I was diagnosed with type 2 on Tuesday and given Metformin 500g, I have never felt so bad my last blood count was 27.6 and it has never been below 20 this last week. How long before anything takes effect .
Blood glucose high?
- Thread starter Kitty54
- Start Date
Hi. Metformin can take a week or two to have an effect but be aware that although a good drug it will only reduce your sugars by around 1-2 units for 500mg and you may have to have your dosage increased but each increase in dosage has less effect. Diet is the main influencer on blood sugar and on this forum you will find a lot about diet particularly the need to keep your carb intake low. I'm assuming you are a typical T2 i.e. overweight and in need of more diet control? If not, you may need further meds added following discussion with your GP and your next HBa1C blood test. Do ask if you need any further info.
Hi Kitty and welcome to the forum. People will be along shortly with lots of good advice. Don't worry, we'll soon have you sorted out!
daisy1
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Hi Kitty and welcome to the forum 
Here is the information which we give to new members which should help you. Ask all the questions you like and someone will be along to give you an answer.
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 well over 30,000 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 ... rains.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 blood glucose 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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please sign our e-petition for free testing for all type 2's; here's the link:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/petition/
Do get your friends and colleagues to sign as well.
Here is the information which we give to new members which should help you. Ask all the questions you like and someone will be along to give you an answer.
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 well over 30,000 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 ... rains.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 blood glucose 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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please sign our e-petition for free testing for all type 2's; here's the link:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/petition/
Do get your friends and colleagues to sign as well.
Hi everyone, I have recently lost 3 stone but I guess I may have to lose a couple more. I am also celiac so I am finding this very difficult in what I should b eating, I do ea t very healthy lots of salad, fruit and veg with very few carbs, HELP........
Hi. Sounds like you do already have a reasonable diet. Perhaps if you let us know what you typically have for meals/snacks during the day we can home in on anything that may cause your sugar to rise excessively. BTW I'm assuming you aren't a young diabetic e.g. below 30'ish? Young diabetics diagnosed as T2 can sometimes actually be late onset T1 and need more medication.
I am 58....
Breakfast normally consists of...
Bacon, egg, baked beans, mushrooms and a piece of fruit. My breakfast is grilled and dry fry my egg and all visible fat removed.
Mid morning....
Fruit usually a banana
Lunch...
Salad, ham, fat free yoghurt, and sugar free jelly.
Dinner.....
Rice or potatoes, veg or salad, and some protein usually chicken. I some times have a little treat of chocolate which I have cut out this week.
I do nibble on fruit throughout the day if hungry usually nectarines, plums and melon.
This is what I eat with Slimming World in which in the last 16 months I have lost just over 3 stones.
I dont eat much carbs due to the presence of gluten in bread so usually do without. Do you think this is a reasonable diet, I am so confused as I have only being diagnosed this week when I have being eating healthily for 16 months :?:
Many thanks
Breakfast normally consists of...
Bacon, egg, baked beans, mushrooms and a piece of fruit. My breakfast is grilled and dry fry my egg and all visible fat removed.
Mid morning....
Fruit usually a banana
Lunch...
Salad, ham, fat free yoghurt, and sugar free jelly.
Dinner.....
Rice or potatoes, veg or salad, and some protein usually chicken. I some times have a little treat of chocolate which I have cut out this week.
I do nibble on fruit throughout the day if hungry usually nectarines, plums and melon.
This is what I eat with Slimming World in which in the last 16 months I have lost just over 3 stones.
I dont eat much carbs due to the presence of gluten in bread so usually do without. Do you think this is a reasonable diet, I am so confused as I have only being diagnosed this week when I have being eating healthily for 16 months :?:
Many thanks
HI THERE,I Think you should have a word with your diabetic nurse and she will guide you to the best diet for you ,as everyone is different it is frightening just being diagnosed i know i was 5 years ago when i was diagnosed now steady as long as i remember to eat my carbohydrates during the day and stick to the rest of my diet ,have a word with her and she will put you right
I find potatos make my blood sugar rocket and white rice (Basmati isnt too bad).
A ketogenic diet may be good for you, meaning high in fat, moderate protein and low carbohydrates. I can vouch for this, I've never been hugely over weight, I noticed my gut getting big around a year ago so I went on a keto diet for 8 weeks, the results were simply amazing. However with that said you most likely don't want a load of extra keytones while your blood sugars are high. Speak with you GP/Diabetes Nurse about a low carb diet first.
Metformin should help you in time, I was on it for a month (now on insulin and off Metformin) but found it suppressed my hunger,
Some of the fruit you eat may contain too many sugars, try eating fibre rich fruits such as: strawberries, raspberries, apples, pears, blueberries and I'm sure there're others. May be a google search would help.
If you haven't already done so, introduce exercise to your 'healthy lifestyle plan'. Swimming and weight lifting are very good, or you could just run.
