Anxious but trying hard to remain calm!

Sezzle

Member
Messages
18
So after suffering reoccurring thrush a few months ago I was sent for blood test which resulted in result of 94, and was put straight onto metaformin
I take 4 a day.
I am 52, over weight and scared of what this might mean for me.
I have stick to low carb diet, cut out all Obs carbs and sugar. Lost 1 and half stone so far in 7 weeks.
I have blood test tomorrow.... just so worried it won’t have come down. I am still getting the issues with thrush which I’m taking as a bad sign...
any thoughts on realistically what would be a reasonable reduction to see after 7 weeks?
Just want to get into remission will do anything thank you
 
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xfieldok

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,182
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Welcome to the forum. Have you changed your diet to cut out carbs?

Have a look at the link in my signature.

Are you using a meter?
 

Sezzle

Member
Messages
18
Yes completely cut out all obvious carbs and sugars, inc root veg etc. However do eat veg and some dairy so see some carbs in my daily intake when I load all I eat onto app. Is there a target carb per day to stay below?
Not got meter as I’ve struggled with diagnosis and anxiety and not sure I can cope with testing everyday.. it would just stress me out I think? However know I may have to reading stuff on here
 

JoKalsbeek

Expert
Messages
5,937
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
So after suffering reoccurring thrush a few months ago I was sent for blood test which resulted in result of 94, and was put straight onto metaformin
I take 4 a day.
I am 52, over weight and scared of what this might mean for me.
I have stick to low carb diet, cut out all Obs carbs and sugar. Lost 1 and half stone so far in 7 weeks.
I have blood test tomorrow.... just so worried it won’t have come down. I am still getting the issues with thrush which I’m taking as a bad sign...
any thoughts on realistically what would be a reasonable reduction to see after 7 weeks?
Just want to get into remission will do anything thank you
Hello Sezzle,

First off: I am a very, very anxious person myself, so I wasn't too sure abut the testing either. It ended up being something I clung to that first year though: I saw improvement every day, and when something went wrong, I knew what went wrong, why and when, so it wouldn't happen again. (Oh, Chinese tomato soup... What a mistake THAT was!). It became a beacon of hope, as well as a useful tool which helped me avoid potholes (and the occasional sinkhole).

You've cut out obvious carbs, so yeah, that's good. How about the not-so-obvious ones? A lot of people assume porridge or weetabix aren't carby, while they are, very much so. Same with juices and whatnot. So it really does help if you get insanely detailled in what you eat and drink in a day. The dairy might be a problem. Hard cheeses are fine, butter and such usually too, but if you drink a lot of milk... It adds up. A little 200 ml cup'll add 10 grams of carbs, and they'd be liquid ones... Forget a proper mug. Those carbs hit your system hard and fast, because they don't need to be broken down first. If you can, have some cream instead. (I actually had a bit of clotted cream with my espresso today... A rare treat, because I don't handle cow dairy well. YUM!!!!).

Do you have any idea at what level of carbs you are now, per day? I took them down gradually, feeling my way, but I was quite content at 20 grams a day, also known as a keto diet. I think the thrush stopped at 80 grams a day though. But that was for me, could be at 100 grams a day for you, or 50, or 40... Your meter and the reducing need for cream'll tell you. ;) I went down lower than keto with a semi-relaxed carnivore diet, so I now have about 0 to 5, occasionally a max of 10 grams a day, but I didn't need to do that for my blood sugars, that was done more for other conditions. But that's another reason why a meter's useful... It'll let you know exactly what you need and can handle.

As for the changes you've made, they will have SOME effect. But the next HbA1c is an average of the past 3 months, weighing heavily on the past 2 weeks, so part of that will still reflect the blood sugars you had prior to your changes. So while your HbA1c is pretty certain to be lower, it won't be as low as it would be if it'd been taken 3 months after your dietary changes. Just so you're not too disappointed. Any reduction right now is a good sign, all right?

You're going to be fine.
Jo
 

xfieldok

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,182
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
The usual testing is before you eat and 2 hours after the first bite. If therise is more than 2 then it was too carby.

Testing does not have to be forever. Once you know what foods are suitable for, you have control.
 

