Type 2 help

[teddybear74]

I'm on 1500 metformin and type 2 and my latest hba1c was 58 and in july it was 60 and they increased my meds to 1500 then I'm wandering that maybe insulin would be the way to go coz as the last dr I saw said that it was far to high for someone of my age I have already got neropathy in my left arm because of bouncing undiagnosed diabetes and I don't want to get anything else I'm 42 and have a lively 8 yr old so I want to protect myself and see him grow up

 

[Bluetit1802]

Are you trying to control your levels with a much reduced carb intake, or are you eating starchy carbs and relying on Metformin to keep your levels stable?

May I also ask if you have been losing a lot of weight recently without trying to?

 

[teddybear74]

yes I have lost nearly a stone since sept I still eat carbs but was told not to double up on them I did get my hba1c down to 48a year ago

 

[Bluetit1802]

yes I have lost nearly a stone since sept I still eat carbs but was told not to double up on them I did get my hba1c down to 48a year ago

How did you get your HbA1c down a year ago?

Do you have any more weight to lose?

Do you know that all carbs convert to glucose once eaten, and this glucose swims about in our bloodstream? It makes sense to reduce the amount we eat, especially potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, breakfast cereals and things made with flour. The less we eat, the less glucose there will be.

 

[teddybear74]

I have no idea how I got it down last year or why it has gone up I do have weight to lose and I'm trying to cut back but I have been feeling awful the last 2 weeks dizzy tired thirsty no energy the same as before I got diagnoed

 

[Bluetit1802]

It sounds like high glucose making you dizzy, tired, thirsty and no energy. An HbA1c of 60 is the same as an average blood sugar level of 9.5mmol/l. That means you spend far too much time in double figures - not good!

You really ought to cut down those carbs. You will feel a whole lot better if you do, and until you do you are making your diabetes worse and encouraging complications to set in. This may sound harsh and not want you want to hear, but it is the truth.

 

[ickihun]

I have no idea how I got it down last year or why it has gone up I do have weight to lose and I'm trying to cut back but I have been feeling awful the last 2 weeks dizzy tired thirsty no energy the same as before I got diagnoed

@teddybear74 always stick to the advice of your specialist. Mind u I was started on insulin and I added 18lb. Which I believe they expect us to add a little on it. I fought it off at first on lchf but then started having dizziness and palpatations. I've just been informed I have mild heart disease but I believe I've been diabetic for 40+ yrs not 14 as diagnosed. So im thinking not bad going!
I avoided drs when younger whilst bordering on anorexic and obsessed about exercise and small amounts of food. I'm an excessive person but if I wasn't I could have stabalised my hba1c so I could avoid insulin therapy.
Can you control your insulin resistance without adding insulin? Low carb eating etc?
My resistance is so bad meds, exercise and lchf still weren't enough.
Please exercise every avenue before thinking of insulin. It doesn't guarantee stability! It can often help a great deal but definitely no cure!

 

[teddybear74]

It sounds like high glucose making you dizzy, tired, thirsty and no energy. An HbA1c of 60 is the same as an average blood sugar level of 9.5mmol/l. That means you spend far too much time in double figures - not good!

You really ought to cut down those carbs. You will feel a whole lot better if you do, and until you do you are making your diabetes worse and encouraging complications to set in. This may sound harsh and not want you want to hear, but it is the truth.

I have 50g muesli or porridge or 2 Weetabix for breakfast a salad sandwich then with fruit for lunch and a yogurt in afternoon then a healthy dinner my 8 yr old son eats more than me 3/4 pint skimmed milk throughout the day for coffee and cereal

 

[walnut_face]

@teddybear74 Your 37½gram serving of 2 weetabix contains 25.7 grams of carbohydrate. Your sandwich about the same. Fruit is natures sweets, full of sugar in the form of fructose. You dont say what is in your dinner, but if it ever contains potato, pasta, Rice or pastry that too will be high in carbs. Your breakfast and lunch contain more carbs than I eat in a day, and I still struggle to hold my BG in check.
It might be worth you removing the porridge and weetabix, and eat eggs for a bit - assuming you can, test 2 hours later and see where it takes you. Do the same for the weetabix

 

[Johnjoe13]

@teddybear74 Your 37½gram serving of 2 weetabix contains 25.7 grams of carbohydrate. Your sandwich about the same. Fruit is natures sweets, full of sugar in the form of fructose. You dont say what is in your dinner, but if it ever contains potato, pasta, Rice or pastry that too will be high in carbs. Your breakfast and lunch contain more carbs than I eat in a day, and I still struggle to hold my BG in check.
It might be worth you removing the porridge and weetabix, and eat eggs for a bit - assuming you can, test 2 hours later and see where it takes you. Do the same for the weetabix

I'm thinking muesli is high in carbs too so that can't really be a good start to the day, especially if with semi skimmed milk. As for the porridge well i've had to cut that out completely as it sent my BG to over 11 mmol/ls and that was just the cupa version with water, not a lot it there to do me any harm or so I thought It may as well have scull and cross bones labelled on it as far as i'm concerned.

