Need advise.

Started on the BSD a few days back. I stopped taking insulin and medications when I did that. First three days, my blood sugar was in the 5-6 range, both fasting and PP, without the meds. The last two days its rising and going to 7-8 PP.

Should I go back to taking metformin. Or stick it out for a few more days to see. GP is out for a couple of weeks, so any advise would be good.

Shubz, first of all you should not have stopped taking your medication, especially insulin, only a few days into the diet. I am in my 11th month and I still take insulin and glicazides although I have reduced both by 50%. You are diabetic and the meds keep your BG down. This diet will bring your sugars down further and you might eventually be able to reduce and finally stop meds but not so quickly. Insulin needs to be weaned off until you have had several HbA1cs to confirm your BG is at a non diabetic range when you MIGHT be able to stop completely.

Thanks Sunshine-girl. Got it and appreciate it.

Yeah – I started by continuing the Insulin and Metformin the first day. But the fasting hit 5, so I became a little scared a hypo, considering I was really sticking to 600-800 cal. And then been measuring quite regularly through the day to see if I should take insulin – and it wasn’t going beyond 5.7 so stayed without. Today, it went up at fasting to 7 and stayed so. Didn’t eat anything different. Will see if fasting is high tomorrow, and will continue Insulin and start back the metformin if it stays high.

Okay, I now know where you are coming from. When I started I had a HbA1c of 11.2 after being put on a diet plan by a specialist diabetic nutritionist, said I should eat 6 white carbs per day, that’s another story. At that time I was on 40 units of long action insulin and 3 Glycazide (30mg each). By the time I started this diet I was down to 8.4 HbA1c and used to cry every night because I was in despair as to how to get it down. Testing at home I was running at10.0. About 5 days into this diet I was down to 6.9. Less than a week after that I was down to 4.8 and I freaked out, I did a post on this forum saying what am I doing to myself, I was really scared. By this time I had reduced the insulin from 40 units to 37 to 30. This trend continued and I was cutting the insulin by one unit every 3rd or 4th day. I am now on 22 units and 2 Glicazides. I found that I was having what I would have once called a hypo in the late afternoon and soon learnt that Glicazides can cause that which is why I reduced that med.

I have spoken to my doctor about how to get off the meds and he said to keep reducing the insulin first of all. Unfortunately, after 11 months on this plan I keep having slip ups like the fact I have just had 3 holidays in 3 months and try very hard but the alcohol creeps in and I think what the hell, I am on holiday so, although I dont touch the carbs I have a few treats. This has not affected my blood glucose much but I do keep losing and regaining the same 5 or 6 lbs which I will continue to try to lose. However, I have lost 1 stone 4 lbs (was nearer 1 st 9 lbs) and still have over a stone to lose.

My advice to you, from experience, would be to go back on the insulin, you can stay off the Metformin as long as you are sticking to the now bad carbs rule. Then as you get further into the plan, lose weight and see real BG results i.e. HbA1c results lowered, reduce the insulin bit by bit, one or two units a week. More important is to monitor yourself closely, testing at least twice a day, morning and evening. If you feel shakey or have the usual symptoms of a hypo, test again. If your BG is really low then have something to eat to bring it up. Prior to BSD I used to have something very sweet or carby like a jam sandwich, which meant I could never lose weight. Now I have a couple of prunes, a slice of ham, a couple of spoonsful of full fat Greek yoghurt or a square of cheese and re-test after 20 minutes. Yes it is scary but what is more scary is that no-one told us we could do this, we have been given bad advice for years so when you find something that works like this it is a bit of a shock. Talk to your doctor about your intentions to be on this diet and to get rid of the insulin and ask for his support and monitoring. I have a HbA1c every 3 months because my doctor insists but I live in France and I understand they restrict the full test in the UK. Good luck and please keep yourself safe.

By the way, sorry for going on so long, just wanted you to know many of us on here have been there and know exactly how you are feeling.

Hey, Thanks very much. That was very helpful and has really got my spirits up.

I managed to hunt down my old endocrinologist, since my current one is away. He told me exactly the same thing as you said, reduce the insulin and keep 1 metformin going. I used to be on gliclazide and gals too, a real cocktail, but he told me to keep off them if my sugar stays in control – given gliclazide gives hypo. So lets see. Luckily, the sugar hasn’t gone up further. So I am hoping I don’t have to increase meds.

I have been a long-term diabetic and like usual have had good phases and bad phases, mostly based on meds control and exercising. Nobody really had said that just undercutting the diet would have such profound effect. Everyone would just give the general advise – keep your sugar intake in check and keep walking. So I am stoked with how this is working out so far… and if I can reduce my cocktail of medicines … its going to be all worth it.

Really, Thanks for taking the time to write and encourage me… it was brilliant.

Hi Shubz, so glad your endocrinologist agreed with me, so now you know I am talking sense. I notice you are a long term diabetic, same as me, it has been 12 years. This being the case, dont expect this plan to be a ‘cure’ more a remission so you dont live in fear of all the nastiest diabetes bring and also to be on reduced or no meds. The people who find the diabetes actually goes away have usually being newly diagnosed or less than 2 years. Dont let that put you off doing it as the rewards are still high. Read some of the posts, one lady was losing her eye sight and managed to turn that around, most of us also reduce things like cholesterol levels, improve liver function and reduce blood pressure. You are right, it is going to be worth it.