I have been on Metformin for 6 weeks now after being diagnosed a type 2 diabetic. I have in 6 weeks lost a total of 1st 9lb in weight. I am a long time asthma sufferer. My GP moved me to the slow release Metformin about 7 days ago so the stomach pains I was getting before seemed to have gone. I am finding I am still every tired, poor concentration, blurry vision ( had eyes tested) and sometime I get sweaty. I rarely feel thirsty and I am not weeing much during the day or getting up in the night. My Vitamin D is non existent and my Iron levels are low. I am finding all this and a full time job in management a lot to deal with and find myself getting upset or crying at the drop of a hat. I am finding it hard when I need to take steroids for my asthma. I am aware of the side affects on my blood sugar. I just want to start feeling better not just a blubbering mess!!
Like lots of people who are suddenly faced with diabetes of any kind, I get good days, not so good days and every now and again get depressed. Until very recently I was the director of a large organisation and worked long hours. So then with being diabetic, how to make the time for taking charge of it.
One step at a time I think.
If you have lost that much weight in 6 weeks then well done, as long as it's weight that needs to be lost.
My doctor gave me the simplest of explanations about the benefits of weight loss - "all the cells in your body need insulin so the fewer cells you have, the more you insulin each cell can grab". Bit simplistic but it works for me.
Huge numbers of the UK population are low in vitamin D - get a supplement and talk to your GP about increasing iron levels. You might though be able to do that with iron rich foods (dark green stuff etc).
I have 2 inhalers - a brown one and a blue one (keeping it simple) and have 2 puffs of each twice a day uisng a little tube - bit of a ****** but I breathe better. They don't seem to cause me problems with blood sugars but maybe I'm too lazy to check.
Like lots of people who are suddenly faced with diabetes of any kind, I get good days, not so good days and every now and again get depressed.
Three things helped me along the way:
Changing what I ate .I am on a low carb high fat diet and have lost 3 stone
Buying a monitor and checking my blood to figure out what food stuffs not to eat.
Walking a lot. I now only use my car if the journey is over 2 miles each way or I have a lot of shopping to do.
Because of my work patterns I am now in the habit of getting up at 6am, drinking a glass of water and going out for a walk. Usually 3 miles but any walk will do.
It's then done - off to work.
Force the lunch break - go for a walk.
Bit of a ramble but just what I did. As others have suggested. Get a monitor, find out how to use it to check your fasting BG and before and after eating - it puts you in charge.
Good luck.
