recently diagnosed?

iainmay

Member
Messages
19
Right, I had a fasting blood done at the docs a week or so ago and it came back with a 9.7 blood glucose, this means that I have an appointment with the practice diabetic nurse next week.

Not being the kind of person to stand on ceremony, I've done a bunch of research, changed my diet, quit smoking, bought a blood glucose analyser...

So I measured last night, at 9:30 (3 hrs after my evening meal) - 5.9
measured again first thing this morning (07:30) -7.6
1 hr after breakfast (08:00) 6.4 (porridge)
2 hr after breakfast 6.7
12:00 hrs, just before lunch 5.7 (pasta and meatballs)
14:00 hrs - 6.4

Now I was about to take a rennie as I have had acid for the first time in a week (thanks to the new diet) when I realised that I probably had at least 2 before I had the original blood test thats given me the diagnosis...

questions: Do these numbers look normal/diabetic (i know the 7.6 in the morning is high, but its not 9.7!)
will rennie have that much of a pronounced effect? I note that it contains glucose among other sugars...?
Is it possible that though the diet change this week I have already bought it under control and thats why the numbers are what they are?

Or am I barking up totally the wrong tree?

Any advice appreciated, because currently im very confused.

Iain
 

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
Hi Iain and welcome to the forum :)I expect someone will be able to answer your question about Rennies. Here is some general information to be getting on with which was prepared by our former monitors for new members (although you are not yet diagnosed). Well done for quitting smoking! You will see from this information what the NICE recommended levels are, although lower than the upper level quoted is better. But only your doctor can tell you if you are diabetic or not. Ask as many more questions as you want as there is always someone here who can answer you.

Here is the advice that Ken and I, as Forum Monitors, 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.

For more information on CARBOHYDRATE see here:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20306

This is NOT a low carb diet suggestion, just a reduction in your intake of carbohydrate. You have to decide yourself how much of a reduction will keep your blood glucose levels in control.

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!!

For TIPS FOR STRIPS see here:

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=19002#p173253

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

The latest 2011 NICE guidelines for Bg levels are as follows:
Fasting (waking and before meals).......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 at least 30 minutes moderate exercise a day, it can be split into 10 min sessions to start with. 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.

Finally a few QUESTIONS TO ASK AT DIABETES CLINIC.

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=17091



Sue/Ken.
 

ClaireG 06

Well-Known Member
Messages
934
Hi and welcome to the forum :D

I am afraid the only people who can tell you if your diabetic or not is your Dr or Diabetic Nurse. I'm sorry i can't answer your question about Rennie either. I would ask the nurse when you see her if it could have effected your test in anyway.
 

smokey

Member
Messages
12
Hi
I have just read the back of two packets of rennie's and the peppemint and spearmint one both have glucose in them, and as I understand is would put your bg levels up, couldn't tell you about the fruit ones or the deflatine, but I do know rennie's make a sugar free one.
Hope this helps

Smokey
 

Dougie22

Well-Known Member
Messages
319
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Iain,

I think most of us go through a phase of saying "have I really got this or is it a mistake". I know I did.
My doctors viewpoint was that if I had two fasting tests above 7, I was diagnosed. Black and white. I had no real symptoms that I was aware of. It was just a routine test that kicked it off. One of the first tests I got after diagnosis was the HbA1c which confirmed things.

My original doctors attitude was basically "If you've got it, you need to lose weight, eat properly and exercise.....If not, you need to lose weight, eat properly and exercise, so what's the difference?".

I also moved straight to better diet and exercise (and in my case weight loss) and had an immediate improvement in my numbers. As far as I can see, though, diagnosis is one way. If my numbers drop back to below the diagnosis level, I will still be considered type 2 diabetic.

Your doctor will diagnose or not, possibly with further tests but even if you are diagnosed, it's not the end of the world and you've already discovered what you would need to do to control it. THis forum is packed with information and advice to help you if you need it.

In my case, I'm lighter and fitter than I've been in years, and I expect to be able to manage this for years to come.
 

viviennem

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,140
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
Football. Bad manners.
My experience was very similar to Dougie's. My figures at diagnosis were into the diabetic range but not desperately high, so I was in denial, but I had enough sense to work on the principle that if I wasn't diabetic now, I very soon would be, and altered my diet and lifestyle accordingly.

Best thing I ever did! I'm now 3.5 stone lighter, with lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and I haven't had a blood glucose reading out of non-diabetic levels for about a month. But I'm still diabetic, - just very well controlled.

Diabetes is not the end of the world. Don't worry too much - just go and get yourself properly checked out. Then come back here and get lots of help and support from people who really know about diabetes - we live with it! :lol:

Viv 8)
 

iainmay

Member
Messages
19
Thanks for the advice.

Basically Im going to see what the nurse / docs says and get retested if necessary. Im also sticking with testing until the appointment on Monday. Had a bit of a blow out last night and woke up to a 5.4 this morning (9 hrs fasting).

Like a couple have said, its not the end of the world if I am, and I could really do with losing a few stone so whats the difference :) I've also felt a lot better week so thats another reason to stick at it.

Thanks peeps, more soon...
 

iainmay

Member
Messages
19
Yep, it's definite. Waiting for a ton of blood work to come back now from the D nurse. She's also mentioned metformin will hear more about that soon.

Triglyceride's are off the chart at 7.7 so that's me on 40 mg simvarstatin (my dads is/was sky high as well)

On the plus side, my liver and kidneys are absolutely fine and dandy. More as I get it / come to terms with it.
 

