Help! Newly diagnosed and panic stricken

[bronte]

Hi, I have been newly diagnosed T2 and I am very anxious about it all. It would be helpful for some advice please. I also take Ramipril 2.5mg for my high blood pressure. (started this 10 days ago).

Any suggestions for high anxiety, panic attacks and not coping please?

Also I am not sure about my diet. Since February I had begun to take more care of myself and had begun to loose weight and eat more healthily. I thought I was eating healthily but I am not so sure now reading the comments on the website. I exercise every day. I cycle 7.5 miles every day and sometimes also walk 3 miles. I am constantly hungry though. Should I eat snacks? If I do I eat 6-7 almonds, hazelnuts. I have tried to read what others are saying but it seems such a mindfield.
Roughly my diet is as follows:
Breakfast 1 ounce organic porridge made oat milk with either handful blueberries, half grapefruit, 4 strawberries, raspberries.
Almonds or pumpkin seeds mid morning
Lunch 4 ounces salmon, mackeral, tuna with salad, sometimes with half slice bread or 2 spoons brown rice, bulgar wheat.
Mid afternoon same as morning
Evening meal small piece chicken with vegetables 2 spoons of buckwheat or half sweet potato.
I am still 2 stone overweight but I don't want to loose too much too quickly.
Can I have some almonds before I go to bed or should I not eat after my evening meal?
Thanks you for your help everyone
T

 

[hanadr]

Perhaps I can be of some help?
First of all the Corporal Jones Approach "Don't Panic; don't panic!"
It's unlikely that anything will happen very quickly. You have time to learn what is best for you. Everyone is individual,and although some general patterns suit everyone, the details are your own.
Do you have a care team, who encourage you to be involved in decisions? or do they just tell you what to do and report blood test results as "ok" or otherwise? Essentially you do need, for your health and sanity, to take control. You seem to be inclined that way already. You've found us.Be aware some medical teams don't like us and think we have a hidden agenda. We don't. All we are is a group of diabetics. out to help each other.
To take control you need a blood glucose meter. These are often given away free and if you are on medication, theoretially, you are entitled to test strips on free prescription, in practice, it can be a struggle to get them. NICE says you should have them in the learning stages, so try standing your ground. If they absolutely won't budge, you can do like some of us and fund your own.search for the best prices, the reason the PCTs don't want them prescribed is because they are rather costly.
Next, decide on your targets; Diabetes Uk gives 4 - 7 before meals and no more than 8.5 after( 2 hours later). For me that would be too high. I'm NEVER OVER 6, but I'm an old hand. Without medication, you are most unlikely to go too low( hypo)
Even if you use medication to control blood glucose, you can often improve by reducing your carbohydrate intake( sugars and starches) This may be by using Low GI, cutting portion size or Atkins Induction, or anywhere in between . By trial and error, you'll find your own method. the trick is to test before a meal and then 1 and then 2 hours later, to identify how high the "spike" goes and which foods cause it and need care.
I shall refer to your food list and comment, hoping to suggest ways to reduce BG and hunger. You need to know that Fat is not an enemy. It keeps you from feeling hungry.

Breakfast 1 ounce organic porridge made oat milk with either handful blueberries, half grapefruit, 4 strawberries, raspberries. Porridge is high carb and can cause high Bg in most people[c Berries in moderation are fine. An alternative suggestion, which would prevent hunger, would be a couple of scrambled eggs ,made in the microwave with a little cream or butter
Almonds or pumpkin seeds mid morning. Absolutely fine.
Lunch 4 ounces salmon, mackeral, tuna with salad, sometimes with half slice bread or 2 spoons brown rice, bulgar wheat. Bread, rice an bulgar wheat are high carb and can put BG up Have twice as much salad instead? Not pasta salad or potato salad and watch for sugar in dressings. Home made low sugar coleslaw is filling
Mid afternoon same as morning
Evening meal small piece chicken with vegetables 2 spoons of buckwheat or half sweet potato. Sweet potato is somewhat better than ordinary potato, but still in the region of 30% carb. Being low GI, it takes longer for the BG to "hit". New potatoes are lower in carbs
I am still 2 stone overweight but I don't want to loose too much too quickly.
Reducing carbs will help you reduce your weight. the speed Depending on how much you reduce it,
Can I have some almonds before I go to bed or should I not eat after my evening meal?
Thanks you for your help everyone

I hope that's of some help.
You have a lot to learn, as we all did once and it won't all go right immediately, but as I wrote at the beginning of this "book" , It all takes time and there's no need to panic.
In a year, you could be fitter than you have been ever before.

 

[cugila]

Welcome bronte.

Excellent advice hanadr.

