My mother in law was diagnosed with diabetes, but so far she's been able to control it by diet alone. I'm just wondering if it's possible to always control it nutritionally or will she have to go on medication eventually?

My mother was just diagnosed. However my sisters and I think she has been diabetic for quite some time now. She is in a huge state of denial. Anyway she recently went to the doctor and he said she was diabetic and that they were not going to put her on any medication that she could control it with diet alone. There was no mention of her being on medication as of yet. Maybe if the numbers go higher and the diet is obviously not working I would assume they would put my mother on medication. She goes back to the doctor at the end of the month. She doesn't test at all, but I assume she will be tested when she does go back. She has switched some of the things she eats so hopefully this will help keep her numbers down.

I don't know which would be easier, trying to control with diet or just taking a pill to help you. I take glucotrol, and it's just easy to take a pill in the morning. My level never goes over 130. My mother-in-law does great most of the time, but for some reason it seems like the weirdest things raises her numbers. Shrimp sends her numbers up. That doesn't make much sense to me, no carbs in shrimp. Anyway, pills or diet definitely win out over insulin injections.

I know that my grandmother tried this at first but she was recently in a car accident and they had to put her on insulin to contol her sugar levels. She hopes that when she gets out of the hospital to go back to controlling it by diet. I think that it really depends on the person if it is able to be contolled by diet alone.


justagirl

my grandmother, up until her death, controlled it with diet alone for years - so it should be possible... but she had to be very careful and always monitor her sugar.

My Father was also able to control diabetes with diet & morning walk for at least 20 years. But now he is taking one pill a day. By the grace of god, he never used insulin injections till now. He is 62 years old now.

My mother in law was diagnosed and she was told that she could keep it under control by diet alone. Well, she didn't follow the diet and now she has to take insulin and her diabetes has gotten so bad over the year, her health is really getting bad.

it's hard to change your lifestyle when you get older and especially when you have to deny yourself some of the foods that you grew up with - but the cost if you don't is just more pain in the long run.

I guess it depends on what her doc says and how willing she is to make lifestyle adjustments. If she's in such denial, it might be a problem.

Medications will also be indicated when it is necessary. For as long as diet modification alone will be able to control hyperglycemia, then the doctor probably won't order any medication.