Meds and Blood Glucose - High & Low Blood Pressure Message Board

wayover20 · 06-24-2006, 07:43 AM

I am 49yrs old and was recently told by my physician that my fasting glucose was 109 which is now considered in the "pre" diabetes range.I have started to go low carb to get my weight down (about 40lbs over), and exercise. A friend gave me her old accucheck monitor and I've been doing morning fasting fingersticks and getting 110, 112, 107. My dr. said fasting should be between 70-100, and that 100-126 is this prediabetic stage.
I started to wonder if the meds I'm taking could alter glucose levels and thought I'd ask here while I do other searches.
The meds I take are Dyazide 37.5, Pravachol 20mg, Norvasc 10mg---all 1x/day.
Questions: Does anyone have any experience with any of these meds that have raised your glucose levels?? If dyazide is the culprit I want to stop it before I get diagnosed with diabetes. It doesn't run in my family and I don't want to be the one to start it!
Isn't it possible that norvasc alone can do the job for blood pressure control??

Lenin · 06-25-2006, 06:43 AM

First off, this "prediabetic" range is a new development. Just a few years ago fasting "normal" was defined as <110. So you are very close to the old normal.

The effect of diuretics on blood glucose is a well documented but very small effect. In any case, it probably isn't affecting your march toward diabetes because blood glucose is an EFFECT rather than a CAUSE. An analogy: melanoma gives you black spots on the body but painting black spots on your skin won't increase your risk of melanoma.

(I LOVE analogies

)

If you indeed are progressing to Type-2 diabetes, which I doubt, then more might be gained from losing weight and eliminating sugars.

Norvasc MIGHT be enough, but don't count on it; the diazide is the better antihypertensive.

pa5762 · 06-25-2006, 12:17 PM

It seems there are new lower ranges for diabetes as well as blood pressure levels.

lane413 · 06-25-2006, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lenin

First off, this "prediabetic" range is a new development. Just a few years ago fasting "normal" was defined as <110. So you are very close to the old normal.

The effect of diuretics on blood glucose is a well documented but very small effect. In any case, it probably isn't affecting your march toward diabetes because blood glucose is an EFFECT rather than a CAUSE. An analogy: melanoma gives you black spots on the body but painting black spots on your skin won't increase your risk of melanoma.

(I LOVE analogies

)

If you indeed are progressing to Type-2 diabetes, which I doubt, then more might be gained from losing weight and eliminating sugars.

Norvasc MIGHT be enough, but don't count on it; the diazide is the better antihypertensive.

My mom took hctz and lasix and both raised her glucose readings by 30 points or more. Her a1c jumped from 6.0 to 12.9 in a yrs time. I don't think that is a minimal amount.

Once she stopped the diuretics her glucose readings (a1c) dropped as well. Now my mom is on clonidine and it raises cholesterol and glucose.

vipergg22 · 06-26-2006, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pa5762

It seems there are new lower ranges for diabetes as well as blood pressure levels.

Sure there is it keeps people feeding huge amounts of money to all these drug companies . Isn't it amazing with all these modern wonder drugs we seem to more sickly than we have ever been . All it takes is a pharm company sponsored drug test to say lower is better and there you have it , a new market for your pills ..