Diagnosed as "Insulin Resistant"

[ProudMama2girls]

I recently went through some lab work to find out why my menstrual cycle was messed up and it was discovered that I was "insulin resistant". Now my doctor did not give me much information but placed me on metformin 500mg twice a day. (Nasty side effects)  I have a huge family history of type 2 diabetes and do not want to progress to having it myself. My question is prediabetes and insulin resistant the same thing?   I was told I needed to lose weight..which I have been trying to do. I also started following the same kind of diet my diabetic grandfather follow which includes not consuming more than 45g of carbs per meal. (This is under his doctor's advice). I have no idea if this is a good diet or not...but have found how hard it can be to stay under that 45 gram limit at mealtime. I would sincerely appreciate any advice I can get since I have been left in the dark by my doctor.

[Zoelula]

Doctors are notorious for not telling patients how to manage diabetes! If you want the name of a website with a lot more people with pre-diabetes and diabetes send me a PM.

[ProudMama2girls]

Hopeshell- The side effects I have been experiencing are nausea, diarrhea, painful gas, and stomach cramps. I find that they are worse right after I eat and lessen the longer its been between meals...and my doctor has me taking it with breakfast and dinner.


Zoelula- I don't know if my doctor ran labs to determine my A1C. I have to return here in August to see how the medication is doing and will ask that he runs it so I know. The labwork that he did run where he decide I was insulin resistant was an insulin serum which was 33 uU/mL...and normal is supposed to be between 2.6 and 25.0.


I guess my biggest problem is that right now I just don't know where to go next. My doctor prescribed the metformin and told me I needed to lose weight but did not give me any other information. I took it upon myself to inquire what diet my diabetic grandfather was on and implement that into my own hoping that it will help prevent anything from progressing.

[Zoelula]

Yes, Insulin Resistance is the chief characteristic of Type 2 diabetes. You need to ask your doctor to tell you what your A1C is and determine if you are pre-diabetic or diabetic. A1C's of 5.7-6.4 are prediabetic and 6.5 is diabetic.

In general the side effects from Metformin are gastrointestinal and often pass after a couple weeks. Some people are not able to tolerate it and need to be changed. The best way to control blood sugar is through weight loss, exercise and carb reduction. You also want to get a meter and test your blood sugar. You want your fasting to be under 100. You want your post prandial (2 hours after your meal) to be under 140. At first you might want to test various meals to get an idea what you can tolerate in the way of carbs. If you are middle aged and insulin resistant weight loss is hard so you might want to skip snacks and just eat three meals a day. Carbs are addictive and you may feel hungry for awhile but then you will adjust. Many people eat much lower than that.

[hopeshell]

From my understanding, prediabetes and insulin resistance are the same thing.  I was diagnosed with this condition too just a short time ago.  I am not yet on medication, but instead my doctor suggested I follow the South Beach Diet.  In a short time, I have already lost 5 pounds.  I had a very hard time losing weight in the past, but this seems to be working better than others I have tried.    You have the right idea about cutting the carbs.   Another prediabetes book I have been reading mentioned shooting for less than 30g per meal.  South Beach takes you even further during Phase 1 which lasts the first two weeks...basically no bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, fruit, or high glycemic index veggies.  After the first two weeks, more foods get added.  Over the long haul you can eat fruit again, but should stick to low glyemic index fruits.  I was shocked to learn watermelon is off the list due to its high sugar content.  The diet also emphasizes the importance of breakfast (think eggs and turkey bacon instead of cereal).  Also, you must have protein snacks to satisfy your hunger in between meals (example is low fat cheese or 15 almonds).  The key is to eat low fat protein to keep your metabolism burning.   If you don't mind my asking, what are the side effects you are experiencing with Metformin?  I may be put on that med in a couple of weeks and am curious.   Also, were you having any tingling in your hands and feet or other symptoms?