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Advice re management of type two

W

WaG

Active Member
Messages
33
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi There

I was diagnosed as a type two some 6 years ago now and since then my BG have gradually increased by 0.1 - 0.2 to my last reading which was 6.9. The only exception to this was when they spiked to 7.5 once but then after changing my job to a far less stressful one they dropped to 6.8. I currently take 4 metformin (500mg) a day and my health practice say that if I start to go over 7 then they will look at the next type of medicine Glycazide? Understandably I want to hold off on this for as long as possible.

I do not have any history of diabetes in the family and have never been overweight however I have inherited high cholesterol which at one point was nearly double figures (9.6)! I am now on 80mg of statins and it is now 5.3 and is creeping up again. I am aged 52 and the nurse is happy with my BMI and blood pressure....at the moment that is.
My exercise regime is pretty good and so is my diet "love your lentils" and "cherish your chick peas" is my mantra.

Given the above I wondered if any one has any ideas as to what else I can do I guess I need to have a better understanding of how I acquired the condition as well as I am struggling to think of other ways to combat it. Any ideas anyone? When I was diagnosed I was under a tremendous amount of stress and was getting heart palpitations they checked my heart etc which was fine but then told me that I was a type two.

Re the cholesterol I do take omega 3 tablets (fish oil) every day however I have started to eat more nuts and seeds after meals to slow down sugar release due to their low GI properties. I am not sure if the fat in them is good or bad and whether I should replace them with something else...if so what?

I am considering taking more supplements but there seems to be a wde range of recommendations including cinnamon, ginger, chronium and others again suggestions welcome.

Is there any one out there that may be able to shed some light on my dilemmas? I do read a lot of success stories about people who have controlled it well with weight loss and I am really pleased for them with my scenario though I am a bit stuck for ideas.

Right that is my war and peace entry done I look forward to your replies.

WaG
 
Have you experimented with what happens to your blood levels if you eat less carbs?
 
Hi,

When you mention your blood glucose test results, are you talking about a fasting BG test, or your HbA1c test result? I'm guessing you're not testing at home?

I ask because I'm type 2 but regularly get fasting BG results in the range of 5.6 to 8.5 on the same day, depending on the time of the test.

So I personally think that an annual fasting test result by the doctor is a pointless farce.

Of course, I didn't discover this until I bought my own BG meter, and now suspect that I have been experiencing far worse BG levels for years, than the doctors tests would indicate. It has also been fascinating to discover what effect different foods have on my body.
 
hi

I think to reduce you BG levels you have to know what raises them in the first place. I found me so -called healthy diet of low GI porridge, granary bread and a ton of fruit was raising my glucose levels massively.

I bought my own meter (found SD codefree from home and heath was cheapest in terms of test strips)

I now control my BG levels by following a low carb/high fat eating plan..
 
Hi all

The results given were my latest 6 month Hba1c.When first diagnosed I started testing but as I am a bot of a worrier I stopped as it was stressing me out as It is like a constant reminder not that I forget! What I have done is a shed load of research re GI carbs etc and follow a very low carb diet and the carbs I take are low GI that along with my exercise I thought would yield better results.

The nurse is happy with my efforts but could I do more?
 
WaG

I can only echo and summarise what others have said.

Firstly, blood glucose levels can vary from day to day even with the same meal plans. Therefore, to mention variations in readings of .1 are not significant.

Secondly, different foods whether low carb or not, will affect different Type 2 individuals to a lesser or greater degree. You need to monitor how they affect you.

So thirdly, you need to acquire a monitor, either through your GP or purchase it yourself. Then you need to test and test again to find the foods that you can tolerate and those that you can't. That way you will begin to take control of your diabetic journey.

good luck

jim
 
Hi

Just a quick word on why you developed type 2, it could have been an immune response to the stress - it is not always about weight/genetics. This isn't really explained by the docs when they give us the good(!) news.

As with everyone else, I do think testing is a great idea to find out what might be causing your gradual increase. Your doctor may give you a meter and strips if they are sympathetic to you taking control. I would also suggest taking Q-10 as you are on statins.

