Hi, need some advice!

[Adz444]

Hi everyone, last month I was diagnosed with Type 2 and I posted a thread about a random BG Reading I had and someone suggested I ask here.

My H1Ba was 88 when diagnosed, I suffer from a bit of anxiety so the first few weeks I had tension headaches etc but once I brought a glucose tester and saw my readings were quite consistently good (4/6 before food, 6/7 after) and the more information I gathered I become a lot more positive, this is however till the last few days where I had a crazy day where I ate completely the wrong things and spiked as high as 9, I slowly came back down but before I went to bed I tested again and my result was 3.7 which I started to panic as I’d never had this before, after drinking a fizzy drink it went up to normal and was fine the next morning, and lunchtime, however when I had my evening meal I tested 9 before my meal and 5 after?

My testing today has been consistent apart from trying a new breakfast

Woke up - 4.9
8am ate breakfast
9am BG 8.5
9.45am BG 6
10.30am BG 5.5

1pm 4.5 before lunch
1.30pm BG 6.2
2.15pm BG 6.3

That’s what I have so far, I don’t know how quickly BG goes down to hypo etc, do those levels look normal at first glance and was the last 2 days just random?

I haven’t changed what I’ve been eating the last month, I’ve been having carbs most days which I know is bad and I’m in the process of changing that

 

[Grateful]

I haven’t changed what I’ve been eating the last month, I’ve been having carbs most days which I know is bad and I’m in the process of changing that

Are you taking any meds? (If you don't mind telling us.)

You already know that it could help to cut down on the carbs. Hopefully that will start a virtuous circle: better results, lowered anxiety.

You won't know for sure until you have your next HbA1C, which normally would be no more than two months from now, if diagnosis was a month ago. Those two months should be enough time to start making inroads in lowering your average BG level, hopefully.

My best wishes!

 

[Grateful]

Sorry, I just noticed that you posted this in the Reactive Hypoglycemia sub-forum. That's OK but you might have got more responses (or more relevant ones) posting in the Type 2 Diabetes or Diabetes Discussions sub-forums. Just a thought, for future threads you might start.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

It would be useful if you also described what you ate for breakfast and lunch.

 

[Adz444]

Hi guys my original post was in the type 2 forum and one of the members thought I maybe suffering from reactive hyp so I posted in here as well.

Breakfast 1 day - sausage roll
Breakfast 2 day - 2 slices wholemeal toast with marmite

Lunch both - Meal deal sandwich, crisps and drink (chocolate bar on one day)

Dinner 1 day - sherpards pie
Dinner 2 day - toad in hole, few low fat chips, 1/3 no sugar beans

So as you can see I have had a lot of carbs but I have had this sort of food in the last few weeks and got a spike (about plus 2 from before reading) but never went below 4.6 during any part of the day

 

[Adz444]

I’m on 2 x 1000mg metformin, and atorstatin 10mg one a day

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

Sounds like that much carbs don't agree with you. Perhaps reduce your carb intake and see what happens.

 

[Grateful]

I’m on 2 x 1000mg metformin, and atorstatin 10mg one a day

OK thanks. I have nothing to add to my original suggestions: Plug away with the low-carb stuff and see what effect that has on the next A1C. The daily testing is great too so you can figure out what works for you.

Remember that it's a marathon, not a sprint. Very early days for you. One month after my diagnosis, it would have been an understatement to say that I was "anxious" -- "desperate" is more like it. The chances are very high that it will get better, for you, if you can supplement those meds with daily discipline on low-carbs.

 

[Adz444]

I know it’s hard to say but does it sound like I have reactive Hypo as well as I’m very anxious about the last two evenings results!

 

[Bluetit1802]

I know it’s hard to say but does it sound like I have reactive Hypo as well as I’m very anxious about the last two evenings results!

After you have eaten, when do you actually test?
When you spiked to 9, when exactly was that test taken? That may not have been the peak.
When you have seen those lower levels, have you continued testing to see if you actually go any lower and how long you stay low? Do you feel ill in any way when you are low?

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

I know it’s hard to say but does it sound like I have reactive Hypo as well as I’m very anxious about the last two evenings results!

Reducing carb intake will help that as well.

Did you have any hypo symptoms when you had the low blood glucose?

 

[Adz444]

After you have eaten, when do you actually test?
When you spiked to 9, when exactly was that test taken? That may not have been the peak.
When you have seen those lower levels, have you continued testing to see if you actually go any lower and how long you stay low? Do you feel ill in any way when you are low?

It was probably an hour & half, I test before and after 3 times a day after breakfast, lunch and dinner and occasionally when I go to bed and I’ve never seen it go below 4.6 if that helps?

 

[Adz444]

Reducing carb intake will help that as well.

Did you have any hypo symptoms when you had the low blood glucose?

No not really, I looked at all the symptoms and it’s hard to say if it’s my anxiety, diabetes or anything else

 

[kokhongw]

Have a look at this post, it might help you get some perspective to what you are experiencing...some of us took about 30 years to connect the dots...
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/newbie-guide-to-t2d.1858/

 

[Bluetit1802]

It was probably an hour & half, I test before and after 3 times a day after breakfast, lunch and dinner and occasionally when I go to bed and I’ve never seen it go below 4.6 if that helps?

I think you need some more consistent testing. Perhaps an hour after, 90 minutes after, and 2 hours after, then see what that reveals. If you are low then keep testing until you see a rise. Keep the timings consistent and write them down alongside the food you ate.

RH is a condition where carbs send you very high (for you) and then you drop to hypo levels.

 

[Adz444]

I think you need some more consistent testing. Perhaps an hour after, 90 minutes after, and 2 hours after, then see what that reveals. If you are low then keep testing until you see a rise. Keep the timings consistent and write them down alongside the food you ate.

RH is a condition where carbs send you very high (for you) and then you drop to hypo levels.

Yep I’ve started to test every half hour after eating at the moment to see what is happening

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

Yep I’ve started to test every half hour after eating at the moment to see what is happening

What did you eat?

 

[Bluetit1802]

Yep I’ve started to test every half hour after eating at the moment to see what is happening

Good plan - and record it all.

 

[Adz444]

What did you eat?

Well today -

4.9 woke up

8am breakfast - 2 wholemeal toast and marmite
9am BG 8.5
9.45am BG 6
10.30am BG 5.5

1pm BG 4.5
Tin Heinz vegetable soup, 4 x Ryvitas/butter
1.30pm BG 6.2
2.20pm BG 6.3
2.50pm BG 5.7
4.30pm BG 4.6

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

Well today -

4.9 woke up

8am breakfast - 2 wholemeal toast and marmite
9am BG 8.5
9.45am BG 6
10.30am BG 5.5

1pm BG 4.5
Tin Heinz vegetable soup, 4 x Ryvitas/butter
1.30pm BG 6.2
2.20pm BG 6.3
2.50pm BG 5.7

Doesn't look too bad. You may want to reduce carbs at breakfast as people tend to get a higher spike at breakfast compared to later in the day for the same amount of carbs. Maybe bacon and eggs for breakfast?

This web page provides a good tutorial on how to use your glucometer (i.e. when to test, how to interpret the results): http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php