Ken

 

[bronte]

Thanks very much for the time and effort you made on my behalf it is much appreciated. Could you give me some other suggestions for lunch and dinner. How do you keep your bg levels down? What do you eat?
What can I do if the food I eat gives me a high reading is it nothing but watch what you have eaten and try again another time?
Is there a list of food that are more acceptable than others? Is it okay to have eggs every morning?
My care team just gave me the Diabetes UK booklet and I said that I had cut out milk and dairy products because I was worried about high fat levels and cholesterol. I asked about taking supplements such as gymnema sylvestre and Alpha lipoic acid but they referred me to a dietition.
I have been prescribed some anti depressenants to deal with depression and anxiety but after taking them for 2 days I had a terrible reaction. The GP has asked me to try them again as they can work. Can anything else be tried. I think its the panic at being diagnosed and I appreciate your comments about not panicing.
Many thanks again

 

[sugarless sue]

Bronte,get a copy of Collins Gem carb counter,it's not expensive, and work out what you like to eat in carbs.Take it slowly and aim to reduce to about 130 gms carbs a day then ,once you test and see what effect that is having,reduce carbs again until you start getting readings below 7 preferably less ,on a regular basis.Only you can find out which foods suit you best as we are all different in that respect.
Take it slowly and...........don't panic!!! we've all been there.

 

[cugila]

Bronte.
Whoa !!
Too many questions just muddy the water. You need to just ask two or three things and then we can get to work with sensible answers for you. You are not going to be able to take it all in at once. It will take a bit of your time. Just take a step back and try to take in little bits at a time. They will stick better then.

YOU need to decide the type of food you prefer to eat and then see if it is suitable. You may be able to handle Starchy Carbohydrates without any problems. From your previous post that may not be the case. You need to test with your meter on waking, before food and 1 and 2 hrs after. Only then will YOU know what foods are suitable and what are not.
As a rough guide, a lot of us here avoid Potatoes, Rice, Pasta, Root Veg, Flour, and Sugar. What's left you might say ? Absolutely loads of things, but it does mean a lifestyle change if you want to succeed.

I could suggest a menu for you that works for me, but that would be MY choice, not YOURS.
What I will say is that I too have Cholesterol problems so I drink Semi-Skimmed Milk now. I still eat a few Eggs, eat Cheddar Cheese and Stilton when I feel like it. So not every thing is banned.
Portion sizes are much reduced as well even though they weren't large before.

As for Bg levels as a T2 you need to aim for this:
Fasting (waking)..............between 4 - 7 mmol/l.
2 Hrs after meals.............no more than 8.5 mmol/l.

Take your time. It does get easier.

Ken.

 

[CurvyPixel]

Hi Bronte
I too have had depression & anxiety on & off. I have been on, and am currently taking anti-depressants. They do take a good while to get into your system & work & 2 days is a very short time. In my experience, and I'm sure, like everything, it's different for everyone, it takes a couple of weeks at least to feel any real benefits, but it is worth keeing going as the benefits are huge!

It is a scary time being diagnosed with diabetes, and there's lots to get your head around, but there's loads of people here with a huge range of experience who are happy to help.

Take one step at a time and keep taking the medication (as they say!! :lol: )

CurvyP

 

[Trinkwasser]

This is one of my favourite newbie sites

http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/2006/10/d-day.html

there are plenty more in the Stickies and Success Stories threads

I also suffer from depression (it is endemic in the other side of the family than the diabetes) not all medications work for everyone, usually SSRIs are used first but mine only responds to SNRIs and tricyclics. Like diabetes it's something that can be treated but it may take time to find the right dose of the right drug.

It's another thing that has resolved significantly with BG control (BIG HINT!)

Read and reread Hana's post for starters, this thing is a lot more controllable than you may have been led to believe.

 

[bronte]

Thank you to everyone for your help. I am reading a lot and I realise that it takes time and trial and error with foods.

 

[anxietysucks]

It's another thing that has resolved significantly with BG control (BIG HINT!)

I'm on a rollercoaster myself at the mo - was taking 1500mg with 8mg avandia and bg control was good, went off the rails as was on a diet and couldn't take it anymore so binged for 3 days on chocolate, and no suffering yet again with anxiety - this time it's been over a month Taking my correct dose of 2000mg with the 8mg avandia now in the hope it will come in line again and my depression/anxiety (which is the worst it's ever been) so I'm hoping now I'm playing the game, it will go away again.

x x x

 

[Silkstone]

ok sweet thung! Dont oanic! It all sounds formidiuble but there are lots of folk here to help.. to suggest what might help and give you rdeas that it is NOT the end as we know it!
My take after a lot of reserach is that the medical profession have us go to the dietitian who advises us to have low fat and high carbs.
Now, carbohydrates are sugar in another form and thew body breaks this down into glucose so the body may use it. How ever, this is the very last thing that anyone diagnosed with diabetes needs. Common sense really?
After that low fat.. another stupid idea. high chloresterol is bad as it leads to heart disease! Another load of twaddle!
Whole grains? Tell me, if a farmer wants to fatten up his cattle quickly, what does he feed them? Grain! There is lottle nutrient in grains and we shoud avoid them or we too will get fatter!
many diabetics tell me they eat hardly anything but still gain weight. True because the docs say they are insulin resistant.. I will write more of this later and you will see why that is wrong information yoo!
Its late so I must go to bed... but I will be back!

Silkstone