But I don’t eat many carbs

[MrsA2]

This is really depressing news! I don’t want to change

I thought the same at first, but then I realised that the food I was eatimg was actually making me ill. This forum helped me, over time to find things I could eat and get my blood sugars down. A very welcome side effect was weight loss, easily and without hunger (mostly.)
Do let us know what your diagnosis is, your bg numbers and medications (not just diabetes ones ) are so that you can be given the right information and support for you.

The good thing about this forum is we've all be there, been diagnosed, been resentful, been shocked, been scared, been angry. No one's going to blame or criticise..

Did you know some predictions have half, yes 50% of people with diabetes in soem form or another. That's getting very close to being the majority. You are so not alone.

 

[AloeSvea]

Oh, and @Little mermaid - I can see why you were asked if you were in Britain or not, as you used the American form of measuring HBA1c, which was a bit confusing.

Did your doctor tell you you had an HBA1c of 6.7? Or that your blood glucose reading at time of testing was 6.7? (which would be the norm, I should think.) If it was the American measuring system you have an HBA1c of 50, for instance. That would give us readers lots of information to discuss your options with you. And ditto, if was your fasting blood glucose reading, or a post meal reading.

So along with your diabetes type, also, your HBA1c - check it out with your medical professionals.
(And don't feel embarrassed that you need to check both these things! The first things I had to get my head around on diagnosis was the difference between type 1 and type 2, and, the two different blood glucose measuring systems and how and how best to 'translate' them.) (I blush when i think of it now! But then I remind myself that it is fact rather normal.)

 

[Deleted member 558316]

Hba1c- 50 yes

 

[EllieM]

Hba1c- 50 yes

Well the good news is that that is on the low end of diabetes. If I remember correctly from your other posts you were on medication that both made you gain weight and induced diabetes (I'm going to assume T2 because I haven't heard of drug induced T1, though I guess it's possible if you took a drug that damaged your pancreas?). Please do correct me if your doctor says it isn't T2.
Here's an article about drug induced T2.
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/drug-induced-diabetes.html

It's possible that your blood sugar will come down on its own now that you are not on the medication, but I'm guessing that the weight gain won't be helping and that reducing carbs a bit may help both weight loss and blood sugar levels. You're already testing your blood sugars so you should be able to check whether your current metabolism can cope with particular meals. (As a general rule of thumb, it;s best if your blood sugar 2 hours after the ,meal is no more than 2mmol/L above the pre meal value).

If you describe a typical day's foods then I am sure some of the forumites will be able to suggest some tweaks that will lower your carb intake.

What did your doctor say about how you should proceed?

 

[AndBreathe]

This is really depressing news! I don’t want to change
My treatment is private in the uk

Do you have to follow low carb if you are on anti diabetic medication? Sorry I’m new and learning….

Very few have a good outcome just carrying on with normal diet and counteracting the impacts of that by taking medications. Were it that simple forums like this simply would not exist. We'd get out diagnosis, a prescription for the magic tablets and skip off into the sunset.

No matter if your doctor in NHS or private, I would be horrified if they just gave you what you asked for, like popping into a pharmacy for paracetamol. (Even then the pharmacist should check the customer knows what they are buying, how to take it and what to do if things go wrong.)

Why are you using the private system in the UK? Very few insurers will cover the costs of treating a long term condition, and those who do only do so briefly, prior to handing back to the NHS.

 

[Deleted member 558316]

I’m paying for treatment because that’s what I do when I get sick

 

[lucylocket61]

I’m paying for treatment because that’s what I do when I get sick

Any reputable doctor won't hand over a prescription on demand. There is a process of care. What country are you in?

 

[Oldvatr]

Do you have to follow low carb if you are on anti diabetic medication? Sorry I’m new and learning….

It is only advice to use low carb, and is not mandated at all. There are other ways to get better sugar levels, but for many here, we find Low Carb to work well for us. Have a read of the Success and Testamonials section of the forum and see - the proof of the pudding (sorry, the lack of pudding in my case). The advice I will concur with as being the best advice anyone can give a newcomer to diabetes, is to get yourself a meter and learn how and when to test. Then you will immediately see how different foods affect you, and you then have the knowledge you need to tailor your meal plan to suit yourself. I personally actually eat better now than I did before I lowered my carbs. I look on it as not a diet but a way of eating.

 

[HSSS]

This is really depressing news! I don’t want to change
My treatment is private in the uk

. Few of us want to change initially, many (most) of us are glad we did once we adapt. But do you want to stay diabetic and get increasingly worse either? If not then action of some kind is required.

If it was medication alone that caused it (steroids?) then it might be those changes reverse themselves once you no longer take those drugs. Or it might have left longer lasting harm. I can’t possibly say in your case. Do you need to lose weight? Especially from the belly? How are your triglycerides and blood pressure? These things all increase with insulin resistance which is the mainstay of type 2.

