Borderline

[jimmys devoted]

Along time ago.. borderline was considered pre diabetes. you blod glucose levels werent quite high enoug to warrant medication, but enough to indicate and give you warning. Doctors in teh 1960s and 70s well into the 80s considerd family history, and yoru blood and urine work to determines if you were borderline. That is ready and could develope full blown diabeets.
theyc ahnged this term for political rasons and with that began to create anew fad.
Pre diabetes. So many epope today are being told they ae pre diabetic and that often elaves ooyt true diabetics thatneed firthet treatment and testing.

A Fasting GLucose toleranc Test has gone by tehwayside and that is wrong.

Pre diabeets is exactly the same as borderline if proper diagnostic tests are done and not just taken on face value of a person. it was because of this new fad in terminology that I went for years with full blown diabetes and was never treated.

[Belfrybat]

I'm not sure what you are getting at in your post. Are you saying that with the advent of the term "pre-diabetes" folks are not getting the treatment they need? I guess I don't see the difference between "borderline" and "pre" as far as treatment methods. I agree with you that the proper testing needs to be done in either case.

For me, the diagnosis of pre-diabetes has been a wake up call. I am taking much better care of myself both diet and exercise-wise, am on Metformin to keep the blood sugars down, and get tested twice a year. But thankfully I had a nurse practitioner who believes in early intervention.

I am on a couple of diet groups, and it seems the term "insulin resistant" is rather hazy, but in my mind, "pre-diabetes" is pretty clear.

Any comments?

[jimmys devoted]

Theer are some differences.
Borderline is a term that is ararely used. But its still valid.
Its abit more serious than pre diabetes.
Borderline means the body is alaredy into diabetes but not to the extent of massive amonts of medications. It can be handled by vitamon therapies, stricter diet and close monitoring.
It means your blood work is doing abalcning act. Its neither pre diabets which shows a preponderance towards it, but its not enough to warant full medication either. Its avery very fine line.
For me being borderline meant that doctors had to take my blood work more seriously as it always showed an indication of elevated but with a elevated high range. My BGs in fasting were for a mjority fo my life 140. When io slept f rthre emonts is semi diabetic coam it was fasting 285. teh cautionary tale here is.. mediation woudl have sent me plumetting as wehn i got better or I watched what i ate I could remina in ahigh normal range.
Pre diabetes is just that,, pre diabetci stages. your body is showing signs and preventative care will help to stay off the ineviatable even if thats for twenty years. I am highly allergic to metformin. It made me go into total collapse.

In what we are seeing is this: too many poeple are being diagnosed with pre diabetes. they are being told thatthey have metabolix X syndrom etc. And many who are truly diabetic, those who ahve elevated Bgs constinually or those who are showing more signs are being given the same treatment as those who are pre diabetes or in need of better control thourgh diet.
Too many diabetics with full blown symptoms just are notbeing truly dignosed until its too late.
Thats why some of us who attend the seminars are pushing for better lab work, more office visits and better in office time.
If some doctors and NPs woudl be more diligent and actually take in whatteh lab work is showing and request more specific tests many type1s and type 2s who are showing complications would get the treatments they need.

[bra]

Hi,
When I first met my boyfriend and found out he had diabetes we were having a conversation about borderline and he told me there is no such thing. He said that the diabetes classes said either you are or you arent. We argued about this until sundown, then we kissed and went to sleep.

So what should I do about this, I think I may be borderline and I have only just realized this in recent days.

[Dusty]

I'll tell you my opinion which is just that. If your numbers are above normal then if you don't already have it, you could be on the way to developing it.

When I was diagnosed it was no doubt with a 400+ reading.
You should have yourself tested by a dr that understands diabetes, most do NOT. If you have been testing and your numbers are above normal then now is the time to seriously look at your diet and lifestyle and see if changes there will help your numbers before they get worse.

[Belfrybat]

I agree with Dusty--early intervention is the key. It doesn't matter to me what it is called, but if fasting BS are between 100 - 125, then that's a clear sign that something is wrong. I understand that anything above 125 is classified diabetes. So any doctor who doesn't recommend treatment for someone with regular fasting levels above 125 deserves to lose his or her license.

I realise fasting levels are not the only indicator, but it is something easily tested and needs to be paid attention to.

[Belfrybat]

Hi,
When I first met my boyfriend and found out he had diabetes we were having a conversation about borderline and he told me there is no such thing. He said that the diabetes classes said either you are or you arent. We argued about this until sundown, then we kissed and went to sleep.

So what should I do about this, I think I may be borderline and I have only just realized this in recent days.

The ADA now accepts "pre-diabetes" as a classification in and of itself (used to be called borderline), so there's no need to argue about it. If you think you are borderline, there a good way to test it. Borrow your boyfriends glucose monitor and test yourself right after getting up in the morning before you have eaten. This will give you your fasting levels. If you test above 100, then I recommend getting to a doctor or nurse practitioner who will begin intervention. Often diet and exercise is enough, but if you are overweight, Metformin is a great help.

