Hi I’ve joined as I’d like to have some advice

[Rebheidi]

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 11 months ago and was told by diabetic nurse to try and bring my blood sugar down with diet and lifestyle, my HBa1c was 48 at the time
I was told that they didn’t need to see me for 12 months unless I had any symptoms appear
So 11 months on, following their advice through diet and lifestyle changes I contacted then as I’m going to the toilet at least 5 times in the night , feel very fatigued and thirsty all the while , I was told to go for a blood test , my HBa1c has risen to 54 but the diabetic nurse had said that no action is required,
Is this normal ? Am I wrong to think that I should be offered medication or am I worring with out cause

 

[Rachox]

Hi @Rebheidi and welcome to the forum. Can I ask how you modified your diet 11 months ago? Dietary advice from the NHS isn’t always helpful for type 2 diabetics. I and many others have had huge success with eating a low carb diet.

 

[Rebheidi]

Hi thank you for your reply , I started to look at my carbs ,and eliminate refined sugars from my diet . so I’ve swapped white potatoes for sweet potatoes, and white bread for wholemeal etc , trying to eat more leafy greens and lean cuts of meat cutting out processed foods and watching portions
I’ve also started going for walks more

 

[grantg]

I wouldnt say getting up several times to goto the loo a night is normal.

I was up umpteen times a night to goto loo although DSN was not concerned diabetes wise (they have access to my BG readings both fingerprick and cgm data) she suggested that i contact the GP who in turn asked for a urine sample which was sent away to lab. Had a UTI which was treated, now up less for loo Take a look at the following chart: https://www.nss.nhs.scot/media/2459/6_healthy-pee-colour-chart_march22-002.pdf that tells you a little about hydration levels and pee colour. If problem persists would ensure to let your GP know.

 

[Rebheidi]

Hi ive had my urine tested along with a full blood count / analysis, all came back normal apart from my hbac1 which had gone from 48 to 54
I’m concerned that I should be on meds ?
But the nurse has said no action required

 

[Rebheidi]

I’m just wondering if it’s normal not to be offers medication at this point , what are your thoughts?
Would appreciate any feedback as feeling really stressed about it

 

[Lakeslover]

Whether or not you are offered treatment does depend on your gP practice. But it isn’t unusual to be asked to try lifestyle changes first.

I am wondering if you have been given any information on carbs (not sugars) and how they affect your blood sugar? For example sweet potatoes have more carbs than normal potato, both are likely to raise your blood sugar, but sweet potatoes will most likely raise it a little more. There is only 1g of carbs difference between a medium slice of wholemeal and a medium slice of white bread. Both are likely to raise your blood sugar.

This is a good guide to using diet to control your diabetes developed by a doctors practice. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/

Have you thought about purchasing a blood sugar meter and testing to see which meals are increasing your blood sugar?

 

[Melgar]

I’m just wondering if it’s normal not to be offers medication at this point , what are your thoughts?
Would appreciate any feedback as feeling really stressed about it

@Rebheidi The one thing that throws some light on dietary changes is that your body converts all carbohydrates into sugars. Although cutting out sweet sugary foods is great, carbohydrates also get converted to sugars.

So Whole grain bread , or whole grain anything , brown rice , healthy choice cereals, foods we think of as healthier choices, in fact, are still high in carbohydrates and will be turned to sugar by our body. Sad but true. So that whole grain lettuce and cheese sandwich may well put your blood sugars up from the bread alone.Then there are the hidden carbs, flour is a big one. Products containing corn is another one, whether corn flour or corn syrup. Adding flour to anything puts up the carbs and thus your blood sugars. It’s the carbohydrates you need to keep an eye on , not just sweet stuff.

As for going on drugs such as metformin, most GP’s want you to make dietary changes first. It’s the same here in Canada. Without making dietary changes the chances of your diabetes progressing, may well increase. So that is why there is a push towards diet / lifestyle changes.

 

[EllieM]

I’m just wondering if it’s normal not to be offers medication at this point , what are your thoughts?
Would appreciate any feedback as feeling really stressed about it

There's nothing wrong with medication if you need it, but it quite often leads to a long term progression of meds. So if you can get your bg down with dietary and lifestyle intervention then that is preferable. (Though not necessarily to everyone. My T2 cousin loves his carbs and is happy to be on insulin. There are multiple ways to treat T2 diabetes and people's metabolisms vary.)

I second the suggestion that you get a meter and see how your blood sugar is reacting to the food you eat. Then you can make an informed decision about dietary changes and also tell if your levels are getting too high. ( Hba1cs give an average over the last 3 months, and can be inaccurate for a few people. )

Are your current symptoms fairly recent and have you experienced any sudden weight loss? Did they do any tests other than an hba1c? eg urine tests or a blood glucose test?

 

[Resurgam]

Hi thank you for your reply , I started to look at my carbs ,and eliminate refined sugars from my diet . so I’ve swapped white potatoes for sweet potatoes, and white bread for wholemeal etc , trying to eat more leafy greens and lean cuts of meat cutting out processed foods and watching portions
I’ve also started going for walks more

I sometimes do get despondent when I read how badly some people are advised.
Reducing carbohydrate intake can really make a huge difference for a type 2 if there is nothing else going on which is more interesting, but sweet potato is not low carb, wholemeal bread likewise, unrefined sugars are no better - lean cuts of meat don't have the fats required to replace the carbs we don't need, processing doesn't make food bad for us as far as I can tell - unless it is high in carbs of course.
I actually started eating more when I was diagnosed - because the problem was carbohydrates and once they were reduced metabolism could start to recover, energy levels rose, activity increased automatically. I even started to do housework without having to force myself out of my chair.