diabetes and depression medications?

[debwoo]

Hello i am new here

Deb living in Vancouver BC
Long history of depression and anxiety, other medical problems including high blood pressure and high choleserol, now diagnosed pre-diabetic. My family doctor and my psychiatrist don't seem to be talking to each other. I am on a mess of pills and trying to get a grip on my blood glucose readings - recent A1c was 5.5 which is brilliant but my morning and after meal readings are still in the pre-diabetic range.

would love to hear from anyone who is on any of the following medications and having issues with higher than normal blood sugar readings? and any suggestions if you have any:
-imipramine 100mg/day taken at bedtime, on since 1994
-trazadone 100mg/day taken at bedtime, on since mid 2006
-remeron 30mg/day taken at bedtime, since Mar 2007
-risperidone (for anxiety) 0.5mg/day taken am, since Mar 2007

I am also on lipitor and diovan and have a med review next monday with my family doctor and due to lifestylye changes incl strict diet and exercise (40+lb weight loss since last spring) hope to eliminate those as they seem to be affecting my blood sugar as well...

i am exploring a low carb diet approach as a way to control my blood sugar also and i have ordered the Eades book and should get it any day. in the mean time if i want to go lower carb than my present diet, do i do that gradually or cold turkey so to speak?

thanks in advance
deb

[Gaelen]

Welcome, debwoo!

One thing that is critical when you have a medical team/multiple docs all prescribing meds is that you do the kind of 'medical review' you're talking about regularly--and definitely every time someone changes a med or orders a new procedure. Another critical thing is that *everyone* on the medical team has to play nicely together. If they don't talk to each other, YOU need to be the "sneaker net" transporter of all reports, etc. to make sure that every doc has access to the same information and test results to make informed decisions.

I've got six local docs (internist, oncologist, neurologist, gynecologist, dentist, orthopedist) and a therapist--and the internist and gyn have just added a urologist to the mix. I've also got an oncologist, gastroenterologist, internist, liver surgeon and colorectal surgeon at a major cancer hospital in NYC. EVERY doc has to have access to the same reports, and since the docs at MSKCC in NY don't play nicely out of their own sandbox, I have original copies of every test result, report and CT scan to distribute to my local docs. To their credit, the local gang all talk with each other and diligently keep each other and the NYC docs in the same loop. But I have to periodically remind every member of the team when another doc needs to be consulted--like premedicating me with antibiotics for any invasive procedure, per the NYC oncologist, or reminding every doc that I'm on daily low dose heparin, which affects my blood-clotting and blood pressure.

Someone has to take responsibility, and if the docs aren't talking to each other, you have to be the facilitator.

As for lowering carbs from your present diet, how fast you do it depends on how many carbs you're currently consuming. If you're eating in excess of 200g of carbs daily, I'd drop to Protein Power recommended levels but only after making sure your docs know you're going to be limiting your carb intake. Lowering your carbs is going to affect your medication loads, and they need to know in advance.

Welcome in.