My husband is a diabetic so how can we bring down his sugar?

Question

My husband's sugar is way too high for his goal. How do we bring it down. He is on metformim 500mg.His range is suppose to be 70-130 in the mornings and 140-180 at night. Our doctor don't seem to be worried. He also had 3 heartattacks and a stroke.

Answer 1

Does your husband follow a good diet that is low in carbs and sugar? Does he get enough exercise (walking is great)? There are usually the two easiest ways to lower his blood sugar. If he does that and it isn't helping he may need a higher dose of medication, or possibly another drug added to the Metformin. Before I went on insulin I was on 3 different oral medications. Express your concerns to your doctor. Let him know how worried you truly are and that you want to do whatever you need to keep your husband healthy. If he still does not seem concerned, please get another opinion. Your husband has a terribly medical history and needs a doctor who is as concerned as you are. Best wishes.

Answer 2

If the docotr isn't worried and you are concerned, then first get a second opinion with another doctor. To bring your glucose down, you have to do some tests after you eat to see how food reacts to your blood sugar. you also need to look at what is on the plate that you eat 2/4 of the plate should be vegetables and or fruit. 1/4 of the plate should be protein and the other 1/4 starch. Being a diabetic myself, it is hard to understand what works for one perosn may not work for the other. I am on Metformin 500 2x daily. My levels are high in the mornings as well. /Generally we as diabetics are to eat 45-60gms of carbs per meal and eat 2 snacks a day during the time that we feel that we need them, it is a good idea to check the glucose before snacking though.
Fastin Levels Established by ADA fasting should be 90-130 and before meals it should be less than 140 and 2 hours after eating it should be under 180.
Exercise is important and so is drinking water.
Try these tips. Also it might help to get your husband to a Diabetes Educator that can help him with the diet and how and when he should be eating.

Answer 3

FIRST of all - have you attended a two day diabetes class? - your insurance will pay for it for your patient and a guest to attend (I went to Joslin's and they were FANTASTIC) You learn about the meds - diet - and what diabetes really is

Second - needs to exercise - if at all possible - walking is fabulous - and 'they' have just found that three - 15 minute bursts are better than 45 minutes all at once - burns more fat

foods - need to eat low to medium impact foods on the glycemic scale - great book - The Glycemic Revolution will point you in the right direction - show you what is good and what to 'rarely' eat (here is a resource to buy cheap books, I see a book for $30 and find it here for less than $6 including shipping sometimes)

another trick is the bedtime snack - you need something to carry you through the night - mine was a spoonfull of peanut butter (the one without hydrogenated oils)
because if you 'run out' of sugar at night - the liver DUMPS it in - and you can have a high reading - I am normally 99-115 in the morning - got off schedule - no PB but crackers - and I was 129 this AM) crap! (By the way - I am on Metformin 4x500 and Glimepiride 2 mg daily) And I am trying to lose weight
but
find out about the school - ask your Doctor - and GO!

ps have a friend who had gotten theirs under control - and does not have to take Metformin!! they lost 30 lbs and walked walked walked

all the best !

Answer 4

If his blood sugar is too high and your doctor does not seem concerned you should go to another doctor. My doctor immediately adjusted my medication when mine was higher than he wanted. Besides medication, the only ways to lower blood sugar are through diet and exercise.

Answer 5

I would like to suggest seeing an endocrinologist and a dietitian. They can be very helpful in helping control blood sugar levels and also they can monitor why and when the bg level changes occur.