Frustrated, really frustrated

[Chris Thailand]

I was delighted last weekend when by hb1ac test came in at 5.8 and my glyclazide dose was reduced from 60 to one 30m tablet however my numbers have since shot up with fasting levels of around 100 and post prandials of 140. I was so convinced I had this controlled and now it seems obvious I haven't at all. I have changed my diet beyond all recognition with no sugar, no pop, no pasta, rice or potatoes, and the bland, boring slice of meat and some vegetables that I now rely on is very uninteresting without some visible benefit to me that I can actually see-I'm at the stage where I'm getting afraid to eat anything, no matter how innocuous, as even a boiled egg pushed my levels over 130.
Here's my question: should I just increase the glyclazide back to 60mg and enjoy a decent meal with even the odd cheat and great numbers or persevere on the lower dose with **** food and numbers which look to me as if I'm failing miserably?
I've had a rude awakening that really I am a diabetic after all and knowing that is it better to accept the drugs and have a bit of a life?
I am very competitive by nature and found competing against my numbers to be a useful focus but if it's the glycazide that's keeping them down and my diet restrictions are not helping much then better to go with the drugs?
Any thoughts?

 

[Clivethedrive]

I was delighted last weekend when by hb1ac test came in at 5.8 and my glyclazide dose was reduced from 60 to one 30m tablet however my numbers have since shot up with fasting levels of around 100 and post prandials of 140. I was so convinced I had this controlled and now it seems obvious I haven't at all. I have changed my diet beyond all recognition with no sugar, no pop, no pasta, rice or potatoes, and the bland, boring slice of meat and some vegetables that I now rely on is very uninteresting without some visible benefit to me that I can actually see-I'm at the stage where I'm getting afraid to eat anything, no matter how innocuous, as even a boiled egg pushed my levels over 130.
Here's my question: should I just increase the glyclazide back to 60mg and enjoy a decent meal with even the odd cheat and great numbers or persevere on the lower dose with **** food and numbers which look to me as if I'm failing miserably?
I've had a rude awakening that really I am a diabetic after all and knowing that is it better to accept the drugs and have a bit of a life?
I am very competitive by nature and found competing against my numbers to be a useful focus but if it's the glycazide that's keeping them down and my diet restrictions are not helping much then better to go with the drugs?
Any thoughts?

Hi chris Thailand,it can be frustfating,as you relax a bit and see things going backwards,but this illness is controllable and not as restrictive as many seem to feel,for instance i'm t2, and my bs's are now regularly in the 3.6 to 4.8 mmols range,i eat good quality foods ( but in limited amounts) the key is " eat to your meter" then you will know what spikes you/ how much you can eat,i think most posters would like to be med free,but we need to be kind to ourselves and reduce( if poss') our meds slowly, i am off my metformin now after 2 1/2 yrs of hard work and gradually reducing my dose,there are some lovely ideas for what to eat on here ,but as i say be gentle with your blood,and eat to your meter is the best advice

 

[Hiitsme]

Hi @Chris Thailand
Well done on your good HbA1c result.
My numbers started to go up after my last HbA1c and I wasn't on medication for diabetes. I thought it was relaxing a bit too much or relief at having got some control. I still don't understand why I am slightly higher of even lower at times. I would agree with Clive that eating to your meter is very helpful. I had stopped testing as much.
Do you still need to lose weight? I have found my numbers start to creep up if I put on a couple of pounds so I know at times I must be eating a bit too much so try to reduce it for a couple of days. My BMI is only about 20 so I also have to take care that I don't reduce my weight too much.
Another thing is exercise. Even gentle exercise should help. Can you increase your exercise a bit as that might also help.
Also stress and illness will affect blood sugars and those are very difficult to control. This is my first winter since diagnosis so I'm still learning how to cope with the cold and find that also seems to affect me.
My suggestion would be to keep going for a short time on your reduced meds but if that doesn't seem to be working then talk to your doctor about increasing the meds again.

 

[4ratbags]

It may take your body a bit of time to adjust to the lower amount of medication, give it a month and see how your BS is responding and if it continues to be elevated look into getting your meds increased. Its a great thought to be med free but for some its not a reality as we are all different. Have a search on Pinterest under Low Carb and you will find some really nice recipes as LC doesnt have to be boring.

 

[Chris Thailand]

Today was better. I skipped dinner last night and woke to an acceptable 4.8, ate a boiled egg for breakfast and had a chicken salad and minced pork soup for lunch and my post prandial was 5.6 which pleases me. I'm going to see how the numbers work out over the next few weeks......and how the beer goes tonight. Not frustrated at all at present but tomorrow is another dsy

 

[JenniferW]

I feel similarly frustrated!

