Hello!!

MsPrim

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Hello Everyone,

My name is Amanda, I am 38 years young and i live in Ireland (originally from London) and i was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes on 2 October 2014. I was taking Metformin 500mg twice daily but they were making me dizzy so i am now taking Diamicron 30mg daily. I currently test my blood glucose levels 3 times daily.

I also was diagnosed in November 2013 with hypothyroidism and in July 2014 i found out i have Hashimoto's Disease (an autoimmune condition) which caused my thyroid to be come hypothyroid. I am currently taking 175mcg of Eltroxin daily. In time my thyroid will die and will need to be partially or fully removed.

I was tested for diabetes in November 2013 and again in June 2014 and there was nothing to suggest i was even prediabetes and then at the end of September i got extremely thirsty and i was frequently drinking fluids and going to the loo and i thought something is wrong - 4 days later i went to my GP - my blood glucose was 18 and i had high levels of ketones in my urine also and he told me i have to go to casualty now - he was surprised i wasn't in a diabetic coma. This was my introduction to diabetes. I was told they THINK i have type 2 diabetes in casualty. I had symptoms for type 1 and 2 and as i already have one autoimmune condition they can't be 100% sure. I am seeing my Endocrinologist in January 2015 and i will know more then. But for the moment i am being treated for Type 2 diabetes.

I had my first hba1c (IFCC) test on the 7 October 2014 which was - 86.0. I know this is very high but i have now cut out sugar altogether and i have changed my diet. I have also lost some weight since the end of July 2014 - 1 stone - so this is a plus for me!! I also find i am thinking about food constantly now i have to watch what i eat!! But i will get there. I have my next appointment in November at the Diabetic Clinic so hopefully i will have my hba1c tested again to see if it has been reduced - fingers crossed.

I actually feel a lot better then i have in years!!

I hope to be a valued participant on the forum and i look forward to meeting you all :)

Amanda
 
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noblehead

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Hi and a warm welcome to the forum Amanda :)

Hopefully Daisy will be along shortly with her advice for new members to the forum.
 
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jack412

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you may need more fat to replace the lost carbs and if you are still craving, you may need to drop more carbs, drink plenty of water and a bit more salt

http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf it’s a long page and a video
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarb101/a/firstweek.htm

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbliving/a/Food-Cravings.htm because carbs don’t give up easy.

testing
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php
food count
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

Newcastle diet aims in 8+ weeks to mimic or better the rate of ~80% remission, for surgery T2
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/magres/research/diabetes/
http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2010/mar/weight-loss-surgery-and-type-2-diabetes.html

http://www.lowcarbdietitian.com/blog/carbohydrate-restriction-an-option-for-diabetes-management
 
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Bluetit1802

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Hello and welcome!

It isn't just sugar you have to cut out. There is sugar is many other things normally regarded as healthy, for example milk and fruit. It is natural sugar, but nonetheless still sugar. Perhaps you could tell us what you are currently eating on a typical day, and whether your other ailments require a special diet.

The best way to learn about food is to test it out. This will mean testing immediately before you eat, then again at 2 hours after your first bite. Maybe also at 1 hour and 3 hours in some cases. Look at the rise after eating. If it is more than 2mmol/l there is something in that meal that needs attention.
 
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MsPrim

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Hello and welcome!

It isn't just sugar you have to cut out. There is sugar is many other things normally regarded as healthy, for example milk and fruit. It is natural sugar, but nonetheless still sugar. Perhaps you could tell us what you are currently eating on a typical day, and whether your other ailments require a special diet.

The best way to learn about food is to test it out. This will mean testing immediately before you eat, then again at 2 hours after your first bite. Maybe also at 1 hour and 3 hours in some cases. Look at the rise after eating. If it is more than 2mmol/l there is something in that meal that needs attention.

Thanks for the reply :)

This is all new to me and i feel like food has taken over my life as before i didn't really need to think about what i ate.


I have stopped eating fried foods - not that i ate loads of fried foods anyway. I don't drink fizzy drinks and i have stopped eating sweets, chocolate, cakes etc. I have been asked not to drink fruit juice and to be careful of fresh fruit and even some vegetables.

I have changed from white bread, pasta and rice to the wholemeal varieties and also from full fat dairy to low fat dairy, i have stopped using sugar in tea/coffee and use Canderel sweeteners instead. I also know i can only have small portions of brown rice, pasta or potatoes - Is this right?

