Newly diagnoised and need advice

[booklady]

Sometimes I just have to be hit over the head before I do what is right. I have been on and off low carbing for many years but never really committed and now I am at a point where I have to make a decision to be healthy or not and of course, I want to be healthy.
I currently just started my meds, 500 mg metformin twice a day and I am miserable on it. I am light headed and a bit dizzy once in a while and I do not want to have to live like this so I am back on low carb and I am going to do it right this time.
My A1C was 6.5 , and last year it was 6.4 but I never went back to the doctor for treatment because no one explained to me what the heck that meant. I have never had a finger test that was over 127 and honestly that one was yesterday and early today because I ate somethign I bought myself for Easter the day before I was diagonised and I ate some of it with my dinner. By this evening I was at 99 a few hours after lunch.
My normal tests an hour to several hours after eating have been 96 to 99
and the advice I am looking for is this.
Do I stay on the full dose of medicine while doing long term induction, or do I go off the meds because they make me so miserable, if I am willing to check my blood once a day to make sure it is okay.
I also started thyroid meds at the same time, same day. I take them once a day an hour before breakfast.
If anyone has some advice, I could use it. I never got my second dose of Metformin today because I had a big lunch and had no appetite and I take it with dinner and time got away from me. I is ten pm and I have not eaten yet but plan to eat a low carb dinner.
Thanks so much. Nothing like being scared straight. I wish it had not taken this to make me decide to do low carb again and this time really follow the rules of induction carefully. I just got cocky the last few times I tried low carb, and I say tried because I was not really doing it right if I am honest with myself.
Thanks,
Stephie

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Newly diagnoised and need advice

>> Do I stay on the full dose of medicine while doing long term induction,>>

That's something to discuss with your doctor.

[mommajen]

Re: Newly diagnoised and need advice

Welcome back! Sorry to hear about the diabetes! I can't actually speak from personal experience, but from dad experience. When he started low carb he had to keep a very close eye on his blood sugar while continuing to take his medication as prescribed. As his blood sugar started to level out due to eating right, the medication started to cause it to drop too low. I would follow dr.'s orders, but if eating low carb and taking medication please keep a close eye on your levels because it can drop too low!

Good luck on your journey....oh and I have missed you!

[Browneyedmelly]

Re: Newly diagnoised and need advice

The only thing I can speak to is the Thyroid.. I too was diagnosed with a Thyroid problem...I started taking the medication for it 2 weeks ago..even after losing a 100 pounds, and exercising I had never felt that burst of energy.. I was always tired etc... so at first I had a real problem taking the medication.. and I posted here about it.. and Bizzlekitty answered me back with this fantastic post..and so now I take it every morning like you do.. except of course this morning I forgot..and I notice, how tired I am today, when I actually was feeling better...so I guess the bottom line is, its been a good thing for me.. also my doctor said that Thyroid problems aren't caused by weight...and my blood sugar was 101... and the doctor told me that I was borderline...so I am working on it.. like we all are... good luck to you..

[booklady]

Re: Newly diagnoised and need advice

Thanks everyone for your replys.
I guess I will start back up tomorrow on the diabetes meds, I missed tonights and that was not planned.
I will test my blood every day and my next appt is on the 19th so I will see how I am doing by then and if he thinks I can either lower it or eliminate it. I just can't drive anywhere while on it, it makes me feel too light headed . Luckily I do not work or have to drive anywhere and can wait to run errands with one of our married daughters or my hubby.
I have only been on the thyroid meds for two days, so I am sure it will take time before it starts to work. i think I read on the fact sheet, up to two weeks, but I am not sure.
I am supposed to start lipitor too, and I am not sure if I should even start it. He really loaded me up on stuff all at once, lol !! I have not heard good things about statin drugs and if I am going to be on low carb, I am not sure if I should even start it.
It is good to be back and we ran to the store tonight and I loaded up on a lot of low carb protiens and I already have salad stuff and frozen veggies.
tomorrow will be my first full day. I ate some low glycemic carbs today, I think it was around 50 carbs total, but dinner was carb free and starting tomorrow, strict induction to the letter.
Stephie

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Newly diagnoised and need advice

>>dinner was carb free>>

You should spread your carbs out throught the day. Having a carb free meal means you didn't have any vegetables.

[booklady]

Re: Newly diagnoised and need advice

I actually did have a small amount of broc. The only reason I was not going to eat carbs this meal is I had plenty the start of the day and lunch before I decided to go back on low carb to get healthy. I had a small amount of cooked broc in the fridge and had that with my salmon. Tomorrow of course I will have the two cups salad and one cup veggies with lunch and dinner but no carbs for breakfast. I want to stick to induction levels and be good. Something I have not done my numerous times on low carb. I did not watch the amount of veggies like I should and ate way too much onions and tomatos, two things I love, but this time, by the rules. I printed them out and the induction foods and no fooling around this time. I want to get off the meds and be healthy and get this weight off !!!
Stephie

[2big4mysize]

Re: Newly diagnoised and need advice

welcome back to ADBB and to Atkins.

You have a very special issue because your diabetic meds can effect your thyroid meds so you need them both monitored. Your initial post said you were just diagnoised so is your next FT4 and FT3 retest scheduled for 4 or 6 weeks? how far out of normal were you?
did your doc talk to you about foods and meds that can interfer with Thyroid hormone production, conversion, and absorption from your intestines? Are you using that hour wait to do your mandatory exercise part or your atkins?

As the others have said you will need to monitor your blood glucose as you begin your low carbing as a diabetic on meds cause with less carbs in the diet you could easily get your blood sugars too low. Does your doc have you monitoring your blood glucose several times a day so they can see how your foods and meds are interacting?