[bra]

The ADA now accepts "pre-diabetes" as a classification in and of itself (used to be called borderline), so there's no need to argue about it. If you think you are borderline, there a good way to test it. Borrow your boyfriends glucose monitor and test yourself right after getting up in the morning before you have eaten. This will give you your fasting levels. If you test above 100, then I recommend getting to a doctor or nurse practitioner who will begin intervention. Often diet and exercise is enough, but if you are overweight, Metformin is a great help.

Thank you for this advice. When I first met my boyfriend my readings were normal on his meter. Now they are not. My morning reading is 129 and after sugar free coffee with cream it jumps up to around 159, my highest reading was 179 after having pizza and capacino the other day.

I had a bowl of applesauce and a piece of wheat bread and my reading went to 125. This was very confusing to me.

I am trying to get in to the clinic right now as I'm needing an appointment. The doctor is only in on Tuesdays and I do not have the money to go to my regular doctor at the moment but if I cannot get to the clinic soon I will just borrow monies for the office visit to my regular doctor.

Thank you again for your help and the number.

[jimmys devoted]

I was reading at the CME on metformin there is a very large problem with it....

While it blocks the gycogen release frm the liver there is a eal danger that it will hinder needed glycogen release when the body becomes tolow in crabs as ina sever carb restricted diet.
they are also cautioning doctors from overly prescribing it because of sever reactions, similar to the one I had.
In some caases its being mislabed and mis promulgated as useful in obsese pateints.. so many doctors are not doing blood work just Rxing it.
Reactions to metformin in anyone who does not need it is severe. Trembles, tachycardia, sweating, nausea, ringing in the ears, blod pressure dropping then spiking, fatigue collapse and then cardiac arrest, Angina Pectoris, stroke.

one way to prevent his from metformin is to do an inhospital stay with glycogen level screening on a fasting and then after eating blood test.
beacsue of tehsevrity of metformins reaction an have.. they suggest 24 hourmonitoring on teh first few doses.

I was one f the people vbecause I was overweight to be given Metformin. I had a heart attack after taking it and was n bed for five days to recover from other side effects as welll as hepatic damage from it.

Just a caution that in the JAMA journal

[Team Diabetes]

Thank you for this advice. When I first met my boyfriend my readings were normal on his meter. Now they are not. My morning reading is 129 and after sugar free coffee with cream it jumps up to around 159, my highest reading was 179 after having pizza and capacino the other day.

I had a bowl of applesauce and a piece of wheat bread and my reading went to 125. This was very confusing to me.

I am trying to get in to the clinic right now as I'm needing an appointment. The doctor is only in on Tuesdays and I do not have the money to go to my regular doctor at the moment but if I cannot get to the clinic soon I will just borrow monies for the office visit to my regular doctor.

Thank you again for your help and the number.

The 179 is not "normal" per se, but it depends on when it was taken. Are you testing within 30 minutes or less after you eat? You need to wait for at least one hour, and also check at 2 hours. If you are in the normal range, you are OK.

Your fasting BG is high, though, so if you are overweight, I suggest you adopt a strict healthy eating plan and lots of exercise, after you get your doctors OK.

Of course, a home BG ,meter is not accurate to diagnose diabetes, they can vary by up to 20%. So, may not be as high as you think. Of course that can go the opposite way too! ;)

Remember that lifestyle modifications are free!

[Team Diabetes]

Here is a page where you can get info on Metformin's safety.

Overall, it looks safe for most, but people with heart disease or kidney disease should be cautious, just as they would with any drug.

Common side effects are nausea, with the worst side effect being lactic acidosis. This is rare. Some studies say this is not a risk.

People have to remember that obesity and untreated or undertreated Type 2 diabetes cause heart attacks usually before drugs do.

Of course, if you can lose the weight with diet and exercise and stage in range with your BG's, this is the best way.

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/extract/287/19/2504-a?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=metformin&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT

[bra]

Staying in range with diet and exercise would be ideal. I do have some will power and even more so now that I have been scared about the possibility of me being on the road or even having diabetes already.

[Team Diabetes]

That's the start you need! But you have to work HARD to make changes NOW, before it gets to the point where you already have Type 2 diabetes.

It's not easy. But either you or diabetes will win. Take it seriously, and keep with it. Throw out all junk food. Eat wholesome meals. Walk around the block or rent an exercise video from the library. Stick with it to have the best chance of beating Type 2. You have to change your life. Think "healthy eating" and not "diet". And if you do get it, you will still be healthier and in better shape to deal with it.

(Type 1 diabetes of course cannot be prevented).

[Team Diabetes]

Bra, if you will be walking for the first time, make sure you ask your doctor for an EKG to check for heart problems.