I'm having problems managing Type 2 Diabetes with medication

Posted by jeannetta @jeannetta, May 19, 2020

Does anyone have problems with diabetic medication? i feel like i am being murdered.

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Everything is changing-due to,Covid-19? Or due to.economic losses related to,politics?Hard to say, but we all needto get the best,advice we can find to stay healthy and on top of this shakeup.. Try not to quit and not to give in to depression. Do you have a good friend with whom you can talk this out slowly?
Perhaps you can walk this out in a lovely park? What are your medical options?(nurse practioner? Exercise physiologist? Clergy?)). New directions can be refreshing and clear your head. Good luck.

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@jeannetta

Typ 2 diabetes For nine years i took the brand name gulcophage...Never had any problems with my A1C numbers stayed at 6. 18 months ago i was told i could no longer get this medication in the USA...I have 8 bottles of different medication doctors have put me on ,which my body could not tolerate the side affects. Now they want me to do the insulin shot....i have been so depressed, this past 18 months my A1C has went up to 8.2. And i cook everyday, veggie and chicken, eggs for breakfast. I feel life is over..

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Have you read the newer approach to your diet to lower blood sugar naturally? I have read a couple of articles and purchased a book with new recommendations. I can't do the recommended exercises but I can do some of the food changes which help a lot. I never have relied on meds for my diabetes issues and have learned to avoid certain foods permanently which has been a big help. I also eat a high fiber diet and have little stress in my life at this time. Also I have studied depression and have learned to change my thinking to a more positive mode and be grateful for my little successes. I would not take meds for depression, but I would change my life and the people in it if necessary to have better health. I believe in eating new foods and there are lists on the web that recommend the best and safest foods for your particular needs. I can't do the very low carb diets out there, but I can count carbs very well and be satisfied to limit them.
Temporarily, I would accept some insulin shots as I did in the hospital some years ago when the pain medication raised my blood sugar.
When I came home, I quit the pain meds and the numbers came back down to prediabetic levels. I firmly believe in eating a low carb diet regardless of what the family or anyone else says, and searching for new foods that help you feel satisfied. It works for me. Dorisena

REPLY
@dorisena

Have you read the newer approach to your diet to lower blood sugar naturally? I have read a couple of articles and purchased a book with new recommendations. I can't do the recommended exercises but I can do some of the food changes which help a lot. I never have relied on meds for my diabetes issues and have learned to avoid certain foods permanently which has been a big help. I also eat a high fiber diet and have little stress in my life at this time. Also I have studied depression and have learned to change my thinking to a more positive mode and be grateful for my little successes. I would not take meds for depression, but I would change my life and the people in it if necessary to have better health. I believe in eating new foods and there are lists on the web that recommend the best and safest foods for your particular needs. I can't do the very low carb diets out there, but I can count carbs very well and be satisfied to limit them.
Temporarily, I would accept some insulin shots as I did in the hospital some years ago when the pain medication raised my blood sugar.
When I came home, I quit the pain meds and the numbers came back down to prediabetic levels. I firmly believe in eating a low carb diet regardless of what the family or anyone else says, and searching for new foods that help you feel satisfied. It works for me. Dorisena

Jump to this post

Do you know what glycemic index is for certain foods? Get on the web and follow that guide. Although there can be conflicting information, I benefit from what I learn by studying the latest information. Meds alone are not the total remedy for diabetes. And each person is different, but altering your diet and enjoying what you eat can bring good rewards, I believe. Also check out your meds to see if any of them cause a rise in blood levels. Have you had your thyroid level checked? Are you active? Can you lose weight? That is a tough one for most of us, I know. Stay away from fast food and junk food. It is no longer your friend. Dorisena

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@contentandwell

@dorisena so you did not cut back on your metformin, you just added more fresh produce to your diet? Ahh, the joys of summer. I haven't gotten nearly enough local tomatoes this summer. The owner of the farm stand closest to us, that I always used to go to, is not wearing a mask, nor is anyone in the little building, so I won't go there and the other farm stands are quite distant.

@mummy43 Your improvements sound great. I hope the doctor will be pleased, why wouldn't he be since your numbers are better? Are you getting some exercise also? I've been told that helps with the numbers a lot too. I was on metformin when I was first diagnosed with diabetes, about 12 or 13 years ago and if I had any of the effects you mention I didn't connect them to taking metformin, but that's me - I frequently do not consider that something I am feeling may be the result of medication.
JK

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I don't want you to misunderstand, I did not just add fresh produce to my diet. I completely changed what I eat based on the glycemic index and I have eaten fresh food from the garden since I was a teenager. It takes a lot of planning and study to have what you eat make a drastic change in your blood sugar and your health. I gave up baking desserts totally. That was a sacrifice. I did not depend on Metformin as a "cure" but have taken it as an aid but I wake up very hungry in the morning. And I had to lose weight for success.
If I can stay active, I believe I can get to an A1C of 6.0 this year. It's the food and exercise, not the pills! Dorisena.

