High sugars - help please!

Rudyard

Well-Known Member
Messages
82
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I'm a long term T2 - diagnosed just before my 40th Birthday (I've just turned 50) a few months before my Mum died of diabetic complications... I've always been on the high-side - I think my lowest reading was about a 5, after a lot of hard work! Now I'm three stones lighter, 14.5 St, I stand at work - I'm office bound, but still try to be a little bit more active during the day, but, and here's the rub, my bloods are now averaging 15 - I'm in danger, I know I am. The thing is, we eat really well - I cook fresh food all the while, never processed foods. Last night was aubergines with a greek inspired sauce and grilled sardines. I do like a drink - both wine and beers. My meds of metphormin don't seem to touch the diabetes and I'm starting to get really quite depressed by all this. What more can I do? Has my pancreas given up the ghost? Help, please...?
 

azure

Expert
Messages
9,780
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
@Rudyard I've started a new thread for you so you can get help with your specific problems from other Type 2s.

Are you sugars high all the time, or worse at particular times of the day? Have you spoken to your doctor or nurse about them, and, if so, have they made any suggestions?

Well done on the weight loss :)
 

Catlady19

Well-Known Member
Messages
644
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
How long have they been raised for? Have you been unwell or under any stress? My doc said if I go above 16 on a regular basis I should get an appointment.
Yes, very well done on the 3st!! ;)
 

Rudyard

Well-Known Member
Messages
82
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Thanks for the thread opening... No, as the Dr, though the practice specialist, is all about the medication, rather than me doing something... Catch-22, eh? I eat low carb (mostly). I've just scored 20 and that's after a brisk lunchtime walk! I had home-made pork ribs with a sauce made of tomato sauce, soy sauce, minced challot & garlic and sweetened with agarve nectar - brown rice packed with oyster mushrooms, red pappers and pak choy... I've drunk coffee in the morning and water since I got to work... It DEPRESSES me that I seem to try and do something that doesn't seem to work. The diabetic nurse says oh, just try and cut down your carbs - They're pared right back - I have omelette or I have sourdough bread for toast. The white elephant in the room that I refuse to consider is my drinking... I forgot to say, in response,. Catlady, I've probably been raised for the last 10 years - recently regularly over 15...
 

dawnmc

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,431
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Hmm, you say you have cut back on carbs...but rice is a no-no, agave syrup is sugar (carbs) and bread even sourdough is a game changer, its still wheat. Sooo pasta, rice, potato, flour etc are carbs we don't really need.
 
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Catlady19

Well-Known Member
Messages
644
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Catlady, I've probably been raised for the last 10 years - recently regularly over 15...[/QUOTE]

Oh I see, I asked because I had a chest infection and cold 4 weeks ago and my bg is still over 10 most of the time no matter how good my diet is. Doctor said to just be patient and that it can take quite a while to go down. It's all so exhausting and worrying :banghead:
 

notned

Well-Known Member
Messages
163
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Diabetes, cirrhosis, lymphoma, acronyms, green celery (because it's lazy), those computer programs that nag you night after night to download them and then, when you do, present reams of conditions and threats for you to accept before they'll run. DVDs that start with 5 minutes of threats - if I'd pirated it, then I'd surely leave those out.
Watch out for the sauces too. I eat a lot of salads and recently bought a delicious salad dressing. The second time I used it I weighed it - to find that the carbs from the dressing were more than those in the rest of the meal put together and that meal included strawberries and cream!
 
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Rudyard

Well-Known Member
Messages
82
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
The only thing is, the rice I had was the first time I've had any in months, I've discovered butternut squash, which I can fry, or roast with plenty of garlic and rosemary, I eat plenty of veggies. I had sourdough for breakfast the other day. The rest of the time I'm eating omelettes, or an apple and some cheese for breakfast. We eat kale, savoy cabbage, butternut squash, carrots, celeriac, broccoli, leeks, cauliflower - they're even from the really fabulous farm shop from down the road.... We don't eat processed food and the added salt and sugar content of our food is low...

Last night's supper was aubergine with a Greek inspired tomato sauce made with shallots, garlic, a tin of toms and some herbs, with grilled sardines - this morning my sugars are still sky high.... This is the thing, I know there are problems with eating carbs, but not eating carbs doesn't seem to be bringing down my BG scores and this is frustrating and annoying and depressing!

Tonight we're having butcher's shop sausages (WILD boar... Wild? They were LIVID. Sorry), caramalised onions, garlic and a stack of kale. The onions may be a problem here. I'll do my partner beef-dripping chips (I wash the chips before pan roasting them in beef dripping, another treat and I'll have some of them) - BUT I won't be eating loads and I'm hacked off and depressed which makes me want to eat... And I seem to be in a terrible circle that I cannot seem to get out of...
 

Rudyard

Well-Known Member
Messages
82
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Notned - we don't buy sauces - I tend to make them, as I've never really liked not knowing what I eat - My Dad was a chef. I love to cook, I relax by cooking - Infuriate my partner with the pan use, sometimes though!!!
 
A

Avocado Sevenfold

Guest
@Rudyard I used to love butternut squash, but my meter tells me it is not a good idea for me anymore. That is the idea of using a meter. Try something, test, decide to keep it, bin it or reduce the portion. Some people tolerate certain foods more than others.

