A little confused

[eiffy11]

Hi there , I am 46 years old and have recently been diagnosed as having diabetes ..Type 2 i believe .The doctor just said that it was confirmed as diabetes .I was prescribed because the level was so high Metformin 1 x 500mg ....On the friday i had my test , I did a test of my bg level and it was 24.5 ..Over the weekend it had levelled off at around 12/13/14 ...My background was drinking sugary drinks , Prob 2 litres of pop on any given day , plus around 3 or 4 Isotonic drinks , so i worked out i was probably putting around 500 to 600 grams of sugar in my body everyday .Whilst i was working which was active work , I suppose i was burning this off quite easy, But for the last couple of months i have been the primary carer for my mum who is bedbound with vascular dementia , She was insulin dependant , but because of the lack of movement and eating she had her medication stopped because shes now on end of life care.The last two months have consisted of the same sugary intake but without any excercise as ive been stuck in front of my computer basically in between caring ...I had all the symptoms , Thirsty , Urinating at night several times , Constant thrush and ive probably lost a stone in around a month and a half ...The confusing things were that my doctor didnt give me any figures , it was just take this tablet and come back on the 22nd of october to see the diabetic nurse ...Since i went for the test which was around a fortnight ago , I have cut out all the sugary drinks completely and have eaten healthy with low carbs and sugar , I only started the Metformin this past wednesday ..I have an active social life playing darts and playing guitar in a band , Both require some alcohol to play as i suffer from nerves anxiety and panic attacks for which i take citalopram ...Obviously i have changed my entire eating and drinking habits (sugary drinks) , It says not to drink alcohol with metformin as it can cause lactic acidosis , I drink Jack Daniels and diet coke and perhaps have 10 single measures twice week , Now obviously i know thats a high intake but have i got to sacrifice giving that up as well , I know i wont be able to play the things i love with th nerves, unfortunately its the way ive always been ...Id rather change my lifestyle and diet than take this metformin, Is it safe too stop ? , Ive only taken three so far ..As i said i would rather change everything else because i know i have the will power to eat a strict low carb diet and just drink water the rest of the time ..Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[JTL]

Most of us can drink alcohol just fine.
I never heard that about Metformin and alcohol I drank and took the stuff unawares and came to no harm.
I was never a big eater or snacker or had a sweet tooth except for sugar in my tea.
I didn't stay on the Metformin as I discovered using a meter that cutting out the sugar and going on LCHF eating was enough you might find the same.

 

[eiffy11]

Most of us can drink alcohol just fine.
I never heard that about Metformin and alcohol I drank and took the stuff unawares and came to no harm.
I was never a big eater or snacker or had a sweet tooth except for sugar in my tea.
I didn't stay on the Metformin as I discovered using a meter that cutting out the sugar and going on LCHF eating was enough you might find the same.

Hi there thanks for the reply , did you just stop taking the metformin ? Other than that im quite happy doing the diet and low carb intake as tbh im quite happy with the weight loss and would love to get back down to 12 and a half stone , im 14 and a half stone at the moment and 5f 10in ...I had gone up to 15 and a half stone..So as i said i think i can be quite regimental with the diet , Just very anxious about taking the tablet certainly with the alcohol

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi and welcome aboard,

Firstly, you need to contact your surgery and ask for a print out of your blood test results. This is important. You need to know where you are starting from and how much work you have to do to get your blood sugars under control. The print out will also have details of any other tests you had, such as cholesterol, lipids, kidney and liver functions and full blood count. All very important for diabetics. You will be having a lot of blood tests in future, so need written records to compare and keep an eye open for deterioration or improvement. This is essential.

Secondly, you need to buy a blood glucose meter. The Codefree and Tee2 are very popular because they have the cheapest testing strips. Pharmacies don't sell them.
Try here for the Codefree meter
http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/
and here for the extra strips
http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/sd-codefree-test-strips-to-be-used-only-with-the-sd-monitor/
There are discount codes if you buy in bulk and don’t forget to check the box that you have diabetes so you can buy VAT free.
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833

The Tee2 is here
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/

Once you have a meter you can test before and after eating/drinking and see at a glance what that has done to your levels. From this you can learn and have the chance to reduce certain foods or eliminate some.

As far as blood sugars are concerned, alcoholic most spirits and red wine are fine (with sugar free mixers or water) but will not help your liver - diabetics tend to have what is known as non-alcoholic fatty livers. Too much alcohol will make matters worse. Drink if you must, but in moderation. Beer is the danger drink.