[booklady]

Re: Newly diagnoised and need advice

I am still kind of confused as to why he has me on meds in he first place. My blood tests have stayed in the prediates range but my A1C was 6.5 when he just tested it.
He is going to have me come in every two weeks and do bloodwork and he has me checking my blood twice a day one hour after breakfast and dinner.
I called and asked for my test results to be mailed to me because I really do not know the numbers on any of this stuff other than the A1C.
This doctor is trying to get me to have weight loss surgery but no way. He had to have it done himself and was 350 pounds and on all these meds himself he said. He lost all the weight and is off all his meds now.
I think I am going to not take the diabetes meds for now, I cannot stand being light headed all the time and I want a chance to see how the thyroid meds and low carb work. For one, the two meds both list each other as drugs that might affect each other, which I thought the pharmacy would not let happen ?? I have been miserable since I started and I feel 500 mil twice a day for someone who has never tested high on the finger stick test . my average is 96 to 111 but usually 100 or less. I go back on the 19th and until then I am going to give it a try. I cannot live in the daze this med puts me in and I will watch my blood and test it a couple of times a day and as long as I see the numbers I have been seeing I will stay off the meds. I have only taken them for two days and I do not feel right about them. I did not want to start th em but let my family push me into it against my better judgement.
I know I will get flack about it, but I have never blindly followed what a doctor said and I do not want to now. If my blood tests go up, and I feel I need the meds, fine, I can go back on them, I will not be stupid , but after talking to some medical people on my own, no one really understands why the high dose in this case. One was a nurse that deals with diabetics.
so, that is what I am doing and I am going to keep a close watch on my blood levels and eat strict induction.
I feel much better now that I made this decision.
I doubt I will get much support for this decision, but I have to try this my way and see what I can do.
Stephie

[2big4mysize]

Re: Newly diagnoised and need advice

could be your doc is using the metaforin for its weight loss effect for you and not just for blood glucose issues. Many folk lose significant weight when they begin to use it for several months before the effect stops.

Did you tell him you were feeling light headed? did he know you were going to follow a very low carb diet too when he prescribed it?

However fixing your thyroid issues should help you lose weight too.

[booklady]

Re: Newly diagnoised and need advice

I went in the other day and told him how I was feeling and I did not feel like he was that concerned but I can't take it. I am light headed and weak on it and lose most of my day as I cannot get motivated to do anything. I figure I go in on the 19th, I am going to continue to take the thyroid meds of course and stick to strict induction, something I am ashamed to admit I have not done in a very long time. I would do what I thought was induction and eat more salad or veggies than I should, or eat a lot of tomato or onion, but not this time. I printed out the rules and foods and that is it. I will continue to check my blood and write it down and see how it goes and then if I am doing great, or not, I will fess up to him on the 19th. I know he will not be happy but living like I have been the last few days is miserable. LIke I said, he is pushing for me to have weight loss surgery and our insurance covers 20 percent, but no way. I know people personally who have had it, and it is not easy and I do not want that experience in any way, and that expense either.
I have tried to get meds for my thyroid for six years but never would test low enough but had symptoms on and off all these years, and when I asked him to test me he said, well, everyone wants it to be thier thyroid, but I will test you. I wanted to say somethign when he told me I had a low thryoid, but did not, but it felt good to have finally been diagonised when I knew for all these years I had that problem.
I also told him I had gallstones and he made me have an ultra sound and I was right. Not happy to be right about that one but the specialist said I do not need surgery but at any point if I want it I can have it.
I just want to follow my instincts on this too, and I know that by sticking to induction for an extended time I should not only see some weight come off, but see my numbers improve also. I have a bag of lipitor samples he wanted me to start as well, and no way, I am not going to do it. I will work my back side off excercising and eating right, but I refuse to be on all these drugs. Thyroid, no other choice, and hopefully it will help me lose, I have lost a few pounds this week, not sure which drug , if any, is responsible. For two days I was on a low gycymic diet, so eating some carbs, but only about 50 per day so going to Atkins was not a big stretch after that.
I feel much more at peace with this decison. I hope to see good results over the next weeks.
Stephie

[booklady]

Re: Newly diagnoised and need advice

Well, today, my first day of induction I went from 106 after breakfast, one hour, to 100 after lunch one hour and then down to 89 one hour after dinner. I think that is progress and I took the last med at ten am, so it would be just about out of my system by now, I read that it is in your system six to eight hours and six pm is the eight since I took it this morning before making my decision.
I am happy with these numbers and hope to see them continue like this and stay low. I could not be much happier about todays tests !!
Stephie

[2big4mysize]

Re: Newly diagnoised and need advice

how do you feel without that med and eating your atkins?

[booklady]

Re: Newly diagnoised and need advice

I had taken my am dose yesterday so today is my first day without it. I feel good but I also went off thyroid meds that gave me mild panic attacks and were making me hyperventilate and feel horrible. I plan to go see a specialist about that issue. I was on both meds for only four days, but it was four days of nightmare, yikes !!
My breakfast blood test , one hour after was 103 and after lunch 97 so that is not bad consdiering from the literature I was given a normal non diabetic can be as high as 140 an hour after a meal. I really think I was more prediabetic but very close to diabeties honestly. I will keep testing for now and I am still a bit icky from the meds, but by tomorrow I should feel better I think.
Thanks so much for asking !! I hope you are havign a nice day !!
Stephie

[2big4mysize]

Re: Newly diagnoised and need advice

sounds like your thyroid dose was too high. becareful caus eyou are going to have an effect from not taking the meds now for a few days.