A ketogenic diet may be good for you, meaning high in fat, moderate protein and low carbohydrates. I can vouch for this, I've never been hugely over weight, I noticed my gut getting big around a year ago so I went on a keto diet for 8 weeks, the results were simply amazing. However with that said you most likely don't want a load of extra keytones while your blood sugars are high. Speak with you GP/Diabetes Nurse about a low carb diet first.
Metformin should help you in time, I was on it for a month (now on insulin and off Metformin) but found it suppressed my hunger,
Some of the fruit you eat may contain too many sugars, try eating fibre rich fruits such as: strawberries, raspberries, apples, pears, blueberries and I'm sure there're others. May be a google search would help.
If you haven't already done so, introduce exercise to your 'healthy lifestyle plan'. Swimming and weight lifting are very good, or you could just run.
Hi. Thanks for the info. Baked beans can have a lot of added sugar so go for the low added-sugar versions. Bananas are a no-no for most of us other than in small quantity as they are high-GI which means the carbs are turned to glucose very rapidy causing spikes. Most yogurts may be low fat but are high sugar so go for 0%/0% fat & sugar. I buy Irish yogurts fruit version but natural yogurts may be easier to find. You can have chocolate but go for high % varieties. I buy Green & Blacks 85% but there are other 85% varieties as well. You do get used to the taste of dark chcolcate and I find I don't like milk chocolate anymore! 85% has very low added sugar. Other than that you do seem to have quite a good diet so let's hope the sugars keep coming down. As you will find througout the forum 'test to the meter' i.e. find out what foods affect you most. If needed your Metformin could be increased up to 2000mg and then there are further tablets but let's hope they aren't needed.
Just been on a 6 mile walk, now my blood is " Hi " what does that mean, feeling a little light headed, otherwise I'm fine.? All I have had to eat is my breakfast, just going to have a salad with fish. Thanks everyone your support is fantastic.
I think Kitty you need to lower your carbs more. Less fruit unless its berries ie, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry. Low fat yogurt tends to be high in sugar. Potato and banana are some of the worst culprits - turns to sugar as soon as it hits your body.
Fry your eggs but in butter, don't cut off the fat on your bacon. You will fnd that lower carbs will reduce your BS. Pop some olive oil and cider vinegar on your salad.
Good luck, let us know how you get on.
Fry your eggs but in butter, don't cut off the fat on your bacon. You will fnd that lower carbs will reduce your BS. Pop some olive oil and cider vinegar on your salad.
Good luck, let us know how you get on.
Kitty,
"Hi" on the meter means that it is reading over the maximum threshold for most meters this is around 33 - 35 mmol/l.
When you were diagnosed what tests were carried out by your doctor?
If you are type II and still running high blood glucose despite exercise and from what I can see a reduced carb diet then I think you should go back to your doctor. Running glucose at those levels long term will cause all the normal problems associated with diabetes. Certainly in the short term you could use some additional medication to help bring those blood glucose under control and give diet a chance at controlling them.
Finally can I ask what your weight is like? I know you say you have lost 3 stone; not to be rude but are you still massively over-weight or are you merely 'plump'!.. If you are of normal weight or only slightly over-weight now then its certainly worth getting your diagnoses checked.. at your age its all to easy to diagnose type II but with those sorts of glucose levels and with a normal-ish weight I would certainly want to rule out being type I.. rather than just assuming type II.
"Hi" on the meter means that it is reading over the maximum threshold for most meters this is around 33 - 35 mmol/l.
When you were diagnosed what tests were carried out by your doctor?
If you are type II and still running high blood glucose despite exercise and from what I can see a reduced carb diet then I think you should go back to your doctor. Running glucose at those levels long term will cause all the normal problems associated with diabetes. Certainly in the short term you could use some additional medication to help bring those blood glucose under control and give diet a chance at controlling them.
Finally can I ask what your weight is like? I know you say you have lost 3 stone; not to be rude but are you still massively over-weight or are you merely 'plump'!.. If you are of normal weight or only slightly over-weight now then its certainly worth getting your diagnoses checked.. at your age its all to easy to diagnose type II but with those sorts of glucose levels and with a normal-ish weight I would certainly want to rule out being type I.. rather than just assuming type II.
Hi all, sorry for the delay in replying. I have been in hospital and now newly diagnosed with type 1. My ketones were 4 now down to trace it was pretty scary for awhile. I am now on insulin, which is very strange but I'm sure I will get used to it quite quickly. Yes I am still 3 stones overweight but I am still losing. My blood sugar s still quite high at 27 but I am sure it will go down now I am on the proper medication. Thanks x
Shetland-Mal
Active Member
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- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
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- Insulin
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My BG was reasonably under control (by reasonably I mean 12-16.0) but this morning it was 19.1 and a bit later it was 21.3. :twisted:
