When will I know?

G

Gazza13

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi

I was diagnosed T2 10 years ago. Meds make then settled at Metformin morning and night (each 1000mg) - and morning Glicizide of 80mg. In the last 2 years I have lost 60 lbs (low carb diet). I have reduced my meds to just 500mg Metformin in the morning, but stuck with 80mg Glicizide then too. My last HbA1c was 41, in June. Sugars can go below 5 mid afternoon, making me cranky. I am wondering if I am in remission and could cut the meds completely but am aware I am probably showing my ignorance of what remission actually looks like. The GP says stick with the meds - he means forever, I guess.Thoughts please. Thank you Gazza13
 
Remission is a hba1c < 48 without any medication.

I was on 1000mg of Metformin 3 years ago, but it was reduced to 500mg 3 months later when hba1c was normal, and earlier this year stopped completely (They just stopped it and told me I didn't need it). Three months later hba1c was still normal, so my medical record was marked as 'in remission'.

I guess you'd be better talk to them and reduce medication gradually and see what happens.

Mine go < 5 often, but I don't notice any difference in mood.
 
Gazza13 said:
Hi

I was diagnosed T2 10 years ago. Meds make then settled at Metformin morning and night (each 1000mg) - and morning Glicizide of 80mg. In the last 2 years I have lost 60 lbs (low carb diet). I have reduced my meds to just 500mg Metformin in the morning, but stuck with 80mg Glicizide then too. My last HbA1c was 41, in June. Sugars can go below 5 mid afternoon, making me cranky. I am wondering if I am in remission and could cut the meds completely but am aware I am probably showing my ignorance of what remission actually looks like. The GP says stick with the meds - he means forever, I guess.Thoughts please. Thank you Gazza13
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Having to check my level before/during driving would drive me crazy - could you argue against continuing the Gliclazide for that reason?
I find that low carb is all I need to stay close to normal HbA1c and I feel just fine all the time these days - coming up to 8 years from diagnosis.
 
Hi @Gazza13 and welcome to the forum.

As many on the forum know I am not a big fan of "labels". I understand the reasons why they are used but they can be problematical when attaining the label becomes a driving force in those cases where it is more trouble than it is worth.

i will never be "in remission", that is having a HbA1c below 48 without need for medication. Am I worried by that? No. Is my DN worried about that? No. I could drive myself silly trying to attain it but it would "do my head in" for no good reason.

I am 78 years old, I have an HbA1c of around 50 and by watching my weight, carb intake, and taking some medication I can keep it there without too much stress or hassle. As far as I am concerned I have my diabetes under control, I don't have any short term effects from it and the long term risks are sufficiently low for me not to worry about. At my age, it is likely that something else will get me first.

You are a bit younger than me but my thought for you is not to get too hung up on the labels. Your point about what "does remission look like" is a very good one. For me, such artificial targets should be nuanced to the individual. Using them to beat people into submission might be appropriate in some cases but not for all.

Looking at your post it seems like you have got things under control by a combination of weight loss, low carb and medication and well done for that. If you stop the medication, based on my experience, you will get a general increase in levels particularly if you stop the gliclazide. Not sure about stopping the metformin, I am not convinced that it does anything for me, but keeping taking it pleases the DN so I will live with it.

There you go, a view from my end of the telescope.
 
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The current definition of remission is 3 months with an HbA1c below 48, without taking any diabetes meds. This was agreed by a team of international experts at Diabetes UK, the American Diabetes Association, and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.
 
Gazza13 said:
My last HbA1c was 41, in June. Sugars can go below 5 mid afternoon, making me cranky.
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Congratulations on the HbA1c.

Do you check your BGs at the exact times when you feel ‘cranky’? It’s possible those could be symptoms of glucose lower than 4.0
 
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