I used to do low GI religiously and it worked for a few years but I have had to move to low carb/high fat to get my sugars back under control. It might be worth checking out the information on the forum about this for inspiration. Just out of interest, are you vegetarian? I think low carb can be more daunting for veggies.

Good luck!
Jane
 
Hello WaG. I echo everything suggested above, plus. From everything I've read it seems hyperglycaemia begets hyperglycaemia as it is toxic to the pancreas or the beta-cells or something (poor memory for details I'm afraid! - see the book 'Blood Sugar 101' by Jenny Ruhl). My theory is that may be why we are told that the diabetes will inevitably get worse over time because as the NHS guidelines 'allow' hyperglycaemia by having high cut off values deterioration would be inevitable.

Checking your own levels will give some idea whether or not you have blood glucose levels which are high at times - these being the potentially toxic times. Look particularly at first thing in the morning and compare with the level on going to bed. If there is a rise it most likely indicates that you are one of the 50% of Type2s with a dawn effect. There is a thread looking at ways to minimise it called 'pesky dawn...' something or other which might give you some ideas.

Good luck with it all!
 
Again thnk you to everyone I will look into getting a meter and take it from there it will be interesting to see whether I cam modify my diet.

Jane excuse my ignorance but what is Q10?
 
sorry Jane I forgot to answer your question no I am not vegetarian
 
I can only speak for my own experience with low GI/GL foods - the ones I tested had exactly the same response for me as any other carbs and my meter told me to stop eating them. I think part of the problem is that the GI/GL values were established by testing normal people, not diabetics. There also seems to be a wide variation in individual responses to foods - some people can handle certain foods; others can't. Portion sizes can also have an impact. So unless you're testing these "healthy" carbs yourself, it's impossible to say what effect they're having on you.
 
WaG said:
Again thnk you to everyone I will look into getting a meter and take it from there it will be interesting to see whether I cam modify my diet.

Jane excuse my ignorance but what is Q10?
Click to expand...
Co-Q10 is depleted by statin use and the depletion gets worse the longer you take statins - so it's a good idea to take a supplement. The most bioavailable form is "ubiquinol" - and it's more expensive than the usually sold varieties.
 
Hi all back again I would like to know more re the Q10 supplement eg what it does whether it is ok with statins and what effect if any it may have on my cholesterol levels if I take it.
I am on the top dose of statins 80mg and have been on them for some years and as with most medicines I know that there are side effects I have read that some say statins have contributed to people acquiring diabetes...what ever I suppose as for me that ship has sailed!
Given all the above in my first entry should I ask for a reduction in my statin dose?
I appreciate that I can do research on the net but you guys like me are living with this condition so its always uesful to have input.
Finally I understand that new drugh are coming out which avoid the use of Glicazide.

Gary
 
WaG

as I understand it, statins play around with your natural levels of Serotonins and Q-10 can help balance that.

I have been on statins for more world cups than I can remember and like you I wonder whether it has contributed to my type 2?

I take Q-10 without any apparent problems.

jim
 
Asking a question about statins on this forum usually opens the flood gates between those who are for them and those who are against . 80 mg does seem to be rather a high dose was your cholesterol very high...I take 20mg...but I am not medically trained so do not really know about it and.if you are not getting any side effects from them then it seems fine.
 
Thanks both
My cholesterol at its high point was around 9.6 but is now 5.3 or there abouts this is despite the fact that I do have a healthy diet and exercise. My dad has high cholesterol so I blame him!...not really.

I should be due for a Hba1c, cholesterol etc check in the next month I will discuss Q10's, reducing statins, and whether they will allow me a meter etc on prescription if not I will get one. I would rather try different things other than more meds if I can and it is good to hear that you have taken Q10 with no problems Jim.

Thankfully I do not have any side effects from the statins that I know about e.g. the muscle pains etc but having read more I feel that it may have contributed to my becoming a type two ( I like you Annie do not have any medical training). I guess it comes down to high cholesterol v high BG. Once I have my results I can embark on the Q10's etc so that I have a comparison before and after.

Gary
 
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