Saturday, April 30, 2011

Day 104

11:40
fasting BG 106 - I will test lunch today, just need to go eat lunch first - LOL. I think I tested the casserole I will eat on another occasion, but I made it with Minute Rice white rice this time rather than brown rice, so it won't hurt to test today.


And, for your leisure time reading: Is Stress Raising My Blood Sugar?

Day 103

Another day missed - no excuse, just distracted by other things, well, mostly just spent a lot of time looking at tornado stuff on the internet.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Day 102

7:45 p.m.
Fasting BG was 106. Really doesn't appear that changing my nighttime dose of Metformin was the answer either. I don't know, I guess I'll have to learn to accept a high post-breakfast number or just accept apples and cheese as an acceptable breakfast.


Today was a less stressful day, but I forgot to set my alarm to test post-lunch so now I will just check post-supper.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Day 101

4:45 p.m.
Fasting BG was 107. Not sure how the post-breakfast and post-lunch numbers were since I did not test. It wasn't the day to test post breakfast again and I wasn't back home in time to test post-lunch after going out for Chinese lunch. 


We had no power since 5:45 in the a.m. and since we had already planned to go out today it worked out okay as we were still without power. It was convenient that the morning storms passed over before time to go out, but we are at the front edge of the next round now. After lunch we drove down the road a few miles from our house and looked at the trees that had been  snapped off about 10-12 feet above ground - nothing left of them but the 10-12 ft trunks with raw wood feathered where they were ripped in two. A lot of houses down there had trees on them and even more had trees completely uprooted in the yards. Kinda sad really. I feel so bad for those people having to deal with the damage and property loss.


I really wanted to test Chinese restaurant Sesame Chicken since I love it so much. I guess next time I will carry my test kit even if I do expect to be back home in time.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Day 100

2:00 p.m.
Fasting BG was good - 98. I'm always happy when my fasting is good. I had oatmeal again today, but I didn't test after breakfast. For one, I tested post-breakfast yesterday and I should be testing "random" and for two, I really didn't want to destroy that Happy Fasting feeling.


Dear Hubby went to the doctor and told him the numbers I had for his three random BG tests I did on him and the doctor agreed they were high, but has made no diagnosis. Since Terry had been fasting in anticipation of a blood draw he went ahead and had that done today. The doctor will call him with the results. He didn't request stat tests since Terry has none of the outward symptoms such as tiredness or blurred vision etc.. He may get off with a Pre-diabetes diagnosis and warning, but if he doesn't heed that warning and go ahead with some lifestyle changes he could still be facing a certain future with Diabetes. We just have to wait this one out. 

Monday, April 25, 2011

Day 99

3:45 p.m.
Fasting BG was 101 but shot up to 187 after eating oatmeal for breakfast. 


Seems the only way I am going o be able to keep the post-breakfast number down is to either eat an apple and call it breakfast or try turkey bacon. I have already tried turkey sausage and I wouldn't even call that stuff sausage. It was more like cardboard with a little oil added to trick you.


Hubby goes to the doctor for his regular check-up tomorrow and I have given him instruction to discuss his BG with the doctor since three tests I ran on him a couple of weeks ago were all high. He said maybe it will just be that he is borderline and can take care of it with diet. He also plans to not eat lunch tomorrow, which I think is misleading if he thinks it will make his BG look okay. If he gets an A1c test then it will not matter if he eats lunch tomorrow or not - that A1c will tell on him! I'll just wait and see.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Day 98

10:45 p.m.
Wow, almost let the day get away from me without a update. 


Fasting BG was 111. I ate my peanut butter snack last night, g=but it doesn't seem to have helped much. I had my oatmeal for breakfast. I didn't check post breakfast - I know it was high because oatmeal is one of those healthy foods that will hit my sugar hard.


Had a really good lunch today. I cooked a baked ham, carrots, green beans and pan fried potatoes. I ate all except the potatoes. The potatoes were not even a temptation today since they are what we call Pan-fried Potatoes - that is where I slice them in rounds (or half-rounds if the potatoes are large) and slice a medium size onion the same thickness and then fry them slow in olive oil till they are tender. Then I bump the heat and fry them and keep them turned until they get some brown on them. Terry loves them that way and since I don't eat onion they didn't tempt me at all. :D
I did have a generous portion of baked ham and a half cup each of the green beans and carrots. It was delicious and filling and when I tested at 1.5 hour after the meal my BG was only 86, so that made me very happy indeed.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Day 97

4:30 p.m.
Fasting BG was 112. I woke up at 3:00 a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep so I tested at 3:00 a.m. to see what is was in the middle of the night - it was 104. I drank nothing and ate nothing and finally fell back asleep around 5:00 a.m. and woke again at 8:00. So it went up 8 points in that 5 hours with nothing to eat or drink.


