Dr “suspects” my husband is T2 diabetic

[Jersey-Girl]

Good Morning, and thank you for allowing me to join. I am here for my husband, our Dr. “thinks” he maybe diabetic. He is undergoing tests at present. I have so many questions to ask.

Firstly, we live in Portugal and they just gave a monitor and didn’t tell us anything else. I have muddled my way through how to use the monitor, and I think I have worked out how often he must do his bloods. I have been trawling various U.K. sites for diabetes to try and get some guidance about diet. My husband cannot swallow tablets even though given Metaformin 500mg x 2 a day so is refusing to take them T the moment. We are trying to work out if he can control it (if tests come back as positive next Wednesday 14th July) I’m just finding this whole experience a minefield and we are both completely overwhelmed with stuff we have to try and learn. I am currently keeping a spreadsheet of his readings for bloods, BP, diet and exercise. As we are in Portugal all his readings are mg/dl….I don’t understand any of the acronyms being used and just utterly confused..

 

[LaoDan]

Post all the information you can, we can convert.
Current weight, hight, and all the numbers you get from the doctor would be helpful. also current diet.

I’ve never been on Metaformin , not sure if it can be diluted with water or chopped. From what I understand it’s not the end of the world if he doesn’t take it,

 

[Andydragon]

Post all the information you can, we can convert.
Current weight, hight, and all the numbers you get from the doctor would be helpful. also current diet.

I’ve never been on Metaformin , not sure if it can be diluted with water or chopped. From what I understand it’s not the end of the world if he doesn’t take it,

There is a liquid form of metformin though I know very little about it, but there could be options there

 

[Mr_Pot]

Good Morning, and thank you for allowing me to join. I am here for my husband, our Dr. “thinks” he maybe diabetic. He is undergoing tests at present. I have so many questions to ask.

Firstly, we live in Portugal and they just gave a monitor and didn’t tell us anything else. I have muddled my way through how to use the monitor, and I think I have worked out how often he must do his bloods. I have been trawling various U.K. sites for diabetes to try and get some guidance about diet. My husband cannot swallow tablets even though given Metaformin 500mg x 2 a day so is refusing to take them T the moment. We are trying to work out if he can control it (if tests come back as positive next Wednesday 14th July) I’m just finding this whole experience a minefield and we are both completely overwhelmed with stuff we have to try and learn. I am currently keeping a spreadsheet of his readings for bloods, BP, diet and exercise. As we are in Portugal all his readings are mg/dl….I don’t understand any of the acronyms being used and just utterly confused..

Presumably the doctor had some reason to suspect diabetes. Does your husband have symptoms that might be diabetes or was it based on a finger prick blood test? If the latter do you know the reading?

 

[Jersey-Girl]

There is a liquid form of metformin though I know very little about it, but there could be options there

Oh, wow that would be amazing if he does have to end up taking it, thank you Andy

 

[Jersey-Girl]

Post all the information you can, we can convert.
Current weight, hight, and all the numbers you get from the doctor would be helpful. also current diet.

I’ve never been on Metaformin , not sure if it can be diluted with water or chopped. From what I understand it’s not the end of the world if he doesn’t take it,

OK, will do, thank you

 

[Jersey-Girl]

Hi Mr Pot, My husband would normally have an annual medical, but because of recent circumstances, the health service as been overwhelmed. Eventually got an appointment and the Dr did some blood tests. When they came back he said your definitely diabetic and just gave a prescription for meds…no other info, no diet sheet, no advice We decided to seek a second opinion by a specialist. She was not convinced, but said he could be borderline. So, more blood tests last week, was given a large glucose drink and told to sit for 2hrs and if he felt sick to tell someone ‍ when the second set of bloods came back he said you are diabetic, and told him to wait until next weeks appointment…so we go back on Wednesday to see the specialist for her interpretation of the results. I will post all numbers as promised. Thank you

 

[bulkbiker]

was given a large glucose drink and told to sit for 2hrs

That what was it called an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test ( in the UK usually used to investigate gestational diabetes) .
I'm guessing that combined with the HbA1c results (which should come from the blood tests) will be used to diagnose your hubs.

To convert mg/dl to the more usually used mmol/l just divide by 18.

 

[Jersey-Girl]

 

[Jersey-Girl]

This is the first set of blood test results from June. I will send the ones from 10 days ago next.

 

[bulkbiker]

This is the first set of blood test results from June. I will send the ones from 10 days ago next.

Oddly they don't appear to have measured what would be used here in the UK to diagnose T2 diabetes the HbA1c.. or at least I can't see it there..

 

[Jersey-Girl]

This is the results from last Wednesday 7th July

 

[Bittern]

They do report "glicose" which translates from portuguese to "glucose" and is 148 mg/dl which convert to about an Hba1c of circa 50mmol/ml. Admitted it's not a direct reading of Hba1c but there may be different diagnostic criteria in Portugal.

 

[Jersey-Girl]

This is my husbands readings and diet sheet since 1st July.

 

[Jersey-Girl]

Oddly they don't appear to have measured what would be used here in the UK to diagnose T2 diabetes the HbA1c.. or at least I can't see it there..

Hi Bulkbiker, keeping it in laymen’s terms what is HbA1c please?

 

[Jersey-Girl]

They do report "glicose" which translates from portuguese to "glucose" and is 148 mg/dl which convert to about an Hba1c of circa 50mmol/ml. Admitted it's not a direct reading of Hba1c but there may be different diagnostic criteria in Portugal.

Hi Bittern, is that meant to be normal or high?

 

[bulkbiker]

Hi Bulkbiker, keeping it in laymen’s terms what is HbA1c please?

HbA1c is an "average" of the past 2-3 month blood sugar levels in the blood.

From here
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/blog/2020/03/hba1c-and-the-immune-system.html

In the UK it is the primary tool to diagnose T2 diabetes.

 

[Mr_Pot]

Hi Bulkbiker, keeping it in laymen’s terms what is HbA1c please?

Glucose molecules can become attached to hemoglobin in the blood. The higher the glucose level the higher the proportion of hemoglobin that has glucose attached (glycated). HbA1c is a measure of this proportion in a percentage or mmol/mol. As hemoglobin is renewed over 2-3 months it shows what the average glucose level has been for that period. In the UK an HbA1c of 48 mmol/mol or over is used to diagnose diabetes.

 

[Bittern]

Please note I am not medically qualified and cannot diagnose under any circumstances.

Valores de referenca I translate as Reference Values is a column heading at the top of the page and mostly shows two values, the test results should, ideally be between them. In the case of Glicose and Heamoglobina Glicada the test result is outside the range. The value is higher than it ideally should be but but not hugely.

Looking at your diet sheet I would drop all the bread and potatoes and avoid like the plague pasta, rice and bananas they are all carbohydrates which turn to glucose during the digestive process and will raise blood glucose levels and Hba1c.

For meal suggestions try the low carb program on this site and the dietdoctor web site, both have plenty of alternatives, some better than others, to high carbohydrate foods.

Your testing after meals is fine but the better way is to test as you settle to the meal, 1Hr after and then two hours after you are looking for a rise of no more than, I think, than 9mmol at 1 hr and no more than 2 mmol at the two hour point any more and the meal is likely too carbohydrate heavy.

 

[Mr_Pot]

This chart might help....