Newly diagnosed and seeking advice

[Kay-Jay]

Hello all!

I was diagnosed T2 around 1 month ago. I have seen a few Dr’s who have advised different dosages of Metformin to each other within the first 2 weeks.
I am now taking once a day with a Trulicity/ Dulaglutide injection once a week. I’ve had 2 injections so far and I am suffering terribly with stomach cramps, nausea and sulphur burps. It is interfering with work as I am often people facing. I’m also losing a lot of hair which is totally new and worrying for a 30yr old!

The last GP I spoke to just kept shouting down the phone to me I have raging diabetes and need to loose weight, despite explaining if she checked my record she would see I lost 4.5lbs within 2 weeks of being diagnosed so I am trying!

I have been offered no diet advice or even been told what my blood sugar level is. Upon being diagnosed I was told I had lovely feet and here’s your prescription.

feeling lost, alone and unsure if my symptoms are normal. Google is a mine field and I would love to have some advice from people in / who have been in my situation and look forward to any replies

 

[Antje77]

Hello @Kay-Jay , and welcome to the forum.
I hope you'll never have to speak to the GP you've had on the phone again!

Here's a link to a useful piece of information we like to offer to new members to get them started: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.26870/

I expect other T2's will chip in shortly to bombard you with advice on food, using a glucose meter, getting access to your test results and with hug ratings

Have a look around on the forum, there's a lot to learn from reading along. Ignore the bits that are way over your head at the moment and don't forget to take a break when information overload sets in!

Good luck!

 

[Marie 2]

Some doctors have really nasty attitudes. Years ago I refused to see the endo anymore after 2 visits as he wanted to put me back on medications that had made me sick. I ended up switching my pcp, who sent me to a new endo and I was properly diagnosed finally as a type 1 instead of a type 2. Sometimes switching doctors can be the best thing for you if you're not getting along with your doctor.

There's a fine line I guess in needing a medication and it making you sick??? But I just happen to think there are enough alternatives available to be able to switch to one that doesn't make you sick? Plus you really need to insist on getting your numbers so you know what you are at, how bad are you? Can you change your diet and make it work? How will you even be able to tell, without any information? Personally the best thing would be to invest in a meter and track what your blood sugars are doing. That way you can know how you are eating and what your blood sugars are doing with what you eat. Right now you can't even tell if you are getting better.

So get your lab results and get a meter so you can tell what is going on.

 

[ziggy_w]

Welcome to the forum, @Kay-Jay.

So sorry to read about your experience with your GP and your stomach cramps, nausea and sulphur burps. Must be very uncomfortable. Hugs.

Losing weight can definitely help with T2, but personally I have found cutting down on carbs has helped a lot more. My numbers were also very high at diagnosis, but are now back to normal without medication.

Also, echo @Marie 2's advice to get your numbers from your GP's practice. You need to know where you are starting from.

Have a read around the forum and feel free to ask any questions you may have. There are loads of knowledgeable, helpful and friendly members eager to help.

 

[mouseee]

In some places you can access your results on line. That'd save a conversation!

Yep, as above a meter doesn't have to be expensive and it can give you useful info on where you are and how food affects you.

Low carb is working for me. Great improvements in my bs. Have a good look around this forum and website. I've been on almost daily since diagnosis and it's really helpful.

You can ask questions here and we promise we won't shout!

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hello all!

I was diagnosed T2 around 1 month ago. I have seen a few Dr’s who have advised different dosages of Metformin to each other within the first 2 weeks.
I am now taking once a day with a Trulicity/ Dulaglutide injection once a week. I’ve had 2 injections so far and I am suffering terribly with stomach cramps, nausea and sulphur burps. It is interfering with work as I am often people facing. I’m also losing a lot of hair which is totally new and worrying for a 30yr old!

The last GP I spoke to just kept shouting down the phone to me I have raging diabetes and need to loose weight, despite explaining if she checked my record she would see I lost 4.5lbs within 2 weeks of being diagnosed so I am trying!

I have been offered no diet advice or even been told what my blood sugar level is. Upon being diagnosed I was told I had lovely feet and here’s your prescription.

feeling lost, alone and unsure if my symptoms are normal. Google is a mine field and I would love to have some advice from people in / who have been in my situation and look forward to any replies

Lost and alone is how the bulk of us felt after diagnosis. Thank heavens for places like this, eh.