I have been eating these types of foods mainly -

Breakfasts -

Kelkin muesli with low fat milk,
2 wholemeal toast with low fat cheese,
2 boiled eggs with 2 slices of wholemeal bread.

Lunch

Panini with tuna, onion, sweetcorn, low fat mayo,
Ham salad sandwich (wholemeal bread),
Small tin of Heinz Spaghetti Hoops with 2 slices of wholemeal toast,

Dinner

Chicken curry with wholemeal rice (i add onions, peppers, peas to the curry also),
Grilled steak with no fat, vegetables, 3 small potatoes,
Spaghetti Bolognese with wholewheat pasta and using low fat Dolmio sauce (i add onions, peppers also)

The odd day i may have a packet of Skips crisps or a small banana after my lunch.

I had cod in breadcrumbs with sprouts and boiled potatoes one day but the blood glucose reading was high so i won't eat the cod in breadcrumbs anymore.

There are just a few examples of what i eat.

On the subject of testing - i have been asked to test before breakfast, before dinner and 2 hours after dinner.

I am awaiting for an appointment to see a Dietician.

With regard to my thyroid problems, i can't eat kale or broccoli - these foods aggravate your thyroid.
 

MsPrim

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Thank you for all those links jack412 ;) - will have a good read this evening :)
 
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Bazzza

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Fáilte MsP, good too see ya here ;) Place is a wealth of information. Even the main site has heaps of info. Makes Diabetes Ireland look like a joke. Those links Jack sent ya are good. Ohh yeah get the "myfitnesspal" app on your phone its deadly, Has a bar-code scanner on it so you dont have to write all the stuff in manually, using the cam on your phone, you "scan" the barcode on products and it just pops up all in nutritional info for you. Greats for keeping track of your carbs you eat. :) Another app is called "On Track" Its a diabetes management app that allows you to keep track of your BS readings and shows you all sorts of graphs and stats in relation to your highs, lows, day, week, month and HbA1c averages.
 
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MsPrim

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Fáilte MsP, good too see ya here ;) Place is a wealth of information. Even the main site has heaps of info. Makes Diabetes Ireland look like a joke. Those links Jack sent ya are good. Ohh yeah get the "myfitnesspal" app on your phone its deadly, Has a bar-code scanner on it so you dont have to write all the stuff in manually, using the cam on your phone, you "scan" the barcode on products and it just pops up all in nutritional info for you. Greats for keeping track of your carbs you eat. :) Another app is called "On Track" Its a diabetes management app that allows you to keep track of your BS readings and shows you all sorts of graphs and stats in relation to your highs, lows, day, week, month and HbA1c averages.


Nice one Bar :D

I will add those apps on my phone :)

You are dead right about the differences on the Irish diabetes site and this site - i will be coming here forever ;)
There is so much information here - which is amazing!! :)

Just been reading up on the Hashimoto's link with LADA diabetes (Type 1.5) - when i see my Endocrinologist in January 2015 i am going to request to be tested. The nurse said it was very odd for me to have just developed diabetes so quickly!! It doesn't make sense to me or my nurse as i was only last tested for diabetes in June and there was no sign of diabetes.

A lot of people who have hypothyroid, put on weight, as their metabolism slows down and then the energy isn't being distributed around the body and when a person is then diagnosed with type 2 diabetes - because that person has gained weight due to the thyroid, people are then misdiagnosed with type 2 diabetes based on the weight gain. A lot of doctors don't understand or have the knowledge on thyroid problems unfortunately. I just hope this isn't what's happened with me.
 

sanguine

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Hi Amanda, welcome.

To add to the above, I can see a few items in your foods that would make my (and most other T2s) blood sugars spike badly - muesli, toast, bread on sandwiches, potatoes, rice, pasta, bananas. Whilst these are the so-called 'healthy diet' recommended by many they are usually not suitable for diabetics. Doesn't really matter if it's 'wholemeal' or not. Carbohydrates are like sugars for us, they are best avoided. Also low fat dairy (or low fat anything) often contains added sugar so full(er) fat varieties are better unless other issues make that less desirable for you.

Jack has given you some useful low-carb links, have a good read around and ask any more questions. We're here to help you.
 
