I have fasting averaging 92-95.They still want to put me on glyburide.Why?gestational diabetes.?

Question

Hi all,

I was diagnosed with GDM 2 weeks ago and i have been on diet ever since.I was happy that my levels are in range with 1 hr after meal value being under 128 and fasting around 92-95.But the RN said that they will put me on pills if i run at this fasting value.Do you think i should take meds.At what value of fasting did they start medicines for you...i do not want to take glyburide and become hypoglycemic and upset my system which is going ok so far.what are your comments, please share.

Answer 1

Congrats on you PGncy. I would simply refuse the treatment. It's possible they looked at your HbA1C and saw a higher than normal 5.5 number and decided to err on the side of caution. If you stick to a low carb, low glycemic index natural foods based diet and get plenty of mild daily exercise, you will be fine. I promise.

Answer 2

Check your blood sugar and take the pills, or half a pill, as needed.

Answer 3

Perhaps talking with the doctor.. RN seems to be wrong..??

Answer 4

i am a diabetic and have a had a healthy baby not that long ago.  pregnant women should have lower blood sugars than regular people your sugars b4 meals should be at 60-100 and not higher than 120 afterward, i know the thought of meds and all that goes with it sucks, but high sugars are very dangerous for unborn babies, they can cause the babys lungs not to develop to maturity and they can have breathing probs when born, they can cause heart probs in the baby, they can cause the baby to come out with very low blood sugars requiring an iv and NICU time and they can even cause stillbirth, i do not want to scare you but if they think you are running high you need to follow their advise it really is in your babys best interest and all the pains in the butt that come with meds will all seem like nothing and worth while once you have a healthy baby who needs no medical intervention, it isnt that much time to sacrifice your own feelings about meds once you think about it. also you can use insulin if youd prefer you cant take a 24 hour one while pregnant but you can take NPH twice a day

Answer 5

The standards for pregnancy are pretty strict.  They are backed up with good research as being effective in avoiding complications from the gestational diabetes.  

The targets I have are

- under 90 fasting

- 120 one hour after eating.

You are SOOO close.  If I were you and you want to hit that fasting goal, I would ask to be put on a long acting insulin instead of an oral med.  I haven't taken glyburide but I do know the oral meds are more likely to have gastric side effects.  

But mostly, insulin has been around for decades and has been proven to be successful in pregnancy.  It's a hormone - it doesn't have unexpected side effects, except that if you take too much insulin you can experience low blood sugars (which are treatable with juice/food).

One long-acting shot at night would be enough to bump your fastings down.  You are very close to the target, but you also have a few weeks to go and pregnancy hormones will mean you need more help the closer you are to your delivery date.  So look into your options - definitely ask the doctor about insulin rather than a pill.