Diagnosed 4 hours ago

DeeMarks

Active Member
Messages
26
Hi all. A brief introduction if I may.

I'm Denise, 39 from Cambs. Today I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The doctor I saw was very sweet but a tad patronising and seemed to think I wouldn't be able to absorb too much information during my consultation.

My diagnosis wasn't a shock to me, I've been feeling dreadful for some time now and after discussing it with a diabetic friend she checked my glucose level - 20.4 non fasting - HORROR! She insisted on doing a fasting test the next day - 17.2! Eeek

Anyway, I've been started on 1 x 500mg metformin per day for a week to be increased to 2 x 500g thereafter. I've bought an accu-chek nano bg monitor.

What I'd like to know is how often I should be checking my glucose level and what time of day? What can I expect from the metformin and how long will it take to reduce my bg levels?

Also, I'm very overweight and know that exercise is going to be key to sorting myself out, so I'd be really interested to hear from people who have been in that situation too.

Literally any advice will be gratefully received. I'm not anxious or scared about this, I'm just keen to use it as a catalyst to improve my health and am hungry for as much information as possible.

Thank you in advance and Happy New Year!
 

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
Hi Denise and welcome to the forum :)

Here is the information we give to new members and I think it is the sort of information you are looking for. I expect you will have lots of questions, so just ask 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 well over 30,000 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 ... rains.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
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

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 blood glucose 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.
 

notafanofsugar

Well-Known Member
Messages
241
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
everything good for me! getting better though x
Hi denise - welcome. T1 here x

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DeeMarks

Active Member
Messages
26
Thank you for the responses.

I'd like to hear from those who have been taking Metformin. I hear it can cause some pretty grim side effects so how has it been for you guys? My doctor mentioned it's likely to give me the sh... trots and reduce my appetite (no bad thing!)
 
Messages
18,448
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Bullies, Liars, Trolls and dishonest cruel people
Hello and welcome :wave:

Best wishes RRB
 

DeeMarks

Active Member
Messages
26
Also - when I'm doing shopping and looking at the carb contents what is the ideal and is it the "of which sugars" number that is important? Please excuse my ignorance, I've never worried about food labels before!! lol
 

Nik442

Well-Known Member
Messages
94
Hi, test 2 hours after a meal. it took me about a month to get my BG levels under control i.e. between 4 -7. i've had no side effects with metformin, i take 2 x 500mg a day but i'm aware some do. weight has fallen off me, lost just over a stone and i attribute most of that to a change of diet.....sugar makes us over weight. i exercise every other day for 10/15 mins.

Good luck!

Nik
 

DeeMarks

Active Member
Messages
26
That's really helpful Nik, thank you. Are you type 2 too? And how long ago were you diagnosed?

What exercise do you do? I'm aware I'm going to have to start of gently because I don't think I've done exercise other than swimming since I was about 15!
 

Nik442

Well-Known Member
Messages
94
DeeMarks said:
That's really helpful Nik, thank you. Are you type 2 too? And how long ago were you diagnosed?

What exercise do you do? I'm aware I'm going to have to start of gently because I don't think I've done exercise other than swimming since I was about 15!

Hi, yes, i'm type 2. I was diagnosed mid-September 2012. i' do 10/15 mins on an exercise bike. my hba1c was 12% back then and 7.3 just before Christmas so going in the right direction. it was very difficult at first when i went low carb, bit like cold turkey i guess but once the body adjusts it becomes easier. never thought about the reduction in appetite before with metformin but i would say that's maybe true although high BG levels do increase appetite so good idea to get them under control.

Nik
 

Daibell

Master
Messages
12,642
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi. As others have said, test 2 hours after a typical meal. Early morning testing can be affected by overnight liver dumps that get the body ready to start the day. Standard Metformin can cause stomch upset that may or may not recede. If you have any problems ask for Metformin SR (Slow Release). Metformin won't reduce your blood suagr by that much. A low carb diet is the key together with exercise. As you may have gathered it's the total carbs that matters not just sugar. The carbs you do eat should be high fibre and low GI. You'll soon get the hang of it all and welcome to the very large club of diabetics!
 

DeeMarks

Active Member
Messages
26
Thank you Daibell - I've bought hovis 7 seed wholemeal just so I can make a lean ham sandwich for work with some homemade soup, do you think that would be ok?

Also - fruit - do I need to worry about the sugar content and avoid it or do I still live by the 5 a day rule? I'm currently doing my online shop and am getting myself really worked up about what I'm meant to get!
 