I'm on no medication and have made a lot of diet change and increased exercise with far from any great change! My HbA1c on diagnosis in may was 47 and this week's test result is 46! A small change and a change in the right direction, but in relation to the 'lifestyle' changes, that's much less than I hoped for.

Where do I go from here? More of the same, obviously, plus as much more change as I can handle.

Eating to the meter has helped, but my highest readings are the first of the day - always. In other words, it's not a particular food spike. Then over the course of the day, the readings overall go down.

Help?

 

[4ratbags]

@JenniferW what diet changes have you made so far, just curious as I completely overhauled my diet when diagnosed as I was too sick to eat but it wasnt until I went LCHF that I went below 40. I know it can be frustrating but stick with it. My FBG is usually in the 6's or 7's so I can see where you are coming from.

 

[JenniferW]

My FBG can be higher than that - 9 has been the highest, and I think it's a miracle if it's below 7.

I changed to a low carb diet though cannot sustain the lowest. i.e. Most days it's between 100 - 150g, with odd days below 100g.

My biggest problem (literally) is out-of-control overeating. I was a binge / compulsive overeater for years, and am way better than I was, but this sort of knocks the legs out from most diet plans. I have some support and understanding from the nurses at the GPs, but the reality is that in a short period a day's diet can be sabotaged in a major way - doubling the carbs. I suspect I ought to be talking to my GP about this, but having been told before there's nothing they can do to help, I can't see the point. So I'm not sure where I go from here.

 

[4ratbags]

I can relate to what you are saying. I have only just got a handle on my overeating (touch wood). I could quite easily go off track and eat a couple of packs of chocolate biscuits, a large block of chocolate, pies and ice cream and anything else I could get my hands on and all that in just a day. When I got my result of 34 for my Hb test I was elated but it also sent me into 6 weeks of depression, go figure. I went totaĺly off track. I typically eat between 10-25 gr carbs a day and the only way I find I can stick to that is I do a lot of low carb baking which I cut up and put in the freezer so I can grab something whenever I need something yummy to eat and the good thing is they are all under 2gr carbs per slice so I can eat them without feeling guilty. It is very different for each of us and it can be hard trying to figure out our coping and emergency strategies when its all about to go out the window. I now make sure I always have peanuts and cheese to munch on and I make sure I always have some baking in the freezer, this is my strategy to ensure I get through the day.

 

[JenniferW]

I can relate to what you are saying. I have only just got a handle on my overeating (touch wood) ... this is my strategy to ensure I get through the day.

Thanks - it's encouraging to ear all that!

Recently I've been focusing on my shopping - seeing how I set myself up for disaster! If it's not in the house, I can't eat it, etc. But living pretty much opposite a large supermarket, you see real addictive behaviour coming on at times ... you can imagine! I am actually organising moving, and with luck to somewhere without that temptation on the doorstep!

25g carbs / day is really good going. If I could be averaging less than 100g I'd feel it was a major achievement.

Mind you, I sat down and thought about the HbA1c going down from 47 to 46, looked up 'normal' and realised that if I could keep this up, the next 3 months could actually get me down to 45 ... and so on.

 

[andcol]

My FBG can be higher than that - 9 has been the highest, and I think it's a miracle if it's below 7.

I changed to a low carb diet though cannot sustain the lowest. i.e. Most days it's between 100 - 150g, with odd days below 100g.

My biggest problem (literally) is out-of-control overeating. I was a binge / compulsive overeater for years, and am way better than I was, but this sort of knocks the legs out from most diet plans. I have some support and understanding from the nurses at the GPs, but the reality is that in a short period a day's diet can be sabotaged in a major way - doubling the carbs. I suspect I ought to be talking to my GP about this, but having been told before there's nothing they can do to help, I can't see the point. So I'm not sure where I go from here.

Yes I can do this as well. Only yesterday I sabotaged myself with a whole tin of quality street (750g)! I get out of these binge cycles when I have them by doing a fast for 19 hours or more. Seems to remove all my cravings (of which peanut craving is the worst). I also find this lowers my fasting substantially. Try it and see how it goes - dont eat after 5PM and before midday - it allows the liver to use up some of its fat stores.

 

[Hiitsme]

Thanks - it's encouraging to ear all that!

Recently I've been focusing on my shopping - seeing how I set myself up for disaster! If it's not in the house, I can't eat it, etc. But living pretty much opposite a large supermarket, you see real addictive behaviour coming on at times ... you can imagine! I am actually organising moving, and with luck to somewhere without that temptation on the doorstep!

25g carbs / day is really good going. If I could be averaging less than 100g I'd feel it was a major achievement.

Mind you, I sat down and thought about the HbA1c going down from 47 to 46, looked up 'normal' and realised that if I could keep this up, the next 3 months could actually get me down to 45 ... and so on.

