September 24, 2005
Remember that the information presented here is not intended to replace the care of your own doctor. Before making any changes in the management of your own illness, you should consult your physician or other qualified medical professionals.
Question
I have been healthy all my life (never sick and not a food person). I had a physical and was given heartburn medication along with Lovastatin. I have been taking this for three months now, and notice my weight has gone from 196 to 183 pounds. Is that a good thing? In addition, I was also given metformin for high blood sugar just two weeks ago, but I don't think I have diabetes, even if my blood sugar is high. Can you have high blood sugar with no diabetes?Answer
Blood sugar can be elevated during periods of illness, stress, or trauma, but you do not describe this as part of your medical history. Since you are not clear about how "high" your blood sugars currently are, it is difficult to respond. I would guess that your physician had good reason to place you on metformin, and hopefully was following the diagnostic criteria for diabetes from the American Diabetes Association. See diagnosis of diabetes.Slow, healthy weight loss is often recommended as a treatment for type 2 diabetes and can improve blood glucose itself, but I would make sure that your blood sugars are not running too high, which can result in unwanted quick weight loss.
