Confused Since Diagnosis

[Resurgam]

Was your father's mother T1 or T2? What has your GP done to rule out T1 in you?

Type two, though she was using insulin during the last part of her life.
My GP has done nothing to rule out type one - but I do not present any of the symptoms, having returned to normal readings very rapidly when eating a low carb diet I have no symptoms of either type - I have asked to see someone about my health 'problems' simply because it is so long since I had any checks, and was given a date at the end of the month - and not at my usual surgery, so that is interesting.

 

[Flora123]

This article by the respected author Jenny Ruhl might cheer you:
"You Did NOT Eat Your Way to Diabetes!" http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14046739.php

Thanks for that link. So many things can cause it. I’m surprised.

 

[Alexandra100]

Thanks for that link. So many things can cause it. I’m surprised.

I'm not sure if JR covers this in her article, but some very recent research shows that air pollution causes a lot of diabetes. From an article on Medscape:

Air Pollution May Account for 1 in 7 New Diabetes Cases
By Anne Harding

July 09, 2018

"(Reuters Health) - Air pollution could be responsible for 3.2 million new cases of type 2 diabetes every year globally, suggests a new analysis.

"We estimate that about 14 percent of diabetes in the world occurs because of higher levels of air pollution, that's one in seven cases," said senior study author Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly of Washington University and the VA Saint Louis Health Care System in Missouri.

"Risks exist at levels that are below what's now currently considered safe by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States and also by the World Health Organization," he told Reuters Health in a phone interview."

Scary or what?

 

[Flora123]

I'm not sure if JR covers this in her article, but some very recent research shows that air pollution causes a lot of diabetes. From an article on Medscape:

Air Pollution May Account for 1 in 7 New Diabetes Cases
By Anne Harding

July 09, 2018

"(Reuters Health) - Air pollution could be responsible for 3.2 million new cases of type 2 diabetes every year globally, suggests a new analysis.

"We estimate that about 14 percent of diabetes in the world occurs because of higher levels of air pollution, that's one in seven cases," said senior study author Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly of Washington University and the VA Saint Louis Health Care System in Missouri.

"Risks exist at levels that are below what's now currently considered safe by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States and also by the World Health Organization," he told Reuters Health in a phone interview."

Scary or what?

Interesting and scary. I used to live in a very polluted city.

 

[kitedoc]

Air pollution in a city can be associated with all sorts of things including maybe sectors of poverty where people have a higher intake of refined sugars etc and thus higher risk of diabetes etc, where some cultural groups with a higher incidence of duiabetes congregate etc so I would like to know how well these type of variables (causes other than ?air pollution) have been allowed for in the analysis of the results. And if there are more smokers in cities than outside them how to do differentiate between air pollution and tobacco smoke as the cause of higher rate of diabetes?

 

[Prem51]

Thanks for replying. I’ve had the tests repeated and waiting to hear from doc with figures but I did get a text (!) with a confirmation if diabetes. I’ll be interested to know what the figures are. Presumably i will be tested again in a few months.

Welcome to the forum @Flora123. Usually after initial diagnosis and confirmation test there is a retest after 3 months.
NHS and NICE guidelines are that Type 2 diabetics should then be tested every 3 months until blood glucose levels are stabilised, then every 6 months. Though some surgeries, including mine, only refer for HbA1c tests, every 12 months.
Your test results should be available for online access. You have to ask your surgery for online access. If they don't have online access you should ask for a printout of the test results, which you are entitled to.
This gives you details of your results which you need, to know where you are starting from.

 

[Flora123]

So I spoke to my doc today. She was amazed at my BG readings. Seems confused but told me to stick at what I’m doing (ignoring NHS eatwell dietary advice!!).
I asked for the latest HbA1c reading and it was 97 - so dropped from 115 in two weeks. Is that good? Still a long way to go. Going to do another in a couple of months which should be interesting.

I told her Metformin making me feel ill and she said to come off it and see what happens. She said I’d probably be out on Glyclazide (haven’t a clue how to spell it) but in the meantime see if I can continue to control with diet. Is it necessary to be on meds if under control with diet? I’d rather not take pills if I can.

The other thing was that they still don’t know what type I have (!) as antibody test still not back. Ahhh

Just looked up Gliclazide and it says “. It is used when dietary changes, exercise, and weight loss are not enough. “. She obviously doesn’t think my results are sustainable.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

So I spoke to my doc today. She was amazed at my BG readings. Seems confused but told me to stick at what I’m doing (ignoring NHS eatwell dietary advice!!).
I asked for the latest HbA1c reading and it was 97 - so dropped from 115 in two weeks. Is that good? Still a long way to go. Going to do another in a couple of months which should be interesting.

I told her Metformin making me feel ill and she said to come off it and see what happens. She said I’d probably be out on Glyclazide (haven’t a clue how to spell it) but in the meantime see if I can continue to control with diet. Is it necessary to be on meds if under control with diet? I’d rather not take pills if I can.

The other thing was that they still don’t know what type I have (!) as antibody test still not back. Ahhh

Just looked up Gliclazide and it says “. It is used when dietary changes, exercise, and weight loss are not enough. “. She obviously doesn’t think my results are sustainable.

