Disappointed in advice - Newly DX

[leatrix]

Hi there, well, as the title of the post says I'm feeling pretty gutted today. I went for a 50 year old birthday check up at the GP's practice and it came back with Fatty Liver and Diabetes t2 112 and my finger-prick test was 12.8 today, I had eaten porridge at that point. I also have a long standing Hiatus Hernia which I take 20mg of Omeprazole for and I said several times to the Diabetes Clinic Nurse that I really wanted go on a lower carb diet (I've already lost 5 stone on a 130mg carb a day) and try that before medication (I hate being on Omeprazole as it is!) and she said no, and today has put me on 2 x 80mg of Gliclazide per day (told to buy some jelly babys just in case of hypo's) along with Metaformin (working up to twice a day) and I'm honesty feeling so sad that I don't know what to do. I feel like I haven't even been given a chance to try and bring my levels down. Did anyone else have levels this high and bring it down without medication successfully? I'm willing to try anything but meds at this point.

 

[Rachox]

Hello Leatrix and welcome to the forum. First I will post a link to our useful info for newbies:
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.17088/
One member springs to mind who’s HbA1c was over 100 on diagnosis and I think she started to deal with her diagnosis with diet alone. @xfieldok
One thing to remember too is that Health Care Professionals are there to advise not dictate. Do your homework and make your own decisions.

Edit to add tag

 

[leatrix]

Oh that's really encouraging to hear; yes, I felt quite low afterwards, like she wasn't really listening to me, just filling me up with meds and sending me on my way. Thanks for the link, i'll go and check that out now and hopefully I'll also get some advice from @xfieldok as it's definitely the way I want to go, at least have a chance to see if it works first.

 

[xfieldok]

Thanks for the tag @Rachox , welcome to the forum @leatrix and welcome to the fosum.

When I was first diagnosed in November 2017 my number was 122. I barely did anything for 48 hours except talk to Dr Google. I quickly came to the conclusion that diet was key. Because my number was so high, I decided to do keto which is 20g carbs or less a day. I did take metformin, and I still do.

I used a meter to oversee the effect of carbs on my blood sugar. I entered my readings and food into an app called MySugr, it is free. MySugar predicted HbA1c of 37 which i thought was a bit on the low side and it probably needed a few weeks of data. I got a surprise test and my test was 35. I fairly floated home.

 

[leatrix]

Oh wow, you don't know just how much you've cheered me up! I'm used to reasonable carb counting from my diet, so knew I had the dedication to lower the carbs, as it's just a matter of tweaking my existing diet (albiet quite a lot more tighter). I just don't like the thought that I could hypo on Gliclazide, esp as I have two boys with autism and I know they wouldn't cope, so I'm trying to keep it altogether at the moment. I'm going to call the Diabetic nurse in the morning and see if I can have the at least 2 weeks grace before going back to see her, and see if I can delay taking the GZ until I can see if I can get the numbers down by diet (and perhaps Metaformin). Can't thank xfieldok enough to recommending I speak to you and to you for giving me hope! x

 

[Member496333]

One thing to remember too is that Health Care Professionals are there to advise not dictate. Do your homework and make your own decisions.

Agreed 100%

If my doctor told me what to eat, it would be a short conversation ending in F.

PS. welcome @leatrix

 

[leatrix]

Have to confess I felt pretty similar today after going in and am going to stand my ground tomorrow morning when I call. Thanks for the welcome; much appreciated!

 

[Member496333]

...today has put me on 2 x 80mg of Gliclazide per day (told to buy some jelly babys just in case of hypo's)...

Just bringing this to the fore in order to add emphasis. You seem pretty smart so I'm sure you'll be vigilant, but please do not embark on any dietary experiments that you may read about (here or elsewhere) without being acutely aware that any oral hypoglycaemic medicines that you are taking may present a serious risk. Anything you are not sure of...ask ask ask...and don't make any assumptions or take any chances!

Good luck.

 

[MrPeaky]

Going on what you have said, Diet and Weight loss depending on your circumstances.

