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confused and worried

J

jayne j

Newbie
Messages
2
Location
middlesbrough
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi all, diagnosed 3 weeks ago but only seen diabetic nurse today. Latest reading hbc is 123. I've been given metformin but from what was said today they are concerned my levels are too high and would i consider insulin. I'm concerned that once on insulin i won't ever get off. I agreed to increase dose of metformin but am worried where i am headed.
My symptoms were bad 3 weeks ago and have improved some but my vision is very blurry and I don't see much improvement in this so far. I have been trying to loose weight and have strictly controlled diet over last few weeks. I've been given 5 weeks to try and see how meds go and loose weight and monitor bg levels. Nurse suggesting I try weight loss injections and gluco something?
Don't know what to do next. Is there anything else i can do to improve the vision problems.
Thanks for reading.
 
Hello and welcome, @jayne j .

If your only medication for T2 at the moment is Metformin you could try a low carb diet. There is some info about this in my signature below my post. Members have turned things round following this, but don’t be afraid to try medications if they are suggested at your next appointment.

I believe member @lovinglife could have some info for you, too, as I seem to remember she did start on insulin, but only needed it for a short time. I have tagged her in this post, so she will respond soon.
 
Hi @jayne j ,first welcome to the club no one wants to join. Take a breath we have all been where you are now, you will be showered with support and advice here. Many of us have reversed our HbA1c back to non diabetic levels with diet with or without medication. Firstly Metformin does only a little in reducing blood sugar levels, diet is the main way to control things. One of the members has written a guide which will help you straight away. I’ll put a link at the end of my post The key is to reduce your carbohydrate intake, carbohydrates turn to sugar once digested. Also many of us monitor our blood sugar levels to see what foods we can and can’t tolerate. If you decide you want to do that we can point you in the right direction for some suitable devices.
https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html
 
Thanks for the tag @Pipp

Hi @jayne j & welcome

It’s a long while since I was first diagnosed, I was diagnosed whilst in hospital after an emergency admission for something else, my numbers were very high 28 - 32 and I had a HbA1c of 11. Something which I think in today’s numbers is about 99 but don’t quote me on that.

I was initially put on insulin as they thought I was T1 but as soon as I left hospital I cut my carbs right down and was having hypos so I was taken off the insulin diagnosis changed to T2, I was then put on max Gliclizide which is a drug that still gives you hypos and I worked my way down with the support of my GP by dropping carbs and reducing meds until I’m now diet only for the past 6 years.

It’s not easy and takes commitment and you have to be careful not to cut your carbs too far too fast if you do take the insulin. If you want to give it a really good go and get your numbers down without meds then perhaps going low carb or even keto could help you avoid the insulin. It’s a lifestyle change and not for everyone, it’s not a quick fix and it has to be sustainable for you for probably the rest of your life.

You’ve had some good advice regarding low carb from @Pipp & @Rachox and the link that @Rachox posted can give you a good head start
 
@jayne j welcome to the forum.
With HbA1c that high reduction in carbs should not be done too swiftly, even if you have been given a pretty harsh deadline.
I started off with a HbA1c of 91 and went no carbs for over 2 days after diagnosis, then no more than 50gm a day - but my nickname wasn't 'No Fear' for no reason. I seem to have survived without damage, but I was always lucky. I did feel rather wobbly a few times, but soon adapted.
It would be a good ploy to tot up how much carbohydrate you have been eating on average each day, then to cut back a few grams each day. A blood glucose tester would help you see how your numbers respond to the reduction.
The easy targets for reducing carbs are grains, potato, anything sugary, and by stopping those I think I reduced the pressure on my metabolism and it began to recover. The salad, stirfry mixed veges and berries I have eaten for the last 8 years seem to provide excellent nutrition along with the protein and fats I have never been hungry and I am fitter and stronger at 74 than at 64 when pressured to eat low fat high carb.
 
That HbA1c is high, but you wouldn't be the first to beat it into submission by a change in diet, if you're up for that. Five weeks is a bit steep, think three months would've been fairer, but maybe if they see you making an effort, you don't have to have everything done and dusted in 5. Maybe they just want to see whether you need the extra help of something like ozempic/mounjaro or insulin, or whether you can tackle this on your own.

Your eyeballs and tears have been loaded with glucose this whole time, which distorted your vision. Your brain compensated for that, and it keeps doing that even if the amount of glucose in there goes down, and it doesn't need to anymore. Don't run out to SpecSavers, just get yourself some cheap reading glasses to tie you over until your blood sugars stabilise, and your eyesight goes to what it should have been without glucose messing with it. It takes a little time, don't panic just yet.

Good luck,
Jo
 
thanks for the response. it's reassuring to hear the eyesight thing may not be permanent. Yes I think the docs are just looking for some improvement before deciding next steps.
 
Hey @jayne j, I get your concern about insulin, but don’t stress. Your vision should improve as your blood sugars stabilize. Docs are just checking if diet and meds can help first. If you’re up for it, cutting carbs might help get those numbers down without insulin.
 
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