Hey there, I was recently diagnosed with diabetes after my A1C came back 10.1 :( that was after a crazy time of travel and not eating right, I did notice my blood sugar since then and dieting has been consistently under 160 and rarely does it go over 200 unless I just mess up and eat something carb
Eating poorly won’t give you a high a1c unless you’re diabetic. Normal people’s bodies process the “bad” food just fine.
Some people do manage without meds. Only time will tell if you are able to manage without meds, but don’t be afraid of meds if you need them. Poorly managed glucose can have dire consequences over the long-term: increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, blindness, neuropathy, amputation, erectile dysfunction, etc.
There is no holistic approach full stop. You need medicine,
Yeah man I totally get the anxiety about taking medication, but diabetes is a very serious illness and not treatable holistically especially if you end up needing artificial insulin
Thankfully though, metformin(as I understand it) makes you more receptive to insulin so it should just make the insulin that your body naturally produces more efficient
Unless I'm wrong metformin is the closest you'll get to holistic, personally I'm on metformin and jardiance, the only side affects I had were only when I first started taking my meds, it made me kinda nauseous but as your body adjusts to the medication that goes away
10.1 is not a fluke, that’s pretty high. You can manage it with lifestyle changes, but any time your body spends at that high, you’re risking causing damage to the fine nerves and vessels throughout your body: kidneys, eyes, lungs, extremities. Personally, I’d take what your doctor prescribes and get the A1c down as fast as I could, then once lower, work on weaning off the meds if you want to. Taking a long slow route to lowering the A1c isn’t worth losing kidney function or eyesight.
That said, I do manage my T2 entirely with diet and exercise, for now, it can totally be done, but I was initially diagnosed at a lot lower than you. And I will absolutely take metformin when/if that ever proves to not be working anymore.
This. The risks from glycation are too high at that A1C to not take some immediate action, which means meds.
I was anxious about trying antidepressants for a long time because of reported side effects. Every time I brought this up with my doc, my therapist, etc. they would tell me the following:
You can't know what side effects you might have if you never try the medication. It could really help you feel better, but if you don't think it's working or you don't like how you feel, we'll stop or try a different med.
Modern medicine is a gift. As another commenter pointed out, metformin is the closest you're going to get to "natural" (and honestly "natural" is a word that marketers and influencers love to toss around, but what does it even mean most of the time?). When I started metformin, I had exactly one or two days of GI upset, and then I've been fine ever since.
If you change your diet and ad
An A1C of 10.1 isn’t a fluke, unfortunately.
Metformin is a really great medication, actually. There’s a ton of benefit to taking it. Don’t be afraid of it, and btw there are fewer side effects for most people with Metformin XR. See if your doc will let you give XR a try.
Thank you all for the comments and the advice as well as the reassurance. I met with my doctor today and we talked through a game plan that I will be committing to. Very awesome to have a community like this to come to and ask questions and get honest feedback from people who are also going through the same thing.
Thank you all!
Remember that the A1C is a 6 week average. You should definitely get it checked again but it does take quite a bit of time to make a change.
I have been receiving treatment for 23 years. I take all the things: insulin, farxiga, and Mounjaro. My A1C has been steadily dropping a point every six months. I was diagnosed before metformin ER was released and it wasn’t compatible with my life style as a classroom teacher.
I thought A1C is more like a 10-12 week average.
Dang, I have been studying for that test all wrong. Just looked it up — 2 to 3 month average.
I was afraid of Metformin too because of all the side effects. So, I made my doctor try me on different ones until we decided Mounjaro. My A1C was 6.7 but I have been prediabetic for a while now. The last time it was checked it was down to 6.3. My suggestion is to eat as healthy as possible. No processed foods. Fresh fruits and vegetables. Good proteins like salmon, shrimp if not allergic and chicken breast. And cook with olive oil too. It will help with your cholesterol/triglycerides too. Get plenty of exercise. With taking the Mounjaro I have lost some weight too. I am taking the Mounjaro to get control of my A1C mainly. Also, try and get dietician too. That will help too. Good luck!🍀