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feeling scared today

Suedaisy

Well-Known Member
Hi Im Type 2 diabetic on Metformin 500mg (2000mg daily)
ive not posted for a long time as ive been looking after my sick husband and attending lots of hospital appointments with him and also working full time
Im under so much stress and have depression anxiety and have high blood pressure and recently been told i have neuropathy in my toes and leg which is so painful
Im so scared now as yesterday on my way home from work i took ill in car and had to pull over i knew something was not right with my diabetes so took some glucose tablets which i carry round with me at all times... I felt at first my hearing wasnt right and then my head felt fuzzy and i was so hot i ended up with windows open and just a tshirt after 30 min i set off again but had to stop in aldi carpark i went in to get a drink and banana and stay there for an hr in car so it took me an hr and half to get home which usually takes 15 mins when i got home i had to go to bed for couple of hrs as felt that bad.This has happened to me 6 times before
i went to see nurse practitioner this morning as i felt so ill still who took my blood pressure which was high and temp and asked her to check my bloods on monitor which she said was 11.9 and said this was Normal which i said thats highest ive ever known it to be so god knows what it was last night and if i was allowed to monitor myself i would have been able to get help sooner she refused monitor and strips and said i dont need them
she said if i ever took ill like that again to call 999 for ambulance and she sending me for ECG and bloods again i left the surgery in tears i Cannot be ill as im needed to look after my husband.
 
Hello,@Suedaisy
Sorry you are having such a tough time. I understand the stress of being carer for a loved one, whilst trying to work and look after own health.
I am puzzled as to why you thought you needed to take glucose and eat a banana when you felt ill. Did you check your blood sugar to see if you were having hypo, or did you just guess that was what it was?
 
Oh you are having a hard time. Ok practical help.

Despite everything going on try and take just a few minutes each day to switch off. Read a book have a bath sing dance anything that makes you feel good. The episode could feasibly be down to stress and bp as much as diabetes if everything else checks out ok.

You say you are on metformin. Just that? If so why do you carry glucose tabs and eat bananas- both of which i assume you use to raise blood sugar levels. Have you had confirmed hypo’s? Type 2 on metformin very rarely go low, much more likely to go too high and if so these sugar things will be making everything worse. The feelings of unwellness could be high levels too. They make me feel awful.

Depending on when you last ate in relation to the test 11.9 is too high, maybe not serious illness high but still too high. It’s certainly not normal. See here https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html for guidance on levels. The nhs rarely supplies testing for type 2 on metformin alone but there’s nothing to stop you buying your own meter and strips and testing for yourself. @Bluetit1802 or is it @Rachox (sorry ladies brain dead moment) can give you info on the cheapest ones around. The nurse is flat out wrong that it’s not useful. Test before a meal and 2 hrs after and you’ll see what that food does to you. Then adjust it as necessary. It will be the carbs that are mostly responsible for any rises. So that’s bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, cereals including porridge, other starchy veg and most fruit especially tropical ones and grapes.
 
Thanks for the tag @HSSS but I don't have my links with me (I'm away on holiday with an old phone.) @Rachox will help. All I can say is the 2 meters with the most economical strips are the SD Codefree and the Tee 2+.

I agree with all that has been said so far. Your funny turns are highly unlikely be due to low blood sugars. More likely either high blood sugars or something completely different. Eating glucose tabs and a banana would have made matters a lot worse if the reason was high blood sugars. There is no need to carry glucose tabs unless you are on medication that can cause low blood sugars - and Metformin is not one of these. As you felt so bad even the following morning, and had a high temperature, it sounds like you have a virus or infection, which on its own can raise blood sugar levfels.

I would also point out that your nurse needs some re-training if she thinks 11.9 on a finger prick is normal. As for "not being allowed to monitor yourself" that is rubbish. It is your diabetes and your health. If you want to monitor, then self fund. The nurse has no say in the matter and no-one can disallow it. All they can disallow is a prescription for the equipment.
 
i ust guess it was as i dont have a monitor so dont know if i was low or high i ust thought i should take em to be on safe side but now know i could have made things worse
 
I was offically diagnosed last feb 2018 by chance when i had to see doc about finger pain as now know its nerve damage he asked about my diabetes but i was never told and when i complanied which took a week to speak to doc to agree for blood test to check if i was or not and when they came back i was told i was type 2 and have been for 2 yrs but no one told me and he just gave me script for metformin and told me to eat carbs in moderation and to carry glucose and eat piece of fruit if i feel ill as i told him about when ive taken ill before i was diagnosed but now know it would be a bad thing cos i dont know if its too high and would make it worse
i was taken ill at work last yr and taken to hospital but all they said could be infection as by time they finger checked my blood was at 8.9 and was discharged
i eat sensible as i can and try and look after myself but with hubby situation (3 heart attacks and then AAA diagnosed and also bladder cancer in space of 6 mths its took its toll on me ) im now under mental health for depression anxiety and panic attacks
 
