How many diabetics here take oral hypoglycemics?

[JustDucky]

Hi my friends! Well, it is official...I have been diagnosed with CFRD. My doc suspected problems with my sugars a month ago when I described how I felt after meals and how I looked flushed even though I had no temps. Come to find out after getting a glucometer to montor my sugars, the times I looked like that my sugars were over 500! The odd thing is, some days my sugars weren't too bad, almost normal and then some days they were crazy. Now I am on Prandin for now, just to see if it helps my sugars. So far, not so bad...yesterday my highest sugar was 180, today they are better. But, I haven't gone nuts with the sweets yet...so we will see. My doc thinks that maybe in the future I will be on insulin, but at this point my pancreas does produce some so she wants to try the oral stuff first. I know many of you take the insulin, but I was curious to see how many of you take orals.
Hugs, Jenn <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[Jennifer1981]

Hi Jenn,

I was on Prandin for a while, but it made my sugar dangerously too low. I would be down to 42 two hours after eating a huge meal. But my sugars were never as high as yours. My A1C bounces back and forth from normal to slightly diabetic. The doctors would try (for example) Prandin and Amaryl, but both would drop my sugar way too low. So in the end, they told me to just watch my sugars with no medications or insulin required. My highest blood sugar was 200 after having eaten pasta 2 hours earlier. Many times it was normal all day. It was only ever high post breakfast. So now, I exercise almost every morning. Now, I'm usually never high. My A1C these days is between 5.7-6.5. The highest it ever was was 6.5.

Jennifer 24 w/CF

 

[JustDucky]

Hi Jenn...it is wierd how we yo yo. I think that is what gets me nervous about orals rather than to just cover my high sugars with insulin. Some days it isn't bad, some days really bad...so it is going to be interesting to see how the orals will work out. She has me taking my Prandin before every meal, at first she was going to prescribe 2 mg,three times a day, but I suggested a lower dose as we don't know how my body will react to this. I would rather have my sugar a little higher than too low until they straighten it out. I carry my lifesavers around everywhere I go just in case I drop. I check my sugars before I take the med, if they are too low, then no med, but sometimes that backfires. I then check it about 2 hours after I eat to see how well it worked (so far, no really bad hypoglycemia, actually some hyperglycemia) I will be doing this until I know how this med is working with me. Thank you for your input! Hugs, Jenn <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[JennifersHope]

Hey Jenn My sugars are all over the place... All the time.. Some days they are real low, some days they are high. (depends on my steroid dose).. I stopped my oral diabetic meds the last few weeks.. I just keep going to low.. I have to consider my adrenal with all this as well.. So if my body is fighting off infection of stressed in any way, my sugar plummets... which has been a lot lately..

I think most CFers take insulin because true CFRD as far as I understand is because the pancreas is clogged and the insulin can't get out... so they just have you carb count.. and cover yourself..

I am not sure....

Hope you feel bettter

Jennifer

 

[Landy]

Jenn,
I take Prandin too and it works well for the most part, but like Jennifer mentioned, if I'm not on the ball & regular with snacks in between meals (approx 2.5 hrs after taking Prandin) my sugars will bottom out & then I'm a shaky mess and need a snack quickly. This also is the case before bedtime (snack being necessary).
I have learned to always carry a sugary snack in my purse. There's nothing like being out driving with no snack, no money on you & then noticing that your blood sugar has dropped.
Someday I know insulin will be needed but for now the Prandin is working. Good luck trying to get this all worked out.

 

[thelizardqueen]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>JennifersHope</b></i>

I think most CFers take insulin because true CFRD as far as I understand is because the pancreas is clogged and the insulin can't get out...


Jennifer</end quote></div>

Believe it or not, my pancrease still decides to produce insulin once and awhile, even though I've been diabetic for 10 years on insulin. Some days it seems as though my regular amount of insulin is too much and I will have lows. Other days I am fine. My endocrinologist likes to refere to these times as the "honeymoon period" - why she calls it this I have no idea, but during these times I will produce a little bit of insulin.

 

[JustDucky]

Liz, that is how my doc describes it too...some days she believes my pancreas produces insulin, that is why some of my labs come out okay but then there are times it just has a cow. I can certainly understand how frustrating this all can be to regulate. I am new to this whole scenario, but I am lucky to have my buddies here who can help give me advice and get me through tough times. Now I know just how upset and overwhelmed a newly diagnosed diabetic truly feels. I definitely could sense it with my patients when I was a nurse and I was right there with them going through the dietitican's pamphlets, teaching them how to give themselves insulin and watching for the symptoms of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. But it isn't the same as having it yourself. Now I feel all of that first hand. I have to be careful to remember to eat when I should, so I have snacks on hand too. I do feel side effects from the Prandin, it seems that my joints hurt which I have read that it is a side effect.
Hugs to all of you! Jenn <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[JennifersHope]

I have had that happen to me as well, been out in the car, no cash on my, just a debit card or something and have had my sugar drop out on me.... I was looking under my car seat for money and ended up going in a store and buying those gross cheap candies that are two bags for a dollar.. ICK I think they were orange peanut marshmellow things... they were so gross... ANyway, now in my car I always have one bag of peanuts and a bttle of gatorade handy..... If I use it, I stop right at the store and get another one.. I also always have a twenty dollar bill in my glove box just in case....

I find it impossible just like you guys to regulate my sugar.. I force myself to eat high protein every morning while on my way to work.. and sometimes it is good for me for hours and other times in like two hours... I am shaking dizzy and see big bubbles....

It really does give you a different nursing perspecitve when you can relate to you patients with the disease they have.. I am always biting my tongue with my patients trying not to tell them just how much I can relate to them....

Jennifer