Diabetics Progress Reports

[NurseMonkee]

I've been on metformin for a month now, and am now on the full 1,500 dosage. The last few days I've noticed that my numbers are dropping. Normally I would be really happy, but since I am getting nasty headaches, and I've NEVER been under 100, I am a little concerned. I am starting to feel hypo. Am I going down naturally? or is it dropping too much, too soon?

TODAY:

140 when I woke up

Had a taco salad for lunch.

118 (2 hours after lunch)

4 hours after lunch my head was pounding. Elevated heartrate.
I checked my blood sugar and it was 96 (4 hours after lunch)

Made myself a snack of 1/2 cup of fage yogurt with 2T. flaxmeal, 1T. unsalted butter, 1tsp. cinnamon and stevia.

Two hours later, I checked again and I was now down to 91

My headache died down a little, but it's still there. It feels like a really nasty migraine.

This has been my pattern every other day.

[BrianSCohen]

Originally Posted by NurseMonkee

I've been on metformin for a month now, and am now on the full 1,500 dosage. The last few days I've noticed that my numbers are dropping. Normally I would be really happy, but since I am getting nasty headaches, and I've NEVER been under 100, I am a little concerned. I am starting to feel hypo. Am I going down naturally? or is it dropping too much, too soon?

TODAY:

140 when I woke up

Had a taco salad for lunch.

118 (2 hours after lunch)

4 hours after lunch my head was pounding. Elevated heartrate.
I checked my blood sugar and it was 96 (4 hours after lunch)

Made myself a snack of 1/2 cup of fage yogurt with 2T. flaxmeal, 1T. unsalted butter, 1tsp. cinnamon and stevia.

Two hours later, I checked again and I was now down to 91

My headache died down a little, but it's still there. It feels like a really nasty migraine.

This has been my pattern every other day.

If you were here, I would pat you on the back. I am proud of you. I know that you are feeling ill, but you are really making progress. Your dropping blood sugar won't do you any harm. Remember, if you have been having high blood sugars, your body will adjust and it will feel "normal," even if it is really high. As you get your blood sugar numbers down to truly normal, you may feel hypoglycemic, but you really are not. The symptoms you describe are consistent with hypoglycemia. Here are some of the symptoms:

nervousness,
sweating,
intense hunger,
trembling,
weakness,
palpitations

Let me assure you that these feelings should pass and, within the week, your body should adjust to the new blood sugar levels. In the meantime, let me give you a trick that will just get you through this time. When you feel hypo, test yourself, and if you are in the 90s, take a single smartie per hour. After an hour is up, if you feel poorly again, test and another smartie. In a couple days, change, if you are in the 80s, take a smartie per hour, but nothing for the nineties. Then, after a week, if you still feel hypo and you see a reading in the 70s, you can have a smartie. The smartie will raise you a 3 -10 mg/dl, enough to relieve some of the symptoms, and it should work within 15 minutes and last an hour. Then you won't feel poorly and can still make continued progress.

I am really happy for you. You are doing great.

[NurseMonkee]

Originally Posted by BrianSCohen

If you were here, I would pat you on the back. I am proud of you. I know that you are feeling ill, but you are really making progress. Your dropping blood sugar won't do you any harm. Remember, if you have been having high blood sugars, your body will adjust and it will feel "normal," even if it is really high. As you get your blood sugar numbers down to truly normal, you may feel hypoglycemic, but you really are not. The symptoms you describe are consistent with hypoglycemia. Here are some of the symptoms:

nervousness,
sweating,
intense hunger,
trembling,
weakness,
palpitations

Let me assure you that these feelings should pass and, within the week, your body should adjust to the new blood sugar levels. In the meantime, let me give you a trick that will just get you through this time. When you feel hypo, test yourself, and if you are in the 90s, take a single smartie per hour. After an hour is up, if you feel poorly again, test and another smartie. In a couple days, change, if you are in the 80s, take a smartie per hour, but nothing for the nineties. Then, after a week, if you still feel hypo and you see a reading in the 70s, you can have a smartie. The smartie will raise you a 3 -10 mg/dl, enough to relieve some of the symptoms, and it should work within 15 minutes and last an hour. Then you won't feel poorly and can still make continued progress.

