Partner is T2, has lost weight, taken control but is really weak and tired?

[nooboots]

To be honest, I'd just stop the guessing game and go back to the doctor. Explain he's drastically reduced the carbs and is concerned he's probably having too high a dose of his "insulin promoting" meds and, since his BG's are good, you'd like them to reduce the doses. I wouldn't wait for the next appointment if you can help it - same advice goes for any health issue, if things change, it's worth asking for an early review.

Well done to both of you though for getting things on the right track. He's getting there, it just needs tweaking. Best of luck to both of you x

Thanks, yes he is booking a blood test this week and then following that up with an appointment. I dont think she will see him until he does his bloods again.

 

[AndBreathe]

@Mud Island Dweller - You've been having light-headedness for 8 months???? What feedback did you get from your practise about that?

 

[donnellysdogs]

I am concerned about the low levels and far from saying change diet... I would be saying get meds altered.

I know from a type 1 point of view that you would NOT be classified as "safe to drive" with levels under 5.0. So if this was applied in a loose sort of sense to your partner then the feelings he is getting are close to being hypo pretty much all the time, and being a type 1 I know how these feelings at 4ish constantly can screw your brain up.
Honestly 5 is deemed to be a normal level with rises for non diabetics.. So being lower is no good.
If partner us happy with his new eating I wouldn't be in a rush to change it! But then I'm a type 1.

It is very important to like your foods on a sustainable basis. If he is getting good results from food he likes then good for him.

I too would be feeling bad with levels constantly at 4.0 as the brain is not getting high enough bg's...

 

[Mud Island Dweller]

Didn't mention it to them for reasons outlined and as l say last month or so has been fine.

 

[graj0]

Hi, I am new here I hope this is the right place to post this.

My OH was diagnosed with T2 about 10 years ago and never really took it seriously.

This summer, he was told that his levels were consistently too high and at the next check she was going to put him on insulin.

So, following my years of nagging he finally discarded much of the NHS standard advice as it was then, and stopped eating starchy carbs to the degree that he was.

He has now lost nearly 2 stone, his levels dropped within days of starting his new regime. When we went back the diabetic nurse was amazed and said that obviously he would no longer need the insulin but she didnt change any of the other meds.

He now eats porridge with milk, then large salad for lunch (he was having protein with this but has since stopped) then for dinner protein and veg. So in a nutshell he has no potatoes, wheat, pasta, rice or bread, (apart from the porridge).

He started this on 1st May. However within a few weeks he started feeling really tired and weak and this has not improved since then.

Physically, he should be much healthier but seems to feel very lethargic. This weekend in particular he had 2 hypos. I have put this down to drinking okra juice. I am desperate for him to go back to the GP for the next review and hopefully they can take him off some of his meds. He is on so many Im not sure exactly what they are but they are metformin, glicazide, sitaliptin and various others (Ive probably spelled some of that wrong)

Has anyone else done a 'lower' carb diet and lost weight and improved their BS levels but felt pretty tired and weak at the same time?

Welcome nooboots, from me too and well done other half on getting control. I hope you'll forgive me but I've not read all the messages in this thread, I've been away and these threads grow quickly, but I thought my personal experience might be useful anecdotal info.
I was on metformin, gliclazide, Januvia and Atorvastatin. I followed the eatwell plate, loads of carb thing for years, until last year. I was at the point where the doctor was suggesting insulin which I wasn't against but I always thought I should reduce my carbs as a dear old aunt of mine was type I and always counting carbs, as you would, so why not type IIs? Doctor and dietician had always told me to increase carbs although I never did. So last year I cut out pasta/rice/bread/potato, toast with poached egg being a treat. I told my GP what I was doing (not the same one who said eat more carb, a new doctor) My BG dropped quickly and I was having what I'd call hypos, BG down to 3 something. So I told my GP who said drop 1/2 of the gliclazide. Eventually I dropped all the gliclazide, the januvia and the statin. Result! Still on metformin, I had a c-peptide test done at my expense and it showed normal amounts of insulin being produced by the pancreas which was good news. My last two HbA1cs have my BG down to 6.3 which they seem quite pleased with. I also lost 3 stones but that seems to have plateaued even though I have a calorie deficit of 900, I usually have 1,000 cals a day, maybe a bit more at weekends.
So, if it's already been suggested that it's probably being over medicated, at least I can verify that because I was. The lethargy and tiredness seems to be part of weight loss as well, in my experience, as I've been at this weight loss thing for ages. The lower carb is what's worked more than anything although I didn't automatically increase fat, mainly because my stomach can't take it after following low fat regimes for so long.
All the best
Graham

