Hello! I got the dreaded call from doctor yesterday to say my HbA1c was 80 and prescribed 500mg Metformin twice a day which I started today with trepidation after reading the comments about side effects! The doctor said I didn’t need to monitor levels but confused by this - how do I know how different foods affect me? I had GD 11 years ago and could not control levels with diet so very quickly moved to insulin injections and testing. I am seeing the practice nurse next week to discuss but not really sure what to ask her? Still trying to get my head around it and am feeling quite overwhelmed by the conflicting info on Dr Google and devastated to have had my second diabetes diagnosis!
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Diagnosed Type 2 Yesterday
- Thread starter Mack23
- Start Date
sue512
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 233
- Location
- Wales
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Rude people
Hi, welcome, lots of people on here with a wealth of knowledge. I agree with you about how can we know what affects us without testing and that’s the first thing I did when I decided to work away from too much medication.The second part was realising all carbs turn into sugars which my body can’t deal with. We’re all different our reactions to carbs diferent and the choices we make to manage but if you’re determined enough you can turn it around! Some of the low carb threads are useful and there are posts about meters as well, because if you are self funding the testing strips get expensive with some monitors. Good luck on the start of your journey!
HSSS
Expert
There’s a huge thread if you do a search about the advice not to test, almost universally thought terrible advice for the very reason said. If you don’t test how do you know what’s happening. Ta mostly about saving money and lack of awareness how to test in type 2 (as opposed to type 1 insulin and hypo management).
GD is different as pregnancy makes glucose management both more tricky and even more crucial as it’s for the baby too and other medications are limited. Outside of GD insulin is rarely a good first choice and is widely used in later stages because it masks the symptoms of high blood glucose - even whilst adding to the underlying issue of too high insulin in the blood. The more excess above normal there is the more resistant to it we get and need yet more of it in a vicious cycle downwards. All because of the advice to eat starchy, wholegrain and low GI carbs is still sadly insisted on - slowly causing deterioration
So depending on what diet changes you made last time it could be improvements in what eating style you pick could make all the difference this time. The vast majority of us in here see the best improvements with low carb eating. How low varies a bit but that’s the place to start. There’s lots of info in my signature below in red to get you started.
@Rachox can you do your meter info thing please.
GD is different as pregnancy makes glucose management both more tricky and even more crucial as it’s for the baby too and other medications are limited. Outside of GD insulin is rarely a good first choice and is widely used in later stages because it masks the symptoms of high blood glucose - even whilst adding to the underlying issue of too high insulin in the blood. The more excess above normal there is the more resistant to it we get and need yet more of it in a vicious cycle downwards. All because of the advice to eat starchy, wholegrain and low GI carbs is still sadly insisted on - slowly causing deterioration
So depending on what diet changes you made last time it could be improvements in what eating style you pick could make all the difference this time. The vast majority of us in here see the best improvements with low carb eating. How low varies a bit but that’s the place to start. There’s lots of info in my signature below in red to get you started.
@Rachox can you do your meter info thing please.
Hi @Mack23 .
Welcome to the best little club no one wants to join.
Firstly, sorry to hear your DX .
But a 'well done' for landing on what I think is THE best forum for T2D.
On Metformin, Issues aren't guaranteed , maybe I got lucky but I took it without any issues.
I never took without eating something before it, though, maybe that helped ?
I do see GD being pretty common .
I guess feeding for two upsets our metabolism & presumably means for many a likelihood of some lasting metabolic impairment.
As a secondary (?) Diagnosis, I wonder if it's less imperative (to the baby & mother ) so more beneficial to treat more conservatively over a much longer period ?
As I understand it, T2D produces too much or poorly uses the insulin circulating inside us, as opposed to type one, making none or insufficient amounts.
So hard to see (no expert here) how adding insulin now is the best way forward ..mmhh
Ah, I see @HSSS has outlined this better.
Which leaves Metformin & diet.
Low carb higher fat (aka healthier fat ) very popular & effective for many.
As for testing you and @sue512 spot on..'how can you tell'
Sue makes good point re costs.
Most T2D (UK) self fund, so strip costs count.
@Rachox does a nice round up if meters & value .
If I was back at my docs I'd be asking
For time to try diet.
And while you are getting bloods checked, ask for your B12 to be tested too.
Many as we age, lose some & Metformin leaflet discusses it MAY delete us, too.
Worth getting so you have a baseline.
Lack of B12 can impair us in many ways.
And many won't even know until issues strike.
I guess one bonus is we can ask as it's a risk, so we find out asap.
No one mentioned & I only found out through forum.
I tested lower third, so began supplementing.
More in my signature below if interested.
Good luck on your journey.
Welcome to the best little club no one wants to join.
Firstly, sorry to hear your DX .
But a 'well done' for landing on what I think is THE best forum for T2D.
On Metformin, Issues aren't guaranteed , maybe I got lucky but I took it without any issues.
I never took without eating something before it, though, maybe that helped ?
I do see GD being pretty common .
I guess feeding for two upsets our metabolism & presumably means for many a likelihood of some lasting metabolic impairment.
As a secondary (?) Diagnosis, I wonder if it's less imperative (to the baby & mother ) so more beneficial to treat more conservatively over a much longer period ?