And today I got a new meter - a pink one. That will make me feel better when I test, just because to me pink is a happy color. My original meter is blue. I will keep that one for when I test anyone else. That way I will not have to extract other peoples numbers from mine when I transfer my readings to report them to my doctor. I can pull straight from the pink meter and go with it. 

Friday, April 22, 2011

Day 96

2:55 p.m.
Fasting BG was the highest it has been since my numbers started coming down in the first 40 days - it was 129. I don't know whether to blame a later dinner hour or the one margarita I had with dinner. 


I have had margarita with lunch and it did not significantly impact my BG when tested an hour & a half after eating, but I don't know if it actually impacts it at a slower rate and would therefore have shown up had I tested at an approximate interval after lunch. This one would be worth testing out, but would require me to have a margarita at lunch one day and than not eat anything for about 12 hours to test again. 


Another option is to test the margarita at supper-time, but with an earlier eating time.


And another culprit could be that I did not eat a bedtime snack - with a late supper I simple was nut hungry enough to want or to eat a bedtime snack.


Of course I could cast a wary eye at the time of my meal since it was later than I usually eat. I try to eat between 5:30 - 6:30 and last night I met friends at a restaurant at 7:00 and probably did not get food in me until close to 7:45. Doesn't seem like much a a delay to have had that kind of impact on my fasting, but every thing I do impacts the numbers and any small variable can cause a major shift it numbers.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Day 95

10:20 p.m.
Fasting BG was up again - 109.


Had a wonderful evening out for dinner with some good friends. I had Buffalo Tenders, Mozzarella Sticks and a side salad. And then I got home and got distracted and forgot to check my BG. Oops! Oh well, saves one of the precious test strips that I have to struggle to get coordinated between my doctor & my insurance. 


I need to take whatever that supplement is that is suppose to help the memory. I see it advertised on TV from time to time, but I forget what it is called. hmmm . . .

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Day 94

9:20 p.m.
Fasting BG was good - 99. Below 100, not by much, but below none-the-less, so I'll take it.


Pizza Hut for lunch, but didn't test after lunch. Really no reason since I ate mostly salad bar - lots of lettuce, carrots and cucumber. They did not have much I care for in the way of pizza so I had 2 very small slices of ham pizza. And I do mean small - when they cut it they were off center so one side had slices that were barely 4" long. I f I had taken from the other side of the pan the slices would have been about 8" long. but I didn't, I took the small ones hoping they would bring out better pizza and I could go get some of it, but alas, they never brought out any better. they brought out more that were covered in onion, peppers, mushrooms - any or some combination of all, and one cheese pizza, but seriously, who wants to go to Pizza Hut all-you-can-eat buffet for cheese pizza? I want a deep pan meat lovers - need to satisfy the carnivore in me!


And for lack of anything more appealing I cooked a frozen pizza for supper. It WAS a 4-Meat, so my carnivore was netter satisfied. And my BG was only 108 when I tested after supper. :)

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Day 93

2:00 p.m.
Fasting BG was 103 - fifty/fifty now. Tomorrow better be below because I really want the trend to lean that way by a greater percentage.


Just read an interesting article on a way to test BG without finger-sticks. And while I have only been victim to finger-sticks for three months I am certainly already tired of the constant blood-letting. Sometimes it doesn't seem so bad and sometimes it seems to hurt more than most. And then there are finger-sticks like to day that didn't want to form a pretty little bubble of blood for my test strip to suck up so I have to give the fingertip a gentle squeeze and *POP* a stream of blood shot out and sprayed my arm and my shorts! I told Terry that if I ever disappear he will be under suspicion for all the DNA and blood samples they are subject to finding!


Anyway, I digress, back to the stick-less monitoring. If this pans out I hope the meter is not too expensive and I hope insurance will cover most if not all the cost. But that is all future concerns - not going to worry about that now since I have enough to worry about today without borrowing from tomorrow. Here is a link to the article on the new non-invasive monitor: Non-invasive Blood Glucose Monitor Closer to Market

Monday, April 18, 2011

Day 92

6:15 p.m.
Fasting BG was good - 95. Hopefully changing the time I take my nighttime dose of Metformin is the solution. I have had more lower numbers since changing the time. Not tons more, but 3 of 5 have been below 100, 1 of 5 was exactly 100 and the last was 105, which is better than the ones that were coming in at 115- 117.

