Before going over the details of type 2 diabetes treatment, let us first see how most doctors prescribe their type2 diabetes patient, and why it is not effective as expected.
How does newly diagnose type 2 diabetes treated?
If you are newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, generally depressed and scared to death and consult your doctor with total trust.
Most doctors put you on low fat (means high carb) reduced-calorie diet, and prescribes some diabetes medication to lower blood glucose level. They suggest an appointment after one month for rechecking.
After a month, you have to retest your A1C; in most of the cases, it will be at the same value as one month before. It may be due to depression, anxiety, and a high carb diet. On seeing the result, the doctor modifies the prescription by increasing the medication dose.
You will start taking this massive dose of diabetes medicines; your blood-glucose will start falling suddenly. It is new for your body because it has practiced high blood sugar for a prolonged time. This falling BS makes you feel fatigued and signaling hunger. You try compensating by eating more food (high carb diet). The blood sugar comes back to a high level; you feel better, and this cycle repeats.
On your next doctor’s visit, your A1C is the same or higher than earlier. Your doctor sees the result as a treatment failure, and your doctor raises the dose and or adds another diabetes medication.
You left the doctor’s office with an added overdose of medication. Then the above-said cycle repeats; lowering BS, feeling tired, eating more carbs, raising blood sugar, and feeling better.
For the next visit, the A1C result is the same or higher, and your doctor increases your medication further or puts you on insulin injection. You will start developing diabetes complications and feel waste. In this way, most type2 diabetes is treated and forced to an early death.
What is the right way of type 2 diabetes treatment?
Few doctors ask you some question, including diet habits and put you on a low carb reduced calorie diet without prescribing any diabetes medication (stick with him; he/she is a best doctor).
Additionally, your doctor instructs; it is common to feel tired if your blood glucose level drops from high do not overeat to compensate. They suggest an appointment after one month for rechecking.
In the next appointment, you visit your doctor with an excellent A1C result. Your doctor congratulates you on your number. Additionally, he may suggest you do some regular exercise and increased physical activity. Your doctor recommends an appointment after two to three months for rechecking.
At the next doctor’s visit, mostly, your A1C result will be in the non-diabetic range. Not only, your BS in a healthy range; you do feel more energetic, getting restful sleep, mentally more alert, and always brisk. Your doctor appreciates you for your effort and asks you to keep it up.
Unfortunately, if your A1C number is not good enough, then your doctor may prescribe a minimum dose of diabetes medication. It will be mostly insulin sensitizer such as metformin. Your doctor asks you to take medicines along with your low-carb diet and regular exercise.
If your numbers are in the non-diabetes range, this does not mean your type2 diabetes is gone. You have well balanced between your carb intolerance with diet, exercise, and or medication. Thus, it is crucial to stick with your treatment; it should be your lifetime commitment. If you go back to your old style of eating (high carb), your high blood sugar will return.
Stages of type 2 diabetes treatment
Levels of type 2 diabetes treatments are:
- Weightloss - About 80 % type 2 diabetics are overweight; thus, weight loss is an effective treatment. Most of the patient’s BS normalizes with diet alone that help lose weight.
- Exercise helps lower insulin resistance as well as induce excess glucose consumption without the requirement of insulin. Some patient requires exercise along with diet control to normalize their BS number.
- Diet plus exercise plus an oral insulin-sensitizing or insulin-mimetic agent – very few patients require a low dosage of medication to normalize their BS.
- Many diabetes patients require oral medication along with diet and exercise to achieve their target BS number. Sadly, after years of oral-drug use, few patients may require insulin treatment.
Only few doctors follow this style of treatment, because most of the patients are not co-operative enough and not stick with their low-carb diet and/or exercise.
Thus on the safer side doctors straight away prescribe medication to control your blood glucose level. Whatever the reason, it is not advisable to go for drug treatment instead of trying with diet and exercise.