Actos?

[tabekat]

Saw a doc today to discuss the diabetes issue. Gave her 4 days of blood tests all mysteriously high. she had me take a blood test and will give me the results in a week. in the meantime, she started me on a drug called actos (pioglitazone) which I have never taken before. anyone know anything about it?

[sassyone]

Hi tabekat, I don't know anything about it- I would do a search on the internet to check it out. Find out if it typically causes lows or any other side effects taht you should be aware of. Good luck with it, because I have had those highs too and I know how lousy you feel when you are having them- but the lows suck too! Let us know how you are doing.

[canuck]

it not what you need, you need something to open your cells and to stop liver from spewing glycogen in middle of night, like metphormin as Dr Atkins says, this will increase your insulin production, make you eat more when have hi and lows, make you gain and make more insulin flow in blood stream which damages veins and arteries same way as too much sugar, call and ask her why you cant use methphromin and insist, let us know blood work result, goodonya for tackling it, you'll feel better in long run.Its a buggar for sure but if dont manage it it will kill you young. :wave

[2big4mysize]

it is one of a class of drugs that help your body better use the insulin you are producing.

Did you tell her you took your hubbies pills as that will alter your blood work results?

[tabekat]

say what????

I have tried to take Meformin in the past. I spent about 8 months trying to adjust to it. Metformin is a problem drug for me. It makes me feel nauseous all the time. If I didn't take it on an overfull stomach I would feel even more sick. So I was always overeating to compensate. No matter how much I ate I had a weird hyper stomach is empty feeling inside of me. I'm shocked to hear you say Actos is worthless. I'll have to talk to the doctor about that.

[RunAwayMichelle]

I've been on Actos for about three years and I highly recommend it. I have no side effect and my diabetus is in good control.


There is a good website on Actos at

http://www.actos.com/sub_sec1_about_actos.asp

It takes time to work, anywhere from 2 to several weeks. It helps your body to use your own insulin better. It reduces insulin resistance. I don't think it increases your insulin production. My doctor put me on two drugs - Actos to reduce insulin resistance and Gluconorm to increase insulin production. I took the gluconorm before every meal. Since starting Atkins I have been able to eliminate all Gluconorm and I just take Actos now.

I am not constantly hungry and I only have cravings when I'm stupid enough to start cheating again. Check out the Actos website and talk to your doctor.

[canuck]

I did NOT say it is worthless, please do NOT misconstrue what I said, you are on an Atkins board, following his diabetic program and so that is what we follow and that is all I know to talk to you about so I go by HIS guidelines....actos according to him is NOT the drug of choice for a type II.
You have not mentioned if you have had a c peptide test done to see how much insulin you are making and if you need actos or a drug such as metphormin. You indicated only you took husbands drugs for few days, never mentioned 8 months unless I missed it.???Acots is a TZDs drug, known like the other one Avandia to cause heart problems, swelling, and weight gain, fluid retention that contributes towards heart isses, and can be risky if you have any heart issues. Look in any American magazine and there are big one page ads alerting diabetics to the dangers of actos and avandia.Just educate yourself, research it all, and find what works for you. Good Luck
:wave

[shawnee]

I have tried all the drugs at one time or another but they are expensive & all have their side effects

For me the following three supplements taken regularly plus a low carb lifestyle (eating low carb + regular exericse) keep me 100% normal

My reading used to be just like yours even when taking meds.

The three supplements are Biotin (cheap) GTF Chromium (also cheap) & Alpha Lipoic Acid (not cheap)

Alpha Lipoic Acid is prescribed for Diabetics by doctors in Europe & other places & is very effective

The cheapest place I've found to buy all these things are at vitacost.com

Just remember supplements are not 'strong' drugs like what the doctors prescribe you so they take a month or so to 'kick in' but they have no side effects & work very well. for most people. Just be careful taken in conjunction w/prescription meds they can bring your BG down too low

What I did is stop the prescription meds, start taking the supplements & kept a record of my BG readings for a few weeks & then showed my doctor. What could he say, the results were there in black & white & they were better than with his expensive prescription meds. Slowly I have converted him & now he often gives my e-mail to new patients that are diabetic to discuss this with them & let them try supplements before trying anything else

[tabekat]

Thanks for all the responses. Canuck, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to misquote you. I just misunderstood. Please forgive.

