My doctor is concerned about my mental state due to me starting LCHF

[charlie000]

Hi all

I am prediabetic, recently came out of hospital after an AFIB episode. The afib I have is now being attributed to 5-6 cups of black coffee a day, with around 4 hours of sleep per night. After changing my habits, stopping coffee (completely) and cutting out a lot of caffeine including coca cola my heart rate has returned to normal, where my sleeping rate is around 58, and my resting is 64! This is in comparison to my heart rate being around 98, and the max 140 when afib was happening.

I visited my doctor, and informed him that I plan to change my life style. He asked what I was eating a I said I am eating full fat foods, and I now fry eggs in butter, and even put cream in tea.

He is concerned and he thinks that I am mentally unwell because having high fat will hurt me, and is urging me not to do it. I have to let him know by Monday what I am planning, as he is concerned. To avoid the hassle, I am thinking of calling him and giving him my 'word' that I won't be doing high fat low carb, and will follow the NHS Eat Well (which I won't), and so I can see what happens in a few ,months time.

What do I do?

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

I'd find a new doctor who knows what they're doing.

 

[ziggy_w]

Hi @charlie000,

So sorry to hear about the problems getting your doctor on board.

Mine wasn't really supportive, but didn't try to stop me either -- so your situation is a lot more difficult.

Have you considered sharing with him the trial results of Virta Health, who use a low-carb higher-fat diet for diabetics?

Here is a link if you are interested: https://blog.virtahealth.com/one-year-clinical-trial-outcomes-type-2-diabetes/

There is also a list of low-carb research on the Virta site. Here's a link for this: https://blog.virtahealth.com/low-carb-research-comprehensive-list/

Let us know what you decide and how the conversation with your doctor goes. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[DCUKMod]

@charlie000 - I would urge you not to lie to your Doctor. It does nothing to help anyone.

For all we know a fib you tell now could influence diagnostic decisions further down the line, and furthermore, if you do carry on as you intend, but say you'll use the EatWell Guide and do well on it, then you reinforce to your GP that the Eat Well Guide works well.

In your shoes, I would ask my GP for a raft of benchmarking blood tests - blood glucose, lipids, kidney health and so on, and a period of x months within which for you to work on lifestyle changes, with a repeat of the bllods at the end of that period.

If at that time, your medical and diagnostic markers have degraded, then that's a conversation to be had, but if they improve, he is unlikely to want to deflect you at that time. At that point, he is more likely to increase the "trial period" to measure again.

At the end of the day, if I expect my medical team to be truthful and candid with me, I must be the same with them. That feels to me to be an adult way to go about things.

Good luck with it, whatever you decide upon.

(If you are looking for comparisons of low fat v higher fat diets, there are some excellent, free to access, resources here: https://phcuk.org/t2d/ )

 

[Resurgam]

Tell the dr that you want to have a diet which is going to lower your Hba1c and will be following the guidelines carefully so that by the next test your numbers will be lower.
He will need to know that when lowering the calories from carbs they have to be replaced with something else - what does he suggest, ask, and then you go mm mm - right - got that mmm.
Just because you aren't going to take his advice doesn't mean that you shouldn't sound interested in what he's got to say.

 

[Tophat1900]

I find it concerning your doctor thinks you are mentally unwell because you plan on eating real foods. That isn't a reason for a diagnosis of mental ill health. And to suggest so is absurd.

What you eat is up to you, but I wouldn't lie about it. We all need to take responsibility for running our health along with advice from HCP's, but the decision is yours to make ultimately. This isn't like you are stopping a medication against doctor advice, you are just eat some decent food and the reaction to something so simple seems so jaw dropping. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[Deleted member 308541]

@charlie000 - I would urge you not to lie to your Doctor. It does nothing to help anyone.

For all we know a fib you tell now could influence diagnostic decisions further down the line,

AFib is short for Atrial Fibrillation, where your heart rate is going ape trying to pump o2 around your body.

So he is not telling porkie fibs here.

 

[DCUKMod]

AFib is short for Atrial Fibrillation, where your heart rate is going ape trying to pump o2 around your body.

So he is not telling porkie fibs here.

I am not commenting on the aFib aspects, but the statement where Charlie suggests he will tell his GP he will follow one course of action (EatWell Guide), then actually do something different (a diet containing more fat).

 

[Deleted member 308541]

I am not commenting on the aFib aspects, but the statement where Charlie suggests he will tell his GP he will follow one course of action (EatWell Guide), then actually do something different (a diet containing more fat).

Oooops! sorry I forgot the food plate thingy.

 

[Debandez]

Hi all

I am prediabetic, recently came out of hospital after an AFIB episode. The afib I have is now being attributed to 5-6 cups of black coffee a day, with around 4 hours of sleep per night. After changing my habits, stopping coffee (completely) and cutting out a lot of caffeine including coca cola my heart rate has returned to normal, where my sleeping rate is around 58, and my resting is 64! This is in comparison to my heart rate being around 98, and the max 140 when afib was happening.

I visited my doctor, and informed him that I plan to change my life style. He asked what I was eating a I said I am eating full fat foods, and I now fry eggs in butter, and even put cream in tea.

He is concerned and he thinks that I am mentally unwell because having high fat will hurt me, and is urging me not to do it. I have to let him know by Monday what I am planning, as he is concerned. To avoid the hassle, I am thinking of calling him and giving him my 'word' that I won't be doing high fat low carb, and will follow the NHS Eat Well (which I won't), and so I can see what happens in a few ,months time.

