Need some advice

[Celtic Angel]

Hello, this is my first time reaching out here, and I'm really nervous.
I have been type 2 diabetic for the past 5-6 years, and was put on to metformin 850 by my GP..
She had always been adamant that I didn't need to take my blood sugar levels as I didn't use insulin. Imagine my surprise when the hospital asked me what my sugar levels are when I was admitted a year ago for breathing difficulties and severe anaemia...
Since then I have been taking my sugar levels every morning at roughly the same time.
About 6 months ago I had a tremendous craving for grapes. Not having been educated to the kind of food that I should be careful with eating, I began to eat 800g of every colour grape you can buy. Sometimes twice that amount each day.
I think about 3 months of having my grape craving I began to get really awful headaches when I woke up. I felt tired, my body ached, I had a really dry mouth and I couldn't seem to quench my thirst no matter how much I drank...
I took my blood sugar, and it came out at 29.7
Well that was it. I decided that I should try to not have so many grapes, I kept taking readings and I finally called the doctor. This doctor took me off the metformin and put me on to gliclazide, I started on 40mg x2 each day..no change, I'm now up to 80mg twice a day and although my sugar levels do come down it's no where near the normal 6.7 that I have been. It doesn't stay down either, for example I might be 22.6 one morning and the next day it will have gone down to 14.2 then it's back to 26.3 the day after. I'm not changing the kind of thing I have every day, and I have very little sweet stuff to eat.
If I have potato it's just one baked potato for a meal, I have ready meals and pick ones that are low in salt and sugar..
I need to know if there's anything I can do to help my body to lower my blood sugar levels, or if I'm going to have to have levels that are so erratic all the time..

 

[Dr Snoddy]

Hi Celtic Angel and welcome to the forum. Would you mind telling us what you would eat and drink on a typical day?

 

[MaviesDavies2]

Morning Celtic Angel

Well done for reaching out! You have come to the right place.

Lots of us T2s follow a low-carb/high protein/high fat eating regime to keep our blood sugars in check. And, it works. Genuinely.

I’m at the beginning of my journey, month or so in, and I have gone from readings anywhere between 10 and 21, to below 8 every day. The speed at which the BGs went down was staggering. I’ve also lost nearly a stone without any effort really. I’m not hungry either.

I recommend you do some research on this forum, particularly in this thread, as there are lots of posts from newbies and great advice replied.

I recommend a book called Carbs and Cals, which very easily shows the carb levels in food. You’ll quickly see that grapes and ready meals are not great for low carb eating.

Recommend also borrowing the 800 cal diet by Michael Moseley; not to follow the diet, but to get an idea of what to eat and why.

Avoid a low cal/low fat approach if you want those blood levels to drop and level out. You are likely to have to avoid potatoes, rice, pasta, bread to see the real benefit; use your monitor about 90 mins/2 hours after eating to see how it affects your BG level.

So, go and do some research on foods you like to eat. See which ones are too high on carbs and you need to limit. And identify those you can stuff your face with! (hint: it’s not grapes…)

 

[Grant_Vicat]

Hello, this is my first time reaching out here, and I'm really nervous.
I have been type 2 diabetic for the past 5-6 years, and was put on to metformin 850 by my GP..
She had always been adamant that I didn't need to take my blood sugar levels as I didn't use insulin. Imagine my surprise when the hospital asked me what my sugar levels are when I was admitted a year ago for breathing difficulties and severe anaemia...
Since then I have been taking my sugar levels every morning at roughly the same time.
About 6 months ago I had a tremendous craving for grapes. Not having been educated to the kind of food that I should be careful with eating, I began to eat 800g of every colour grape you can buy. Sometimes twice that amount each day.
I think about 3 months of having my grape craving I began to get really awful headaches when I woke up. I felt tired, my body ached, I had a really dry mouth and I couldn't seem to quench my thirst no matter how much I drank...
I took my blood sugar, and it came out at 29.7
Well that was it. I decided that I should try to not have so many grapes, I kept taking readings and I finally called the doctor. This doctor took me off the metformin and put me on to gliclazide, I started on 40mg x2 each day..no change, I'm now up to 80mg twice a day and although my sugar levels do come down it's no where near the normal 6.7 that I have been. It doesn't stay down either, for example I might be 22.6 one morning and the next day it will have gone down to 14.2 then it's back to 26.3 the day after. I'm not changing the kind of thing I have every day, and I have very little sweet stuff to eat.
If I have potato it's just one baked potato for a meal, I have ready meals and pick ones that are low in salt and sugar..
I need to know if there's anything I can do to help my body to lower my blood sugar levels, or if I'm going to have to have levels that are so erratic all the time..

This might help you:
https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html
Good luck!