Confused and upset - blood test results

gemlou84

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi all, last year I was diagnosed with pre diabetes - managed to control it with low carb diet. However, I started noticing my numbers creeping up recently on finger prick tests so went to doctors for repeat bloods.

I’m now type 2 diabetic - with a score of 48.

I also have high cholesterol - 6.6 and also an under active thyroid.

I’m only 37, weigh 10stone 6lbs - so I’m not overweight.

I just feel sad that this is my existence now and my diet is going to be restricted for the rest of my life. I’ll get over it and manage.

I’m a bit confused about how I deal with the high cholesterol - doctor talked about statins - I don’t want to go down that route - however I eat more fat now (sausages, cheese, coleslaw and full fat yoghurt) to keep full without carbs! So I don’t understand how I’m supposed to now go carb free and low fat - sounds dreadful. Any advice would be great! Thanks much
 

zand

Master
Messages
10,784
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Was your cholesterol test a fasting one? Did you get a breakdown of the cholesterol figures? A total cholesterol level is pretty meaningless as it could include a good level of good cholesterol.
 
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gemlou84

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I’ll see if I can get the breakdown - doctor didn’t give it to me but did say it was my bad cholesterol that was high.
Thanks
 

Dollylolly

Well-Known Member
Messages
190
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
The docs thinking drugs cure all
I’m the exact same prediabetic then diabetic was very disappointed in myself but dusted myself down and knuckled down to improving.

cholesterol high at 6.1 but I refused all statins as I deemed it not that high for my body.

Do you do low carb consistently or any cheat days and some say it won’t matter but it does because the carbs creep in a lot. I’ve been there and carbs are addictive.

what is your thyroid like and meds for that as that can hinder all your good works too.

whats is your ratio of carbs, fats, proteins like daily do you fill in a diary or an app for that. Yes I know you’ll like that’s obsessive but it isn’t because again the carbs can creep back up.

also do you eat to your meter as that helps immensely on keeping track of the foods we eat and what meds can trigger.

Welcome to the club we didn’t want to join.
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
My own experience going from low fat to high fat was that my cholesterol reduced a little - to below average, so eating low fat is not guaranteed to reduce cholesterol.
 

AGC_68

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,579
@gemlou84 welcome to the T2 club :)
Sorry to hear your diagnosis, I can understand how you must feel. On the positive side though, it is early days though, and you have caught what is happening early and you are young. Well done for testing your BG (blood glucose) levels and spotting the rise.

The underactive thyroid could well be key to both your BG levels having risen over time and to your high cholesterol. The positive news is that it can be addressed. The majority of the cholesterol in our bodies is produced by the body itself rather than consumed. So do not blame yourself or your diet for this. Right now a low carb diet is going to be good for you in all aspects, also just because you go low carb it doesn't mean you need to go a lot higher in fats. Increase your protein intake with whole foods like eggs, meat, fish, you'll get enough essential and healthy fats. High carb diets lead to more cholesterol production by the liver. Too much fat will still potentially lead to insulin resistance, as any excess calories gets stored over time as fat. If you consume lots of protein you will feel full on fewer calories and your desire to intake higher energy fats and carbs will be diminished. Your body composition will also change, more muscle, less fat, giving you more metabolic flexibility. But still, do not consume more calories than you need to maintain a healthy weight. Keep tracking you BG levels.

Hypothyroidism can lead to increasing BG levels over time, initially it causes BG levels to drop but over time it can lead to insulin resistance and a rise in BG levels and eventually T2 diabetes. BMI can be misleading on an individual level in terms of understanding how much body fat you have and especially where it is stored. So set that BMI aside for now, I would humbly suggest. Also Hypothyroidism leads very often to higher cholesterol levels.

Proper treatment of your thyroid condition and a good diet will see you most likely return to good BG levels and have a good, healthy life ahead of you. Do not get too disheartened or too anxious.

You will need to do some research and have informed conversations with your GP so that you get the correct treatment. Sadly they always just go to statins when they see high cholesterol now. They did with me, and in my case it was absolutely the right thing, my thyroid tests were fine and I had very high LDL Cholesterol, Total cholesterol and Triglycerides, it is familial. I exercise a lot and my diet is good, that doesn't change my lipid profile for the better (apart from keeping my HDL in a good place). It is genetically inherited, statins make sense for me given the levels and ratios etc. It is complex stuff .. people are too quick to discard them as an option when for some it is actually the right drug. But for many it is not, again in my humble opinion. Inn your position I would get the GP to address my hypothyroidism first and see if that, along with good diet and exercise changes the lipid profile. See below for a couple of videos that will get you started on the road to arming yourself with some info to take to your next GP consultation. If fixing your hypothyroidism still leaves you with high LDL cholesterol AND a blood lipid profile that looks risky then sure, statins may be the right option.

The thyroid to T2 diabetes connection:
The thyroid to high cholesterol connection:

Good luck, one step at a time. Do not panic, nothing bad is going to happen anytime soon. Plenty of time to get things sorted. And seriously well done for tracking your BG levels and catching this early!
 

KennyA

Moderator
Staff Member
Messages
2,913
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi all, last year I was diagnosed with pre diabetes - managed to control it with low carb diet. However, I started noticing my numbers creeping up recently on finger prick tests so went to doctors for repeat bloods.

I’m now type 2 diabetic - with a score of 48.

I also have high cholesterol - 6.6 and also an under active thyroid.

I’m only 37, weigh 10stone 6lbs - so I’m not overweight.

I just feel sad that this is my existence now and my diet is going to be restricted for the rest of my life. I’ll get over it and manage.

I’m a bit confused about how I deal with the high cholesterol - doctor talked about statins - I don’t want to go down that route - however I eat more fat now (sausages, cheese, coleslaw and full fat yoghurt) to keep full without carbs! So I don’t understand how I’m supposed to now go carb free and low fat - sounds dreadful. Any advice would be great! Thanks much
Your total cholesterol (which is calculated not measured) is about the same as mine. All my other lipid readings are in range. My total cholesterol has fallen since I started low carb and as much fat as I wanted two and a half years ago. I am not at all convinced that a low fat diet is the way to achieve low cholesterol, as you body makes the cholesterol it needs, and I am equally to be convinced that low cholesterol is a desirable thing of itself.

My practice can't quite work out why my total score is falling, It's not doing what they think it should. As you might guess I am consistently offered statins and equally consistently refuse them. What you do is your decision - I think however it's important to know that the advice you are getting may not be the most helpful.