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Hello everyone! A quick question

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lolita

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This is my first time on the forum so please forgive me if i haven't posted in the right place! I was diagnosed type 2 two weeks ago. GTT 12.8, got results of HBA1C today - 7.5. The DNS has decided to start me on Metformin 500mgs once daily then if tolerated increase to 1000mgs daily in 2 weeks time. I have adopted the low carb approach ( in fact started low carbing for weight loss on 4th Jan this year and have lost 18 1bs) I have one main concern so far - my legs feel so weak, especially when climbing stairs. I did mention this to the nurse today and she said it was because i was low carbing and i therefore need to increase my carbs and eat lots of potatoes and rice. ( i have got myself a meter and i am testing 4 times daily for now) i know that potatoes in particular raise my blood glucose quite considerably. Any thought please! i am a bit confused :?
 
Lolta,

How many grams of carbs are you eating a day?

I know when I tried low-carbing that I also felt weak and tired, so I incresed my total to around 100-130g (reduced carbs) and have had no problem to date.

Nigel
 
Hi lolita,

You sound to be doing OK to me! I certainly wouldn't start to "eat lots of potatoes and rice". However, you will know that already because your meter will be telling you that approach doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

Maybe you are losing weight just a little bit too quickly because 18 lbs since 4th January sounds to be quite a lot. The health people recommend that you should try to lose at 1 to 2 lbs per week.

As far as stairs are concerned, you'll likely be bounding up them before too long.

My advice would be to stick with what you seem to be doing but just keep making small correcting adjustments - similar to what Nigel suggests - depending on what is happening or how you are feeling.

Best wishes - John
 
Lolita
If you think that low carbing will help you control your Bg. it's worth sticking with it. Should it be the low carbing making your legs weak, you will adapt. It takes only one or two weeks to get your metabolism round this one. There isn't actually any necessity to consume carbs. Loads of people think there is, but they have no evidence. If you were in the habit of eating quite a lot of carb, it takes a while to adapt.
If you up your carbs by a lot, It will be back to square one.
You have to decide this one for yourself.
Is it worth it to you to go through a patch where things are harder, to get the potential benefit? If "yes!" stick with it.
Hana
 
Hi there,

Muscle pain and weakness are listed as possible side effects of metformin. I've attached the link from another part of the forum

viewtopic.php?f=26&t=12124

Might be worth keeping an eye to see if it gets worse and contact your GP if it does.
 

Hi lolita'
Your not on statins by any chance are you :?: one of the first signs of statin intolerance is aching calf muscles, If you are on statins it would be worth talking to your doctor about your problem.

Regards
Graham
 
lolita said:
This is my first time on the forum so please forgive me if i haven't posted in the right place! I was diagnosed type 2 two weeks ago. GTT 12.8, got results of HBA1C today - 7.5.
Click to expand...

Hi Lolita,

I'd be happy with that HBa1c reading first time around; mine was 11.2.

Seems a bit extreme to me to be putting you straight on meds in the first place
 
Thank you all so much for your responses. I was beginning to wonder if perhaps my weight loss is a little too quick. I am on approx 60-90 carbs a day. I will increase carbs in increments if i can and continue testing blood glucose and monitoring weight, hopefully i'll get to the point where i can slow the weight loss slightly and hopefully not make an impact on blood sugars. I have no pain in my legs, just this terrible weakness but i feel i can put up with it if it is likely to pass when my body adjusts. I have not as yes started the Metformin ( was given prescription this afternoon so will start tomorrow evening) I am not on statins. To be honest, very reluctant to start Meds as i was hoping i could gain control by diet and exercise, guess thats why my weight loss is so fast, just wanted to show the DNS i could do it under my own steam Thank you all again.
 
Hi Lolita and welcome to the forum.

I too was very reluctant to start on meds and have managed to avoid them to date. 8)

Is there some underlying reason why they want you to take the meds? Did you ask them for a bit more time before you decide whether you need them or not? Why do you feel that the weight loss is too fast to date? (Sorry if that sounds like the inquisition!)

Don't forget that you are the majority shareholder in this diabetes package which you now have! Your decision making is important in all this.

I have problems with exercise but have found that I need to at least move about to get rid of weak feelings - doesn't sound logical but it seems to work for me. :?
 
Hi synonym,
to my knowledge, there is no underlying reason why i have been started on metformin 2 weeks after diagnosis. My initial thoughts following diagnosis was that i would definitely not start any meds until i had at least 3 months of continuing diet and exercise. I guess with the odd raised blood sugar (highest being 10.5 but average being 7.4mmols) i may have become a bit frightened as to any damage being done so thought i should accept the meds.(? illogical ) I am very much determined to 'manage' my diabetes myself as I don't always agree with the information being offered to me by my health care team. Started metformin yesterday evening and have told myself if i start suffering from terrible side effects, i will not take them and continue with diet and exercise and look at things again at my next review in 3 months. As for the weight loss, i just assumed because of the weakness in my legs, perhaps the loss was too quick for me. I have 3 stone to lose. Thanks for your response synonym. Guess i am still trying to get my head round all this
 
THello again lolita

here is such a lot to get your head round so it is not surprising if it’s our head that goes round and round instead! :shock:

It is a problem when you just know that what your care team is recommending is not the best way for you, after all you know how you feel and it is your health not theirs which is at stake. The trouble comes when you know you can’t easily say so without upsetting the apple cart and losing their good will - but sometimes you need to take the risk. :roll:

You have a fair bit of weight to lose but you are on the right track so keep on with the careful eating and avoiding too many carbs. The better your weight is the better you will be in every way.

You are probably right to take the metformin and accept the boost it may give you and maybe later you might be able to come off it. Hope you cope with it ok! 8)
 
Thank you so much synonym, I'll continue as i am for now then and see how i get on. I agree it is difficult when you don't agree with everything the health care team advocate but as you rightly say, this is my condition and my long term health ( hope to have a few good years yet at 44 years of age!) i know how busy health care professionals are and guess i am just another name to get through on the long list of patients to see! but i intend to manage things for myself as far as i can and if that means having to openly disagree with the team then so be it! thanks again.
 
Let us know how you get on and if there are any problems there is always someone here.
 
Thank you synonym, i certainly will do, it's nice to feel supported
Lolita
 
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