Diabetes Medication

[JeanieBeanie]

My husband has PD and about a year ago was told he was pre-diabetic. He was given Metformin but found it was affecting his PD so stopped taking it. He managed to reduce his blood sugar readings but past two visits to the nurse they have been up again and the nurse is talking about different meds, either Linagliptin or Glimepiride. Has anyone else had problems with Metformin? Any advice of what other PD sufferers with type 2 diabetes take?

[pvw2]

Type 2 pre-diabetes can be controlled by diet. Exercise also helps. If the waistline is large, reducing it can help.

[park_bear]

thelancet.com/journals/lanc...

Exenatide is a diabetes medication that was shown in the above study to improve Parkinson's. The results were not dramatic but they were in the right direction. If he has to take diabetes medications this should be considered.

[pvw2 in reply to park_bear]

Looks like your best option. Your doctor may want to see this:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[pdpatient]

Hi JeanieBeanie, Metformin is the safest and best for initial diagnosis of diabetes or pre diabetes. Diabetes is difficult to manage and just like PD in many ways.

Diabetes medications can undershoot or overshoot because there is no “feedback loop” that can self regulate the dosage. I have been diabetic for two decades and I finally managed to get it under control but I have had seriously alarming experiences along the way. So, just like PD, you have to do your own intense research. Doctors are responsible for your care, but they have also resigned themselves to the fact that patients can do their own research with the aim of either validation of the prescription protocol or trying to learn more about the medications.

For tremor dominant PD patients, medications like Glimepiride is not good because they can cause low sugar conditions that can be dangerous and can cause fatalities in extreme cases. The low sugar can also induce severe tremor that is difficult to distinguish from PD tremor.

Insulin is partially safe and only the basal or long acting kind is safe. Fast acting Insulin is also dangerous. Metformin by itself is less likely to cause low blood sugar.

Talk to the doctor about Bydureon (Exenatide), which is a once a week injection. It has helped me greatly. Ask your doctor about it. It is very expensive, but your doctor can help mitigate your out of pocket cost with pre-authorization. You can also ask your doctor office staff to get you in to patient financial support programs that can reduce the cost.

Maybe there’s a diabetes forum on HealthUnlocked?

Hope this helps.

[sharoncrayn in reply to pdpatient]

PD patient:

You may want to read this study in full --- "Glitazone use associated with reduced risk of Parkinson's disease."

--- Results

Glitazone use was associated with a significantly lower incidence of PD compared with metformin‐only use (hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval, 0.55‐0.94; P = 0.01).

Hope this study helps. Any questions about older studies, such as the Norwegian one, don't hesitate to ask.

Another good review about your debatable criticism of GTZ drugs is in "Diabetes Care" Dec, 2019, --- A Verdict for Glimepiride: Effective and Not Guilty of Cardiovascular Harm. IMO, A Well done review. Covers all the bases.

Also, I would be interested in knowing exactly what studies you used to derive one of your conclusions: "For tremor dominant PD patients, medications like Glimepiride is not good because they can cause low sugar conditions that can be dangerous and can cause fatalities in extreme cases. The low sugar can also induce severe tremor that is difficult to distinguish from PD tremor."

Let me know when you have time.

Sharon

[pdpatient in reply to sharoncrayn]

Sharon , my statements are based off my own experiences and inputs and observations of my doctor team.

I will read the articles you have mentioned and I will share with my care team and report back to you. Thanks for sharing.

I am not sure if I can still benefit from glitazone which I have taken before but put on a huge amount of weight quickly.

[JeanieBeanie in reply to pdpatient]

Thank you for your sound advice. Unfortunately we are in Uk so the two I have specified are whats available on prescription. I will speak to our nurse about it though.

[pdpatient in reply to JeanieBeanie]

I have used glitazone before and I quickly put on 50 pounds very fast. Scaringly fast. But I would like to know more of the information raised by sharon above.

[CaseyInsights]

Exenatide may indeed be your best option as park_bear suggest.

But there is also a non-pharmaceutical option in Berberine. It works along the same pathway as Metformin and also works as an incretin mimetic like Exenatide (Byetta) and liraglutide (Victoza)

naturalmedicinejournal.com/...

[JeanieBeanie in reply to CaseyInsights]

I am really interested in this. Thank you.

[bepo in reply to CaseyInsights]

Yes!

[BUSHPILOTS]

I take Bydureon and a drug called Farxiga with good results. Each can lower A1C by around 1 point.

[GymBag]

Well PD will make things miserable but diabetes can kill you, plus Diabetes adds stress which brings the PD reaction and proper treatment of Diabetes will make him thinner and easier to keep mobility. My brothers family is treating his diabetes and it is under control all to the benefit of his Alzheimer.

[bepo in reply to GymBag]

Alzheimer's has been referred to as diabetes3. Read Dr. Dale Bredesen's book on curing Alzheimer's.

[BoRhap]

My husband takes Januvia.

[bepo]

Change the diet. No sugar nor artificial sweetners. No grains or other foods that turn into sugars. Be careful with certain fruits and avoid fruit juices.

[Mohsin117]

People who have diabetes may hear or read a lot about controlling, or managing, the condition. But what is diabetes control and why is it so important?

**What Is Diabetes Control?**

When you hear your doctors or health care providers talk about "diabetes control," they're usually referring to how close your blood sugar, or glucose, is kept to the desired range. Having too much or too little sugar in your blood can make you feel sick now and cause health problems later.

**Diabetes can get out of control if you:**

1. don't take diabetes medicines as directed

2. don't follow the meal plan (like eating too much or not enough food without adjusting diabetes medicines)

3. don't get regular exercise or exercise more or less than usual without making changes to the diabetes plan

4. have an illness or too much stress

5. don't check blood sugar levels enough

**Getting Control**

Keeping blood sugar levels close to normal will be challenging at times. But you can help keep your blood sugar levels in a healthy range with these steps:

1. Take your insulin or pills when you're supposed to.

2. Follow your meal plan.

3. Get regular exercise.

4. Check your blood sugar levels often and make changes with the help of your diabetes health care team.

5. Also See this Freedom Diabetes (pastelink.net/1kd5a). Scientific Research includes studies from The University of Utah, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, and the Diabetelogia journal.