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Feeling worried

C

Clairelouise76

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi - I have never posted on here but really worried and need some help
I am T2 diagnosed 2013 I'm 43 and 18 stone at 5"3 although I have come done from 19.3 stone - my hba1c have gone from 58 ISH to low 60s over the years - I am on 4 x Metformin a day plus a alogliptin a day I had my hba1c yesterday and the result has come back at 83 - I am now so worried - my cholesterol has gone up again, I keep going anemic - every visit to the diabetic nurse has left me in tears as she never offers me advice just tells me I'm not doing very well and literally makes me feel like I'm about to drop dead - I have an appointment with her in a few weeks and dreading it - she is the only one at the practice - help and advice is much appreciated x
 
Hi claire and welcome. First dry those tears. Someone will be along shortly with the welcome pack @Rachox.

May I ask have you changed your diet since you were diagnosed?

You are about to overwhelmed with information. We will hold your hand through it all.

Go make yourself a cuppa and come back here.
 
Quick point, if you don't like the DN then demand to see your GP personally and explain you are both unhappy with the support and the quality of the DN's patient advice. You have read loads on here I guess and it probably does not tally with what else you are being told, so challenge it demand a better service, also worth checking if there is a Diabetes clinic local to you that you could use instead.
 
Welcome to the forum. You’ve found the place that can really help.

Do you eat things like bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, cereals and oats, flour and pastry? These things, not just sugar, cause higher numbers and weight gain for type 2. Being anemic can make things worse and can distort hb1ac figures (making them higher than they should be). Are you on statins? These can also raise hb1ac.

Can I suggest you take a good look at low carb high fat methods of eating (keto is just a version of this). It helps many of us lose significant amounts of weight, if desired, keep our numbers down and for some even eliminate medications and achieve remission and reduce or improve complications. 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. 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. 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 CONSIDERING LOWERING CARBS: if you lower your carbs then any glucose lowering 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 (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.
 
Hi ClaireLouise and welcome!
You have come to the right place for advice and success stories. I’m 5’4” and was over 18 stone when I was diagnosed. I take Metformin and follow a low carb diet. I lost 61/2 stone and got my HbA1c down to non diabetic. If you fancy trying a low carb diet here’s a link to get you started:
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb
Such a shame your nurse is so unhelpful.
I am not familiar with Alogliptin so I don’t know if there’s a risk of hypos with that med, so I also advise getting a blood sugar meter. Not only to detect hypos but to test what effect different meals have on you.
Just another thing to note, an HbA1c test isn’t always accurate if you are anaemic @Bluetit1802 knows more about that.
 

Not massively I like my potatoes and bread and chocolate but I also eat lots of veg and fruit I am a terrible meal skipper -i think I have just strolled along not thinking of the T2 as I feel ok and as it's an invisible illness I forget about it until my annual reading like this drops me back to earth x
 
Hi. I can only guess that your diet needs a big change. You must cut down all the carby foods and only have at least 85% dark chocolate. Exercise is also important.
 
Thank you so much already i feel really comforted that there is help and things I can do I felt like it was hopeless before I put the post on - I have a meter and it has been reading between 9 and 11 1st thing in the morning then I forget to do it x
 
Skipping meals is fine, why eat when you're not hungry?
But watch out for the fruit, most fruit has lots of sugar!
 

So sorry your DN is so unhelpful and sounds as if you haven't had the best diet advice either. You are in the right place here, though, and if you follow the advice above about diet, and get rid of those excess carbs (and fruit!) things will improve!!
Your anaemia should also be looked at by your GP and treated, as it will make stabilising your blood sugars harder and you will also feel very tired and unwell.
Read a lot on here about diet and changes to your current food intake - make even a few changes at a time, you will succeed.
Check your blood sugar before every meal and two hours after - it's important to get a grip on how various foods affect your BS.

Keep on keeping on.....and come back here regularly, we are all in this together........
 

Your diabetes meds are designed to work alongside a suitable diet. They won't do a great deal unless you address your eating habits. You have to decide whether you can do without your bread, potatoes, ordinary chocolate and fruit, (or a lot less of them) and thereby get your blood sugar levels under control, or continue eating as you do and end up on even more medication. I am sorry to be blunt, but that is the situation.

You can help yourself enormously by buying a glucose meter and using it to test out your meals alongside a food diary and learning from what it tells you. It can also be a great motivator.

As @Rachox said, certain forms of anaemia can cause elevated HbA1c results. This is basically Hemolytic anaemia caused by iron or vitamin B12 deficiency. (a known side effect of Metformin is reduced B12). You need to get this sorted and speak to your GP and ask for a B12 test.
 
Have a good look around the forum. Read as much as you can and ask questions. Most of us have been where you are now. There is no such thing as a silly question. A good book to read is The Diabetes Code by Dr Jason Fung. You can download it on Kindle if you have it. He also has some YouTube videos that are worth watching.

