Hi, I'm very new to this and was pretty shocked to be diagnosed really. Admittedly I did have symptoms but am in a bit of denial really. I wonder whether one of my tablets is giving me tummy pain and horrible constipation.
Hello
- Thread starter Tansyrex
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goosey39
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Luntlel
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Hi Tansyrex, I was diagnosed only two weeks ago, still not sure if type 1 or 2 yet, your stomach will feel pretty horrible for a short while, if it's not the medication it's because you've changed your diet. If you've changed your diet then if you have something you're not supposed to your stomach will certainly let you know because of your medication (if that makes sense).
Basically when I stick to 20g of carbs per meal when I'm on metformin my stomach and the nausea is still there but not as bad if I have my metformin but go silly with the amount of carbs that I have.
You certainly aren't on your own, I'm still learning and certainly have a long way to go, but this forum has taught me a few things and helped me to not feel alone.
Talk about it and don't put a brave face on if your feeling ****
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Welcome to the forum @Tansyrex, @goosey39 and @Luntlel
@daisy1 will be along with some general information later.
Being diagnosed can be pretty shocking, but far better to be aware of your condition than continuing along the 'old path' which could leave you very ill or worse.
I've never taken tablets for my D so can't help you there, but other T2's will be along soon to offer their advice and experiences.
Enjoy the forum; it's a massive help to many thousands of people living with D.
@daisy1 will be along with some general information later.
Being diagnosed can be pretty shocking, but far better to be aware of your condition than continuing along the 'old path' which could leave you very ill or worse.
I've never taken tablets for my D so can't help you there, but other T2's will be along soon to offer their advice and experiences.
Enjoy the forum; it's a massive help to many thousands of people living with D.
Liam1955
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@Tansyrex - Hi
. Are you taking Metformin ? There are 2 types usually prescribed - 1 being the Standard Metformin which can cause some people to suffer Stomach Upsets, Diarrhoea.
Then there is the Slow Release Metformin which is better tolerated by most people. Should you be taking the Standard Metformin? (this is most likely to be the cause of your stomach upset). Then I would consider going to see your GP and/or Diabetes Nurse and ask to be prescribed the Slow Release Metformin.
. Are you taking Metformin ? There are 2 types usually prescribed - 1 being the Standard Metformin which can cause some people to suffer Stomach Upsets, Diarrhoea.Then there is the Slow Release Metformin which is better tolerated by most people. Should you be taking the Standard Metformin? (this is most likely to be the cause of your stomach upset). Then I would consider going to see your GP and/or Diabetes Nurse and ask to be prescribed the Slow Release Metformin.
purplepenguin
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- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
Welcome @Tansyrex and @goosey39 . You have done the best thing in your journey with the big D by finding yourself here.
Read all the forums and educate yourself; you will find that many, many people start on a Low Carb diet and have had great success. Also, if you have questions, just ask. There are no stupid questions and I can guarantee that if you have the question then there are also hundreds of others wondering the same thing. The people here are fantastic; knowledgeable, kind and supportive.
My main piece of advice is to test, test, test. You may find that as a type 2 your healthcare provider will either tell you that you don't need to test or they will likely not give you test strips. Ignore this stupid advice and get yourself a glucose machine because how can you know what food does to you unless you test? The SD Codefree and TEE2 are popular as the strips are much cheaper than the others on the market.
Again, welcome and good luck with getting your health under control.
Read all the forums and educate yourself; you will find that many, many people start on a Low Carb diet and have had great success. Also, if you have questions, just ask. There are no stupid questions and I can guarantee that if you have the question then there are also hundreds of others wondering the same thing. The people here are fantastic; knowledgeable, kind and supportive.
My main piece of advice is to test, test, test. You may find that as a type 2 your healthcare provider will either tell you that you don't need to test or they will likely not give you test strips. Ignore this stupid advice and get yourself a glucose machine because how can you know what food does to you unless you test? The SD Codefree and TEE2 are popular as the strips are much cheaper than the others on the market.
Again, welcome and good luck with getting your health under control.
goosey39
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 115
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
Thankyou , i started SW 3 weeks ago but also low carbing and seems to be working ;D so happy with my weight loss and do you know not even missed the **** i ate, as as a rule not usually hungry
Hi. As another poster has said, if you are taking standard Metformin then do ask for the Slow Release (SR) version as it's lot kinder.
daisy1
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@Tansyrex @goosey39 @Luntlel
Hello to you all and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will all find it useful. Ask questions if 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 235,000 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:
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
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
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.
Hello to you all and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will all find it useful. Ask questions if 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 235,000 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
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
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
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.
leslie10152
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We all start with denial until reality leaves no doubt. Though it is a shock, it is not the end of the world. Welcome to the forum. Here you can ask questions and build on your knowledge.
As for the stomach upsets, It may be the body acclimatising to the medication, or there is a level of intolerance. Only your GP can answer that.
leslie10152
Well-Known Member
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- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Insulin
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- Ignorance
