Medicaton and prediabetes

Well an hour's walk every day, no matter how leisurely, is a good thing.

A pity about the knee - it's a bit of a bugger when one part of the body has such an effect on the rest!

Riverwalk He takes the dog for a walk every evening for about an hour (I do the same in the morning) but I'm not sure how "brisk" that walk is. He also does gardening fairly regularly.

However, in the past we went walking together, taking the dog on long walks through Epping Forest. But my husband developed a painful knee and had to have minor surgery. He had to cut down on the walks and has now got out of the habit of them.

Eloethan at the risk of being obvious is your DH amenable to brisk walking, rather than the gym, for exercise?

There are so many fascinating walks in London and it's very easy to avoid traffic fumes!

Jeanie Thank you so much for the very detailed and helpful information.

My husband is still persevering with his strict diet. He doesn't have a weight problem but is hoping that avoiding certain foods might help him avoid developing type 2 diabetes. It's a very limiting diet, especially as he's also a strict vegetarian. He's bought some of the Swedish breakfast cereal that is said to reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels (he says it tastes like cardboard!). I hope he can tackle this with diet as he's very averse to taking any sort of medication. From what I've read, I'm quite convinced that significant increases in exercise levels have helped a lot of people - but I haven't been able to convince him.

What is the meter that you mentioned? I looked briefly at the website you recommended but couldn't at first glance see a reference to it.

Thanks for your good wishes - and all the best to you too.

Hi everyone, I have not been on the site for some time but here goes.

Eloethan

I was diagnosed as prediabetic over two years ago a routine blood test. As I was not overweight and an active individual I was surprised.
Doc said I would probably become a type 2 diabetic. My result was 42 which is just in the scale for prediabetes 42 - 47 is pre.
I said I was going to have a go at making some changes to my diet and spoke to the hospital dietician but she said my diet was good and probably I wouldn't be able to change.
I have a friend with diabetes and he is not well at all and I was determined to at least try and stay within the pre range.
I found the this website have a look
www.diabetes.org.uk/
and received lots of help and encouragement and by buying a meter and testing I now have a good idea of what foods I should avoid.
My second blood test was normal the next one 41 and the most recent test result is 42. I knew it would be higher because we had been away and eating out so expected it.
But the thing is I know I can make a difference I just have to keep on top of it. It's ok to have the occasional splurg just don't do it every week.
My problem as been loosing weight one and half stone which I really don't want to loose and the doc said I should try and put half a stone on and I have done by eating nuts.
Get your husband to have a look at the website, there are lots of people who can offer advice and make suggestions it's a good community.

The lactose information is from a diabetic site and is as follows:

Lactose is like sucrose, a disaccharide, made up of 1 molecule of glucose and 1 molecule of galactose. The lactose is split in the intestine, with the glucose going into the blood stream and raising blood sugar. The galactose goes to the liver and is metabolised there. The carbohydrate in milk for example is lactose, and yes it will raise your blood sugar.

I just know while I was taking steroids and antihistamine my blood sugar levels were higher now I am not taking the medication it as dropped.
You have to remember whatever you take or eat can have different effects on different individuals. It's trial and error with food but worth the effort.
Best of luck

Raised blood sugar levels are a side effect of lots of blood pressure tablets, too. It's not the amount of lactose that is the problem, but the actual active ingredient.

Steroid-induced diabetes is a known condition.

I agree if the pills are small lactose is unlikely to affect blood sugar. Have you given up milk? - because that contains lactose and a lot more than you could cram into a tiny pill.
I've noticed that indigestion pills contain sugar and if someone is taking several a day might be more significant (the chewable, over the counter ones).

Just googled this and find that many hundreds of pills contain lactose as a filler or a coating. However it should not be sufficient to raise your blood sugar levels too much. Have you just started taking these pills recently? I'd agree you should check with your pharmacist, but suspect the answer lies elsewhere.

My DH was pre-diabetic on two occasions. His mother and a brother had type 2 diabetes. The first time a low carb diet brought his blood sugar levels way down, but after a couple of years he started to lapse diet-wise and levels crept up again. He's now back on a low carb diet and I'm keeping him company. Blood sugar levels are back to normal and this time he's accepted it's a lifestyle change that has to stay.

The amount of lactose in a tablet must be very small and surely not enough to impact on your blood sugar levels?

I wonder if it's the steroids?

jeannie, are you thinking that the lactose in your pills will bump up your blood sugar levels significantly? Why don't you ask your pharmacist? I have a feeling they will be able to reassure you that that is not the case. However, if you do ask and my surmise is wrong, please let me know.

jeanie I'm interested in your post because my husband has just been warned that he is on the point of developing type 2 diabetes and is this month trying to follow a very strict diet so that he need not take medication. (He already has a very sensible diet and has always been slightly under his recommended weight, so it isn't a weight issue).

I don't quite understand your post - what has lactose in it? Antihistamine is prescribed for itching so I assume you mean the steroids. Steroids aren't treatment for pre-diabetes are they? I'm confused.

Has the itching subsided now?