My hbac1 levels are down to 48 .......can I consider ending medication ?

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Taffyboyslim

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
With of course the acceptance that if things change again I may need to restart ?

The awful stomach cramps and loose bowels of the metformin days have been replaced by endless weeing night and day on a combination of saxagliptin and pioglitazone

It's jumping from one fire into another

Very frustrating
 
Taffyboyslim said:
With of course the acceptance that if things change again I may need to restart ?

The awful stomach cramps and loose bowels of the metformin days have been replaced by endless weeing night and day on a combination of saxagliptin and pioglitazone

It's jumping from one fire into another

Very frustrating
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You should only stop taking it if your GP or DN agrees.

I suffered stomach cramps when I was on Metformin. After six weeks of it I went back to my DN and took my diary of finger-prick readings with me. When she saw my numbers she said I could stop taking it but to come back if my numbers went back above 8. They nudged up a little over the next few days then went back the other way, where they've thankfully stayed.
 
Martin.A said:
You should only stop taking it if your GP or DN agrees.

I suffered stomach cramps when I was on Metformin. After six weeks of it I went back to my DN and took my diary of finger-prick readings with me. When she saw my numbers she said I could stop taking it but to come back if my numbers went back above 8. They nudged up a little over the next few days then went back the other way, where they've thankfully stayed.
Click to expand...

Of course , I was looking for experiences and would never stop unless advised to do so by the medical team
 
I stopped the tablets, Metformin and Atorvastatin just before Christmas 2016 as I was becoming suicidal and decided that there was no way I cold live with the awful side effects. I was fobbed off by the receptionist when I contacted them.
Whilst it can be unwise to stop taking some medications abruptly, sometimes it is the better option.
I have read of several very bad falls, one life changing, on the low carb list, when people went on taking blood pressure lowering tablets when they were experiencing dizziness on standing or going upstairs.
I would not have seen in the New Year of 2017 feeling as I did back then. It is an amazing stiffener of resolve to deny temptation simply by thinking how it would be to go back to taking the tablets.
 
[Later Edit. The drugs mentioned in the original post do not work to encourage urine production as suggested in the body of this post. Apologies for any misunderstanding]

I'm going to be honest here. The body tries to get rid of too high blood glucose by producing extra urine to get rid of it so we wee it out to get rid of it, so the extra urine is actually helpful since too high blood glucose is literally a killer. The drugs you are taking encourages the body to do that very thing, that's why the very best thing anyone with too high blood glucose can drink (sounds OTT at first) is good old plain water to produce even more wee, but the glucose in it, will be more diluted. If it isn't diluted enough that causes even more discomfort because the glucose soaked wee encourages bladder infections like thrush to thrive leading to something us females at least call "the Great Itch" because that's what thrush does to us down below, if you think having to pass water so often is bad, being in any polite company, when those parts clearly need fresh air at the very least can be awful. If you do try and get relief by surreptitiously scratching (rubbing through clothes cos we all know not to actually scratch there) it makes it far worse instead of the opposite. Hell.

Sorry to be so graphic. But when gentler things like metformin (and yeah I do honestly know about the gastric side effects that it often has) aren't enough the heavier duty brigade is needed so that's what you have right now. The better you can stick to lower carb eating and drinking and incorporating that exercise, the sooner you'll get some relief. Honest !
 
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trophywench said:
I'm going to be honest here. The body tries to get rid of too high blood glucose by producing extra urine to get rid of it so we wee it out to get rid of it, so the extra urine is actually helpful since too high blood glucose is literally a killer. The drugs you are taking encourages the body to do that very thing, that's why the very best thing anyone with too high blood glucose can drink (sounds OTT at first) is good old plain water to produce even more wee, but the glucose in it, will be more diluted. If it isn't diluted enough that causes even more discomfort because the glucose soaked wee encourages bladder infections like thrush to thrive leading to something us females at least call "the Great Itch" because that's what thrush does to us down below, if you think having to pass water so often is bad, being in any polite company, when those parts clearly need fresh air at the very least can be awful. If you do try and get relief by surreptitiously scratching (rubbing through clothes cos we all know not to actually scratch there) it makes it far worse instead of the opposite. Hell.

Sorry to be so graphic. But when gentler things like metformin (and yeah I do honestly know about the gastric side effects that it often has) aren't enough the heavier duty brigade is needed so that's what you have right now. The better you can stick to lower carb eating and drinking and incorporating that exercise, the sooner you'll get some relief. Honest !
Click to expand...

