Please discuss Pre-diabetes here

[Gebo]

Originally Posted by Mad_Hatter

Be glad you're taking the extended release.. the regular Metformin can be brutal. It messed me up to the point I finally told my endocrinologist I couldn't take it anymore. The stomach cramps, gas and diarrhea was horrendous. OP.. I've never heard of someone taking Metformin when their a1c and blood sugars are as low as yours. When mine gets out of wack it's like over 11 (a1c) and blood sugars in the 400's. I would think you should be able to control yours with diet alone but as mentioned this is a serious topic/conversation best had with your Dr. Hope you can get it under control..

I concur. I dream of 125... Mad_Hatter, you may understand this statement. "I sure am glad I got leather seats."

 

[PimTac]

Something to consider, supplements. I take 2gm of fish oil each day. Even with the back and forth news about fish oil I think it's a good idea. With Metformin, a good B Complex vitamin is not a bad idea. If you are on a statin drug then consider Ubiquinol. One example of quality is Ubiquinol made by Kaneka. This will be shown on the bottle. Many brands use their formulation. I take Jarrow brand.

 

[stockrex]

Originally Posted by wwillson

Read, "The Salt Fix" and "Wheat Belly" it will change the way you think about food and it will change what you eat. Eat fish, meat, eggs, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Avoid wheat and processed sugar (like corn syrup), as both are contributing to obesity, diabetes, and a myriad of other health problems.

This, I am pre and I started reading the food labels and most food, I mean even the bread, soups etc have sugar or high fructose corn syrup in it. it has been a tall order to find stuff to eat without added sugar in it.

 

[JimPghPA]

I am only temporally using the FreeStyle Libre 14 day system and so far am glad I decided to try it. It allows me to see what foods cause blood glucose spikes, and what ones do not. And also, how high and how long the spikes last. One book I read said that whole grain bread is OK. That was wrong. For years I use to have a glass of orange juice, a glass of Welch's grape juice, and two slices of sun-maid cinnamon raisin bread for a quick breakfast. I reduced the amount of orange juice to a weight of 160 grams, and the grape juice to a weight of 80 grams with enough water to bring the weight up to 200 grams, and substituted two slices of Petrice Farms whole grain cinnamon raisin bread instead of the sun-maid. By trial and error I found out that the 160 grams weight of high pulp simply orange or Tropicana orange juice does not cause a blood glucose spike, the 80 grams of grape juice does cause a blood glucose spike (so I no longer drink that) and the two slices of raisin bread of either brand causes a spike so I no longer eat that. Now for breakfast I have 160 grams of high pulp orange juice, one egg (hard boiled), 50 grams of blueberries, and one cup of Greek yogurt. And with all that my after breakfast blood glucose peak spike is below 130. For lunch I have one egg, 160 grams of home made ice tea with 1 gram of sugar per 20 grams of ice tea (8 grams total), 50 grams of blueberries. And my after lunch blood glucose peak rise is below 130 peak. For a mid day snack I have one small or medium apple, and sometimes also two slices of Land-O-Lakes yellow american cheese. And my after snack blood glucose peak spike is below 130 peak. For dinner I have half a can (208 grams) of Ami's black bean chili, one Greek yogurt, 10 grams of walnuts, 10 grams of cashews, 5 grams of sliced almonds, and a cold bottle of water. And my after diner blood glucose peak spike is below 130. For and evening snack I have 60 grams of cottage-cheese with two slices of peach that was packed in light syrup, and 60 grams of chocolate whole milk. And my after evening snack blood glucose peak spike is below 130. Sometimes I also snack on two slices of Land-O-Lake yellow american cheese, or one peter-paul mounds snack size coconut candy that has dark chocolate covering, and still keep by blood glucose spike after it to below 130. Also sometimes when I am hungry I have 25 grams of "Jenny's old fashioned popcorn" already popped popcorn from Walmart or Duffy'd bear distributor. And keep my blood glucose spike peak below 130. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One of the things I read in the first book I talked about is that if the amount of fiber in a serving is 5 or more you can subtract half the amount of the fiber from the amount of carbohydrates.

 

[Cujet]

Occasional Water fasting, like a 3 day water/lemon unsweetened iced tea/Diet Coke fast will help some people significantly improve insulin sensitivity. Done correctly, it's among the most powerful tools in the anti diabetes toolbox. It's not easy or pleasant. It is effective. There are other methods, circadian fasting, for example. They may or may not be effective.

 

[stockrex]

Cujet - so no food at all for 3 day? man I don't think I can make it that long without some bites.

 

[Alfred_B]

The first 24 hours of fasting are difficult. By the middle of the second day you stop wanting to eat and it gets easy.

 

[Cujet]

Originally Posted by stockrex

Cujet - so no food at all for 3 day? man I don't think I can make it that long without some bites.