NicoleC1971

BANNED
Messages
3,451
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
So after suffering reoccurring thrush a few months ago I was sent for blood test which resulted in result of 94, and was put straight onto metaformin
I take 4 a day.
I am 52, over weight and scared of what this might mean for me.
I have stick to low carb diet, cut out all Obs carbs and sugar. Lost 1 and half stone so far in 7 weeks.
I have blood test tomorrow.... just so worried it won’t have come down. I am still getting the issues with thrush which I’m taking as a bad sign...
any thoughts on realistically what would be a reasonable reduction to see after 7 weeks?
Just want to get into remission will do anything thank you
Hi. Sounds like you are doing the right things by cutting the obvious carbs (pasta, rice, bread and potatoes?) and sugar.
How fast you reduce your underlying insulin resistance will depend on how long you've been insulin resistant and lots of other factors such as any recent illness and stress.
Thrush is a yeast infection and certainly reducing your blood sugars will stop feeding the yeast but may not be enough to totally finish it off once there's that imbalance. Hoping you have some treatment for that as it is so uncomfortable.
I'd say try not to get hung up on the number (hba1c). This is a mean average and may include some normal blood sugars as well as spikes so I'd agree that as well as this average, you need to know fasting blood sugars then how your body reacts to food (2 hours and 4 hours) then its time to take a big breath and reflect on your tactics going forward and for the rest of your life.
 

VashtiB

Moderator
Staff Member
Messages
2,283
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello and welcome,

I also suffer from anxiety- I combine that with a very stressful job- not a good mix. I also test several times a day even a year after I have always had normal levels in the HbA1c. I like @JoKalsbeek clung to it at the very beginning as I could see I was improving. It also gave me feedback on how my body was tolerating carbs. I went very low carb- less than 20grams a day. I find I get less hungry and crave carbs less the fewer I eat. I am a carboholic and absolutely this would not be my preferred way of eating but it is my life. Being very low carb means less mental load for me- I don't count calories but have still lost over 30kgs. I do use artificial sweeteners but plan on phasing g them out after Christmas- I couldn't even imagine saying that a year ago.

Good luck and welcome.
 

Sezzle

Member
Messages
18
Welcome to the forum. Have you changed your diet to cut out carbs?

Have a look at the link in my signature.

Are you using a meter?

Thanks not using meter yet as I have been so anxious for last 7 weeks and have had to limit how much I read etc to manage my emotions. Realise this sounds dramatic, but I am starting to come to terms with it now! I’ve read your link which is helpful thx.
I’ve cut all Obs carbs, bread, pastry, sugar, processed food etc. I have allowed myself a handful of oats in morning with Greek yogurt and a few berries... but I sense I’m going to have to cut these out too..

Just need to find another breakfast that is healthy and blood sugar friendly!!
 
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xfieldok

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,182
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Bacon and eggs!

Oats can be a problem for some, but you need to test to find out.
 

JoKalsbeek

Expert
Messages
5,937
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Thanks not using meter yet as I have been so anxious for last 7 weeks and have had to limit how much I read etc to manage my emotions. Realise this sounds dramatic, but I am starting to come to terms with it now! I’ve read your link which is helpful thx.
I’ve cut all Obs carbs, bread, pastry, sugar, processed food etc. I have allowed myself a handful of oats in morning with Greek yogurt and a few berries... but I sense I’m going to have to cut these out too..

Just need to find another breakfast that is healthy and blood sugar friendly!!
Breathe. You know, those first months I wasn't just anxious. I was fighting a severe depression. Now, I have a clinical depression as it is, but any person who has that, will tell you it has an ebb and flow to it. It's not always bad, it's not always do-able. Usually you hover somewhere in between. But after diagnosis, it was... Horrible. I'd wake up having cried in my sleep. I felt lost and afraid and I was convinced I was going to die.

Now, this is what depression and anxiety are to me. Depression is the absolute absence of hope. Any hope, at all. Full dark, no stars. And anxiety is loss of control. Not having a say in anything and stuff just keeps happening to you in a whirlwind you can't stop.

Two things happened. I read. A lot. I learned about how diabetes T2 works, and I started experimenting with my foods. My meter told me what worked and what didn't. But you know what? A LOT did work! Lowering carbs turned out to be relatively easy. So after being in this tailspin, I started seeing I had control, I did have a say in how all this played out... And to date, well, I have a lot of conditions, but none of them are so easily managed as my T2. The other thing that happened? I saw on my meter and at the checks with the nurse and Doc, who did my HbA1c, that I was making progress. I was doing better. Better yet, it was also resolving the non-alcoholic fatty liver a specialit'd told me was going to kill me in a few years, and there was nothing he could do for me but give me painkillers when cirrhosis kicked in. I did that, I solved what a supposed specialist couldn't, just by eating different foods. I had power, and lo and behold... I had hope.

