2 months diagnosed - complications

[Mushroom]

Gosh, you do seem to be eating a lot of carbs! That Eatwell Plate is a work of art isn't it?
My 4 pieces of toast for breakfast had to go. Was hoping the copious amount of butter I used to put on them would have helped!(but perhaps not).
Google the recipe for Oopsies. Not tried them yet but they are on my 'to do' list. Like the idea using them as a substitute pizza base.

 

[AllyS]

Shopping tomorrow to change the freezer contents me thinks. I can't believe the hospital doesn't push this across to help you?

 

[AllyS]

Gosh, you do seem to be eating a lot of carbs! That Eatwell Plate is a work of art isn't it?
My 4 pieces of toast for breakfast had to go. Was hoping the copious amount of butter I used to put on them would have helped!(but perhaps not).
Google the recipe for Oopsies. Not tried them yet but they are on my 'to do' list. Like the idea using them as a substitute pizza base.

I find the low carb diet a bit oppressive if I am being totally honest but I am going to his eggs, onion, veg and meet for a few weeks and see what happens

I love omelettes so should be fairly easy. During that time I will experiment

Life changing stuff and at 45 you tend to be set in your ways but I accept, things have to change.

 

[Fraddycat]

Ally, I am 45 too, and have 2 kids in the house, so I completely know how you feel. What I do is cook normal dinners like spaghetti bolognese or curry and rice for the rest of the family, and instead of the carbs I cook some broccolli or green beans or cauliflower. I put this on the plate first then put the meaty sauce over the top - so mostly I am eating the same as everyone else, just with a little tweak. The low carb diet can be very luxurious, you can have plenty of cheese and double cream, I have unsweetened peanut butter (from a spoon :shock: ) as a treat, along with Atkins bars.

 

[BioHaZarD]

Hi AllyS

Just read through the posts and it does seem you eat a lot of carbs. Since I was diagnosed, I no longer eat bread, pasta, rice or potatoes, crisps, biscuits, etc, there are loads you can eat you just got o get your head around things. I make my own cakes that taste better than the real things, you don't have to go without.

I am going to have to address the carbs I see. Not sure if I could do a complete carb free diet. Not easy when you have a 7 year old and 17 month in the house

I have 4 year old and now a 6 day old baby and I eat around 35g carbs per day....

Good luck, you can do it

 

[AllyS]

Ally, I am 45 too, and have 2 kids in the house, so I completely know how you feel. What I do is cook normal dinners like spaghetti bolognese or curry and rice for the rest of the family, and instead of the carbs I cook some broccolli or green beans or cauliflower. I put this on the plate first then put the meaty sauce over the top - so mostly I am eating the same as everyone else, just with a little tweak. The low carb diet can be very luxurious, you can have plenty of cheese and double cream, I have unsweetened peanut butter (from a spoon :shock: ) as a treat, along with Atkins bars.

Yep I hear you, I was wondering about sauces as some of them are high in carbs as well. I think I will immediately cut bread potatos and rice. That will instantly make things better. Even if that is all I do it is a massive bonus

 

[AllyS]

Now I am getting confused. Not changed any diet yet but am starting to get these chest pains again. Feels like getting a hypo, quick check and I am now the lowest I have ever been since I started checking at 4.9. But have done nothing to change that?

I am wondering now, when this chest pain starts my stools also loosen and there is a noticeable build up of internal air? It would appear this in turn is lowering my blood sugar? Again, only just noticing this so I guess I will have to closely monitor it. :?:

 

[Mushroom]

I find the low carb diet a bit oppressive if I am being totally honest but I am going to his eggs, onion, veg and meet for a few weeks and see what happens

Life changing stuff and at 45 you tend to be set in your ways but I accept, things have to change.

Can appreciate the change of ways at 45 yrs - I'm 51 yrs old. I now realise that I was the 'carboholic' in our house. My husband always resisted eating any bread ,pasta and potatoes. My son doesn't eat so much now (and has lost weight) as he now has to cook for himself as most of my meals are uncooked and consist of chopping up raw vegetables. As said before, normal meal but without the carb overload.
Love steaks with fat and mixed salad. Eggs and fatty bacon with rind. Pate with celery - tastes so much better than toast. Cream and cheese - yum. Got to keep an eye on the amount of fat because I am trying to lose weight.
I am cooking Chilli con Carne for 40 people tomorrow evening and have had to force myself to include rice and garlic bread for everyone. I will be happy eating it without!
I don't take Metformin because I don't want tummy problems but could your tummy pain and wind be something to do with that? I believe Met can react if you eat too many carbs in one session. I know you had chest pain before so perhaps not. Good luck - hope you find out what the problem is.

 

[AllyS]

No, nothing to do with stomach. I have had that all looked at and the pain is to high and too far left. It would be the very tip of my pancreas if anything.

Well, just stocked up ok meat, veg and low carb grub. Omelettes mixed with meats and veg for a week or so to see how my body reacts.

What I am worried about is there are other issues and I start having problems. The NHS certainly don't seem to care much.

 

[dawnmc]

What has the doc said about your chest pain? Assumed you have ruled out anxiety, wind etc. If you are still worried you need to go get it checked out.

 

[AllyS]

What has the doc said about your chest pain? Assumed you have ruled out anxiety, wind etc. If you are still worried you need to go get it checked out.

I like that :lol: anxiety and worried :lol:

Sorry that appeals to my sense of humour :thumbup:

OK so here is one for you all. I have started these chest pains again, just a little and hardly noticeable. BUT .......

