Diabetes

Hi all,
I see some of you are on meds. What criteria is used when low carbing to have say, Metformin?
An endo said I should be on it but my Hba1c is 44.
regards
Derek

i don't think they consider low carbing a serious method of control, my doctors don't consider it treatment at all, so if diabetic they give you metformin a bit like they try to give people with any kind of cholesterol levels above zero statins, i don't think it takes a very hard push for them to give you met, if i understand what you mean by criteria, it seems if you once walked past a bakery or sweetshop, you get met, i reckon if you walk down the road and drop dead, they can say you were being treated

on the up side, i love metformin for many reasons and would rather take them than not, i hope I'm right about them as my youngest has been on them since she was 2 and eldest is now on them

Met has health advantages beyond a modest reduction in BG. One of which is free prescriptions if under 60 and do not qualify for free test strips etc. To get free prescriptions and medical supplies a T2 has to be on diabetes medication to qualify. Others can qualify such as the unemployed etc.

Thanks guys,
I get free prescriptions anyway and my meds cost the health service quite a lot but they should have diagnosed Conn's 30 years ago!
Derek

Maybe butting in here

But as Metformin has been mentioned I recalled this article by Kath and Graham, an interesting read



The flower is of course,the French lilac or goat's rue,the original source of that well known anti-diabetic drug Metformin. Believed to be the most widely prescribed diabetes drug in the world,it was introduced into Britain in 1958 but not licensed for use in T2 diabetes in the US until 1994.
It works by blocking the production of glucose in the liver and also by helping the body to utilise insulin properly.
It appears to be most effective in helping with weight loss and thus reducing insulin resistance. This effect is not maintained at the same rate after the initial period of weight loss and treatment, but many patients, including those not overweight at diagnosis ,continue to take it for the cardiovascular protection it is said to  afford. Although this cardiovascular protection, appears to be generally accepted; there does not appear to be conclusive proof. See below *

The article is here
http://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/metformin-beyond-its-blood-sugar.html

All the best Jan

i looked into metformin when it was prescribed to my little one for obvious reasons, normal chemists wouldn't give it to me, i had to go all the way to Great Ormand Street to get the scrippy and have it dispensed at their chemist, pain in the butt to say the least, i was very pleasantly surprised by all the benefits it is said to have, interestingly we was told it refines insulin, dosent seem quite right, so do the doctors actually know what it does or do they just dish it out lol

Hi Jan and Andy,
Thanks for information, very useful.

I have had an high GGT for some time, it is going down but still out of range at 81. I'll bear the fact in mind that Metformin can reduce NAFLD, or some studies indicate it can?
It seems it is a possibility.
regards
Derek

I'm just chatting mate, you should never actually listen to anything I say, it's backed up with nothing lol, this is my social time

Kept off metformin for a few years, it was was DSN who persuaded me to start them even though my A1c was stable, she cited the claimed heart health benefits which is backed up by some studies. 

Funnily enough an article on metformin popped up in my inbox today 

https://www.diabetesdaily.com/blog/2014/01/how-does-metformin-work/

I was originally told I could have no medication "until" my A1c was 8.

Recently I was told that they have started prescribing metformin to "prediabetics" but since I have now gone eleven years without it, I would have no chance. The GP was surprised that I have not progressed to full blown diabetes in all that time and admitted that "by now we would have expected you to be on at least two medications" but has little interest in how I achieved this impossible feat.

Generally it is good stuff, except for the need to wear brown trousers at first it has few side effects and many beneficial effects not just on insulin resistance. Plus it is cheap.

I was put on the normal metformin but my body couldn't tolerate it so was put on modified release. Wasn't AS bad but my stomach never stopped churning and felt like I needed the loo all the time so knocked them on the head yesterday. Going back on 2nd March and see what the Doc offers instead. She did say that I might not be able to tolerate the slow release ones either. When I mentioned low carb to her, she said to me "thats a very good diet for diabetes". So some doctors are getting there.

To be honest, I have been off low carb for a while as couldnt get my head back round it but going to start it again tomorrow. Essential now that I am not taking any medication.

No shit, Sherlock

sorry, couldn't resist!

Yes many more people can tolerate the SR version but still some can't, no matter how slowly you ramp up the dose.

GREAT to hear your doctor is onside, there are a few but there need to be many to make a difference.

Thanks Chris. Feel much better already and no offence taken lol

Free clue: about the best metformin, or any other drug for that matter, can achieve, is an A1c lowering of around 2%

Low carb routinely achieves 5 - 8% and even over 10%

Start here

Thanks Chris, I will check it out