I have managed it with that for a while but it is getting a bit difficult and the fasting levels are not ideal and now mostly remain in the 100-105 range. The last time I had a lab test done, I tested my meter just before they drew the blood. The meter showed me 95 and the lab test showed a 85. So, it seemed that the meter was measuring about 10 points higher than what things were. If I go by that, then my glucose levels are at about 95. Not ideal, but a work in progress.
Another issue that I believe I might be facing with the low dose of metformin is that, Exercise has become pretty much a demanding, in your face fact of life. I need to strenuously exercise everyday. I mean EVERY FRIKKIN DAY! I don't know how others manage it and how doctors say that you should walk 30 minutes a day or so. Walking, even fairly long distance, a few miles, does not do much to my blood glucose. So, for now, I run 6 miles 3 times a week and then on the off days, I do strenuous weight training. By strenuous, I mean that I push reasonably heavy weights in such rapid succession and such high repetition count that I am sweating and panting. Usually, a 30-45 routine keeps the glucose level for that day in check.
This also means, that over the weekend, if I take a lazy day off, the glucose levels start veering off from the optimal range. Sigh.
Next time I meet the doctor, I am going to ask him/her if I need to increase my dosage.
Anyways, here is a small tip that I discovered with experimentation. Sometimes, in spite of all the precautions, post-prandial (after meal) glucose levels are not optimal. There are two ways you can handle it:
- You can ignore it and wait for it to go down slowly with the medicine and passage of time
- You can exercise to bring it back into line fairly fast.
I take the second option. The exercise that helps is just strength training. I was recently travelling where I did not have access to my gym and weights or equipment and the glucose levels were not optimal. In desperation, I just started doing Squats without weights, then I did fast paced pushups, picked a chair and did dips. Even to simulate some weights, I took a tiny bucket with a handle in the hotel room, filled it with water and did some one arm lifts and then bunch of crunches where my elbows would touch the diagonally opposite knees. In about 25-30 minutes, I was able to drop the glucose levels about 20 points.
Dr. Bernstien says muscles have a different way of metabolizing glucose that does not require insulin and so strength training is better than aerobic exercises. I guess I can agree with that after having experimentally verified that.
Now a days, if I am just a teeny bit over the optimal range, I let it go. If things are more than 10-15 points over the optimal range, I try to find weights or other exercises where I can stress my muscles and try to put it back into the normal range.