Woke up dreading that it was Monday and exercise day again, but I got over that pretty fast when I got on the Wii Fit board and found I had dropped almost 2 lbs since last Thursday. Every little bit helps! :)

So far I can honestly say that the only things I have cut out of my diet completely are regular soda, regular hot chocolate and "added sugar". The diet sodas I switched too are very satisfying in regards to my infrequent desire for a carbonated soda. I have no problem using Splenda or Truvia for the "added sugars". But the sugar-free hot chocolate leaves a lot to be desired. And it's not the fact that it is not as sweet as the regular version because I could easily remedy that with some Truvia. No, it's the fact that it doesn't mix up as smooth and creamy as the regular and if I don't drink it quick enough it seems to kinda start congealing or something. I'm not sure whats up with that, but I don't care for it at all.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Day 91

5:30 p.m.
Good day on the fasting number - 98. But a bowl of oatmeal shot that right out of the water - took it to 169! Seems odd that the more healthy foods make the BG so high. 

Had roast, half a potato with some gravy, carrots and green beans for lunch and my BG was only 103. Maybe I need to eat roast & potatoes for breakfast from now on.

Day 90

Missed another day. Had grand-kids and too many things going on.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Day 89

7:20 a.m.
Well, it's a good thing I didn't get my hopes up on the med time being the culprit. Took my meds at 8:30 last night and woke with fasting at 105.  Most confounding disease on earth. I have said it is like trying to hit a very small, very fast moving target. You get that lucky hit every now & then, but most shots are just misses. 


Wish i could find something to blame, but there is nothing I can point to and say that was "off" yesterday evening, so I just have to blame the disease for being contrary.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Day 88

1:50 p.m.
I had a good fasting number today - 95. Now, I'm not going to get my hopes up too much, but I made a change to the time I take my Metformin and I'm hoping that is where the improvement comes from. 

I take my first dose right after breakfast - usually between 8 & 9 in the mornings. I was then taking my second dose around the time I ate supper - usually between 5 & 7 in the evenings. So that is less than 12 hours between the first & second dose but anywhere from 13 to 16 hours between the second dose and the next days first dose. 

I read an article about high fasting numbers and one of the points was to adjust when you take blood sugar lowering medication. ARTICLE HERE
So I thought about that and thought that logically the 2 doses need to be spaced as evenly apart as possible. I will take it later in the evening again tonight & see how this pans out. *crosses fingers*

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Day 87

3:40 p.m.
Fasting BG was 115 and I DID eat my spoonful of peanut butter. Geez, there just seems to be no hope for that fasting number. And yet, I am suppose to keep my glucose and metabolism balanced by starting the day with a good breakfast! Talk about a a Catch 22.

And I am sooo going to tell my doctor he needs to write me a new prescription for my test strips. He writes it for testing twice a day, but some days I test three times, especially if my fasting was high to start with. I had a 30 day prescription at the drug store from January and then he gave me a 90 day prescription in February so I figured it was not going to be an issue of test strips since I could fall back on the 30 day script if I ran short . . . but apparently that's not working out since the drugstore doesn't seem to be able to find my January script in their system.

And, yes, I could just buy them OTC, but they cost twice as much when bought without the prescription rate. Which I think is pretty crappy considering most people who can't afford insurance don't need the burden of a double priced script.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Day 86

3:00 p.m.
Fasting BG was 112. But, I fell asleep before eating my peanut butter last night. I don't get as upset about it these days. Mostly because I can't find a sure-fire solution to consistently getting it below 100 and the last thing I need is another stress factor.
Lunch was good. Kraut & Wieners! I do love Kraut & Wieners. I also had a half cup of sweet corn and a half cup of carrots - but the Kraut & Wieners is what made the meal. And my post meal BG was only 113. Kinda annoying that my fasting BG can be almost as high as my post meal BG!

I'm also concerned about hubby's BG. Our granddaughter wanted to know why I never tested his finger and I told her I would if he would let me. And he agreed to it because he would do most anything to humor her. I was surprised that it was high so I tested him again after lunch Sunday and he was still high. I tested him a third time this morning - fasting BG - and he is still high. He has a doctors appointment this month and he now has strict instructions to discuss these findings with the doctor. We'll see how this turns out.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Day 85

1:00 p.m.
Fasting BG was 103. I should have checked post breakfast but didn't. I will check post supper today.

