Jo’s Cafe

Did you let your sugar get too low this week? I did. The night before I’d not eaten supper, wasn’t hungry and just took my medicine as normal. Before going to bed though I thought better of it and had some potato chips and dip. Wasn’t enough. When I got up I felt that odd warm, disoriented feeling and stumbling to the bathroom, the meter said 48. Holy Smokes Batman! Four glucose tabs later it was up and I was feeling normal. The next night hubby made me eat supper. Won’t be doing THAT again.

Lap-Band Surgery Can Send Diabetes Into Remission

TUESDAY, Jan. 22 (HealthDay News) — New research suggests that gastric lap-band surgery isn’t only for the most obese; it can also combat diabetes in people who aren’t severely fat.

Still, the surgery is extremely expensive and carries risks. However, the findings show promise for people with diabetes who need alternative ways to shed pounds, said study author John Dixon, a obesity researcher at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.

“It doesn’t seem to matter how you lose it,” Dixon said. “This particular study shows that it’s the weight loss that has the effect.”

Gastric weight-loss surgery has rapidly grown in popularity in the United States over the past several years. The goal of the operation is to reduce the size of the stomach so people don’t eat as much.

Meanwhile, cases of diabetes continue to skyrocket as Americans get heavier and heavier.

Fortunately I’m not in this position, but if it can help - I would hope doctor’s would use it. After losing too much weight and getting diagnosed, I did climb up to 163 pounds before adjusting mediction and then I dropped down to the weight I’m at now, which of course fluctuates, but at least I’m healthy.

Cholesterol Drug Can Now Treat Type 2

People with Type 2 diabetes who use metformin, sulfonylureas (such as glipizide, glyburide, and glimepiride), insulin, or a combination of these drugs can now add colesevelam (brand name Welchol) to their regimens if they need to further improve their diabetes control.

On January 18, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved this new use for Welchol, which was originally approved in 2000 to help people reduce their LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol levels. In recent clinical trials, the drug has also been shown to help reduce HbA1c levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. Now doctors can prescribe it as an add-on drug therapy to help people lower their blood glucose levels.

My doctor put me on Lipitor and within a week I was off it. The side effects were awful! Maybe I should suggest this one next time I’m in.