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Confused, Frustrated and stuck!

M

Mrdoosey

Active Member
Messages
26
Location
Birmingham, United Kingdom
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi all,

Last Friday i got diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, after having a HBa1c of 69, Ive been put on Gliclazide and Metformin 1 a day to increase my dosage of Metformin to twice daily after a week, aswell as being given a blood sugar prick your finger thingy - the headaches are horrible (can I take painkillers?)

Ive been reading forums and websites and they all contradict each other on what I can and cant eat/drink, I'm really stuck here as Im scared to make a meal , and being really conscious of whether its "the right thing", I've started a diary of what Im eating on myfitnesspal.

Can anyone give me a general gist of what is best to eat or get please?

Thank you so much in anticipation - going from eating what I want to being scared what I eat is tearing me apart.

Ant
 
take a breath, the hard part is done and you know what is wrong, everyone has a freekout week or month
ring DR about headache, but pain killers are ok with the starting does of Gli , half to 1 tab and watch for low sugar blood tests, as it can cause a hypo

till you get the hang of it, eat everything except grain/grain product/sugary stuff and potato. and eat extra, healthy fat/oil, that will get you through the next week as you learn about diet and when you are happy with your BG, you can start to add some basmarti rice and potato back as the Gli starts to work
so go cook yourself a nice piece of meat smothered in butter with a big plate of veg
 
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Hi Ant and welcome to the forum :) Bad luck with your diagnosis. It is a lot to take in, but you will soon get the hang of it.

Have you tested your blood this morning? I would say yes, take a painkiller plus plenty of water and eat something.

Many people, myself included, have had success at bringing down blood glucose levels by reducing carbs. This website explains what are good food choices...

http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf

So a good breakfast for you this morning might be eggs and bacon, for example.
 
Cheers both, that dietdoctor website is very helpful, another thing both the drugs I'm on state i cant drink alcohol obviously my fave Stella and ciders are out of the question is Wine OK?
 
Mrdoosey said:
Cheers both, that dietdoctor website is very helpful, another thing both the drugs I'm on state i cant drink alcohol obviously my fave Stella and ciders are out of the question is Wine OK?
Click to expand...
I can only speak for myself but I take metformin and I spoke to my DSN regarding alcohol and she said in moderation, it's OK. Maybe ask your nurse first but I was told that many drugs say no alcohol as a "just in case" clause. If you do have a beer or a wine, test your levels as alcohol can cause BG levels to drop. As for food, avoid rice, potato, pasta, bread and eat meat, fish, bacon, eggs, cheese and veg. This is a simplified version and you will need to adapt to suit yourself. Good luck :-)

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
I will have to pass on the alcohol question as I have no experience of Gliclazide. Someone will know.
 
Hi there! Try drinking loads! I get headaches if I don't drink enough. About double what you would normally drink. Preferably as much water as you can handle. I struggle with this aspect too. Buy a water bottle for work . Fill it up. Keep a glass on your desk and try to get through it by lunch time. Cups of tea and coffee are fine. Much dispute about alcohol. I would avoid it for as much as possible for the first couple of months till you find your feet.
Food: the website part of this site gives you the different diets and pros and cons. I can only tell you what works for me. The problem is that different things work for different people so there isn't one definitive answer. Many of us low carb. This means that we don't eat bread, pasta, rice or potatoes. We get some carb from green veg and full fat natural yoghurt. The downside is that brekkie and lunch can be repetitive or tricky. I loved bread but found that in the end it was relatively easy to give it up. Now I have 1 poached egg and 2 sausages (Lidl do 97% meat ones - so do most supermarkets) or smoked fish. Lunch - think tapas! Dinner- just go on the thread what have you eaten today! Try www.dietdoctor.com. It is written by a Swedish doc specialising in obesity and diabetes. This was life changing for me. I have lost 2 stone since 28th of jan this year! Be prepared to feel dizzy for a couple of weeks at the start. This is your body adjusting!

Exercise - try and do some whenever possible. Long walks, swimming. Whatever floats your boat!

Testing. When you get up before eating and drinking. This is your fasting blood sugar. Then before food and 2 hours after. After a while you won't need to do it so often but I always do this when I'm introducing something new or don't feel well.
Good luck!
Just thought! Dizziness can be low bs. As long as it's not 4 or below don't worry. If it is you've gone hypo.
 
Mrdoosey said:
Thanks guys, the low carb diet thingy is handy as I like all thats mentioned on it - obviosuly now in moderation :)
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Just don't be so moderate that you feel hungry because then you will feel miserable. Low carb and high, healthy fat will ensure you don't feel hungry as fat keeps you feeling full and satisfied. Once you get your head around eating fat, you will be fine.
 
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Mrdoosey said:
Just popped to waitrose bought muself everything the website says, here it goes...


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Click to expand...
Just to reiterate ...... Another poster mentioned eating fat and not being afraid of it. It's true because you need a lot less fat than carbs to feel full! :)
 
Hi and welcome. Yes the diet/food thing can be confusing at first. Once you realise that diabetics can't handle glucose properly you need to minimise the things that increase it in the blood. The carbs in food are the culprit hence the advice to low-carb. This can be shock when you realise that most of the food we eat is packed with carbs but that's why obesity is such a problem. I've read that proteins are the most filling foods with fats coming next. Fats are OK but if you go to far you may start gaining weight. Metformin helps with insulin resistance and helps a bit to reduce blood sugar. Gliclazide stimulates the pancreas to produce more insulin. If your pancreas is still quite good then hypos can result as you reduce the carbs so keep an eye on the sugars and if you blood goes to low ask the doc to reduce the Glic. I was on full dose (320gm) Glic for years with no problem, but sadly little effect hence my insulin. It has few side effects apart from weight gain if you up the carbs to avoid hypos; hence the need to review dosage with the GP if needed. Headaches are not a common problem with either of the meds or diabetes so talk to the GP if they continue
 
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