I am really happy for you. You are doing great.

Cool.

Would a small chunk off of a piece of fruit do the trick also? Or would a smartie (assuming this is candy?) be best?

The smarties would probably be easier to carry, but if I have access to fruit, would that be a good option also?

[NurseMonkee]

I love metformin!
My scale is moving again (finally!!! Yay!!) and my numbers are going down.

I've had the most improvement in my morning numbers. I would usually be around 140 on a low day and 180 on a high day. Now I am around 110 on a low day and 130 on a high day.

My post-meal readings are down as well. I fell down into the 90's for a while, but I seem to be back to about 110-120 (2hr post)....I've started to check 1 hour post meal and it's also around that same number. I never go above 140 anymore.

I love it!
Step by step I am getting there.
With diet, exercise, and meds, it can be done!
You just have to stay on top of it.

I hope to never again be in the 300's! I remember the first time I saw that number on my meter. I just started crying. It was a reality check.

[ardawn]

Nurse,what brand of Met do you take? Congrats of your progess. I bet you feel great!

I feel HORRIBLE when I take Met ER! It's not just the gastric issues,which frankly I can deal with. It makes me very,very,tired,achey,and crabby.Plus, my face chest and scalp break out with cystic acne. I am wondering if perhaps there is an ingredient in the brand I take that causes these issues.

I took Met.ER for several months another time,and I never overcame these issues. I started at a very low dose,slowly raised the level,took it with food,took it at night before bed etc..... Again,I can deal with the gastric issues. Does anybody else have these side effects? Could it be that I need to take the regular Met. rather than the ER?

[NurseMonkee]

I haven't tried the extended release. I just take the regular generic metformin that I fill at CVS. I take 3 (500mg) pills a day, 1 in the morning, and 2 at night for a total of 1,500. Aside from occassional gi issues, I don't seem to be showing any side effects.

[mermaid]

The best remedy I have found for hypo symptoms is to drink a V-8! The sugar in it (carbs) seems to hit just as fast as any other type of sugar, but has the added bonus of a lot of potassium and other vitamins/minerals and antioxidants that help us out when we crash. There is also a lot of salt, which I think is great during a crash, but V-8 comes without salt for people who don't want it. And V-8 cans do not require refrigeration--very handy.

Just the small can works fine for a borderline crash, but a bigger crash can be remedied by the bigger can. Truly, you'll feel perked up in no time.

Just thought I'd put that out there.

[NurseMonkee]

Thanks for the suggestion mermaid. I used to love V8 w/hotsauce and lemon juice. Yum.

UPDATE:
My morning blood sugar dropped to 130-140 (a jump down from 180)
I now stay under 140 after meals, both at 1 hour and 2 hours.
However, my sugar throughout the day is always 110-120. It doesn't go below that anymore. I was really hoping to start dipping under 100 on a regular basis, but that was short lived.

Is this normal? or should I ask my doctor to increase my metformin dosage? I am on 1,500 now.

[Cherylg]

Okay - I had something happen yesterday that has never happened to me - I take 2,000 mg of metformin daily and one glimepiride in morning and having been doing that for like 6 months.

My bs has always been high but has been controlled with the meds.

I was driving home from Publix and started feeling really weird, almost shaking. I got home and ate a half sandwich really quick and drank some Crystal Light Iced Tea. Started to feel better and checked my bs and it was 86. Within minutes, I was fine but it scared me.

Is this the crash that you guys are talking about - never happened to me.

How can I prevent it? -

[mermaid]

Originally Posted by NurseMonkee

Thanks for the suggestion mermaid. I used to love V8 w/hotsauce and lemon juice. Yum.

