Shock

Nobby dog

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Type 2
i have just even diagnosed and am in shock, I have had no help from my doctors, I stopped taking Metformin because of the side effects,tried getting an appointment waited 2 weeks to be told,it's not my department,waiting another 2 weeks for nurses appointment,
Metformin side effects are so terrible and dismissed,the doctors treated me like an idiot,I was so cross,they need education on how diabetes effects people,I have been doing the diet as in Dr Michael Moselys book and it is good,I am now wondering if I should forget the metformin and doctors,all they want is the money
 

chalup

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,745
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Hi and welcome to the forum. I am sorry you are going through this. One suggestion is to ask your doctor for extended release metformin. Many people find that it has far fewer side effects. I will tag @daisy1 to send you some information that all newcomers receive. It is well worth a good read. Stick with the forum and ask any questions you have, these are a great bunch of folks.
 
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Engineer88

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,130
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
What are your blood sugar readings like? do you really need it? If you low carb you may find you can do without...
 

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@Nobby dog

Hello Nobby dog and welcome to the forum :) Here is the basic information we give to new members and I hope you will find it helpful. It contains a lot of advice on carbs and includes a link to the Low Carb Program which you might like to try. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 220,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
 

Liam1955

Master
Messages
10,964
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Anti-Gay People, Self Centre People, Two Faced People and Bad Language.
@Nobby dog - Hi :). Why not go and see another GP? The standard Metformin does cause stomach problems for some people, but it usually settles after a few weeks. Always take the Metformin with or just after food and drink plenty of water too. Never take it on an empty stomach - as it will cause stomach upsets. I would try going back on it and start with 1 tablet and then slowly introduce another and so on. :)
 

MikePea

Well-Known Member
Messages
160
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Garlic
Liam1955 Gives good advice, but seeing another GP can be difficult. I did exactly as he says and it worked for me.. Now I do not need metformin and can control my BG by diet. Low Carb works for so many it is worth giving it a try. Have a go, and good luck.:cat:
 
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Mep

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,461
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
welcome @Nobby dog - sorry to hear you're having a tough time on the metformin.

Hopefully you can control your diabetes with diet if you're newly diagnosed. I did that myself for 7 years without medication. I think sometimes docs are too quick to put people on meds. Metformin doesn't dramatically reduce your sugar levels anyhow in my experience. I was on metformin for 5 years and tried all the dosages and both versions. Maybe try the diet adjustments to see if that helps first and see how you go. Of course keep your doc informed and don't let them push you into being on meds if it isn't necessary. Was there are reason why you were put on metformin straight off? eg. was your sugar way too high? They should at least give you a good 3 months or more to try and achieve a lower hbA1c for yourself by changing your diet and exercising. Diabetes is a journey and you get your good and bad days... but the average blood sugars hopefully will head in the right direction for you. I wish you the best. :)