I have been taking morning and night doses of Glucovance 5/500 with 4 mg. of Avandia (at night) for a few years now....doing well. Then I started the South Beach Diet because I need to lose a lot of weight. Doing well there also, have lost 9 pounds in a little over a week. Problem is that I have had to reduce my medication because I was crashing at night with really low bs due to the new diet (low carbs and no sugar). Prior to this, I ate normally and had a good amount of carbs and sugar in my diet, so this is a radical change for me. Anyway, I tried to half my evening dose at first, but I still had night readings of around 60 which is really too low for me. So, I then went off Avandia totally and also quit the night dose of Glucovance for a few days. I now decided to take one of the Glucovance pills and skip the Avandia like I've been doing. For the past several days I've noticed a very very low level tremor in my upper body which comes and goes. It isn't noticeable by sight and sometimes I think I'm crazy. My body doesn't shake on the outside, but it feels like a deep tremor which is so slight that it is barely noticeable (but I notice it sometimes). Anybody else experience this? I'm wondering if it is a result of going off the Avandia since I've never felt it before now?

You need to go back to taking the medication as described by your doctor. Change the formula has taken a toll on your system. Talk with your doctor about the problems, not stop the medication or changing the dosage. You have to be careful with your heath. Take care and be carefull.

It sounds more like you may be having very slight lows (in the low 70's or high 60's), which could cause that sensation of a tremor. Test your blood sugar next time you get that feeling to see what it is. Also, it may take a while for the Avandia to get completely out of your system, so while your bg may be slightly low, don't make any more changes for a while until you see if it continues to be that low.

I'm not sure what type of med Glucovance is, but if it's one that causes your pancreas to produce more insulin, you might be better off cutting back on the Glucovance while keeping the Avandia. Meds that cause your pancreas to increase its output of insulin actually speed the progression of Type 2 (although, if they're needed, then take them), while meds like Avandia and Glucophage, which increase the body's sensitivity to insulin, do not speed the progression of T2.

Trekgirl is also right that you should be working more closely with your doctor on this, rather than switching back and forth arbitrarily, without having a good understanding of how these medications work, their half-life (which is how long they last in your body), and how long it should take to see a difference when you switch a medication or change dosages, etc.

Ruth

As of last night, I took my usual Glucovance (for Diabetes 2) and half an Avandia. I was so stressed the past two days of the hurricane (that's where I'm from) that I decided to go back on my meds full dose tonight and eat a little more carbs if needed to keep my glucose from dropping so much at night. I have an appt with a new doc in a week. My old one left the area in January and I've been on my own since I have had plenty of meds - and I check my sugar levels about 4 times a day. I hope that by going back to the Avandia and two glucovance, that I'll start to feel better. I've checked my sugar during the tremor times, and it's not that low - pretty normal so I don't think that is the reason. Maybe it was basically quitting cold turkey. It doesn't help that I have read how Avandia causes heart disease, etc. Like, is it best to take a dangerous drug and feel good or go off it and suffer weirdness?

"Like, is it best to take a dangerous drug and feel good or go off it and suffer weirdness?"

Well actually, Pixietwin, that's not even the correct question ;). The real question should be...exactly how great is the risk of heart disease from taking Avandia compared to the risk of heart disease from having poorly controlled diabetes???

If only medical decisions were simply black or white!!!

Glad you're feeling better, and hope you weren't in the direct path of Katrina.

Ruth