UPDATE:
My morning blood sugar dropped to 130-140 (a jump down from 180)
I now stay under 140 after meals, both at 1 hour and 2 hours.
However, my sugar throughout the day is always 110-120. It doesn't go below that anymore. I was really hoping to start dipping under 100 on a regular basis, but that was short lived.

Is this normal? or should I ask my doctor to increase my metformin dosage? I am on 1,500 now.

Hi, I would not know about the metformin, but those blood sugars are pretty good. When I'm on maintenance, that's pretty close to what mine are. If I lower portions, carbs, and protein to lose weight, then BS gets much closer to normal, dipping under 100 a lot of the time and sometimes being in the 80's. I' am currently trying to stay under 10 grams carbs/day, and blood sugars are more normal. I don't take any meds.

Others can tell you their experiences. Everyone is different.

[mermaid]

Originally Posted by Cherylg

Okay - I had something happen yesterday that has never happened to me - I take 2,000 mg of metformin daily and one glimepiride in morning and having been doing that for like 6 months.

My bs has always been high but has been controlled with the meds.

I was driving home from Publix and started feeling really weird, almost shaking. I got home and ate a half sandwich really quick and drank some Crystal Light Iced Tea. Started to feel better and checked my bs and it was 86. Within minutes, I was fine but it scared me.

Is this the crash that you guys are talking about - never happened to me.

How can I prevent it? -

Yes, that's the crash we talk about. Feeling shaky, disoriented, weird, anxiety, weak, sweaty, numb lips--those are low bs symptoms often called a crash. Sometimes crashes can be more serious, like blacking out or passing out so usually when driving you should pull over and stop, then take something to bring the blood sugar up, or ask someone for help. Always carry a V-8 and/or other sugar sources (packets, tablets, etc.) with you for those emergencies.

What is happening, I think, is that your low carb diet is working well, and you might need less medication. Call your doc and ask about it. Once you get the right balance of medication and diet going, you probably won't get those crashes very often, but always still be prepared for them.

If you ever get off meds altogether, it will be very rare to have a crash, because meds are what artificially push the blood sugar lower than 80's.

Also, getting even under 100 can cause crash symptoms for diabetics who have not been there in a while. It is something that needs to be worked through, but it is actually very good when it happens. Normal is 85-99 and makes our bodies work right.

Once at a party, I tested my two brothers after they ate hot dogs, potato salad, several beers, brownies, and God knows what else. They were both 110! What that tells me is that the ADA targets are way off, and we should be striving to get closer to "real normal" not "diabetic normal." And hey, if you can't you can't, but it's good to try. Just be prepared for those crashes occasionally, adjust the meds with your doc, and keep going on the low carb.

[Cherylg]

Mermaid - I knew I came to the right place - thanks sooo much for your helpful answer. I was thinking the same thing - my meds need adjusting. I will start carrying V8 with me or something. I would have pulled over had I become bad. I was just feeling really weird. Live and learn, I guess.
Thanks again!

[mermaid]

Originally Posted by Cherylg

Mermaid - I knew I came to the right place - thanks sooo much for your helpful answer. I was thinking the same thing - my meds need adjusting. I will start carrying V8 with me or something. I would have pulled over had I become bad. I was just feeling really weird. Live and learn, I guess.
Thanks again!

You're very welcome!

You can buy little rolls of glucose tablets to carry with you at all times. I like V8 better, but the little rolls do take up much less space. I have seen them in Wal Mart at the diabetic section for pretty cheap.

I have noticed that one gram of sugar will raise blood sugar by 4-5 points, and knowing that can help you gauge better and not overshoot your target. A small can of V8 should raise blood sugar by at least 20 points very quickly, and a big can (or two little cans) would raise it by about 40 points, which would take care of most crashes very nicely.

