More medication

Jillyfl

Well-Known Member
Messages
100
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Swimming
Yes, frustrating is a good word for the skinny diabetic experience. However, I must admit that nowadays I find some consolation in my newish willowy silhouette! Having spent most of my life wishing I could lose a few pounds, recklessly eating fried chicken skin and full fat cheese, not to mention double cream is quite an enjoyable novelty. I just wish I didn't feel so tired a lot of the time.
Gosh, you still feel tired?? I must say if feel really really well. I wonder why you still feel tired. I don’t know enough about all this to help you.....
 

Lally123

Well-Known Member
Messages
231
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
i was diagnosed in September 2018 with an hba1c of 66. I am 5foot 2inches and my weight was 54 kilos. I am now 47 kilos and painfully thin. I feel really well though and have been following the keto diet rigorously.

I am struggling to get my blood sugar levels down to 5,s and 6,s ( although they are sometimes). I am mostly at 6,s and 7,s with odd 8’s. I have a friend also diabetic and he eats normally, even eats cake and chocolate and his numbers are 7,s. He is on more medication than me. I am on 500mg of metformin twice a day. It doesn’t seem fair that I am very restricted in what I eat. I work with 2 people who are diabetic and they eat sandwiches and crisps for lunch ! Should I ask for more medication? How can I get my numbers down to “normal levels” when I really can’t change my diet any more. I also skip breakfast often because my morning sugars are too high for my liking. Or do I stick with it and see how I feel in 6 months and see where I am numbers wise?
I have just had a blood test to measure where I’m at as regards hba1c now 3 months after diagnosis. I don’t have my results yet.
Hi, I agree with others who say you may need to be tested for other types of diabetes. I was diagnosed with T2 a couple of years ago (can't believe how quickly the time has gone) and I did do keto but found it made my blood sugars way too erratic. Sometimes they would be up in the 20s with very few carbs. Ironically eating a bit more in the way of carbs stabilised them a bit but I was still running high. That coupled with a 13kg weight loss (I was 60 kg to start) encouraged my gp to send me for tests and consultant opinion. I was then rediagnosed with LADA about a year ago. Positive antibodies and low insulin levels. I do take meds but couple gliclazide with a lowish carb (100g or so) a day. Over the last few weeks I have noticed things becoming more erratic again but determined to manage with glic until I run out of road! Your story sounds similar to mine, I would definitely get myself checked out if I were you. Your weight loss and inability to get your sugars down sounds like more than insulin resistance.
 

Jillyfl

Well-Known Member
Messages
100
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Swimming
Like @Antje77 says, you could have a different type of diabetes.
What was the reason for being diagnosed as type 2?
There is a common misconception that type 1 is a “childhood disease”. However, more than half of people with type 1 are diagnosed over the age of 20. So age should not be a reason for type 2 diagnosis.
Furthermore, there is a belief you can only have type 1 if it is in you family. Again, this is not true.

I am not saying you definitely have type 1 (I am not a doctor) but, if you do not see improvements with your BG, it could be worth asking to get your type 2 diagnosis confirmed I don’t know how long to suggest but the 6 months of Keto you suggest may be too long if you have been misdiagnosed.

Keep an eye on your BG, fingers crossed for the 6 month remission but if you see your BG continue to climb, revisit your doctor.
I have been diagnosed with heart failure but they tested me for all sorts until I found out, and diabetes was one of them....
 

Jillyfl

Well-Known Member
Messages
100
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Swimming
If you have read any of JR's books or visited her website https://www.bloodsugar101.com you will know that she cites reams of research to back up everything she says. Unfortunately her website doesn't seem to have a search facility. I know I read it in her book "Your Diabetes Questions Answered". If it would be any use to you I could probably find you a page reference.
No not heard of her. I need to get more information. More research needed I think. Thank you
 

Alexandra100

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,738
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Gosh, you still feel tired?? I must say if feel really really well. I wonder why you still feel tired. I don’t know enough about all this to help you.....
To quote Jenny Ruhl again, in "Your Diabetes Questions Answered" she recounts how she felt like a wet rag after some time on a keto diet, only to revive as soon as she began taking some mealtime insulin. I'm glad you are feeling well. At least you are getting some immediate reward for your sterling efforts.
 

Jaylee

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
18,214
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
To quote Jenny Ruhl again, in "Your Diabetes Questions Answered" she recounts how she felt like a wet rag after some time on a keto diet, only to revive as soon as she began taking some mealtime insulin. I'm glad you are feeling well. At least you are getting some immediate reward for your sterling efforts.

@Alexandra100 ,

Please refamiliarise yourself with the forum eithos rules, before a decision to comment on any topic...
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/community-ethos-forum-rules.50278/

Thanks.
 
