Medications and A1C

[mom24grlz]

Curious to find out if you are on oral medications for your Type 2 diabetes. What was your A1C when your doctor prescribed them. My dad was diagnosed as a type 2 a couple of months ago. I want to say right around Easter. His A1C at diagnosis was 6.9% and his doctor (a family physician) said he had to be at least 7.0% before going on any oral meds. I know i've seen people on here with A1C's lower than 7.0% and on medications. He was basically told "lose weight i'll see you in 3 months". Wasn't told to test his sugar or to lower his carb intake. Nothing like that. He was testing his sugar (i gave him 100 relion test strips, and mom bought him a meter). But he quit because he said his numbers were always high and he couldn't do anything about it. My parents are pretty much stuck in their ways, and i really can't see either of them doing a low carb diet. My grandmother who is also a Type 2 is the exact same way. She has to eat the exact same foods every week. Her food schedule is doesn't change from week to week.

[apollo322]

Curious to find out if you are on oral medications for your Type 2 diabetes. What was your A1C when your doctor prescribed them. My dad was diagnosed as a type 2 a couple of months ago. I want to say right around Easter. His A1C at diagnosis was 6.9% and his doctor (a family physician) said he had to be at least 7.0% before going on any oral meds. I know i've seen people on here with A1C's lower than 7.0% and on medications. He was basically told "lose weight i'll see you in 3 months". Wasn't told to test his sugar or to lower his carb intake. Nothing like that. He was testing his sugar (i gave him 100 relion test strips, and mom bought him a meter). But he quit because he said his numbers were always high and he couldn't do anything about it. My parents are pretty much stuck in their ways, and i really can't see either of them doing a low carb diet. My grandmother who is also a Type 2 is the exact same way. She has to eat the exact same foods every week. Her food schedule is doesn't change from week to week.

What a shame! I really wish you could get them online here so we could tell them how much they really CAN do about their numbers being high. I'm certain the biggest cause of diabetes complications is denial and that sense of hopelessness. Please try to convince them that they can do a lot, and doing it will greatly improve their lives. I surely know how tough it is to get through to a parent about stuff like this, and I do wish you good luck.


And no meds here and I was well over 7, but dr let me try with diet and exercise first because I was committed.

[Peggy_TX]

He was testing his sugar (i gave him 100 relion test strips, and mom bought him a meter). But he quit because he said his numbers were always high and he couldn't do anything about it. My parents are pretty much stuck in their ways, and i really can't see either of them doing a low carb diet. My grandmother who is also a Type 2 is the exact same way. She has to eat the exact same foods every week. Her food schedule is doesn't change from week to week.

My mom was pretty much the same way -- ate what she wanted, thought eating low carb meant she couldn't have anything good, and NEVER got a good reading on her meter, so she just couldn't see the point.
I stayed with her for 2 weeks, cooked all her meals (or ordered for her in the restaurant), and it was all food she LOVED. And, guess what?? Her meter readings were great. So the lightbulb went on and she made the connection. She still eats things she shouldn't, forgets her meds often and runs #s higher than she should a lot of days. But since she actually saw the connection, and found that there are "good" food she likes, she's back down to a mid-6 A1C. Not perfection, but improvement. Sometimes the "show me" method can work!

[sarah76]

His A1C at diagnosis was 6.9% and his doctor (a family physician) said he had to be at least 7.0% before going on any oral meds. I know i've seen people on here with A1C's lower than 7.0% and on medications. He was basically told "lose weight i'll see you in 3 months".

My situation was similar to this.
I was told to eat brown rice and not to eat cakes etc., but fruits and home made juices would be ok .
After 3 months, I came back for a blood test, fasting BG was 5.8 and was told I was ok.
So I thought my T2 was mild, only temporary, and that fasting 5.8 meant T2 was gone!! Until one day (exactly 1 year ago, June 2011) I was chatting with a friend and found out that that D is not curable and I have to manage it. I started to test my BG then.
In that blood test my A1c was 6.6.

[dccc]

My number hit 7.2 and was put on metformin. My step-dad is in the high 6's and was told to keep and eye on it, that's all. I'm trying to talk them into watching the carb intake, but it's like hitting a brick wall.

[Moonpie]

Meter reading can be a big motivator to eat right. They help me greatly. But if they don't want to test, or change their eating habits, you can't make them.