You are right, you don't know my background and I've barely started posting in this forum.

I've known I was a diabetic for about 2 - 3 years. Heck, I have no idea how long. I have been very cavalier about consistent behavior towards this thing. Only when I feel really, really lousy will I seek treatment.

I did go on metformin for about 8 months in the past but it was a miserable time for me. So I would go on it and get off it and sometimes go into denial and do nothing about the diabetes at all.

I'm just recently wrote this forum in an attempt to get honest about the diabetes and do something proactive about it. The question is what?

I'm sticking to Atkins like glue and I never stray back to high carb foods. So I'm really shocked that my blood scores are so high.

After 3 days the Actos is making me nauseous. This is not something I like to live with.

I'm grateful for all suggestions and just hopeful to find a cure or a medication that will work without giving me awful symptoms.

Also, I don't have insurance so I have to find a solution I can afford.
Thanks Michelle and Shawnee for your input too. Great wisdom and knowledge here. :nod

[2big4mysize]

first are your blkood sugar reading done correctly when you get up and 2 hrs after mealds not right after them? timing has a great effect on the accurac=y of the levels.

then look at your protein intake and see if you have it too high. Our bodies are fantastic machines thqat not opnly burn 2 different fuels but can convert the nonfules like protein to other forms AKA sugar for burning. this is why diabetics get not only sugar warnings but protein intake as well. This is also why Atkins is great for diabetics cause you are using fats for fuel which never need to ever see any insulin for beakdown.

HAng in there and work with your doc. HAve you looked at the programs that are avail to folk who don't have insurance to get their meds paid for? If your doc certs that you don't have the money and they are treating as such there arer forms you fill out the the med conpany sends your drugs to the doc 3 moinths at a time.

HAppy low carbing.

[canuck]

See lots of ideas here, that is good,

I reread my post as saw a few peoples reactions, I typed in insulin production, meant to say insulin sensitivity, sorry, I don’t have allot of time when come here and type fast as I work 16 hr a day right now, one reason I left being a mod here However, Actos and Avandia are still dangerous drugs for many people, that doesn’t change that fact so you must research, you can depend on your doc or just us, you must do your own work too, we are only a small fraction of your total plan for how you want to care for yourself.

If you have not had a c peptide test how does your doc know you need a drug to increase insulin sensitivity and not say insulin….see what I mean….is it just a grope in the dark as you cant take metphormin, sounds like it to me but I don't have all your info here, it is sketchy….

I operate here according to Atkins....and I stand by that as his book does too…..this is a good post though as look we have 64 views and only 8 posts, I just love these ones that get people reading , coming here, and thus thinking....always amazes me how when some of us have a bit of a different opinion it brings out the ants to have a gander…..LOL isn’t it kewl…..anyhow tab stay on it, yer in the right direction…......it is still not the drug of choice Atkins says and I go by him, I mean we are on an Atkins board right???

Just like do we do a clean induction or do we eat low carb and munch on nuts and milk the first two weeks, my job here was to promote Atkins and his plan for diabetes and even though I no longer mod I follow his plan and his drugs of choice.

If you buy his supplement book, he has about 30 supplements he recommends for diabetes but you must read up on them too as like drugs some of them can be toxic and some can have some side effects. He uses a lot of Vit E and selenium which for diabetes is not a good thing according to recent research if any heart issues. Every week they have new research so you must stay on top of it of what is good and what can be harmful. You can’t put your health care just in someone else hands and you must be ultimately responsible. there is something big time wrong if in such a wealthy big country you cant get adequate care for diabetes due to lack of money to buy some simple drugs, bug the heck out of your doctor, call your gov rep, call the bush 1 800 line but do something as when you are 60 and have no feet and waiting for dialysis from sitting around with high bg as didn’t have enough money believe me you will be so p;d off and upset you’ll wish you did something back in 2005 when you felt ready!!!!!

