Why do my symptoms continue?

[Omega55]

I was diagnosed with diabetes 2 almost a year ago and have controlled it well with diet and exercise. The diet is boring and restricted, but I have kept to it and the numbers are well under control - fasting level less than 6 every morning. Nevertheless, the symptoms continue. I still have to get up two or three times every night, I get dry mouth, and feel much more tired more frequently than before. I suffer neuropathy in the feet which is getting no better either. I would have thought the symptoms of diabetes would have abated with the control I have exercised. Why aren't they?

 

[dawnmc]

What exactly are you eating, give us an idea. Good food - low carb healthy fat, isn't boring. I think you have done well for 2 years to eat boring food.

 

[Omega55]

What exactly are you eating, give us an idea. Good food - low carb healthy fat, isn't boring. I think you have done well for 2 years to eat boring food.

Weetabix, breakfast varies, tinned tomatoes, poached eggs, banana, seeded bread. Lunch spaghetti, or ham, chicken or corned beef, seeded bread and pate. French bread, small amount cheese. An apple a day, dinner chicken, or beef, fish or ham with loads of veg and a salad.

Snacks oatcakes mostly. The calories are around 1600 a day, carbs around 200.

One year, not two.

 

[Bluetit1802]

That is high in carbs. I would try to reduce it to 150 and then 130 and then a bit lower still. I would ditch the Weetabix, spaghetti, French bread and apple a day. None of these are good for glucose control

 

[izzzi]

It might not just be the diabetes, I still get up in night but I am so used to it now. I also I drink a little much tea etc; (caffeine does not help)
You have done well with the control,maybe a slight change and a well deserved treat could help,
With me this nice weather we are now having helps tremendously.
Best of luck,
Roy.

 

[Omega55]

Weetabix, breakfast varies, tinned tomatoes, poached eggs, banana, seeded bread. Lunch spaghetti, or ham, chicken or corned beef, seeded bread and pate. French bread, small amount cheese. An apple a day, dinner chicken, or beef, fish or ham with loads of veg and a salad.

Snacks oatcakes mostly. The calories are around 1600 a day, carbs around 200.

One year, not two.

Trouble is that I am a slim 6 feet 2 inch man, weighing in at over 13.5 stones all my adult like and now down to less than 12 stone. I don't want to lose any more weight. Everything is directed at losing weight. I do not need to. I am always hungry these days and could do with a blow out a few times a week, but I stick religiously to the foods that I know keep my numbers satisfactory, but I can't take less or I would be able to hide behind a lamp post.

 

[Totto]

You can always up your fat intake. Your carb intake really is very high so no wonder you still have symptoms. What does your post meal readings look like?

 

[andcol]

@Omega55 can I suggest that when you need to get up in the middle of the night you check your blood glucose levels and just see if they are high. Due you test before you go to bed as well as you may be high at this point. Worth a check

 

[Brunneria]

Weetabix, breakfast varies, tinned tomatoes, poached eggs, banana, seeded bread. Lunch spaghetti, or ham, chicken or corned beef, seeded bread and pate. French bread, small amount cheese. An apple a day, dinner chicken, or beef, fish or ham with loads of veg and a salad.

Snacks oatcakes mostly.

We are all different, but if I ate all that bread, pasta, and cereal I would be feeling awful.

I wonder if your control is to do with the restricted calories. If you ate those foods, in the quantity needed to maintain your comfortable/optimum body weight, I suspect your blood sugar would rise dramatically.

I suggest you let rip and indulge in a diet change for a few days. See how you feel.

Large gorgeous portions of steak, roast pork, chicken, skin on. More cheese. Eat enough that you can drop the bread and pasta. Keep the veg. Tuck in. Have bacon and egg for brekkie. Or smoked fish, or leftover steak... Hunger is banned.

If you don't like it, you can always stop, but you might, just might, feel so much better that you want to carry on.

I did this way back in my student days. I went vegetarian, for nearly a year. Boy was it hard work. The bacon cravings were unreal. I used to dream of lamb chops. But I persevered. Then I went away for the weekend and unexpectedly found myself being fed by a carnivore, in a tricky situation. Rather than make a fuss, I ate chicken. The next morning I woke up feeling reborn. All the tiny little uncomfortablenesses that had slowly crept up on me over the previous 12 months had vanished. My body simply didn't suit being veggie.

 

[mpe]

I suggest you let rip and indulge in a diet change for a few days. See how you feel.

They should probably try it for a few weeks rather than days.
Some people's bodies can react badly to any change in diet. Even to one which is actually "healthier".
There's also some evidence that dietary glucose is clinically addictive. Thus leading to possible "withdrawl symptoms".

 

[Daibell]

Yes, reduce the carbs to, say, 150 day and up the fat and protein. Carb reduction will help with blood sugar reduction and you will find the body is quite good at stopping weight reduction when it get's into a healthy area. BTW I would suggest testing 2 hours after a meal rather than fasting. It will tell you more about the foods you eat and spikes.

 

[Jamrox]

I agree with everyone , if I eat a lot of bread, pasta etc I would feel awful.
I control my sugars (most of the time , I am human) my diet and exercise only. Exercise is now 5k at least per day and low carbs , lower than 130 g daily.

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[jack412]

Trouble is that I am a slim 6 feet 2 inch man, weighing in at over 13.5 stones all my adult like and now down to less than 12 stone. I don't want to lose any more weight. Everything is directed at losing weight. I do not need to. I am always hungry these days and could do with a blow out a few times a week, but I stick religiously to the foods that I know keep my numbers satisfactory, but I can't take less or I would be able to hide behind a lamp post.

IMO put more fat into your diet, olive oil, coconut oil, butter, true fats of lard and duck fat
if you are cutting carbs you need to replace the calories, don't overload with protein and keep that around 20% of intake should do it
this is a free program that will help you keep track of your food
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

 

[dawnmc]

All good stuff, I can't add any more than that.

 

[Spiker]

As suggested by Andrew Colvin it is important you check your blood sugar at other times of day because yes, if your blood sugar was 6 mmol/L all the time, your symptoms ought to have abated. It's not a certainty but it needs investigation. There is likely one or more times of day that your blood sugar is going high. First thing in the morning will be about your best blood sugar reading as it's the longest part of the 24 hour cycle without food. Your body has had all night to get your blood sugar back down. Your average may be much higher than 6. Have you had a recent HBa1c test? This indicates your overall glucose control and parallels your long term average blood sugar.

The diet advice given above may also be helpful to you, but it's paramount to understand what your blood sugars are doing during the day, particularly after meals.

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