I am predicted at HB1AC of 31 on my last 21 days and rember HB1AC is very biased towards the last four weeks, especially when you are starting the new diet/meds ect. As those high number blood cells at the end of the 2/3 month count have dropped off many more low ones now.

Fatty Liver again weight loss / drinking, depends if it is AFLD or NAFLD, for both cutting out the drinking/weight loss will seriously improve those FLT counts

A few simple changes and you will have those numbers down in no times I am sure =D

 

[leatrix]

Just bringing this to the fore in order to add emphasis. You seem pretty smart so I'm sure you'll be vigilant, but please do not embark on any dietary experiments that you may read about (here or elsewhere) without being acutely aware that any oral hypoglycaemic medicines that you are taking may present a serious risk. Anything you are not sure of...ask ask ask...and don't make any assumptions or take any chances!

Good luck.

Thanks and absolutely agree; i'll be making sure i'm safely enroute!

 

[Goonergal]

Hi @leatrix and welcome

My starting HbA1c was 108 and I managed to bring it down to non-diabetic levels (latest was 30) using diet only. Went very low carb (20g/day). Such a way of eating is a bit more difficult when taking drugs like gliclazide as you need to be careful of hypos.

Definitely take advice and have a frank discussion with your GP about how you’d like to manage your diabetes.

Good luck and keep us updated!

 

[leatrix]

Going on what you have said, Diet and Weight loss depending on your circumstances.

I am predicted at HB1AC of 31 on my last 21 days and rember HB1AC is very biased towards the last four weeks, especially when you are starting the new diet/meds ect. As those high number blood cells at the end of the 2/3 month count have dropped off many more low ones now.

Fatty Liver again weight loss / drinking, depends if it is AFLD or NAFLD, for both cutting out the drinking/weight loss will seriously improve those FLT counts

A few simple changes and you will have those numbers down in no times I am sure =D

Thank You! I'm so happy that good numbers are clearly achievable via diet. I obviously have a lot of reading up to do as I didn't know it takes some 3/4 weeks to get a handle on things. When I went today I was told my levels had come down a little, but not enough to stay off meds (she retested as I don't have any symptoms of DT2 and couldn't believe how high it was). I have NAFLD (drank alcohol once as a kid and never liked it so never had it since) and so from what I can see it's just the carbs doing me in and I'm so sure I can get them down. I'm looking forward to kicking this into touch now.

 

[leatrix]

Hi @leatrix and welcome

My starting HbA1c was 108 and I managed to bring it down to non-diabetic levels (latest was 30) using diet only. Went very low carb (20g/day). Such a way of eating is a bit more difficult when taking drugs like gliclazide as you need to be careful of hypos.

Definitely take advice and have a frank discussion with your GP about how you’d like to manage your diabetes.

Good luck and keep us updated!

Thanks for the advice; yes that's what is worrying me with the Gliclazide particularly. I said I would eat low carb and that's when the jelly babies were suggested, but I'm just not happy being on such a high dosage either. I'd much rather eat low carb and stay off tabs entirely if i'm honest. I'm 100% going to lay my cards on the table with my GP, I think they should have a little more faith in my determination to cut the carbs (I'm surprised after losing so much weight, they don't already think I have tbh). I can't believe i'm reading all these amazing stories from everyone in the same position as me, to begin with, managing to bring their numbers down with diet alone; such a relief!

 

[jjraak]

Hi there, well, as the title of the post says I'm feeling pretty gutted today. I went for a 50 year old birthday check up at the GP's practice and it came back with Fatty Liver and Diabetes t2 112 and my finger-prick test was 12.8 today, I had eaten porridge at that point. I also have a long standing Hiatus Hernia which I take 20mg of Omeprazole for and I said several times to the Diabetes Clinic Nurse that I really wanted go on a lower carb diet (I've already lost 5 stone on a 130mg carb a day) and try that before medication (I hate being on Omeprazole as it is!) and she said no, and today has put me on 2 x 80mg of Gliclazide per day (told to buy some jelly babys just in case of hypo's) along with Metaformin (working up to twice a day) and I'm honesty feeling so sad that I don't know what to do. I feel like I haven't even been given a chance to try and bring my levels down. Did anyone else have levels this high and bring it down without medication successfully? I'm willing to try anything but meds at this point.

Hi.

what a sorry tale.

as stated the job is to advice NOT dictate..
"they may take our permission for granted.... but they'll NEVER take our freedom..to think outside the box"..so to speak.

SO they may have prescribed, BUT have you started taking it yet ?


as a T2D, you could and i would say WOULD, probably get more traction reducing your HBA1c with a better DIET then with meds..(obviously you'll need to take into account the Omeprazole, and it's impact on a T2D )

which does seems to be your preferred choice
and at worst YOU deserve the chance to do so, BEFORE embarking on a drug regime you seem to disprove of.

all of this is just musing out loud of course,

the discussion and decisions will be yours to make, bearing in mind whether you have started taking the Glix, and of course, in discussion with your GP.

 

[Rachox]

Just a word of warning Leatrix, not all Health professionals are on board with low carb as a way to put blood sugar levels back into the normal range, so you might get some resistance. May be print out this paper for them to peruse after you’ve informed them that that is the route you are taking:
https://www.practicaldiabetes.com/w...etes-experience-from-one-general-practice.pdf
A compromise may be to accept the Metformin but not the Gliclazide. Metformin will not risk hypos. Some people get side effects but some like myself don’t.

 

[Seacrow]

I'm surprised you don't like the omeprazole, for me it was a miracle in a capsule, still YMMV. Don't stop the omeprazole at the same time you start metformin, because you'll get a reinforced gastric disturbance effect you won't enjoy. Oh, and make sure the metformin is the slow release form, it should be automatic since you already have gastric problems, but it's worth checking.

Welcome to the community, and sorry you have joined us.

 

[mouseee]

106 here. Just metformin and I think it helped but quite probably as it has reduced my appetite.

Low carb was definitely the main reason I have dropped, with lots of help from my BG meter.

 

[xfieldok]

I can't give advice (not allowed on the forum) but if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't take the glicazide. I have complications with an Auto Immune condition and needed steroids. Steroids shoot up your glucose, so they gave me glicazide, it did nothing to control the sterioid rise, but I had to promise to eat a wholemeal sandwich at bedtime. I still got overnight hypos and kicked it into touch pretty quickly. I jumped up and down at the surgery until they gave me another option.

 

[EllieM]

Well, if they give you gliclazide they have to give you a blood testing meter. (Or maybe they've given you one already?) This is possibly the most important aid after the low carb approach because it'll show you how your diet is affecting your levels.

Some other thoughts - were you on 130g a day when you had the hba1c of 113. That is already moderately low carb and if your hba1c is so high while on it you may need to consider
1) going on much less carbs to achieve lower levels of blood sugar.
2) it's not impossible for you to be t1/lada rather than T2 - in which case your problem would be lack of insulin rather than carb intolerance and insulin over production and you'd need a different treatment regime, though going low carb can't hurt. Though honestly this is pretty unlikely if they've already identified you as nafld.

Nothing to stop you delaying the gliclazide for a week while you see what much lower carb does.....

Note that if you're on gliclazide and you're at risk of hypos you're supposed to do a blood test before driving - if your result is less than 5 you need to take sugar, because if you go hypo (less than 4) you become unsafe at the wheel. Now the at risk of hypos is a bit vague, some people don't get them on gliclazide, but when you're newly taking it you should be very careful, because you don't yet know how much it's going to pull your levels down....

Good luck.

 

[Resurgam]

Please don't take the Gliclazide and drive if you do not know your blood glucose level - it is essential that you test to be legal, as far as I can tell.
I'd think that you have a good argument against taking the Gliclazide, though - if you are determined to try lowering your blood glucose levels eating low carb.
My personal level of carbs is under 40 gm per day, as I am very sensitive to carbs - I think I was undiagnosed for a long time. Low carb is usually very effective, so if you find that your blood glucose levels are not normalizing it might well be that you are not a standard type two.