You know the ads that say "If I could lose weight I might get off the meds?"

[HereSince1628]

I'm passing this along so that I'm not guilty of only sharing worries and bad news.

I've lost 25 lbs with dieting and exercise since my by-pass surgery. Last week I had the 3 month diabetes dx follow-up bloodwork done (~8 weeks post heart surgery)...

A1C was 4.9, fasting BG was 94 mmoles/L. I admit that I'm not sure how much of that blood is mine after heart surgery. So I don't know how much of the A1C was my work and how much was transfused to me. But a 4.9 sure looks good on paper.

BP was 103/65 with a pulse of 57 beats per minute.

My lipid/cholesterols, which were all marginally normal for a healthy person back in October, were all in the green for the more conservative targets for a person with Coronary Artery disease.

So, my primary care doc is pulling the script renewals on my metformin and my blood pressure pills. As long as the numbers stay good I'm off those pills. It seems the promises on the tv ads may be based on some reality.

I'll get to keep taking the statin and baby-aspirin as they have statistically favorable impact on post-bypass survival; she apparently wants the stats on my side.

[MorningGlow]

1. Absolutely

While I was trying to get treatment for my hypothyroidism I gained a lot of weight, and my blood sugar skyrocketed. I went on a low-carb diet that helped somewhat, but when my doctor found out that I had PCOS, she put me on metformin to take care of both the high blood sugar and the cysts. After I lost about 12 or 15 lbs. I started getting sort of dizzy, with a metallic taste in my mouth. I forgot to take my metformin one day, and suddenly I got this idea out of nowhere--"What if I just stop taking it and see what happens?" I know you're not supposed to quit metformin cold turkey, but it couldn't make me feel worse than the way I was feeling, so I did. And poof--no more dizziness, no more metallic taste in my mouth. I told my doctor, and she was all for going off it, although she said she'd never heard of someone developing a reaction to it after the fact. But I didn't develop an allergic reaction to the drug--my body just didn't need it anymore.

[Warpy]

2. After 3 months, all that blood was yours

so you've done a great job. Congratulations!

As long as you can tolerate the statin, it's all to the good, but you know that. Most people can tolerate them just fine. I know people who have been on them since Mevacor first came out with no problems. A baby aspirin a day has few risks as long as you take it with food or milk.

With all the good work you're doing, you're not going to need that second and last bypass.

[old mark]

3. My cardiologist put me - forcibly- on Atkins last Friday. I have lost

weight-I can see and feel it since day 3- and my blood sugar has gone down to normal levels for the first time in my aduld life. I cut down my insulin last night, and my sugar this morning was 109. It had been between 250 and 350 every morning for at least 8 years.

I had given up on ever losing weight - I had been on calorie counting diets down to 1100 calories per day and lost 3 or 4 pounds. This is great, and I am continuing it.
Whatever it takes, do it - you will be amazed.
mark

[HereSince1628]

4. That's a truly impressive change in fasting BG

It'll be great for you to keep that up.

I've cut out starchy foods including startch veggies and it helps. As I also have had by-pass surgery, I've also got to watch out for fats and cholesterol. The result is a diet with a lot of low glycemic items.

Not to say things don't get haywired. On Wednesday I dealt with snow before I took my morning BG. My hands ached from the cold (after only 20 minutes!) and that little inconvenience spiked me.

[old mark]

5. My weight is steadily coming down as well - I have really struggled to lose

weight, going on 1200 calorie diets only to lose 5 pounds after weeks of discomfort. I have few problems with Atkins entering the second week, although I take more carbs than recommended in the form of fruit. I love vegies and haven't used much prepared food since my bypass in '03. I don't have an accurate scale, so I can't give you a number, but I believe I am close to 9 pounds down as of today. I plan to do a few more weeks of this strict version of Atkins, then move to a modified routine, eventually going to a more "normal" but still low carb way of eating.

I will PM you - I have some things you may be interested in.

mark