I don't THINK Splenda is recommended now as it was in advertising at first. If I remember correctly, I didn't like my results with it.

I'm glad of the reminder that cinnamon is available in capsules, and a lot stronger. At health food stores? My cinnamon toast w/Equal does not seem to be working as well any more. I take Glipizaide in addition to Metformin and used to also take Avandia, looking for something to replace it.
Starlix taken before a meal is supposed to prevent sudden spikes.

I switched recently from plain Metformin 2000 a day, the limit, to Metformin ER because of heartburn indigestion, now 4 pills a day instead of 2, and my readings don't seem to be as good. I have advanced retinopathy and didn't read on the bottle to take 4, so for about 3 wks I was only taking half my dose, have a recurrence of foot ulcer, on a bunion, which gets infected, recurring, and if it goes to the bone can cause amputation.

I'd appreciate any other hints for very long-term diabetics. May even go to classes again when I get some time. My A1c usually is 6.5 but after so many years the complications, which can maybe be delayed or lessened, sometimes happen anyway.

Decades ago at diabetes classes we were told one slice of bread three times a day helps with control. The short-lived low-carb diets didn't do us any better than that. I wonder if they still teach that.

Hi, Everyone, Sunday morning,

I plan to look at some other health food store for maybe 400 MG capsules if there is such a thing. I'm having to take a Pepto-Bismol tablet, and I forget which med should not be taken within 2 hrs of an antacid, but let's remember there is one. Maybe someone knows what it is. Not thyroid, right? Which you take on an empty stomach.

The Cinnamon capsules really do help! Just got mine 2 or 3 days ago and morning b.g. has been 90, first day, 83 this morning. It replaces Avandia, which I used to take in addition to Metformin 2000 per day, Glipizide 2X a day, three things. Now Cinnamon is my Avandia. A1c has been 6.5 for a long time, can't seem to get it any lower. Highest ever was something over 8. And I have all sorts of complications. They don't start until about 20 yrs, and may happen even with good control, but you might be able to delay and lessen severity.

With proliferative diabetic retinopathy, they laser about 1000 spots at a time, of the rogue new blood vessels that can cause blindness, and of course they use the deadening drops, three times where I go and where I have a gentle woman doctor, but some places, well, just one employee I guess, was adamant that deadening drops one time, after the doctor is actually in the treatment room, was enough, and it was so painful I had to ask him to stop the treatment, knew the woman doctor could do it with little or no pain. Her laser she uses doesn't make noise either. Be forewarned that male doctors sometimes, maybe usually, like to haul out their big guns, almost like an air hammer, to do delicate work in the eye, and I heard about one who actually caused some damage. The patient then went to a university and they were able to repair it. Said he'd used too big a laser. If you ever see big black spots, not just lifelong floaters, you need a retina specialist fast. I was told it was already too late for that eye, but they've managed to save most of it. The treatments cause cataracts, but that happens to a lot of people anyway.

Hey, I forget if this is an eye forum or diabetic foot problems, sorry. If it's about feet, a callus when it gets too thick can crack open and get infected, I'm sure everyone knows, and you have to offload the foot, take antibiotics, or could need an amputation if it spreads too far. Usually I need a debridement two or three times when mine flares up, from rubbing in my gardening shoes which I'm throwing away, but my hole closed in only 2 wks this time, when he'd scared me half to death about amputation, thinking I wasn't taking it seriously, and I was really careful to stay off of it, bandage it every day the way he said, took the new antibiotic, etc.

One guy who rides in the van service for eye treatments has to go to dialysis 3X a week, which would really be a hardship, so maybe all this will encourage us about control. He's cheerful and grateful to just be alive.

I went to diabetes classes, about 3 times, about 20 yrs ago, probably need to go again to catch up on all the latest and maybe get some meal plan ideas. Good luck to everybody.