What do the meds really do?

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-04-2007
What do the meds really do?
7
Wed, 06-06-2007 - 5:52pm
I really want to know! What do the meds really do for you other than to help lower blood sugar? Which if you try hard enough you can lower it on your own most of the time. Can someone help me with this? I want to know is there something else in it that works for other things? Please
Avatar for cl_coldfingers
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Wed, 06-06-2007 - 6:27pm

"Which if you try hard enough you can lower it on your own most of the time."


Sadly there are many who can NOT lower it on their own with just diet and excercise.


Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Wed, 06-06-2007 - 7:10pm

SuzieQ,


I agree with everything that Cheryl said. The other part of the answer is that medications are being tailored to treat the specific needs that the diabetic has.


Let me tell you my history as way of explanation.


I am a third generation diabetic. My grandmother died of the complications of diabetes. Both of my parents were elderly diabetics who were easily managed with medical nutritional therapy and exercise. Then I was diagnosed shortly after I had a hysterectomy. Today I would have probably been diagnosed before because the diagnositic criteria has changed.


When I first saw the endo he said that I wouldn't be able to manage my disease without being on insulin. Even though I am a nurse I was sent to a diabetic treatment center and a meal plan was developed for me. I was able to magically lose weight and as I could I exercised. My orthopedist told me not to exercise. I managed to get my blood sugar under control for six years. Then I began to feel badly and my A1C climbed to over 7. I felt like a failure because I couldn't control my blood sugar any longer. Intellectually I knew that I had done a good job but emotions often get in the way.


I was started on Amaryl which is a sulfonylurea and was on that for a year when my numbers got bad again and so I was started on metformin. (That is 7 years into my disease). Then my numbers returned to target and I continued to lose weight and decided to ignore the orthopedist as much as possible.


Then 3 years ago (this is 14 years into my disease)

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-04-2007
Wed, 06-06-2007 - 7:34pm
So Mary frances, your numbers are normally low? Below 100
Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Wed, 06-06-2007 - 10:40pm

No, but the Januvia has gotten my post meal numbers down. I have what is called Dawn Syndrome which is where your blood sugar drops between 3 and 4 am and your liver gets busy making blood glucose. I can go to bed with a 99 and get up in the morning with a 156. Quite frustrating. Or I can wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to go back to sleep because my blood sugar is too low. Yesterday at 3am it was 71. I ate a glucerna bar and when I got up in the morning it was 125. But the worst time I have is between breakfast and lunch. I usually eat breakfast around 8am and take my meds then. By eleven my blood sugar will be in the low 120s and by lunch an hour to hour and half later it will be as low as 55. Quite scary.


The doctors keep trying to figure out how to keep this from happening but nothing has worked yet. This is also one of the reasons that I am glad that I got to cut the insulin dosage. Maybe my after bedtime blood sugar won't drop so low.




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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-10-2003
Thu, 06-07-2007 - 8:08pm

Ya know, this disease would be SO MUCH EASIER if it was consistent! I mean same food acts the same on each of us, meds did the same, and even exercise did the same!! Sadly that is not the case.

I really do wish you were not having such a challenge on keeping the lows at bay!! At least on the good side during the day, you are not alone!! Hopefully soon they will get the right blend of meds and food so you are not having to juggle so much!!!

Auntydoxzz

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-04-2007
Sat, 06-09-2007 - 2:12pm
Mary Frances, I am sorry I took so long to get back to you on this. Other than controlling the blood sugar what else does it do. It seems as though there are to many problems with most of this and people always talk about their blood sugar going out of control again after having been on their meds for a while. So what is the point in taking all this stuff. Especially so many different things at one time because of reactions to taking to many things in your body. I just seem to still not sure of what I want to do.
Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Sun, 06-10-2007 - 1:05am

SusieQ,


You want to do whatever is necessary to keep your blood sugar under control.


Diabetes is a progressive disease which means that it gets worse over time. There are both naturceuticals and pharmaceuticals that are used to help you get your blood sugar under control. There are targeted meds depending upon what is wrong with your blood sugar. One drug doesn't do it all anymore.


As my sister told her doctor "She didn't wish to sacrifice her eyes, kidneys or feet on the altar of diabetes." So you do whatever is necessary to keep yourself healthy and without complications. Early in the disease you can often do this without medications by changing your lifestyle, by eating more fruits and veggies and less carbs and fatty foods, by exercising and by getting your weight as close to normal as possible.


As your doctor to send you to diabetic education classes to determine if you can manage your disease in this fashion. If you can't, then you will need to be started on medication to help you reach your treatment goals. Sometimes you are started on medications and when you get your blood sugar under control you are taken off of meds until you need them again.


You are not a failure because you are diabetic and you did nothing to deserve diabetes. But you have it and so you need to control it so you can lead as full a life as possible for many, many years. Around here we celebrate success, lament failures (and we all have them) and give gentle shoves when necessary.


I hope you do okay this weekend.




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