[KRISI POO]

Originally Posted by katrina40

Hello Dee,
I was still on the old thread but i found this one, I have been doing ok with my Numbers. This is all so new to me. I think i will have to go to a diettion to talk about my Number to see if they are where they should be..
I also have high bloodpresure. iam not sure if they go hand and hand. Iam trying to lose weight and excersice. in one week iam down 19 lbs.Iam feeling stronger.
I have a under active thyroid and have had it for years and I did something stupid .wich no one should ever do. I went off my meds with out my Drs knowing. I paid the price for that.. man was I sick. but iam back on track. I went to boarders and picked up a book on diebites. so it helps..Its great to talk with others.

green tea and garlic are excellent and also seafood contrary to what some people say, research it and see for yourself, it's your body.

The diabetes food pyramid is a tool to help you eat a wide range of healthy foods. If you eat the lowest number of servings for each type of food, you’ll eat about 1,600 calories a day. The highest number of servings will give you about 2,800 calories a day. Your calorie needs are based in part on your height, gender, and activity level. Your healthcare provider can help you determine a calorie level that’s right for you.

Fruits
(2 to 4 servings a day)
A serving has 15 grams of carbohydrate, about 60 calories, and no fat.
Healthy low-fat choices: whole fresh fruits or canned fruit with no sugar added.
Milk and Yogurt
(2 to 3 servings a day)
A serving has 12 grams of carbohydrate and 8 grams of protein. Low-fat and fat-free choices have about 100 calories and little fat.
Healthy, low-fat choices: low-fat or fat-free milk and fat-free yogurt with artificial sweetener.
Breads, Grains, and Other Starches
(6 to 11 servings a day)
A serving has 15 grams of carbohydrate, 3 grams of protein, and about 80 calories. Most have no more than 1 gram of fat.
Healthy, low-fat choices: whole-grain breads and cereals, corn, tortillas, oatmeal, bulgur, brown rice, dried beans, lentils, peas, yams, acorn or butternut squash, pumpkin.
Fats, Sweets, and Alcohol
(use sparingly)
The foods in this group are high in calories. The best choices of fat are olive and canola oil and tub or liquid margarine. A serving of fat is 1 teaspoon. It has 45 calories and 5 grams of fat. Sweets often have fat and carbohydrate. Eat them in small amounts.
Meat, Meat Substitutes, and Other Proteins
(2 to 3 servings a day)
A serving has 21 grams of protein and no carbohydrate. Lean and very lean choices have the least fat and the fewest calories.
Healthy, low-fat choices: fish, white-meat chicken or turkey, lean red meat, reduced-fat or fat-free cheese.
Vegetables
(3 to 5 servings a day)
A serving has 5 grams of carbohydrate, about 25 calories, and no fat.
Healthy low-fat choices: fresh vegetables or frozen vegetables without sauce, butter, or margarine.
What About Alcohol?
Work with your healthcare team to decide if you can have alcohol. If you do drink, do so in moderation. And always eat a carbohydrate at the same time to avoid low blood sugar.

[NurseMonkee]

Originally Posted by KRISI POO

green tea and garlic are excellent and also seafood contrary to what some people say, research it and see for yourself, it's your body.

The diabetes food pyramid is a tool to help you eat a wide range of healthy foods. If you eat the lowest number of servings for each type of food, you’ll eat about 1,600 calories a day. The highest number of servings will give you about 2,800 calories a day. Your calorie needs are based in part on your height, gender, and activity level. Your healthcare provider can help you determine a calorie level that’s right for you.

Fruits
(2 to 4 servings a day)
A serving has 15 grams of carbohydrate, about 60 calories, and no fat.
Healthy low-fat choices: whole fresh fruits or canned fruit with no sugar added

