Have you had opportunity to tell her that low carb is endorsed by the nhs and there are training modules by Dr Unwin for hcp’s. I’m sure someone can give you the links to print and take in with you.
Good luck. I hope she sees some sense and you come to a decision about your medication that you are happy with, because it is your choice to make having listened to her advice (not orders)Not as yet. I’ll try this tack on Wednesday though when I first met her she was very positive about low carb. I get the impression now she feels it’s too low carb as my blood sugars were getting fairly low - she seemed supportive when they were within normal range but last appointment couldn’t seem to agree that the medication, not too few, carbs was the problem.
Oh always praying, you can count on that one! I just hope it does go well!It’s crazy right?! It’s almost like they’re scared to admit the LCHF way of eating or even LCHP way of eating can be doing you so much good - that you must eat these magical carbs, despite the fact they’ve never done you any good in the first place.
I’m back there on Wednesday..I’m not sure I can take another appointment without losing my cool. Pray for me
Just a quick update.. I had my review and my medication was not lowered as I’d wanted. I was encouraged instead to up my carbs to manage my lower BGs and given another appointment for two weeks time.
So I’m still on the 80mg BD gliclazide and now eating more carbs which has got me where? Oh higher day time and fasting BG but somehow still low evening BGs which in order to get up as ‘I mustn’t be below 8–10..’ before bed I’m having to eat silly amounts of carbs... I feel rubbish and have seen numbers in the 10s frequently this week.
I guess we’d call this little experiment a fail I’m so stressed with it all which I’m sure isn’t helping.
Good luck. I hope she sees some sense and you come to a decision about your medication that you are happy with, because it is your choice to make having listened to her advice (not orders)
Oh always praying, you can count on that one! I just hope it does go well!
They do forget about body biology and that we are all different, I bet their own diet isn't doing them all that much good either. The point of being healthy is listening to your body when it tries to tell you something is wrong, one would think they would want to try avoid the spikes when you're on steroids not encourage them!
I thought a DN with half a brain was an incredibly rare find. I’m disappointed, but unsurprised, by her comments.
Long ago I told my GP I would take her advice but I would decide on my medications etc and I’m happy to take full responsibility for my decisions.
She’s been more supportive since then & knows I will not take statins, BP meds or pretty much anything if I can sort things out with diet & exercise. After my op last year she supported me trying a few different BP MEDS but we couldn’t find one that didn’t make me fall asleep & feel sick when I next saw her and I’d ditched ALL the meds I was expecting a lecture but she just said if things were going in the right direction my way then she was happy with that
The DN’s I have NO problem either ignoring or ‘setting straight’ they’re a bloody menace
You simply HAVE to do what YOU think is right - you already have more knowledge than they do!
Remember they cannot stand over you and MAKE you take anything you don’t think is right.
1.3kg is a good loss in quite a short time and it’s FABULOUS when you take into account the steroids and the usually significant weight gain they cause!
Low carb/Keto isn’t a miracle weight loss solution for me either (currently I’m in week 13 of being really good (this time!! Several years in total) and I ‘lost’ 4kg, 2 came back so overall have lost 2kg in 13 weeks! But it controls my blood sugars, so I persist and try not to get toooo brassed off that I don’t get the losses others do. I’m about to go to France for a fortnight so god alone knows what I’ll weigh when I get back. I won’t go mad, but I will eat some carbs. And drink the worlds best latte.
BUT I WILL get straight back on the wagon when I get back!!
Be strong, be in control of your own health don’t let people who are less well informed than you push you into doing things that aren’t good for you!! (Eating more carbs to counter the glic is pure madness)
Hurrah!
We have common sense at last I had my appointment this am.
After much discussion, she agreed the gliclazide needed to stop but with a caveat - that I would continue to monitor fasting, pre and post meal plus before bed and as long as my blood glucose stayed between 4-8 then keep off the glic, if I started seeing double figures then reintroduce glic in the AM when I take my steroids then monitor from there.
I feel like it’s a win and I totally agree the steroids do spike my sugars so maybe I will need the AM glic but let’s see!
I felt much more listened today
Yay a win at last, perhaps a small win, but still a win!
So my first day drug free and keeping my carbs around 30-40g so not Keto.. just low carb and the results are in - pleased as punch with myself. Bearing still on the steroids
Fasting/Pre Breakfast: 4.3
Post: 5.2
Pre Lunch: 5.3
Post: 5.9
Pre dinner: 5.6
Post: 6.2
I feel like it’s a huge achievement. I can’t believe how positive I feel.. I was expecting a post steroid high after breakfast.
And my meals today were so tasty!
Proud of you .. well done!So my first day drug free and keeping my carbs around 30-40g so not Keto.. just low carb and the results are in - pleased as punch with myself. Bearing still on the steroids
Fasting/Pre Breakfast: 4.3
Post: 5.2
Pre Lunch: 5.3
Post: 5.9
Pre dinner: 5.6
Post: 6.2
I feel like it’s a huge achievement. I can’t believe how positive I feel.. I was expecting a post steroid high after breakfast.
And my meals today were so tasty!
Hi all,
Just thought I’d check in. Still going without any meds for diabetes and finding I’m not having to check my sugars so frequently now. I tend to stick to the same foods that I’ve tested with multiple times as I know they work for me and I keep within around 40g carbs per day.
Over the last two weeks my highest blood glucose has been 6.2 with an average of 4.8 according to my app. It would seem I’m managing okay. Only disappointment has been weight loss and my DN has been supportive (finally) but she has said that I need to concentrate on BG being good and not throw in the towel as weight loss is not occurring.
I wonder if the lack of weight loss is steroid related or perhaps I’m eating too much fat - although I know it’s LCHF but I wonder how much is too much?
I haven’t gained any weight though so I guess that’s something and I have had a couple of ‘blips’ where I’ve gone over my self imposed carb limit. It’s not easy but it’s working.
No plans to retest my HbA1c yet - they’re waiting until my steroids are at the lowest dose as this can impact the result apparently. Originally it was 55, though pre steroids it was 36. My specialist remains confident this is steroid induced diabetes, my GP thinks it’s type 2 - who knows?
My specialist has said that they want to start immunosuppressives long term and I’ll come off the steroids completely, she feels once we make that transition a simple fasting glucose blood test will identify whether I am genuinely diabetic and a follow up HbA1c three months later will confirm it.
I guess if it is steroid induced then I must be predisposed to type 2 diabetes and I carry on with my LCHF lifestyle to prevent any further complications down the line.
Hi,
I would expect that everybody in here would agree with your DN that BG reduction is more important right now than weight loss - especially since you are still on stroids.
Well done, I am envious of those BG levels !
Ian
I have been lucky though as my fasting BG has always been low and I’m told this is usually the most stubborn level to reduce.
I have to have tea with milk.. I can’t be doing with cream in tea and too much coffee gives me palpitations