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[sandmcd]

My recent blood work for Fasting Glucose was 136(was 126), my A1c number has been 6.8 for a year. My cholesterol is 119 and my blood pressure is fine. I have taken meds for years. I am 5'7" and weigh 153. Weight doesn't seem to enter into the problem so I am stumped! I am 69 years old and mind a 4 year old and a 2 year old so I keep active. My Dr. has decided to put me on medformin since my visit last week.

[Dan Gato]

Sand,
The endos recommend to have bg's below 110 before meals.

Your A1C looks OK but you can improve it, good that you're starting on Metformin. What's your dose?
Get another A1C soon, so you'll see if you're improving.

[xMenace]

Welcome,

You sound like you may continually progress. Usually the ones with normalish body weights do. I'm glad to see you test. It's your greatest weapon! Keep watching thos long term trends and use it to figure out what foods behave for you.

[Harold]

When my mother was dx'd in 2002 I asked about what was considered normal for her age (79). They both told me 7.0% was pretty normal for geriatric patients. Your not there yet but it's not far away so what your seeing is not a surprise to me. In short in 2002 you probably would not have been put on metformin. However as long as you can tolerate it, it will not hurt to be on the cautious side. Keeping it in check now may very well give you the quality of life we all would like to have through our 70's and 80's.

[mho357]

Hello sandmcd and welcome to the forum.

Mark

[sandmcd]

Thanks all. I have a very cautious heart/internist. I haven't started the meds yet..ordered. I hope I can tolerate it. I tried Actos a year ago and was utterly miserable. Hey, I'm a young 69!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[notme]

Welcome sandmcd! You are young and if anyone tells you otherwise, challenge them to a foot race! I am type one, but asked my doctor to try metformin for weight control. My suggestion is to start out with a small dose and increase as needed. Ask your doctor about it. I had a few stomach issues when I started (very little), that went away over time. Didn't do a thing to help weight issues, so I may give it up. We are about the same size, so ask your doctor if you can start on 500 mg per day and move up if needed.

Welcome to Diabetes Forums

[susique333]

[QUOTE=sandmcd;304023]My recent blood work for Fasting Glucose was 136(was 126), my A1c number has been 6.8 for a year. My cholesterol is 119 and my blood pressure is fine. I have taken meds for years. I am 5'7" and weigh 153. Weight doesn't seem to enter into the problem so I am stumped! I am 69 years old and mind a 4 year old and a 2 year old so I keep active. My Dr. has decided to put me on medformin since my visit last week.[/QUOTE


My Dr. told me it is not uncommon for a diet controlled person to temproarily need insulin if theyre having surgery,being put on steroids or suffer some other "insult" to the body. 14 yrs ago I had an impaired glucose test, got pregnant and within 3 months was on insulin. I was shocked! I think it shows how delicate the whole diabetes balance is. My Dr. told me aging is a stress, like it or not most of his diet controlled patients cross the "medication" line at some point, as diabetes is progressive. I think that was the hardest thing for me to come to terms with, my mistaken idea that if I did "everything" right, I could make this problem go away. At present I have both feet dug into the dirt trying to slow it down! :)

[Ronin]

Hi Sandmcd!

I'll make one of my favorite suggestions, because it is for a blood test that most MD's forget to order. Ask to have a fasting C-Peptide test. That will tell your MD if your BG levels are due to Insulin Resistance (IR: which is the presumption when adult levels go up) or due to a pancreas that is not producing sufficient insulin to manage the BG levels. I personally know of more than one a few people who the MD presumed to be IR only to have the fasting C-Peptide reveal that their "real problem" is an under-active or inactive pancreas. While metaforim won't hurt a person with an low C-Peptide, it won't help either as the person with a low C-Peptide needs more insulin.

[sandmcd]

Oh great....something else to be concerned about! thanks for the info.

[Ronin]

Hi Sandmdc!

Not so much something to be "concerned about" as much as making sure that the MD is using all of the avaiable tools to direct your treatment regimine. In this area, knowledge is essential.

I'm actually one of those people with a low C-Peptide reading. Normal is considered to be in a range from 1 to 5. With a 1.3 I'm on the low end of normal. I'm not below normal, but now that my care Nurse-Practitioner and I know where I am we better understand why my FBG and other BG measurements are where they are. We also removed the idea that I might be IR (given my level of activitity that isn't likely at all). So, if/when my BG spikes and stays up despite diet and exercise we know that the proper course of treatment is to go to insulin, not to medications that make the cells more insulin sensitive as one would for a Type-2.

[Jill-O]

Hi and welcome here from Virginia http://www.getsmile.com/emoticons/smileys-91853/aiw/bye.gif

You will find a lot of nice people and good advice here http://www.getsmile.com/emoticons/smileys-91853/aiw/yes.gif

[princesslinda]

Welcome Sandmcd! Glad you found the forums. As you can see already, lots of great information to be found here. Hope you post often.