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Brand-spanking new

Silverback-381

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Hello group,

I am brand-spanking new to the forum and to the Diabetes journey. I have suspected for 5 or 6 years that I might have it but due to other very time consuming demands, I could not afford the time to have it checked out. Symptoms such as a dry mouth, frequent urination and the other diabetes signals were put on the back-burner so to speak. Over the past two weeks I finally went to the doctor (after 25 years) and on Monday past, the confirmation was received. I have TYPE 2 Diabetes - and of course I was not surprised. I should probably mention that I am 71 years and generally fit with no other medical issues. I reside in Canada

Anyway, my blood glucose was first recorded at 18 mmol/l.. I do not have a list of results from Monday but at this point, I have taken readings. MY first fast reading was 15.2 The second on the next day after dinner was 13.2; and, this morning, my fast reading is 12.3. My GP has put me on Janumet XR 50/1000mg. Since I am quite new to this, I can only assume that the glucose readings are going in the right direction.

Over my adult lifetime, I have never eaten breakfast or lunch so having to adjust my eating habits at this late stage in life is a wee bit of a challenge particularly when I tended to eat healthy foods devoid of chemicals and "process". Strangely I am physically fit, work out; and, although my running days are behind me I do my version of a 3 - 5 mile powerwalk daily.

It is going to take me a while to read through the Forum but I am so very grateful that you all exist. Being as new as I am to Diabetes I am not sure if I can lend assistance at this point but if I can be of support to some, I will certainly step up.

I take a deep breath and prepare for life's next adventure.​
 
Robinredbreast said:
How's Canada ?
Click to expand...
Well, it is struggling to be spring here but the Robin's are clearly out. Politically, it is as much of a disaster as the rest of the world but it is home and there is no lack of things to do.
I am presuming you are in the UK? How is the land of my heritage?
As an aside, I wish you well on your journey
 

My diabetes journey started 30 years and I'm still going strong.
We are still awaiting our PM, Theresa May to settle the Bexit deal, so we are having to wait patiently, but quite a lot of unrest.
We have had some lovely weather here, especially over Easter, as it was hot and sunny.
Yes I am in the UK, in the beautiful county of Hampshire, I have relatives in Canada, British Columbia.
 
Silverback-381 said:
Hello group,

I take a deep breath and prepare for life's next adventure.​
Click to expand...

Hey Silverback,

Sorry you're one of us now, but you're in the right place for help. Can I ask what your current mealplan is? Because some people here practice intermittent fasting or OMAD; skipping one (Intermittent) or two meals (One Meal a Day), so it could still fit, eventually. Right now it wouldn't, with the Janumet, and you'd probably (certainly) get hypo's if you tried to combine it with low carb eating. But you could possibly check out diets (Low Carb/High Fat, Keto for instance), see if one of those fit the bill for you, discuss with your doc what's next... I stopped my pills 3 months in, with my doc's okay, and never looked back. HbA1c is 33, fasting bg's usually around 5, and I stick around that number all day, sometimes seeing a 4, rarely a 6. In any case, read, learn, ask questions if you want to.
Good luck!
Jo
 
I have been following the Brexit drama and Theresa May's struggles for a while. I envy you the lovely weather. We have been immersed n cold, cloudy and wet here. It has been like a drizzly day in Holland Park. I have always had a particular fondness for the south of England and Hampshire.
BC is a beautiful province.
You are my new benchmark and I applaud you for your positive attitude. I am sure that it has not always been easy. Perhaps if I take good care of myself, I could live another 30 years.
You have a lovely day Robin
 
Hello JoKalsbeek and thank you for reaching out.
My research to this point has frowned upon fasting since the liver augments the sugar output into the blood when it is not being fed.
Currently, I am balancing carbohydrates proteins and non-starchy veg and minimizing portion sizes. I have completely removed sugar-based products from my diet and regulated my meals to four hour intervals. I also have some form of card/protein snack before retiring for the day as it is believed the blood sugar will spike after 10 hours of fasting.
As this is my first week, I have a great deal to learn (and I agree Diabetes.co.uk is an excellent place to learn). Right now I am working on getting control of the sugar levels and I trust that one day I will join you in tossing the pills.
I, too, wish you all the very best.
 
In general low carb, one meal a day (intermittent fasting) and non-processed, non chemical food is ideal for a type two.


If once you’ve done some reading you want to try this then i suggest you go back to your doctor and ask to trial just metformin alone rather than the combination medication you are currently on. The stigagliptan element of janumet along with low carb would need very careful monitoring of ensure you did not hypo. It actively works against the glucose in the blood (ie the carbs in diet) and if you drastically drop the carbs then you need less of the drug. Too much drug for the glucose means you will hypo. Hence the reason to discuss the best approach with the dr. Some may be resistant to the whole low carb idea. But if you go well informed and realising that the choices are yours and the drs job is to support you - after giving their advice - even if your decision doesn’t agree with theirs.


Fasting is not frowned on for type 2 (medication dependant of course). No need to eat every four hours either. Yes the liver will augment whatever you eat (dumping is the phrase commonly used) but this doesn’t begin to compare to the damage the wrong food can do.


Carbs (not just sugar) will do the damage. We have no nutritional need as humans to eat any carbs whatsoever. All the benefits these bring can be got from other foods or very small amounts of carefully selected carbs. As you said glucose that the brain needs can be provided by the liver. Fats and proteins are essential for life though.


It seems the source of your information is a bit dated. As well as this site take a read or watch YouTube of dr Jason Fung and the dietdoctor.com website. Both the NHS and ADA now are supporting low carb as a valid option (they can’t exactly flip 180 on their own advice in one go now can they?).


Just a single meal or day of accurate low carbing whilst testing before and after each meal will convince you, I’m sure of it. You want a rise of no more than 2mmol or the meal was too carb laden.