I forgot to send my BG spreadsheet to my doctor Friday. I didn't even realize it until this morning so I hurried to get all my numbers plugged in and send it off. I just checked e-mail again and had a reply from my doctor. All he said was "No report attached to email".

Wow, oh dear. Friday I completely forgot and today I forgot the attachment. Can I blame Diabetes or are we just going to blame carelessness? Nah, lets blame old age. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! :P

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Day 84

8:30 a.m.
Fasting BG was back down to 100. I ate my peanut butter late snack and I also had a good solid sleep. The first waking was after the light of the early morning was coming through the window. I didn't look at a clock to see the time, but I could easily see that the farmers had probably already collected the chicken eggs and milked the cows.

I have spent the last hour reading some good articles on one of my Diabetes sites so since it is early and there is not much to report for the day I will share another article that I read.(There are two goog reasons to share these articles - one to better inform anyone who reads this blog and two is to help me find these articles again if I want to refer back to them int he future.. (new task for me - add tagd to these posts. Going forward is easy enough, going back will take some time since there are 83 prior posts)

Anyway, the article I will share is about dealing with Diabetes Burnout. According to the National Diabetes Education Program, you may be able to prevent negative feelings from escalating by finding ways to ease stress. Here are a few suggestions:
  • Take a few minutes each day to spend time on a hobby you enjoy, meditate, or practice deep breathing.
  • Keep a journal to record not just what you eat and your glucose levels, but also to note how you feel — what bothers you and what makes you feel better.
  • Ask yourself how you can divide your management plan into smaller steps that will make it seem easier to master. 
I am glad I already keep the journal and some days I do spend time with my hobby. Not every day with my scrapbooking and card making hobby, but I keep myself entertained enough that I hopefully am postponing burnout as much as I can.
You can read the full article here: Type 2 Diabetes Burnout.

Day 83

Well, I was so busy all day yesterday that I missed another posting. Some good bust, some less good busy and some just entertaining a 6 year old in a most mundane way for hours on end busy. But, none-the-less my day got away from me again. 

Fasting BG was 116 - going to blame that on a late snack of sugar free cookies instead of my spoonful of peanut butter.

Other than that I will share an article I read on Diabetes and depression.

It seems that people with Diabetes have a higher risk of so many things JUST because we have Diabetes. Depression is added to that list. According to this article depression affects people with diabetes more often than people without it — up to 15 percent compared with 6.7 percent in the general population. 

I have dealt with some mild depression off & on these past couple of months. I generally tell myself to get over it, but I realize that the longer I live with this disease the more I will deal with bouts of Depression. Hopefully I will always be able to walk out of the depression as easy as I can now - throe myself a 3 minute Pity party and move on. 
Read the full article here: Type 2 diabetes and depression.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Day 82

2:27 p.m.
Fasting BG was 100 - I'll take it. I think that is what this bugger is hoping - that if it hits me with a few 107, 108 and then a couple of 116 & 117's that when I get a 100 I will be ecstatic. Sneaky sneaky. But I guess it worked. 

Everything else is pretty good. And, having heard sad news today I have to acknowledge that things could be much worse. A good friend of mine lost her 52 year old sister-in-law to a heart attack on Wednesday. Sometimes we just have to stop and realize that even with our issues, it could be worse.

Day 81

Oops, what happened? Did a day slip and fall off the calendar? I would have sworn I posted on Thursday, April 7, but obviously not. 


Oh well, BG were about the same. :P

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Day 80

1:45 p.m.
Fasting BG was 101 again. Sure wish I knew what was different those 2 nights that it went below 100. Oh the riddles of Diabetes. 

Well, that didn't stop me from eating my oatmeal. And whats more . . . I didn't check post breakfast to see what number I was at. Oatmeal is one of those foods that hits my BG more than others, but it is suppose to be good fro me, so what am I to do?

Had BLT's for lunch. I will check post lunch, but I expect the number to be decent since it has tested decent after BLT's in the past. Of course it could surprise me. Diabetes seems to like to do that to you - check decent with the same food four or five times and then throw a higher reading in there just for kicks.