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daisy1

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Hello Amanda and welcome to the forum :)

Hi and a warm welcome to the forum Amanda :)

Hopefully Daisy will be along shortly with her advice for new members to the forum.

Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask all the questions you want and someone will help.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 100,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
 
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Bluetit1802

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Hi again,

I agree with @sanguine. Your diet is far too carb heavy for a diabetic. If you cut the carbs, and change back to normal dairy foods, you will see an improvement. I suggest you test out all your meals by testing immediately before each one then again 2 hours after your first bite. Look at the difference. If it is more than 2mmol/l there is something in that meal that needs reducing or avoiding. It will most likely be bread, rice, pasta, potatoes or cereals, possibly milk and almost certainly most fruits. Testing this way is the only way to learn what your body can or can't cope with. We are all different in that.
 
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Daibell

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Hi and welcome. A lot of good advice from posters. Yes, your diet is too carb heavy at present. Don't worry too much about fat contrary to popular opinion. It's the carbs that make all of us, not just diabetics, gain weight and if diabetic, carbs cause blood sugar rises. Keep an eye on packaging labels as sugar is added to everything e.g. spaghetti hoops
 
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sanguine

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Look for foods with less than 10g carb per 100g, even 5g per 100g.
 
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MsPrim

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Thank you all for your replies :)

My diabetic nurse said it was ok to eat the foods i have been eating :(
Just goes to show even the professionals get it wrong.

I am awaiting to see a dietician so i will learn more about the foods i need to eat - properly hopefully.

I have had a horrible day today. :(
My head has been dizzy, light headed and over the last few days my memory has been very bad :(
My GP stopped my Diamicron medication today and has put me back onto Metformin 500mg but at a reduced dose of just one tablet daily.
Hopefully i won't get the side effects as bad this time with the reduced dose - dizzyness, light headedness, severe wind :D and i am like a walking demon with it too :)

He wants to try different medication but is not authorised to prescribe it - only a specialist can :(

My GP said if i have any major problems over the weekend he will be at an out-of-hours service at my local hospital and to see him there - which was very nice of him.

The diabetic medication i have tried so far isn't agreeing with me at all and i am awaiting the Diabetic nurse to contact me so i can see specialist so they can change my medication - this won't happen till Tuesday because of the Bank Holiday weekend here in Ireland.

But on a plus note - he wants me to be tested for type 1.5 diabetes as i have Hashimoto's Disease :)
 

sanguine

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Now this is the info i need - thank you sanguine :)

There's also a good book (better than the app I understand) called 'Carbs & Cals' which is just photos of foods and meals with the carb, calorie, protein and fat values. When I started LCHF I used it extensively for the first few weeks until I got into the right routine.
 
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MsPrim

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There's also a good book (better than the app I understand) called 'Carbs & Cals' which is just photos of foods and meals with the carb, calorie, protein and fat values. When I started LCHF I used it extensively for the first few weeks until I got into the right routine.

Thanks again sanguine :)

I will look for the book - if i know what i can eat, without it doing harm to me, then this is a big plus for me :D
 
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Clivethedrive

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Congratulations amanda well done onth eweight loss, tell me do you use a meter to check your fasting blood levels and again ater meals?
 
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MsPrim

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Congratulations amanda well done onth eweight loss, tell me do you use a meter to check your fasting blood levels and again ater meals?


Thanks Clivethedrive ;) I didn't realise i had lost that much weight - i knew i had lost a little. People are starting to notice my weight loss too - so i must be doing something right.

I check my BG levels when i wake up and again before and 2 hours after my evening meal - i have discovered beansprouts are very low in carbs and fat and i add baby vegetables and prawns - all cooked in their own juices - yummy!! Very filling too!! :D

This week i have noticed my memory isn't the best and also i wake up feeling very thirsty and i have a dry mouth and i need to go to the loo straight away and i do a large wee - the symptoms i had before i was diagnosed although the thirst isn't as bad. I'm starting to wonder whether i actually do have Type 1/1.5 (LADA) rather than Type 2, which the doctors in hospital thought i had. My BG levels have been in range all week so i don't know what to think. :(

Any suggestions as to what might be going on?
 

jack412

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when you first cut carbs you shed a lot of water, you need to drink more and add an extra teaspoon of salt a day, you may find that added healthy fats help too
the link I gave you for 'the first week' explains it
 
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