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help

phil169

Well-Known Member
Messages
203
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
hi
can some one please tell me how to deal with my diabetes?. diabetes seems to run in my family with both my grandparents, farther and my 7 brothers and sister all insulin controlled. i have been on tablets for the last year and all though i have discused with the diabetic nurse the way that diabetes has gone with my family she stated that i would be at least 70 before i had to use insulin. iam on full dose metformin and my bg has been between 9.5 and 32 for the last 3 months my brothers all say i need to go on insulin but the nurse says not. what should i do?????.
 
Hi Phil

your bg's seem very erratic. There are a number of steps of meds before insulin. What you definately need is something to change, you can't go on like you are doing.

What do you eat? It is very possible to have an influence on your BG levels by adapting your food choices. Not everyone feels they can or want to make the changes and would prefer to take the meds - no right or wrong answer, just personal choice.

Mary x
 
32??? Oh my life! Your lowest figure is way higher than NICE guidelines. I agree with Mary, could you post a day's food intake (even though I have a feeling I know what's going to be on it).
 
thanks mary i do watch what iam eating at all times my bg was 15.5 this morning so yet again nothing to eat untill dinner. just a ham sandwich (2 silces of bread 1 slice of ham) with a cup of tea. at 12.30 my bg 2 hours later was 21.6 my be i should have missed lunch as well.???. may be no tea to night, but the night time thurst is my big prob i am at the mo drinking 4-5 l of water, diet pop a night,
 
woe, hold up there Phil

not eating isn't the answer, try to eat regularly.

Bread isn't too good for many of us. some can handle burgen.

Think you need to go back to basics.

you're running too high so you may eventually need meds but I think if you just do some research on yourself first you may find you can help yourself first.

Can I be rude and suggest a certain tea for you tonight.

Try - a protein of your choice - chicken, fish, steak, chop, mince whatever. Cook how you like it, in a creamy sauce if you like, Serve with a nice big salad with full fat mayo/ coleslaw or veg . Test 2 hours after and let us know what it is.

Mary x
 
Don't skip meals it makes things worse.

What sort of bread?
 
hi
the bread i use is brown and skiping a meal is the only way i can bring it down.

thanks mary will try it.

yesterday

7.30 bg 12.9 1 round of brown toast, tea.

1pm bg 15.1 sandwich 2 slices bread ham.


3.20 mug of tea


5.30 bg 21.8 chicken salad 2 bread and butter cup of tea


845 cup of tea

10.45 bg 27.8

thats it for yesterday.
 
problem with skipping meals or going too long between is the liver will do a glucose dump, hence giving you a higher read.

plus you will not have enough energy (cals) to function properly.

You sound like a bread monster! Can call you that, as I was one lol

Mary x
 
The bread is the worst thing in your diet. Need to leave that out. Nonetheless, it could be you need help with more medication to get things under control. Sometimes, you can then wean yourself off that extra medication with careful diet once your BGs are looking better. Do you exercise much?
 
Hi again, have a read through the below post, it should explain a bit more about carbohydrates (particularly bread) which make daibetics blood sugars rise dramatically. If you want to control your diabetes without insulin, your bread will have to be reduced ... sorry.

viewtopic.php?f=39&t=26870
 
Some good advise above Phil. You need to get an understanding of the various carbohydrates and the speed at which they increase the glucose in your blood stream. Bread... ALL breads are are made with refined grains. Even Bergen bread that some here can tolerate moderately lists its main ingredient as whole grain flour. For myself, my no list is all sugars, grains and starches. Narrows my pallet but my levels are in check. Secondly, foods that effect my levels will not necessarily effect yours the same way... You must test regularly. As far as skipping meals... you will create a fluctuation in your levels be doing that. I would suggest that while you are trying to get a hold on your levels that you eat 6 small meals a day. This will moderate the levels from any one meal. You may well need something to help you but understanding how your system reacts to food and eating appropriately will probably keep you from insulin for a very long time.... perhaps forever?

