Confused - any advice?

[NikiMilligan]

Hi All
I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in 2016.
My fasting blood sugars had always been normal - including at the time of diagnosis - but I was having a problem with breast abscesses so they did the glucose tolerance test and diagnosed me based on that.

I was shipped off to the diabetes clinic, where they gave me a tester and told me to monitor a couple of times a week.

I’ve followed a restricted carb diet (still about 75g daily) since, and my BG has stayed consistently in the non-diabetic range. Mostly my problem tends to be low BG if I don’t eat frequently enough and reactive hypoglycaemia from glucose rich foods e.g ANY honey is now a big no-no. Illness also sets it low.

I’d a phone call from my GP surgery today. Their pharmacist had queried my script request for test strips and I was told that as my BG was so good I am no longer diabetic and as Type 2 should not be monitoring anyway.

Going by how hard work it is to keep my BG at that level I’m a bit depressed by it all. Yes, I love that I’m maintaining my BG at non-diabetic levels, but it seems absolute insanity to just stop monitoring.

I presume that the next thing to go will be all of the other diabetic checks, though I think the risks all come from high BG so I should be safe enough without them.

Are there any risks to having the eye and foot test pulled when you are well controlled?

Thanks for any advice

Niki

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi @NikiMilligan

First let me say that you will always be entitled to the annual retinal eye check. Once diagnosed, that has to continue. If you are concerned, check with your surgery that you have not been removed from the list. The foot checks will disappear. However, you should be entitled to at least an annual blood test. Again you need to check this.

My GP has coded me as Diabetes Resolved. I still have 6 monthly blood tests, an annual review with the nurse and an annual eye check. I have lost the foot checks, and legally have lost the right to buy testing equipment VAT free.

There is no need to stop monitoring. It is a shame your prescription has been stopped, but to be honest you were lucky to have one in the first place. The vast majority of us self fund. If you want to continue monitoring, then your only option is to buy your own. As you have a form of reactive hypoglycaemia, I would imagine it is important to have a meter at all times, in case you hypo.

 

[EllieM]

As you have a form of reactive hypoglycaemia, I would imagine it is important to have a meter at all times, in case you hypo.

Just curious, but you'd think the DVLA would insist on metering if you're likely to go hypo?

Are there any risks to having the eye and foot test pulled when you are well controlled?

Good that you're still getting the eye checks.

Foot checks. Been T1 for 49 years and have never had any issues with feet. I lived in the UK till 1999, in Australia till 2017, since then in NZ. In Australia the state paid for formal podiatrist checks outside the diabetic clinic (the diabetic clinic does 30 second foot tickling to see if I can still feel). When I went and was told that I had non diabetic feet they were amazed that I didn't want any more visits (apparently my "care plan" allowed up to 6 a year) and I just went once a year to keep my GP happy. Now in NZ I'm back to annual foot tickles from the diabetic clinic, though after two years I am considering one paid for podiatrist visit just to remove some of the callouses from my feet. So I honestly wouldn't worry about your feet unless you have poor control and/or notice an issue. (Plenty of non-diabetics need to visit a podiatrist, specially as we get older).

Good luck.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Just curious, but you'd think the DVLA would insist on metering if you're likely to go hypo?

I have no idea. Reactive Hypoglycaemia is a condition in its own right. It is not T2 diabetes. I have no idea what the rules are on RH. It is an interesting question. Maybe @Brunneria will know.

 

[Brunneria]

I have no idea. Reactive Hypoglycaemia is a condition in its own right. It is not T2 diabetes. I have no idea what the rules are on RH. It is an interesting question. Maybe @Brunneria will know.

Hi,

Here in the UK the DVLA website has a list (and it is seriously extensive), of health issues that need to be reported to them. There is an online form to use.

When I looked at it I was horrified to discover that I should have reported both my prolactinoma and my RH to them over 20 yrs ago.
Hadn’t had a clue!
Of course I did so immediately.

I would recommend everyone has a look, because they may well be invalidating their licence or insurance unless they inform the DVLA of all sorts of things, some you wouldn’t expect. Even arthritis (depending on severity) is on the list.
https://www.gov.uk/health-conditions-and-driving

Hypoglycaemia is definitely on the list - which includes all the different forms of hypoglycaemia, not just reactive hypos. However, there is a bit of ambiguity in that the website seems to assume that people only hypo on glucose lowering medication. However, better safe than sorry, IMO.
I know with absolute certainty that there have been occasions when my driving has been negatively affected by both high and low blood glucose. And I don’t intend to ever let it happen again, even though that was waaaay back befor I had a glucometer, and my blood glucose is now better controlled.

 

[kitedoc]

My question is does the pharmacist have the right/authority to diagnose you are no longer diabetic
and that there might not be a reason that test strips are still required.??
I would have thought that pharmacists are not doctors and should not being acting
as though they are.

 

[Daphne917]

My question is does the pharmacist have the right/authority to diagnose you are no longer diabetic
and that there might not be a reason that test strips are still required.??
I would have thought that pharmacists are not doctors and should not being acting
as though they are.

A lot of GP practices have their own pharmacists now who oversee the prescriptions however I don’t believe they can diagnose - perhaps it was written on the notes.

 

[Bluetit1802]

My question is does the pharmacist have the right/authority to diagnose you are no longer diabetic
and that there might not be a reason that test strips are still required.??
I would have thought that pharmacists are not doctors and should not being acting
as though they are.

The information came from the poster's GP by telephone call. I assume the pharmacy simply queried it with the GP who then made the decision to withdraw the prescription.