Metformin

[Annette&Bert]

thanks Grogg1 I seem to have settled, but right now I have other issues which are making my life hell. Due to my eyesight issues (not diabetic related) I can't drive and I'm stuck at homje, whenever I go somewhere I have to go by taxi I live six miles from town and it's costing me a fortune. Went to have a cataract removed on Wed and they wouldn't do it because my BP was too high, so I now have to wait yet again.
Doc has put me on 2 meds for BP.

 

[Drummer]

I took Metformin and also a statin for about 5 weeks - they made my life unbearable so I stopped them and have relied on eating according to Atkins. It is a far better alternative and my doctor doesn't even want to speak to me to find out how I made the improvements. The diabetes educator from the local hospital is totally miffed. The nurse at the surgery, however, is delighted.

 

[Grogg1]

thanks Grogg1 I seem to have settled, but right now I have other issues which are making my life hell. Due to my eyesight issues (not diabetic related) I can't drive and I'm stuck at homje, whenever I go somewhere I have to go by taxi I live six miles from town and it's costing me a fortune. Went to have a cataract removed on Wed and they wouldn't do it because my BP was too high, so I now have to wait yet again.
Doc has put me on 2 meds for BP.

If you cannot drive you should be entitled to a free bus pass. If your licence has been temporarily revoked this is enough proof. You should also apply for PIP (used to be DLA) as you have a mobility need.

https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-disabled-bus-pass

 

[KaSa]

I was Dx in July 2016 but wasn't put on Metformin till Oct 2016. I don't think they are working for me, I didn't measure my BG levels until 3 weeks ago when the nurse gave me one of those BG meters, I take metformin in the mornings and evenings but my levels remain high, even though I watch my carbs and exercise. I did speak to a family GP who said that it could be that metformin is not aggressive enough for and that I may need something else. I haven't had any side effects since taking metformin, they just don't lower my levels

oops and welcome @Leslene

 

[Grogg1]

I was Dx in July 2016 but wasn't put on Metformin till Oct 2016. I don't think they are working for me, I didn't measure my BG levels until 3 weeks ago when the nurse gave me one of those BG meters, I take metformin in the mornings and evenings but my levels remain high, even though I watch my carbs and exercise. I did speak to a family GP who said that it could be that metformin is not aggressive enough for and that I may need something else. I haven't had any side effects since taking metformin, they just don't lower my levels

oops and welcome @Leslene

How much have you lowered carbs? How high were you to start with? I worried that my levels were so high I was late onset type 1 but my levels have reduced dramatically but so has my carb intake.

 

[KaSa]

How much have you lowered carbs? How high were you to start with? I worried that my levels were so high I was late onset type 1 but my levels have reduced dramatically but so has my carb intake.

@Grogg1
I have lowered my carb intake a lot and hoping to lower it even more as I am stressing out that my levels are not going down much. To start with when I was first diagnosed it was 10.8, I told the nurse no way are you putting me on any medication, we agreed I diet and exercise for 3 months and then check again, within those 3 months I lost over 2 stone, stopped smoking/vaping/exercise my a$$ off, cut out just about all the junk meals from my food, only to be told when I went back 3 months later that my levels have gone up to 15.5, last blood test I had 3 weeks ago level was 14.3 so was told to increase the metformin dosage. Stressing about my levels not going down even with medication/exercise is most likely making them go up !!!

 

[Annette&Bert]

I took Metformin and also a statin for about 5 weeks - they made my life unbearable so I stopped them and have relied on eating according to Atkins. It is a far better alternative and my doctor doesn't even want to speak to me to find out how I made the improvements. The diabetes educator from the local hospital is totally miffed. The nurse at the surgery, however, is delighted.

thanks for the reply, funnily enough I've been reading a lot about the Atkins, and I've also found a website which has low carb and no carb stuff, which I might pursue - congratulations sounds as if you're doing well.

 

[Annette&Bert]

If you cannot drive you should be entitled to a free bus pass. If your licence has been temporarily revoked this is enough proof. You should also apply for PIP (used to be DLA) as you have a mobility need.

https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-disabled-bus-pass

Grogg1 thanks but I'm hoping my situation is temporary and it's a real pain at the moment having to go everywhere by taxi not to mention the cost. If, however, it becomes a permanent thing then I shall seriously look at PIP or sell my house and move back to town.

I already have a free bus pass, I rarely use it as it's a form of transport I loathe, but at the moment I don't even see well enough to walk to and get on and off a bus, so it's ruled out right now. I hope in the coming couple of months to have these issues resolved.

 

[Drummer]

I did Atkins years ago, for a long time, and I suspect I have been diabetic for a long time - I had no symptoms, or I thought I didn't, only now when I am getting low BG levels I am thinking - that's different.
I use Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution, not the modern versions. I eat fat, put cream in my coffee and on my berries and my cholesterol has dropped far more than when having porridge then falling asleep and suffering sleep apnoea. I feel so much younger now.