Hi suedaisy. I agree with the others that you’re more likely to have had a high blood sugar than a low one especially if you had a high temperature aswell. I take Metformin too but even eating a low carb diet I don’t get hypos, my levels are often down into the 4s without ill effects.
Have a lovely holiday @Bluetit1802 thanks for the tag and @HSSS
Anyway here’s the promised info about meters and to be clear I have no commercial connections with any of the companies mentioned. For a meter with cheap strips go for the Tee2 + found here:

http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-plus-blood-glucose-meter/ with the strips found here:

http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-testing-strips/


With more expensive strips is the Caresens Dual which I currently use, this one has the advantage of glucose and ketone testing in one machine, it’s to be found here:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/collections/caresens-dual


And to be totally transparent I used to use the SD Code Free which has the cheapest strips available. However I found itto be becoming less and less reliable. Here it is for anyone wanting to give it a go:

http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/

and here for the extra strips

http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/sd-codefree-test-strips-to-be-used-only-with-the-sd-monitor/

There are discount codes if you buy in bulk.

5 packs 264086

10 packs 975833


Don’t forget to check the box that you have diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for all meters and strips)
 
Thankyo
Thankyou for the reply i only carry them as doc said to do that and eat a piece of fruit if i feel ill i ust thought it could be cos sugar low and never realise it could be too high so i would making it worse
I dont have high temp but my blood pressure was high im on Metformin 2000mg a day and also blood pressure tabs and statins
i Dont trust the docs at all as they are always fobbing me off and i only found out by chance that i was diabetic last feb 2018 and had been for 2 yrs before and no one told me even tho i was having regular blood test thats why i posted cos its feels high i think i will buy a monitor and strips to be on safe side
 
Thankyou so much for the links
 
You’ve certainly had some shocking care, but sadly it’s not unusual. I wasn’t told about prediabetes/diabetes for years either. Crazy to give that advice about glucose and fruit!
Some basics below that you may not have had explained to you. And some reading that will give you some ideas about how to keep yourself healthy. You’ve had a lot to deal with but too high bloods can make emotional health worse as well.

Can I suggest you take a good look at LCHF ie low carb higher fat (than typically recommended) methods of eating (keto is just a version of this). It’s how an awful lot of us get our blood sugar levels under control and for some even eliminate medications and achieve remission and also reduce or improve complications. It is often the easiest and most sustainable form of weight loss for a type 2 if you need that. Other conditions often improve including but not limited to blood pressure, joint pain, inflammation, PCOS, and despite the dire warnings of the last few decades it improves cholesterol for most, yes improves cholesterol. Some jump right on it others edge their toes in a bit at a time.

Try clicking these links for more detailed explanations that are well worth readings.

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/jokalsbeek.401801/ for info including low carb made simple

And https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/success-stories-and-testimonials.43/ to show it really works and for motivation

and https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today.75781/ for food ideas

also https://www.dietdoctor.com/ for more food ideas and general info of carb content of foods. Excellent site and first port of call for many getting their head round low carb.

Lots of other websites for recipes out there too. Just use the term low carb or keto with whatever you fancy.

Also it’s very important to be able to check for yourself what’s happening so you can make the necessary adjustments day to day and meal by meal rather than wait 3, 6 or even 12 months and then have no idea what had what effect. It also helps keep an eye out that any meds are working appropriately not too much or too little. Getting a blood glucose meter is the only way to do this (no matter what contradictory advice you may have heard - it’s usually budget based rather than anything more scientific). Please ask if you want any guidance on this.

IMPORTANT FOR ANYONE ON MEDS (other than metformin) CONSIDERING LOWERING CARBS: if you lower your carbs then any glucose lowering meds or insulin increasing meds may need to be adjusted accordingly to make sure you aren’t taking more than your new diet requires. It can cause a hypo if you have more gliclazide or insulin etc than your new carb intake requires. This is not relevant for metformin on its own) than your new carb intake requires. Keep a close eye on your numbers and do this with your dr’s knowledge. Please don’t be put off by an ill informed out dated rubbishing of low carb diets or being told you should eat carbs to match meds, it should be the other way around.
 
I was in a dreadful state when taking Metformin and Atorvastatin for a few weeks - luckily I was doing low carb and found I did not need them, but I could not function - could not cope at all.
Eating low carb does seem to help mentally as well as physically, weightloss, more energy, regaining strength and no symptoms of diabetes.
With your neuropathy I'd have thought that testing after meals was essential to check for spikes in blood glucose. Type twos are far more likely to have high rather than low levels - and as for that 11.9 being a normal level - I can eat Christmas dinner and see 5.6 so no, not normal at all.
 
Another thing to find out are your cholesterol levels, including the HDL, LDL, and triglycerides. You can then make a decision on whether to continue with your statins. It is a common side effect that they raise blood sugar levels, and if your cholesterol is normal you probably don't need them. There is a mass of information about statins and cholesterol on this forum. Some of your unpleasant symptoms could be due to the statins, and some side effects appear years down the line.

You have had some dreadful advice from your GP. Really dangerous.. Hopefully if you buy a meter and stick with us, we can help you regain your health.
 
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