Correct, no food at all. And yes some people may not be able to do it for various reasons. But if one is reasonably healthy, it is safe and a game changer .

 

[javacontour]

The way I understand it, (and I'm an engineer, not a doctor) is that the A1C shows an average of how things have been over the past say 90 days. Where your blood glucose is a snapshot of where things are right now. https://www.health.harvard.edu/news...e-between-blood-sugar-and-hemoglobin-a1c

Originally Posted by Eddie

I thought an A1c measurement was the more accurate measure than a blood glucose measurement. Ed

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by javacontour

The way I understand it, (and I'm an engineer, not a doctor) is that the A1C shows an average of how things have been over the past say 90 days. Where your blood glucose is a snapshot of where things are right now. https://www.health.harvard.edu/news...e-between-blood-sugar-and-hemoglobin-a1c

Originally Posted by Eddie

I thought an A1c measurement was the more accurate measure than a blood glucose measurement. Ed

I believe this to be correct.

 

[bbhero]

Originally Posted by PimTac

Originally Posted by javacontour

The way I understand it, (and I'm an engineer, not a doctor) is that the A1C shows an average of how things have been over the past say 90 days. Where your blood glucose is a snapshot of where things are right now. https://www.health.harvard.edu/news...e-between-blood-sugar-and-hemoglobin-a1c

Originally Posted by Eddie

I thought an A1c measurement was the more accurate measure than a blood glucose measurement. Ed

I believe this to be correct.

That is exactly right guys... In other words a correlation to your average blood glucose levels in that 90 day period of time. I have seen some patient levels HgA1c levels at 12+

 

[JimPghPA]

Originally Posted by Wolf359

Originally Posted by JimPghPA

Originally Posted by Mad_Hatter

Be glad you're taking the extended release.. the regular Metformin can be brutal. It messed me up to the point I finally told my endocrinologist I couldn't take it anymore. The stomach cramps, gas and diarrhea was horrendous. OP.. I've never heard of someone taking Metformin when there a1c and blood sugars are as low as yours. When mine gets out of wack it's like over 11 (a1c) and blood sugars in the 400's. I would think you should be able to control yours with diet alone but as mentioned this is a serious topic/conversation best had with your Dr. Hope you can get it under control..

Maybe with my recent weight loss, exercising, and better diet my A1c will test low enough to get off the metformin.

What kind of exercising are you doing? I still take classes and while it's hard to keep up with 20-30 year old these days, I still manage to bang out a ton of pushups, situps, burpees, etc in those hour long classes, I'm usually drenched afterwards, there's a few others in their 50-60s still taking those classes too. Many studies support high intensity training as the way to go, but walking is still better than nothing. Also you're being a little vague on the BMI chart, 0there's underweight, health, overweight and obese is the standard categories, not really a good one unless you're referring to being at a healthy weight range. 222

By "good range" I ment "healthy" range. I'm 6 ft 4 in tall and went from 227# to 188#. Do an internet search for "BMI healthy weight forum" Select the BMI healthy weight forum and scroll down to where you enter information. Enter your height and weight and it will show you your BMI with both the old scale that is still widely used, and the new scale that is more properly weighed for tall and short people. __________________________________________________ As for exercise I have been walking and doing crunches (sit ups but only part way up).

 

[alarmguy]

I have pretty good idea of type 2 from family, dad, brother. Its not a good thing and not to be taken lightly. Im a tiny bit younger then the OP and I have avoided it, so far. THE OP A1C isnt great but if I am right, he can knock it down in a week or two, so three months later it will be a 5. This is what I have noticed about type 2 people. Please do not take anything personal, I have watched it slowly deteriorate family members, its just terrible, medications, diets is all just, sadly BS. If anyone truly wants to control/avoid, the cold truth is, you need to weigh what you are supposed to weight according to BMI charts. YOU DO NOT NEED A DIET, you need to eat what a human is supposed to eat to stay healthy and the lower weight will follow. Its really that simple. The vast majority of type 2 patient's are overweight, and no one can fix that but you. Its is known that the condition makes one feel hungry all the time but the only way to beat it is not eat. Its really simple, one or two shredded wheat for breakfast, no lunch, and for dinner, red meat 6oz or less portion once a week, chicken and fish the rest of the week, fish at least 2 times. NO fried food, no excuses, a piece of meat, some broccoli and one kind of starch for dinner and that is IT. No snacks at night except fruit maybe a couple animal crackers. If one can do this, you WILL be within your BMI within weeks. Once you are, you can have ONE night of your choosing of anything goes is what I do when I go out to eat and what that means is I dont feel the need to worry about what I have that one night, interestingly even though that is my one night, I dont overeat as you will learn to HATE that stuffed feeling. Im not a doctor, the above is what I do and so far, god willing, I have avoided this dreaded disease, I have seen what it does and its scary, the thing is, since it is a slow progression unlike a cancer, I think people tend to not take is as serious as they should. Its good the OP really is concerned, hope this helps, good luck.

