Advice needed pre diagnosis

[Amylou122xx]

Hi all! So I was warned this would happen. I have PCOS and should have been taking better care of myself. Over the last week I've noticed I'm having a lot of type 2 symptoms. Needing the loo constantly. Always thirsty, numbness in fingers and feet/ankles. Blurred vision.
I started taking my metformin again today although I'm scared because I have high blood pressure. Last time I started to take them I was getting heart palpitations every 5 minutes. Is there anything I can do at the moment? Bar getting a home testing kit which costs a small fortune I can't get to the doctors in the current climate.
I'm so upset that I let this happen.

 

[ziggy_w]

Hi @Amylou122xx,

Hugs, I can really empathize. I agree with you the first thing to do is to get a meter. The most important issue to consider is the price of the test strips, as these might be your ongoing costs. @Rachox has a lot of good information on reasonably priced meters. If your concerns turn out to be warranted, is there a way you can give your doctor a call? They might be able to suggest a way forward.

It is really important to know that you didn't do this to yourself. For the most part, we Type 2s are genetically predisposed to diabetes (as also evidenced by your PCOS). This predisposition combined with a high-carb diet, which suggested by nutritional bodies worldwide, does not infrequently lead to T2 diabetes. So, you did nothing wrong.

No matter what the outcome of testing will be -- there is a lot you can do to get back to normal blood sugars. Many of us Type2s have switched to a low-carb or even ketogenic way of eating. This means, we have cut out many of the carbohydrates in our meals and have seen blood sugars return to normal. There are other Type 2s, who have embarked on a very low-calorie diet (about 800 calories a day or less) and have also seen good results. So, there's a lot of hope and a lot we can do, we don't have to just passively accept diagnosis.

Personally, I was diagnosed with very, very high blood sugar levels five years ago, switched to a ketogenic diet (about 20g of carbs per day) and have had normal blood sugar levels ever since.

Before I forget: Welcome to the forum, have a look around (may I especially suggest the "Success Stories" and the "What have you eaten today?" threads in the Low-Carb Diet Forum). Fire away if you have any question. There are bunches of really friendly, knowledgeable and helpful members on this forum, who will be happy to help.

 

[Amylou122xx]

Thank you Ziggy. Yeah my grandad was diagnosed with type 2 pretty late in life though but all of the women on my dads side on the family have PCOS and I unfortunately have it the worst. 38 cysts on one ovary and 24 on the other. I have every side effect of PCOS including excess hair growth and I haven't had a monthly for around 3 years, quite bad really. I really dont need another ailment to add to my already very long list of ailments lol. I'm gonna try to get in touch with my doctor tomorrow.

 

[Amylou122xx]

Also I've tried the ketones diet and whilst it did work for me initially I found I couldn't stick to it. I'm useless at dieting.

 

[Resurgam]

You could get a low cost glucose testing kit such as the Tee 2 from Spirit Healthcare so you can see how your meals are affecting your levels.
I also had unpleasant side effects from Metformin, so I stopped taking them and have relied on avoiding carbs in my diet ever since. I find it very easy to eat meat fish eggs and cheese plus salads and stirfries or roasted low carb veges.
I am on a low carb facebook forum and over the years have read some posts from ecstatic newly pregnant members. Eating a diet low in carbs isn't all that difficult if you plan what you will eat and make sure you have good things to eat always to hand.

 

[ziggy_w]

Thank you Ziggy. Yeah my grandad was diagnosed with type 2 pretty late in life though but all of the women on my dads side on the family have PCOS and I unfortunately have it the worst. 38 cysts on one ovary and 24 on the other. I have every side effect of PCOS including excess hair growth and I haven't had a monthly for around 3 years, quite bad really. I really dont need another ailment to add to my already very long list of ailments lol. I'm gonna try to get in touch with my doctor tomorrow.

Hi @Amylou122xx,

Should you be diagnosed, the good news is that reducing carbs will probably help with both T2 diabetes and PCOS.

Do you enjoy cooking and baking? Going low-carb/ketogenic doesn't really need to be any hardship. For example, you can have low-carb brownies, low-carb cheesecake, low-carb chocolate mousse, keto bread, cauliflower rice and much, much more. The most important thing is to make it sustainable for you.

 

[MrsA2]

Also I've tried the ketones diet and whilst it did work for me initially I found I couldn't stick to it. I'm useless at dieting.

I've dieted and failed many times in the past, but this is my first go at low carb and the results are amazing. My body has shed so much fat and relatively quickly. Best of all I didnt feel hungry at all, and feel fuller with less food every day. It's not about restriction it's about feeling full and knowing what foods are harming me. Initially I started with simple food and thought I would be bored but I'm not as I seem to have lost my desire for food.
You have to ignore all advice from the past re calories and fat. Its tempting to try to do low carb while still restricting calories and fat but that doesn't work. Going low carb means eating until full. Then staying full until next meal with no snacks. Trust me I am finding it so easy and never thought I'd say that.

 

[Perminder1]

Hi @Amylou122xx,

Should you be diagnosed, the good news is that reducing carbs will probably help with both T2 diabetes and PCOS.

Do you enjoy cooking and baking? Going low-carb/ketogenic doesn't really need to be any hardship. For example, you can have low-carb brownies, low-carb cheesecake, low-carb chocolate mousse, keto bread, cauliflower rice and much, much more. The most important thing is to make it sustainable for you.

Low carb cheese cake tell me more pls

 

[ziggy_w]

Low carb cheese cake tell me more pls

Hi @Perminder1,

I've just PMed you the recipe. Let me know how it turns out.