Question:
How do you manage oral medications and keep from dropping too low?

How soon can you wean yourself off of oral meds for diabetes?    — Gail B. (posted on November 13, 2002)

November 13, 2002
Well my PCP said to not take any diabetic pill if my morning sugar was under 175. Between 175 and 225 I would take the amaryl. Over 225? Take the glucophage as well. Post op I NEVER took glucophage. Within a month I was off ALL prescription drugs. If your on BP pills monitor tat closely as well. I nearly hit the bricks. Do talk with your surgeon and PCP or endocrylonogist. YOU need to monitor this close. They say a bit high is better than too low. Plus normal sugar numbers like 100 felt too low to me right after surgery. This takes time and eventually goes away.
   — bob-haller

November 13, 2002
My PCP had me stop my Glucotrol XL two days before surgery (when I started my pre-op liquid diet). I haven't taken one since. My last HgA1C was 5.2 and my blood sugars pre-meal typically run about 75...JR
   — John Rushton

November 13, 2002
I never took oral meds for diabetes from the time I left the hospital after RNY. My sugar stayed relatively low (compared to what it had been prior to RNY)around 140 for a few weeks then leveled off at 80 and has been there ever since!
   — ronascott

November 13, 2002
I would not advise you to mess with your meds until you talk to your doctor. I used to be incredibly high - in the 300's (check my profile). But post post for the first few months I was perfectly normal. And no more meds (Actos and Glucophage) after two weeks post-op. Then they started to drop completely. Now it is not unusual to have sugars in the low 60's, but I have not been really symptomatic for hypoglycemia lately. I have found that since the surgery eating TOO many carbs make my sugars skyrocket for about 30 minutes, then I crash into the 40's and 50's... it is the pancreas overreacting to the sugary carbs. It is a weird reaction, but kind of backs up my advice to talk to our doctor before changing your meds. Good Luck!
   — kultgirl

November 14, 2002
The number skyrockets because its part of dumping. No pyloric valve, sugar directly into intestine, sugar numer clmbs and pancreas over reacts. Dumping icky feeling is because of this.
   — bob-haller