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Alexandra100

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,738
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
No not heard of her. I need to get more information. More research needed I think. Thank you
I highly recommend her books. "Your Diabetes Questions Answered" is thinner and an easier read, "Diabetes 101" thicker and more technical.
https://www.bloodsugar101.com/jenny-ruhl-s-books
You might be able to get one of them out of the library. I did. There are very few people writing on diabetes who have the condition themselves. Both JR and Dr Bernstein have survived into healthy old age with diabetes, which is in itself encouraging. Dr B's book "Diabetes Solution" is my other recommendation. It is a classic, very thick and perhaps a bit much for someone new to the problem. You can get a good idea of it from his website where you can read quite a lot of chapters from it. http://www.diabetes-book.com
 
M

Member496333

Guest
Hi @Jim Lahey I didn't realise that you are another skinny diabetic. Maybe we should have our own Forum! I read in Jenny Ruhl that it is very hard to control bgs in thin diabetics, as we produce very little insulin, and my goodness she was right. Unfortunately she didn't expand on this statement with any suggestions for management, I suppose because she has herself always had to struggle with the problem of unwanted weight gain. I would actually like to experiment with the lowest possible dose of basal insulin, but I'm not getting my hopes up that I'll get my GP to prescribe me that any time soon. What is your daily carb allowance? I am eating under 10g carbs daily, often under 7.

Skinny as a rake but attempting to buff up with free weights :D

Daily net carb intake is probably not far off 10g but I don’t count any macros. The only real carbs I get are from green overground vegetables. Protein I tend to be mindful of limiting to around 20-30g per meal but again I don’t count as such and don’t have a hard limit that I won’t go over.

Working for me so far. Dawn phenomenon is now nonexistent so I’m confident that my metabolic health is returning. I’ll never ever start eating carbs again though :)
 
M

Member496333

Guest
Could I ask any skinny diabetics reading this, do your bgs worsen towards evening? Mine do. So I avoid eating many carbs at breakfast because we are supposed to be more resistant to carbs then, eat a few at lunch, and then almost none for dinner. This can pose scheduling problems, especially as I am concerned not to miss meals.

No. Evening time is usually my lowest and often ~4.5. Most times of the day I’ll be maximum 5.5 pre or post. I do get “protein creep” where my baseline can be high-five if I’ve been eating a lot of meat, but this is usually 24+ hours after the fact. Regardless, I can’t recall the last time I saw anything higher than 6.0 at any time of day or night :)
 

Tophat1900

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,407
Type of diabetes
Type 3c
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
Uncooked bacon
Perhaps a c-peptide test and full antibody panel....make sure your diagnosis is right or incorrect, would be a good step.
 

Alexandra100

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,738
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
M

Member496333

Guest
It took about 6-8 months living primal-ketosis. Depending on severity, this fixing diabetes malarkey is not an overnight endeavour :)
 
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Alexandra100

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,738
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
It took about 6-8 months living primal-ketosis. Depending on severity, this fixing diabetes malarkey is not an oversight endeavour :)
Please, what is primal-ketosis? Is it different from the way you are eating now? And what is an oversight endeavour?
 
M

Member496333

Guest
Please, what is primal-ketosis? Is it different from the way you are eating now? And what is an oversight endeavour?

Ha! Typo. Overnight.

Primal just means real whole foods. Nothing processed . No sugars no grains. I’m sticking with it for life because I love it and it makes me healthy.
 

Jillyfl

Well-Known Member
Messages
100
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Swimming
Well everyone, I just got the results of my HBA1C that I requested 3 months after diagnosis, and it was 41 !!! Yipeeee

The doctors never said anything about medication either way, or any follow up appointment. The receptionist gave me the result when I rang.
 

Jillyfl

Well-Known Member
Messages
100
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Swimming
Have they looked into other types of diabetes? Of course, there are thin T2's, but when a newly diagnosed diabetic is stick thin other types become more likely.
Well I know this reply is along time after the post, but I have now been diagnosed with LADA. Thank you for your help in recognising this. I am now on insulin, I can eat what I want and I am gaining a little weight. I feel so much better, I have energy ! I will never eat a diet of rubbish and I will never be over weight. I have been a size 8 all my life, I am just about to turn 60 and I am still the same. It is a true breakthrough and I am so happy that I can enjoy food again without very tight restrictions.
 

Antje77

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
19,284
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Well I know this reply is along time after the post, but I have now been diagnosed with LADA. Thank you for your help in recognising this. I am now on insulin, I can eat what I want and I am gaining a little weight. I feel so much better, I have energy ! I will never eat a diet of rubbish and I will never be over weight. I have been a size 8 all my life, I am just about to turn 60 and I am still the same. It is a true breakthrough and I am so happy that I can enjoy food again without very tight restrictions.
Sounds good, and very happy that being on insulin suits you!
You may want to change your personal details to say LADA under your name to avoid confusion when interacting on the forum.
 

Jillyfl

Well-Known Member
Messages
100
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Swimming
Sounds good, and very happy that being on insulin suits you!
You may want to change your personal details to say LADA under your name to avoid confusion when interacting on the forum.
Oh right thank you will do
 
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