Some links below I often hand out for further reading


**************


Can I suggest you take a good look at low carb high fat methods of eating (keto is just a version of this). It helps many of us lose significant amounts of weight, if desired, keep our numbers down and for some even eliminate medications and achieve remission and reduce or improve complications. Try clicking these links for more detailed explanations that are well worth readings


https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/jokalsbeek.401801/ for info including low carb made simple


And https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/success-stories-and-testimonials.43/ to show it really works and for motivation


and https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today.75781/ for food ideas


Lots of other websites for recipes out there too. Just use the term low carb or keto with whatever you fancy.



IMPORTANT FOR ANYONE ON MEDS CONSIDERING LOWERING CARBS: if you lower your carbs then any glucose lowering meds may need to be adjusted accordingly to make sure you aren’t taking more than your new diet requires. It can cause a hypo if you have more gliclazide or insulin etc (this is not relevant for metformin on its own) than your new carb intake requires. Keep a close eye on your numbers and do this with your dr’s knowledge. Please don’t be put off by an ill informed out dated rubbishing of low carb diets or being told you should eat carbs to match meds, it should be the other way around.
 
Hi again,

Yeah... When I started out I ate every 3 hours, six meals a day, as I was basically told the same thing. Now I eat twice a day and my HbA1c is better, so are my energy levels, and my fatty liver disease has gone away. I never am out of range anymore, it's non-diabetic numbers all the time. Not to mention the high cholesterol and high fasting bloodsugars in the morning have improved. You see, liver dumps get less when you deplete the stores. If you just keep adding to them they'll never go down. Everyone and their gran gets a liverdump in the morning. Our bodies help us get started before the food comes in, it's normal. How much depends on what your body is used to (high bloodsugars? Then your liver will dump till it thinks it's where it should be, because that's what it's used to. Lower bloodsugars? Then it's lower. ) The rest of the day, not so much. Maybe to correct low bloodsugars, but that's about it, unless your overmedicating with the Januvia and hitting hypo levels (of lower than 4). In any case, you might want to read Dr. Jason Fung's The Diabetes Code. I read a bunch of books before his, but he made an actually non-dry read out of it, and made sense. Not saying you should absolutely jump on the bandwagon, but the guy made a difference to quite a few people on the forum, me included. Maybe have a read here? Dietdoctor.com .And my blog: it's Low carb/keto made simple, going mostly by Fung's principles. : https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/jokalsbeek.401801/ But again, no attempting that while on Janumet, because you'll hypo and you don't want that. Just some stuff to read. Not saying it's the gospel truth and you shouldn't take your dietician's advice. But the more info the better, right? I certainly read a whole lot and sorted out what worked for me, and what didn't, when I was just diagnosed. This was what made sense to me, and it showed improvement in all my testresults (HbA1c, liver, kidneys, cholesterol etc) so I went with it.
Hope you'll find what works for you!
Jo
 
Thank you for such succinct information. I will study it carefully and begin implementing.
As far as relationships with doctors, I have always taken the role to challenge their guidance when I feel it is either inadvisable or not constructive.
I have to get used to the fact that I am diabetic and gradually assess how my body responds to the changes. I will get there.
 
@Silverback-381
Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it both interesting and helpful.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

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 600,000 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

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.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

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
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

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.
 
Thank you to all for your input. Needless to say, as a recently diagnosed diabetic, my head is spinning with the information that I now must learn - and that is just fine.
I do have a question about Keto if I may. Janumet XR is the meds I am taking (no other meds on board) and it strongly suggests I take it after breakfast. How do I integrate the meds into a fasting cycle. Just curious while I learn more and prepare for getting into it.
 
Janumet in combination with keto and intermittent fasting could/would give you hypo's... The metformin component makes breakfast rather preferable because that could prevent tummy issues. The sitagliptin component could make your bloodsugar drop too far. So please, discuss any dietary changes with your doc first, maybe mention going on metformin only, rather than the med-combo of Janumet? No risk of hypo's then. And you could just take the metformin when you eat, so if that's lunch, go with lunch.

Whatever you do, make sure you test, test, test your little heart out, because no-one wants a hypo. You could discuss coming off the meds for a bit, or start low carb slowly rather than jumping in with both feet as you're planning to do now. Gradually reducing and adjusting medication as you go might be the better option. Just please, be careful. I had hypo's on gliclazide, and even the specialist kept telling me I couldn't hypo as I was a T2. T2's can hypo without meds, though it's admittedly rare, but she should have known my diet, which I was open about, would be a bad combination with the medication. Hypo's happened. It was not fun. (Especially because I become contrary when hypo and bizarrely enough refuse to eat, as if I'm in the terrible two's rather than my 40's. My husband would be in a panic and I'd be... More difficult than usual. ).

So.... Recap: No Janumet with keto and IF without testing and a talk with your medical team. Options: Slowly cutting down on carbs. Replacing Janumet with metformin only, and taking that with your first meal of the day. Going without medication and jumping right in.

Whatever you choose... Don't do it by yourself. Your doc may not support cutting down right into keto and IF, but a slow and steady decrease could maybe work for them?

Good luck!
Jo
 
Jo - you are a prize. You have answered so many unasked questions and have calmed my mind considerably. I suppose I am just frustrated because by bloods are still maintaining around 12 and I am anxious to see some progress. Thank you
 
Welcome to this wonderful forum Silverback! I wondered if I could ask you what your diet was like for most of your life before diagnosis. I suspect my own father, who is 80, has been eating in a similar way, skipping breakfast and lunch then eating a healthy dinner, and I thought it should protect one from diabetes. if you didn't eat processed carbohydrates or fast food, I'm wondering what lead you to a diabetes diagnosis if it was something about your diet.
 
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