Is retinopathy & progression to Insulin inevitable for Type 2 diabetics?

[DavidGrahamJones]

"On average, people with Type 2 diabetes will need to start taking insulin seven years after diagnosis."

In a word "No". In the 14 years that I followed the doctors advice, my condition worsened I was taking Metformin, Gliclazide and Januvia and as being told that I should take Insulin. Three years ago I reduced my carbs in an effort to lose weight and was able to throw away the Gliclazide and Januvia and never had to take insulin. I have no signs of retinopothy.

 

[Nariman_]

All those predictions are based on diabetics who have followed NHS guidelines, or have eaten carbs regularly, as is widely advised by their medical professionals.

I was told I would be diabetic in 2 years, in my 20s.
Ended up by holding out til my mid 40s - by low carbing.

Now I AM T2, and very low carbing, plus fat, I reckon even if things do progress, they are going to be much much slower than the NHS predictions suggest.

Diabetic complications develop at different speeds in different people, but there is a heck of a lot we can do to help ourselves, and for T2s that is mainly down to diet and blood glucose control. Some exercise. Some meds.

Have a read of www.bloodsugar101.com and you will see analysis of studies showing that if blood glucose is lowered to normal levels (non-D levels) the incidence of complications plummets - to that of a normal person. For that reason I have a goal to never let my BG rise above 7. Doesn't always happen, but it is a FINE goal!

Edited: to add the italics in the first sentence, cos, lets face it, how many people actually DO follow NHS guidelines?

That's amazing you developed diabetes after 20 years. Very inspiring. Could you tell the mystery of your success?

 

[Brunneria]

That's amazing you developed diabetes after 20 years. Very inspiring. Could you tell the mystery of your success?

Thank you, but no mystery really. I have always been really sensitive to carbs, and they make me feel rough and gain fluid retention at the drop of a slice of toast.

So I had already started to eat fewer car by foods by my late teens - lc and starvation have been the only two diets that ever allowed me to lose weight. By my 20s I was low carb most of the time, with the odd, spectacular carb binge, that lasted hours, weeks or even months!

It is only in the last few years that I think I know how to do it properly - and that is because of 3 things; this forum, eating to my meter and the info on the Internet.

 

[Dicky1]

Hi,
I have been a type 2 now for 35yrs and am still on tablets, so progression to insulin is not inevitable. Keep taking the tablets, be positive,and smile.
Regards Dicky 1

 

[Nariman_]

Thank you, but no mystery really. I have always been really sensitive to carbs, and they make me feel rough and gain fluid retention at the drop of a slice of toast.

So I had already started to eat fewer car by foods by my late teens - lc and starvation have been the only two diets that ever allowed me to lose weight. By my 20s I was low carb most of the time, with the odd, spectacular carb binge, that lasted hours, weeks or even months!

It is only in the last few years that I think I know how to do it properly - and that is because of 3 things; this forum, eating to my meter and the info on the Internet.

Hi and thanks for your detailed response. It's interesting for me to know if it was difficult for you to keep up with the disease over 20 years?

 

[Brunneria]

Hi and thanks for your detailed response. It's interesting for me to know if it was difficult for you to keep up with the disease over 20 years?

Sorry, but I am not really sure what you are asking?
I think when you are in the middle of something (any kind of chronic condition) you just deal with it on a daily basis.

So I just avoided the things that disagreed with me, and tried not to repeat the high carb mistakes too often.

I did notice that things changed a lot in my 30s. My body became much less resilient to carbs, and put on weight much more easily. I just decided it was 'getting older'. When it got worse again, in my 40s, I think that was when I became a type 2 diabetic.

 

[melvyn27]

LCHF diet best for taking control of your BS. Not too heavy on the fats to loose weight. Now got my Sleep Apnea under control which has lowered my blood pressure and my BS (surprising what happens to your body with a good nights REM sleep!!). In 2016, need to loose weight around my middle and fat from my pancreas to got towards my self treatment of my illness.
Finally, take with a pinch of salt all the media hype about T2 designed to scare people into taking cost free action for themselves. Conveniently forgetting that this disease has mental as well as physical implications. The medical profession have very little understanding of the illness and are just floundering around in the dark. They treat everyone the same and give no credence to genetic treatment of individuals. We are all different and our bodies react in many ways. Start treating the individuals, no one size fits all with this disease!!!

