Confused about diabetes after RNY

[JRT Mom 919]

Hi y'all, before I got my RNY I had a touch of diabetes. Hemoglobin A1C as only two points above normal with a fasting blood sugar of around 110. My FCP started me on Metformin and after three months my A1C was within normal limits. My surgeon told me to stop taking the Metformin the day before my surgery-said I wouldn't need it anymore. Well, in preparation for my three month post surgery visit the surgeon had me get some labs, and now my A1C is elevated again, and my fasting blood sugar is 117. Have any of y'all had that happen? I haven't cheated once on my diet with sugary stuff. I'm still showing ketones in my urine. So why is my glucose and A1C back up?

I see the surgeon Thursday--hopefully he can explain it...

[NovaLuna 710]

Did you have diabetes for 10 or more years before your surgery? The way it was explained to us is that the surgery has something like a 96% chance of curing type 2 diabetes, but only if you've had it for less than 10 years. I don't really know how much truth there is in that, but that's what they told us in the class when discussing the pro's and con's of the different surgeries... If you did have it less than 10 years then just maybe you happen to be one of those rare 4%, which yes, sucks very much so. I hope the doc can explain what's going on with it and hopefully figure it out.

[Prestonandme 107]

I was pre-diabetic before surgery for only about a year (about 110 fasting). Like you, I was put on metformin but my blood sugar continued to rise slightly.

At first, after surgery, my blood sugar was in the 80's, but at 6 months, it was measured at 95. I was a wreck. But my surgeon kept saying, "Don't worry about it. We'll deal with it if there's a problem."

My PCP looked at my A1C from the six month checkup and said it is fine (4.9) and that she, too, wasn't worried about the 95 blood sugar score, but if it climbed even to the higher 90's, she would consider starting me on metformin again.

I'm feeling really sad because I thought the surgery would keep me in the 80's, where I was about seven years ago. I am scared going forward -- I won't be retested until June, but I definitely feel for you and totally understand your concerns.

[over65 133]

Be sure and check all carb intake, not just sugar itself. There is sugar in milk and milk products. There are carbs in bread, Pasta, legumes, and grains. So you may be eating too many carbs without knowing it. Fasting Blood sugar below 100 is NORMAL. Why would they give you insulin producing drugs when blood sugar is normal? My PCP he would give metaformin when my A1C reached 6.5% or fasting blood sugar at 126. They don't give drugs in pre-diabetes. As we know, diabetes is a condition of insulin resistance. So giving drug to produce more insulin when still pre-diabetic willl make it worse.

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[summerset 5,261]

Metformin is not an insulin producing drug.

[Prestonandme 107]

Today many physicians are prescribing metformin for people who are prediabetic: https://www.goodrx.com/blog/metformin-prediabetes-what-to-know/ . If you google, you'll find several other articles about this.

My physician said this is a protective measure.

I'm hoping that my blood glucose remains around 95 where it is now, but I am going to take her advice like before if it continues to climb.