Do it now, its good for you and helps you deal with the anger of the disease as well, you deserve basic health care, that is everyone’s right no matter what country you live in….man people in Cambodia had access to better healthcare....demand it, don’t sit passively by and allow the denial to creep in to your economic state and not get the care you deserve as it is your basic human right.Dont accept this shoddy system, you are worth more in my eyes for sure!!!

Look up diabetic proactive groups in area you live, I only know my country and my area but have helped some diabetic groups in USA before get their areas active, so you can do that too and a lot easier than me as I don’t live there but please, you are worth more aren’t you, you cant just accept I have diabetes, I need medical intervention and I have no money therefore I cant get treatment, man make it work for ya kiddo as someday it might be too late, end of my rant!!!! As you can tell, your lack of care in your system makes me mad!!!! I hear sad sad stories day after day from Americans in my B&B …same as yours….

As Shawnee says he found supplements worked for him, research that too, once I did Atkins religiously for a month, I needed neither but we are all different.

You need the tests to see if you are reproducing any insulin at all, maybe why even though low carb you are not getting lower readings. This has not been done so you don’t even know what you are dealing with right now, maybe you don’t make nada insulin, then you need to look at that, maybe insulin injections are necessary but to help when have half a story doesn’t work.

What time do you check bg, two hr exactly after eating or one hr, see what I mean about so much info missing.

Diabetes is all about denial, all of us have been there done that, that is part of the process and shame of having the flippin illness but don’t quit due to medical plan there are agencies in USA that can help, as 2 big days ask your doctor. 2big we really must buy you a spell check or a tutor. Heheheheh

Anyhow tab, stay on it, you are making progress and coming out of closet and looking around is good for ya and helps to put the denial to sleep and wake you up to what do you need to do on your own to live to be an old lady,( do ya wear purple??) I hear ya about the denial etc etc, I know what you mean but please find a way to get more proactive and not allow and accept the money for medical care as your roadblock, Do you ever visit the Bernstein site????
Coop knows it, maybe she’ll see it and can look it up for you and add it here or you could explore and find it, gotta go cook for 6 hungry New Yorkers (he just told me how he couldn’t get his ACL done as didn’t have $60,000 and my son has had his done twice so he ahs no pain and can walk good)……..duh….better go and make extra strong coffee
you stay on it girl and keep plodding along and it will come but answer the questions we keep asking that don't get answered:
time of test
c peptide done
how much protien
how much excercise
have tried supplements?? need many months for them to make diff. :hug

[JennyO]

Re: Actos?

Before I lost 70 lbs on Atkins and eliminated all medications I was taking Actos. I don't know if it had any special effect on me at that time because I was feeling so bad, I don't know what was the real cause, Actos, Insuline or any of the other 13 medications I was taking. However, after losing all this weight, I went on a binge and regained 40 lbs. My BS was up and eventhough I started Atkins again I could not control my BS, so I went back on Actos. I was already taking Glucophage. I have never felt so sick in my entire life. I retained so much water, I could not breath or walk, much less bend down. Had to take the Lasix on a daily basis, which I had not done in a while. To tell you the truth (the 30 days cost me $200 and I don't have insurance). When they were gone. I stopped taking them and will not take them again in my life.

I am back on Atkins and being very strick. Today for the first time in over 8 months my BS was down to 111. I know that Atkins works, I just need to not become so depressed again and stick with it.

[norweaver]

Re: Actos?

I'm a diabetic and an RN, and Actos is not worthless. It helps your body utilize the insulin it does make more efficiently. But....it does cause side effects for some people. I also developed edema and extreme shortness of breath and activity intolerance on it, but for most it works fine. In combination with diet and exercise. I have been struggling for a couple of years with denial and anger myself and have only recently decided that I needed to take responsibility for my own sugar levels and diet, as well as working closely with my MD to benefit myself. Take a look at the Dr. Bernstein website that canuck posted, it's VERY interesting. I just sent for the book.

Also, ask your MD to intervene with the drug company (they need to call and fill out some paperwork for you) or go online and check to see if they have a drug assistance program. Most every drug company does. Also, can your MD give you samples regularly? If you don't have a glucometer, Lifescan or another company might help you out. The teststrips are pricey though.

I hope for your wellbeing that persistence with Atkins will straighten things out for you. I'm glad you joined us.