Milk and Yogurt
(2 to 3 servings a day)
A serving has 12 grams of carbohydrate and 8 grams of protein. Low-fat and fat-free choices have about 100 calories and little fat.
Healthy, low-fat choices: low-fat or fat-free milk and fat-free yogurt with artificial sweetener.
Breads, Grains, and Other Starches
(6 to 11 servings a day)
A serving has 15 grams of carbohydrate, 3 grams of protein, and about 80 calories. Most have no more than 1 gram of fat.
Healthy, low-fat choices: whole-grain breads and cereals, corn, tortillas, oatmeal, bulgur, brown rice, dried beans, lentils, peas, yams, acorn or butternut squash, pumpkin.
Fats, Sweets, and Alcohol
(use sparingly)
The foods in this group are high in calories. The best choices of fat are olive and canola oil and tub or liquid margarine. A serving of fat is 1 teaspoon. It has 45 calories and 5 grams of fat. Sweets often have fat and carbohydrate. Eat them in small amounts.
Meat, Meat Substitutes, and Other Proteins
(2 to 3 servings a day)
A serving has 21 grams of protein and no carbohydrate. Lean and very lean choices have the least fat and the fewest calories.
Healthy, low-fat choices: fish, white-meat chicken or turkey, lean red meat, reduced-fat or fat-free cheese.
Vegetables
(3 to 5 servings a day)
A serving has 5 grams of carbohydrate, about 25 calories, and no fat.
Healthy low-fat choices: fresh vegetables or frozen vegetables without sauce, butter, or margarine.
What About Alcohol?
Work with your healthcare team to decide if you can have alcohol. If you do drink, do so in moderation. And always eat a carbohydrate at the same time to avoid low blood sugar.

That "diabetes pyramid" doesn't work for everyone, in fact it is likely to make things worse for diabetics. Its simply too many carbohydrates, for most. Plus, it puts an emphasis on low-fat. To me low-fat = hidden sugars. I think people are better off following a low-carb/high-fat diet. It works. Try it.

[mermaid]

Krisi Poo, if you buy into that paramid, you're not doing your homework and you'll eventually figure out that it makes a diabetic sicker over time to eat that many carbs. Sure, there are drugs and insulin to help process that many carbs, but then why not just cut the carbs and do with little or no drugs? The answer....drum roll please...is that pharma companies want you to get sicker and take more drugs! Then they make more money. Yes, there is a conspiracy there with profit as a motive. The FDA does not protect us, they are very corrupt and beholden to big pharma. Then big pharma and FDA are who supply docs with "information", and that's how the whole sham gets perpetuated.

I have watched my diabetic sister and mom over the years have one problem after another trying to eat all the carbs they are "supposed to." and get fatter and sicker and have to take yet even more drugs, which then give them complications that require more drugs. Their poor little livers and kidneys must be just about ready to explode under all that strain. They keep getting little precancerous things and heart disease symptoms, etc. but still refuse to give up the carbs because their doctors say they should eat them. They won't even try it for two weeks to see what happens, they are so brainwashed.

I'm so glad to see that at least some people are learning the truth and applying common sense: diabetics can maintain excellent health on low carbs, and get sicker over time on high carbs. Exactly how low a person should go in cutting carbs is up to them according to what is right for them, but I think any plan that is more than about 40 to 50 grams carbs is just asking for trouble. Only a professional athlete should eat more than that.

[NurseMonkee]

Quick Update:

My morning numbers have now dropped into the 120's.
I am pretty excited!

I get high numbers in the morning (dawn phen.) but since I started metformin my numbers have been going down.

My goal is under 100 by the end of the year!

[buddysgirl50]

Hi everyone!!I am back from a long binge(6 months) I have now reread my DANDR and am back on track...On Friday night I had a reading of 321/17.8. I was feeling disorientated,anxiety, palpitation the whole nine yards..It scared me pretty bad as I have cardiomyopathy as well and I know better. Well today the reading are much better and I am full Induction now..Hilda

[NurseMonkee]

Welcome back, Hilda.

[mermaid]

Glad you're back in the winning game, Hilda. 300's blood sugars are nothing to mess with. Don't stop this time, keep going. Try new recipes or whatever, but just don't go back to the carbs. I've gone four years now without reverting to old ways. The last few months I strayed by eating too much food, but still stayed low-carb and BS stayed under 130 most of the time. I'm committing for a lifetime to low carb and better health.

