OhioMomof3 Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 My husband's a1c level is 7.6%. The doctor has prescribed meds. What should we know? Can he not take the meds, yet still manage his glucose efficiently? Please help me know what to ask or to consider for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 What meds? I take metformin which has been used for decades and has good safety record and is also being studied in research on meds that increase longevity. It is also dirt cheap. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 With an A1C that high, he might need the help of meds. He needs to get a glucometer and test strips. He should be testing his bloodsugar a lot at first - fasting (ie. when he first gets up), and then two hours after every meal. As he does that, he will see what foods cause his sugar to go up higher. I would recommend a Paleo diet for him or something like the Zone diet - lots of vegetables, meats, no grains at first anyway. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhioMomof3 Posted February 19, 2016 Author Share Posted February 19, 2016 The doctor prescribed metformin once a day. I am concerned about him starting on a medication that he will then be on for life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 Tell him to try Dr. Bernstein's diet first - he may still benefit from Metformin but there is no reason that a1c cannot be managed with lifestyle changes. http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316182699/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455922926&sr=8-1&keywords=dr+bernstein+diabetes+solution Medication isn't side effect free - diet and especially exercise every single day is THE easiest and healthiest fix. With a total overhaul of his diet and activity habits I'd expect dramatic changes in his a1c within 6-8 weeks and his postprandial numbers should look better within a few days. I'm not low carb because I like it, I'm low carb because I want to keep my vision and phalanges and like not being the size of a house ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 The doctor prescribed metformin once a day. I am concerned about him starting on a medication that he will then be on for life. Metformin is actually a great and low side effect drug. I take it even with an a1c of about 4.7 last I checked, because I have other energy processing issues it assists with and am at super high risk for diabetes without my current lifestyle. It has no real downsides, is dirt cheap, and will help aid other changes he makes. Don't rely on it exclusively, but it's an excellent drug and I'm not a huge fan of pharmacological solutions to problems that can be managed other ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freesia Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 The doctor prescribed metformin once a day. I am concerned about him starting on a medication that he will then be on for life.Metformin is not a drug that once you start taking it you need to be on it forever. He needs to get his blood glucose levels down b/c they are causing damage to his body that high. Furthermore, the Pancreas can often regain some ability if the cells are rested (right now they are likely overworking, some are not working, the rest are just exhausted and need a rest.) The only way to give them a rest is to get the glucose levels down. Medication is one of the faster ways. Also, he needs to drastically cut carbs (all grains and starches, not just sugar and white flour) and try to start walking or exercising daily. That's the only way to manage without medication. Once his numbers are down, he can work with his doctor to go off the meds and manage with diet alone. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 The doctor prescribed metformin once a day. I am concerned about him starting on a medication that he will then be on for life. Many people use Metformin for a period of time and then come off of it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhioMomof3 Posted February 20, 2016 Author Share Posted February 20, 2016 Thank you all for answering. Arctic Mama--what are postprandial numbers? I will try to reserve the book you recommended. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 Postprandial means "after eating" - it is the two hours after eating testing that I referred to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhioMomof3 Posted February 20, 2016 Author Share Posted February 20, 2016 Thanks, Jean. Now I'm off to learn more... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 Yup, what she said :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 (edited) The doctor prescribed metformin once a day. I am concerned about him starting on a medication that he will then be on for life. My husband took metformin for about six months. During that time he lost 40 pounds and was able to come off of the metformin. He made some drastic lifestyle changes. He has now lost a total of sixty pounds and has kept his weight off for almost four years. His physician monitors him about every three months. He has discontinued all but one asthma med and one cholesterol med. Prior to his lifestyle changes, he was on about six different medications for asthma, blood pressure and digestive issues. Did the doctor not talk to him about lifestyle changes or does he already lead a healthy lifestyle in regards to diet and exercise? If diabetes goes untreated, it can lead to blindness (vision changes were my dh's first and only symptom), nerve damage (really painful) and slower healing times for wounds (even simple ones that only require a band aid). Ultimately, it can lead to death. There really isn't a choice as to whether or not to treat diabetes. You either make the lifestyle changes needed so that it isn't an issue or you take medication (sometimes both). If you don't, you could die. It's that simple. I urge you and your husband to take a diabetes education class. It's important. Edited February 20, 2016 by TechWife 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porridge Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 Ditto what everyone said. Uncontrolled blood sugar can cause permanent (yet often silent) damage to multiple body organ systems. I advise starting the metformin but concurrently making a real effort to lose weight (if he's overweight) and make lifestyle changes (such as regular exercise and dietary changes). Like others have mentioned, many individuals are able to come off of metformin (or other diabetes meds) once they lose weight and change their lifestyles. All meds have side effects. But unless your husband has other problems such as liver or kidney disease, the risks of uncontrolled blood sugar probably outweigh the risks of metformin side effects. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhioMomof3 Posted February 20, 2016 Author Share Posted February 20, 2016 My husband's weight isn't the issue, and he is physically active through work. His diet HAS been an issue. He has made many positive changes in the last 6 months (dropping soda, eating more vegetables, decreasing grain and starch consumption), but years of unhealthy habits have probably caught up with him. His father has diabetes as well, so perhaps that has contributed as well. I appreciate all your words of wisdom. We will definitely be trying to learn as much as we can about the lifestyle changes he needs to make so that this can be managed well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 Just as an fyi, I don't know if you have a Publix grocery store near you but they give out Metformin prescriptions for free. No copay and no filing with insurance. Just bring in a paper prescription from your doctor to the pharmacy. It is possible to manage diabetes with diet alone, and perhaps with a low dosage of Metformin, but the diet limits carbs which is really hard for some people to do. My mom did it successfully for about 3 years and then started eating carbs again. Her doctor had to put her on medication because her A1C went up so high again like when she was first diagnosed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acorn Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 I think Meijer will also fill metaformin scripts for free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacus2 Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 I found the book Blood Sugar 101 extremely helpful. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0964711664/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687722&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0964711613&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1TX39A09PWEDT5WXKPFD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhioMomof3 Posted February 20, 2016 Author Share Posted February 20, 2016 Thanks for the information about store pharmacies. We don't have Publix here, but we do have Meier's. Thanks, abacus2, for the book recommendation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 Blood Sugar 101 - http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/ Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt - Diet Doctor - http://www.dietdoctor.com/ Dr. Jason Fung - https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/ The first link provides a lot of excellent information about diabetes. The second two are medical doctors (one in Sweden, one in Canada) who are proponents of lifestyle changes to treat diabetes. They are not anti-meds but believe that "meds first' is a mistake when Type 2 diabetes can often be much more successfully treated with lifestyle changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhioMomof3 Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 Thanks very much, Pegasus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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