Diabetes

[MJP]

I've recently been diagnosed with quite severe Type II diabetes. Blood sugars in the mid to late twenties (normal range 5-8).

It has destroyed my career over the past 12 months. I was a 'heavy hitter' in my business and now I'm laid up in bed having recently got out of hospital since September.

Hopefully I'll be well enough to travel in January, but I'm worried about controlling my condition once I'm back in LOS. If I don't control it I get massive abysses on my thighs, the last one needed an operation under a general.

If anyone knows of a clinic around Roi-Et that can prescribe Metformin and do the usual tests I'd be grateful. Also anyone else out there who has the same problem and how they get by.

Many thanks.

Edited December 4, 2008 by MJP

[bigchang]

how long you there for?i take my metformin and others from here with me,ok for up to three month

otherwise i'm sure you can get them over the counter in a pharmacie,and for testing,havnt you got a meter to do it yourself?

the best advice,which you propably already had is to change your lifestile and eating habits and if you overweight,loose weight

bc

[shepsel]

Samitevej Hospital in Bankgok has a diabetes education program, and I am sure that other hospitals and clinics also do. I am sure if they are not convenient to where your location is, you could contact them and they would give you the name of a reputable clinic near your home.

[JohnC]

Metformin is available over the counter, however, make sure your doctor gives you a medication regime to follow as often Metformin is supported by other meds depending on your blood tests, high cholestrol etc. AS the previous poster has siad your lifestyle plays a big part. Heavy drinking? overweight? etc

[lembit]

I've got a 6 month suply of all my meds from back home, no problem at all.

[MJP]

Thanks chaps,

Yes overweight, lost 25kgs now in the last 10 weeks. This thing hit me like a train.

Not a drinker thankfully.

I'm coming over for good, Thailand and Taiwan. They're a bit mean on giving out 3 minths supply of pills in the UK, the place being bankrupt 'n all.

[bkkmick]

Hi MJP

I was diagnosed type 2 in July and my BG was 13. I'm on 3 Metformin per day. Searching through the internet I found a diabetes forum and started chatting with other diabetics about how they handle it. Straight away I was told to cut down on the carbs (rice, bread, potatoes, pasta) the results were almost immediate.

I had my first HBA1C test last month and the BG came back as 6.5 - a great result but I still need to get it lower.

As a result I feel much better. Not so tired, thirsty.

Get it in control and it won't impact on your life that much. Control is key.

I assume that you measure your blood sugar every day? If so, what are you running at?

Mick

[MJP]

Hi MJP

I was diagnosed type 2 in July and my BG was 13. I'm on 3 Metformin per day. Searching through the internet I found a diabetes forum and started chatting with other diabetics about how they handle it. Straight away I was told to cut down on the carbs (rice, bread, potatoes, pasta) the results were almost immediate.

I had my first HBA1C test last month and the BG came back as 6.5 - a great result but I still need to get it lower.

As a result I feel much better. Not so tired, thirsty.

Get it in control and it won't impact on your life that much. Control is key.

I assume that you measure your blood sugar every day? If so, what are you running at?

Mick

Hi Mick,

Got diagnosed in September. I was running a site in Southampton, been ill for months but it got really bad. Got a blood test, result so bad nurse came to site to find me. Glucose running mid-twenties.

Got it down to around 6 in no time, but seem to be going backwards again. Now running in the 8 to 13 range.

On 2000mg Metformin a day.

It's diet, I'm too ill to move to get food.

[bkkmick]

Hi RJP

Sorry to hear that you're feeling so unwell. I'm on 1500mg Met. per day but I'm going to test taking only 1000 per day if my figures stay in the <7 region for the next couple of weeks.

If you're stuck eating Thai food then try and keep the rice to a minimum. For me breakfast was the most difficult, that was until I was told that bacon and eggs was fine for diabetics due to the low carb count.

Lots of meat and veg, no soft drinks. In the food court in Central World Plaza they sell chocolate for diabetics (they actually mention for diabetics!) I'm sure that it's far from perfect but it works fine for a treat.

You're right 8 to 13 it too high and continuing at that rate could lead to complications in the future.

If you're too ill to do any exercise then you've got to be tight with your diet and that means no slipping until you get those numbers into the < 8 range at least.

This forum is UK based and I've found it REALLY useful. Many, many knowledgable people on there will give you much better advice than I ever could. I'll look out for you on there!

Cheers

Mick

[cathyy]

I was diagnosed a few years ago with type 2. I was able to keep it under control with diet only for a couple of years, then it got worse so I started taking metformin. Metformin is easily available and cheap, but be aware that the 500 mg tablets are common, the 850 mg tablets are hard to find, and I have never seen 1000 mg tablets here.

Watching the carbs is indeed the best path to take. For me white rice makes my sugar shoot up, while brown rice does not. So at home I have potatoes or brown rice; I eat white rice only when eating out and in VERY small amounts. Fill up on those delicious steamed veggies. Thais add sugar to things you'd never expect, like Pad Thai. It is very, very hard to get away from the added sugar if you don't cook and eat at home.

