Hi have been diagnosed with type 2 about 2wks ago. I'm on metformin but just wondering should I be checking my blood sugar levels atall? Haven't been told to by my diabetes nurse.should I ask her. Been feeling dizzy last two days is this due to low sugars.
feeling dizzy
- Thread starter sandyclaws
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Bluetit1802
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Hello and welcome,
To answer your first question, yes you should be testing your BS levels. You need to buy a meter and test strips. Your nurse will probably tell you there is no need to test with you being Type 2 on Metformin. However, this is rubbish advice we all receive. Have a look here http://www.homehealth-uk.com/medical/blood_glucose_monitor_testing.htm for the Codefree meter many of us on here use, simply because it has the cheapest test strips on the market. Even cheaper if you use the discount codes.
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833
Testing out foods and meals is essential in controlling this disease. If you decide to buy a meter, we will help you learn how best to use it.
As for your second question, your dizziness could be anything, but is unlikely to be low blood sugar unless you have been starving yourself of carbohydrate. Metformin won't cause low blood sugars, it doesn't work that way. It can, however, have side effects as far as tummy and bowel issues are concerned, so watch out for that.
Have a good read round the forum, and meanwhile I'll tag @daisy1 who will arrive with some good advice for newly diagnosed.
Ask as many questions as you like.
To answer your first question, yes you should be testing your BS levels. You need to buy a meter and test strips. Your nurse will probably tell you there is no need to test with you being Type 2 on Metformin. However, this is rubbish advice we all receive. Have a look here http://www.homehealth-uk.com/medical/blood_glucose_monitor_testing.htm for the Codefree meter many of us on here use, simply because it has the cheapest test strips on the market. Even cheaper if you use the discount codes.
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833
Testing out foods and meals is essential in controlling this disease. If you decide to buy a meter, we will help you learn how best to use it.
As for your second question, your dizziness could be anything, but is unlikely to be low blood sugar unless you have been starving yourself of carbohydrate. Metformin won't cause low blood sugars, it doesn't work that way. It can, however, have side effects as far as tummy and bowel issues are concerned, so watch out for that.
Have a good read round the forum, and meanwhile I'll tag @daisy1 who will arrive with some good advice for newly diagnosed.
Ask as many questions as you like.
ButtterflyLady
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- Acceptance of health treatment claims that are not adequately supported by evidence. I dislike it when people sell ineffective and even harmful alternative health products to exploit the desperation of people with chronic illness.
Hi and welcome
Dizziness is listed as one of the "less common" side effects of metformin, but I'd have thought it would have come on earlier than ~2 weeks after starting it.
It's possible that if you have changed what you are eating your blood sugars may have come down a bit and your dizziness is related to a "false hypo" which is when your body is not used to having lower blood sugar than what you had previously. It's called a false hypo because a real hypo is 4 mmol/mol or lower. The target range we try to achieve is 4-8.
Alternatively, it may be nothing to do with diabetes and could be caused by a virus or inflammation in the inner ear, which can happen for no reason and goes away on its own. If it gets worse, or is causing issues or you have any other new symptoms you should see your doctor about it, just to be on the safe side.
daisy1
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@sandyclaws
Hello and welcome to the forum
To add to the advice above, here is the information we give to newly diagnosed members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask more questions if you need to and someone will be able to help.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 150,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
Reduce your carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Hello and welcome to the forum
To add to the advice above, here is the information we give to newly diagnosed members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask more questions if you need to and someone will be able to help.BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 150,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
- Reduce your carbohydrate intake
- Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
- structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
- self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
PatsyB
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Hello and welcome...makes you wonder why they not give you a testing kit after putting you on metformin I was given one straight away and must say it helps me a lot but I do know when sugar levels drop as makes me feel weird....hope you gte it sorted soon
Hi and welcome. I agree with the other posts that you should get hold of a meter and test. Go for 2 hours after some typical meals and just before the meal as well if you can afford it. The dizziness could be a more unusual side effect of the Metformin but unlikely to be due to low blood sugar. Metformin side effects usually settle within a week or two.
HI & Welcome.