Pneu

Well-Known Member
Messages
689
non-diabetic blood glucose levels are:

Fasting: 3.6 - 4.5 mmol/l
2 Hour post meal: typically bellow 5.5 mmol/l although certainly no higher that 7.8 mmol/l

Good news is as a type 2 that you can do a lot of good through change of life-style... regular exercise, reduction in weight and a reduced carb diet are often enough to bring levels back to 'normal'
 

viviennem

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,140
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
Football. Bad manners.
In the UK, NICE (National Insitute for Health and Clinical Excellence) guidellines state that non-diabetic levels are 3.5 - 5.5 mmol/l fasting or before meals; below 8 mmol/l, 2 hours after meals;

and the target range for Type 2s is:

4 - 7 mmol/l fasting/before meals;
less than 8.5mmol/l, 2 hours after meals.

I can't remember the exact target for HbA1c; I think the guidelines may state 'below 6.5'; I, and I believe many other Type 2s, aim for below 6, and preferably nearer to 5.

Viv 8)
 

iainmay

Member
Messages
19
Thanks for the numbers guys, had an HbA1c done yesterday as well so will get the results of that Friday. That gives me a yardstick to work against with sorting the diet out, good news is that the nurse has prescribed strips and lancets so I can keep a close eye on what's going on.

Doing a bit of reading I've seen some people mention that a good nights sleep can lower your waking BG level, any truth to this? I'm not a good sleeper and never have been, there is always so much to do late at night that I rarely get over 6.5 hours and I also have an on call shift that I work 1 week in 3 that properly messes it up.

Iain
 

jinstone

Well-Known Member
Messages
51
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Not being able to eat deserts :)
Interesting some of the numbers being quoted, I was told 5-8 is the new regime as 4 is now regarded as too low, in fact on the Gliclazide I have had some mild hypo's when dropping below 4, so they cut me back from 80mg to 40mg. I ended up feeling slightly faint and shaky.
Regards
Jeremy
 

iainmay

Member
Messages
19
Well after testing for a week I can say that with the new diet im waking most mornings at 5.6 and rising after food to 6.4-7.6 depending what it is. Levels return to normal 2-3 hours after eating.

Still waiting on the Hba1c results, apparently there is a backlog at the lab.

On the plus side, I've lost nearly a stone in 2 weeks thanks to dropping to <2000 cals a day.
 

iainmay

Member
Messages
19
Hba1c is back, that's 6.8 and was taken about a week after diagnosis (ie the new regime will have had little effect on it).

Marching on towards 1 1/2 stone lost, not bad for just under a month :) Lets see how low I can get it on the retest in 2 months...
 

Grazer

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,115
quote="iainmay"]Hba1c is back, that's 6.8 [/quote]
That's not a bad level at diagnosis! A lot of people have to work hard to get down to that after diagnosis! Sounds like it was spotted at an early stage. If you get your diet & exercise right you should be fine. The figures you're quoting for fasting and after eating sound good, so well done. Presumably you've not been put on medication?
Malc
 

iainmay

Member
Messages
19
Yeah no medication at present, Im hoping that I will see a large drop at next test as I have been following the diet advice quite religiously (had a couple of slips but nothing major)

I've also quit milk as I noticed just how many sugars it has in it, will see what that does for the numbers over the next few weeks
 

Grazer

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,115
Don't panic too much about a bit of milk. The fat content in the milk effectively reduces the GI of the sugars. Try testing before and after stuff with and without milk - has little or no effect on me, see what it does to you - if no good, don't do it again!¬
Cheers & good luck
 

Pneu

Well-Known Member
Messages
689
jinstone said:
Interesting some of the numbers being quoted, I was told 5-8 is the new regime as 4 is now regarded as too low, in fact on the Gliclazide I have had some mild hypo's when dropping below 4, so they cut me back from 80mg to 40mg. I ended up feeling slightly faint and shaky.
Regards
Jeremy

4 mmol/l is normally quoted as the 'floor' for blood glucose or a 'hypo' but in reality many non-diabetics will have fasting glucose anywhere between 3.6 - 4.5 mmol/l. The reason its quoted is because if you drop much bellow 3 mmol/l then you can quickly start to have some rather serious problems... I believe at around 2.7 mmol/l brain function becomes impaired and thing's only gets worse as you drop lower, ending in coma and possibly death. Obviously non-diabetics don't take drugs that can drop there blood glucose below what is considered safe and therefore diabetics must be conscious of the hypo menace.

Everyone's body will begin to react to low blood glucose at a different mmol/l and this pretty much depends on the tightness of your control... for instance if your BG's are regularly 5 - 7 mmol/l then you may get a reaction at 4 - 4.5 mmol/l if you BG's are regularly at 4.5 mmol/l then you would have to go lower to get the reaction; this is what's known as 'hypo awareness'.

Feeling a hypo often also depends on how quickly your BG's drop... for instance in a situation where my BG's drop quickly (say after exercise) I may feel hypo at 4.0 - 4.5 mmol/l even though I normally run my fasting glucose at these levels... however if they have dropped slowly over a period of hours then I might not feel a hypo until 3.6 - 3.8 mmol/l.

Target BG ranges are therefore normally decided on a personal basis with your HCP and they should come to a decision with you about what range you should be running vs. the risk of complications from running those BG's.