Kenny :thumbup:
 
At my 3 month review in June my HBa1c was 8.9 my DSN was very concerned and hinted that we may have to look at insulin in the very near future. At this time I was on 2 x 1000mg metformin and 1 x 15mg Pioglitazone. Not too long after, I discovered this forum and the joys of low carbing. At my last review in Sept my HBa1c was 6.3 and the DSN took me off Pioglitazone and because I asked switched me to the Slow release metformin which I find is kinder on my stomach. I have a feeling when I go for my next review in a few weeks my Hba1c may be even lower.

Research it, look around this forum and decide what is best for you. Personally I dont eat any bread unless Ive made it myself from the low carb recipe thread on here. I eat chocolate but its 74% cocoa or higher. I love how good I feel and how much happier in turn it has all made me feel. Losing 3 stone in weight has helped too! But then I still have alot more to lose.

By coming here you've already made a big step in changing your life and maybe avoiding Insulin, if that is waht you decide to do, at least you will be making a more informed decision.
 
Well done Lenny, great story! You should ask DSN to reduce Metformin at your next visit. I got mine cut from 2000mg to 1000mg per day with an HBA1C result of 6.3 and feel much better for it.
 
hi all
bg is 23.6 and i have been sent to the diabetes clinec tomoz for 9am insulin is the only option left now well thats what dbn says
 
Have you tried cutting out the bread to see how that affects your numbers? Ask the dr if you could have a few days or so before going in for the insulin and try reducing your bread intake and see if that makes any difference - though you probably dont want to tell the dr that that is what you are doing (they probably won't be able to drag you in and dose you up quick enough otherwise).

I don't know if you've looked at the link posted above but when you eat carbs (bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, flour, junk etc) they convert to glucose in the blood and therefore give you higher readings so it makes sense to avoid those foods in order to keep your levels stable/lower. There are other ways of eating too, but I don't know about those, I can only speak from my own experience and I haven't eaten those foods for a long time (when I haven't fallen off the diet wagon) but that's also because they upset my stomach too.
 
Hi Phil

Sorry to hear that. You never mentioned whether you actually tried cutting down the carbs as recommended. Was your 23.6 bg reading after eating bread again?

I still struggle to keep my bg levels down (I cannot get much lower than 7.8 pre-meal even though I'm on 1500mg Metformin). But I am very aware of the impact bread and other starchy carbs have in raising my levels into double figures, so bread is a big no no in my healthy eating plan.
 
hi all
thanks for all your help. been to hospital and thay say that becuse of my stroke, and heart probs and my keytone levals there in no other option but to go on to insulin 4 times a day, they are planing to start it on tuesday next week, starting with a long acting one of 15 units and fast acting 10 units 4 times. iam NOT looking forward to this at all the thourt of sticking a needle in to my self worris me to death what about the hypos is all this going to be worth it??????
 
Phil,

Don't worry about the needles, they are no worse really than stabbing yourself with the lancet for your tester!!
I was reluctant, not liking needles but I was getting poorly with high numbers and keytones so there seemed no option (a GAD antibody test subsequently proved I was type 1 and not a type 2 that I had been treated as for the previous 18 months). After 2 injections that first day I felt so much better that any thought of needle phobia had gone :thumbup:

The best thing to do is keep a food diary. Record your glucose levels, what you eat and how much you inject. You will soon see if you are doing it right and then can adjust your doses accordingly. I've had 3 months now on insulin and my lowest reading so far has been 3.2, so no major problems there....just an excuse to raid the fridge or cupboards!!

Just remember if you drive or operate machinery to check your levels and be sensible about it all and you will be fine.

Good luck and remember to ask questions if you need help.
Angie
 
big day tomoz hospital 9am to the insulin clinic bm as not gone down still 21-32 now with the dreded keytones at 3 in morning down to 1 in aft and staying there all day. have had no bread, spuds, rice, or paster this weekat all. iam not looking forwad to this.
 
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