I take metaformin and get dizzy light headed when my sugars drop below 6, i would highly recommend getting a machine, push your nurse for one hun,
when i was diagnosed last March it was a god send, i still test now and then, but mostly if ive eaten something i had cut out completely, careful with your carbs hun, they snuck up on me at the start as my gp didnt mention cutting them down , it was only after id spent hours on this site reading up on type 2, this site is brilliant, so many helpful people, so dont feel alone in this hun, we're all a click away
I take metaformin and get dizzy light headed when my sugars drop below 6, i would highly recommend getting a machine, push your nurse for one hun,
when i was diagnosed last March it was a god send, i still test now and then, but mostly if ive eaten something i had cut out completely, careful with your carbs hun, they snuck up on me at the start as my gp didnt mention cutting them down , it was only after id spent hours on this site reading up on type 2, this site is brilliant, so many helpful people, so dont feel alone in this hun, we're all a click away
carpcatcher
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hi there im in same boat diagnosed t2 19/8/15 ive been told same you dont need to test and that the nurse doctor will keep a check on me in 6mnths time i was told to loose weight which i am from 16st 12oz down to 15st 4oz hopefully this will help im on 2x metformin no dizzy spells or other side effects as yet but by what ive read on here a test kit would not go a miss
Wiluwrite
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Hello, I have just bought a BG testing kit from the link on here. After been diagnosed a couple of months ago I felt peeing on a stick & getting a clear result all the time was not giving me a good reading. I've only been testing a couple of days but feel more in control even though i'm just getting in the swing. Keep reading on here all the info you need or just ask : )
sarahlou72
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Hi @sandyclaws
You will get lots of good advice here.
I was diagnosed 2 years ago and went with what my dn said about not needing to test. My last appointment (12 months) saw my bg go up.
I have had my sd code free for a week. It is a learning curve finding out what affects your bg. I should have done this 2 years ago. I feel as if I've been muddling along for that time.
You will get lots of good advice here.
I was diagnosed 2 years ago and went with what my dn said about not needing to test. My last appointment (12 months) saw my bg go up.
I have had my sd code free for a week. It is a learning curve finding out what affects your bg. I should have done this 2 years ago. I feel as if I've been muddling along for that time.
tvlicencenumber
Member
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Causes of dizziness
A dizzy spell can be brought on by many things, but in cases of diabetes the most common causes are:
Low blood pressure
Dizziness can be cause by the heart's inability to pump blood up to the brain sufficiently, especially when suddenly standing up from a sitting or a lying position.
As the blood momentarily fails to reach the brain, a spinning sensation, unsteadiness or even fainting can occur.
Dehydration
High blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) can cause polyuria, which in turn can lead to dehydration by passing too much fluid out of the body in an attempt to remove excess glucose.
With low levels of water in the body, the brain may struggle to function correctly and cause light headedness.
Hypoglycemia
Having a low amount of sugar in your blood (hypoglycemia) can lead to dizziness by causing the brain cells to malfunction.
Certain medications
Some medications, including those used to treat people with diabetes, can cause dizzy spells. The instruction leaflet that comes with a medicine will list any possible side effects of the drug.
When to see your doctor
If you are suffering from bouts of dizziness that are recurrent or persistent you should go and see a doctor. They will likely ask questions to gauge whether there is a pattern to the feelings of dizziness, so keeping a record of dizzy spells prior to your appointment may be helpful.
A dizzy spell can be brought on by many things, but in cases of diabetes the most common causes are:
Low blood pressure
Dizziness can be cause by the heart's inability to pump blood up to the brain sufficiently, especially when suddenly standing up from a sitting or a lying position.
As the blood momentarily fails to reach the brain, a spinning sensation, unsteadiness or even fainting can occur.
Dehydration
High blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) can cause polyuria, which in turn can lead to dehydration by passing too much fluid out of the body in an attempt to remove excess glucose.
With low levels of water in the body, the brain may struggle to function correctly and cause light headedness.
Hypoglycemia
Having a low amount of sugar in your blood (hypoglycemia) can lead to dizziness by causing the brain cells to malfunction.
Certain medications
Some medications, including those used to treat people with diabetes, can cause dizzy spells. The instruction leaflet that comes with a medicine will list any possible side effects of the drug.
When to see your doctor
If you are suffering from bouts of dizziness that are recurrent or persistent you should go and see a doctor. They will likely ask questions to gauge whether there is a pattern to the feelings of dizziness, so keeping a record of dizzy spells prior to your appointment may be helpful.