To top all that off: high blood sugars make anxiety and depression worse. I will always be a basket case, but I am no longer drowning in my depression, and I actually can leave the house to see the doc or physical therapist for instance... I walk there on my own. That would've been unimaginable a few years ago, as I was afraid to leave the house. I still am, mind you.... But that doesn't stop me the way it used to.

So, here, have some hope. I have some to spare. It'll be okay.

And hey, as for breakfast... You can have any low carb thing you like...! I had two pieces of salmon this morning (two wonderful 125 gram chunks fried in home-made lard, with some pepper, salt, dill and lemon), yesterday it was one chunk with 2 eggs. Scrambled eggs are done in no time at all, and really good with some grated cheese to bulk it up. Bacon is actually our friend. Full fat Greek yoghurt with a couple of berries, is absolutely fine. Ditch the oats, replace them with some shaved coconut or pecans, maybe a brazil nut or two. Some of us don't have breakfast at all. I usually skip it, depending on what my day looks like, I don't eat until noon or so, but because it's my first meal i tend to call lunch my breakfast. Give yourself some time to figure it out. I love salmon, you might loathe the stuff. You might love something other food intolerances might prohibit me from eating. Far as that is concerned, there is no one-size -fits-all, because you have to take a moment to tailor all this to your own personal needs. Because your blood sugars may be beautiful if you munch on cardboard every day, but I doubt it'd make you happy. I love what is on my plate. Otherwise there is no way in heck I'd have been able to keep this up for the past 4 years. With the money I save on stuff like cookies, candy, snacks and whatnot, I can order 6,5 kilo's of cow or pork from a Dutch crowd-butchering company. Having meat straight from a farmer has been a revelation: no additives, no water-logged steaks, just beautiful meat that is so flavourful half the time I forget to add salt and pepper and the like. Just doesn't need it. Same with the massive amounts of eggs I eat. Not a supermarket egg amidst them now, I get them from a small farmer... I didn't realise how tasteless and pale eggs had become until I had some that tasted the way eggs did when I was a little girl, 35 odd years ago. So make sure you find what works for you, the kind of food that doesn't just make your blood sugars get down, but is a joy to eat as well. And there's no law that says you have to get everything absolutely perfectly right in two days. It took me months to figure out how to test effectively, what foods to eat, and over the past years I kept changing my diet around as I found other conditions improved too, the fewer carbs I ate. All in all... Give yourself some special attention, and the time to sort things out. You deserve it.

Good luck,
Jo
 

Sezzle

Member
Messages
18
Thank you fir you’re response I really appreciate your advice. I can relate to a lot of what you said, I too feel very frightened and together with covid o am suffering with anxiety and depression. I am a single mum of 2 children , 12 and 14... so suddenly very aware of my responsibilities and how much I want to be around!

what meter would you recommend?
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I did low carb right from diagnosis and at a test after 80 days I had gone 91 to 47 - I am not a worrier, but I have to confess that I wept with relief. Then at 6 months I was at 41 - didn't know if I should laugh or cry, so did both.
For the ordinary uncomplicated type two low carb is so effective, it feels miraculous, to be honest.
I can't - obviously - guarantee being in normal ranges in weeks - just say, it is what happened to me, so you could see the same. Now almost 4 years from diagnosis, it is still the same, and I feel great.
 
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Rachox

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
15,809
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Thanks for the tag @xfieldok

Hi @Sezzle ,

Here’s some info on UK meters, and to be clear I have no commercial connections with any of the companies mentioned.

Spirit Healthcare have a meter with cheap strips, the Tee2 + found here:

http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-plus-blood-glucose-meter/

with the strips found here:

http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-testing-strips/

Some members have got a free Tee2+ by phoning up to order, with a large order of strips they often throw the meter in for free:

Phone number 0800 8815423


With more expensive strips is their Caresens Dual which I currently use, this one has the advantage of glucose and ketone testing in one machine, it’s to be found here:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/collections/caresens-dual




Home Health have recently bought out this one, but I haven’t heard any reviews yet, links to strips and the meter:

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-produ...ose-meter-test-strips-choose-mmol-l-or-mg-dl/


There are also discount codes for when you come to buy more strips - "navii5" and "navii10" will give you 20% off purchases of 5 packs of strips and 25% off 10 packs of strips respectively (these are printed on a business card supplied with the meter).


