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Sarah Jane H

Newbie
Messages
4
Good day. I am recently diagnosed. All a bit of a blur. Blood test 31st August phone call 1st September HbA1c 148. I only went as I had a rash on my ankle and a water infection! first prescription Glyclazide 30mg slow release. 2nd September met nurse to learn how to do blood test. Reading of 21.6. 16th September doctors to check progress testing twice a day range 21.6 to lowest 14.2. Not good enough but carry on. 22nd September on line diabetic course. 1st October doctor upped medication to 60mg and introduced statins non negotiable. My readings range 16 to 9.9. Upped my brisk excersie as advised, and started the 100 miles for diabetes. 3rd November next follow up range 11 to 9 I was happy as getting more stable again not good enough so I started testing more often now I realise I can monitor effect food and exercise is having and even lack of sleep. Numbers now between 10.5 and 8.5 which I feel is progress but he is talking about adding Metamorphine when I asked why I got its a standard for diabetes. I feel I need to be in control I asked if I could do low carb and he said we are not there Yet! But if we needed I can do the NHS diet course. I have full blood test 17th November and another consultation 19th. Not expecting great results in less than 3 months and feel I am going to end up on more medication. Why is he only interested in am and pm numbers? This week I have been between 9,8 and 7.2 so I see this as more progress in the right direction, yes I have tried lowering carbs. Sorry for long post but felt the need to get it off my chest.
 

Lamont D

Oracle
Messages
15,796
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Good day. I am recently diagnosed. All a bit of a blur. Blood test 31st August phone call 1st September HbA1c 148. I only went as I had a rash on my ankle and a water infection! first prescription Glyclazide 30mg slow release. 2nd September met nurse to learn how to do blood test. Reading of 21.6. 16th September doctors to check progress testing twice a day range 21.6 to lowest 14.2. Not good enough but carry on. 22nd September on line diabetic course. 1st October doctor upped medication to 60mg and introduced statins non negotiable. My readings range 16 to 9.9. Upped my brisk excersie as advised, and started the 100 miles for diabetes. 3rd November next follow up range 11 to 9 I was happy as getting more stable again not good enough so I started testing more often now I realise I can monitor effect food and exercise is having and even lack of sleep. Numbers now between 10.5 and 8.5 which I feel is progress but he is talking about adding Metamorphine when I asked why I got its a standard for diabetes. I feel I need to be in control I asked if I could do low carb and he said we are not there Yet! But if we needed I can do the NHS diet course. I have full blood test 17th November and another consultation 19th. Not expecting great results in less than 3 months and feel I am going to end up on more medication. Why is he only interested in am and pm numbers? This week I have been between 9,8 and 7.2 so I see this as more progress in the right direction, yes I have tried lowering carbs. Sorry for long post but felt the need to get it off my chest.

Hi and welcome to our forum.
Apologies if you are waiting for a response but we have had log in difficulty.
Anyway, it's so confusing when you are first diagnosed and you are hit with the advice given by our health care practitioners.
We get a lot of confused newbies. Asking great questions about how and why.
Someone will come along and provide you with the best advice we can give.
Also they should also give you a link to dietdoctor.com, which is a valuable resource for starting low carb.
The reasons for the meds is because your blood glucose levels were very high which you have done well to get down, but you need to test at the right time, which means testing pre meal, then two hours after. And if your two hour reading is over two mmols above the pre meal reading then something in that meal is causing the higher than usual levels. Keep a food diary.
Glicizide is a blood glucose lowering drug , so be careful that when you get into near normal blood glucose levels, you might go too low.
Metformin is a usual drug to give to T2s, as it is good at protecting your organs especially your liver.
Statins! You don't have to have them, it's use should be for those who have had heart problems, not for cholesterol. But it's your choice, and beware of side effects of all meds.
If you do decide to go low carb. You should be lowering your carbs slowly and be making sure you don't eat too much, and do a little bit of exercise each day, even just walking. Be easy on yourself.
If you need a question answered, do please ask.
That is why we are here and of course we have been where you are now, and lived to tell the story. Wishing you do to.

Keep safe.
 
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ianf0ster

Moderator
Staff Member
Messages
2,399
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
exercise, phone calls
Hi @Sarah Jane H and welcome to the forum.
I won't add to what has already been said, except to say that I agree with it.
There is nobody actually standing over you making you take particular medication. Many people get their Type 2 diabetes into remission without needing any diabetes medication at all (or Statins for that matter).
They say that they prescribe statins because people with Type 2 are at higher risk of heart disease, but one of the possible side effects of statins is to raise Blood Glucose . So if you are only at risk because of Diabetes and you are managing your diabetes down into eventual remission and normal BG levels - then there is no additional heart disease risk because diabetes is no longer a factor!

I'm not saying that statins are bad, just that even after a 3x Coronary Artery Bypass, once I changed to a low carb way of eating to get my BG normal, I didn't see that point of taking them (which my GP accepts). My risk factors for the stronger associations with heart disease have improved a great deal - its only the weakest association (LDL) that doesn't look so good, but both my HDL and my Triglycerides have improved tremendously.
 

Widgets

Well-Known Member
Messages
283
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
I feel I need to be in control I asked if I could do low carb and he said we are not there Yet!

You don't need permission from a doctor/other medic to do low carb. With the caveat that, as @Lamont D said above, with the glucose lowering medication you're on you need to be aware of you levels dropping too low (hypo), there is nothing stopping you now eating lower carb.

