I'm due for a checkup on my diabetes soon and have been trying to figure out how to best explain to my MD about what is going on with my weight gain since last winter. I have read several online sources on the side effects many people have had from taking Actos (which I have been on since 12/07) over time and have concluded that I'm facing many of the same problems-swelling of the ankles/feet, weight gain that won't go away, increased desire for more carbs than I had when I was first diagnosed and put on meds in 2006 (I was put on Metformin then Actos when it was clear Metformin wouldn't bring down my BG levels enough even with the change in diet & exercise). The thing that is puzzling me now is what caused the craving for more carbs in the first place...does the increase of fat cells circulating in your body contribute to this?
Hi Gretchen-
Thanks for the reply, I'm not on a low carb diet, it's more like a modified regular diet. I still eat most of the same things that I did before I was diagnosed but with some changes to the preparation...cook w/more olive oil, use canola margarine, use more brown sugar, no trans fats, stay away from fast or processed foods, more fruit & veggies, that sort of thing. I have food allergies, so that limits how strict I can get on a diet. I also take multivitamins. My A1C has been less than 6.5 for over a year now on this diet, a bike peddler (3-4 days/wk), plus the Actos and Metformin (2,000mg). I was still eating carbs after being diagnosed but not as much...maybe the restriction in carbs after several months caused a 'backlash' in my system and it wanted more. Thanks for the answer, I know what I'll have to focus on now.
Aside from gaining weight, these are also the side effects of actos. Allergic reaction, shortness of breath, swelling, chest pain, general ill feeling, nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice, blurred vision; increased thirst or hunger, urinating more than usual; or pale skin, easy bruising or bleeding, weakness, sneezing, runny nose, cough or other signs of a cold, headache, gradual weight gain, muscle pain; or tooth problems but other than that there were reports that actos has been reported that taking actos as prescribed medication for type 2 diabetes has also a serious side effects which are the bladder cancer and heart disease which causes the patients who suffer from these side effects seek for legal action and file for actos lawsuit against the manufacturer which other patients claim that it helps a lot.
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Good information!
I may have stated this before but my GP and my CDE are in fairly vehement opposition about how I should look after my BGLs.
The CDE told me to follow the standard "diet" that includes a lot of carbohydrates. She said they would "control" my BGLs with medications.
My GP, on the other hand, agrees with a restricted carbohydrate approach and less medication.
So, I have chosen to follow my GP's advice. So far, it is working as I managed to get my HbA1c down from 16.2% to 5.9% in just 5 months!
What really bothers me is that some people will be getting the same sort of conflicting advice and will be really confused about what to do. This, they may well give up and do nothing. That is really sad.
-- Joel.
Congrats on the A1c!
Yes, it's sad that so many people are being told they must eat 45 to 60 g of carbs per meal. And then they wonder why they get complications.
The next time a CDE says they'll control BGs with medication, ask about glycemic excursions. See my blog on Peaks and Valleys. Some people think these ups and downs are more damaging than high BGs, and no medication can erase the peaks.