[angelsbridges]

For those who have read my previous posts, you know how...shall we say, incompetent my last doctor is.

I'm thinking about scheduling with a new doctor, but I have some questions:

1.) For those of you dx with prediabetes, did your doctor rx a meter and strips?

2.) Same thing, but did they give you any advice other than diet and exercise? (such as actually using a meter, and when to come back for more labs, etc).

3.) Did they give any different advice for people who have been dx with hypoglycemia and reactive hypoglycemia?


Thanks to those who can help!

[EeyoreButterfly]

Angels: When my doc saw me, I went a week between the initial visit and diagnosis. She gave me a meter and wrote a script for strips. I was to test fasting and before every meal. After a week I went back and received my official diagnosis. At that point I was scheduled with a CDE, given a script for more strips, and told to test fastings. I was told about diet and exercise.

I was scheduled for a three month check up and told that I would see her every three months. Blood work to be done every six. I was dissatisfied with her a first, but after reading about most GPs, I think she went above and beyond what most doctors would have done and I am grateful. She also did not seem offended or try to fight me on the endo referral.

I was told that the key to decreasing lows was to decrease highs as the lows are reactive. If you have reactive lows it is not necessary to snack between meals, and in fact, they recommend not having a carb snack in between meals. Now, if you do tend to go low when you don't eat, they recommend a snack between meals to keep yourself from dropping. I was also taugth the 15/15 rule to treating hypos: 15 g of glucose, wait 15 minutes, test, repeat if necessary.

[Ronin]

Hi Bridgette!

I'm not a good one to respond but, I'll put in my $0.02 on the topic. My health care comes from the VA so it is different.

1. No, I didn't get an Rx for meter or strips. If I had been diagnosed as a full-blown diabetic they would have sent me both the meter and strips. The real reason for getting an Rx is to get your insurance to pay for them. Check your policy to see if they reimburse, if they do, explain that to the MD and ask for an Rx. If your policy won't pay for this keep track of your expenses as the meter and strips (or should that be spelled $trip$?) are dedutible from taxes.

2. Anything other than diet and exercise? Nope: as a Pre-D that is the Rx. The whole point of the Pre-D diagnosis is to get you to change your life-style so that you won't develop (or at least delay development of) full blown diabetes as well as avoiding the expense and side effects of medications.

3. Yes, there is a whole different regemen for hypoglycemia and/or reactive hypoglycemia as that is a different condition.

[EeyoreButterfly]

Oops= meant to say that I was offered metformin at my three month check up, but since I am having stomach troubles already she agreed to give me more time to work the diet/exercise bit. I'm also being referred to an endo.

I read that metforming has been shown to slow the progression from prediabetes to diabetes, so it is definitely worth looking into.

[angelsbridges]

I thought that hypoglycemia and reactive hypoglycemia were the same thing (symptoms, I guess) of prediabtes?

[EeyoreButterfly]

Not necessarily, I responded to you on the other thread. The difference is the cause. Reactive happen when you overproduce insulin in response to a high. Other types of hypoglycemia can be caused by medications, improper insulin dosages (if you are on insulin which it sounds like you aren't) or going too long without food.

[Ronin]

Hi Bridgette!

Hypoglycemia is not a symptom of Pre-Diabetes. Pre-D is a diagnosis that was developed to get the attention of people before their systems had gone into full-blown Type-2, with the intention of changing the life-style of the person so as to prevent/delay the onset.

Unfortunately, the diagnosis has caused more confusion than information. Part of this is that most MD's don't fully understand the diagnosis themselves (they just read the bulletins from the AMA and/or ADA and then see an FBG above 100 and hand out the diagnosis, often accompanied by some Type-2 diabetes medications -- Next Patient!)

Pre-Dibetes means that your body is basically working "okay" but your ability to process glucose is not as good as the "normal" person. The reason for the diagnosis is to get you to change your life-style and eat a lower carb diet, exercise more, get more rest (yes sleep deprivation does have a negative effect on BG levels) and generally live healthier.

There are more tests if your BG levels continue to be high for FBG or post-prandial readings. A C-Peptide test should be done to rule out the onset of LADA or Type-1.5 diabetes (a lot of MD's presume that any adult onset is automatically Type-2 and that is not always true, sometimes the pancreas is either under attack or simply shutting down).

The most important thing for you now is to learn as many facts as you can and to test your BG levels to understand how your body manages glucose and thereby find the regemen that works best for you.

[Ponykid]

I met w/ the doctor to discuss migraines and fatigue and had some bloodwork done. When the results indicated pre-diabetes, the doctor sent me an email suggesting I increase exercise, manage my diet, and sign up for a diabetes class.

1. I didn't get an Rx for meter or strips. She didn't even suggest I monitor my BG. I bought a One Touch Ultra Mini test kit and started testing myself.

2. The doctor did not suggest other than diet and exercise? No. Frankly being told to change my lifestyle as if it the CAUSE is a bit frustrating. My weight gain is recent. I believe it is because I have been so fatigued. If I wasn't so tired, I would be out in garden or riding my horses. I'm being blamed for bringing pre-diabetes on myself but not feeling well is what really lead to the reduced exercise & increased eating.