Don't take it as a lack of confidence thing! Docs perscribe meds, (and if metformin isn't an option, glic is the next natural stop to them) and a LOT of people find it more convenient to take a pill rather than change their lifestyle. Regardless of escalating damage and side effects. My own doc is very supportive, but I'm the first, and to date, only one in her practice to become 100% diet-controlled. And I got into it on my own, as my dieticians were nice to me but didn't have a clue about food and diabetes. So I just read a lot and figured it out by myself; was med free in 3 months, including statins. A HbA1c is an average bloodglucose of 3 months... The TWO WEEKS(!!!!!) you've been low carbing have made a very, very significant impact on the average. Meaning your day-to-day bloodsugars are pretty darned good right now. And truth be told, your low carb isn't all that low. So you've made a massive difference with relatively little change. (I'm at 20 grams of carbs or less a day. Depends on how bad the insulin resistance is, I suppose.). Odds are you can ditch the meds after a while, provided you keep the low carbing up. You've done brilliantly so far. Well done!

 

[sadder]

I was diagnosed a couple of weeks ago when I had blood tests for something unrelated. I was horrified to be told that my HbA1c was 115 and BG 22 (not fasting). I feel like I’ve been hit with a sledgehammer.

I was whisked in to see the diabetes nurse who took my BG when she gave me a meter etc and a lesson. She was surprised it was 6.2 after lunch. Anyway I’ve been told to measure four times a day and it varied initially from 8.1 (morning) to 5.9 and this week 4.2 to 5.5. I was on a low carb diet anyway to shift the last few pounds. My doctor is confused as to how almost three weeks ago everything was so high. Can it change so quickly?

I was given the NHS diabetic nutrition advice and shocked at the high grain/carb that’s recommended. If going to ignore as it just doesn’t make sense to eat like that.

I was immediately put on 500mg x 2 twice a day (2000mg). Does this seem high. I feel awful with constant upset stomach. I may ask if it’s completely necessary for such a high dose. I haven’t read of anyone taking so much. Thoughts please. X
I should add I’m 5’8” and weigh 10st 7. I don’t have much weight to lose, if any.

I'm on 2000mg Metformin a day, the sickness passes I found.

 

[Smallbrit]

Is it necessary to be on meds if under control with diet? I’d rather not take pills if I can.

It hasn't been for me. I was never put on meds or offered meds. I had a high of 89 HBA1C, was told to 'eat better, exercise more' and come back in 3 months. I exercised more. Three months later HBA1C was 76.

Oddly enough, the advice was the same, as whatever I'd done was doing something. I knew that wasn't really the way to go forward. So I did LCHF and ditched the wholewheat bread, potatoes, chocolate, biscuits. Next 3 month reading was 48.

You have been doing fantastically well in a really short period of time - if low carbing is sustainable for you (and that is a question that my GP posed to me recently - he knows low carb works, just has little faith that I'm not going to suddenly eat a packet of Bourbons!) then there's no reason not to continue and perhaps be med-free at some point. There are lots of stories on here of people who have followed that path.

 

[Flora123]

Meaning your day-to-day bloodsugars are pretty darned good right now. And truth be told, your low carb isn't all that low !

What do you mean by my low carb isn’t that low?

 

[Deleted member 475901]

I was diagnosed a couple of weeks ago when I had blood tests for something unrelated. I was horrified to be told that my HbA1c was 115 and BG 22 (not fasting). I feel like I’ve been hit with a sledgehammer.

Hi Flora
I was told at the end of May, but already realised there must have been an issue when I was asked to go back - so I (re)joined the lowcarbprogram just before my second blood test. Not soon enough to help much!
But I agreed with (told) my GP that I was going to try the low carb way first rather than add another drug into the long list I take for other conditions. By the time I saw the DN my blood sugar was just in the normal range (not that she measured it but I do to help monitor how I'm reacting to food and how low carb I need to go).

I got my fasting blood glucose down to between 5.1 and 5.3 within 2 weeks of going low carb - so yes it can really be that quick. And as they based your drug dose on the previous level I'd worry you are taking too much.

Even though the HbA1C is based on 2.5 - 3 months history it should already be lower if the low carb diet is working, so try to get a retest. Your fasting blood is an immediate I ate this last night measure so that will help. List all the 'side effects' in case you are actually having low blood sugar episodes from too much metformin.

If you do have to stay on metformin for now, make sure they know that they need to retest and adjust to dose as you stay on lowcarb and (hopefully) go into remission.

The official food plate is ridiculous, based on out-dated, discredited advice. Unfortunately it takes a long time to get things like that changed, and a long time for new official guidance to filter down to all staff.
So I do the minimum hoops to stay in their good books as a compliant patient in regards to their diet advice, and I managed to avoid the Desmond programme which is old-style diet training, I take the good support they do offer, and am grateful that my GP is supporting low carb even if he doesn't know a lot about it.

good luck

 

[Alison Campbell]

Just wanted to add that you may want to look at increasing the fat in your diet if you want to avoid further weight loss. Nuts, olives and advocado are quite popular around the forum as healthy veggie sources of fat which will not raise blood glucose.

