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Vera Bout

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18
Hi,

My name is Linda and I have been diabetic for a couple of years, I was tablet controlled for most of the time but I was introduced on to Victoza about 18 months ago, this was initially used with Metformin tablets and my blood sugars were coming under control but my stomach started to react violently to the tablets and even trying the slow release version after time upset my stomach. I tried coping with this as long as i could and eventually I had to tell the nurses/doctors I could not continue with this medication as i was constantly running for the loo plus stomach cramps were becomming worse.
New tablets introduced, glicazide, at initial 1 tablet per day dose, no effect on sugar levels, increased to 2 tablets per day but still not having any significant results, blood sugar constantly staying between 14 and 16 and try as i may I can not get it down. I jave been informed that I should start taking 2 tablets in the morning and then 1 in the evening to see if that helps reduce it. It has also been suggested that I may need to start thinking about insulin to control my blood sugars, this i have always wanted to avoid as it increases your car insurance quite significantly i am told plus you need to advise DVLA of the diabetes, I am told that the rules have changed on car insurance and driving so will have to look them up.
I know how important it is to get my blood sugar levels under control but the diabetic team seem very reluctant to try other tablets to see if any of them work, I know all tablets do not work for everyone but they just dont seem to want to try anything else. :?
Any suggestions as to what may help and the laws on driving with diabetes?
 
Hello Vera. For the high BG levels, why don't you try low carb eating? There are lots of ideas on the forum (look for Viv's modified Atkins in the sticky threads section). I used to be regularly in double figures, even doing low GI (wholemeal instead of white, etc.) when I was on Gliclazide; but since low carbing, I have had to come off Gliclazide altogether in order to avoid hypos. We're not all the same, though, so your answer may be different. If you haven't already stopped eating bread, potatoes, pasta, puddings, rice, and so on, then try reducing them or cutting them out for a while, and see what effect that has on your BG.

As for DVLA, the best thing is to look on their website for the latest information. If you're on medication that stimulates insulin production (such as Gliclazide) then you need to test before you drive, but you may not have to inform them unless you have had hypos that required intervention by someone else. But do check the website rather than take my recollection as gospel.


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Thank you Sketcher for your reply, I have pretty much made up my mind that insulin is the way to go now but will definately look at the low carb diet as it can only help. I am fed up with feeling lethargic and am hoping that insulin getting my sugar levels under control will help me feel better than i currently do, I want to lose weight but am told that Glicazide can help you gain weight so not impressed with that news. I shall update how things go, starting a new job soon so want to feel better by then and get rid of my excess weight which will help my diabetes as well.
 
Hi Linda,
Im on insulin (type 1). I have no choice so I got used to it but if there are any other ways I would recommend to try them first. Go low carb for some time and see how it works for you. You will feel better and for sure you will loose some weight. Eat as much veggies as possible and you will get lots of energy. At the beginning it feels a bit weired to eat courgettes pasta or cauliflower rice but after you will love it. Its just about changing your eating habits. There is also lots of recipes for low carb cakes so you can still enjoy treats. Good luck :)
 
Hi Linda and welcome to the forum :)

I know you are not newly diagnosed but I think this information we give to new members will be helpful to you.


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 30,000 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes ... rains.html

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

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.
 
[quote="Vera Bout"It has also been suggested that I may need to start thinking about insulin to control my blood sugars, this i have always wanted to avoid as it increases your car insurance quite significantly i am told plus you need to advise DVLA of the diabetes,[/quote]

Hi Vera, if you are prescribed any diabetes medicine that can cause sudden drops in your blood glucose you are legally obliged to inform the dvla and your insurance company.

The DVLA will normally issue you with a FREE 3 year licence and they will pay the caost of a new licence every 3 years, in some cases where hypos have been a problem they can issue a 1 or 2 year licence too.

Your insurance company are only interested in whether or not you are fit to drive and providing the DVLA allow you a driving licence your insurance company will not increase your premiums as you offer no added risk. But you are still obliged to inform them.

So there is no need to worry about driving if you are on insulin providing you test regularly and keep good control.
 
Thanks for the tips on here, I have advised my diabetic team that I have decided to go on insulin as I am unable to control my blood sugars currently on the medication I am on.
Woke this morning feeling quite ill, checked blood sugar to find it on 24.4! Raging thirst and just generally felt yuk, spoken to diabetes specialist and my next appointment has been moved forward so will be watching my suger levels closely.
I lately am finding i feel very lethargic and have to push myself to do anything, ok i am carrying excess weight but am trying to get this off but the lack of energy is not helping. I have been trying to reduce the carbs I eat plus remove as much sweet food from my diet and I still seem to fail to control my blood sugar, I often crave for something "nice" to eat at times, not much but a bit of cake or an odd treat and I am not having any and my sugar is still high.
I will get on top of this and join the others on the site who have gained control over their diabetes but at the moment I'm finding it hard going and demotivating. :(
 
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