I was diagnosed with type 2 around 6 weeks ago. My Gp prescribed 1000mg Metformin slow release. I like to be on the ball in everything I do so I bought a sugar monitor straight away I test around 3 times a day or if I feel iffy. For the last 3 days my sugars have been low under 5 my lowest result was 2.5. I have not seen my diabetic nurse yet. I feel tired,anxious and sick every day. I have also had a constant pain in my right foot for around 3 weeks (hurts to walk) my gp said this is unrelated. And now have high blood pressure which I have never had. Please help any advice would be greatly appreciated
Feeling very scared and lonely
- Thread starter Bevfibro&type2
- Start Date
- 3,002
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Hi and welcome to the forums. You'll find that many of us have been where you are right now. There is quite a bit that can be done to correct high blood glucose levels and avoid the worst consequences. Some willpower is needed.
Testing is very useful. I found it best to work to a structured plan - testing immediately before eating, and then two hours later, shows you how well your system dealt with what you ate. Testing isn't about seeing "how high you go". Once you work out the things that you can't deal with (these will be carbs), and eliminate or reduce them, you should see steady improvement.
Random testing won't tell you very much - it's a snapshot, but it can be hard to work out what the result means. There are lots of things that affect blood glucose levels besides food, and your liver will add glucose to your blood when it thinks you need it. It will eventually learn that lower glucose levels aren't a problem, but that takes time, as livers are slow learners.
I'd advise reading round on the forums - the "Success Stories" section has many accounts of what works - and ask as many questions as you like.
Testing is very useful. I found it best to work to a structured plan - testing immediately before eating, and then two hours later, shows you how well your system dealt with what you ate. Testing isn't about seeing "how high you go". Once you work out the things that you can't deal with (these will be carbs), and eliminate or reduce them, you should see steady improvement.
Random testing won't tell you very much - it's a snapshot, but it can be hard to work out what the result means. There are lots of things that affect blood glucose levels besides food, and your liver will add glucose to your blood when it thinks you need it. It will eventually learn that lower glucose levels aren't a problem, but that takes time, as livers are slow learners.
I'd advise reading round on the forums - the "Success Stories" section has many accounts of what works - and ask as many questions as you like.
JoKalsbeek
Expert
- 6,030
- Type of diabetes
- I reversed my Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Hi @Bevfibro&type2 ,
Kenny's right, livers are slow learners. On top of that, you're on metformin, which also tells your liver not to dump as much glucose as it normally would. So if your meter is right, if your strips are in date and if your hands aren't contaminated (a hand cream for instance can skew results) and you're seeing real hypo's, it might be that your liver's actually not dumping quite enough.
Start off by testing so it's actually useful and less random: before a meal and two hours after the first bite. That tells you whether the meal agreed with you or not. (You're looking for a rise of 2.0 mmol/l or less. If it's over that, there were too many carbs for your body to process in a timely manner). And on top of that, if you do feel iffy, test and make sure your hands are absolutely clean. (No hand cream, no sunscreen, nothing to muddle things).
As for your foot, could be anything. Related, unrelated, who knows, but now that you're diagnosed diabetic, you are entitled to foot screenings, so get one of those set up. If you see a podiatrist, maybe they can tell you what's going on, and whether it's to do with your blood sugars. I don't know what you're feeling, as pain comes in many shapes and sizes, but for instance, if your bloods have been high for a long time, there could be nerve damage. When blood sugars normalise it could be that those nerves start to heal, which means they start to feel things again. And then they feel exactly how damaged they are, and let you know about it in no uncertain terms. Peripheral neuropathy can get quite a bit worse when it starts healing, which can take quite a while. And that is, most definitely, something that could be related. At the same time, could be a thousand other things that have absolutely nothing to do with blood sugars. Hypothyroidism, stressfractures, a myriad of other things.... But you're in pain and you shouldn't have to be, so go see someone about it, sooner rather than later. Because unless you're walking on your hands or resorting to a wheelchair to take the pressure off, you need your feet to be functional.
Hang in there. It does get better.
Jo
