don1463reid

[don1463reid]

I may be tp1 shortly if put on insulin do I have to take a break from driving till I get my diabetes under control

 

[azure]

I may be tp1 shortly if put on insulin do I have to take a break from driving till I get my diabetes under control

Welcome @don1463reid

Do you mean you're suspected of being Type 1 not Type 2? Or that you're a Type 2 about to start on insulin?

Either way, if you start insulin you'll need to inform the DVLA and your insurer. You'll have to fill in some medical forms for the DVLA.

 

[don1463reid]

I am to 2 now but can't get my blood sugar down 12+ every mor even if I don't eat after 6pm

 

[Liam1955]

Hello @don1463reid and Welcome to the Forum . Tagging @daisy1 who will provide you with some basic information that all new members receive on joining the Forum.

 

[DevonVee]

Have you looked at dawn phenomenon?

 

[azure]

I am to 2 now but can't get my blood sugar down 12+ every mor even if I don't eat after 6pm

Can you give us an idea of a normal day's food for you?

What's your blood sugar before you go to bed? That is, does it shoot up overnight or is it high before you go to bed too?

 

[Daibell]

When on insulin you have to tell the DVLA and your insurer but you can drive as long as you follow DVLA instructions i.e. test before driving and every 2 hours whilst driving.

 

[don1463reid]

thanks to all who replied to my q I am a tp2 on victoza metformin etc also I have been tp2 for about 16 years now 64 almost I drive for a living being s/employed nice to know I can carry on driving.q will I have to stop driving while adjusting to insulin ,thanks again makes me feel better.

 

[don1463reid]

Can you give us an idea of a normal day's food for you?

What's your blood sugar before you go to bed? That is, does it shoot up overnight or is it high before you go to bed too?

I work as a taxi driver I am metformin + victoza my work house s and sleep time are all over the place "s/employed"

 

[don1463reid]

when working late come home eat cheese on toast porridge for b/fast tea juice fruit apples 3/4 a day just to take hunger away .

 

[azure]

It must be diificult leading such a busy life @don1463reid

In general, Type 2s here keep their carbs down to avoid high blood sugars. I don't know if that's something you could consider? Testing two hours after food will give you a good idea of how your body reacts to certain foods.

Let me tag some Type 2s for you as they'll be able to tell you more @andcol @AndBreathe @Resurgam @Bluetit1802 just for starters.

 

[catapillar]

I am to 2 now but can't get my blood sugar down 12+ every mor even if I don't eat after 6pm

If you're type 2, you will stay type 2 whether or not you are on insulin. Being on insulin doesn't change the type of diabetes you have, it changes how it is treated.

You don't have to stop driving when on insulin, but you do have to follow DVLA rules on testing before driving and every two hours during driving, being 5 to drive, keeping hypo treatments available in the car and telling your insurance company.

 

[AndBreathe]

when working late come home eat cheese on toast porridge for b/fast tea juice fruit apples 3/4 a day just to take hunger away .

Don, I can understand being a bit hungry if you're coming home in the evening, having effectively just done your working day.

The thing about being T2 though is that for most of us, when we test our bloods, we find that many foods, containing carbohydrates (so that's bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and most fruits) just aren't kind to our diabetes. I also found that if I wanted something to stop hunger, it would be the cheese that did that, and not the bread. So, I and loads of others like me just gave up bread and several other things.

Do you test your own blood at the moment, and if so, have you tried testing before you eat, then two hours later? I found that really helped me understand what's going on.

 

[Resurgam]

Forgive me if I am blunt - but your life as a taxi driver will be a lot simpler if you can lower your blood glucose levels and not require insulin.
Firstly you need to understand that you do not need to eat carbs - they make you feel hungry and they are the reason you feel hungry. Cut out the densest ones, bread, potatoes, pasta, porridge and the juice and apples and your levels will drop - you will need to be careful as your tablets other than Metformin will push down blood glucose levels. Eating low carb is really effective.
Try having cheese with scrambled eggs and a chopped tomato, bacon and eggs is a good idea - I boil the bacon to reduce the salt and other things it contains, just for a minute, then sieve it out and fry as normal - add mushrooms as they are low carb, eggs - don't worry about fats - low carb eating should make your lipid levels good, even ideal - eat chops and steak, chicken - I like roast chicken thighs with the crunchy skins. The protein and fat will stop you feeling hungry.
Look for frozen stuff for convenience - there are some really low mixtures - look for those without sweetcorn as that is a grain, and mixed berries as they can be low carb - eaten with double cream, in small amounts they make a nice dessert. I have beef mince with onions, sweet peppers, mushrooms and chopped celery, added last so it has a bit of crunch - the mince can be cooked and frozen in portion sized ziplock bags.
You can have a really good diet and be low carb, and hopefully control your blood glucose.
My doctor doesn't even want to see me, three months after diagnosis because I am down to normal numbers

 

[don1463reid]

blunt yes but true will try your rough diet got till next mth to loose some weight and get bloods down most days its between 12 /14 .

 

[Resurgam]

My after meal tests are all under 8.5, usually closer to 8, and the last fasting glucose test I did was 6.5 - so it would make a big difference to you if you could get down to those numbers - they are without medication, by the way.

 

[Bluetit1802]

blunt yes but true will try your rough diet got till next mth to loose some weight and get bloods down most days its between 12 /14 .

You can eat meat, fish, eggs, many vegetables (but not root vegetables), salads, mushrooms, tomatoes, cheese, butter, cream instead of milk, plain sugar free yogurts, avocado, nuts in moderation, and many other things. Fruit is a danger food because they contain fructose, which is sugar. Fruit juice is even worse. Milk is also difficult for us, but the worst culprits are rice, bread, potatoes, pasta and breakfast cereals including porridge.

Instead of porridge, try eggs cooked any way you like, bacon and eggs with mushrooms and a tomato, or a full fat yogurt with a few berries (strawberries, raspberries etc)

If you do as suggested and test before you eat and again 90 minutes to 2 hours after your first bite you will notice a rise in levels. It is important to keep that rise as low as possible, at least under 2mmol/l and preferably less than that. If you also keep a food diary and record your levels alongside, patterns will emerge that will show you which foods are causing you damage and give you the opportunity to reduce the portion size and try again or eliminate completely.

For snacks, try a few nuts or a chunk of cheese or a boiled egg.

 

[noblehead]

I may be tp1 shortly if put on insulin do I have to take a break from driving till I get my diabetes under control

No your not forced to but I think it would be sensible to take a break until you get your insulin doses right, especially as your a taxi driver, you may also want to check with your local licensing authority to see what they say on the matter if you do start on insulin. Good luck.

 

[daisy1]

@don1463reid

Hello Don and welcome to the Forum Here, as mentioned above, is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask more questions when you need to and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

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 147,000 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

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.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

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.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.

 

[Robinredbreast]

Hello and welcome @don1463reid I hope you can get your readings stabilised and continue to carry on working. Do you, or can you get to do any exercising, as being a taxi driver can be a sedentary job, as exercising is great for the mind and the body.
Good luck