Didn't get my exercises yesterday so I had to do those today. My granddaughter was dropped off shortly after breakfast and was here until lunch. Throws my whole game plan off. And, yes, I could have done my exercises in the afternoon, but I prefer the mornings. For two reasons: 1) help counter-balance the impact of breakfast that follows a high fasting BG 2) it is cooler in the mornings and I get hot and sweaty enough with morning exercises. If I wait until afternoon the sun has warmed the house up enough that I am near miserable - even with the air conditioning on. I just really prefer to exercise before lunch. And missing yesterday just means i now have to exercise three days in a row rather than my normal 2 days on 1 off  2 on and skip the weekends. C'est la vie.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Day 79

6:45 p.m.
Fasting BG was back above 100, barely, but above is above.

I don't know what else to try, but I am going to keep eating a spoonful of peanut butter late in the evening until something with more hope comes along.

All in all I don't think I should complain much. I mean, it was my poor eating habits that got me here. Well, that and genetics, considering I am fourth generation. 

But, for the most part I have a pretty good handle on the meals and working withing my ranges for lunch & supper. Breakfast would be easier to manage if it weren't for that fasting BG being up. And, even though my BG may be slightly above my target of 150 at the 1.5 hour mark, I don't (and shouldn't) despair too much since I know the breakfasts are not high carb, they just have the privilege of following a high fasting number.

[I would insert some words of wisdom here - if I had any. Oh well.]

Monday, April 4, 2011

Day 78

9:00 a.m.
Fasting BG was 97! *BIG GRIN*

I may have hit upon my solution to my higher fasting number - eat my spoonful of peanut butter really really late. Since my number was good yesterday I, of course, had to wonder about the late night as opposed to just nighttime Spoonful of peanut butter so I decided to eat my spoonful of peanut butter real late again last night. As with all well laid plans there was a hitch in the plans. I fell asleep in the recliner watching TV. I woke about 12:15 and realizing what happened I went ahead and ate my spoonful of peanut butter anyway. This morning my fasting BG was 97.

That's two nights in a row. I will continue this process and hope that I see the same results repetitively.  *crosses fingers*

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Day 77

10:00 a.m.
Fasting BG was back down to 92! WooHoo (woo hoo, but not gonna get tooo excited since I know if I sneeze or even if I just turn on the TV my BG can change on me). But, since it was down to a level I prefer to see I ate my oatmeal for breakfast and tested that - BG 135 - well within the acceptable range. The starting number makes so much difference.

And, to be honest, I can not say there was anything particularly different in last night than in so many nights, but small variables play such a big part. 

One small variable was that my supper BG was pretty low for a post-meal number - 110 - and that was from having eaten two tamales (canned version, don't do any homemade tamales) topped with half a cup of niblet corn and then enhanced with half a cup of Velveeta Cheese Dip (the spicy version made with HOT ro-tel tomatoes - I really prefer my Velveeta Cheese Dip to be spicy).

A second small variable could be that I ate my after supper snack a little later than I had been because I was otherwise distracted until late. So it was about 11:45 before I ate the spoonful of peanut butter. 

Now, I can't replicate the supper every night (well I could but I wouldn't want to) but it should be easy enough to test the theory of a "really" late after dinner snack making the difference. That I will test out tonight and hope that makes some difference.

And a third variable could be the fact that after I missed two doses of meds I have made a strong effort to take my nighttime meds (hubby has been reminding me every night also - but I still intend to place a small travel alarm in the kitchen where my pill box sits).

Like I said, small things affect the BG so much. It is almost like shooting at fast-moving super-small targets.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Day 76

7:30 p.m.
Fasting BG was down from the last 2 days, but not down as low as I want it to be. I have done a little more research into the Metformin since I missed two doses two days in a row and I found information that indicates that while it takes a while for Metformin o build up in the system, once it has been established than changes or even missed doses can be evidenced in a more immediate time-frame. So, I'm working on being better with taking my nighttime doses. 

I also found the following that I thought was informative. It was presented in a quiz form, but I edited it to make it less cumbersome and confusing:

[1. How does Metformin work to lower blood glucose levels?
* It decreases the amount of glucose produced by the liver and makes it easier for cells to accept glucose from the bloodstream.
* It slows the digestive system’s breakdown of carbohydrates into glucose, allowing more time for insulin to work.

Metformin works by activating an enzyme called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), that in turn signals the liver to produce less glucose and encourages cells to store glucose from the bloodstream (thus lowering blood glucose levels). AMPK also affects the body’s metabolism by inhibiting the production of cholesterol and fatty acids and lowering insulin resistance. Additionally, Metformin may decrease the absorption of glucose by the gastrointestinal tract, allowing more time for insulin to work and reducing post-meal spikes in blood glucose level.

