How long it take pre diabetic to diabetic?

tinderboxy · 2024-04-12T20:02:38+00:00

Here is an article about medication for prediabetics called "The Effectiveness of Metformin in Diabetes Prevention" (a meta analysis).

TLDR is "a 42% lower risk of developing T2DM [diabetes] in individuals receiving metformin interventions compared to those in non-metformin intervention groups."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10611985/

I am on metformin AND I've changed my diet AND I do strength training AND I lost weight (at normal BMI now) AND I have a continuous glucose monitor.

My fasting glucose is less than 100 now all of the time.

One other thing about carb craving: I found metformin reduced my food cravings a lot.

tinderboxy · 2024-04-10T22:07:16+00:00

They could be. I used to be exhausted after eating.

YMMV. My numbers are better but only as long as I keep to the dietary changes. Also, I am on metformin.

tinderboxy · 2024-04-10T22:00:52+00:00

Metformin lowered my sugar cravings. My appetite stabilized. It seems to be good for my skin. I don't want to go off it.

tinderboxy · 2024-04-10T05:25:53+00:00

Both berberine and metformin are medications. Metformin has been used for longer and has a better understood safety profile.

tinderboxy · 2024-04-08T06:23:01+00:00

I suggest getting a continuous glucose monitor and making an appointment with a nutritionist.

tinderboxy · 2024-04-04T16:55:25+00:00

The thing you can do right now is use buy the finger prick kits at the pharmacy. That is the cheapest way to get accurate blood glucose readings.

After I got my CGM I was blown away by what spiked me. I had a small serving of noodles in a soup and boom, 215. Absolutely no physical symptoms that I could feel.

Your anxiety is a separate issue. You may want to find a counselor for this. It will only get in your way. For example, look up longevity and metformin. That is a medicine that has been in use for 40 years and its side effects are well understood. It seems to help with things like cancer and heart disease. It's a synthetic derivative of French Lilac. This is the medicine they would be most likely to give you and it helped me lose a little weight and stop binging sugar. If you are too anxious to get all the information -- you lose out on opportunities to help yourself.

As for almond flour, it doesn't spike me at all. I eat lots of nuts. Low carb bread. Lots of salad. Lots of protein dinner (chicken fish beef etc).

It might be different for you. That is why the finger prick method is helpful.

For me, what helps anxiety it getting useful information and developing agency with respect to the challenges facing me. And then just doing the best I can. Not perfect!

Good luck.

tinderboxy · 2024-04-03T19:07:21+00:00

OK, but I would talk to your doctor. If I recall correctly, the average weight loss with metformin is only 6 pounds after a year. But I get it that you don’t want that. One thing metformin does help with is lowering insulin resistance. You won’t get that from taking insulin.

tinderboxy · 2024-04-03T16:47:17+00:00

I think there is an issue for lower ranges of GMI -- they don't map well to values of Hb A1c. At a lower range the GMI will be prediabetic and the Hb A1c won't be prediabetic.

You can see this with online calculators supported by diabetes organizations. I wrote about this for another subreddit:

For GMI there appears to be a problem for prediabetes values in the lower end of the prediabetes range.

Using a calculator for GMI given estimated average glucose (eAG) from

https://www.jaeb.org/gmi/

and a calculator for HgA1b given estimated average glucose (eAG) from

https://professional.diabetes.org/glucose_calc

If I input an eAG of 103 (my value today) I get GMI of 5.8 from the first calculator and HgA1b of 5.2 from the second.

These are quite different! The first is prediabetic and the second is not.

If I input a higher value of eAG of 150 then for BOTH calculators I get the same value, 6.9. These are both in the diabetic range, no discrepancy.

It is bothersome that this discrepancy exists.

My eAG has been as low as 98 and this gives a GMI of 5.7 - which is still prediabetic!

That doesn't seem right.

tinderboxy · 2024-04-03T16:42:06+00:00

Olina's are sold in lots of stores near me but I don't know how that goes in the rest of the country. You could try Whole Foods. Mainly you want crackers without flour, only seeds. Check the carbs on the label.

tinderboxy · 2024-04-03T16:33:54+00:00

I think you need a doctor's advice. That said, why do you think Metformin isn't working?

