hi, this is my first post, and I wondered if anyone could help me. I was told a few years ago I was "borderline" diabetic type 2. Recently I wasnt feeling good, and knew it was to do with what I was eating, or overeating. I weigh 20 stone (female, aged 41). so i started to use one touch and was horrified to see my 1st reading was 21! This shocked me into a sensible diet healthy low carb and low cal. This was 2 weeks ago. I have lost about a stone in the two weeks, and my readings are now between 10 and 14 which is an improvement, but I know still not good. In the mornings now my reading is 10.5 after not eating for about 12 hours. from what I have read I understand that I probably have done some permanant damange to myself to have left this situation to get this bad without loosing weight or having a healthy diet ( I am a bad overeater), and I know my levels are still to high, but here is my question(s) should I run like the wind to the doctor to get medication right now, or is there any chance that if I loose about 5 stone plus and stick to a healthy low carb diet monitoring my blood sugar level, that eventually I could get myself in the 4-7 range without taking medication. I really dont want to, I already take two blood pressure pills and I just dont want to take more if it is POSSIBLE that I can avoid it. I know my levels are still high, but I thought as my body has shown some respone to the two weeks of healthy eating can things still improve? or am I just kidding myself. I feel sooooooooooooooooo much better since eating better and getting the levels down from 20 to 10. I would be so grateful if anyone would be kind enough to reply, I feel too sort of ashamed to discuss it with anyone.
any advice?
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totsy
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hya and welcome 
if it was me i would go to the gp for official diagnosis and then if u are lucky u may get testing strips free, but i would show them how well i had done and ask if i could try a period of no meds to see if i could turn it all around, most are given 3 mnths to try this and then put on meds if needed hope this helps and let us know how u get on
if it was me i would go to the gp for official diagnosis and then if u are lucky u may get testing strips free, but i would show them how well i had done and ask if i could try a period of no meds to see if i could turn it all around, most are given 3 mnths to try this and then put on meds if needed
hope this helps and let us know how u get onWell I weighed more than you when I started, have lost seven and a half stone and my numbers are now 'normal' even including an OGTT - the 'gold standard' for diagnosis (though my numbers at diagnosis weren't too bad).
I'm still taking one x 500mg metformin per day, but there is increasing evidence that is a good idea even if you are still only pre-diabetic.
Put it this way, all the time your BG is too high (7.8), you are tending to do at least *some* small damage to your body - going to see your doc now and getting on some meds to get your levels down asap makes good long term sense.
By all means make it clear to your doc that you aim to achieve heroic reductions in your weight and hope to get off meds again if poss - to that end, you'll need prescriptions for strips for your meter to help you redesign your new lifestyle.
Toughing it out may seem an attractive option now, but might be best to think of the long term.
I'm still taking one x 500mg metformin per day, but there is increasing evidence that is a good idea even if you are still only pre-diabetic.
Put it this way, all the time your BG is too high (7.8), you are tending to do at least *some* small damage to your body - going to see your doc now and getting on some meds to get your levels down asap makes good long term sense.
By all means make it clear to your doc that you aim to achieve heroic reductions in your weight and hope to get off meds again if poss - to that end, you'll need prescriptions for strips for your meter to help you redesign your new lifestyle.
Toughing it out may seem an attractive option now, but might be best to think of the long term.
*Personally* I'd be inclined to ask for medication to help get your numbers under control ASAP, you're at the level where "glucose toxicity" means the high BG will tend to keep itself high. After you've gotten under control you could very probably reduce or drop the meds.
Metformin would be no bad thing to help reduce insulin resistance (hint: exercise does much the same thing but the two work together synergystically) this needs starting slowly at a low dose and increasing and take time to start work. Possibly even a sulph for starters too.
Without the meds you'll probably get there but it will take significantly longer.
It's a disease containing a lot of feedback and feedforward loops, the high BG will generate high insulin levels which will cause high eating levels which will cause high BG and breaking out of this loop is what is important right now.
Metformin would be no bad thing to help reduce insulin resistance (hint: exercise does much the same thing but the two work together synergystically) this needs starting slowly at a low dose and increasing and take time to start work. Possibly even a sulph for starters too.
Without the meds you'll probably get there but it will take significantly longer.
It's a disease containing a lot of feedback and feedforward loops, the high BG will generate high insulin levels which will cause high eating levels which will cause high BG and breaking out of this loop is what is important right now.
thankyou for your respone, appreciated. Is it true that if you start on medication you will not, or are very unlikely to come off it? If I am able to resist eating a lot, until my blood sugars levels go down will this work? I am currently doing a diet of all fresh veg, salad fruit, fish, chicken, chickpeas all natural healthy stuff, if I am able to continue like this indefinately which is my intention, will this break me out of the loop? Is it possibe that my 8-10 hr fasting levels will be in the normal range at some point without medication, rather than being between 10-12. Or am I trying to do something that is not possible. I am really grateful for any responses that I get. This feels a lonely place and one for ME, which I know the whole situation is my own stupid fault.
Hi Red,
I was diagnosed 2 years ago with type 2. At the time I was not given the opportunity (and didn't query it!) to try a lifestyle change and I was put on high dose metformin and statins almost straight away.
I stopped all my medication three weeks ago with my HCT's support and am now trying a reduced carb diet, exercise and weight loss. I have lost a stone in weight, my pre and post meal BG figures have dropped despite no meds and I feel great.