On the bright side, if you like a sweetener in your tea/coffee you can now get sucralose here. Brand name Fitne; it is like Splenda in the US with no aftertaste to normal people. You can get Pepsi Max and Coke Light or Coke Zero now, too, all sugar-free. You can get chewing gum sweetened with xylitol.

You'll need to have either a One Touch or Accu-Check glucometer. See what strips are available in your area and buy a meter accordingly. Strips cost about the same here as in the US, which is to say outrageously expensive.

[MJP]

Thanks Mick and Cathy,

The brown rice thing, excellent advice.

I've kept off carbs but even a bit of bread makes me ill now. I'm in the UK at moment so not too bad.

Yes, mass produced bread in Thailand has 20% or so sugar in it!

Really want to get home to Issan, steamed veg and chicken.

EDIT: A friend of mine is a Doctor and he picked up on my being ill, going to stay with him next weekend for diabetic training.

Edited December 5, 2008 by MJP

[cathyy]

I have noted that according to the labels, the mass produced bread here has fewer carbs per slice than US mass-produced bread. US bread has 16 to 18 grams of carbs per serving, with 1 slice being a serving. The bread here has 22 to 24 grams of carbs per serving, with 2 slices being a serving. So, per slice, Thai bread has 11 or 12 grams of carbs versus 16 to 18 for American bread.

I have finally cajoled my doctor here into doing an HbA1C test every 3 months when I come in to get my med prescriptions. I know I could just buy my meds, but if I buy them at the pharmacy of the hospital my US insurance reimburses me for most of it. I'm up to 6.2 from 5.8, so I'm working on bringing it down.

[frankthetank]

Hi,

i had very high readings for a while, my doctor at the hospital clinic put me on BYETTA.

my readings are now almost always below the golden 7.0m/mols.

it is also known as exenatide.

here is the web address for the info for this injection (non-insulin)

http://www.byetta.com/index.jsp

good luck,

frank

[tampasailor]

Metformin is 30bt for (10) 500mg pills in bkk pharmacy today

[MJP]

Thanks everyone.

I'm just coming around from a real bad week with this. I lost my Metformin for a few days (thankfully found) and I can't get out to the shops to get proper food, I've been living on cheap fish cakes from the local store. I've never felt so ill.

Looking forward to paying for Thai medical care rather than the NHS in the UK. It can be so difficult to get the things you need here. Apparently Glucopharge is slow release and is way better than Metformin, but they won't prescribe it here because it's more expensive. You can't pay the extra either!

They'll only give you enough test strips to do about a test a week here too.

My weight is collapsing. None of my clothes fit now, which is great.

[ignis]

Metformin is 30bt for (10) 500mg pills in bkk pharmacy today

If you live here you soon find where to buy your medication...

I buy Metformin 500mg in a wholesale carton, 1x carton of 500 pills are 299 baht.. [5 years ago they were 210 baht, so slowly going up]

YES in a Named pharmacy you pay 30 baht for 10 pill strips, in places like Super Save they are 25 baht, in a local Thai pharmacy they are 15 baht.

[MJP]

Metformin is 30bt for (10) 500mg pills in bkk pharmacy today

If you live here you soon find where to buy your medication...

I buy Metformin 500mg in a wholesale carton, 1x carton of 500 pills are 299 baht.. [5 years ago they were 210 baht, so slowly going up]

YES in a Named pharmacy you pay 30 baht for 10 pill strips, in places like Super Save they are 25 baht, in a local Thai pharmacy they are 15 baht.

ignis,

Thanks. That's less than a thousand Baht a year!

Any chance you would let me know where to buy like this?

Cheers.

[ignis]

Metformin is 30bt for (10) 500mg pills in bkk pharmacy today

If you live here you soon find where to buy your medication...

I buy Metformin 500mg in a wholesale carton, 1x carton of 500 pills are 299 baht.. [5 years ago they were 210 baht, so slowly going up]

YES in a Named pharmacy you pay 30 baht for 10 pill strips, in places like Super Save they are 25 baht, in a local Thai pharmacy they are 15 baht.

ignis,

Thanks. That's less than a thousand Baht a year!

Any chance you would let me know where to buy like this?

Cheers.

Thai pharmacy that sell pills out of big 500/1000 pill bottles, [NOT the ones that sell in foil strips or small boxes] most Thais will know where these pharmacy's are + there will be a lot of people there, as most buy x amount of pills that all have to be counted out..

I used to always drive into Bangkok twice a year, but now buy local, I phone her or pop in and order and she gets what I want within 2 or 3 days, her husband is in the shop next door and is a very good dentist

[MJP]

Metformin is 30bt for (10) 500mg pills in bkk pharmacy today

If you live here you soon find where to buy your medication...

I buy Metformin 500mg in a wholesale carton, 1x carton of 500 pills are 299 baht.. [5 years ago they were 210 baht, so slowly going up]

YES in a Named pharmacy you pay 30 baht for 10 pill strips, in places like Super Save they are 25 baht, in a local Thai pharmacy they are 15 baht.

ignis,

Thanks. That's less than a thousand Baht a year!