 

[Flora123]

Just wanted to add that you may want to look at increasing the fat in your diet if you want to avoid further weight loss. Nuts, olives and advocado are quite popular around the forum as healthy veggie sources of fat which will not raise blood glucose.

Thanks. I already eat nuts and avocados but hate olives. Any other ideas?

 

[JoKalsbeek]

What do you mean by my low carb isn’t that low?

You're low carbing, but quite a few people here have to go lower to get the results you've gotten. I'm at 20 grams a day. (Started out on 75-85 grams a day 2 years ago, but chose to go lower, as it made me feel better when I got into ketosis). If you can get the same bloodsugar results, without having to go so low, that's wonderful! (And a lot less restrictive!). Really, you're doing quite well.

 

[Alexandra100]

Thanks. I already eat nuts and avocados but hate olives. Any other ideas?

I too need to eat low carb but also avoid further weight loss. Basically I have simply turned my former healthy eating habits on their heads. Very few carbs. (Sadly, like Flora, I have found by experiment that I need to keep around 20g daily, but I would eat more if I could get away with it.) Fat intake much higher than in the past but limited by my body's capacity to tolerate it.

No more fruit (except occasional stewed rhubarb). Almost unlimited cheese, but avoiding the cheeses that give more than 0.5g carbs per 100g. Lots of grated Cheddar cheese to give flavour to low carb meals. At the end of a meal, if I find there is a little corner not yet filled, I eat yet more cheese. Eggs fried in lots of oil. Salad vegetables plastered with Hellman's Real Mayonnaise (only 1.3g carb but 7g fat per 100g). Double cream in my tea and coffee instead of milk. Hartley's 10 cal 0.3 - 0.4g carb jellies with lots of cream for pudding.

You get the idea. Have you looked at Diet Doctor for a visual guide? https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/foods

 

[miahara]

Just some suggestions off the top of this aged head:
If you like eggs, try omelettes with cheese/spinach/smoked salmon/mushrooms.
Oily fish will give you protein but few carbs. A prawn cocktail is low carb and shell fish is low carb too.
Home made veggy based soups - lots of possibilities. I've just enjoyed broccoli and stilton. And I also enjoy a chicken and leek (plus other veg) soup.
Add a FEW berries (rasps/strawberries or a few blueberries to your low sugar/carb jellies. Double cream with the jelly will help slow glucose uptake.
Salads - so many options but a good dressing helps. My wife makes wonderful salad dressing using olive oil, vinegar (malt, cider or balsamic) and grainy mustard. Salad veg can include rocket, lettuce, grated carrot, sliced cucumber, baby tomatoes halved, spring onion and if you fancy some thin slices of beetroot marinated in oil, vinegar and garlic. And of course avocado.

 

[Flora123]

Just some suggestions off the top of this aged head:
If you like eggs, try omelettes with cheese/spinach/smoked salmon/mushrooms.
Oily fish will give you protein but few carbs. A prawn cocktail is low carb and shell fish is low carb too.
Home made veggy based soups - lots of possibilities. I've just enjoyed broccoli and stilton. And I also enjoy a chicken and leek (plus other veg) soup.
Add a FEW berries (rasps/strawberries or a few blueberries to your low sugar/carb jellies. Double cream with the jelly will help slow glucose uptake.
Salads - so many options but a good dressing helps. My wife makes wonderful salad dressing using olive oil, vinegar (malt, cider or balsamic) and grainy mustard. Salad veg can include rocket, lettuce, grated carrot, sliced cucumber, baby tomatoes halved, spring onion and if you fancy some thin slices of beetroot marinated in oil, vinegar and garlic. And of course avocado.

I love Waitrose fresh Caesar dressing. Very low carb.

 

[Flora123]

You're low carbing, but quite a few people here have to go lower to get the results you've gotten. I'm at 20 grams a day. (Started out on 75-85 grams a day 2 years ago, but chose to go lower, as it made me feel better when I got into ketosis). If you can get the same bloodsugar results, without having to go so low, that's wonderful! (And a lot less restrictive!). Really, you're doing quite well.

I’m very low carb. Not counting exactly but very low. Can’t he more than 30g

 

[Freema]

welcome here Flora... well there are many reasons to becoming diabetic both type1 and type 2, the latest I have read about is the pollution reason... and also the air-pollution in big cities ....... it is hard to know if statistic are revealing the true reasons... but there really seems to be kind of an epidemic raise in type 2 all over the world...

I have started to wonder if all this low-fat propaganda has instead of helping people maybe damaged the overall condition of our human cells... after all a big part of our cell are made of and repaired by cholesterol.... and the scare and demonising fats and saturated fats, in particular, could it maybe have lead to a kind of malnutrition that in the end is counterproductive instead being of healthy at all...

I did end up along the years considering fats my enemy and almost a kind of poison... stupidly believing in health authorities advice... by the way most part of our brain cells are made of fats too... the saturated kind as far as I am informed.