New Kid On The Block

[ginag]

Hi All!! My son, David the Schoolteacher, just emailed to me notice of this website. Since I was diagnosed with T2 DB only 2 months ago, he knew I could certainly benefit from the info and support offered here. By the time I was diagnosed, my blood reading was 256 and I had lost 15 lbs. Immediately I was put on metformin, 2 tabs 2 x a day. Immediately suffered with headaches and terrible diarrhea. These side effects were horrible and I was only taking 1 tab a day. So I have stopped the med and now only do low carb eating. My blood readings range from 115 to 150 now although I think I'm being so good on what I'm eating. I just can't seem to bring it below 110. I also haven't been able to lose any more weight - although I haven't gained either. I certainly could afford to lose another 20 lbs and can't seem to figure out what I'm doing wrong.
Has anyone else had those horrible side effects and if so, what did you do??
How important is the med with blood readings like mine? I have no idea where my readings stand in the realm of things. Any info you guys can provide would be invaluable.
Thanx so much.
Gina

[Dode]

Welcome Gina, this is a great site. My husband had those symtoms and his doc took him off Metformin and put him on Glyburide- 4 tabs daily and Avandia--8mg daily. He is doing very well on this dose and his bsl is below 7 most of the time now. There are a lot of people that can't tolerate Metformin. Good luck in getting control. We are all pulling for you. :shakehand

[gettingby]

Hi Gina. Just wanted to Welcome you to the family. Can't help you with the medications as I am a T1 and on insulin shots. I know that you will find alot of answers and very friendly people here. Hang in there and again, Welcome. :marchmell

[liz32]

Hey Gina! The metformin can be brutal. I can only handle half a table, 2x's daily. Anything more and I'm just about dead! The stuff is awful! It seems that you're doing ok so far. As for getting below 110, maybe introduce some more excercise. That will help with the sugars and with the wieght loss. I take the metformin but also lantus (insulin) even though I'm T2. Hang around this place long enough and you'll get all the answers you need. this is a great spot to learn...learned more here than anywhere else. Let us know how you're doing...we love to encourage others! :elefant:

[buzzborne]

Hey and Welcome!! :hello:

Like Cin (gettingby) I am also T1 and on insulin shots, so can't help you with the side affects on T2 medicatin, but from posts already it seems like you are not the only one!

welcome again and I hope that you can visit ''the family'' often! Dont hesitate to ask anything if you need answers as I'm sure someone on the board will be able to help. :)

[am1977]

Welcome Gina :wavey:

This forum really is like family. If you are looking for a place to go to for support....well, you found it :top: . Everyone here is very friendly, supportive, and helpful too :shakehand . Ok, most everyone...I guess we've run into a few bad apples in the past (you know who you are) :reddy: , but that's typical of these msg boards.

I am also a type 1, so I am not so familiar on the meds that type 2s take :confused: . We do have quite a few 2s, so hopefully they'll chime in here and help you out. :wink: Just a question...do you count carbs? I'm not sure if that's just a Type 1 thing, but being aware of carbs is a big componenet of managing this disease. Carbs get converted into glucose the quickest in the body. How often do you exercise and what kind of exercise do you do? :bike: Exercise is important not only for weight loss, but also can help you get better control. I would suggest meeting with a CDE and/or dietician who can help you get on a meal plan and help you set up an exercise program. A lot of times their suggestions and ideas are quite helpful. :albertein

Good luck and please pop in anytime! :ciao:

[Belinda]

Welcome to the forums...sorry can't help either since I am type 1 as well but I am guessing you need to give your body time to adjust and things will start to get easier and better. 110 is good but I know how it is and that you want it lower if you can. Just keep up the battle and you will win :rock:

[valc3]

Welcome Gina. I was recently diagnosed and put on Metformin and had the same reaction. Now on Lantus and Humlog. It's working really well for me. BG levels have come done. On a low carb diet and working out at the gym. I also need to loose 20lbs and its just not coming off.

This is a great site. I've been reading and learning. It's alot to absorb and can be very overwhelming. Hang in there.

[ginag]

Hi Everyone -
Just wanted to thank everyone for giving me a warm welcome.
Gina

[Peter Lee]

Welcome Gina. :hello:

When I started on Metformin the regime was to start with 1 daily of the weakest strength tablets and gradually and systematically increase the dose up to the level where it produced the required blood sugar level. This is what the manufacturer and doctors recommended so that the body can get used to the drug which has well known and recorded side effects. These seem to vary from person to person.

I suffered from diarrhoea, intestinal gas, disrupted appetite, poor sleep patterns etc - but not headache ( :) ). I was strongly advised to perservere as this was part of the normal process for getting used to Metformin.

I saw no effect on the bs values for six weeks and then it slowly started to come down (from 360). As time went on the symptoms eased. Now six months later, I have no side effects whatsoever and I feel better than I have for years. My fasting sugars are the required 108 (but I do need two other medicines to achieve that) and my maximum peak after eating is 144.

If you are a genuine Type 2, you will need to balance your diet with complex carbohydrates in order to stop your liver pumping glucose and sending your bs up. Someone in your medical team should be able to advise on this. If you read about the glycemic index and use low index carbohydrates, this would be a good start.

I hope that my experience is of some help. Type 2 diabetes is a complex subject and there are plenty (at least in the UK) of good books on the subject. If you have specific questions, then just post them in the Type 2 section and you will get a large response, I am sure - I certainly did when I started here.

Good luck :bird:

[jdstein11]

Welcome, Gina. Similar to other replies here, I am a T1 so I can't give you any advice on the meds, but this forum will definitely be able to provide some worthwhile (and unbiased) answers from those living it every day.

As for the weight, I lost 25 lbs. before being dxd and have put back 10. I thought it was due to exercising 2x per week and "kick-starting" my metabolism after being practially dormant for 7 years! But alas, it was the good-ol' diabetes helping me along. For you, the best advice is to make sure that exercise is as much a part of your daily routine as eating and getting dressed (not making any assumptions; some of us don't get out of our pajamas! ;) ); if you make a concerted effort to keep up the exercise and eat smart, you'll see the plateau end and the pounds will come off, maybe slower than you'd like, but they will come off. Nothing worth doing is easy!