At first they tried to control my Type 2 diabetes with diet. Unfortunately, it is difficult to use diet as a control when you live in a family where everyone else is not diabetic and expect things like cake and ice cream and donuts and bread and potatoes.
The lack of discipline in not following a proper diabetic diet is my fault. I didn't know how to say no to the people in my life, the very people I was responsible for feeding. I didn't draw a line in the sand and say this far and no farther. That is totally on me, ignorant as I was.
In retrospect, I see I was the captain of the ship, but I took orders from the crew mates rather than take the charge I was given.
I first became acquainted with diabetes when I flirted with high blood sugar during my first pregnancy. I was getting my prenatal care from midwives at the University of Michigan and they absolutely could not, would not be allowed to take on a diabetic pregnancy which equates to a high risk pregnancy. In order to keep on top of the potential problem I had a blood test every week until my son was born.
After my son was born, my blood sugars plummeted back into the normal range. I didn't think about diabetes at all. I didn't concern myself with what I ate or drank. Shortly before I became pregnant with my second child I lost my voice, right before spring vacation. I'd been directing 7th and 8th graders in a drama production of The Hobbit. There were several times when I had to raise my voice to be heard. A few days before the performance, my voice gave out.
I didn't think much of it. I'd been using my voice a lot in ways I didn't normally use it. After the performance, I would have a full ten days to rest it. All would be fine.
Except it wasn't. That was when I discovered I had diabetes. A simple finger poke in the doctor's office. That was when we tried controlling my blood sugar with diet.
When I got pregnant with my daughter, I went through the same procedures, only my OB handled gestational diabetes in his clinic. Again, my sugars climbed, but not to the point I needed insulin or any thing to manage it.
For a couple of days, after my second child was born, my blood sugars remained in the normal range. They didn't stay there. Eventually, when the doctor realized diet alone wasn't working, I was prescribed Metformin.
Metformin is the standard start of care for a diabetic when diet has failed.
Metformin is wicked.
Metformin cramps your intestines and while you are getting used to it causes diarrhea. You suddenly get the most awful urge to use the toilet and have to race for the bathroom. If you miss a dose of Metformin, you go through it all over again. There are some Metformin users who call this adjustment a "Metformin Moment." Believe me it isn't pleasant.
You shouldn't use Metformin if you have kidney or liver or heart disease.
Metformin doesn't play nice with some drugs so it is really important that your doc know what you are taking. Metformin also reacts with grapefruit, so once you go on Metformin say good-bye to that citrus source.
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to Metformin: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Some people develop lactic acidosis while taking Metformin. Early symptoms may get worse over time and this condition can be fatal. Get emergency medical help if you have even mild symptoms such as:
muscle pain or weakness;
numb or cold feeling in your arms and legs;
trouble breathing;
feeling dizzy, light-headed, tired, or very weak;
stomach pain, nausea with vomiting; or
slow or uneven heart rate.
Common Metformin side effects may include:
nausea, vomiting, upset stomach; or
diarrhea.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. (https://www.drugs.com/metformin.html)
Fortamet
Glucophage
Glucophage XR
Glumetza
Riomet
Not all the side effects of Metformin are listed. I lost my hair, literally, by the handfuls when I first started taking Metformin in the 90's. I went off it about 18 months or so ago and my hair has begun to come back.
It is imperative that should you begin to take Metformin your doctor know ALL the medications, herbal supplements and vitamins you are taking. Metformin is the bully in the diabetic playground and if you have other conditions there is a fair chance there will be an interaction.
We know our body better than anyone else. A doctor can prescribe medicine, but we are the only one who knows what that medication does to us. Insist your doctor listen to you when you tell him what has changed when you begin using a new drug. Be proactive about what you take and how it reacts in your body. There is nowhere in the common literature about Metformin creating hair loss. But, I know that going on Metformin and coming off Metformin had dramatic effects on my physiology.
Pay attention. Date, time, document how you feel and what happened to you and your body when you take medication. Doctors can only work with the information you provide. If the documentation is sketchy and incomplete they have to do the best they can with that information. When you see your primary doc, give them all the data relating to your problem as you can.
If s/he won't listen, get a new doctor. One who will listen.
I'm looking for one right now so I can fire the old one. I want to be an active participant in my health care. I know how "me" is supposed to work and feel. You know your body too. Do what is best for it.