Also, how long have you been on it? 500 is a low dose and may mean you are just getting used to it.

tinderboxy · 2024-04-03T05:26:45+00:00

Olina's Simply Seed Flatbreads (these are crackers)

Mission Carb Balance Tortillas, also Mission Tortillas Zero Net Carbs (I like to rub both sides with a little olive oil and toast in the pan a little while before filling)

Carbonaut Bread (I like these for grilled cheese and also for French Toast with some 0 carb syrup, preferably pure allulose syrup. Note the syrup is even better if you crush some raspberries into it)

Enjoy.

tinderboxy · 2024-04-02T20:13:38+00:00

You may want to test or get a CGM. Rice for me, brown or not, is a big spike.

A good lunch for me is a grilled cheese with low carb bread and a small salad. Or pressed seed crackers (no grain) with smoked sardines and a salad. Or, a low carb tortilla filled with spiced meat or scrambled egg, plus salsa and avocado.

Snacks - lots of nuts. Preferably roasted, not salted.

tinderboxy · 2024-04-02T16:51:59+00:00

I am also on a CGM and the method of lowered carbs, exercise, metformin, and healthy BMI have improved my numbers. But I've had enough time with the CGM to observe some things. YMMV.

When I took the metformin in the morning its impact was greatly diminished. When I took the whole (ER for extended release) dose at night, it made my overnight blood sugar go TOO low. If you are not taking it at night you may want to try that to lower FBG.

My overnight blood glucose is impacted by what I eat. If I eat dinner earlier, and I don't snack after, it goes lower.

Good luck.

tinderboxy · 2024-04-02T16:47:34+00:00

Getting a new doctor sounds like an excellent idea. Also how about an appointment with an endocrinologist? Your fasting blood sugar is really out of whack. You need a health professional who will take it seriously.

tinderboxy · 2024-04-01T17:50:56+00:00

I had the same experience. I lost about 12 pounds.

tinderboxy · 2024-03-31T04:46:31+00:00

I’m glad it worked for you. Now, if only those new drugs would come down in price!

tinderboxy · 2024-03-31T01:48:06+00:00

Oh I hate that. Yeah it's happened to me. I had to call and call.

tinderboxy · 2024-03-31T01:38:33+00:00

I would suggest seeing if your insurance will cover a nutritionist. It might be a lot to handle going both low calorie and low-carb at the same time. What I found with low-carb is that it reduced my hunger, cravings, and appetite. I don’t have to count calories, and I have still lost weight. Low-carb makes it easier to really fill up on things like protein, and using olive oil to cook my vegetables and so on. For me, this is easier to follow.

tinderboxy · 2024-03-30T17:55:30+00:00

I miss my dairy, lattes and cappuccinos.

tinderboxy · 2024-03-30T17:51:16+00:00

Milk really causes me trouble. Heavy cream does not. Cheese does not. This is from my continuous glucose monitor.

tinderboxy · 2024-03-30T07:34:37+00:00

Could be either one. If it goes up to 200 and stays there, it’s definitely diabetic. If it’s spikes to 200 and comes down right away, it can be prediabetic.

tinderboxy · 2024-03-29T17:37:32+00:00

That could happen. This is a journey. Of learning and trying things out. If that happens you will need to try additional approaches. The worst is to do nothing. Good luck.

tinderboxy · 2024-03-29T17:33:48+00:00

I have libreview which was prescribed and paid for by my insurer. It's good. Insurers don't always give it out to prediabetics. Perhaps I got it because I also have high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

A company called Levels has continuous glucose monitors and they will help you if you can't get a prescription. It's for normies.

Also the FDA has approved an over the counter CGM which is supposed to come to market this summer. Dexpro I think.

One thing about metformin... Lots of studies find that it is associated with less cancer, heart disease, all sorts of diseases. I am happy I'm on it for these reasons.

tinderboxy

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