Drug Weaning Process, HOW TO'S?

How does one go about weaning him or herself off prescription drugs?

FIRST and foremost, you need to recognize and agree that prescription drugs are NOT the long term answer to your Type 2 diabetes. Then you need to write out a plan and parameters as to exactly how you will accomplish your goal (preferably with your doctor's help and permission).

IF you are on several different drugs as for example, blood pressure meds, different diabetes meds, cholesterol meds etc., it would probably not be a good idea to try and wean yourself off all of them at the same time.

That being said, if you are on (2) diabetes meds, like I am, I decided to start with GLIPIZIDE, for no other reason than the Glipizide tablets I am on are scored with a line down the middle allowing me to safely cut those pills in 1/2. I checked this with my doctor first and set a goal of a certain parameter in my glucose readings that I wanted to be at before cutting the dose in 1/2. I started out by going from (1) full tablet in the morning to 1/2 tablet. Then I set a plan to also cut the nightly dose in 1/2 instead of a full tablet.

Next on the agenda was to cut the nightly dose of (2) Metformin tablets down to one. Metformin tablets have no allowable provision for cutting the tablets in 1/2, so that was not an option. For the most part, I am now taking 1/2 of a Glipizide tab in the AM and 1/2 in the PM. I am experimenting depending on night time blood sugar readings with sometimes only taking (1) Metformin and sometimes (2).

That is another option used by DeWayne McCulley in his book, "Death To Diabetes", is  if a medication does not allow you to cut it in half, begin by taking it every OTHER DAY to start with.

To me this was a logical process to take, just the same as trying my best to eat right, exercise more, give up the carbonated sodas, the empty calorie foods etc.

What has NEVER made any sense to me, is to be on a certain level of medication to control your blood glucose levels and have NO flexibility with those levels when you are trying to reduce your caloric intake, exercise more etc. and then find yourself waking up in the middle of the night with a blood sugar of say 62 to 85 and then feeling you have to EAT something with sugar in it so you don't go hypoglycemic and pass out.

IT IS at that point in your progression that you should think about cutting your medication to accommodate your better exercise and eating habits. You should NOT be waking up in the middle of the night and scrambling around trying to eat the ADA recommended 15 grams of carbohydrate and wait 15 minutes and then RE-test before going back to sleep.

Since the goal should be to wean yourself off the meds entirely along with their detrimental side effects, you don't want to be eating 15 grams of some sugary carbohydrate at 4:AM in the morning. To me anyway, it is much more logical to cut back on the nightly dose of diabetes medicine, so you will not end up with a blood sugar crisis in the middle of the night.

It is a learning curve. I myself, went through the TOO DARN LOW blood sugar readings at 3AM to 4:30AM a few times and eating the 15 recommended carbs game before I decided it was time to voluntarily cut my meds. It also gives you a sense of accomplishment and keeps you excited about your own goals to wean yourself off everything IF POSSIBLE. I keep reminding myself that the prescription drugs ARE NOT HEALING ME OF ANYTHING.

Don't try to go too fast and realize you may have a set back here and there. it is hard to TRAVEL or go on vacation and not have an off day or two in the process. We are HUMAN and not robots. Just don't let your vacation put you back to base ZERO again either. Keep your goal written down and where you can see them and keep plugging along. You will like yourself better, if you stick with it. It will make you stronger and you will likely live longer.

Dan

“The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” (Luke 18:27)

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” (Ephesians 3:20)