Hi @JenniferW
Yes HbA1c of 46 is pre-diabetic and shows well controlled. My GP was very happy when mine came in at 50. The nurse even thought that was a bit low or at least she thought my readings were too low. I think you are like me in that you would like to be in the normal range. You know you are doing the exercise which will help. Stress puts mine up and there are times when that can't be avoided. I know it must be hard to have put in so much hard work and then only to have a reduction of 1. At least now you are looking at what you can do and trying to get help. I'm probably not the best person to ask about low carb as I probably eat about 100g of carbs a day. I just restrict the carbs that my body can't cope with. I think it might be a question of looking for food that you like and is safe to indulge in.

 

[JenniferW]

Cravings? What are they? I don't have cravings I just (just?) have overeating that's out of control. Binge eaters will binge on ANYTHING. This is what it's about:

from http://eating-disorders.org.uk/information/compulsive-overeating-binge-eating-disorder/

“Expert” Definitions of Binge or Compulsive Overeating include some or all of the following features which occur with regularity at least 3 times per week:​

• • Eating faster than usual
  • Eating past the point of fullness
  • Eating when not physically hungry
  • Eating alone or in secret
  • Feeling upset or guilty after overeating
  • Feeling that you are abnormal
  • Feeling “taken over” or “driven” as if by an other presence in respect of eating
  • Trying to compensate for overeating by dieting or restraining food or purging ( in the latter case you are suffering from bulimia)

On a good day, my carbs can be below 100g. Many days it's between 100 and 150g.

Apologies - I've de-railed this thread from the topic as it started. I just wanted to add in my frustrations somewhere!

 

[4ratbags]

@JenniferW you poor thing living across from a supermarket, that would be a nightmare, I remember living across the road from a supermarket when my kids were younger, aaargh. Definately make moving a top goal, it will at the least remove some of the problem as if you have to go further for it you may find you are at least not going there as much and that.has to be a.positive. Trying to get under 100gr a day would be a real achievement and it should help your numbers reduce further. Just remember its a marathon not a sprint and you have done well to get it down to 46 so far, it may only have gone down one but that.in itself is still a.huge achievement. I remember sitting down going what the heck am I doing, I cant do this, its too much. I felt like my head was spinning, I knew what I had to do but it seemed like too much to cope with. In our house everyone still eats normally so I have to deal with biscuits, chips, ice cream and the ferrero rouchers sitting on the table looking at.me for the last week. The way I finally got over the hurdle was I sat down and I made a.list of everything I needed to do in regard to my diabetes and I am starting to get there.

 

[JenniferW]

@JenniferW you poor thing living across from a supermarket, that would be a nightmare, I remember living across the road from a supermarket when my kids were younger, aaargh. Definately make moving a top goal, it will at the least remove some of the problem as if you have to go further for it you may find you are at least not going there as much and that.has to be a.positive. Trying to get under 100gr a day would be a real achievement and it should help your numbers reduce further. Just remember its a marathon not a sprint and you have done well to get it down to 46 so far, it may only have gone down one but that.in itself is still a.huge achievement. I remember sitting down going what the heck am I doing, I cant do this, its too much. I felt like my head was spinning, I knew what I had to do but it seemed like too much to cope with. In our house everyone still eats normally so I have to deal with biscuits, chips, ice cream and the ferrero rouchers sitting on the table looking at.me for the last week. The way I finally got over the hurdle was I sat down and I made a.list of everything I needed to do in regard to my diabetes and I am starting to get there.

This was wonderful - made me burst out laughing! Only another sufferer would see the location of the flat and the supermarket in that way!

 

[Chris Thailand]

There really doesn't seem to be rhyme nor reason to this! 4.1 this morning after 3 pints and a squid salad last night.
Let's see if I can keep it there

 

[4ratbags]

Thats what makes it so much fun, those 'what the .....' moments

 

[Hiitsme]

There really doesn't seem to be rhyme nor reason to this! 4.1 this morning after 3 pints and a squid salad last night.
Let's see if I can keep it there

That's great. Have you kept with reducing meds?

 

[Chris Thailand]

Yes, I've not gone back to the higher dose which is why it's so very puzzling. Maybe I needed to skip a few meals to get down to a lower baseline? Who knows? I certainly don't!
I'm going to keep to a tighter diet (with some beer tonight) and see what the week ahead will hold

 

[andcol]

Yes, I've not gone back to the higher dose which is why it's so very puzzling. Maybe I needed to skip a few meals to get down to a lower baseline? Who knows? I certainly don't!
I'm going to keep to a tighter diet (with some beer tonight) and see what the week ahead will hold

Did you read my post above (#11) oh and alcohol stops the liver from being able to release glucose into the blood as it is dealing with the alcohol. Be careful with beer though