 

[AtkinsMo]

My father was diagnosed T1 in the 30s. I think in those days the basic treatment was low carb diet and as small doses of animal insulin as possible. Despite all the changing advice, my father stuck to the way that he had been taught as a young man to manage his diabetes for all of his life. He often used to say that the diabetic nurses / consultants had no idea what they were talking about. He died in his 80's, having been diabetic for more than 60 years, with virtually no 'diabetic side effects' but all his life he had had the occasional hypo, because he kept his blood sugars low, and for the first 40 years + there was no BG monitoring. My brother was diagnosed in the 60s, he has consistently kept his blood sugars higher, fear of hypo's, losing his driving licence etc etc being driving factors - he was of the generation told to eat what they want and medicate to deal with it. He is now 70 (having been diabetic 50+ years) and is having problems with eyes and feet.
I was pre-diabetic, went immediately onto LCHF and my HbA1c now completely normal, all BG totally normal. My thought is, ignore mainstream medicine, monitor effects of all food on BG, if they won't give you a monitor buy one on Amazon and the strips. You have to go it alone and use your common sense. Keep your carbs below 20g a day and you are virtually certain to reverse t2 diabetes, it's that easy. And Dr Richard Bernstein (Google him) is awesome.

 

[Romeran]

Reading all this a little late but I was diagnosed with T2 17 years ago and have no complications at the age of 87. ( yes, you do still care (!) but probably more accepting). I have, however, taken it seriously as it was a big shock when I found myself in hospital not realising what I had wrong with me. Being retired undoubtedly helps and I increased exercise by joining a walking group, very enjoyable. I also massage my feet regularly to keep the blood flowing well. I've practised yoga for 40 years. I can't keep up with classes now but try to breathe deeply and do a few stretches first thing 2 or 3 days a week, every little helps I think. I knew someone of 90 who still kept to her diabetic target of 7 and she was fit and interested in life. The "sinners" it seems to me are those whose social life has always included regular drinking, they reduce it a little but not enough and then "trust to luck!" Having said this, I do wonder how the low-carb people manage during the winter. I get so hungry if I reduce my one-third of the meal carb portion. I have no gall bladder too so can easily upset my stomach with too much fat.

 

[AtkinsMo]

Rime ran, that is an awesome story, good on you, and of course, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, just keep doing what you are doing, it works for you.

But to answer your question, 'why no hunger?' - the answer is you don't need to eat less, you just eat different. I typically replace the 'carb' element of a meal with vegetables. Cheesy cauliflower mash is an excellent substitute for mashed potatoes, sliced aubergines or sliced courgette works well instead of pasta sheets, shredded cabbage instead of spaghetti, grated cauliflower, stir fried with chopped onions, cumin, coriander and garlic makes a fabulous stir fried 'rice' substitute - (and much richer in nutrients) and when you've eliminated sugars and complex carbs and associated peaks and troughs of glucose / insulin, you eliminate hunger, simple!

 

[AtkinsMo]

Rime ran, that is an awesome story, good on you, and of course, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, just keep doing what you are doing, it works for you.

But to answer your question, 'why no hunger?' - the answer is you don't need to eat less, you just eat different. I typically replace the 'carb' element of a meal with vegetables. Cheesy cauliflower mash is an excellent substitute for mashed potatoes, sliced aubergines or sliced courgette works well instead of pasta sheets, shredded cabbage instead of spaghetti, grated cauliflower, stir fried with chopped onions, cumin, coriander and garlic makes a fabulous stir fried 'rice' substitute - (and much richer in nutrients) and when you've eliminated sugars and complex carbs and associated peaks and troughs of glucose / insulin, you eliminate hunger, simple!

Sorry Romeran, my autocorrect changed your name!

 

[Alisonjane10]

How inspiring to learn how people, who have had diabetes for decades, are still complication free & are medication only or are completely med free. Clearly statistics are just that...numbers that make no real account of progressing knowledge in medicine or diabetes management. I know I'll be okay doing as I'm doing now. And, should I ever need to use insulin, or develop diabetes related complications, I'll manage that as best as I can too. Such is life.

 

[Alzebra]

Thank you so very much for sharing this @Celeriac . I was told I had mild background diabetic retinopathy in January and it scared the beejeezus out of me. I would sooner lose both feet to diabetes than go blind (though preferably neither!). My next eye screening is due around Christmas and I'm really hoping my weight loss and improved HbA1c will have a positive effect. Interestingly my optician just reduced my prescription for short-sightedness and told me my eyesight has improved

Really excited to update this thread with the news that my screening result this year has come back completely clear, so whatever damage I had last year has been reversed thanks to LCHF

 

[Clivethedrive]

How inspiring to learn how people, who have had diabetes for decades, are still complication free & are medication only or are completely med free. Clearly statistics are just that...numbers that make no real account of progressing knowledge in medicine or diabetes management. I know I'll be okay doing as I'm doing now. And, should I ever need to use insulin, or develop diabetes related complications, I'll manage that as best as I can too. Such is life.

Staisticaly speaking...six of the seven dwarves aren't happy...

 

[Chook]

Staisticaly speaking...six of the seven dwarves aren't happy...