As I understand it, T2D produces too much or poorly uses the insulin circulating inside us, as opposed to type one, making none or insufficient amounts.
So hard to see (no expert here) how adding insulin now is the best way forward ..mmhh
Ah, I see @HSSS has outlined this better.
Which leaves Metformin & diet.
Low carb higher fat (aka healthier fat ) very popular & effective for many.
As for testing you and @sue512 spot on..'how can you tell'
Sue makes good point re costs.
Most T2D (UK) self fund, so strip costs count.
@Rachox does a nice round up if meters & value .
If I was back at my docs I'd be asking
For time to try diet.
And while you are getting bloods checked, ask for your B12 to be tested too.
Many as we age, lose some & Metformin leaflet discusses it MAY delete us, too.
Worth getting so you have a baseline.
Lack of B12 can impair us in many ways.
And many won't even know until issues strike.
I guess one bonus is we can ask as it's a risk, so we find out asap.
No one mentioned & I only found out through forum.
I tested lower third, so began supplementing.
More in my signature below if interested.
Good luck on your journey.
onnecar
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 173
- Location
- Melksham
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Football, Icy weather, Getting old.
Hi Jraak. I'm type 2. I'm 70 and been diabetic for many years. I'm also a low weight type 2. Type 2 normally starts out as insulin resistant and diet is the obvious place to begin as a treatment. However Insulin resistance can put strain on the pancreas over the years and the pancreatic islets can stop working over time so less insulin is actually produced. Also of course insulin resistance can escalate. I'm now on insulin as whatever I do without meds and now insulin did not bring down my glucose levels. I was on diet control for many years to begin with. Lower weight type 2 diabetics often have more trouble keeping their glucose levels down later in life. Also there is the simple fact of ageing and other health matters that creep in. It's not a one size fits all. I would definitely say that low carbs are the way to begin control though.
Hi @Mack23 and welcome to the forum. Thanks for the tags @HSSS and @jjraak.
Here’s some info on UK meters, and to be clear I have no commercial connections with any of the companies mentioned.
HOME HEALTH have the Gluco Navii, which is a fairly new model and seems to be getting good reviews if you use this link and select the meter plus 5 packs of strips, and then add the code dcuk (all lower case) at check out you may get money off, I’m not sure if this code is still valid.
https://homehealth-uk.com/all-produ...ose-meter-test-strips-choose-mmol-l-or-mg-dl/
Links to the strips for future orders:
https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/glucose-navii-blood-glucose-test-strips-50-strip-pack/
There are also discount codes for when you come to buy more strips - "navii5" and "navii10" will give you 20% off purchases of 5 packs of strips and 25% off 10 packs of strips respectively. Again I’m not sure if these codes are still valid.
Then they sell the older SD Code Free, details to be found here!
https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/
Discount codes for the Code Free strips, again I haven’t used them in a while.
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833
SPIRIT HEALTHCARE have a meter called the Tee2 + which is quite popular however I haven’t been able to find it on their website lately.
(Old link which doesn’t work for me now but maybe works for you, if it doesn’t try the phone number below
https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...e2-blood-glucose-meter?variant=19264017268793 ) or Google it and you’ll find it’s available from other outlets.
The strips are to be found here:
https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...py-of-tee2-test-strips?variant=19264017367097
Some members have got a free Tee2+ by phoning up to order, with a large order of strips they often throw the meter in for free:
Phone number 0800 8815423
If there is a choice of units of measurement then ‘mmol/L’ are the standard units in the UK, ‘mg/dl’ in the US, other countries may vary.
Don’t forget to check the box if you have pre diabetes or diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for all meters and strips)
Here’s some info on UK meters, and to be clear I have no commercial connections with any of the companies mentioned.
HOME HEALTH have the Gluco Navii, which is a fairly new model and seems to be getting good reviews if you use this link and select the meter plus 5 packs of strips, and then add the code dcuk (all lower case) at check out you may get money off, I’m not sure if this code is still valid.
https://homehealth-uk.com/all-produ...ose-meter-test-strips-choose-mmol-l-or-mg-dl/
Links to the strips for future orders:
https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/glucose-navii-blood-glucose-test-strips-50-strip-pack/
There are also discount codes for when you come to buy more strips - "navii5" and "navii10" will give you 20% off purchases of 5 packs of strips and 25% off 10 packs of strips respectively. Again I’m not sure if these codes are still valid.
Then they sell the older SD Code Free, details to be found here!
https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/
Discount codes for the Code Free strips, again I haven’t used them in a while.
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833
SPIRIT HEALTHCARE have a meter called the Tee2 + which is quite popular however I haven’t been able to find it on their website lately.
(Old link which doesn’t work for me now but maybe works for you, if it doesn’t try the phone number below
https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...e2-blood-glucose-meter?variant=19264017268793 ) or Google it and you’ll find it’s available from other outlets.
The strips are to be found here:
https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...py-of-tee2-test-strips?variant=19264017367097
Some members have got a free Tee2+ by phoning up to order, with a large order of strips they often throw the meter in for free:
Phone number 0800 8815423
If there is a choice of units of measurement then ‘mmol/L’ are the standard units in the UK, ‘mg/dl’ in the US, other countries may vary.
Don’t forget to check the box if you have pre diabetes or diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for all meters and strips)