It'd be good if you could get your numbers, so you know where you're starting from. You're on a lot of medication right now, and following the advice I'm about to give you could give you hypo's on your current dosage, I think.... Do you have a meter? I think with Trulicity you should be given one, but I'm not entirely sure, sorry. In any case, if you don't have a meter, get one, as soon as you can. If it can be funded through the NHS, that'd be wonderful, but you might have to self-fund. (Right now you might want to do that anyway, as you can avoid dealing with the doctor's practice that way). Anyway... You need to know where you're at, and where you're going. Basically you're carb-intolerant. Practically all carbs turn to glucose once ingested, and you can't process that glucose back out again. So it gets stored in fat cells and it runs amok throughout your organs/blood etc. That means that if you change the way you eat, there's a very reasonable chance you can kick the medication to the curb and improve your numbers by a lot. Metformin made me very ill, which is when I started looking for alternatives, and changing my diet got me into the normal range and medication-free pretty quick. Just be careful that you don't hypo. Don't start anything if you don't have a meter. Make sure you have hypo-treatment handy. Anyway, here's a quick-start-guide that might help, https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/the-nutritional-thingy.2330/ and if you want to know more, this forum's website's good (www.diabetes.co.uk , NOT .org!) and dietdoctor.com 'll help you on. Don't buy $100 a month online diets, because there's a lot of free information out there, and you just have to change the way you shop at your local supermarket, don't buy into any special "diabetic" meal packages or anything.

As for getting shouted at by your doctor.... You do know you can file a complaint, I hope. A patient who's feeling scared after a life changing diagnosis is not one that should be treated like that. (Not that a patient should be treated like that, period.) Because you didn't do this to yourself. You have a genetic predisposition, you gained weight as a symptom of becoming diabetic, you didn't become diabetic because of your weight. So **** the doc! And if you can, switch to another.

Bottom line: You can get this thing under control without losing your hair and being ill all the time. You can do this just by changing the amount of carbs you eat. It IS actually that easy. (And cheap.). Ditch the spuds, bread, rice, pasta, anything made with wheat, cereal, corn, straight sugars... There's a surprising amount of food out there that won't harm you, unlike those foods. (And I list a bunch of them in that quick-guide link).

There's hope yet. You'll be okay. And guess what? You're not alone anymore.
Jo

 

[VashtiB]

Hello and welcome

Many of us feel overwhelmed alone and unsupported when we are diagnosed. However, the great news is that you found this site. this site is full of people who can really understand how you feel and have ben there- but (the good news) is that through the help and support of people here we no longer feel the way.

Even more importantly there is great advice here on ways to manage your diagnosis rather than just more medication. So take a deep breath and read around this site.

My first piece of advice is- if you don't already have a meter you need one However you get one- you need it. You should test regularly- before meals and 2 hours after. This lets you know how the food has effected your blood sugar levels.

Please keep reading nd posting- we are here for you.

Welcome.

 

[HSSS]

Welcome. You’re in good hands on here.

I can only echo the advice to get your numbers (you are entitled to them no matter what they say and might be able to sign up to online results via the surgery’s reception) and to get a meter advice. And make sure you don’t have to deal with the shouting dr! So unprofessional, I’d be making a complaint. Ask in here if you need any help with testing. Eg the how’s and when.

Read the advice on dietdoctor.com to help you get started on low carb eating once you are able to test.

Re the losing hair it can happen for a number of medical reasons but also shock, of the diagnosis, as a result of a drastic diet change, a medication side effect, a rapid hormone swing eg birth. The good news is almost all of these are reversible and are self limiting. I went through it and many others here did.

are you able to stick to one dr or nurse who’s advice is in line with your preferences rather than chop and change? I appreciate that can be difficult these days.

 

[Daibell]

Hi and welcome. You've already had a lot of good advice here. Do ask the surgery for your results which you have a right to and arrange to be able to view your medical records online. There are typically two levels of access and by having the second level you can view any blood test results in detail. Do get hold of a glucose meter. The Codefree can be obtained online and has the cheapest test strips. Manufacturers will usually provide their meters free if you ask them online/phone but the strips will cost more than Codefree. As for diet do reduce the carbs and have enough fats and proteins to keep you feeling full. Going for 150gm/day of carbs max would be a good start if you can do it. The glutide injection may be part of the cause of the stomach upset and also standard Metformin can cause problems for a few weeks. Ask the GP for Metformin SR (Slow Release) if needed. If you can continue to reduce your weight you may well be able to stop the glutide and just continue with the Metformin. To be honest Metformin dosage isn't critical and never does a lot but it's a very safe drug. Just follow the GPs or leaflet advice.

 

[Resurgam]

I think that your GP was really out of order - first for shouting at you - but also for the emphasis on loosing weight - you have diabetes - it is all about the blood glucose levels.
If you get a meter you can afford to use - I have the 'Tee2' but there is also the 'Codefree' - you can watch how your blood glucose levels change after various meals and ensure you avoid those which cause spikes.
Once you get back down to more normal levels it would be perfectly normal to have weightloss just happen. I have been remaking or replacing garments ever since diagnosis, but going on about weightloss would seem to be a waste of breath.
I was on Metformin and Atorvastatin and suffered dreadful side effects, but I did not need either of them. Best thing I ever did was throw them away, incontinence and every appearance of dementia plus the aches and pains and the itching - I was becoming suicidal.

 

[Kay-Jay]

Thank you all for tour replies and comments - I got a bit overwhelmed by all the support received in here so thank you so much.

I have ordered the code free and have an appointment with a different GP on Wednesday so with above advise I will ask for my numbers.

They advised on the phone to stop the metformin and assured me there are other options that we will go through at the appointment in person.

Thank you all again