This mornings was 11.4 when I got up. Whacked down the 4 metformin, 1 Sitagliptin and 1Gliclazide and the reading dropped to 5 at 14:00.

Worried it may drop more as I had a shopping trip and appointments this afternoon I ate 2 x glucose sweets, then I checked the blood sugar later on (about 17:00 and it was sat at 5.1).

This is where things get weird! I then ate 2 x chocolate biscuits (aero) and checked 50 mins later 7.1. I had my meal out (at mothers who doesn't understand diabetes) which was gammon steak with toasted brown sugar, potatoes followed by 2 x meringues with cream! I then checked my blood sugar 70 mins afterwards ... 5.0, it had dropped dramatically without any medication. Over the past few days it has dramatically dropped anyway. Instead of the 25+ to off the scale it has started hitting single figures. How fast does gliclazide work? Does it take a week to get into your system or is it instant?

Today was a bit of an experiment as I wanted to see how my body reacted and tomorrow starts the low carb intake.

Basically, my blood sugars are now dropping without any medicine? Is this normal? I know the metformin slow release should still be working but they did nothing previously and I question why I still take them in all honesty.

I think it is time for a long chat with my GP to get things sorted out!! I need more investigation for sure and really have to push for the MRI I feel?

 

[AllyS]

Good start to the low carbs today. ham omelette for breakfast. Now sat eating crispy bacon smothered in cheddar cheese ........ bliss :mrgreen:

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Yes, you are seeing some strange behaviour and it is not possible for us to try to diagnose it and I suspect you GP may also be stumped! Gliclazide should work within a few hours of taking it whereas Metformin might take a few days to weeks. Sitaglptin should also work quickly. My GP said the Sitagliptin could take 6 months but it took 2 days for me. I think you have to insist to your GP that the chest pain and insulin behaviour is properly investigated and a scan of some kind might be useful.

 

[AllyS]

Hi. Yes, you are seeing some strange behaviour and it is not possible for us to try to diagnose it and I suspect you GP may also be stumped! Gliclazide should work within a few hours of taking it whereas Metformin might take a few days to weeks. Sitaglptin should also work quickly. My GP said the Sitagliptin could take 6 months but it took 2 days for me. I think you have to insist to your GP that the chest pain and insulin behaviour is properly investigated and a scan of some kind might be useful.

Yep really weird stuff. Been on Metformin for 2 months now and has done nothing, but I am now on so many pills it is hard to tell as there was a panic to get the blood sugar down as it was so high. Never took the gliclazide yesterday and the blood sugar remained low. I am just wondering if the Sitaglptin which I started last week is starting to work? They stuck me on that and 2 days later added gliclazide?

I am calling the diabetic clinic on Monday and my doc as this is worrying the hell out of me now! I know it's not an exact science but I am all over the place just now!

 

[AllyS]

Well that was hypo stuff this afternoon, still shaking! 4.1 and was straight for the kids chocolate! Going to kick the gliclazide into touch until monday when I can speak to the clinic. I wish the shakes would stop! :crazy:

 

[Ali H]

I would imagine that you are now taking too much medication for your carb intake. If you dramatically cut carbs but not meds, it is easy to drop low quickly. Liaise with your GP about how to match meds to your new diet. For instance you might not need the glic any more.

Ali

 

[Ali H]

Btw unless I was at or below 4 I would not eat glucose tabs or chocolate bars. I would make sure I ate a slow release carb to give sustainability. All glucose sweets will do is give you a spike. If you are below 4 then a couple of glucose tabs AND something starchy are needed. So I would have a slice of wholemeal toast for instance or some Lizi's granola.

Ali

 

[Ali H]

People also use non sugar free fizzy drinks, lucozade, or jelly babies to get that quick sugar release to raise levels. Chocolate, apparently, doesn't work terribly quickly so isn't the best corrector.

Taking your 4.1 earlier therefore, a small amount of fizzy drink or fruit juice followed by a slice of wholemeal toast should do the job. I suspect the glic is producing too much insulin now. Do check it was a GAD and CPep test they did to rule out type 1. The dramatic weight loss at outset can indicate type 1 or 1.5.

No Dr should ever pile on sitagliptin and glic within days of each other either! You have to have a decent interval to gauge your new levels before changing it again. Sigh.

Ali

 

[GraceK]

I ate two chicken thighs for lunch with some tomatoes in sour cream. Wow was I full afterwards. Time to reduce my protein portion sizes again I think.

Does anyone else look at their food and think it doesn't look like much on the plate and then afterwards realise they ate more than they should have? Or is it just me? :think:

 

[AllyS]

People also use non sugar free fizzy drinks, lucozade, or jelly babies to get that quick sugar release to raise levels. Chocolate, apparently, doesn't work terribly quickly so isn't the best corrector.

Taking your 4.1 earlier therefore, a small amount of fizzy drink or fruit juice followed by a slice of wholemeal toast should do the job. I suspect the glic is producing too much insulin now. Do check it was a GAD and CPep test they did to rule out type 1. The dramatic weight loss at outset can indicate type 1 or 1.5.

No Dr should ever pile on sitagliptin and glic within days of each other either! You have to have a decent interval to gauge your new levels before changing it again. Sigh.

Ali

Yeah I was a touch surprised that they added such a heavy medication so quickly. This is the problem when you have a locum GP standing in, and a diabetic clinic not talking. I had been on metformin for 7 weeks and they added an additional met pill and sitagliptin. Two days later they added gliclazide! Madness!

Having said that I am now down at the level I should be after months of failure to get below 20! Either the sitagliptin has started working or the pains in my chest again suggest there are 'other' issues which now may never be discovered due to the medication