complications with diabeties

Here is the advice that Ken and I, as Forum Monitors, usually give to newly diagnosed Diabetics. We hope that these few ideas gained through experience help you to gain control and give you some understanding of Diabetes. This forum doesn't always follow the recommended dietary advice, you have to work out what works for you as we are all different.

It's not just 'sugars' you need to avoid, diabetes is an inability to process glucose properly. Carbohydrate converts, in the body, to glucose. So it makes sense to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat which includes sugars.

For more information on CARBOHYDRATE see here:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20306

This is NOT a low carb diet suggestion, just a reduction in your intake of carbohydrate. You have to decide yourself how much of a reduction will keep your blood glucose levels in control.

The main carbs to avoid OR reduce are the complex or starchy carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, starchy root veg and also any flour based products. The starchy carbs all convert 100% to glucose in the body and raise the blood sugar levels significantly.

If you are on Insulin you may find that reducing the carb intake also means that you can reduce your dose of insulin. This can help you to keep weight gain down as Insulin tends to make you put on weight and eventually cause insulin resistance. This should be done slowly so as not to cause hypos.

The way to find out how different foods affect you is to do regular daily testing and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks. If you test just before eating, then two hours after eating, you will see the effect of certain foods on your blood glucose levels. Some foods, which are slow acting carbohydrates, are absorbed more slowly so you may need to test three or even four hours later to see the effect that these have on your blood glucose levels.

Buy yourself a carb counter book (you can get these on-line) and you will be able to work out how much carbs you are eating, when you test, the reading two hours after should be roughly the same as the before eating reading, if it is then that meal was fine, if it isn’t then you need to check what you have eaten and think about reducing the portion size of carbs.

When you are buying products check the total carbohydrate content, this includes the sugar content. Do not just go by the amount of sugar on the packaging as this is misleading to a diabetic.


As for a tester, try asking the nurse/doctor and explain that you want to be proactive in managing your own diabetes and therefore need to test so that you can see just how foods affect your blood sugar levels. Hopefully this will work ! Sometimes they are not keen to give Type 2’s the strips on prescription, (in the UK) but you can but try!!

For TIPS FOR STRIPS see here:

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=19002#p173253

If you are an Insulin user in theory you should have no problem getting test strips.

The latest 2011 NICE guidelines for Bg levels are as follows:
Fasting (waking and before meals).......between 4 - 7 mmol/l...(Type 1 & 2)
2 hrs after meals........................no more than 8.5 mmol/l.....( Type 2)

2hrs after meals......................... no more than 9 mmol/l ......(Type 1)

If you are able to keep the post meal numbers lower, so much the better.

It also helps if you can do at least 30 minutes moderate exercise a day, it can be split into 10 min sessions to start with. It doesn't have to be strenuous.

The above is just general advice and it is recommended that you discuss with your HCP before making any changes. You can also ask questions on the forum on anything that is not clear.

Finally a few QUESTIONS TO ASK AT DIABETES CLINIC.

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=17091



Sue/Ken.

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Poodlelady said:

Hi, having read Levermire's thread of complications I am so sorry to hear about what you went through. However, your thread also scared me somewhat until I read what daisy1 wrote.

My glucose levels have been totally up the wall on the high side for over 2 weeks now due to stroids, I was in A&E last night and thrown out again and told to simply keep increasing my insulin by 2 units until my levels come down. I am type1 on Novomix30 which is a twice daily injection. My glucose levels eventually reached silly figures of 34.6mmol at the hospital with keytones being negative at 0.1. I was told I am not in any danger and go home and sort it out, to leave having my super until 8pm instead of 6.30pm.

Then I read what daisy1 said about carbs and realised that I have been getting all the wrong information from the Diabetic clinic nurses who told me I must eat carbs!!

Here is my question, with my glucose levels being so high is there any danger? I don't feel very well, always thirsty with a dry mouth, feel sick but not been sick as yet. Legs feel like lumps of lead and toes go numb. I have developed little ulcers on my legs again (had lots of them once). I might add that I was only diagnosed in March of this year and am an elderly lady in my 60's. Everyone at the hospital was amazed that I had slammed into type1 at my age. I did have ketonacidocis (sp) and was very very ill. Now I am struggling with high glucose levels and keeping well away from carbs. Is this the right thing to do? I am so confused about it all and the nurses just will not talk to me they just tell me off which leaves me in tears. I have to take 10mg of steroid tablets every morning and do understand that these will push up my glucose levels so I adjusted my insulin to compensate, but seem to have lost a battle somewhere along the line.
Maybe I am just a silly old lady struggling to understand all the ins and outs of diabetes and steroids. I was put on steroids for PMR.

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