 

[Alice233]

fruits veggies nuts legumes
Breakfast 2 large egg WHITES or some almonds and a small bowl of oatmeal with lots of fruit, enough to fill you
Lunch carrots, multigrain crackers and hummus and a salad with beans in it.

 

[akphoto]

I was a well-controlled Type 2 diabetic patient but my blood sugars started to increase fairly rapidly and I was started on insulin. Along side this I was given dietary advice, the most significant of which was to up my carb intake as it was far too low. (I was to eat a 'balanced diet' as there was no such thing as a diabetic diet.). After about 4 weeks my BS levels are reducing and I am still on my balanced diet. Is there conflicting advice coming from the NHS about low carbs or is anyone else on a 'balanced diet'?

 

[AnnieC]

a

We're not going to cut the carbs anymore than he has, he has to have a breakfast (after years of refusing to eat breakfast), and he wont eat eggs and cant stomach anything else so porridge it is. We have pineapple maybe once a week or once a fortnight so he doesnt have a huge amount,if there is any left he might put a bit in his salad at lunch thats all.

We are happy with the levels, although we're wondering if they are too low really. His high one this morning of 7.2 was due to him having to have a glucose tablet yesterday we think for the hypo.

We check the carb content of everything we eat by the way!

He certainly seems to be controlling his BG well as his levels are really good so he definately does not need to reduce the carbs anymore..no advantage in cutting out what he can eat ok... he can eat a wide variety of foods without problem so he should continue with this. We are all different so cannot go on what others say they can or cannot eat we have to find out what is best for us and your husband seems to be doing that so well done to him. but perhaps a check with his GP to see if he needs his medication lowered may be a good idea

 

[AnnieC]

Porridge and milk are both high in carbs. Bananas and pineapple are also bad. you should check out the carb content of the things he eats and try to reduce it.

Her husband seems to be tolerating these ok and his levels are really good so the amount of carbs he is having must suit him

 

[douglas99]

I agree, no point at all in trying to force him onto a diet he wouldn't see any benefit from, and won't want to be on, and may even take his BS even lower.

 

[this is too difficult two]

Is he on medication?

 

[this is too difficult two]

I agree, no point at all in trying to force him onto a diet he wouldn't see any benefit from, and won't want to be on, and may even take his BS even lower.

Oops missed something here. Didn't spot he was having low BS sorry.

 

[douglas99]

'metformin, glicazide, sitaliptin' seems like one two many meds, definitely see the doctor about reducing them.

Too many possibly.

 

[this is too difficult two]

[

Too many possibly.

Too many carbs possibly?

 

[douglas99]

[

Too many carbs possibly?

Oops missed something here. Didn't spot he was having low BS sorry.

 

[this is too difficult two]

WHAT?

 

[douglas99]

WHAT?

Who knows what you're trying to advise to the op here.
You aren't making any sense at all from post to post.

 

[this is too difficult two]

Ok sorry.
From the guy that told me I have leprosy?

 

[David1974]

Hi maybe if he needs 24 hour sugar ops to give you an idea of his sugar levels before and after meals to see if he is not getting enough carbohydrate to stop low sugars every few hours . Good luck

 

[jack412]

I was a well-controlled Type 2 diabetic patient but my blood sugars started to increase fairly rapidly and I was started on insulin. Along side this I was given dietary advice, the most significant of which was to up my carb intake as it was far too low. (I was to eat a 'balanced diet' as there was no such thing as a diabetic diet.). After about 4 weeks my BS levels are reducing and I am still on my balanced diet. Is there conflicting advice coming from the NHS about low carbs or is anyone else on a 'balanced diet'?

I see no problem with you eating a higher carb diet if you want to, as long as your weight, BG, BP and cholesterol are all ok.
people change the way they eat normally when they have a problem