 

[JTL]

Hi there thanks for the reply , did you just stop taking the metformin ? Other than that im quite happy doing the diet and low carb intake as tbh im quite happy with the weight loss and would love to get back down to 12 and a half stone , im 14 and a half stone at the moment and 5f 10in ...I had gone up to 15 and a half stone..So as i said i think i can be quite regimental with the diet , Just very anxious about taking the tablet certainly with the alcohol

I think I took the tablet for about eighteen months.
Not at all sure as I can't keep track of time and keep no notes.
Yes I just stopped to see if I would still have good control and sure enough my control was fine which I put down to my porridge every morning my coconut oil and a fairly relaxed LCHF.
I don't like the high fat label I think of it as perfectly normal fat intake pre the days when chemical companies and factories took over our food processing.
The fat I have daily is mostly dairy and plant.
No low fat no fat semi skimmed stuff plus butter and cream and coconut oil.
I can't advise what you should do because we really are all very different so what works for me might not for you.
I consider the porridge and the coconut oil as my two main drugs ... food as medicine as it were.
I consider western medicine as clever as it is to be mostly toxic so keep whatever tablets I take to a minimum or not at all.
Best of luck mate.

 

[eiffy11]

Hi and welcome aboard,

Firstly, you need to contact your surgery and ask for a print out of your blood test results. This is important. You need to know where you are starting from and how much work you have to do to get your blood sugars under control. The print out will also have details of any other tests you had, such as cholesterol, lipids, kidney and liver functions and full blood count. All very important for diabetics. You will be having a lot of blood tests in future, so need written records to compare and keep an eye open for deterioration or improvement. This is essential.

Secondly, you need to buy a blood glucose meter. The Codefree and Tee2 are very popular because they have the cheapest testing strips. Pharmacies don't sell them.
Try here for the Codefree meter
http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/
and here for the extra strips
http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/sd-codefree-test-strips-to-be-used-only-with-the-sd-monitor/
There are discount codes if you buy in bulk and don’t forget to check the box that you have diabetes so you can buy VAT free.
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833

The Tee2 is here
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/

Once you have a meter you can test before and after eating/drinking and see at a glance what that has done to your levels. From this you can learn and have the chance to reduce certain foods or eliminate some.

As far as blood sugars are concerned, alcoholic most spirits and red wine are fine (with sugar free mixers or water) but will not help your liver - diabetics tend to have what is known as non-alcoholic fatty livers. Too much alcohol will make matters worse. Drink if you must, but in moderation. Beer is the danger drink.

Thank you for you reply . I will contact my surgery on moday for a printout , Beer i do not touch anyway , All the other stuff im fine and quite proud so far that ive gotten rid of the sugary drinks mainly as ive drunk them since i was a child , But it is kind of i have too , I certainly dont want to be like my mother who was probably the worst diabetic ever ..Shes had two big toes amputated through diabetes neglect , even when i took her before the last toe infection she had 4 litres of coca cola and 3 turkish delights in her bag...Im commited to this but i feel ive got to live my life also .Is it safe to stop taking the metformin, ive only taken three so far as ive heard its not superb at getting levels down

 

[JTL]

As for carbs re cooking pasta and spuds helps to keep the carb count down while allowing me to enjoy my favourite carbs.
Mashed spuds made today and fried tomorrow!
Re cooked turns them into something called carb resistant or something like that.

 

[eiffy11]

I think I took the tablet for about eighteen months.
Not at all sure as I can't keep track of time and keep no notes.
Yes I just stopped to see if I would still have good control and sure enough my control was fine which I put down to my porridge every morning my coconut oil and a fairly relaxed LCHF.
I don't like the high fat label I think of it as perfectly normal fat intake pre the days when chemical companies and factories took over our food processing.
The fat I have daily is mostly dairy and plant.
No low fat no fat semi skimmed stuff plus butter and cream and coconut oil.
I can't advise what you should do because we really are all very different so what works for me might not for you.
I consider the porridge and the coconut oil as my two main drugs ... food as medicine as it were.
I consider western medicine as clever as it is to be mostly toxic so keep whatever tablets I take to a minimum or not at all.
Best of luck mate.

Cheers and best of luck with your diabetic journey also . Take care out there

 

[eiffy11]

As for carbs re cooking pasta and spuds helps to keep the carb count down while allowing me to enjoy my favourite carbs.
Mashed spuds made today and fried tomorrow!
Re cooked turns them into something called carb resistant or something like that.

Ill take a look at doing that , Thats very interesting indeed , also im going to check out your music , Im a mixing engineer so ill have a good listen to it , Cheers Again

 

[Pipp]

Different foods and drink have different effects on individuals.
Best advice I was given is to use a BG meter to check what I can tolerate.
I see @bluetit has already advised on that.

As you are a new member I would like to say 'welcome'. Have a look at info that @daisy1 will post here now I have tagged her. There is also useful info in all moderator signatures, and in mine a copy of forum ethos and rules.