There is lots of information on this site @JoKalsbeek has a great blog entry about the basics for type-2 diabetics and food choices. You have a meter, test your levels and be careful. You don't need to do the very very low carb that some people on here do.

I am a big fan of 'my body, my science project'. Do some reading, ask questions on here, keep an eye on your numbers, I am sure that you'll be able to improve the results and not need to be on the medication escalator.
 

JoKalsbeek

Expert
Messages
5,937
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Good day. I am recently diagnosed. All a bit of a blur. Blood test 31st August phone call 1st September HbA1c 148. I only went as I had a rash on my ankle and a water infection! first prescription Glyclazide 30mg slow release. 2nd September met nurse to learn how to do blood test. Reading of 21.6. 16th September doctors to check progress testing twice a day range 21.6 to lowest 14.2. Not good enough but carry on. 22nd September on line diabetic course. 1st October doctor upped medication to 60mg and introduced statins non negotiable. My readings range 16 to 9.9. Upped my brisk excersie as advised, and started the 100 miles for diabetes. 3rd November next follow up range 11 to 9 I was happy as getting more stable again not good enough so I started testing more often now I realise I can monitor effect food and exercise is having and even lack of sleep. Numbers now between 10.5 and 8.5 which I feel is progress but he is talking about adding Metamorphine when I asked why I got its a standard for diabetes. I feel I need to be in control I asked if I could do low carb and he said we are not there Yet! But if we needed I can do the NHS diet course. I have full blood test 17th November and another consultation 19th. Not expecting great results in less than 3 months and feel I am going to end up on more medication. Why is he only interested in am and pm numbers? This week I have been between 9,8 and 7.2 so I see this as more progress in the right direction, yes I have tried lowering carbs. Sorry for long post but felt the need to get it off my chest.
Hello @Sarah Jane H ,

As others said, you could try low carbing, just please test your heart out as you do. I was on gliclazide and didn't realise combining it with low carb could cause hypo's, which it did. (My endo swore it couldn't happen. Guess she never read the leaflet. Didn't believe my meter's low readings either. Thankfully my GP did get clued in and took me off of all meds.) Hypo's are very unpleasant and downright scary, so.... Keep a meter handy, and always have plenty of strips, maybe some dextro on hand if things get too low. If you do dip into hypo territory, it's high time to adjust your medication. Okay? You're headed in the right direction and your HbA1c won't be as astronomical as where you started, but in my personal opinion it'd be better if that can be achieved without (too much) medication. A pancreas can get worn out by gliclazide and you want to avoid that, if at all possible.

Anyway, https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/the-nutritional-thingy.2330/ might help you with the low carbing some, and how to test around meals effectively. Please take good care of yourself, and you will be alright.

One more thing: The people offering advice on here are usually experienced diabetics. Then there's the medical professionals, some of whom are up to date on the latest methods, some are basically living in the dark ages. And wahey, there's a whole world out there on Google that'll tell you this or that is right or absolutely lethal. If at any point you feel overwhelmed with all the conflicting information you're getting, trust in your meter. It will tell you whether something is working for you, or isn't. What works for one may not for another (Like, I can't have pulses, but there's people here who can), so... You find out what is right for you. Test. Test. Test some more. It won't try to sell you anything or convince you of some dietary dogma. It'll just let you know how your blood sugars are responding, which is knowledge you can actually use to make things so, so much better.

Hugs,
Jo
 

Mrs T 123

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,800
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello & Welcome @Sarah Jane H Yes I agree with you, you are making progress in the right direction (well done you!) you have already been given some excellent advice and jo's nutritional thingy is a good guide for you. We are not able to give medical advice on here but for me I refused medication from the start and keep my diabetes controlled through diet & exercise - have a look at my journey in my signature. It is doable for some and luckily it was for me. Any questions ask away everyone here is very friendly, approachable and knowledgable. You are not on your own with this ...
 
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Sarah Jane H

Newbie
Messages
4
Hi @Sarah Jane H and welcome to the forum.
I won't add to what has already been said, except to say that I agree with it.
There is nobody actually standing over you making you take particular medication. Many people get their Type 2 diabetes into remission without needing any diabetes medication at all (or Statins for that matter).
They say that they prescribe statins because people with Type 2 are at higher risk of heart disease, but one of the possible side effects of statins is to raise Blood Glucose . So if you are only at risk because of Diabetes and you are managing your diabetes down into eventual remission and normal BG levels - then there is no additional heart disease risk because diabetes is no longer a factor!

I'm not saying that statins are bad, just that even after a 3x Coronary Artery Bypass, once I changed to a low carb way of eating to get my BG normal, I didn't see that point of taking them (which my GP accepts). My risk factors for the stronger associations with heart disease have improved a great deal - its only the weakest association (LDL) that doesn't look so good, but both my HDL and my Triglycerides have improved tremendously.
Thank you for takinging time to respond I am preparing for next conversation and hopefully feel more confident
 

Sarah Jane H

Newbie
Messages
4
You don't need permission from a doctor/other medic to do low carb. With the caveat that, as @Lamont D said above, with the glucose lowering medication you're on you need to be aware of you levels dropping too low (hypo), there is nothing stopping you now eating lower carb.

There is lots of information on this site @JoKalsbeek has a great blog entry about the basics for type-2 diabetics and food choices. You have a meter, test your levels and be careful. You don't need to do the very very low carb that some people on here do.

I am a big fan of 'my body, my science project'. Do some reading, ask questions on here, keep an eye on your numbers, I am sure that you'll be able to improve the results and not need to be on the medication escalator.
Ma y thanks for Info so glad I posted.
 
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