When should I cut back on my diabetes medications?
Legally we can not supervise or act as your physician. We can however, give you suggestions on how you could dialogue with your prescribing physician in terms of what we have found works wonders with our clients. Moreover, many people have been educated on self medicating when it comes to monitoring fasting blood sugar levels.
As a general rule once you have achieved two criteria, we suggest talking with your physician about cutting back on half of one medication, starting with the most recent diabetic medication you were prescribed. What are the two criteria?
- Achieve an average fasting blood sugar of < 140 for about a week or two. If you are getting an average of < 100 you need to act sooner and if you get a morning reading of < 80 you need to contact your doctor right away about lowering your medication dosage.
- Be following a specific anti-inflammatory nutritional and supplemental plan. If you were to simply cut out your drugs and stay on your previous eating habits your pancreas will go on the fritz unless you have given it the nutritional support to come out of hibernation mode and start healing.
The reason for this is several fold. First keep in mind, most physicians agree the normal 8 hour fasting ranges of blood sugar are: Normal: 80-100mg/dl Pre-diabetic: 101-120mg/dl and Dibetic >120mg/dl. However, if we follow these guidelines while on medications, we take away any opportunity for your pancreas to get back into the game and play its part so you can ultimately get off your medications. In fact, I have seen overmedicated clients not cut back on their medications soon enough and their body actually flipped and started increasing the blood sugar. So, it is important to discuss acting at around 140mg/dl, not 100mg/dl.
Once diabetic, your body works hard to keep inflammation and blood sugar levels low. The problem is diabetic medications take the workload from the pancreas which causes it it go into a hibernation mode.
Can the pancreas regenerate?
There is mounting research and clinical outcomes suggesting yes. With that in mind, a fasting blood sugar range of less than 140 average for a week allows your pancreas to come out of hibernation mode and start getting back in the game. However, if you are not giving it the support it needs nutritionally, then cutting back on the meds will only strain your pancreas and lead to a progression and worsening of the problem.
What does your pancreas need to regenerate?
Two things- stop the problem and then correct it. Sounds easy enough but can be confusing. First we need to shut off the inflammation and high glycemic load/index foods and second we need to give the body the nutrients needed to strengthen.