Is there a reason you go private in the U.K. rather than use the nhs? Is it specialists in diabetes you’ve seen? That understand carbs and low carb benefits?

Do you have to follow low carb if you are on anti diabetic medication? Sorry I’m new and learning….

no one has to do anything. The medication isn’t anti diabetic as such. It won’t cure you. It aims to reduce blood glucose levels to reduce damage. No medication is perfect and none are without side effects. Historically medication alone only slows progression not stops or reverses it. Lowering carbs tackles the problem at the root and reduces the blood glucose by not raising it in the first place which also allows insulin to fall and reduce resistance.

Have you read the blog by Jo highlighted in red below this message? Lots of good info to help you learn in their.

oh and I agree with others. Having looked at your other posts as well as this one you do seem to eat a fair few carbs so if you decide to lower them there’s a fair bit of scope to do so and see good results.

 

[Deleted member 558316]

What TYPE of doctor are you paying to see? You have stated that two dieticians have said that your current diet is fine. Did you also see them privately?

Glad your NHS dietician was worth it!

 

[zand]

I've never seen a dietician. A meter is much more useful as it tells you which foods work for you personally.

 

[lucylocket61]

Glad your NHS dietician was worth it!

That's not what she said. She is asking you about your GP.

 

[Deleted member 558316]

That's not what she said. She is asking you about your GP.

Obviously

 

[AndBreathe]

I’m paying for treatment because that’s what I do when I get sick

To be honest, whilst diabetes is a pest, and does need to be heeded, I certainly don't and never have considered myself to be sick because of it.

Part of me wasn't working too well and needed attention. I did that and have thus far remained well.

Nobody is perfect. Most folks have something a bit wonky, but we're not all sick.

For the avoidance of doubt, uncontrolled diabetes can make a person sick, or worse.

 

[AndBreathe]

@Little mermaid , if you are going to be paying for your treatment, have you investigated the costs of Ozempic (if your doctor is willing to prescribe it)?

 

[Dr Snoddy]

Ok I think I finally understand. Two dieticians have both told you that your current eating plan is fine. (You said this in another thread). You have decided that the way forward for you would be Ozempic which should help with weight loss and also reduce blood glucose. In order to get this you may need a private prescription hence seeing a private doctor. If I have misunderstood please correct or ignore me. Good luck going forward!

 

[AloeSvea]

Well, I have learnt a lot of about drugs that make you put on weight, and, drug induced diabetes from following this - difficult thread.

So, @Little mermaid , as you have stopped the drug that leant you to put on 5 stone/30kg (wow!), what I think you are really asking about is - weight loss. Especially with you considering taking a new weight loss drug. (And thereby the idea is kicking the diabetes down to the ground - quite understandable!)

This reminds me of a conversation I had with one of my sister-in-laws. She has been a big girl as long as I have known her - around 20 or so years. I had been a big girl through most of that time too. (For you the fat is all quite new I take it.) One of her daughters had lost a lot of weight from doing a keto/no sugar way of eating, and there is the example of me, too, where I lost the bulk of my fat in a few months by lowering carbs. My sister in law bought some keto pills which I saw on her shelf. I can be a bit blunt, so I said - Sis in law - they haven't found a pill to do this yet. And they have tried. It's all about the food. You have to change your way of eating. She hasn't spoken to me again since, and it's been two years.

It's a stark reality - body fat is about storage of energy on your body, so you need to stop adding the food that will be stored on your body so easily. (She says simplistically.) And you talk about metabolism - so - yeah - and changing your metabolism.

I'm sorry that this has happened to you - that huge weight gain in quite a short period of time? must have been a big shock, and then the diabetes diagnosis following.

The good thing is, a 50 HBA1c is very encouraging for lowering it to normal, and pretty quickly. You are in the right place to find out how to go about that. Does it entail dealing with food (and yes - ignoring your dieticians, and realising that your doctor may not be a weight loss or a diabetes expert - how many of them are??) - absolutely.

I'm sorry that you have now entered the having to deal with food arena, but you have. The fat cells that you have, have filled up, and blood glucose is in excess in your blood. You're pumping out a lot of insulin to deal with that and your blood glucose regulation system is dysregulated. But it's early days - you can get it under control again.

I would say - don't fight the change of food thing. Embrace it.

 

[Deleted member 558316]

Does anyone have experience of Dexcom and libre? I’ve heard Dexcom can be worn in water longer? But it is more expensive than Libre?

 

[lovinglife]

Does anyone have experience of Dexcom and libre? I’ve heard Dexcom can be worn in water longer? But it is more expensive than Libre?

I don’t have experience of either, I just use finger prick and meter. Not wishing to appear rude I’m just curious as to how you intend to use the information they provide?

 

[Deleted member 558316]

I don’t have experience of either, I just use finger prick and meter. Not wishing to appear rude I’m just curious as to how you intend to use the information they provide?

I’m going to learn how different foods affect me