REPLY
@jeannetta

Typ 2 diabetes For nine years i took the brand name gulcophage...Never had any problems with my A1C numbers stayed at 6. 18 months ago i was told i could no longer get this medication in the USA...I have 8 bottles of different medication doctors have put me on ,which my body could not tolerate the side affects. Now they want me to do the insulin shot....i have been so depressed, this past 18 months my A1C has went up to 8.2. And i cook everyday, veggie and chicken, eggs for breakfast. I feel life is over..

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@jeannetta, I agree with @susu2. There are so many things going on, especially these past 6 months due to COVID. It sounds like your problems started even before that due to drug shortages and no longer having access to medication that was working for you and then the long journey of trial and error to find another medication. I can understand that would make you feel despondent.

Are you reluctant or concerned about using insulin?

Have you talked with a diabetes educator? Or perhaps asked for a consult with a dietitian who specializes in diabetes? They may have some non-medicinal approaches that could help.

REPLY
@dorisena

I don't want you to misunderstand, I did not just add fresh produce to my diet. I completely changed what I eat based on the glycemic index and I have eaten fresh food from the garden since I was a teenager. It takes a lot of planning and study to have what you eat make a drastic change in your blood sugar and your health. I gave up baking desserts totally. That was a sacrifice. I did not depend on Metformin as a "cure" but have taken it as an aid but I wake up very hungry in the morning. And I had to lose weight for success.
If I can stay active, I believe I can get to an A1C of 6.0 this year. It's the food and exercise, not the pills! Dorisena.

Jump to this post

@dorisena I agree, and I did know that you had produced fresh produce and eaten well from your efforts always, but giving up the sweets is difficult but doable. I am having trouble with that now but I am exercising a lot. My last two A1c results were under 5 but since then I have been eating more baked goods so I need to get back to what I had been doing. I'm quite certain that exercise is a huge help.
JK

REPLY
@dorisena

Do you know what glycemic index is for certain foods? Get on the web and follow that guide. Although there can be conflicting information, I benefit from what I learn by studying the latest information. Meds alone are not the total remedy for diabetes. And each person is different, but altering your diet and enjoying what you eat can bring good rewards, I believe. Also check out your meds to see if any of them cause a rise in blood levels. Have you had your thyroid level checked? Are you active? Can you lose weight? That is a tough one for most of us, I know. Stay away from fast food and junk food. It is no longer your friend. Dorisena

Jump to this post

Thank u, i will look into your advise. This all started 19 yrs ago when my thyorid blew up..They killed my thyorid with a pill.Then for 12 yrs i suffered on the genertic meds, the meds would not keep my tsh leveled in one place .I could go fron1.9 and then in two weeks i would be 9.10...9 yrs ago i found a doctor that put me on Tirosint meds, I have been Great for 9 yrs now. Diabetes .started after my thyorid issues....I have never been over weight, It does not run in my family.I love to swim, but hard now with this virus..Wish i had a pool in my home..I use to walk with my little dog everyday, but she went to be with God 2yrs ago. I read several books I read , u r more likely to develop diabetes if u have high Triglycerides, looking back on medial records in my late 30,s and 40,s my Triglycerides wete always very high, My doctor never once mentioned any concern, Sad..

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Yes, thyroid issues have been a health problem not well addressed for many years now, and it takes an endocrinologist to get better advice. I think our biggest health problem is not eating a balanced diet for many years, and then the body doesn't function as well. I have always eaten too many calories, being on the farm and cooking for six people all the time. I never threw any leftovers out, but sometimes I shared with the dog. I thought dessert was a requirement but now I skip it all together except for some fruit. I am sorry I stayed in a stressful, unloving marriage, but I kept my wedding vows and I tried to care for a husband who rejected my help. That kind of stress does damage to the body as well as the mind. Every day now i tell myself how blessed I am to be doing better at caring for my health and attitude, and I enjoy each new day because at 85 I have a relative short number of good days left. We keep trying! Dorisena

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Good morning yes I'm a diabetic since 2016 and the doctors really didn't tell me until 2017 so I'm on metformin and I take it off and on cause of the danger side affect. I walk everyday, drink plenty of water with lemons. and eat an healthy meal but that's some times hard for me. can you give me some Ideals on meals.

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There isn't enough room to share all the good food out there for diabetics. You can make it easy by reading lists on the web and learning which carbs are better and which are worse. I recommend the Mayo Clinic diet book which is practical and is for everyone because you can choose a comfortable number of daily calories and then follow the number of proteins, vegetables, fruit, bread, and dairy for your goals. Also you can find free recipes for just about any food on the web and I seldom use a cookbook anymore except for my old reliable recipes. It is a great hobby learning how to eat for good health if you give up buying food in boxes, packages, and mixed with Heaven Knows What for your meals. You can make tasty meals in the oven that have good flavor. I do use chicken boullion to make tasty soups out of leftovers. Now that we are stuck at home so much, it is a fun hobby to learn to cook well. Dorisena

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