Kinda sucks being Italian now........

Just took my first dose of metformin today. I have all the resources I need for the blah blah blah, but any tips, quirks or other things that y'all have figured out would be greatly appreciated.

PS Absolutely hate the fact that water and other drinks taste terrible while I overcome the insatiable thirst.........

I'm sorry for you having the condition.Every race gets it,not just Italians. My past hunting buddy for eons had it for years + had to take the shots when we were in camp.He's dead now,but from lung cancer NOT diabetes.At least now with the insulin you can control; it to live a normal life.As I said,Craig brought his meds + rig on the lease.It is an adjustment I will confess but its not the end of the world as it would be if you did not take your insulin.

I should probably go to a doctor to be tested for all sorts of things. I don’t know what age it is recommended to do such. I’m 42.

I wish the best for you, but it could be much worse. My mother deals with the same and will turn 80 soon.

Sorry to hear about the diagnosis.

My hunting partner of two decades has it also, it slows him down a little but doesn't stop him. It's a damn nuisance, but that's about it.

Just follow the Doc's instructions and you'll be ok.

That sucks. My wife has it. It takes self discipline to change what and how much you eat and drink, but it is very controllable.

Good luck.

BH63

Well the good thing is he says it's all about moderation. The bad thing it's all about moderation!!!!! As Michelle Pfeifer said in Scarface: "Nothing exceeds like excess."

Actually it won't be as bad as I thought. I thought I'd have to build a vomitorium off my kitchen to eat pizzas and pasta, but I'll be ok.

Now there is a plan for coping! Best of luck, FMC. I hate moderation, too. Makes me think of sensible shoes.

True. As Robert Heinlein said "Specilization is for insects + moderation is for Monks."

Also FMC if you opt with the vomitorium you can always go 1st class with a feathered stick + a golden bowl.

I too am a "newbie" to type 2 diabetes. Was diagnosed 6 months ago. MD immediately put me on two 500mg Metformin a day along with low carb, high protein 1400 cal a day diet along with exercise. I'm up to a 5 mile a day walk 6 days a week now.
Good news is I've lost 45 pounds in 6 months. Bad news is it hasn't made any difference in my blood sugar numbers. MD says next step is to increase Metformin dosage....if that doesn't work...time to start insulin injections.....yuck!

Also for full disclosure...I'm not surprised I have diabetes....both my Grandmother and Father had it...guess I inherited the wrong genes....

I have it as well,took a long time before I actually started on meds,look at it this way,it's the ultimate motivational kick in the butt to get healthy & strong

Get some apple cider vinegar at the health food store. Drink one table spoon of it mixed with 4 ounces of water each morning. I will give you $20.00 if it does not drop you ac1 . I started doing it, doc asked what I was doing. So we played with it being off and on it. I eat what I want again and stay at 5.2 to 5.4. It really will work.

Another Kudos for the Braggs apple cider vinegar. My lady uses it every day.Helps with weight loss,general health,etc. Google it;there's a LOT of folks that use it,including my chiropracter.A LOT of good reports.What have you got to lose by checking it out.

I'm having a horrible time getting back to baseline. was diagnosed with a fasting BS of 630, which means I've been walking around for months in the borderline diabetic coma levels. 3 days of metformin 500 have gotten me in the 200s, tonight I've gone to 1000. Added Forxiga. He doesn't think dieat and exercise alone will do it.

The worse thing is I've completely lost my taste in everything. Water tastes like shit. I almost threw up rinsing my mouth when I brushed my teeth. Horrible acid stomach and nausea. I start out eating and can't finish my portions as they taste terrible at the end. Though I do not have a sweet tooth, sugar free ice cream is the only thing to soothe my stomach.

Thanks for the vinegar tip.

Jerry, I am trying out the ACV on your sucess. I read at Mayo Clinic, they recommend taking it before the evening meal. I wonder what difference, if any, that makes?

quote:

Originally posted by FMC:
I'm having a horrible time getting back to baseline. was diagnosed with a fasting BS of 630, which means I've been walking around for months in the borderline diabetic coma levels. 3 days of metformin 500 have gotten me in the 200s, tonight I've gone to 1000. Added Forxiga. He doesn't think dieat and exercise alone will do it.

The worse thing is I've completely lost my taste in everything. Water tastes like shit. I almost threw up rinsing my mouth when I brushed my teeth. Horrible acid stomach and nausea. I start out eating and can't finish my portions as they taste terrible at the end. Though I do not have a sweet tooth, sugar free ice cream is the only thing to soothe my stomach.

Thanks for the vinegar tip.

It may be the metformin that is causing your symptoms as well.

It can cause a metabolic acidosis, as well as GI symptoms are not uncommon.

There are a lot of different meds available for diabetes. Insulin is really the last resort.

There are the old standby sulfonylureas

Januvia.

Etc.

If you are not tolerating the Med and it’s not helping, you need to switch. Metformin is the first one on the list as it’s cheap and it supposedly is less associated with weight gain.

With all due deference, apple cider vinegar is not going to fix a blood sugar in the 600’s. I’d have hospitalized you until it was in the 200’s and the blood chemistry came back normal. If your doc can’t get you in today, go to the ER.

You can die from that level of sugar.

Google diabetic ketoacidosis if you want a scare.

I actually tolerate that well....now.

I had to be hospitalized last weekend and was in full blown, severe DKA.......was close to death. Had my wife not came in to check on me as she ran out of fly spray and took me to the hospital I'd have died on the couch. Slowly getting back to normal, both insulin and metformin for now and diet. Not quite ready to add in exercise into the mix.

Funny thing my vision did a 180. Can't see shit up close now and no longer need my Rx for distance.

FMC,personal question.Were you in Nam + exposed to agent orange.A good buddy of mine developed type 2 + hounded the VA until they were forced to admit that a very large percentage of guys who were exposed all developed it.Uncle Sugar had to finally admit that it was not just a harmless herbaside.If you're a vet,this might help you out.

No I wasn't.

Funny thing is my vision did a 180. I can't see anything up close but I don't need a prescription to see far again....and I mean blind as a bat and need to use cheaters up to 8'.

I guess I need a verifyer or is it a clarifier to see the pins on my bow. I tried shooting it and they fuzzy as shit. But I can see my target without glasses!

I’ve been dealing with Type II for 3 years now. Metformin didn’t agree with me, so the Doc put me on 4mg of Glymeperide, once daily. Can’t feel any side effects except it drops my glucose level to a manageable level.

It gets easier to control after you lose a few pounds.

quote:

I'm having a horrible time getting back to baseline. was diagnosed with a fasting BS of 630, which means I've been walking around for months in the borderline diabetic coma levels.

As a health care professional I can tell you you have likely been walking around with elevated BS's for longer than months, likely years. Seek out your local ADA chapter and educate, educate, educate. It is an insidious disease that only rears it's ugly head when it has the upper hand. Controllable, yes; defeatable, questionable. Good luck with a tough battle.

Diagnosed about 4 years ago. 2 Metformin a day. I kinda watch what I eat and drink. Check my blood sugar twice every 2 days. Usually 130 in the am and 150 in the PM. A1C is 6.9. I did lose some weight.

If you guys are looking for lab work outside of going to your dr I use www.discountedlabs.com. Set up a free account and order your labs. You will pay on line and get an order faxed to you. Take that to a LabCorp and they will draw your blood. In a few days young get report sent to you, not your Dr. of course I loop my Dr in, but I loke having access to my info. I think lipid panel is like $25