My own report: My fasting blood sugars are under 100 now, and I am hitting the 80's almost every day at some point. When it hits the 80's I crash for an hour or two, feeling foggy and listless, but I am not giving in and eating. My body has to get used to normal BS again, that's all. It's been two years since I've had those readings, when I was on the Kimkins diet (low carb, low fat, low cal). I could not sustain Kimkins, and "maintained" on Atkins, which was actually slowly gaining 20 pounds back.

A month ago I started Atkins '72 induction, and that worked for about two weeks then a stall and my blood sugars had gone back up slightly too. I guess I adapted pretty quickly. To break the stall I did a fat fast (DANDR) for three days and now I am doing very low carb (under 10g/day) with a 1600 calorie limit. I have lost 10 pounds this month. Blood sugars, as I said, are almost normal now with no drugs.

This may be boring detail for some of you, but it's a progress report thread, so that's what I'm giving, just in case it's helpful to anyone else.

Hi also to Nursemonkee--you're doing awesome. I really admire your attitude and commitment.

[SlowMovingWoman]

Comments on the diabetes food pyramid were interesting. I know there is no one answer
but was wondering how many carbs a day / meal can you eat and still have good blood
numbers. Can you eat starches and if so how many servings a day? Would just like to
hear what others have found works for them.

[NurseMonkee]

I don't count carb grams anymore. I've tested so much that I now know what food combos/amounts my body can handle without a rise in my numbers. I eat low-carb though. Protein in the form of chicken, fish/shellfish, and occassionally beef, fat, leafy/green veggies, 1 cup of other more starchy veggies. Then, I also have a serving of nuts, avocado, berries (1 serving only) and at times a square of chocolate (70%) or a slice of Ezikiel bread (keyword: slice, not slices, LOL) which doesn't raise my numbers. Oh yeah, I also have dairy of course, but I limit to 3-4 serving. I am trying to avoid most dairy right now due to yeast issues, but in general it doesn't raise my blood sugar.

Overall my carb allowance is betwene 30-50g. I don't net carbs.


ETA: I should also mention that I am on 1,500mg of Metformin. That has helped control my numbers more.

[NurseMonkee]

This past week I started to suddenly show high numbers. I was still taking my meds, exercising, eating the same foods I always eat. The only difference is that I am under a lot of emotional stress and lots of every-day life stress.

The same thing happened a few months ago when my numbers were shooting up for no reason. I believe I posted about it here.

I know that YMMV, but for me, it is official. High stress/emotional-up/down's make my numbers shoot up big time. I should learn to meditate or something. He he.

[pintorini]

Glad to know that you can feel hypoglycemic even if you're not. That's helpful.

[pintorini]

Originally Posted by SlowMovingWoman

I know there is no one answer
but was wondering how many carbs a day / meal can you eat and still have good blood
numbers. ...

Can't speak for what works for other people, but for me, the answer seems to be none.

Here's my experience: I take metformin (2000) and eat a virtually carb-free diet. What do I mean by "virtually carb free"? Two lettuce leaves and about 1/2 cup spinach a day. Nothing else but meat, cheese, eggs, and a little coffee.

My morning blood sugar has only tested under 100 once - I assume that reading was a fluke. Typically it's between 110 and 120. This is still really far from an optimal level, even though it satisfies my doctor. (And why shouldn't it? It's not HER risk.) In my understanding, a good blood sugar level is somewhere in the range of 88. Anything above that starts to create an increased risk of early death.

I also exercise intensely for an hour a day. To be fair, I've only been doing that for a month or so. Before that, I would exercise intermittently but not regularly.

Before I started cutting carbs down to near-zero, I couldn't keep my fasting blood sugar under 125 even with the Metformin. For some, 125 might be a promising result. For me, however, it was extremely frustrating, because my fasting level was only about 150 when I was diagnosed - at a time when I was eating horribly and taking no meds. I began to think there was just no point in rationing carbs at all unless I went whole hog. That's why I'm now limiting them so much.