FurryCub

Well-Known Member
Messages
69
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Football
Im recently diagnosed and started on metformin. I did the build up to 500mg 3 times a day over 3 weeks. I think I was on it for 6 weeks total but I just could not handle it at all, had to make sure I was always near the toilet!
I went onto gliclazide, but that can make you put on weight, so it's not the best.
But make sure you tell the Dr if it does affect you as I'm told there is a slow release metformin which can be tolerated better.

Cub
 

lukkymik

Well-Known Member
Messages
79
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
The opposites of above!!!!
Hi ... Big point here!!! Every Diabetic is different!!! Just cos one person is suited by a low carb diet another wont be.... I have to eat many more carbs than some but try to keep "of which sugars" & "fat" content on labelling to <4%. It will take time trial and error before you find what suits you best. Fruit and veg in general is ok as its naturally occuring sugars rather than added refined or unrefined sugar. Good luck & please dont let the scaremongerers distress you with their "You Have to have a BS of 4-7" stupidity. Thats fine for some people but me.. I feel lousy if im below 9-10 & another member quoted on another thread today that they try not to drop below 16!!! OK that seems high but theyve been Diabetic for over 60 years and still have few other diabetically related medical problems. Give yourself time to understand YOUR DIABETES & yes, take advice and read up but YOU are YOU and YOU are UNIQUE!!

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FurryCub

Well-Known Member
Messages
69
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Football
It didn't take long.
I was on 1 with breakfast for a week then breakfast and lunch for a week and finally breakfast lunch and dinner. So built up.
I got nausea after the first day, which was constant. I would be hungry, but as soon as food was in front of me I'd want to throw up. I was definately losing weight but only because I couldn't tolerate eating. By the time I was on 3 a day anything I managed to eat went straight through. I think though that my experience may have been pretty extreme. I've got IBS too which I've had for years, so that may have been the catalyst for the metformin issues.
My dr was surprised that I'd kept taking them for 6 weeks, but I'm trying to be a good little diabetic. That's why I'd recommend going to the dr if you do start to have issues as there are alternatives. I've read for others that it does settle down, so I'd give it a chance, at least built up to the full dose.
Good luck, hopefully you'll be fine on them.

Cub
 

Indy51

Expert
Messages
5,540
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi and welcome to the forum.

I'd also add that it's best to also take a BG reading before you eat, otherwise you don't get a "before and after" picture of what the amount of carbs you're eating is doing to your BG.

I found the following site very helpful for all things related to Type 2 Diabetes, including information about testing and the various medications:

http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/index.php

The book is also excellent.

Sorry I can't answer re metformin as I have never taken it. The reactions I've read here seem to vary greatly from person to person.

If you want a very basic introduction to low carb, I found the following site very helpful:

http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf

Best wishes - you sound like you're starting your "journey" with a very positive mindset :clap:
 

Daibell

Master
Messages
12,642
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi. Yes a wholemeal grain bread ham sandwich is fine together with homemade soup (no corn starch thickener!). Burgen bread is better if you take to the taste which I don't; I buy a low-GI loaf from my local baker which is great and tastes like wholemeal. Fruit is a mixed bag. It can be high in fructose which is not good in large amounts. Avoid bananas unless fairly unripe; also melons etc which obviously have a high sugar level. Veg is excellent but root veg when cooked can be fairly high in carbs. I agree with Lukkymik that we are all different but I think his target of 9-10 is unusual. Best to be guided by the NICE Diabetes Pathway guidelines which can be downloaded from the web. With a meter you will soon find out what your normal range should be and you can set targets from there; I think NICE recommends staying below 8.5 on the meter. When diagnosed I was usually below that but now I go into the teens quite often which I know isn't good for me.
 

hophead

Active Member
Messages
30
There is lots of stuff on the internet including forums such as this one. Read lots of posts and try and get the "big picture" rather than taking one persons view. What worked for me was reducing weight (look out for hidden carbs), increasing exercise based on a positive outlook.
 

DeeMarks

Active Member
Messages
26
Thank you all so much for the responses. I can't tell you how helpful it is just knowing this place is here for advice.

So this morning I have eaten breakfast - REALLY unusual for me - I had a small bowl of unsweetened porridge with some mixed berries. I know it's high in carbs but figured as they're slow release it would be ok? I took my first metformin half way through eating it, so now I'm a little anxious to find out how, if at all, it's going to affect me!

I have to share this though - true story...

Before bed last night I spent a LONG time reading this forum. I woke at about 3am after having dreamt I was in a big meeting at work and had been very suddenly afflicted with metformin's messier side effect! haha