Q: I am 38 years old and was first diagnosed with diabetes 3 years ago. I was advised to take one pill of glynase before meals twice a day, but by maintaining my diet I managed to control my sugar at the minimum permissible level. At present I am taking only 1/2 tablet of glynase at the time of my evening meal. I would like to know whether I can stop this tablet, or do I have to take these tablets permanently? I feel that by taking this tablet my sugar level will be very low and it is also a situation to be avoided. So will you please advise me?

A:The aim of treatment is to make sure you have good diabetes control. If this is possible for you with diet and exercise, then you may be able to stop the tablets for some time. To decide whether your diabetes control is good, apart from regular blood glucose (BG) tests, you will need a test called glycosylated haemoglobin or HbA1c, which gives the average BG over the previous 2-3 months. This should be done at least twice a year. You should also try to maintain normal weight and blood pressure. You will also need to get the following investigations done, at least once a year: 1. An examination of the retina of the eyes (Retinoscopy), 2. Lipid levels tested in blood (Lipid profile), and 3. An ECG.