hi everyone.. unhappy type 2 steps into the room

[Paiste]

Hi everyone, just saying hi.. diagnosed xmas 2009 so had a year diet controlled. Just found out i've got to start metformin but don't want to.. I'm 41, my doctor can't understand why i'm diabetic but i am.. sugar at 17 this am, i eat porridge and weetabix and cornflakes and lentil soup.. 2 buds a night and haven't smoked for a week now.. anyway.. Howdy

 

[cugila]

Hi.
Welcome to the Forum. Have a good look around and any questions just ask. There is usually somebody around with an answer.

You definitely need some help with levels like that......here is the advice that my pal Sue and I usually hand out to newly diagnosed. Even so, I think it may be of benefit to you in helping understand why you are getting high levels......look at your diet closely after reading the advice.

Here is the advice we usually give to newly diagnosed Diabetics. We hope that these few ideas gained through experience help you to gain control and give you some understanding of Diabetes. This forum doesn't always follow the recommended dietary advice, you have to work out what works for you as we are all different.

It's not just 'sugars' you need to avoid, Diabetes is an inability to process glucose properly. Carbohydrate converts, in the body, to glucose. So it makes sense to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat which includes sugars.

The main carbs to avoid OR reduce are the complex or starchy Carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, starchy root veg and also any flour based products. The starchy carbs all convert 100% to glucose in the body and raise the blood sugar levels significantly.

If you are on Insulin you may find that reducing the carb intake also means that you can reduce your dose of Insulin. This can help you to keep weight gain down as Insulin tends to make you put on weight and eventually cause Insulin resistance. This should be done slowly so as not to cause hypos.

The way to find out how different foods affect you is to do regular daily testing and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks. If you test just before eating, then two hours after eating, you will see the effect of certain foods on your blood glucose levels. Some foods, which are slow acting Carbohydrates, are absorbed more slowly so you may need to test three or even four hours later to see the effect that these have on your blood glucose levels.

Buy yourself a carb counter book (you can get these on-line) and you will be able to work out how much carbs you are eating, when you test, the reading two hours after should be roughly the same as the before eating reading, if it is then that meal was fine, if it isn’t then you need to check what you have eaten and think about reducing the portion size of carbs.

When you are buying products check the total Carbohydrate content, this includes the sugar content. Do not just go by the amount of sugar on the packaging as this is misleading to a Diabetic.

As for a tester, try asking the Nurse/Doctor and explain that you want to be proactive in managing your own Diabetes and therefore need to test so that you can see just how foods affect your blood sugar levels. Hopefully this will work! Sometimes they are not keen to give Type 2’s the strips on prescription, (in the UK) but you can but try !!

If you are an Insulin user in theory you should have no problem getting test strips.

The latest 2010 NICE guidelines for Bg levels are as follows:
Fasting (waking).......between 4 - 7 mmol/l........(Type 1 & 2)
2 hrs after meals......no more than 8.5 mmol/l.....( Type 2)

2hrs after meals....... no more than 9 mmol/l ......(Type 1)

If you are able to keep the post meal numbers lower, so much the better.

It also helps if you can do 30 minutes moderate exercise a day. It doesn't have to be strenuous.

The above is just general advice and it is recommended that you discuss with your HCP before making any changes. You can also ask questions on the forum on anything that is not clear.

Ken / Sue.

 

[noblehead]

Welcome to the forum Paiste!

Nigel

 

[Paiste]

Thanks guys..

 

[Paiste]

ah.. the carb info may provide my answer to my stoopid readings... per 100g cornflakes are 84g carb..
I trust thats off limits then? i've been looking at the ''of which sugars'' which isn't a lot.. 8g
I need to take this more seriously but i'm still lost :?

 

[cugila]

That's just it.....everybody gets told 'eat healthy'.......unfortunately for many Diabetic's it often doesn't work because of too many carbs, so they have to be reduced. It's confusing and we know some of the advice goes against medical 'wisdom'......it can still work though.

I've been Diabetic for close to 14 yrs and most of those I hadn't a clue either, just followed Dr's orders. Nearly killed me till I turned up here in March 2009.....what I learned here turned my life around....I am a well controlled Diabetic now. So, it's 'payback' time....try and stop others making the same mistakes I did.

It gets easier and you will improve if you listen to the good folk on this forum......

 

[Paiste]

Yeah, its confusing.. thanks though.. i'll keep my chin up and battle through..

 

[Sid Bonkers]

Hi Paiste and welcome to the forum

Good luck with quitting the smoking, it can be tough but it does get easier as time goes by, its been four years since I smoked and I dont miss it at all now, so stick with it...

 

[totsy]

hya paiste and welcome

 

[daisy1]

Hello Paiste and welcome to the forum. Good luck with your efforts to give up smoking - you have a week of no smoking under your belt so don't spoil it by having even one fag. Never have that first cigarette and you'll be OK. It's so important if you have diabetes not to smoke. I gave up long before I had diabetes and am so glad I found the right mindset to do it. The first week is the most difficult anyway so now it will get easier. Try to avoid people who smoke for a while if you can.

 

[Paiste]

Well, 21 days of not smoking.. Its been really easy so far so thats the good news.
Bad news.. my sugars are out of control, i'm at 15 this morning and after virtually starving all day was at 22 after work.. Metformin tablets i'm on now are really working?!?
Ho hum.. :shock:

 

[louiseb]

Well, 21 days of not smoking.. Its been really easy so far so thats the good news.
Bad news.. my sugars are out of control, i'm at 15 this morning and after virtually starving all day was at 22 after work.. Metformin tablets i'm on now are really working?!?
Ho hum.. :shock:

not eating can actually make your blood sugar levels rise tbh I cant rememeber why dont have the best memory but I know I read on this site several times.
btw well done on the non smoking I know how hard it is so and you deserve a big pat one the back for 21 days smoke free.

 

[Sid Bonkers]

Well, 21 days of not smoking.. Its been really easy so far so thats the good news.
Bad news.. my sugars are out of control, i'm at 15 this morning and after virtually starving all day was at 22 after work.. Metformin tablets i'm on now are really working?!?
Ho hum.. :shock:

Hi again Paiste, typically metformin will only reduce your bg levels by 1 or 2 mmol/L. So to reduce your numbers further you will need to restrict your carbohydrate intake, quite severely initially to get them down, then you may be able to add carbs back in to your diet and remain at a steady, safe level.

Metformin will help but it is not a magic bullet

 

[Paiste]

will have a carb free week and keep you posted.. thanks for the comments everyone.,.