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Flatmate newly diagnosed; what should I look out for?

J

JJ34

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Hi, my flatmate has today been diagnosed with diabetes and has started taking medication today. While her body adjusts to the medication (tablets, not injections) should I be looking out for any signs of hypo/hyper? I've had friends in the past with type one who injected insulin and had an idea of what to look out for in hypos for them, but someone with a new diagnosis and on tablets is totally new to me and I don't want to miss anything and have her be more unwell while her body gets used to the medication. Thanks in advance.
 
Hi @JJ34 and welcome

The answer to your question very much depends on a) which type of diabetes your flatmate has been diagnosed with and b) what medication they have been prescribed.

From what you say it sounds like type2, but it would be helpful for that to be confirmed.

If they have been prescribed any blood glucose lowering medication (i.e anything other than metformin) then they should also have been given a blood glucose meter and testing strips so that they can monitor whether their levels are either dropping low or going too high. She should also have the Patient Information Leaflet from the medication package which will explain the possible side effects and what to do.

If it is metformin then the likelihood of her going too low is practically zero.
 


Thank you for this. The diagnosis has come out of the blue for her so I'm trying not to show my concern to her as she's dealing with the shock of it and her own anxieties. I've had a look at her med packet and it is metformin so it's really good to know there's little liklihood of her going too low. I'll def try to get a read of the leaflet in the med box and hopefully that will give me more info.

She just got the diagnosis over the phone and isn't seeing the doctor in person until Wednesday, so I just wanted to make sure there weren't signs I should be looking out for over the next few days as she starts her meds. You've really put my mind at ease, thank you.
 
If she has been put on Metformin there could be side effects that are really embarrassing - I won't go into them just now, but turning a blind eye and deaf ear might help.
You might pick up from here that eating a low carbohydrate diet can swiftly and efficiently fix type two which could be a bit of help.
 

You’re welcome. One of the best things you could do for her is suggest she joins up here. No better place for information, advice and support.
 
I agree with @Goonergal that probably the best advice she can be given is to join here and read around. also suggest she gets a meter and actual records her levels. without that information it is really hard to know what your body is doing and what foods effect her levels.

when I discovered I had diabetes although not completely unexpected (family history) it was still traumatic. I personally found it really hard to give up carbs. my husband helped by not having so man y carbs himself for a while. I found it really difficult to shop in an actual grocery shop for a while.

you are a good friend to your flatmate and I'm sure will help her adjust.
 
She would benefit greatly by joining up here as already stated.
 
Thank you for caring so much. It's not a nice diagnosis to get and there's little to no guidance from the medical folks right now. It's terrifying as it is, and in these times, doubly so. Metformin can wreak havoc on the gastro-intestinal tract, so yeah... Do ignore it entirely, (but quietly stock up on toilet paper). Also, if side effects are bad and last longer than 2 weeks, they're not likely to go away, so they'd need revision. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/the-nutritional-thingy.2330/ is a way to get blood sugars back into the normal range without medication, if she turns out to be interested.

And as has been stated; she's quite welcome here for support too, as are you. I wish I'd found this place sooner, would've made a massive difference.

Good luck to both of you!
Jo
 
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