And to be totally transparent I used to use the SD Code Free from Home Health which has the cheapest strips available if bought in quantities of 5 or 10 pots with the codes below. However I found it to be becoming less and less reliable. Here it is for anyone wanting to give it a go, just bear in mind it seems they are replacing it with the Navii, details above.

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/


and here for the extra strips

http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/sd-codefree-test-strips-to-be-used-only-with-the-sd-monitor/

There are discount codes if you buy in bulk.

5 packs 264086

10 packs 975833


Disclaimer, I haven’t used any of the discount codes I have quoted so I don’t know if they are still current.


Don’t forget to check the box if you have pre diabetes or diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for all meters and strips)
 

Sezzle

Member
Messages
18
Thanks for the tag @xfieldok

Hi @Sezzle ,

Here’s some info on UK meters, and to be clear I have no commercial connections with any of the companies mentioned.

Spirit Healthcare have a meter with cheap strips, the Tee2 + found here:

http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-plus-blood-glucose-meter/

with the strips found here:

http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-testing-strips/

Some members have got a free Tee2+ by phoning up to order, with a large order of strips they often throw the meter in for free:

Phone number 0800 8815423


With more expensive strips is their Caresens Dual which I currently use, this one has the advantage of glucose and ketone testing in one machine, it’s to be found here:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/collections/caresens-dual




Home Health have recently bought out this one, but I haven’t heard any reviews yet, links to strips and the meter:

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-produ...ose-meter-test-strips-choose-mmol-l-or-mg-dl/


There are also discount codes for when you come to buy more strips - "navii5" and "navii10" will give you 20% off purchases of 5 packs of strips and 25% off 10 packs of strips respectively (these are printed on a business card supplied with the meter).


And to be totally transparent I used to use the SD Code Free from Home Health which has the cheapest strips available if bought in quantities of 5 or 10 pots with the codes below. However I found it to be becoming less and less reliable. Here it is for anyone wanting to give it a go, just bear in mind it seems they are replacing it with the Navii, details above.

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/


and here for the extra strips

http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/sd-codefree-test-strips-to-be-used-only-with-the-sd-monitor/

There are discount codes if you buy in bulk.

5 packs 264086

10 packs 975833


Disclaimer, I haven’t used any of the discount codes I have quoted so I don’t know if they are still current.


Don’t forget to check the box if you have pre diabetes or diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for all meters and strips)
 

Sezzle

Member
Messages
18
Great thx, apologies I may have asked question twice!! Can I ask one more?!?!
I’m now on 4x metaform a day and reducing carb intake. I see a lot of people avoiding meds on here but is there any harm to me doing both to try and turn this around and come off meds and just manage through diet?
 

Rachox

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
15,809
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Great thx, apologies I may have asked question twice!! Can I ask one more?!?!
I’m now on 4x metaform a day and reducing carb intake. I see a lot of people avoiding meds on here but is there any harm to me doing both to try and turn this around and come off meds and just manage through diet?
I reduced carbs and started on Metformin on diagnosis, thinking I might drop the meds but somehow I never did! I tolerate Metformin well and am happy with eating Max of 45g carbs per day, this keeps my HbA1c at non diabetic levels
 
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Honeyblossom

Active Member
Messages
43
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Would sound a sensible plan if that's what you're prescribed. Your next blood tests will show if this can be reduced down and maybe stopped altogether if your numbers drop enough.
Wishing you all the best
 

JoKalsbeek

Expert
Messages
5,937
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Great thx, apologies I may have asked question twice!! Can I ask one more?!?!
I’m now on 4x metaform a day and reducing carb intake. I see a lot of people avoiding meds on here but is there any harm to me doing both to try and turn this around and come off meds and just manage through diet?
No harm in a diet combined with metformin, it won't make you hypo, but you'll eventually probably need less of it. For me, the side effects were horrible, so I couldn't get rid of it fast enough. If you tolerate it well though, no harm in staying on it as long as you like.
 

Sezzle

Member
Messages
18
Thanks to all of you for your support and advice. Today I got my results today..... and in 7 weeks reduced from 97 to 64... really pleased. Also cholesterol come down a bit.. feels positive as dr said it’s an average over 12 weeks so the fact it includes 5 weeks before meds and low carb seems good direction.
Trying to keep carbs under 40g per day and will continue exercise and meds until January tests.. fingers crossed.
Also lost 2 stone now. I hate that it got to this, but I am determined to get better as best as I can