It can be a bit of a shock to the system to give up carbs, you can feel that there is nothing left to eat. There is, and we can point you to loads of places where you can find really good recipes. Do a bit of reading and come back and ask as many questions as you want. Knowledge is power!
 
Hi @Clairelouise76,

HSSS already posted The Nutritional Thingy (my bloglpost), and I'm hoping you'll read it. It could help you get your diet sorted. If not, try dietdoctor.com or the Diabetes Code by Dr. Jason Fung. As for your anemia, B12 deficiency really, really is a problem on metformin and your doc can perscribe supplements. Get your iron checked as well. While iron supplements are alright, they don't get absorbed anywhere near as well as red meat's iron does, so I'm really hoping you're not a vegetarian. Spinach and all is good too, but again, it doesn't get absorbed as well. You really do need to tackle it, because anemia skews results, besides fatigue and whatnot.

If you quit spuds and the like for a while, you'll find the craving for those things vanish like snow on a sunny day. Carbohydrates are addictive, and our body will crave them, even if it doesn't actually need them. Hang in there for a little while and it'll go away. Fruits are not good for T2's, -too much sugar/fructose- though you could have berries, starfruit and tomatoes in moderation. Extra dark chocolate is good too, and if you find it too bitter, add a mouthful of cream or some walnuts. Really yummy.

You'll get through this. Your DN is rather useless, so... How would you like to take charge of things and at the next appointment, have her double check the testresults because she can't believe you're doing so well?
 
Hi and welcome,

I agree with what everyone else has said - you will get more support here than through short, unhelpful appts with a nurse.

But I would add something else.
Having low iron (anaemia) may be having a bigger effect on you than you realise. It can affect your HbA1c blood test result, it may be making you feel very tired, hopeless and depressed, and it can also halt weight loss (see the video I am linking to below).
It can also be a sign of other health issues.

I urge you to make an appointment with the doctor, not your nurse, and explain how you are feeling, and ask if he can investigate your anaemia. There could be any number of causes, from heavy periods to gut inflammation or not eating enough iron, and getting it back in range could make a big difference to you and your quality of life. I have a friend in the States who got steadily more and more tired, run down, was sleeping many extra hours a day. Eventually they tracked it to a stomach ulcer, treated it with antibiotics, and iron injections, and basically she got her life back. Obviously, I can't say the same will happen to you, but I can say that anaemia, excess weight, high blood glucose and an unsupportive health team is a recipe for misery and depression. Please see your doctor!

Here is that vid I mentioned.

 
Hi there

I have been on this for about an year now and I can say this forum has been an absolute savior. You have been given good advice by the members till now and I can’t add too much. My own experience has been

A) tweak diet if drastic change is difficult. Significantly lower carbs and absolutely no refined carbs / sugars. Increase good fats as feasible - I find it difficult to indulge too much, but just increasing the olive oil on salads, an additional slice of cheese or changing to full cream from milk for coffee has been helpful. Increase protein. Was a strict vegetarian but gave up and having fish 3-4 times a week.

B) exercise- had a leg injury recently and recovering but I try to get 30 minutes of walking at the minimum each day. Some days are tough but i try.

C) no cheating especially on the refined carbs and sugar bit ever.... they are terrible really.....

D). Good sleep.... was tough getting 8 hours quality sleep but i try... changed a bit in the bedroom... heavy curtains, temperature a bit cooler, no phones, good book before bedtime, hot water dip for feet before bed etc.

Good luck
 


Hello i had the same trouble with my old Doctor/nurse (yes old) they treated me like the others never seemed to want to help put me on insulin ?? But that's all changed got me a new Doctor a great Doctor as well he asked why did they put you on insulin ?? Well anyway since i have been with the new doc he as changed my meds i am on slow release metformin works better for me and no tummy troubles and he is helping me get off the insulin was on 80 mil a day because they (old doc) let me have it when i wanted it i got dependant on it ate the wrong foods got into the insulin trap but over the year with the help of the new doc got down to 25 mil a day with 4 stone weight loss and the last 4 days with a reading of only average reading of 10 i have took no insulin exercise every day on a low carb diet. SO What i am getting at is charge your Doctor/Nurse find the right person who will listen to you it makes sense it's your body., They are not all the same thank goodness stand up to them be heard they are not god, Another 2 stone coming off brought a exercise bike and weights in 2017 i am 64 this month and feeling great. also watch your Magnesium levels as diabetes flushes it out the body low Magnesium can make you ill as well.
 

Don't forget Magnesium as well i am on supplements now i just came across while searching for my mum conditions wow my psoriasis does look and feel better now plus magnesium controls 300 elements in your body doctors don't talk much about magnesium i have had it type 2 20 years it's never be mentioned to me anytime at appointments ok not everyone will be the same but it's worth asking about i am so glad i did my sleeping is a lot lot better and my stress levels are going away i am chilling out more
 
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