So to answer your question, going on meds now does not mean that you are neccessarily on them forever.
I do have an open mind and may decide that even if after three months, if all my numbers are good to go on a low dose med to make numbers even better.
Well done on the changes you are making!
Jen
I was diagnosed 2 years ago with type 2. At the time I was not given the opportunity (and didn't query it!) to try a lifestyle change and I was put on high dose metformin and statins almost straight away.
I stopped all my medication three weeks ago with my HCT's support and am now trying a reduced carb diet, exercise and weight loss. I have lost a stone in weight, my pre and post meal BG figures have dropped despite no meds and I feel great.
So to answer your question, going on meds now does not mean that you are neccessarily on them forever.
I do have an open mind and may decide that even if after three months, if all my numbers are good to go on a low dose med to make numbers even better.
Well done on the changes you are making!
Jen
red said:
Agreed, read the Success Stories thread for some inspiration. You can find many stories in all forums of people reducing and even eliminating their meds. The sooner you gain control, before too many systems are broken, the easier this is. Not everyone succeeds, but given the right diet, which it sounds like you're working on
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/2009/ ... -test.html
reducing your insulin resistance and losing weight (any one of which will improve the others) you've got a fighting chance. You may even be able to reduce or come off your BP meds too.
thank you, my morning readings after 8-10 hr fast are still between 10-12, but today I got a reading of 7.6 which made me really happy, it was after a good day of carb control and doing a lot of gardening, It is only about 2 weeks ago that my readings were in the early twenities? today was my best day's readings. I just dont know how to get the 1st morning one lower than 10-12, but I guess its early days for me, only been eating sensibly for 2 weeks, before that binging most of the time. thanks so much for all the help and support on this forum.
Concentrate on the ones you *can* control for now, the others will probably fall in line later.
I've been doing bursts of gardening today (just stopped for another coffee) so far FBG 4.8, breakfast + 1 hour 5.9, mid afternoon 5.2
I think perhaps I should go home now
It took time (and learning to eat the exact opposite of what I was told) to reverse things though.
I've been doing bursts of gardening today (just stopped for another coffee) so far FBG 4.8, breakfast + 1 hour 5.9, mid afternoon 5.2
I think perhaps I should go home now
It took time (and learning to eat the exact opposite of what I was told) to reverse things though.
if my BG is before I go to bed is the same as when I get up in the morning, can someone explain to me what this exactly means, I mean does this indicate a particular stage in diabetes I am at, is this a really bad sign? If my overnight mechanism is not working (has stopped working?) does this mean it will never work again? I just want to know realistically just how doomed am I? so I can accept the situation. I intend to keep to the healthier low carb diet, and not overeat to ridiculous extents, but I dont want to be aiming for something (to get my BG to normal levels without medication) if I have no chance at all. I hope I havent asked anything stupid, this is all pretty new to me. thanks for any responses.
Hi red.
If my Bg levels were the same at bedtime and in the morning I would be perfectly happy with that, providing they weren't high or low ?
As for how doomed you are .....? Who know's , we are all doomed in some respects. Doesn't pay to worry about it though !
Your question is not stupid, just unusual ! You seem to have a plan which will no doubt work for you. Keep on with it and try not to worry too much.
Ken.
If my Bg levels were the same at bedtime and in the morning I would be perfectly happy with that, providing they weren't high or low ?
As for how doomed you are .....? Who know's , we are all doomed in some respects. Doesn't pay to worry about it though !
Your question is not stupid, just unusual ! You seem to have a plan which will no doubt work for you. Keep on with it and try not to worry too much.
Ken.
they are between 10-12 when I go to bed or at best 9.5 and normally the exact same when I get up in the morning which is too high right. i thought that it was supposed to be lower after fasting? I am eating about 1700 cals a day (need to loose weight) + about 85 carbs per day (when I was previously having about prob 800 or something). I am drinking water and green tea only, and doing a small bit of walking which i hate, other than taking all my blood out and straining the sugar out I dont know how to get the BG levels any lower?
red.
You are a T2 on diet only I believe ? The figures you should be aiming for I have posted before but here they are again.
Fasting (waking)................between 4 - 7 mmol/l.
2 hrs after meals................no more than 8.5 mmol/l.
I think you can see that your levels are too high. This could be down to either the type or quantity of food you are consuming. Your diet probably needs tweaking.
My bg levels do drop slightly overnight, but it is not a given that they will always drop ! Depends what you ate the night before and what is going on in your body ?
Have a good look around the food forum, the non low carb section and the low carb section. See what others are doing and see what might work for you.
The next step would probably be some Metformin to try and reduce the levels. You need to discuss this with your GP or dietician ?
Ken.
You are a T2 on diet only I believe ? The figures you should be aiming for I have posted before but here they are again.
Fasting (waking)................between 4 - 7 mmol/l.
2 hrs after meals................no more than 8.5 mmol/l.
I think you can see that your levels are too high. This could be down to either the type or quantity of food you are consuming. Your diet probably needs tweaking.
My bg levels do drop slightly overnight, but it is not a given that they will always drop ! Depends what you ate the night before and what is going on in your body ?
Have a good look around the food forum, the non low carb section and the low carb section. See what others are doing and see what might work for you.
The next step would probably be some Metformin to try and reduce the levels. You need to discuss this with your GP or dietician ?
Ken.