Best wishes
Pipp

 

[JTL]

Thank you for you reply . I will contact my surgery on moday for a printout , Beer i do not touch anyway , All the other stuff im fine and quite proud so far that ive gotten rid of the sugary drinks mainly as ive drunk them since i was a child , But it is kind of i have too , I certainly dont want to be like my mother who was probably the worst diabetic ever ..Shes had two big toes amputated through diabetes neglect , even when i took her before the last toe infection she had 4 litres of coca cola and 3 turkish delights in her bag...Im commited to this but i feel ive got to live my life also .Is it safe to stop taking the metformin, ive only taken three so far as ive heard its not superb at getting levels down

It's not addictive so there are no withdrawal symptoms and three wouldn't have done anything anyway.
I didn't ask my doctor I told him some time later but it's not the sort of advice I'm qualified to give.
I didn't tell them that I was ignoring all their advice and now following stuff I've learnt on here.
They were not happy at first but now admit to me that I'm the only diabetic at the surgery showing such positive results.
I think the people here with their experiences trials and errors etc have been like saving for me.
I first joined under a different name but left when I started reading about eating fat and losing weight .... lunatics I'm out of here!
But I came back because the diabetics I was meeting were getting fatter and sicker and the shareholders of the drug companies seemed to be the main beneficiaries of the so called treatment.
I had nothing to lose.
Join the lunatics and see what happens.
Best thing I ever did.

 

[JTL]

Ill take a look at doing that , Thats very interesting indeed , also im going to check out your music , Im a mixing engineer so ill have a good listen to it , Cheers Again

Computer music using a MIDI keyboard a little guitar and a lot of loops and VST's.
Just a hobby.
Heading for 65 I'm never going to be a pop star!

 

[eiffy11]

Different foods and drink have different effects on individuals.
Best advice I was given is to use a BG meter to check what I can tolerate.
I see @bluetit has already advised on that.

As you are a new member I would like to say 'welcome'. Have a look at info that @daisy1 will post here now I have tagged her. There is also useful info in all moderator signatures, and in mine a copy of forum ethos and rules.

Best wishes
Pipp

Many thanks for the welcome , I have a meter that i borrowed but the strips were so expensive , i just didnt have the thirty pound to buy them and the doctor wouldnt give them on prescription ..Thank you for the advice

 

[eiffy11]

Computer music using a MIDI keyboard a little guitar and a lot of loops and VST's.
Just a hobby.
Heading for 65 I'm never going to be a pop star!

Hey who knows , I was 40 and i was playing guitar for a guy called Jayce Lewis . I did my first tour of india supporting the backstreet boys and richard marx , and a uk tour with gary numan ..Your never too old , If the songs good enough , people dont know half of the actual writers of the songs these days , I bet theres a few 65 year olds who have written some of the newer hits

 

[Bluetit1802]

Many thanks for the welcome , I have a meter that i borrowed but the strips were so expensive , i just didnt have the thirty pound to buy them and the doctor wouldnt give them on prescription ..Thank you for the advice

Check out the Codefree and Tee2 meters I gave you links to in my earlier post. Strips around £7.50 for 50. They are essential tools. In fact, just about the only tool we have.

 

[Resurgam]

I took Metformin and a statin and my memory is pretty much shot - lost my songs, or am having to try to relearn them, so I became a drummer for a morris side - and recently bought a melodeon.
I used to play guitar and sing a bit, I did the roadie thing for a folk duo way back, when I had a motorbike and side car. Often I would set off home with a drunken rhythm guitarist strapped on top of the gear. I do suffer with stage fright, but just disregard it, rather than try to medicate with alcohol. I saw too many who took the other way and got lost.
I only took the tablets for about 5 weeks, and when I stopped things only got better. I have no symptoms now and all tests are normal.
I stopped eating anything with a lot of carbs, did really low carb for a week or so, then added things back when I could test blood glucose. I have lost weight without trying, and I really do prefer to have the steak, tomato and mushrooms then berries and cream type of meal than something with chips. If I ever even think about eating something high carb I consider what it might be like to have to take medication again and it is amazing how it improves will power.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. I think many of us take some alcohol although on Metformin and without any problems. I would suggest that you should just be sensible with the quantity but it's your choice and read the leaflet.

 

[Jo_the_boat]

The Jack Daniels isn't too bad in moderation (I believe), but perhaps best to ditch the diet coke! Better than the other way round.
Here: https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/alcohol#top5
And, according to the same site, although diet drinks don't contain carbs, they come with artificial sweeteners that maintain your sugar cravings. Here: https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/drinks

You're having a tough time but you'll get plenty of help and encouragement here. Best of luck.

 

[Freema]

I also take a drink or two even though I am taking metformin ever day... it works all right, but drinking oneself totally drunk is not a good think when already having a bodyhealth restrained from diabetes..

 

[daisy1]

@eiffy11

Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. 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 well over 250,000 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

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.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

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 blood glucose 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.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.