Any chance you would let me know where to buy like this?

Cheers.

Thai pharmacy that sell pills out of big 500/1000 pill bottles, [NOT the ones that sell in foil strips or small boxes] most Thais will know where these pharmacy's are + there will be a lot of people there, as most buy x amount of pills that all have to be counted out..

I used to always drive into Bangkok twice a year, but now buy local, I phone her or pop in and order and she gets what I want within 2 or 3 days, her husband is in the shop next door and is a very good dentist

Cheers ignis.

[loganberry]

Have many of you tried using herbal remedies for your diabetes control? I know of several Type 2 expats here that have been switching to herbal remedies grown and manufactured in Thailand. Some of them are indigenous to Thailand and not available on in foreign markets. One of the most recent Type 2 expats tried out an herbal supplement recently and he dropped his blood sugar 50 points in 4 days.

Been thinking about opening an online business to retail these supplements both locally and abroad. Would any of you be interested buying such products if they were readily available online?

Loganberry

[paul66667]

where is byetta available in pattaya or bkk please??

[Sheryl]

Byetta is an injectable medication and canot be bought over the counter. (exanatide).

Should only be used under a physician's supervision. There is a real risk of hypoglycemic reaction for which reason its use is limited to patients who cannot get adequate control with oral medications alone.

It is also expensive as it is a patented import.

[Mosha]

Not wanting to hijack the thread, but is Diabetes more common among Thai's than Caucasians? Living in the UK I knew 1 guy who suffered from it, that's out of about 500 people who I knew. In Thailand my wife's ex BIL, 3 of her aunties and her Son in laws mum all suffer from it. I know about 50 Thais well. Incidentally all the females suffer from damaged feet, which from what I have read is something some diabetics suffer. I read of a guy walking around with a small ball in his shoe for a week in the UK.

Edited February 3, 2010 by Mosha

[Pakboong]

Thanks everyone.

I'm just coming around from a real bad week with this. I lost my Metformin for a few days (thankfully found) and I can't get out to the shops to get proper food, I've been living on cheap fish cakes from the local store. I've never felt so ill.

Looking forward to paying for Thai medical care rather than the NHS in the UK. It can be so difficult to get the things you need here. Apparently Glucopharge is slow release and is way better than Metformin, but they won't prescribe it here because it's more expensive. You can't pay the extra either!

They'll only give you enough test strips to do about a test a week here too.

My weight is collapsing. None of my clothes fit now, which is great.

You can buy Gluchpharge over the counter here.

[Sateev]

Byetta is an injectable medication and canot be bought over the counter. (exanatide).

Should only be used under a physician's supervision. There is a real risk of hypoglycemic reaction for which reason its use is limited to patients who cannot get adequate control with oral medications alone.

It is also expensive as it is a patented import.

Agree that it is expensive, and that a doctor's supervision is needed.

But there is NO hypoglycemia associated with Byetta as monotherapy, or in conjunction with metformin. Used with the older, insulin-stimulating meds (Glyburide, etc), hypoglycemia may be an issue, but those meds cause it, NOT the Byetta.

I have been using Byetta for nearly two years, and the main problem is the danger of pancreatitis; my lipase started to go up, so I discontinued it, on advice of my doctor.

Weight loss is much easier with Byetta than with insulin or insulin-stimulating meds, and produces great results - but humans being what they are, it's not always easy to achieve. Any little edge helps.

Sateev

[thenervoussurgeon]

Does anyone know a good doctor in Pattaya that specialises in Diabetes ,just been told i am type 2 but not bad myhba1c came back 6.8

any help appreciated

[tropo]

Does anyone know a good doctor in Pattaya that specialises in Diabetes ,just been told i am type 2 but not bad myhba1c came back 6.8

any help appreciated

You've been told you're diabetic because your HbA1c is 6.8, over the "normal" 6.5 on most lab sheets? You've not been given a fasting blood sugar test? or an OGTT?

"Not bad" is very subjective and a matter of degree, but I would consider anything over 5.1 as bad. 6.8 means your blood glucose averages out at 148 mg/dl - day and night. That's pretty high as this is an average of 2 - 3 months including sleeping time when it should be below 100 mg/dl. To get an average of 148, how high is it going after meals?

I would suggest you do some study first before you go and see any doctors in Thailand. They specialize at keeping you breathing, not in optimum health. Bloodsugar101.com is a very good place to start with references to some of the most recent research. There's still a chance you can control your condition by diet and exercise without resorting to medicine.

[thenervoussurgeon]

Thanks will look it up

[Sheryl]

It would be worth your while to come into Bangkok and see a specialist here for initial consultation. If you do a search ion this forum you'll find some recommendations.

if you are amenable to dietary and life style changes you may be able to avoid medication. If so, cl;early say so to the doctor as Thai doctors are inclined to assume that patients won't follow diet etc and to reach instead for the prescription pad.

On the other hand if, knowing yourself, you know you aren't really going to compkly with diet and exercise recommendations, be frank about that too.