I don't know how my sugar manages to stay so high with both Metformin and this draconian diet. My only hope is that it will eventually drop if I lose weight.

[Cherylg]

Good morning, my bs has been high lately, too! I also take metformin (2,500) and I know if this weight would come off, things would improve. So, I am making a really concentrated effort to start today doing Atkins. Exercise is not my problem. I do a spin class every Saturday, tonight I work put with a personal trainer, then Tues, Wed and Fri, I do cardio and lift weights.

[mermaid]

Originally Posted by pintorini

Can't speak for what works for other people, but for me, the answer seems to be none.

Here's my experience: I take metformin (2000) and eat a virtually carb-free diet. What do I mean by "virtually carb free"? Two lettuce leaves and about 1/2 cup spinach a day. Nothing else but meat, cheese, eggs, and a little coffee.

My morning blood sugar has only tested under 100 once - I assume that reading was a fluke. Typically it's between 110 and 120. This is still really far from an optimal level, even though it satisfies my doctor. (And why shouldn't it? It's not HER risk.) In my understanding, a good blood sugar level is somewhere in the range of 88. Anything above that starts to create an increased risk of early death.

I also exercise intensely for an hour a day. To be fair, I've only been doing that for a month or so. Before that, I would exercise intermittently but not regularly.

Before I started cutting carbs down to near-zero, I couldn't keep my fasting blood sugar under 125 even with the Metformin. For some, 125 might be a promising result. For me, however, it was extremely frustrating, because my fasting level was only about 150 when I was diagnosed - at a time when I was eating horribly and taking no meds. I began to think there was just no point in rationing carbs at all unless I went whole hog. That's why I'm now limiting them so much.

I don't know how my sugar manages to stay so high with both Metformin and this draconian diet. My only hope is that it will eventually drop if I lose weight.

I really feel for you. Sadly I've had to drop to almost zero carbs too. I love veggies, but cannot tolerate the sugar in them.

I've been reading that apple cider vinegar does the same thing as metformin for a lot of people, but obviously would be cheaper and safer (metformin is associated with heart attacks and ACV is not). I tried it one Tbsp before bed one night and my BS was 94 the next morning. Too early to tell if that was a fluke. Then I spent the weekend away, so now I will retry and report how it goes. Anyone else try it?

[NurseMonkee]

I always wanted to use APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, but can't seem to get passed the taste/smell. What I used in the past was red wive vinegar w/meals, usually as a dressing on top of salad. I definitely noticed better numbers when I had the RWV vs. when I didn't. At the time I was not on metformin, so I can't say that it was the meds helping my numbers. It was definitely the vinegar. It only worked if I had it WITH my meals, though. Not if I had it separately later.

I just ordered a new 32 oz bottle of BRAGGS Organic Apple Cider Vinegar w/the Mother/Raw/Unfiltered. I was going to give it another shot and try it for a few weeks to see if it helps me combat yeast issues. However, I'll keep an eye on my glucose numbers and see if it also helps control my numbers. I'll report back.

[TheWildHaggis]

Originally Posted by pintorini

Can't speak for what works for other people, but for me, the answer seems to be none.

Here's my experience: I take metformin (2000) and eat a virtually carb-free diet. What do I mean by "virtually carb free"? Two lettuce leaves and about 1/2 cup spinach a day. Nothing else but meat, cheese, eggs, and a little coffee.

I can only speak for myself, and I know if I eat too much protein, my sugars will rise. I blame/credit it on gluconeogenesis.

[mermaid]

Originally Posted by TheWildHaggis

I can only speak for myself, and I know if I eat too much protein, my sugars will rise. I blame/credit it on gluconeogenesis.

Congrats on your amazing weight loss! Hope my numbers will look like that at some point. I agree about not over-eating protein. I try to eat only the amount I need, which is maybe 75-90 grams a day, no more than 30 at one time.