 

[Annette&Bert]

from dieting yoyo over the years, one of the things I learned a long time ago is, low fat means high carb, so when you say you have full fat, I agree with you as I do also, just that I watch because I'm trying to keep control of my diabetes and lose weight. I think I was diabetic for a couple of years before it was diagnosed. One of the symptoms which might be related is that I often fell into a very deep sleep and it would last for a couple of hours, not your 30 min nap as people thought I was talking about, this was a really deep sleep, in fact it would be my little dog that would wake me up. This tended to happen after a big meal, or when I'd eaten something from the diet point of view that I shouldn't have, bear in mind I didn't know I was diabetic so I think that was an earlier sign for me.

 

[Bubbsie]

thanks Grogg1 I seem to have settled, but right now I have other issues which are making my life hell. Due to my eyesight issues (not diabetic related) I can't drive and I'm stuck at homje, whenever I go somewhere I have to go by taxi I live six miles from town and it's costing me a fortune. Went to have a cataract removed on Wed and they wouldn't do it because my BP was too high, so I now have to wait yet again.
Doc has put me on 2 meds for BP.

Annette...might not be ideal for you....just wondering if for anything 'hospital' or clinic related could you try patient transport...there was a period when I was attending a clinic daily for two weeks...I was fortunate to have someone drive me...but many of the patients who couldn't drive used the patient transport services...appears you have a lot of things happening at once...diabetes...eye problems...weight...give yourself a break ...you're clearly under pressure and that can be overwhelming...you can't tackle everything at once...slow down a touch and prioritise the most difficult...hopefully with the medication your BP will settle down and you can have that cataract attended to.

 

[Annette&Bert]

Hi Bubbsie, you're right I do have a lot at the moment and I'm afraid I never give myself a break - the nature of the beast. Patient transport timewise is no good to me because I live alone and have a wee dog who's rarely separated from me, as he went in the car no matter where I was going. My car has been sitting undriven in my driveway since the end of October. On Wed last I was booked at 8.15am to have a cataract removed from my left eye, patient transport as you possibly realize can be away from your house for hours as you have to wait for them to pick up and take back home other patients, I couldn't have left my wee dog for as long as that. I had to get a taxi from my house to the hospital 4 miles away and the return was £20, later that day I had to get a taxi from my house to my GP surgery six miles away return, my total outlay (not for the first time in a day) was £52. When I went through the initial eye check etc on Wed they took my BP which was sky high meaning they refused to do the surgery so I was back home an hour and a half later, very upset so I then had to make the appt with my GP so that he could put me on some kind of meds to reduce the BP so that I can have the surgery

I can't use buses because I'm short sighted and with the cataract being on my only goodish eye, I can't judge where my feet are in relation to the edge of the kerb etc, and I can't cross the road as I can't see with any degree of certainty how far away the oncoming traffic is, so if I don't call a taxi I have no other way to get around. I was also sad when the nurse at the hospital after taking my already high BP told me that they have to be careful because I'm also diabetic and thus prone to infection, they would not run the risk of causing with the raised BP my eye heamoraging, I understand all of that, so it needs to come down.

 

[Bubbsie]

Hi Bubbsie, you're right I do have a lot at the moment and I'm afraid I never give myself a break - the nature of the beast. Patient transport timewise is no good to me because I live alone and have a wee dog who's rarely separated from me, as he went in the car no matter where I was going. My car has been sitting undriven in my driveway since the end of October. On Wed last I was booked at 8.15am to have a cataract removed from my left eye, patient transport as you possibly realize can be away from your house for hours as you have to wait for them to pick up and take back home other patients, I couldn't have left my wee dog for as long as that. I had to get a taxi from my house to the hospital 4 miles away and the return was £20, later that day I had to get a taxi from my house to my GP surgery six miles away return, my total outlay (not for the first time in a day) was £52. When I went through the initial eye check etc on Wed they took my BP which was sky high meaning they refused to do the surgery so I was back home an hour and a half later, very upset so I then had to make the appt with my GP so that he could put me on some kind of meds to reduce the BP so that I can have the surgery

I can't use buses because I'm short sighted and with the cataract being on my only goodish eye, I can't judge where my feet are in relation to the edge of the kerb etc, and I can't cross the road as I can't see with any degree of certainty how far away the oncoming traffic is, so if I don't call a taxi I have no other way to get around. I was also sad when the nurse at the hospital after taking my already high BP told me that they have to be careful because I'm also diabetic and thus prone to infection, they would not run the risk of causing with the raised BP my eye heamoraging, I understand all of that, so it needs to come down.

