HI I AM A NEW TYPE2.

tippydove

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I WAS DIAGNOSED 3 WKS AGO.I'M USING CAPS BECAUSE I CAN'T SEE THE LETTERS AN NUMBERS ON MY PHONE. :(I FEEL WEAK,TIRED AND JUST WANNA CRY SOMETIMES. I HAVE THRUSH IN THE MOUTH, FEMALE PROBLEMS. I'M TAKING METFORMIN BUT BOUT TO CHANGE IT TO JUNAMET OR SOMETHING
 
Messages
6,107
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Welcome to the club. I hope this site helps you to get a little better. I can ask @daisy1 to give you some basic information that all newbies get.
 
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Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi and welcome,

You must have a lot of questions to ask, as we all did at first (and still do even now!). Have a good read round then ask away.
 

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@tippydove

Hello and welcome to the forum :) Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will feel better soon. When you have read this you will feel more comfortable about diabetes and you can ask as many questions as you like.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

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 over 150,000 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-and-whole-grains.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 bloodglucose 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.
 

poohtiggy

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,365
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Getting old and diabetese
And welcome from me too
 

ButtterflyLady

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,291
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Acceptance of health treatment claims that are not adequately supported by evidence. I dislike it when people sell ineffective and even harmful alternative health products to exploit the desperation of people with chronic illness.
Welcome. Oral thrush sounds really painful :( I am sure as your blood sugar levels come down, that will get better, along with treatments from your doctor.
 

Frank M

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Dislikes
High and low blood sugar levels.
Hello and welcome to the forum. being diagnosed three weeks ago it is early days for you, but the sooner things are done the better. When blood sugar levels are out of the normal range a lot of things can happen and we all will have different symptoms as well as symptoms which a lot of others will experience. For me, getting my diagnosis was a relief as it explained a lot of things happening to me. A good GP will start referring you to various services such as podiatry and an annual eye check up to screen for retinopathy
Like you I was also feeling tired and very low in mood at the time of my diagnosis,once my blood sugars came back into normal range this improved and I was back to my old self. If your GP suggests sending you on the DESMOND (Diabetes Management,Education and Support for On going and Newly Diagnosed) course I strongly suggest you agree to this as this one day course is very informative and you will learn a lot about managing your diabetes. Not only did I learn a lot on the course but I also made a friend with another course participant and we are still in regular contact.
This forum is also a source of very valuable information that you will find very useful. Aside from the information on this site, it shows you that you are not alone in your battle with diabetes, here you will find help and support from others in the same situation as you.
Good luck and I hope everything goes well for you.
P.S. Be sure to take good care of your feet as serious problems can occur if you are diabetic.
 
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4ratbags

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,334
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi and welcome to the forum. You are on the right place to get your BS on track . Hopefully after the thrush clears up you will start to feel better.
 

Evelynross

Well-Known Member
Messages
119
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I'm three weeks too, I miss bread, potatoes, rice, pastry! Don't despair, it's a new way of life but at least it's life,
 

KimG

Well-Known Member
Messages
549
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hello and welcome.

I was diagnosed on Monday, and am still digesting it all. It will take a while, you will have a few questions and there are very supportive members here to help answer them.

Lifestyle diet is important. Most of us have chosen the Low Carb High Fat diet, it is different, but I see it as a change not a challenge. I look forward to seeing your posts. :)
 

Hobo1978

Well-Known Member
Messages
85
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Welcome. I was diagnosed yesterday. It's a lot to take in. So far I've eaten chicken salad twice and scrambled egg for breakfast. I want to live for as long as I can and see my beautiful boy grow up! A lifestyle choice was exactly what was needed. I feel like this have given me a right boot in the backside. My symptoms were numbness and pins and needles in one side of my body. Today after only 2 days of metformin, the symptoms feel slightly better. I will kick this into check!! As you will! I'm looking forward to a healthier, happier life. This forum will be invaluable.
 
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