 

[Lamont D]

I have 50g muesli or porridge or 2 Weetabix for breakfast a salad sandwich then with fruit for lunch and a yogurt in afternoon then a healthy dinner my 8 yr old son eats more than me 3/4 pint skimmed milk throughout the day for coffee and cereal

This might sound daft!
But what is healthy for normal non diabetics is not healthy for T2 diabetics!

The reason is that you have become intolerant to foods that will keep raising your blood glucose levels.

Reduce your carbs, reduce your sugars and I assure you with a little bit more walking as exercise, you will reduce your blood glucose levels.

 

[teddybear74]

my dr has never told me to cut out or down on carbs just to eat healthy I have my breakfast at 6am and my dinner at around 8pm as I work 8-18 I have limited the amount of strawberries bananas and grapes I eat and just eat apples

 

[dawnmc]

You need to get a meter and test. The codefree one is cheap as are the strips. Google it. You are eating way too many carbs for your health. Don't fear the fat either as in avocado, butter, olive/walnut oil. Read the forum.
Personally I'm on a very low carb regime at the moment because my hba1c has increased. I'm eating less than 10% carbs, and as much as 75% fat.
I have bacon and or eggs for breakfast, tuna in mayo with avocado or prawns for lunch, chicken with skin on and cooked in butter with broccoli, cabbage or cauli for dinner. That's just an example of a days food for me, and I'm stuffed.

 

[Jamesuk9]

my dr has never told me to cut out or down on carbs just to eat healthy I have my breakfast at 6am and my dinner at around 8pm as I work 8-18 I have limited the amount of strawberries bananas and grapes I eat and just eat apples

What you are eating is considered healthy for a non diabetic.

To get control of your BS, your diet is completely wrong as it's predominantly carbs and that is why you can't get better control.

 

[dawnmc]

You need to get a meter and test. The codefree one is cheap as are the strips. Google it. You are eating way too many carbs for your health. Don't fear the fat either as in avocado, butter, olive/walnut oil. Read the forum.
Personally I'm on a very low carb regime at the moment because my hba1c has increased. I'm eating less than 10% carbs, and as much as 75% fat.
I have bacon and or eggs for breakfast, tuna in mayo with avocado or prawns for lunch, chicken with skin on and cooked in butter with broccoli, cabbage or cauli for dinner. That's just an example of a days food for me, and I'm stuffed.
As a snack if I'm peckish I have a bit of cheese or a few walnuts or macadamia nuts.

 

[Bluetit1802]

@teddybear74

You have been a member of this forum for quite a few years now, and yet you are still needing help. Please listen to us all. We are all diabetics and many of us have managed to control our diabetes by cutting down on carbs. You must know by now that porridge, weetabix and bread sandwiches are really not good choices. Is there a reason you are reluctant to change your eating habits? I'm not criticising you, just worried about you.

 

[daisyduck]

@teddybear74

You have been a member of this forum for quite a few years now, and yet you are still needing help. Please listen to us all. We are all diabetics and many of us have managed to control our diabetes by cutting down on carbs. You must know by now that porridge, weetabix and bread sandwiches are really not good choices. Is there a reason you are reluctant to change your eating habits? I'm not criticising you, just worried about you.

I was thinking exactly the same.

Our GP's expect our diabetes to get worse and are not surprised when it does. Mine gave me no helpful advice about carbs at all.
Please read through the success stories on these forums and consider cutting some of your carbs

 

[Phoenix55]

I was eating the same way as you when I was first diagnosed and found that it didn't help my HbA1c and the Dr wanted to start me on medication. I found this forum and read about the LCHF diet and thought I could try to at least cut down on the carbs that were causing the bg to go up. I bought myself a meter and started keeping a food diary to see what was going on. By cutting out the cereal for breakfast, the sandwiches and allowing myself a tiny portion of mash in the evening I lost weight, my bg went down and I have avoided medication. Do please listen to the advice on here and try it. You have tried the eatwell and general diet advice and it has not worked for you, if you want to avoid or delay complications you must try something else. Yoghurt is a quick and easy breakfast, salads or soup can be prepared the night before and stored in the fridge to grab on the way out the door. You have nothing to lose and it may make a big difference for you.

 

[teddybear74]

I have had no advice from any drs I have seen not even my diabetic nurse re diet I'm seeing a dr this morning as I'm feeling awful I will look into the low carb side of things. I have non positional vertigo neuropathy asthma and I'm on statins all of which I'm medicated for so I'm also wandering if any of these tablet combinations are throwing it out, also my blood pressure was a little on low side beginning of Dec. I'm making some vegetable soup tonight when my shopping gets delivered

 

[Bluetit1802]

A common side effect of statins is raised glucose levels and a risk of diabetes.

I hope your doctor can sort you out and that you feel better soon. Let us know how you go on.