Diabetes Talking

Question:

I am newly diagnosed with Type II

Welcome & sorry you’re here… have heard of many liver problems associated with the medications.  Any reactions?  

All meds have side-effects and risks. You should ALWAYS read the patient information.  What you are probably remembering is the flap a couple of months back with liver problems and Rezulin.   Short version: Rare but very serious side effects.  As a result, frequent liver tests are required and the drug is no longer supposed to be prescribed as the only drug. Longer version:  During initial testing, there were cases of minor liver problems.  After drug was approved (and thus the # of users went from a few 1000 to 100s of thousand or millions of users), the serious liver problems were seen.  In the US – There were a couple of cycles of how often to test for liver problems, etc.  Including a scientific review which kept the drug on the market with increased monitoring. It’s subsequently been delisted for monotherapy. There are now newer drugs in the same class.  These were given expedited approval, and – although no liver problems were seen in the limited trials, that doesn’t mean problems couldn’t crop up.  So these new drugs have the same liver test requirements.  And frankly, many Doctors are being cautious – because the newer drugs haven’t been used by millions of patients yet, nobody really knows… I would suggest you talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits. But I also strongly suggest you don’t dismiss the very real and very serious risks of uncontrolled blood sugars because of fears of the very rare risks from the drugs.  It’s often stated that asprin couldn’t be approved in the US today because of side-effects – yet we all pop ‘em like candy. How about herbal treatments, have people found results with them?

Save your money… —–Burton — My life is lived soley for the support of the cats! The cat is not part of my e-mail address

Response:

I am newly diagnosed with Type II and have heard of many liver problems associated with the medications.  Any reactions?  

Rezulin can cause liver problems – less that Tylanol, butm since it is a new drug, it is under stricter controls – your doctor will have you tested regularly.  They also test liver function for the newer drugs, but no adverse reactions have been found = at all How about herbal treatments, have people found results with them? John

SURE, the "herbal" frauds will sell you any swill they can, and they are not under FDA monitoring, so there has to be hundreds of deaths from that crap before anything is done.  I fyou are lucky, the herbs won’t kill you, and you will live long enough to have your feet amputated because you didn’t take REAL meds.

Response:

I am newly diagnosed with Type II and have heard of many liver problems associated with the medications.  Any reactions?  How about herbal treatments, have people found results with them? John

If you can control your Type-2 with diet and exercise, do that instead of taking any medicine There is a list of books on my diabetes page, as well as info about what I am doing with MY version of Type-2 As long as I keep my carbohydrates at or below 20 per meal, I have good BG (Blood Glucose) readings when I test 2 hours after eating When I splurge (hamburger and fries, or some other meal that is high in carbs) I know my BG reading will SPIKE after the meal… so I limit how often I fall off my diet "wagon" John Thomas Smith http://www.pacifier.com/~jtsmith Direct 2 U Pond Emporium Pumps/Filters/Liner/Accessories http://www.pacifier.com/~tkaufman

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I am newly diagnosed with Type II and have heard of many liver problems associated with the medications.  Any reactions?  How about herbal treatments, have people found results with them? John If you can control your Type-2 with diet and exercise, do that instead of taking any medicine <snip

This is EXACTLY the type of advice to worry about on the Internet. THIS IS BAD ADVICE – it may be good for SOME people, but not all, and the person who is giving this advise has NO idea about YOUR situation, and has no business making statements this sweeping.   A proper statement might be: "SOME people can control their BG with diet and exercise, so that they can put off medications for a long time, possibly therir entire life – you might want to CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR and see if YOU can" they might even go further and say: "If your doctor does not think so, you might get a SECOND OPINION" But NEVER NEVER NEVER "do that insrtead of taking medications" – no matter WHAT "that" is/ but remember, this is the INTERNET, NOT the ADA ! do not beleive things just because they are what you want to hear – check EVERYTHING.

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There is a large number of drug databases on the Internet – I won’t give any URLs, since they come and go – that provide a very detailed description of the drug you’ve been prescribed, listing it’s side effects, dosages, pyrpose, etc. etc. Simplest thing is to access a search engine and type in the drug name, brand name or generic, then sift through the multitude of hits. That’s what my family and I have done many times. hemyd Australia – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am newly diagnosed with Type II and have heard of many liver problems associated with the medications.  Any reactions?  How about herbal treatments, have people found results with them? John

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I am newly diagnosed with Type II and have heard of many liver problems associated with the medications.  Any reactions?  How about herbal treatments, have people found results with them? John

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No not at all… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am newly diagnosed with Type II and have heard of many liver problems associated with the medications.  Any reactions?  How about herbal treatments, have people found results with them? John

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Liver problems are possible with Rezulin.  Not frequent, but you need monthly tests for the first 6-12 months, I think. Better to take meds than run around with high blood sugars, IMHO. Beth – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – No not at all… I am newly diagnosed with Type II and have heard of many liver problems associated with the medications.  Any reactions?  How about herbal treatments, have people found results with them? John

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