I appreciate your frankness , I am going to speak to my medical team
 
Drummer said:
I stopped the tablets, Metformin and Atorvastatin just before Christmas 2016 as I was becoming suicidal and decided that there was no way I cold live with the awful side effects. I was fobbed off by the receptionist when I contacted them.
Whilst it can be unwise to stop taking some medications abruptly, sometimes it is the better option.
I have read of several very bad falls, one life changing, on the low carb list, when people went on taking blood pressure lowering tablets when they were experiencing dizziness on standing or going upstairs.
I would not have seen in the New Year of 2017 feeling as I did back then. It is an amazing stiffener of resolve to deny temptation simply by thinking how it would be to go back to taking the tablets.
Click to expand...

Hi

I am noting your views and will speak to my nurse next week
 
I am since coming off metformin , on two medications

Saxagliptin and Pioglitazone

I wonder why these have been prescribed together , could this be contributing to me urinating every half an hour ? I do understand high glucose causes a lot of this

I wonder if one of the Saxagliptin or Pioglitazone might be worth talking to the nurse about ?

My doses are Saxagliptin 5mg , Pioglitazone 15 mg

Maybe adjustments could be discussed
 
Taffyboyslim said:
I am since coming off metformin , on two medications

Saxagliptin and Pioglitazone

I wonder why these have been prescribed together , could this be contributing to me urinating every half an hour ? I do understand high glucose causes a lot of this

I wonder if one of the Saxagliptin or Pioglitazone might be worth talking to the nurse about ?

My doses are Saxagliptin 5mg , Pioglitazone 15 mg

Maybe adjustments could be discussed
Click to expand...
Excessive urination is not listed as the usual side effects of either of those medications indeed even implies reduced urination however it does mention the likelihood of UTIs which can result in frequent urination.
Have you had your prostate checked as if enlarged that can have a huge impact on the need to visit the loo especially in the night.
Definitely worth a discussion with your GP.
The Pioglitazone seems to have been discontinued from use in quite a few countries.
 
trophywench said:
I'm going to be honest here. The body tries to get rid of too high blood glucose by producing extra urine to get rid of it so we wee it out to get rid of it, so the extra urine is actually helpful since too high blood glucose is literally a killer. The drugs you are taking encourages the body to do that very thing, that's why the very best thing anyone with too high blood glucose can drink (sounds OTT at first) is good old plain water to produce even more wee, but the glucose in it, will be more diluted.
Click to expand...

Neither of those drugs do that.
One encourages more insulin production, the other is a insulin sensitiser.
 
Taffyboyslim said:
I am since coming off metformin , on two medications

Saxagliptin and Pioglitazone

I wonder why these have been prescribed together , could this be contributing to me urinating every half an hour ? I do understand high glucose causes a lot of this

I wonder if one of the Saxagliptin or Pioglitazone might be worth talking to the nurse about ?

My doses are Saxagliptin 5mg , Pioglitazone 15 mg

Maybe adjustments could be discussed
Click to expand...

Two drugs can help bring levels down more - most people start off on one, and then move to two if one doesn't bring them down enough. I know someone who is on three drugs to keep levels at a safe range.

If you're having side effects from one, there are others that can used instead.
 
Taffyboyslim said:
Of course , I was looking for experiences and would never stop unless advised to do so by the medical team
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Thats fantastic news!!!!! I corresponded with you before a few weeks ago.do you think the blood glucose metre hs helped you to get things back under control?

Im still struggling and still dont have a metre !so im intetested in what you reply.well doe you!
 
harbottle said:
Neither of those drugs do that.
One encourages more insulin production, the other is a insulin sensitiser.
Click to expand...
I misunderstood/misinterpreted the drugs names, but others posts made me go back and read the OP again - so I'm sorry about that if my post raised confusion. Does a moderator want to add a caveat saying that these drugs don't at the top of my post, as I can't at this stage, please?

[Caveat added to earlier post]
 
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trophywench said:
I misunderstood/misinterpreted the drugs names, but others posts made me go back and read the OP again - so I'm sorry about that if my post raised confusion. Does a moderator want to add a caveat saying that these drugs don't at the top of my post, as I can't at this stage, please?
Click to expand...

Easily done as the names are a bit similar!
I’d never heard of Pioglitazone. It seems it’s not used much any more.
 
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harbottle said:
Easily done as the names are a bit similar!
I’d never heard of Pioglitazone. It seems it’s not used much any more.
Click to expand...
I read it had been banned in a number of countries being implicated in some serious conditions in some people so was surprised to see the OP had been prescribed it.
 
If anyone looks again - the caveat has kindly been added to it.
 
If this was me I would be testing my sugars and asking if one of the meds can be reduced and continue to monitor blood sugar levels then at your next blood test see if any improvements.
 
I might be wrong but if you are 48 on medication I believe it would have to be lower to get 48 without them. As I say I may not understand but Id always talk to your health provider first. Sadly I find I'm changing daily so my bmmols are not stable enough for me to come off my medication. I would like something so I could eat carbs on occasions without it raising my bs too much. So feel my meds help me a little bit as I don't have insulin to help.
 
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