I wasn't sure it would be useful...just wondered if you considered it... hard with so many health issues to deal with all at once...clearly difficult to identify your priorities...can I just ask once the cataract has been removed...will you be able to drive again...not immediately...but soon after?...because our medical problems are often dealt with as emergencies no account is taken of the financial problems we can incur...I do understand how difficult it is...little contact with the NHS until June last year...then one thing after another...kept me off work for almost six months...and I am self employed...crippling financially... plus the added stress will do little to reduce your BG & BP...once the medication does its work how soon can they re-schedule the surgery... hoping things level out soon for you...and Bertie (take it that's the wee dog) sounds like a great comfort to you...one more thought why not give the DUK helpline a call...perhaps they could give you some advice about your dilemma...possible assistance...worth a try Annette.

 

[grovesy]

Hi Bubbsie, you're right I do have a lot at the moment and I'm afraid I never give myself a break - the nature of the beast. Patient transport timewise is no good to me because I live alone and have a wee dog who's rarely separated from me, as he went in the car no matter where I was going. My car has been sitting undriven in my driveway since the end of October. On Wed last I was booked at 8.15am to have a cataract removed from my left eye, patient transport as you possibly realize can be away from your house for hours as you have to wait for them to pick up and take back home other patients, I couldn't have left my wee dog for as long as that. I had to get a taxi from my house to the hospital 4 miles away and the return was £20, later that day I had to get a taxi from my house to my GP surgery six miles away return, my total outlay (not for the first time in a day) was £52. When I went through the initial eye check etc on Wed they took my BP which was sky high meaning they refused to do the surgery so I was back home an hour and a half later, very upset so I then had to make the appt with my GP so that he could put me on some kind of meds to reduce the BP so that I can have the surgery

I can't use buses because I'm short sighted and with the cataract being on my only goodish eye, I can't judge where my feet are in relation to the edge of the kerb etc, and I can't cross the road as I can't see with any degree of certainty how far away the oncoming traffic is, so if I don't call a taxi I have no other way to get around. I was also sad when the nurse at the hospital after taking my already high BP told me that they have to be careful because I'm also diabetic and thus prone to infection, they would not run the risk of causing with the raised BP my eye heamoraging, I understand all of that, so it needs to come down.

Some patient transport is done by volunteers and they drive thier own cars.

 

[Annette&Bert]

thanks Buggsie, I'll keep you posted - to be honest when I was diagnosed I went into a depression, I did not want or expect to be given T2 news, one of my late uncles had diabetes, and my brother who is 10 years younger than me was diagnosed T2 15 years ago, so I guess it was bound to happen, even if I wasn't overweight. Sometimes I feel sorry for myself and life sucks, but I also realize there are people much worse than me. I have the addition of worrying about my badly disabled husbnd from whom I separated in 2006 but he lives 15 miles away and I'm his contact with the outside world, as well as his driver. I take him banking, shopping, doctor's appointments and hospital appointments, so for the period I've been unable to drive he has had to also stay indoors. I always coiok food for him, put it in cartons and fill his freezer once a month. He relies on me (he always has) for support mentally) so this has not just affected me.

I'm not sure how soon thereafter I shall be able to drive, possibly within a few weeks, I suppose they will tell me. Oddly enough I don't know about anyone else, but I keep hearing about people who had successful cataract removal and were driving within days. This whole thing has upset me greatly and I'm not exaggerating, plus being stuck in the house is doing my head in - well you can imagine.

 

[Annette&Bert]

Some patient transport is done by volunteers and they drive thier own cars.

Groovesy yes I know, unfortunately not in my area. There is also a sort of dial-a-bus service which you complete a form for, but they don't do hospital runs, and they told me I'm not eligible because it's temporary - I don't know it's temporary yet, so how the heck they know is beyond my ken. I won't know if I will be able to drive until afterwards - then apparently I have to be referred back to the optician - it sucks, and as has been said with meds I don't know if my BP will go down enough - they said they could do it under general anaesthetic otherwise.

 

[grovesy]

Oh that is a shame.

 

[Annette&Bert]

oddly enough, when my husband and I split, there were no other 3rd parties involved, and we were never at each other's throats, it was really me who wanted it, he never did, I guess I thought the grass would be greener syndrome, Nowadays, however, we just get on like a house on fire and I think it's because we live apart LoL, but he had brain surgery in 2000 hence his disability, for his sake and not so much for mine, I have to be able to drive again.

 

[grovesy]

oddly enough, when my husband and I split, there were no other 3rd parties involved, and we were never at each other's throats, it was really me who wanted it, he never did, I guess I thought the grass would be greener syndrome, Nowadays, however, we just get on like a house on fire and I think it's because we live apart LoL, but he had brain surgery in 2000 hence his disability, for his sake and not so much for mine, I have to be able to drive again.

Good luck.

 

[Bubbsie]

Some patient transport is done by volunteers and they drive thier own cars.

Good point grovesy.