I was diagnosed type 2 9 days ago and started on 40mg of zicron for one week then 80 gm from then on. I have been measuring my bloods first thing in the morning then 2 hours after a meal. My first fasting level was 13.4 and this is now down to 8.5 ish but has not gone lower. My 2 hour figures are around 7.5 ish. However yesterday after following a strict low carb diet day I was 8.5 in the morning then it went up to 10.1 and I could cry as I really was quite hungry when I went to bed. Feel awful today, is this due to sugar withdrawal? I don't know if I can stick to the low carb diet if I feel so lousy. are my sugar levels normal for a newly diagnosed dibetics? Very upset and found myself crying a lot today as feel so awful. Had been feeling like this for 7 weeks before diagnosed and couldn't understand why. I am 5ft 3" and weigh 9st 12 lb so I am not hugely overweight so bit shocked by all this.
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Confused and upset please advise
- Thread starter Trudy2410
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- I reversed my Type 2
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yes you could be starting to experience what is known as carb flu. It doesn't last long so just stick with it (through it). Those carbs do not like to give up without a fight. Basically what you have to do is convert your cells into burning fuel into a completely different mode (fat burning) from carb burning. This switch over isnt instant and that is what causes the effect.
If you are hungry then you arent eating enough fat for your cells to burn or you havent switched enough over yet. Just drink some water and push through it.
If you are hungry then you arent eating enough fat for your cells to burn or you havent switched enough over yet. Just drink some water and push through it.
Daibell
Master
Hi. Can I ask how old you are? Sometimes when people are diagnosed as T2 but are not overweight and having BS control problems it is later found that they are actually a Late onset T1 (LADA). I would keep measuring your sugars as you are doing and it may be that they come down again, but if they don't then do go back to the GP and discuss the diagnosis and relevant meds. There are two tests for LADA but low weight and/or weight loss together with rising BS and often a young age are indicators. I may be wrong but just in case....
Scandichic
Well-Known Member
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First of all, big hugs! 7.5 after food is good. Fasting bs is a ******. Mine is always in the 6s and goes into the 7s if the weathers hot. Look up dawn phenomenon!
You do feel lousy whilst you're getting rid of the sugar. Keep going. It will pass.
If you're hungry up your fat content.
Here's some light reading
www.dietdoctor.com - it's a revelation!
You will feel emotional. You've been diagnosed with a serious life long condition. @catherinecherub please would you post the link for the grieving stages. This will put it in perspective for you.
More hugsxxx
C
catherinecherub
Guest
Hi @Trudy24120.
This is the link that @Scandichic is referring to. I hope you find it useful and please don't think that this doesn't happen to other people. It is a lot to take in when you are diagnosed with a chronic condition because it seems as though your old life has gone and things will never be the same again.
http://www.diabetesexplained.com/the-five-stages-of-grief.html
This is the link that @Scandichic is referring to. I hope you find it useful and please don't think that this doesn't happen to other people. It is a lot to take in when you are diagnosed with a chronic condition because it seems as though your old life has gone and things will never be the same again.
http://www.diabetesexplained.com/the-five-stages-of-grief.html
Yorksman
Well-Known Member
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It takes time Trudy. It was 12 - 16 weeks before I started to see any readings that were normal at all and 26 weeks before most were normal. It was nearly a full year before they were all normal.
You have to learn about foods and about your body and how it reacts and your body too needs to adjust. It is not like flicking a light switch. You are doing very well. Just be patient and, if you think you need to make some adjustments, ask. But, see how it goes. It's not a race. If it takes years, as long as you are off in the right direction, it doesn't matter.
Your body makes its own glucose as your body needs it, primarily the brain. And it needs a lot, about 230g per day. Your brain needs half of that. You can go for many weeks without eating anything and your body will, magically, turn fatty acids into glucose for the blood to feed the brain. That is what you are seeing with these weird readings. Things will settle down.
You have to learn about foods and about your body and how it reacts and your body too needs to adjust. It is not like flicking a light switch. You are doing very well. Just be patient and, if you think you need to make some adjustments, ask. But, see how it goes. It's not a race. If it takes years, as long as you are off in the right direction, it doesn't matter.
Your body makes its own glucose as your body needs it, primarily the brain. And it needs a lot, about 230g per day. Your brain needs half of that. You can go for many weeks without eating anything and your body will, magically, turn fatty acids into glucose for the blood to feed the brain. That is what you are seeing with these weird readings. Things will settle down.
daisy1
Legend
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Hello Trudy and welcome to the forum 
Here is the information we give to new members and I think you will find it useful. Ask all the questions you need to and someone will be able to help.
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 over 130,000 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-and-whole-grains.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 bloodglucose 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.
Here is the information we give to new members and I think you will find it useful. Ask all the questions you need to and someone will be able to help.
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 over 130,000 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-and-whole-grains.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 bloodglucose 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.
Carb flu can make you feel miserable. But it passes within a few days - so long as you stick with the low carbing.
At that point you will start to feel good. Probably better than you have for months.
In the meantime, there are a few things that help with carb flu
At that point you will start to feel good. Probably better than you have for months.
In the meantime, there are a few things that help with carb flu
- Drink lots - more than you think you need
- Add (more) salt to food or drink Bovril or a soupy broth made from a good quality stock cube in boiling water (your kidneys handle salt and fluids slightly differently than when eating carbs, plus you aren't eating the salt usually found in bread and on other carbs)
- If you get carb cravings drink some water, if still craving, eat a piece of cheese, or a handful of nuts, or a dab of cream in a coffee - they will fade
- Be gentle with yourself. Not too much exercise, go to bed a bit earlier, relax
I am 51 so not exactly young
jack412
Expert
just take it one step at a time and you will get there, next time you see the Dr ask what was the clinical reason not the use metformin as well, as that's normally a first response drug
some of this may help
