How Dapagliflozin Changed My Diabetes Control

A personal reflection on how Dapagliflozin transformed my type 2 diabetes control, bringing my blood sugar mostly into range and making a huge difference to my health.

This article shares my personal experience and isn't medical advice. Always speak to your diabetes team before making changes to your medication or diet.

When My Blood Sugar Was Reaching 21 mmol/L

Living with type 2 diabetes can be frightening, especially when you see numbers on your glucose meter that you know are far too high.

There were times when my blood glucose levels were reaching 21 mmol/L. Seeing numbers that high was worrying, and despite already taking medication for my diabetes, I wasn't getting the level of control that I wanted.

I take 1,000 mg of Metformin twice a day, giving me a total daily dose of 2,000 mg. Metformin is an important part of my diabetes treatment, but for me, the biggest difference came when Dapagliflozin was added alongside it.

Adding Dapagliflozin Has Been a Game Changer for Me

Since adding Dapagliflozin to my treatment, the difference in my glucose readings has been incredible.

I have gone from seeing readings as high as 21 mmol/L to now finding that my blood glucose is mostly in range.

For me personally, I can genuinely say that Dapagliflozin has saved me.

I don't mean that as a medical claim that this medication will have the same result for everybody. Diabetes is different for every person, and medications can affect people differently. I'm talking purely about what it has done for my diabetes and how dramatically my glucose control has changed since it was added to my treatment.

Before Dapagliflozin, seeing those very high readings could make diabetes feel frightening and difficult to control. Now, seeing my readings mostly sitting where they should be has given me an enormous amount of relief.

How Dapagliflozin Works

Dapagliflozin belongs to a group of medicines called SGLT2 inhibitors. It works differently from Metformin by helping the kidneys remove some excess glucose from the bloodstream so that it leaves the body through urine.

That means the two medicines help with blood glucose control in different ways, and for me, the combination of Metformin and Dapagliflozin is working wonders.

The Difference in My Numbers

The numbers are what have made the change feel so significant to me.

Going from glucose readings that could reach 21 mmol/L to being mostly in range feels enormous.

Of course, diabetes management is about much more than a single reading. There are long-term measurements such as HbA1c, as well as diet, activity, weight, kidney health and many other individual factors that healthcare professionals consider.

But when you're the person checking your glucose and repeatedly seeing those numbers, watching them improve can be incredibly encouraging.

For me, adding Dapagliflozin was the missing piece.

Why I Say It Has “Saved Me”

When I say Dapagliflozin has saved me, I'm describing what this change has meant to me personally.

It's the difference between regularly worrying about extremely high readings and now seeing my glucose mostly within my target range.

It's the relief of checking my glucose and seeing a number that doesn't immediately frighten me.

And it's the feeling that, after struggling with those high numbers, my treatment is finally doing what I desperately needed it to do.

I still take my 1,000 mg of Metformin twice daily, exactly as prescribed, but adding Dapagliflozin alongside it has transformed my experience of managing my diabetes.

My Experience, Not Medical Advice

I wanted to share this because someone else living with type 2 diabetes might recognise the fear and frustration of seeing very high glucose readings.

My story isn't a recommendation for anyone to start a particular medication or change their current treatment. What works brilliantly for one person may not be appropriate for another.

But for me, the combination of Metformin 1,000 mg twice a day and Dapagliflozin has been remarkable.

I was seeing blood glucose readings reaching 21 mmol/L.

Now, I'm mostly in range.

That change means more to me than I can properly put into words.

Other benefits of Dapagliflozin 

Something else I love about Dapagliflozin is that its benefits can go beyond lowering blood sugar. It can help protect the kidneys, provide important benefits for the heart, and some people may also experience modest weight loss, particularly during the first few months of treatment. For me, knowing it can have benefits beyond glucose control makes me appreciate this medication even more. 🩷

Metformin remains an important part of my diabetes treatment, but adding Dapagliflozin has been the change that made the biggest difference for me.

And that is why, from my own personal experience, I can genuinely say:

Dapagliflozin has saved me. 🩷