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Underweight T2, high HbA1c.

M

mwakelin

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
My 72 year old husband was diagnosed T2 about 10 years ago. He initially lost weight and is now nearly underweight but has lost muscle mass and strength over recent years, he also has leg cramps at night a few times a week. He plays competitive tennis all year round and cycles, he doesn't drnk alcohol or smoke. I've been unable to find any advice on how to gain control of the diabetes and put a bit of weight back on. Any ideas please?
 
mwakelin said:
My 72 year old husband was diagnosed T2 about 10 years ago. He initially lost weight and is now nearly underweight but has lost muscle mass and strength over recent years, he also has leg cramps at night a few times a week. He plays competitive tennis all year round and cycles, he doesn't drnk alcohol or smoke. I've been unable to find any advice on how to gain control of the diabetes and put a bit of weight back on. Any ideas please?
Click to expand...
Am I correct when I say your husband is on metformin and gliclazide? Metformin causes malabsorption of vitamin B12, which can cause muscle cramping/spasms, and if he's been on it for so long, I do hope his B12 levels have been checked throughout the years...? If not, it may be time to, and maybe get it back up through injections rather than putting tiny little pills down a deep massive well they can't possibly fill. You'll want a doc to order tests rather than just ordering some supplement off Holland and Barrett for this, I think, as B12 deficiency can have a rather large mental and physical impact ( https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-b12-deficiency-symptoms#other-signs ). Again, I don't know if he's been checked regularly for this, but it sounds an awful lot like B12 deficiency, these cramps and the weakening.

Has he tried a low carb, high fat diet? What has he been eating, if he's high in blood sugars but low in weight? Could well be he's been barking up the wrong tree far as food is concerned (I'm a little afraid he went high carb low fat instead of the other way around). Keep in mind that if he does start a low carb diet, gliclazide may cause hypo's. https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html may help clarify some things about a LCHF diet.

In any case... Test a lot. Test with a blood glucose meter at home to see what foods do what, -the previous link'll explain how to do so effectively- and get tests done at the GP's, to see where his vitamin levels are at. (Get D checked too, and maybe magnesium?). If he's that miserable and deteriorating, get help from people who can do more than tell you stuff on a forum. We'll gladly help in any way that we can, don't get me wrong, but I think you need a medical professional here. Also because not every weight loss is diabetes-related.

Good luck!
Jo
 
Hi Jo, thank you for your response. He's only ever been on Metformin and Gliclazide. We did change to low carb, but it's wavered, although we still try. His diabetic practitioner in general practice wants to increase his tablets, or even go to insulin, but having listened to some of Dr David Unwin and read Dr Jason Fung's book The Diabetic Code, I'm saying don't go there yet. The message of diabetes being a dietary imbalance and not a disease hasn't reached our diabetic practitioner yet. I wish I could talk to someone, who knows what they are talking about and are up to date, about my husband specifically, he doesn't fit the typical T2 picture.
Thank you.
 
mwakelin said:
Hi Jo, thank you for your response. He's only ever been on Metformin and Gliclazide. We did change to low carb, but it's wavered, although we still try. His diabetic practitioner in general practice wants to increase his tablets, or even go to insulin, but having listened to some of Dr David Unwin and read Dr Jason Fung's book The Diabetic Code, I'm saying don't go there yet. The message of diabetes being a dietary imbalance and not a disease hasn't reached our diabetic practitioner yet. I wish I could talk to someone, who knows what they are talking about and are up to date, about my husband specifically, he doesn't fit the typical T2 picture.
Thank you.
Click to expand...
There's a lot of different types of diabetes... Some are misdiagnosed as T2 because they look like it at first, and it presents the same way, but turn out to be a T1 variant as the pancreas' ability to produce insulin eventually runs out. I'm tagging @Antje77 in, maybe she can help.

If you're worried, try getting a GAD and C-peptide test done, see whether your husband may be misdiagnosed. They'll check for antibodies and such, if you have a feeling T2 may be wrong. Not all T2's are overweight, there is such a thing as TOFI (Thin outside, fat inside), with fat packed onto the liver and pancreas which isn't visible without a scan... But I have a feeling you've read up quite a bit since Fung and compatriots, and if your gut is telling you something's off... Get those tests done if you can get them wrangled, and as soon as possible. (I know, the NHS is a bit overtaxed, so not sure what is feasible and what isn't.)

He's got a good one in his corner. Hurray for caring spouses.
Hugs,
Jo
 
Is he eating enough protein? And has he considered resistance training - weights, bands or working against gravity?
 
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