Just been given the good news!

Unky_Si

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi all, new to this, as we all were at one time or another. Had a battle with my gp for 4 years after having angina/stent in 2011 to recognise my symptoms. Changed gp after moving and low and behold Metformin has been prescribed.
Been mucked about and now waiting for third attempt to see Diabetes nurse.
Diet is as balanced as it can be after stent and wonder after reading other posts if the medication I'm on already contributed to now being T2!
Have rather evil case of itchy man bits which began just before I finally got the Metformin, and I'm feeling "off" I'm not concerned about being T2 as I've already felt the pain of the whole stent etc.
do others suffer with lacklustre moods?

Thanks

Si
 

jay hay-char

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,682
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Welcome - The whole human race suffers from lacklustre moods at some time or another :)

I don't know what medications you're on, but if it incudes statins, there is a correlation between statin use and increased incidence of T2.

You'll find all kinds of useful advice on here, about absolutely everything, but as you say, you may need to proceed with caution in relation to diet, if you've had a stent put in, though opinions differ about - for example - links between consumption of saturated fat and cholesterol levels.

Once you get your levels down a bit, the itchy man bits should become a distant memory. That, in itself, should cheer you up :)
 
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urbanracer

Expert
Retired Moderator
Messages
5,186
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Not being able to eat as many chocolate digestives as I used to.
Hi Si and welcome to the forum, even if you'd rather not be here.

If your BG numbers are high it can affect your moods. Are you checking them? Got a test meter ?
 

Lamont D

Oracle
Messages
15,793
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Welcome Si,
I've tagged @daisy1 to give you the lowdown for newbies.

Take note of the dietary recommendations on the forum. Have a read around, and if your looking for real good advice, this is the place to be. Plenty of experienced, informative and knowledgeable people on here.
 
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jack412

Expert
Messages
5,618
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
sounds like your BG is high, you may need to cut your major carbs, grain, grain product, potato and sugary stuff inc fruit/juice
see dr, I was given anti fungal nappy rash cream, it has zinc which is better than ordinary and a steroid cream.
nizoral shampoo
@daisy1 will give some good info

This gives a simple overview to how it works
For me, the more carbs we eat the more carbs we want. They don’t give up easy and it’s biochemical



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


From the @Southport GP study, who posts here
http://www.practicaldiabetes.com/SpringboardWebApp/userfiles/espdi/file/March 2014/PP Unwin final proofs revised.pdf

*If you find these links useful. Please put in favourites and share with other diabetics here
 
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daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@Unky_Si

Hello Si and welcome to the forum :)

Here, as mentioned above, is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it helpful. Look particularly at the info about carbs which should help your diet. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will be able to 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 140,000 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.
 

Unky_Si

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Thanks for the replies, lots to read! I'll be back to no doubt ask more questions, I have an appointment with the nurse this Thursday and will be asking LOTS of questions...