 

[alarmguy]

double post - deleted

 

[stockrex]

I am not a doctor but spend 12 hours a day with doctors/surgeons in the top academic hospitals in our nation. Some of the stuff we discuss here are on the bleeding edge and most docs are oblivious to these. One needs to understand his/her body and root cause and take action. From what I read here: Type II = Insulin insensitivity, I confirmed this, I took a C-Peptide blood test which confirms insulin production. And I make insulin fine, but I prolly make TOO much as my diet over time has resulted in this. Weight - is key but I know lot of skinny type II men and women, more men than women. I am going to do the fasting deal, I am taking my potion size down to few bites each time. Bottom line, one has to reduce overall insulin production over time, There were some videos posted here some months back, they were very enlightening.

 

[Spector]

My souse was diagnosed a Type 2 in 2012 and two years ago moved to a Type I What is interesting is that we now know that each doctor's plan is really his or her opinion, and, it varies by age which they never tell you. the goal of a BS of 100 is great for a 40 year old, but perhaps not normal for a 60 year old. The lab normal reports never structure by age. Each doctor we have seen has their own opinion as to what she should be at so never ever believe your doc is the absolute solution. The common factor for lab normals are a BS of 100 or less fasting and an A1C of less than 6. Well, that is crap for the most part. Now age 72 and endocrinologist is saying an A1C of 7 to 7.5 is good for a 72 year old because now studies are showing that lower than a 6.5 or so indicate more heart issues for those over 70. remember the A1C is a 90 day average and each day is an average, so a 250 BS for 6 of 24 hours can still average out okay if the other 18 are below 100 it is all a game. 6 hours over 250 is not good but it can still results in a good A1C, all a game of averages. yes, try to keep the BS lower than 140 (140 equates to less than 7 A1C) but it is an AVERAGE. Now that she has lost her pancreas entirely the Endocrinologists at Vanderbilt want her BS levels between 140-180 and they are not too concerned about low 200s anymore they want to avoid any BS of less than 70. So, basically try to eat healthy but do not let the docs intimidate you with the need to take drugs, metformin for example can have a detrimental effect on the kidneys so the best is to keep off of drugs as long as possible, eat with the carbs in mind and ask a lot of questions. Your physician does not have all the answers and his plan depends on where he or she was trained, their own experience and the influence of the drug reps.

 

[alarmguy]

Originally Posted by stockrex

I am not a doctor but spend 12 hours a day with doctors/surgeons in the top academic hospitals in our nation. Some of the stuff we discuss here are on the bleeding edge and most docs are oblivious to these. One needs to understand his/her body and root cause and take action. From what I read here: Type II = Insulin insensitivity, Weight - is key but I know lot of skinny type II men and women, more men than women.

You may know a lot of "skinny" type two but they are a TINY minority compared to overweight type 2, its just a fact. Overeating leads to insulin insensitivity in the vast majority of people and why there is a type 2 epidemic in this country that exactly matches the overweight epidemic. Two meals a day, no excuses (as I posted above), no diets, (diets are nothing more then an excuse to not eat properly) no snacking and peoples lives would start to change. Dont need a doctor to tell you that, do it, then keep your regular check ups, doctors prescribe drugs right away, for one reason, only a tiny minority take serious the condition enough to do something about it so they dont waste their time thinking you will do anything and know drugs are best. and regarding another post, yes a BS of 100 or less is normal and needed for anyone at any age and no reason for it not to be if you eat properly and did not move past pre diabetes . "the industry" doesnt want you to eat properly, major lost revenue if you did.

 

[stockrex]

Eating properly = this has been my problem, especially when I travel. I ended up getting boiled eggs and deli turkey and cheese from walmart Quantity has been as issue when I go out to eat.

 

[alarmguy]

I firmly believe food is just as additive as nicotine. We all have our faults and struggles over the marketing of corporations. They know the trigger points to profits and worse then ever now with the internet exposing how you think.

 

[Wolf359]

I'm just curious what your exercise levels are. I go to the gym 3-4 times a week and I've had an A1C at 4.5 every time I get a physical. I like taking the classes because it's different every time and you end up doing exercises that you don't normally do so you get a good overall work. Plus there's usually some ladder of exercises so eventually you're doing at least 50-100 pushups/burpees etc per session and it doesn't even seem like it's that much, it's just that you're doing them 3x and maybe that 3x set twice so it's only 10-15 in one shot. I used to think of it as being cheaper than physical therapy because when I just lifted weights, eventually I'd get some leg or arm injury just from not mixing it up enough.