2. In addition to lowering blood glucose, Metformin sometimes causes moderate weight loss. The change may not be dramatic, but generally, people who take Metformin lose some weight within a few months of starting treatment. Metformin is different in this regard from other diabetes medicines, such as sulfonylureas (glimepiride, glyburide, glipizide), thiazolidinediones (Actos and Avandia), or insulin, which often lead to weight gain. In all of these cases, however, careful attention to food choices and portion sizes and getting regular physical activity can minimize or prevent weight gain. In the case of insulin, tailoring dose sizes to the body’s needs will also prevent weight gain as a drug side effect.

3. In research studies, Metformin use was associated with the following benefits in people with Type 2 diabetes:
* Reduced risk of morning high blood glucose.
* Reduced neuropathy (nerve damage).
* Reduced retinopathy (damage to the retina, a membrane in the eye).
* Reduced nephropathy (kidney disease).

Metformin reduces the overproduction of glucose by the liver, which is what frequently causes high morning blood glucose. In fact, Metformin is often first prescribed because of high morning blood glucose, and research bears out its effectiveness at alleviating this common problem. Long-term research studies (those lasting five years or longer) have also shown Metformin to reduce damage to the small blood vessels, a common consequence of chronic high blood glucose. Conditions that can result from this damage include neuropathy, retinopathy, and nephropathy.

4. Two potential side effects of Metformin are:
* Gastrointestinal upset.
* Vitamin B12 deficiency.

The most common side effects of Metformin are related to the intestines. Diarrhea is the most common, but some people report problems with the upper digestive tract, such as nausea or heartburn. Metformin is usually started at a low dose to reduce these side effects, then gradually increased as the body adjusts to the drug. Gastrointestinal side effects can also be reduced by taking Metformin with a meal. Full benefits of Metformin (including lower blood glucose) are often not seen until the dose is adjusted upward. This usually takes a couple of weeks.

Reduced vitamin B12 absorption is another possible side effect of Metformin, leading to a deficiency in 10% to 30% of the people who take it. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause anemia and nerve damage. If you take Metformin, ask your doctor about having your B12 level measured and about whether you should take B12 supplements.

Use of Metformin is not associated with insomnia. In addition, a long-term study of people with Type 2 diabetes treated soon after diagnosis with Metformin showed a lowered risk of death, heart attack, and vascular problems; whether these benefits extend to everyone who takes it is not known.

5. Metformin should be used with caution by people with nephropathy (kidney disease), severe liver disease, or decreased kidney function. The kidneys are responsible for removing Metformin from the body. In people with kidney damage, Metformin can build up in the blood, leading to a rare but serious condition called lactic acidosis. However, research has shown Metformin to have a protective effect on the kidneys if started before damage has been done; it does not cause kidney damage in healthy kidneys. Severe liver disease also increases a person’s risk of developing lactic acidosis. Some doctors prescribe Metformin for people with mild nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Your doctor will closely monitor your liver with blood tests if you are taking Metformin and have a history of liver disease.

6. Under the following circumstances you should remind your doctor that you are taking Metformin:
* Before an x-ray test that uses an injected dye.
* Before surgery.
* Before starting any new drugs, for your diabetes or for any other condition.

Dyes that are used in some x-ray tests can, in rare instances, cause temporary kidney shutdown, possibly leading to lactic acidosis. Your doctor may advise you to stop taking Metformin for two days before and two days after such an x-ray to avoid problems. Major surgery can lead to reduced fluids in the blood and sometimes reduced kidney function, raising the risk of lactic acidosis. Metformin may need to be stopped before surgery.

Like any drug, Metformin can interact with certain other drugs. Before you start any new drugs, therefore, ask your doctor about potential interactions and what the symptoms of such interactions might be. Your pharmacist is another good source of information on drug interactions and side effects.

It’s always a good idea to check in with your doctor before starting an exercise program or intensifying your workouts. But taking Metformin should not hinder or interfere with your ability to exercise.]

Friday, April 1, 2011

Day 75

7:50 a.m. 
Well, now I'm even more confused. Fasting BG was 116 today even though I ate supper plus I ate my late snack of a spoonful of peanut butter. 

If it goes back down in a day or a few then I might have to redirect my suspicion to the missed meds, but I still have doubts that it is getting in and out of my system that fast. I vaguely recall my doctor saying the oral meds would not really be adding any benefit for a "few" weeks. So I don't know. 

What I do know is this disease can be very frustrating and that just adds to the stress that adds to the elevated numbers. grrrrr