Just been prescribed slow release metformin as my hba1c has gone up again (82). Still struggling to accept that I have T2 diabetes as I've always been relatively fit. I'm still eating sensibly and go to the gym two or three times a week. I do like a drink of red wine on an evening and wondered if it had anything to to with my high levels. I asked the nurse about this and she didn't seem concerned about red vino. I've been without a glucose monitor for about a year as the doctor cancelled the repeat prescription for my jazz test strips. The doctor said they were pointless as I wasn't taking any blood sugar lowering medication and the monitor would give an inaccurate reading. I thought it was quite helpful when I was first diagnosed a few years back.
Mikee, this is really not good. Alcohol is not an issue. In your case, glucose monitoring is very important, and your nurse does not know what she is talking about. I would try to talk to a real doctor who knows diabetes.
I am constantly appalled at the poor quality of diabetes care by NHS. Your hba1c is the most accurate indicator of your health, but your BG value is a very good indicator day in and day out of how well you are doing. Test before and two hours after meals until you understand how your eating habits are affecting your BG. Test when you get up in the morning. High morning BGs consistently indicate a higher metformin dose at night (to a point, ask a good doctor). Two hours after eating you will be able to tell how your diet affected your BG. Metformin will not bring high BG down; only exercise or insulin will do that. Metformin helps keep your body from manufacturing glucose from fat, when your BG goes low. For T2 Diabetics, BG often spikes overnight due to an "overshoot" of making too much glucose which your T2 cells cannot absorb. Exercise helps your T2 cells use the insulin that is there better.
You need to get your Hba1c down to the low 40s if you can. your present levels will do lasting damage and contribute to a short life. Good luck.
I have been T2 for 10 years. My Hba1c is currently about 40; for many years I was able to keep it below 40, but it has not been above about 43 since I first started to take care of it. When diagnosed, it was perhaps well over 100.