Pills not working!

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Bokky

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi everyone
I've had type 2 for four years and my pills aren't working now. I'm maxed out on glyclazide & metformin and they make no difference at all. I have now been additionally on max dosage for Pioglitazone for the pat 8 weeks and they are not working at all. I'm now on having to have zero carbs or need a 40 min walk to get to normal. I told the doctor nothing is working after 6 weeks but he says I need to stick with the pills for another 4 weeks. I did see another doctor and he said he wasn't an expert and that I only need to check my blood sugar once a week. Do I need to change surgery? It seems mad to be taking all these pills and still having to be on zero carbs. The doctor will decide if they are working with a blood test - but this means nothing a I've been doing all the work to keep the bs down - not the tablets. He does not accept this fact which seems strange. P.s. I'm not over weight , drink lots of water and walk for at least 1 hour a day. Many thanks for reading my rant!
 
Oh poor you Bokky, sounds to me like you need much more skilled diabetic advice than this present crew are giving you! Can't they refer you to a specialist? As you're not overweight, keeping fit, on nearly zero carbs, max meds and still struggling, it doesn't take a genius to see that there's something not stacking up here.

I'm not the genius but I'd be rapidly looking for one because a doctor who tells you to test your blood sugar once a week should consider urgent re-training! 🙄

Hope others can suggest what you should do but I'd be expressing my serious dissatisfaction to the GP because I'm not confident they know what they're doing. Diabetes doesn't mean having to live on zero carbs.

Good luck!
 
You sound more type 1 than type 2. The pills won't do much if you're not insulin resistant & not producing much/any insulin. You need to demand a second opinion! It sometimes seems that the only time you get taken seriously is when you end up in hospital with DKA!
 
Bokky said:
Hi everyone
I've had type 2 for four years and my pills aren't working now. I'm maxed out on glyclazide & metformin and they make no difference at all. I have now been additionally on max dosage for Pioglitazone for the pat 8 weeks and they are not working at all. I'm now on having to have zero carbs or need a 40 min walk to get to normal. I told the doctor nothing is working after 6 weeks but he says I need to stick with the pills for another 4 weeks. I did see another doctor and he said he wasn't an expert and that I only need to check my blood sugar once a week. Do I need to change surgery? It seems mad to be taking all these pills and still having to be on zero carbs. The doctor will decide if they are working with a blood test - but this means nothing a I've been doing all the work to keep the bs down - not the tablets. He does not accept this fact which seems strange. P.s. I'm not over weight , drink lots of water and walk for at least 1 hour a day. Many thanks for reading my rant!
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If you are trying to eat zero carbs, can I ask what you eat on days like that?

Sorry, I meant to ask; what are the blood test results you consider troublesome and where do you consider normal? I'm not challenging anything you do, just trying not to put my own values on your words.
 
Oh heck Bokky - sounds like you are doing everything you can to keep your levels within the required numbers.

Hope your Dr does more comprehensive testing next time and not just HBa1c!
 
Many thanks for your reply.
Breakfast: eggs & bacon
Lunch: mackerel in oil,olives, cheese
Evening sausages broccoli cheese , ham.
If I need something extra I may have brown toast or potato - but I will have to do a long walk.
I don't drink lager or beer, If I do have something it's a wine at the weekend.

My reading now is 13.9 so I'll have to do a 40 min walk to get to around 7. I tried some flax seed for breakfast but that sent me over! Was 10.3 this morning and had tablets. Anything over 13.0 and my brain goes mushy. Can't remember my blood test results off-hand but my doctor has said they are creeping up.
Age 51 diagnosed at 47.
 
Bokky said:
Many thanks for your reply.
Breakfast: eggs & bacon
Lunch: mackerel in oil,olives, cheese
Evening sausages broccoli cheese , ham.
If I need something extra I may have brown toast or potato - but I will have to do a long walk.
I don't drink lager or beer, If I do have something it's a wine at the weekend.

My reading now is 13.9 so I'll have to do a 40 min walk to get to around 7. I tried some flax seed for breakfast but that sent me over! Was 10.3 this morning and had tablets. Anything over 13.0 and my brain goes mushy. Can't remember my blood test results off-hand but my doctor has said they are creeping up.
Age 51 diagnosed at 47.
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Do you eat any vegetables at all? That might be a kinder way to add that "something extra"? It strikes me that your system, for whatever reason isn't getting along with the current regime, but if you're stuck with it for another 4 weeks, then may try dropping the potato and toast, in preference for some kinder veg?