I hate to say it, but I have to agree with your nurse. If you are getting high numbers while eating bread, rice, nectar, chips and beer, then obviously something (or all of them) does not agree with you. You will have to use your meter to guide you and make more suitable food choices if you don't want to go down the extra medication road. Good luck.
 

dawnmc

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,431
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Its so hard isn't it!!! You sound as though you are doing it right, and folk come up with ideas as to why you are doing it wrong. But sounds as though you are doing your bestest haha.
How long have you been low carbing?, do you have an infection/stress? Are you doing any exercise? Are you drinking enough water?
Another idea is to take a tbls of Braggs cider vinegar in a glass of water to de-alkalise the blood.
 

jane12

Well-Known Member
Messages
57
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Thanks for the thread opening... No, as the Dr, though the practice specialist, is all about the medication, rather than me doing something... Catch-22, eh? I eat low carb (mostly). I've just scored 20 and that's after a brisk lunchtime walk! I had home-made pork ribs with a sauce made of tomato sauce, soy sauce, minced challot & garlic and sweetened with agarve nectar - brown rice packed with oyster mushrooms, red pappers and pak choy... I've drunk coffee in the morning and water since I got to work... It DEPRESSES me that I seem to try and do something that doesn't seem to work. The diabetic nurse says oh, just try and cut down your carbs - They're pared right back - I have omelette or I have sourdough bread for toast. The white elephant in the room that I refuse to consider is my drinking... I forgot to say, in response,. Catlady, I've probably been raised for the last 10 years - recently regularly over 15...
Exercise can increase your bs temporarily due to increased adrenalin, when it comes down it should be a lot lower.

(Post edited by a moderator due to advice given being more relevant to a Type 1)
 
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Celeriac

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,065
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Well done on the weight loss !

Firstly, if you've been under the weather, that may still be effecting your BG. Secondly, your BG numbers will come down gradually providing that you DO low carb. I appreciate the fact that you are eating very little processed food and that's good.

Rice is not remotely low carb - basmati is over 77g carbohydrate per 100g, long-grain is 28g per 100g. Butternut squash is 12g carbs per 100g and onions are only 9g per 100g but sugar is a definite NO. Beer is also carby, and so are sweet wines and cream liqueurs. Bread of course, is also carby.

I would suggest using your meter to find out what spikes your BG and also suggest that you prioritise the veg which are least carby. You can find them easily online.
 

Etty

Well-Known Member
Messages
367
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
You don't seem to have much idea of what foods are high in carbohydrate. It's not about healthy veggies and exercise, it's just about the carbs. Have a look at the site above, and have a go.
 
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mfactor

Well-Known Member
Messages
389
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Your diet looks like mine was, my bloods were ok (metformin 2000mg) for the first few years (T2) even eating carbs and drinking wine and beer, but this summer i noticed my bloods were staying up between 12 and 20....... and getting some numbness in my toes

So I figured it had progressed so had to make a choice, so went LCHF about 8 weeks ago, and gave up drinking......

My bloods took a while but are now all within the good range......


So I guess thats the way to go for you, get your weight down to a good level (well done for losing the weight you have), give up the booze and then see where you are, then (as I plan to do) you can see what you can safely bring back in , (a drink on the weekend , spuds with sunday lunch etc).............
 

Rudyard

Well-Known Member
Messages
82
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Catlady, I've probably been raised for the last 10 years - recently regularly over 15...

Oh I see, I asked because I had a chest infection and cold 4 weeks ago and my bg is still over 10 most of the time no matter how good my diet is. Doctor said to just be patient and that it can take quite a while to go down. It's all so exhausting and worrying :banghead:[/QUOTE]
hmmm..... isn't this just sugar coated onions!

I've cooked the onions really slowly, so isn't the sugar element expressed in the caramalised onions simply the sugar in the onions, cooked..? What I'm asking are these sugars as bad as eating Pizza or are they more complex carbohydrates?

Diabetes is complex and I recognise this. Our bodies respond in different ways... But how does MY body react?
 

jane12

Well-Known Member
Messages
57
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Its not sugar that's the problem it's carbs overall. You need to learn to work out the carb content of your food , I use the My Fitness Pal app, As well as counting calories it works out the carb content of your food, by weight, so you will have to weigh everything. This way you can easily find the best low carb food for you.
 

Daibell

Master
Messages
12,642
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi. If you really are keeping the carbs way down then you need to consider the possibility of a wrong diagnosis of T2 when you may be late onset T1 as I was. Do discuss this with the GP. Ask for Gliclazide as well as the Metformin (I had to suggest that to my diabetes specialist GP!). There are two tests the GP should could arrange.
 

jane12

Well-Known Member
Messages
57
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi. If you really are keeping the carbs way down then you need to consider the possibility of a wrong diagnosis of T2 when you may be late onset T1 as I was. Do discuss this with the GP. Ask for Gliclazide as well as the Metformin (I had to suggest that to my diabetes specialist GP!). There are two tests the GP should could arrange.
if this was late onset type 1 if the correct treatment wasn't give Within a couple of weeks of the first symptoms appearing then rudyard would be extremely ill as was my experience. When I finally got admitted to hospital I was hours from death despite being dig nosed as t2 just a fortnight before.