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Hello! A new kid on the block

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Debbie_Mac

Member
Messages
7
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
smoking, opera and visiting the gym
Would you believe it, this is the 1st time I've ever attempted to engage in an online forum. I am Blind and using a speech program is making it quite difficult for a newby like me to work out what the heck to do! So apologies to anyone if this makes no sense at all!!
My GP would say I am Pre-Diabetic, having done several GTT, HBA1C & general Glucose blood tests, all of which have come back negative. However, I've got myself a meter and test strips because I am permanently in a varying state of sleepiness which is really mucking up my daily life and now, my hair is starting to fall out. Thyroid and Iron counts are normal and my GP has given up on me.
I've been testing my sugar levels for the past week and so far they range from 6.2-14. and there doesn't seem to be any regular patterns i.e. when I suddenly become incredibly sleepy about 90 mins after eating. However, I have noticed that when my sugar levels are lower than around 7, I seem to get more disorientated, "white out" or what sighted people would call blurred vision and very shaky. Yesterday evening my sugar level hit 14 and I felt absolutely fine. None of this makes any sense to me.
Can anyone give me any tips, tricks or pointers in what I should really be doing?
Currently my GP is sending me to Dermatology for the unexplained hair loss and to a sleep clinic, but all of that doesn't happen for another 3 months and I want to get myself sorted sooner rather than later. I've had a really naff year with infection after infection, culminating in getting shingles on my face and head, in my ear & in my eye. The after effects of the nerve pain from shingles is ongoing. Add to that mix I am Blind as I've already mentioned, have R/R MS and an under-active thyroid. In essence, I'm just not a healthy person, but I want 2017 to be a far better year than this one! (Plus my new Guide Dog would really appreciate his Mum getting him out more than she currently does!)
 
Hi Debbie_Mac. I'm not the person to advise you but having just got in from work and read your post I just had to say hello, welcome and hope you and your new dog have a much improved 2017! There are some very knowledgeable people on this forum who are friendly and will undoubtedly be there for you when you need help and advice - take good care of yourself and the dog.
Regards
Robkww
 
hey welcome here Debbie_Mac hope you´ll find this forum amazing and interesting.. and useful

about your numbers , well it can be that you have some problems when getting higher than 7.8 after meals.

but then on the other hand did you write down what you were actually eating when your blood glucose did spike to 14mmol ?

try to write down what you eat and try seing the pattern especially when getting those high spikes over 7.8 at one hour and at two hours after meals... if your number has come down under 6.5 mmol after 2 hours from your meal, It is maybe not so bad..

by the way what are your fasting blood glucose in the mornings... ?

it is also healthy not to eat all the awake part of the day, like only eating in a 8 hour window so one has lots of hours where ones insuline and blood glucose can get really down for most hours of the day..

if you get that dizzy when your numbers are getting almost down to normal, you should really try to do a serious job not to eat foods that spikes you over 7mmol... because your body seems to have gotten used to the far too high levels, and that is bad, when even rather high blood glucose like 7mmol feels low...try not to make such a coaster ride of your blood sugars on a daily basis..

I think 14 mmol in the evening is so high that I would call my GP at once if that is on a daily basis, doesn´t seem to be just pre-diabetic..
 
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Hi Debbie_Mac

Welcome to the forum. I have to say your post read very well so your speech recognition would appear to be working well. Well done for taking up the challenge of using a forum. I have to say, this is the best, and most friendly, place to be in relation to Diabetes :)

I don't feel able to advise regarding your glucose levels but with all diabetic blood tests via your GP being 'normal' in spite of readings up to 14 using your glucometer, it would seem (to me) to be a bit bizarre. Hopefully, another member of this forum will be able to shed some light on this.

I do hope you can find a reason / solution to how you are feeling and that you are feeling better again very soon :)
 
Welcome @Debbie_Mac! You have a lot going on, and I hope you get the answers and the help that you need. We can certainly help you from the diabetes side of things. Lovely to have you aboard
 
@Debbie_Mac

Hello Debbie and welcome to the forum :) Here is the basic information which we give to new members and I hope you will find it helpful. It contains a lot of information about carbs and levels and includes a link to the Low Carb Program which you could join. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 220,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
 
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