Poor information from "healthcare professionals"

gizmo girl

Member
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi. About 7 weeks ago I had a GTT, on my return visit to my GP for results I walked into his office & all he said was "we need to talk about these results. Your results are high your now diabetic. Have you got any questions?" Dumbfounded I replied "no" "ok" he said "you'll recieve a letter in the post for an appointment with a dietician. Bye" That was it!!!!!

I've since had that appointment but am still none the wiser!!!!! I've been told not to bother cutting carbs not to change my diet, although over the past few months I've put on loads of weight.

No info about hypers or hypos. Just put on 500mg metformin to start with & check BS twice daily which seem to range from around 9.8 - 13.5 before food. Does anyone have any advice please?

Thanks in advance
Sam
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people

iHs

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,595
Yr bg levels are a bit on the higher side of being ok and should only be somewhere between 5-7mmol before eating food like main meals, but as you are new to diabetes, yr GP doesnt know

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 

Brunneria

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
21,889
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi. About 7 weeks ago I had a GTT, on my return visit to my GP for results I walked into his office & all he said was "we need to talk about these results. Your results are high your now diabetic. Have you got any questions?" Dumbfounded I replied "no" "ok" he said "you'll recieve a letter in the post for an appointment with a dietician. Bye" That was it!!!!!

I've since had that appointment but am still none the wiser!!!!! I've been told not to bother cutting carbs not to change my diet, although over the past few months I've put on loads of weight.

No info about hypers or hypos. Just put on 500mg metformin to start with & check BS twice daily which seem to range from around 9.8 - 13.5 before food. Does anyone have any advice please?

Thanks in advance
Sam

That's pretty dire advice! Almost as if they can't be bothered...

The things I have found to be the most effective are, in no particular order:
  • http://www.bloodsugar101.com - a fascinating website that actually explains what happens to your body with diabetes, why, and how to handle it
  • Buying a blood glucose meter (I use the Codefree one. Testing strips and meter available on Amazon for about £22 to get you up and running). Most type 2s don't get given meters, so you are lucky!
  • Switching to a low carb healthy fat diet like this one http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
  • Reading the forums of this site. Priceless!
Oh, and don't worry if you cycle through anger, depression, grief, etc for a while. It can take a while to get your head straight after diagnosis and this is perfectly normal and understandable. Hang on in there, it gets better, I promise!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people

iHs

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,595
as yet, what effect 500mg metformin will have on the food you are eating. If you can, best advice would be to eat less carbohydrate in yr meals which will also lower yr bg and help you to lose weight (if you neec to).

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people

andcol

Well-Known Member
Retired Moderator
Messages
3,176
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
exercise is also key to bringing down your blood glucose. Go for walks about an hour after eating (20 mins should do). This simple bit of advice just isn't really shared until it is also too late. The exercise gets your muscles to use up the glucose that your food is producing.

Additionally you didnt say if you are overweight but if so then losing a few pounds will help with the Blood Glucose Levels too (in the long run more than the exercise) together the change is fantastic.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 people

gizmo girl

Member
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
That's pretty dire advice! Almost as if they can't be bothered...

The things I have found to be the most effective are, in no particular order:
  • http://www.bloodsugar101.com - a fascinating website that actually explains what happens to your body with diabetes, why, and how to handle it
  • Buying a blood glucose meter (I use the Codefree one. Testing strips and meter available on Amazon for about £22 to get you up and running). Most type 2s don't get given meters, so you are lucky!
  • Switching to a low carb healthy fat diet like this one http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
  • Reading the forums of this site. Priceless!
Oh, and don't worry if you cycle through anger, depression, grief, etc for a while. It can take a while to get your head straight after diagnosis and this is perfectly normal and understandable. Hang on in there, it gets better, I promise!
Thanks. Even just a quick look at diet dc web page priceless x
 

Daibell

Master
Messages
12,642
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Sounds like your advice has been distinctly amateur. You will find an alternative flavour of 'amateur' advice on this forum which may actually help you. Yes, you must reduce your carb intake. Set yourself a daily target to aim for; perhaps 180gm/day to start with. Your meter will show you what foods affect you most. Test 2 hours after a meal and just before if you can afford the strips. Don't worry so much about morning fasting tests. When you do have carbs try to keep them low-GI to smooth conversion to glucose in the body. To balance the low carbs you should have enough fat and protein together with lots of veg to give you the calories you need. Ignore any NHS dietician advice to go low-fat as it's carbs that are the diabetics enemy. You should find with your new diet that blood sugar should settle and any excess weight will reduce. The Metformin will help a bit and may be increased up to 2000mg. It's a good safe drug but if you have stomach upset then ask for the SR (Slow Release) version. Exercise will help but diet is the highest priority. Do come back with any more questions
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5 people

gizmo girl

Member
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Sounds like your advice has been distinctly amateur. You will find an alternative flavour of 'amateur' advice on this forum which may actually help you. Yes, you must reduce your carb intake. Set yourself a daily target to aim for; perhaps 180gm/day to start with. Your meter will show you what foods affect you most. Test 2 hours after a meal and just before if you can afford the strips. Don't worry so much about morning fasting tests. When you do have carbs try to keep them low-GI to smooth conversion to glucose in the body. To balance the low carbs you should have enough fat and protein together with lots of veg to give you the calories you need. Ignore any NHS dietician advice to go low-fat as it's carbs that are the diabetics enemy. You should find with your new diet that blood sugar should settle and any excess weight will reduce. The Metformin will help a bit and may be increased up to 2000mg. It's a good safe drug but if you have stomach upset then ask for the SR (Slow Release) version. Exercise will help but diet is the highest priority. Do come back with any more questions
Will ask about slow release at next appointment. I was worried they would just take me off them. thanks for the advice its unusual to hear someone not shove exercise down your throat. Due to other medical issues exercise is difficult!!
 

brdavies

Active Member
Messages
40
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
What you eat will have the most effect on your blood sugars if you are Type 2. Brunneria's advice above is excellent - the sites quoted there have helped me immensely in forming my management plan - which consists for me at the moment of diet & exercise, but no meds.

Diet really is your first line of defence - you'd be amazed with what you can do with a low carb medium fat diet. I think of medication as what I add after I get my diet sorted, and once my BG is more stable, I may add some Metformin to my plan. Exercise is a useful tool to add to your toolbox to keep meals from spiking your blood glucose level. If it's insulin resistance that's causing your diabetes, then exercise may even help reverse it to some extent.

You should be aware that if you are actually Type 1 (that is the body is killing its own insulin-producing cells in the pancreas), then it could be a different ballgame altogether. You and your doctors should pay attention to how you respond to Metformin and dietary changes over time to determine the nature of your diabetes.

Your meter is like the speedo in your car, and it's your best friend. If you have access to lots of test strips (can afford, or insurance pays), then try to get a good profile of how you respond to different foods with testing. Also, if you keep a record of readings it will help your doctors know where you are. I'm pretty fanatical about it, in that I am testing 5 to 8 times per day at the moment, while I build my database of known food effects. Its expensive, but I am getting a very good idea of what I can eat and how much. It's important you do this yourself because everyone responds to different foods differently.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 people