that all the studies which show a link only do so because of flaws in the study. Dr David Unwin a UK GP with a practice in Southport has (currently) 101 (= 50%) of his Type 2 diabetic patients in remission using Low Crab way of eating (i.e. not restricting calories). His figures actually show that despite them eating more saturated fat on Low Carb, their Lipid ratios have improved (HDL up, Triglycerides down) and even their LDL is lower than before. Thus I see no reason why you shouldn't relax a bit about natural traditional fats in butter, eggs, meat, cheese etc.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your prompt and considered reply.
 
Richard1234 said:
Hi all - I am new to the forum and at the moment I have a specific query.
In August 2021 following a full bloods test prior to heart surgery I was diagnosed as being type 2 diabetic, with a reading of 54.
I have a BMI of 22 ( 10st 5lb/ 5ft 9inch) and I am not supposed to lose any weight prior to the heart surgery. I am on statins for cholesterol control and have amended my diet to reduce the amount of fats intake to help this.
Have been seen by the Specialist Nurse at my doctors and after two consultations was prescribed Sukkarto 500mg slow release as they could not suggest any dietary solutions.
This was problematic due to the after effects of throat cancer treatment I received in 2017. The radiotherapy has left me with a narrowed throat and an aesophagus that does not work 100%. The result being that the large tablets stuck in my throat and all I did was cough them back up.
I was then changed to Glucophate SR 500mg. Whilst these tablets look smaller they are round rather than oblong and cause the same problem for me in swallowing them.
As both of these tablets state "swallow this medicine whole. Do not chew or crush" I am at a loss to know what to do and so it would appear are my doctor's team.
Does anyone have any suggestions
Click to expand...
 
I’d definitely go back and explain this to the prescriber or at least phone for advice. They need yo be made aware and consider what they can do Unfortunately I cannot recommend drugs as not qualified and your case is so complex I wish you well . There is lots of food guidance and Im sure if you phoned the helpline or browsed the site you'd get help
overfood . Low carb did not help me but has thousands so might be worth a try.
let us know how you get on
 
Nayshiftin said:
I’d definitely go back and explain this to the prescriber or at least phone for advice. They need yo be made aware and consider what they can do Unfortunately I cannot recommend drugs as not qualified and your case is so complex I wish you well . There is lots of food guidance and Im sure if you phoned the helpline or browsed the site you'd get help
overfood . Low carb did not help me but has thousands so might be worth a try.
let us know how you get on
Click to expand...
You have replied to a thread that is a couple of years old, and the poster has not been seen since.
 
grovesy said:
You have replied to a thread that is a couple of years old, and the poster has not been seen since.
Click to expand...
Diabetes Uk sent it to me in an email lol. i just replied. I guess they thought it would interest me.
 
Nayshiftin said:
Diabetes Uk sent it to me in an email lol. i just replied. I guess they thought it would interest me.
Click to expand...

How very odd @Nayshiftin ?!

What did the email look like? Did it have different threads featured? Or was it just this one?
 
It had the Diabetic Uk header and i signed in snd then went back
to the email
and like this I clicked on it and I am here again. iI have not been on much.
Don't think its caused any harm.
 
Nayshiftin said:
It had the Diabetic Uk header and i signed in snd then went back
to the email
and like this I clicked on it and I am here again. iI have not been on much.
Don't think its caused any harm.
Click to expand...

Not at all! I was just trying to work out whether it was the forum software that sent it (and may have a gremlin since it was a dormant thread) or whether it was more of a compilation that someone had chosen, put together, and sent round.
 
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