Joined an unwelcome but not unexpected club this week

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67Dart273

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My A1C is finally over the "limit." At 74, and with many members of the family, on my mother's side at various states of hypoglycemic or diabetic, I'm not surprised. I'm getting to the point that "activity" is a joke. The broke ribs, bad knees, etc, have finally caught up. So this morning I took my very first Metformin pill. Turns out my ex supervisor has been on that stuff for years.

Reading about it online, it does not seem to have a real bad side other than "some" stomach problems.

"We'll see."
 
I wish you the best of luck,Del.
Sometimes it really does SUCK to get old. (I know)
Hang in there Del!
 
Kitty and I actually were able to come off of it some time ago. Through eating better and slashing soft drinks. About all I drink now is probably 95% water, a little coffee and a VERY small amount of soft drink if we eat out...but I usually drink water there. ....and of course the occasional shot of Fireball. But we used to drink soft drinks a good bit. I've actually lost the taste for them now a lot. We don't even keep any at home anymore.
 
My big problem is I am getting so lame, that being "physical enough" is just about impossible. Some days I can't even "be on my feet" for more than an hour without taking a break. The other day I was "up" for about 2-2 1/2 hours and was sorry. My ribs and back were both hurting.
 
My big problem is I am getting so lame, that being "physical enough" is just about impossible. Some days I can't even "be on my feet" for more than an hour without taking a break. The other day I was "up" for about 2-2 1/2 hours and was sorry. My ribs and back were both hurting.
That blows that your ribs are still hurting. What's it been? Two years?
 
My A1C is finally over the "limit." At 74, and with many members of the family, on my mother's side at various states of hypoglycemic or diabetic, I'm not surprised. I'm getting to the point that "activity" is a joke. The broke ribs, bad knees, etc, have finally caught up. So this morning I took my very first Metformin pill. Turns out my ex supervisor has been on that stuff for years.

Reading about it online, it does not seem to have a real bad side other than "some" stomach problems.
That sucks. What's the count?
"We'll see."
It can ruin your kidneys or make them worse than they are now quick.
Try eating meat, cheese and eggs for a couple weeks and recheck it. Bet you a dollar it improves.
 
It can ruin your kidneys or make them worse than they are now quick.
Try eating meat, cheese and eggs for a couple weeks and recheck it. Bet you a dollar it improves.
I already eat a fair amount of eggs and some meat, chicken, turkey and low fat ground beef
 
Del - I've been on Metformin, fenofibrate, and most recently Jardiance to control blood sugar. All of it works great for me and has kept my A1C at 6.7 for 5 years. No side effects that I recognize. This is a hell of a lot better than insulin shots! The Metformin is even cheap (Jardiance is not). Good luck with the treatment, I hope it works as well for you as it did for me.
 
Thanks I have "high hopes." As I mentioned, my former supervisor has been on it a long time, with no ill effects.
 
Diabetic here also, started out with Metformin 4 times a day(and others). After a year switched to glumetza, its 1.pill a day, time release. Cut out starches carbs and sugars. Fake sugars too.
 
But if you're you not a true diabetic, why not see if you can control it without pills. That's my attitude. The less medicine the better. No side-effects. Hold off as long as you can. On the other hand, if you enjoy eating and drinking anything you want, forget about it.

Generally, old men need very little carbs and salt. You can't burn carbs well anymore and much get stored as fat for hard times. You make less insulin and can't employ what you make. Reduce the carbs = reduce the load on a worn old system. If you nearly eliminate all carbs, the body will usually make some changes and deal with the new diet. Native Alaskans do fine on fat and protein. If the body responds, you can slowly introduce some high fiber complex carbs like nuts, seeds and vegs and see how you do. Just my .02
 
What research led you to believe "there's very little downside" to metformin?

There's a full page (IIRC about 16) of potential side effects, and I had every single one of them my first month taking it.

Don't eat or drink grapefruit products while on metformin.

I took metformin along with insulin for almost 5 years.
I couldn't wait to get off it.
I finally proved to my former doctor that it wasn't effective by not taking it for 5 months between A1c tests and coming out with the same number (actually .1 lower without the metformin).

Metformin is often the first medication prescribed for diabetes because it is cheap.
It is a highly refined chemical compound that can lead to internal organ issues.

My cost for metformin was $8 for 90 days.
My cost for insulin for 90 days is $260. Up from 130 because I now have 2 kinds vs 1 kind and the metformin.

...but I am happier and less likely to have medication related health issues.
 
Kitty and I actually were able to come off of it some time ago. Through eating better and slashing soft drinks. About all I drink now is probably 95% water, a little coffee and a VERY small amount of soft drink if we eat out...but I usually drink water there. ....and of course the occasional shot of Fireball. But we used to drink soft drinks a good bit. I've actually lost the taste for them now a lot. We don't even keep any at home anymore.
Wife is borderline diabetic, she is on Metfomin. She drinks Diet Dr. Pepper like a drunken sailor. She claims it is not bad for her. Is she pulling my leg!????
 
Wife is borderline diabetic, she is on Metfomin. She drinks Diet Dr. Pepper like a drunken sailor. She claims it is not bad for her. Is she pulling my leg!????
ummmm.....yeah. It's worse for you than the real thing. All those artificial sweeteners. Get her to read up.
 
I havent done much research, but from what I've read, the "fake sugars" trick the body into thinking that it is still sugar, and the internal organs act as if it is sugar.
Wife is borderline diabetic, she is on Metfomin. She drinks Diet Dr. Pepper like a drunken sailor. She claims it is not bad for her. Is she pulling my leg!????
 
But if you're you not a true diabetic, why not see if you can control it without pills. That's my attitude. The less medicine the better. No side-effects. Hold off as long as you can. On the other hand, if you enjoy eating and drinking anything you want, forget about it.

Generally, old men need very little carbs and salt. You can't burn carbs well anymore and much get stored as fat for hard times. You make less insulin and can't employ what you make. Reduce the carbs = reduce the load on a worn old system. If you nearly eliminate all carbs, the body will usually make some changes and deal with the new diet. Native Alaskans do fine on fat and protein. If the body responds, you can slowly introduce some high fiber complex carbs like nuts, seeds and vegs and see how you do. Just my .02

As I've tried to say, the big change lately is my age and ribs and back, I simply cannot be as active as I was. I used to ride the crap out of my recumbent trikes and stay generally active. This is the BIG BIG change. I've already cut down or out a lot of foods which add to the problem and cut way way back on sugar. After all you have to eat SOMETHING I have also gotten "a bit" overweight but not terribly. My normal weight used to vary but somewhere around 170-180. I'm bangin' on the 190-200 door and this goes up and down from winter to summer, heavier in winter.
 
Metformin gives me the green apple quicksteps. It's particularly foul smelling as well.
I hope it doesn't do that to you.
 
Wife is borderline diabetic, she is on Metfomin. She drinks Diet Dr. Pepper like a drunken sailor. She claims it is not bad for her. Is she pulling my leg!????
It's definitely bad. A diet pepsi a day wrecks my control. It doesn't give me a sudden spike rather a long steady rise that takes a bunch of insulin to control. An occasional one doesn't hurt it's the daily intake. But man they're addictive

Metformin was awful. You'll know right away if you're body doesn't like it
 
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