Hi All
I realised I didn't introduce myself properly when I gatecrashed last week, so thought I should rectify that now (while also coming back to pick your brains).
I'm 47 and was diagnosed with impaired glucose tolerance, high cholesterol and high blood pressure earlier this year and prescribed Simvastatin with advice to try a low GI diet but little information on what that actually meant. I was also told the statins would be for life. I had a further blood test at the end of March with the report back as 'no action required'.
I've been struggling with my sight for years but put it down to needing varifocals due to age and therefore assuming it would settle in time. It got really bad just before I was diagnosed - to the point where my optician couldn't get a true reading. I went to see another GP at my practice a few weeks ago as my optician felt the problem was due to unstable blood sugars and I wanted a second opinion about the statins (I have an older brother with dementure and it's been suggested that there may be a link).
This GP didn't think my eye problems would be down to blood sugars but referred me to an opthamologist. She also agreed that it was up to me whether to take the statins and we agreed to re-assess following further blood tests in September.
The opthamologist said it was likely that my sight problems were caused by a number of factors. I have a very complex prescription; very early onset cataracts that can cause focusing issues before the clouding occurs; and unstable blood sugars. The first thing to sort out was the blood sugar. Following information gleaned from this forum, I've reduced my carb intake to around 150g per day and tried to spread it evenly through the day. I was going to wait until I'd seen the doctor before getting a BG monitor (she's been on holiday) but following a really bad day sight-wise on Friday I decided I really need to know what's going on so I can get it sorted. My SD Codefree arrived yesterday and per your very helpful advice I've been testing and recording as often as I can. My first test was 2 hrs after lunch yesterday when my level was 7.3. It went down to 6.3 before dinner then up again to 9.1 after one hour and down to 7 after two hours.
This morning it was 7 before breakfast, 11.8 after one hour and 5.5 after 2.
Pre lunch today it was 5.1, then 7.2 at one hour and 5.5 at 2.
xyzzy suggested aiming to be under 7.8 at one hour and 6.5 after 2 from an evening reading of 4.5. Does that mean that a rise of 3.3 is ideally the maximum our BGs should rise one hour after a meal? If that's the case I think I need to look at yesterday's lunch (poached eggs on toast) and today's breakfast (weetabix, tsp sugar and 2 clementines) and try some other combinations. I wanted to get some idea of what a normal diet did before making any radical changes to my meals although i have reduced my carb intake quite a lot already.
Any advice you can give will be gratefully received. (Would love to insert smilies but haven't worked how to yet - will have to get the kids onto it!)
Many thanks
Dawn
I realised I didn't introduce myself properly when I gatecrashed last week, so thought I should rectify that now (while also coming back to pick your brains).
I'm 47 and was diagnosed with impaired glucose tolerance, high cholesterol and high blood pressure earlier this year and prescribed Simvastatin with advice to try a low GI diet but little information on what that actually meant. I was also told the statins would be for life. I had a further blood test at the end of March with the report back as 'no action required'.
I've been struggling with my sight for years but put it down to needing varifocals due to age and therefore assuming it would settle in time. It got really bad just before I was diagnosed - to the point where my optician couldn't get a true reading. I went to see another GP at my practice a few weeks ago as my optician felt the problem was due to unstable blood sugars and I wanted a second opinion about the statins (I have an older brother with dementure and it's been suggested that there may be a link).
This GP didn't think my eye problems would be down to blood sugars but referred me to an opthamologist. She also agreed that it was up to me whether to take the statins and we agreed to re-assess following further blood tests in September.
The opthamologist said it was likely that my sight problems were caused by a number of factors. I have a very complex prescription; very early onset cataracts that can cause focusing issues before the clouding occurs; and unstable blood sugars. The first thing to sort out was the blood sugar. Following information gleaned from this forum, I've reduced my carb intake to around 150g per day and tried to spread it evenly through the day. I was going to wait until I'd seen the doctor before getting a BG monitor (she's been on holiday) but following a really bad day sight-wise on Friday I decided I really need to know what's going on so I can get it sorted. My SD Codefree arrived yesterday and per your very helpful advice I've been testing and recording as often as I can. My first test was 2 hrs after lunch yesterday when my level was 7.3. It went down to 6.3 before dinner then up again to 9.1 after one hour and down to 7 after two hours.
This morning it was 7 before breakfast, 11.8 after one hour and 5.5 after 2.
Pre lunch today it was 5.1, then 7.2 at one hour and 5.5 at 2.
xyzzy suggested aiming to be under 7.8 at one hour and 6.5 after 2 from an evening reading of 4.5. Does that mean that a rise of 3.3 is ideally the maximum our BGs should rise one hour after a meal? If that's the case I think I need to look at yesterday's lunch (poached eggs on toast) and today's breakfast (weetabix, tsp sugar and 2 clementines) and try some other combinations. I wanted to get some idea of what a normal diet did before making any radical changes to my meals although i have reduced my carb intake quite a lot already.
Any advice you can give will be gratefully received. (Would love to insert smilies but haven't worked how to yet - will have to get the kids onto it!)
Many thanks
Dawn