diet in combination with Lantus and metformin

Hello everyone.  I'm new to this forum.  I've had diabetes type II for 4 years but only recently got the wake up call to take care of it when my blood sugars hit 300 and I was having a hard time staying awake.

Up until 3 weeks ago, I was taking 750 mg of metformin ER once a day and a ridiculously high carb diet...everything that is bad for me.

3 weeks ago, I radically changed my eating.  I now only eat proteins, vegetables and low sugar fruits. I drink unsweetened iced tea and water.  For 2 weeks I was on 1000 mg of metformin ER per day, and for the last 3 days I've been on 1500 mg of metformin per day.  I'm also taking Lantus 12 units per day.  

I definitely have the dawn phenomenon because my fasting blood sugars are now between 160 and 180 (used to be around 250).  After I eat in the morning, it's around 150.  Throughout the day it wavers between 120 and 170-180.  By the time I go to bed, it's back up to the high end again, despite the low carb nature of my diet.  If I do eat something that's sweeter, like a nectarine versus an apple, it really sends my blood sugar up, so I know that low carbing it is what works for me.  So in spite of all the changes, my blood sugar is not yet at a normal level AND I have only lost 4 pounds.  With such a dramatic lowering of my calorie intake, I am surprised that is all I've lost.  So my question is 2-fold:

Did you find that your new way of eating took a while to kick in terms of weight loss and evening out of your blood sugar?  Did you find the same thing if you are on metformin ER and/or Lantus?

Could it be that because I'm not evened out yet that my body is still making too much insulin and therefore my body is still holding on to fat?  I'm confused, and I'm getting really frustrated that this is not kicking in faster.

I am about to start a water aerobics class.  Though I am only 41 years old, I also have MS and autoimmune arthritis with a leg that does not allow me to walk or bike, so I'm getting back into the water.  I know that exercise will also help.  I'm still interested in your answers to what your experience is with the above.

Thanks!
Jayson

[Jayson67]

i also forgot to add that for some reason today has been much much worse in terms of blood sugar and i can't figure out why.  i haven't done one single thing different today than i have every other day since i started this. i did get less sleep last night than usual, but that's the only thing....it's time for bed again and my blood sugar is 220.  it's been 130 to 150 for the last couple of weeks.  is it possible just to have some weird explosion of hyperglycemia out of nowhere?  i'm so confused, and like i said...frustrated.

[Zoelula]

It sounds to me, Jayson, like the Basal dose (Lantus) is not sufficient to control your post prandial blood sugars and you need to be on a regular Basal/Bolus regimen. You don't say how overweight you are, but Type II's have insulin resistance that may mean you need higher doses of both basal and bolus. Unfortunately resistance makes it very hard to lose weight. Your numbers are way too high and you are doing everything right so the need to go to Basal/bolus is what comes immediately to mind. Also have you had your c-peptide and GAD65 checked? The fact you have another autoimmune disease and have needed to go to insulin relatively soon in your disease makes that question of Type need to be confirmed. If you are seeing a regular doctor instead of an endo they might not have thought of these things.