What do I do?

Show dr this. Just 1 page of success stories from this forum. 1000s more doing it with lchf. I have a fabulous booklet full of success stories I pulled together for an event in Birmingham last September if dr interested

 

[Squire Fulwood]

Hi all

I am prediabetic, recently came out of hospital after an AFIB episode. The afib I have is now being attributed to 5-6 cups of black coffee a day, with around 4 hours of sleep per night. After changing my habits, stopping coffee (completely) and cutting out a lot of caffeine including coca cola my heart rate has returned to normal, where my sleeping rate is around 58, and my resting is 64! This is in comparison to my heart rate being around 98, and the max 140 when afib was happening.

I visited my doctor, and informed him that I plan to change my life style. He asked what I was eating a I said I am eating full fat foods, and I now fry eggs in butter, and even put cream in tea.

He is concerned and he thinks that I am mentally unwell because having high fat will hurt me, and is urging me not to do it. I have to let him know by Monday what I am planning, as he is concerned. To avoid the hassle, I am thinking of calling him and giving him my 'word' that I won't be doing high fat low carb, and will follow the NHS Eat Well (which I won't), and so I can see what happens in a few ,months time.

What do I do?

Years ago when I was first diagnosed there was even less acceptance of the fact that diet could help. I ate to my meter but didn't keep DN fully informed since she said it was all progressive and I was going to die.

I enjoyed the puzzlement on her face when I turned in a Hba1c of 42 and came off most medication due to side effects. After a few visits she stated that she liked to see me since I was always food for thought. She has become a total convert.

To shorten the story. I was judged by results and not by going head to head with HCP's, especially those who think they know everything.

 

[Chook]

I agree that you shouldn't fib to your GP - but on the other hand he shouldn't have put you in to a position that you feel you need to fib. It's his job to support you in managing your diabetes.

How about putting together a well thought out low carb meal plan for a month and taking it with you to show him that low carb can be healthy.

 

[Rustytypin]

There is an old saying; There is none so blind as those who will not see. Your doctor is one of them. (I won't comment on his "advice", I don't want to be modded)) If you can find a different doctor who is more up to date with current thinking, there seems to be more of them these days.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Often with many NHS diabetes HCPs it is best not to mention high fat and saturated fat. Sometimes it is better just to dwell on the low carb aspect.

 

[Mr_Pot]

Often with many NHS diabetes HCPs it is best not to mention high fat and saturated fat. Sometimes it is better just to dwell on the low carb aspect.

Or even "reduced carbs" - it's a question of marketing.

 

[Rachox]

Often with many NHS diabetes HCPs it is best not to mention high fat and saturated fat. Sometimes it is better just to dwell on the low carb aspect.

That’s what I do! My GP accepts that because he can see the non diabetic results I get as a result.
@charlie000 I assume your GP is ignoring the fact that eating carbs which will raise your bloods sugars and raise your risk of complications would have a worse effect on your mental health?

 

[bulkbiker]

I visited my doctor, and informed him that I plan to change my life style. He asked what I was eating a I said I am eating full fat foods, and I now fry eggs in butter, and even put cream in tea.

To be fair to your Doc (unusual tho that may be for me) you did kind of shove his face into a high fat lifestyle , eggs cooked in butter etc so Im not entirely surprised by his concern (saddened but not surprised). I am now quite frank with my GP and tell them I only eat meat and get the usual "oh what about this or that" but I feel very comfortable in arguing with them and of course have fairly strong back up in both my own medical records and the increasing awareness of Low Carb (yes there is some even in deepest darkest Sussex).
So as you say he's concerned about your health.. maybe suggest he looks at the module from the Royal College of GP's on low carbing (from Dr Unwin) and get him to start to understand why you are doing what you are doing? Send him a link to one of the ViRTA health studies?
It could just be that as you are Pre-diabetic rather than full on T2 he thinks your approach is a bit too dramatic?

I fully support what you are doing but it would be more beneficial to take him along for the ride (and maybe get some more frequent testing for you too) rather than tell porkies... just a thought.

 

[charlie000]

Thanks for all your responses. I am reading through them. After A Fib, I was very worried, my doctor thinks i'm 'mad' to go on a high fat diet. I will respond to each response shortly, reading through them now.

 

[Chook]

I have never mentioned the fat aspect of my diet - I just refer to it as 'reduced carb' and (when asked) just talk about cutting out unnecessary carbs. I have never said about increasing fat consumption - again, when asked, I ramble on about keeping to 'healthy less processed fats'.

But, to be honest, this is exactly what my way of eating is.

 

[set-in-stone]

Years ago when I was first diagnosed there was even less acceptance of the fact that diet could help. I ate to my meter but didn't keep DN fully informed since she said it was all progressive and I was going to die.

I enjoyed the puzzlement on her face when I turned in a Hba1c of 42 and came off most medication due to side effects. After a few visits she stated that she liked to see me since I was always food for thought. She has become a total convert.

To shorten the story. I was judged by results and not by going head to head with HCP's, especially those who think they know everything.

Hubby went down this path. He couldn’t be bothered to keep explaining to Doc and DN who kept preaching the Eat Well plate. And higher doses of Metformin. He ignored their advice and went LCHF. With fantastic results! They still believe he is their ‘success story’