I really need some help

[fiona35]

Apologies fir the long post!
So I haven't posted on here for years, real life got in the way and I just bumbled along with my diabetes, whilst my HBA1C went up, and up!!
My mum died late last year and I'm still adjusting to that, but I know deep down I need to try and do something about my rising sugars!

Anyway to cut a long story short, I suffer from Idiopathic Anaphylaxis ( that was diagnosed in the last 10 years and hasn't gone away!) so they keep changing my diabetic medicines to see what I can tolerate, hence I now at the moment take metformin x 4 each day, and 4 gliclazide 80g each day. They are saying that I will have to go onto Insulin, which I would like to try and avoid.
My latest HBA1C was 67%, and my average BG readings are never below 11 either before or after meals.

I've tried to Low carb without much success, as I always end up with stomach ache, but find that I tolerate lower GI carbs better, I struggle to lose weight, and need to lose about 4 stone.

Typically this is what I eat at the moment, but its not working for the blood sugars, so has anyone got any suggestions as to what I could try?

Breakfast - 0% Total greek yogurt & raspberries, or I have overnight oats which is 2 tbsp. of oats, mixed with greek yogurt overnight and some berries, or it may be scrambled egg.
Lunch - Homemade quiche thing with no crust, or homemade soup, or some oatcakes with cheese, very occasionaly I will sink my teeth into a sandwich thin.
Dinner - Breaded fish ( I hate plain fish), chicken or meat, loads of vegetables and maybe a couple of new potatoes. Occasionally I'll have reduced sugar baked beans.

I do eat fruit sometimes between meals, but that's mainly apples or berries with some nuts or seeds.

I had a treat of some pineapple with almonds this afternoon, and 2 hrs later my blood sugars were 14.8!!

In the evening, I do have a nibble on either a couple of squares of dark chocolate, or it might a rich tea biscuit!!

Semi Skimmed milk spikes my blood sugars, but whole milk is tolerated better, don't know why.

If anyone could offer any help, I'd be really grateful.
Thank you

 

[NaijaChick]

Hello, first I am sort about your mum. Secondly do you have a meter? If not I would advise it. The are cheap ones called Codefree. Check your BSlevels 2hours after meals. I can not stress how this has helped when I’ve managed to do a finger prick. Oats are a no for me, send me into the 13 range. Also most people on here have said no to 0%fat products, the low carbs, high fat seems to be the thing. The breaded fish may also be a no along with the potatoes and the beans all high carbs. The best thing is to test and know what makes you spike. Exercise is also something worth considering, most area give Type2 free or reduced gym membership.Others will be along to give you more advice. Good luck

 

[Resurgam]

When you were eating low carb - what were the sorts of foods you were eating?
I'd certainly have the high readings you are seeing eating the high carb foods you are eating now, but I have not heard of stomach ache with low carb eating before.
I have heard of people having problems with their gall bladder - after eating low fat diets they have gall stones, so when they need to add bile to their food, the stones cause problems.

 

[fiona35]

When I ate low carb, typically breakfast was scrambled eggs with tomatoes & mushrooms, or full fat greek yogurt & berries, lunch was a salad, or sometimes soup, and in the evenings I had chicken/steak with loads of veg and some dark chocolate & nuts to nibble in the evening.
I could tolerate an apple during the day, and some berries with cream, but I used to find that I didn't have many toilet visits if you know what I mean, that bought on awful stomach pains, eventually the GP suggested IBS as well as Coeliac and to have some more fibre in my diet from wholegrain carbs, which seemed to help settle the stomach problem.

 

[Bluetit1802]

When I ate low carb, typically breakfast was scrambled eggs with tomatoes & mushrooms, or full fat greek yogurt & berries, lunch was a salad, or sometimes soup, and in the evenings I had chicken/steak with loads of veg and some dark chocolate & nuts to nibble in the evening.
I could tolerate an apple during the day, and some berries with cream, but I used to find that I didn't have many toilet visits if you know what I mean, that bought on awful stomach pains, eventually the GP suggested IBS as well as Coeliac and to have some more fibre in my diet from wholegrain carbs, which seemed to help settle the stomach problem.

Constipation can be a problem on a low carb diet, but it doesn't have to be. There are plenty of foods that will provide us with sufficient fibre such as raspberries, blackberries, avocados, sprouts, broccoli, flaxseed, chia seed etc. What you don't need are wholegrain carbs.

Personally, I sprinkle a generous amount of ground flaxseed on many of my meals and do this at least once a day. I have absolutely no bowel problems. It is also important to drink a lot of fluids. Water, tea, coffee are best.

 

[KathyCP]

Hi, welcome back to the forum, very sorry about your mother, and also that life feels so hard right now. i have to agree with Resurgam, my levels would be way up if i ate the high carb food that you eat fairly often, if i understand you correctly, i.e. oats, oatcakes, potatoes, baked beans. and i think fruit like pineapple really causes spikes, it's incredibly sweet. it also seems to me that you may be eating more than you need to - i know that we are accustomed to the idea of eating three meals a day, but unless we're doing heavy physical exercise, we are usually fine eating less than that. i was advised to leave 5 hours between meals, with no snacking, in order to give my body time to reset after eating. i having been doing that for nearly two years now, and i've found that on most days i've gradually cut out one meal as time has gone by, and i feel fine on it.

incidentally, as far as i understand, full fat yoghurt and milk is better for us than 0% or semi-skimmed, as the ratio of carbs to volume is lower in the former. also, the fat gives us energy on a lo-carb diet. i also think it is difficult to make drastic changes to our diets without our bodies reacting - so maybe it's a case of gently and gradually trying to change things so that your body has time to adapt. hope you find the help you need, good luck with it!

 

[LouWilk059]

It sounds like you were eating the right foods while low carbing. Lots of water will keep you regular. As for the tummy ache, were you maybe eating too much /before you were hungry? Oftentimes the need for water feels like hunger.