Gone from diet and exercise on to tablets

They are very quick to put you into a routine which suits them rather than you. My GP and my DN wanted me to to go onto meds at the beginning but I refused and said I would do diet and exercise. They scoffed at that but it did work.

The main thing is that you do need to test your bloods. As it looks like your DN will not give you a meter, you will have to buy one. I understand that the SD Codefree is the cheapest to run in terms of test strips etc. Other forum members may have more upto date info though.

My own personal view is that you test immediately before and two hours after every meal to see what foods suit you and what foods do not suit you. After lots of testing, you will have an idea of what to eat and what to avoid.

Also eat less to lose weight and be more active to improve your insulin sensitivity. Over time, your overal levels should drop. In fact, there is no reason why they shouldn't drop.

This very slow way the GP surgeries go about things, not really telling you anything and just dishing out pills is useless. Getting a meter is the first step in taking control of it yourself, rather than relying on HCPs who just want an easy life.

Go to your doctors and ask for copies of all your test results. The one you particularly want is your Hba1c, which is a kind of average blood sugar over the past two to three months. If you need help understanding these, do ask here. You are entitled to your test results, I think free of charge, but some may try and charge for copying or admin.
Buy yourself a blood glucose meter and start testing yourself to see what different foods do to you.
I'm assuming that Metabet is a type of Metformin. If so, it will only have a very small effect on blood sugars, so, it is down to you and your diet. Most people on this forum go for the low carb approach and many have given up meds as a result.
Sally

sueky01 said:

Hi all, I feel very disappointing with myself that at my latest trip to the diabetic nurse she has now put me on Metabet SR 100mg 1 a day. I have never tested my bloods and still have no idea other than another trip to the nurse in in Feb 2015 if these will work or not. What do I do next? How do I tell if they are working. Only been on these 4 days but feel okay on them.

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metformin is an excellent med, some people have gut problems for a week and are started on 500mg.
Do you know what your numbers were?

ask lot's of questions, I found it best to reduce my carbs

I'll put up some links that were a big help to me
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf it’s a long page and a video
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbliving/a/Food-Cravings.htm because carbs don’t give up easy.
testing
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php
food count
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

http://www.homehealth-uk.com/medical/blood_glucose_monitor_testing.htm
if you buy extra boxes of strips there is a discount code
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833

jack412 said:

I agree the OP hasn't had the best of care from what has been said. but can you please not bag the Dr and the meds that I am on. They are helping me from going blind and having my feet chopped off.

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You may have a better GP. They are not all the same. And it's not just me saying it. My experience is entirely in line with what Dr Roy Taylor, a leading researcher into Diabetes, wrote in Practical Diabetes:

"It must be recorded that many individuals expressed frustration at the routine manner in which their doctor, nurse or dietitian regarded the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. This conflicted with the cataclysmic blow which they personally felt. They were told that the diagnosis was clear and therefore the guidelines will be rolled out. Lose some weight and take this metformin. Get used to it."

My DN at the time could accurately be described as utterly incompetent. During one clinic she said that she was going to fine tune my medication and I had to point out to her that I wasn't on any. At the next clinic she repeated the same and I was forced to ask if she ever read her patients' notes. Without batting an eyelid she said she didn't have time for that.

I don't know your GP from Adam but my experience, the experience of many people on this forum, the experience of other HCPs and the report by the all party parliamentary committee on diabetes care is that far too many GPs simply follow a routine tick box approach and not the individual targeted care that they are supposed to do.

I'm pleased that you may have one such GP. Not everyone does by any means.

Metformin has three effects:

• It reduces the rate that your liver produces glucose.
  
• It aids insulin in transporting glucose into cells so that it can be used as energy.
• It slows down how quickly you absorb glucose from your food after eating.

Sufficiently motivated people can achieve the same with diet and exercise but, most people either don't start - they keep putting it off, or they start but it tails off and they are back where they started within a couple of months.

Unfortunately, some people rely on the meds and think that because they are taking them, they don't need to do anything. A few, even think that they can eat what they did before because the meds will sort everything out for them.

Yorksman said:

You may have a better GP. They are not all the same. And it's not just me saying it. My experience is entirely in line with what Dr Roy Taylor, a leading researcher into Diabetes, wrote in Practical Diabetes:

"It must be recorded that many individuals expressed frustration at the routine manner in which their doctor, nurse or dietitian regarded the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. This conflicted with the cataclysmic blow which they personally felt. They were told that the diagnosis was clear and therefore the guidelines will be rolled out. Lose some weight and take this metformin. Get used to it."

My DN at the time could accurately be described as utterly incompetent. During one clinic she said that she was going to fine tune my medication and I had to point out to her that I wasn't on any. At the next clinic she repeated the same and I was forced to ask if she ever read her patients' notes. Without batting an eyelid she said she didn't have time for that.

I don't know your GP from Adam but my experience, the experience of many people on this forum, the experience of other HCPs and the report by the all party parliamentary committee on diabetes care is that far too many GPs simply follow a routine tick box approach and not the individual targeted care that they are supposed to do.

I'm pleased that you think you have one such GP. Not everyone does by any means.

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I must be one of the lucky ones, when my Doctor confirmed that I was diabetes type2. she gave me the link to this forum, how good is that.

sueky01 said:

Hi all, I feel very disappointing with myself that at my latest trip to the diabetic nurse she has now put me on Metabet SR 100mg 1 a day. I have never tested my bloods and still have no idea other than another trip to the nurse in in Feb 2015 if these will work or not. What do I do next? How do I tell if they are working. Only been on these 4 days but feel okay on them.

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Most of us are disappointed with the NHS and many of the dn nurses that seem to have a old fashioned method towards Diabetics.
@sukey01 all you have to do is simply control your diabetes.
You will need need a Blood glucose meter. (amazon do a good deal on the codefree meter). there are many types of diets or just types of food for you to decide which suits you ( a bit of trial and error )
Whatever you do please take your time.
You will get a lot of help so be prepared for your head to go round a little, yet you will benefit from it all.
As we are all different, medication may be necessary for you. (always double check with your doctor)

I hope you get lots of help and advice from this nice forum

izzzi said:

I must be one of the lucky ones, when my Doctor confirmed that I was diabetes type2. she gave me the link to this forum, how good is that.

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My GP said that he had been on a diabetes course and that they spent an afternoon going around a supermarket reading the labels on various food packages to see the different carbohydrate contents. It didn't inspire me with confidence but the practice had prepared packs for newly diagnosed patients. They contained leaflets from DUK.

Mrs Yorks is a biomedical scientist and she tells me that 'watch one, do one, teach one' is still the main approach to on the job training in the NHS.

Welcome to this lovely forum. You will get great advice