first bg meter readings - advice

[jfran]

Ive been diagnosed T2 for 2 and a half weeks now. Attempting to do diet and exercise and see if i can reduce bg levels this way. I've a lot of weight to lose, i reckon probably 5 stone. Since I was diagnosed 2 weeks ago I have managed to lose 1/2 a stone on a low carb/low cal diet which im pleased with.

I've decided to ignore the Dr who told me he doesnt recommend testing bg, bought myself a meter and started testing a few days ago.

So far my fasting levels were: 9.7, 14.0 (rice with eve meal), 9.8 (after a heavy session at gym night before), 11.7, 11.3
Clearly, still high - but my initial bg test i was diagnosed from was 15.2, and the 2nd blood by doc a week later was 13.8. So 2 weeks on this diet its gone down another couple of points.

I was wondering though how quickly i should expect my fasting bg level to go down? I dont want to be running high levels for another 3 months thinking im doing ok if i should be getting them down much faster. (Hence why i bought a meter and ignored the doc!).

Also, another question if anyone can offer advice. I was feeling quite rough at lunchtime today, light-headed, snappy, hungry tested and it was 8.1. Ive read that some peoples bodies get used to running on high bg, so a still relatively high bg causes low bg symptoms - but i was just wondering how long it takes for bodies to adjust to running on lower bg? (e.g., days/weeks/months/years?). Just for info, i tested after 90 mins hard exercise in the gym and bg was 8.5 so 8.1 is my lowest reading so far in 5 days.

Thanks for any advice. I am trying to keep positive and monitoring things helps me.

 

[Anonymous]

I'll preface this by saying that I'm no expert, but I would expect your readings to come down quite quickly - weeks rather than months if you're getting the carbs out of your diet. Has the doc not suggested any meds? I thought Metformin was offered pretty much straight away.

How low are you getting your carbs to get those readings? Perhaps you could post a typical meal along with your pre and 2 hr post readings .

In ref to your question about lunchtime, I've certainly noticed that the goalposts have moved as my levels have come down. 8.5 now feels high to me where it would have been in double figures previously before I noticed.

 

[xyzzy]

It will depend on the number of carbs and medication you're on.

I started at around 40 to 50 g of carbs per day. Without any metformin I had got to averaging high 7's in 4 weeks from a high teens average start. With the same carbs then by week 8 my average dropped to the low 6's by week 8. In week 5 I started 1 x 500g Metformin and upped to 2 x 500g in week 6. It's now week 12 and my average is now low 5's. I still eat the same base 40 to 50g / day but add another 15g in fruit with my main meal as it doesn't seem to touch my BG's.

Apart from a constant feeling of tiredness throughout I felt progressively better as by BG's dropped. The tiredness is gradually getting better and in any case I always found I would wake up and become alert when by BG's went below around 5.5. This was an absolute revelation the first time it happened and made me realise just how c**p I'd been feeling for at least the preceding year or so. To me it is what you would expect as at those sub 5.5 levels you are running in the range of the average non diabetic person whose fasting levels are normally somewhere between 3.8 and 5.5.

You can certainly get the kinds of symptoms you describe. I was lucky and didn't get any but in some the fact that sugars are now lower (not low) can cause what you are finding. It's your body's way of saying "Where's all my lovely sugar gone - give it back - NOW!" It hasn't yet worked out that it can get the energy it needs from other sources such as any body fat you might have and is trying to con you into taking the easy option. My advice would be try to slowly fight your way down as at 8's and above you are are still outside the safe fasting range and potentially doing damage to yourself.

 

[jfran]

Thanks for your replies Swimmer and xyzzy - Im not on any meds. The doc is letting me try diet and exercise at least until i go in for my next hbA1c test in Mid-May. I think i'll keep on with my diet and have a look at my carbs, i dont know off hand what my g of carb is, just that compared to what I was eating 2 weeks ago, my diet has changed vastly, less bread, no cereal/milk, no sweets, no crisps, only small amounts of potato/rice with evening meal. My cholesterol and bp levels were fine, so he didnt put me on any meds straight away. (he told me to try to lose weight, by cutting out chocolate and not snacking and sent me on my way until May). Fortunately i use a weight loss website and have also used the low carb info from this forum to get me started.

I think i'll keep up what im doing for another couple of weeks (and track g of carbs properly) to take it to the 4 week mark, and re-evaluate. I've managed to get it down from 15.2 to begin with to about 11 in these first 2 weeks with a 1/2 stone weight loss. Im hoping to be able to lose another 1/2 stone fairly quickly (as i know it will come off quicker at first) and i've seriously upped my exercise this last week.

I already feel a lot lot better than previously, weeing situation is back to normal, im sleeping right through the night (bliss), i have a lot more energy and the only time ive felt tired and groggy was when my bg was up at 14.0 mark on Wednesday. The rest of the time ive felt great (and ive been feeling ill for months, tired, vomitting etc). I've even started jogging again, as my fitness levels have increased so much. (and my trousers dont fit anymore!).