High Numbers
- Thread starter CarlyleA
- Start Date
Energize
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 810
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
Hi @CarlyleA and welcome to the forum
You ask why your readings are high - could be for many reasons, as already mentioned.
Generally, it is due to the amount of carbs you eat and how your body deals with these carbs. You are on insulin so you need to balance the amount of carbs with the amount of insulin. Have you had a post re Diabetes from @daisy1. I've just tagged her so perhaps the information in her post will be helpful to you.
It's good that you are testing, of course, so high numbers suggest you are eating too many carbs. Many on here significantly reduce carbs, or almost eliminate carbs, in order to achieve good and stable readings. Being on insulin does mean that you would need to know how to adjust the dose of insulin, of course, so you may need to take advice from your Diabetic team.
Reducing carbs also generally helps with weight loss, often an important factor with Type 2s, myself included.
In order to help you further, it would be useful if you would provide a lot more information. Based on the info you've currently provided, it's not enough to really help you.
So, hope to hear from you again soon.
You ask why your readings are high - could be for many reasons, as already mentioned.
Generally, it is due to the amount of carbs you eat and how your body deals with these carbs. You are on insulin so you need to balance the amount of carbs with the amount of insulin. Have you had a post re Diabetes from @daisy1. I've just tagged her so perhaps the information in her post will be helpful to you.
It's good that you are testing, of course, so high numbers suggest you are eating too many carbs. Many on here significantly reduce carbs, or almost eliminate carbs, in order to achieve good and stable readings. Being on insulin does mean that you would need to know how to adjust the dose of insulin, of course, so you may need to take advice from your Diabetic team.
Reducing carbs also generally helps with weight loss, often an important factor with Type 2s, myself included.
In order to help you further, it would be useful if you would provide a lot more information. Based on the info you've currently provided, it's not enough to really help you.
So, hope to hear from you again soon.
AM1874
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 1,383
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
- Dislikes
- Not much
Hi @CarlyleA .. and welcome
You will soon be contacted by @ daisy1 and I would suggest that you read up on the Low Carb Program in the valuable information that she will be sending you. You might also find the discussion on the Low Carb Diet forum helpful .. and the following websites ...
Low Carbs in 60 Seconds
Low Carb 10-week Programme
Managing and controlling your diabetes through exercise, diet and testing your Blood Glucose seems to be the best way forward. For me, committing to an LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) lifestyle and testing 3-5 times a day, seems to be working .. I have lost 1stone 8lbs since my diagnosis on Feb 7th and my BG levels are down from 12.5 to around 6. There is a wealth of info about LCHF on the forum .. and a wealth of relevant advice and positive support.
Hope this helps
You will soon be contacted by @ daisy1 and I would suggest that you read up on the Low Carb Program in the valuable information that she will be sending you. You might also find the discussion on the Low Carb Diet forum helpful .. and the following websites ...
Low Carbs in 60 Seconds
Low Carb 10-week Programme
Managing and controlling your diabetes through exercise, diet and testing your Blood Glucose seems to be the best way forward. For me, committing to an LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) lifestyle and testing 3-5 times a day, seems to be working .. I have lost 1stone 8lbs since my diagnosis on Feb 7th and my BG levels are down from 12.5 to around 6. There is a wealth of info about LCHF on the forum .. and a wealth of relevant advice and positive support.
Hope this helps
daisy1
Legend
- Messages
- 26,457
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Cruelty towards animals.
@CarlyleA
Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will be able to help.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
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 147,000 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 and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will be able to help.BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
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 147,000 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.
Freema
Expert
- Messages
- 7,346
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Bluetit1802
Legend
- Messages
- 25,216
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Hello and welcome,
I'll tag @Kristin251 for you as she is a fellow American and on insulin. She may have some advice for you.
I'll tag @Kristin251 for you as she is a fellow American and on insulin. She may have some advice for you.
TorqPenderloin
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 1,599
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
Carlyle, I'm in the USA (Austin,TX) myself. You may find that the numbers on this website are a bit different as many of the members are from the UK. 450 mg/dl to you and me would equate to 25 mmol/l using their standard.
I was curious to know if there's a particular reason why you're using Novolin R and Levemir. I ask because there are newer types of insulin on the market now that may be worth considering. I'm not sure if you're on Medicare yet, but there should be issue with getting Novolog or Humalog which you may find easier to use than the Novolin R.
I was curious to know if there's a particular reason why you're using Novolin R and Levemir. I ask because there are newer types of insulin on the market now that may be worth considering. I'm not sure if you're on Medicare yet, but there should be issue with getting Novolog or Humalog which you may find easier to use than the Novolin R.
Kristin251
Expert
- Messages
- 5,334
- Type of diabetes
- LADA
- Treatment type
- Insulin
Hi Carlyle,
Those numbers are quite high.
As @TorqPenderloin said it might be worth looking into a different insulin. Novolog and humalog are very common here.
Though a change in diet might really help if you lower your carbs. I eat next to no carbs but that isn't necessary. Can you give us an idea of what you eat on a daily basis. We could help you tweak your diet and still allow you to eat some of the foods you like. It could be as simple as swapping out one food for another or reducing portion sizes of the carb rich foods you do eat.
When you tell us what you're eating we won't judge. How long have you been on insulin? How much do you take ?
I'd love to see you get those numbers down. They're not doing you any favors.
Those numbers are quite high.
As @TorqPenderloin said it might be worth looking into a different insulin. Novolog and humalog are very common here.
Though a change in diet might really help if you lower your carbs. I eat next to no carbs but that isn't necessary. Can you give us an idea of what you eat on a daily basis. We could help you tweak your diet and still allow you to eat some of the foods you like. It could be as simple as swapping out one food for another or reducing portion sizes of the carb rich foods you do eat.
When you tell us what you're eating we won't judge. How long have you been on insulin? How much do you take ?
I'd love to see you get those numbers down. They're not doing you any favors.
