Newbie looking for advice

Disneycat78

Newbie
Messages
2
Hi guys, I was diagnosed three days ago with no symptoms, I had a routine blood test and my hba1c came back as 104. I got put on 1 metformin per day and two types of insulin. I have family history on both sides so I knew I was destined at some point but thought I would get more warning. I also have underactive thyroid and Pcos.
My question is this, with my other conditions, should I expect to be within 'normal' ranges? The more i look at different websites the more variety of answers I get. Is anyone else in the same boat as me? Thanks.
 

xfieldok

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,182
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Short answer is yes. Welcome to the forum. Low carb high fat diet not only will improve your blood glucose levels, it could well improve your PCOS.

You will get lots of information and support here. I suggest you get The Diabetes Code by Jason Fung.
 

kaylz91

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,090
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
yes "normal" ranges will be doable, I wouldn't take note of the low carb high fat diet at the moment as you will presumably be on set doses of your insulin at the moment so reducing the carbs could be highly dangerous so please don't go rushing in and doing that

I don't suffer either other conditions you state but I know quite a bit about underactive thyroids as my mum and grandad have it (my gran on my dads side had an overactive) so I'm hoping my thyroid remains unaffected as I could go either way but fingers crossed I dont
xx
 

EllieM

Moderator
Staff Member
Messages
9,208
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
forum bugs
I got put on 1 metformin per day and two types of insulin. I have family history on both sides so I knew I was destined at some point but thought I would get more warning.

Have you been diagnosed as T1 or T2? It's unusual for T2s to move onto insulin at first diagnosis....
 
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EllieM

Moderator
Staff Member
Messages
9,208
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
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forum bugs
They are testing me to check but believe it's T2.

That's good news. Too many doctors just assume T2 because of weight, age or family history and then the diabetic can get the wrong treatment for several years before being rediagnosed as T1/LADA.

Good luck. If T2 it's quite likely that dietary changes will mean that you won't need to stay on the insulin.
 
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DCUKMod

Master
Staff Member
Messages
14,298
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi guys, I was diagnosed three days ago with no symptoms, I had a routine blood test and my hba1c came back as 104. I got put on 1 metformin per day and two types of insulin. I have family history on both sides so I knew I was destined at some point but thought I would get more warning. I also have underactive thyroid and Pcos.
My question is this, with my other conditions, should I expect to be within 'normal' ranges? The more i look at different websites the more variety of answers I get. Is anyone else in the same boat as me? Thanks.

Disneycat, to be honest, you pose an impossible question.

Right now, we know you are newly diagnosed, with an HbA1c level, well into the diagnostic ranges, you have underactive thyroid and PCOS. From the PCOS, we can tell you are female, and you tell us your family history included diabetes, on both sides.

To be honest, it isn't too common for those presenting without symptoms (which is an assumption, related to the routine nature of your blood test), suspected as T2 to go straight to insulin, so I am glad your team are doing additional diagnostic tests.

I was diagnosed T2 on a single, routine test in 2013, with an HbA1c level of 73. No other tests were done at he time. I also have a family medical history littered with diabetes, of all sorts, plus a litany of autoimmune conditions.

What I know, for self is that my HbA1c levels improved significantly when I started self testing my blood and adjusting my eating to manage any upward spikes I saw in my blood glucose numbers. I am assuming as you are taking insulin you have testing kit? If not it is very important to receive it immediately.

Others have mentioned a lower carb (LC) style way of living, relating to PCOS. Studies are now showing PCOS improves with a lower carb lifestyle, in significant numbers of people. Indeed, this site is just entering into a research phase looking at PCOS alongside a LC diet.

We don't know what your blood glucose numbers are running at, now you are taking insulin, so to make suggestions for dietary amendments could be risky. Insulin can drive those numbers down significantly, so you must proceed with care.

Finally, relating to your hypothyroidism. You don't give us an you indication how well managed that is. Hypothyroidism is ver common indeed I need the general population, so as a follow through, many living with diabetes will also be impacted.

A well managed (medicated, good vitamin levels and regular testing) can make a significant difference to our overall metabolic health. What were your most recent test results like for that? Is your treatment stable, or are you still tying to get to your thyroid sweet spot? I'm still looking for my sweet spot over 3 years into treatment and over 5 since symptoms began.

If you could share a bit more information, it'd be easier to ensure the responses you receive will be more likely to be right for you.

Welcome aboard. Living with diabetes can be a shock, but you can forge a new normal, often quite quickly.
 
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JoKalsbeek

Expert
Messages
5,937
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi guys, I was diagnosed three days ago with no symptoms, I had a routine blood test and my hba1c came back as 104. I got put on 1 metformin per day and two types of insulin. I have family history on both sides so I knew I was destined at some point but thought I would get more warning. I also have underactive thyroid and Pcos.
My question is this, with my other conditions, should I expect to be within 'normal' ranges? The more i look at different websites the more variety of answers I get. Is anyone else in the same boat as me? Thanks.
Hashimoto's (underactive thyroid) and PCOS here, as well as T2 (and a load of other conditions, for that matter). And have been in the normal range on diet-only (no meds, no insulin) for over three years. So yes, it can be done. It does help if your thyroid meds are at a good level though. If you change the way you eat and start losing weight, you want to keep getting your hormone levels checked too: I had to adjust my meds down by 50 micrograms as I lost weight.

https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html <- this is basically what helped me, with Dr. Jason Fung's The Diabetes Code, dietdoctor.com and this forum's website, diabetes.co.uk (Not .org!) suggested for more in-depth reading. BUT, careful, as with insulin this will 100% certainly give you a hypo, and you don't want that. So if you make any changes, use your meter and ask your diabetes team for help.

All in all though, you'll be fine.
Jo