You went to 13.9 after flax seed. What were you beforehand and how long after eating it was that? I'm interested to know how you ate it too. I have recently started using a bit of flax seed with my brekkers, for, erm,.... regulation purposes.

Can I also clarify on what basis you would feel the need of r that "something extra"? Again, not challenging anythng you say, just trying to understand what's really going one.

(I ask a lot of questions, but you know that now. 🙂 )
 
Hi thanks again for your interest. I had milk with flax seed and was 10.3 before that. I've just had avocado, rocket,spinach, ham and cheese for lunch so I'm trying hard to get a good diet. I feel I need something extra if I'm bored with my food or have a real craving for carbs. I normally have a bit of cheese if I'm peckish. Cheers
 
Bokky said:
I was 13.9 three hours after eating flax....
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Umm, actually, you were 13.9 after eating Flax with milk... It is quite likely that the rise was little to do with the flax and more to do with the milk, which is fairly high in carbs (as lactose). Try Flax with something like unsweetened almond milk and see if it has the same effect...
 
I'd agree with Annette about the potential for the milk being in play here. How much flax seed did you have, and how much milk? Had you had anything else in that three hours, like tea or coffee or another drink?

Was your 10.3 your fasting level? If so, how long after rising did you test that and how long after testing it did you eat?

I'd also have been interested to have known your score at two hours after eating. After three there can be so many other things in play.

I can see you're trying hard. How often does the "something extra" thing happen?
 
Yes it looks like I had too much milk! Didn't realise the sugar content. Many thanks for that. I only had flax as an experiment as I normally have scrambled eggs for breakfast.
Also I had about 3 cups of tea with milk during that 3 hours today so it's starting to make sense.

Thank you AndBreathe for those questions- you're making really think about stuff. I'll check after 2 hours and see what else can be happening then. The 10.3 was 10 mins after getting up; I ate straight away that 'extra something' occurs when I haven't eaten carbs all day.

The main thing is though that I've been on the same sort of diet and the pills have stopped working. I'm starting to grow whiskers from snacking on small cubes of cheese.
 
Hi Bokky. Looking at your diet I must say I'd be fed up to still be getting high readings.
Even with the milk included it doesn't look like many carbs to me. Plus you're taking lots of medication and quite active.
I think I'd question things too.
 
Bokky said:
Just checked the cheese - 0.1% sugar so all ok phew!
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Bokky - Do you use the sugar part or the total carbohydrate part of food labels when you are choosing or counting your carbs?
 
I agree with Linda on this. The issue is even with exceptionally high levels of medication, your tolerance seems to have dramatically reduced and you can't safely regulate your BG's even at carb levels that no person should be expected to reasonably exist on. If your account if your food intake is right and your exercise regime is also true, it sounds like your doctors need to be seriously exploring whether you can continue on these oral meds and more importantly whether you're still type 2.

I'd be pushing them and asking for a specialist referral. Has one never been suggested to you Bokky?
 
Hi AndBreathe- I look at total carbs as well as sugar.
Thanks Amigo.
I'm sure my food intake is accurate. All I do is look at sugar and carbs and tot it up. I don't worry about fat etc as I'm 11stone and 6ft male. I used to teach FE maths, so labels don't confuse me.
I live in the country so I can have a great walk with my iPod, so I don't mind doing that. My bs was great up until a year ago so it was plain sailing really.
I'll push for a specialist then, thanks. ( and no, it hasn't been suggested before).The diabetic nurse at the surgery is no help at all either ! .
It's great to sound off here instead of my poor wife!
Bs is 10.5 two hours after a low carb lunch and max pills . So I'm off for another walk!
 
I think pressing for a referral makes sense.

Personally, I completely ignore the sugar elements of any foods, unless they have sweeteners in. For me, the driver is total carbs, as they (apart from a few, mainly sweetener exceptions) just turn to sugar anyway, so it makes my decision making quicker. 🙂

Jusr for completeness; did anything else change a year ago? Job, lifestyle, hobbies, injuries or anything?
 
Hi Amigo. Good question. I started a 'sitting down ' job last September. This is only 20 hours a week but I walk more to compensate. That may have something to do with it though. The bs creeps up during the 6 hour shift even though I have only eaten a tin of mackerel. Nothing else has changed, although I'm less stressed these days compared to 2 years ago.
I really appreciate your support. Many thanks.
 
If you haven't eaten carbs and are not stressed then your blood sugar should remain level-ish, I wouldn't expect it to go up. I have a sit down job & also an hour each way commute & my blood sugars drop mid morning and mid afternoon most days, sometimes I have to have a snack to avoid a hypo or to bring them above 5 for driving home!
 
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