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Could this be true?

L

Lhoust84

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Parent
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi guys,

My brothers girlfriend has strung us some pretty interesting stories lately and they just don't add up. One of them is she was anorexic early in life and this has now led for her to be diabetic, but she doesn't take any medication - she is diet controlled.
My mum is type 2 and has to take a lot of medication and we would expect her to take medication or atleast have to test her blood sugars?

Is this possible?
 

I am diabetic (Type 2) and take absolutely no medication, and many medics say it is not necessary for Type 2s to test their bloods. . I can't comment about her anorexia statements though.
 
How do you monitor your condition? Does it affect your day to day life a lot?
 
Lhoust84 said:
How do you monitor your condition? Does it affect your day to day life a lot?
Click to expand...

I do test, but it isn't supported by my doctor. I manage my diabetes by modifying my diet, keeping active, and I do test, although I have to pay for my testing kit.
 
It is not impossible for a diabetic to be diet controlled only.

Usually when first diagnosed diabetics are given a short period of time to see if they can manage on diet alone before they are prescribed any medication.

Although I believe that all diabetics should self test their glucose the NHS seems to believe that this is not necessary for T2 diabetics who are often discouraged from doing so.

Pavlos
 
I'm another type two (who is on medication - metformin, but who also attempt control via diet) and haveI been told in no uncertain terms that I don't need to test. However, I think you'll find that most of us here actually ignore this foolish advice and do test.

How diabetes is controlled depends to an extent on how badly a person is affected - some manage by diet, some by medication, some by insulin, or by a combination, etc - and whether they test or not may be because they believe what they've been told by their diabetic support doctor/nurse (i.e. they shouldn't test), or because they have spent time testing to learn what foods to eat or avoid, and have their glucose levels under control, and feel they no longer need to do so.

So there's no reason to disbelieve the young lady's statements about medication and (not) testing, but like @AndBreathe, I can't comment on her anorexic past.

Robbity
 

Forgive my pedancy, but I think you more likely had malnutrition, for financial reasons, rather than anorexia.
 
I got a meter from the NHS, but then got told when I asked for more strips, that I was testing too much & only needed to test morning & before bed because the strips are expensive. Firstly, why give out meters that are expensive to buy & supply over the SD meter which costs less to supply & secondly, which in the long run would cost the most?, supplying strips so you can control your condition or the cost for treatment when you are unable to take control & complication occur. Answer simple to me, but seems to evade those that think they know it all. [rant over].
 
There's a point, when you fast, where you feel better, cleaner, freer, without the heavy claggy burden of food. Its a kind of euphoria. get to that stage, and people around you often try and feed you. they don't believe you don't want to eat. (been there, done that, and the t shirt virtually wore out).

My experience of that was not anorexia. It wasn't about control, body issues and food being available but rejected. instead, for me, it was 'thank heavens I feel OK. Euphoric. Relaxed. Makes a change from the misery of high and low blood glucose!'

Oh, and I'm also a type 2 diabetic who uses diet and a bit of exercise to control things. no meds.

So, like others before me, I can agree type 2 can be controlled by diet, but I can't comment on anorexia - except that people observing my eating 20 years ago might have thought I was anorexic, but in retrospect, I definitely wasn't.
 
I'm another Type 2 with no medication. I control my blood sugars entirely with diet. I do test and have to buy my own strips. Very few Type 2's are given strips on prescription these days unless they are on insulin. The NHS line seems to be we don't need to test. Your friend may be telling the truth about having diabetes.

I can't comment on the anorexia having caused your friend to have diabetes.
 
My first hubby had a waist size of 26" at 26 years old. He could not eat a full dinner that my dad would give us. He had been underfed as a child and his stomach literally could not handle more food. GP's said it had shrunk...
He was not anorexic, he definitely would try to eat a meal, but also line me, he never felt hungry ever. Our meals were on side plates as that was the size of meals that we could both eat. Mine wasn't anorexia or malnutrition just not having hunger senses.

Just goes to prove how much your childhood can affect you adult life.
 
Lhoust84 said:
My mum is type 2 and has to take a lot of medication and we would expect her to take medication or atleast have to test her blood sugars?

Is this possible?
Click to expand...

I was diagnosed almost 2 years ago but have never taken meds. I did test a lot to see what foods I could eat and I do a lot of exercise now and have lost a lot of weight. It does need to be a permanent lifestyle change though and it would be easy to slip into bad old habits.
 
Yet another T2 who is not on D meds but who tests their bloods but I am one who "lets my food be my medicine!" i.e I do not follow the NHS diet advice.
 
It may depend if she had periods of binging. I have eating issues myself and I'm told the binging and starving may have contributed to my borderline T2 now. That's because when you're starving, your pancreas gets lazy, so when you binge, your BG goes very high. Doing that constantly for 10-15 years can really mess up your body. That's the theory, but whether it can be proven is another matter!
 
Thanks guys, I think we will give her the benefit of the doubt on this one. Just got to Sus out the "I've been diagnosed with bipolar but I don't take medication as I can manage by myself" story....

We are just a bit worried he's being taken for a ride, and what makes it worse is she refuses to meet us as she doesn't want to...

Anyways once again thank you, I have learned something today
 
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