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I am dispairing now.

amc56

Newbie
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2
:?: Diagnosed Nov 12 Type 2. BG levels are always same 10.,11.1, 8.5,9. Once after lunch before dinner BG was 5.5 I rejoiced, I was normal for 10 mins. Exercise everyday, walking up to 2.5miles, getting hot and sweaty, BG are lower after walk. I am trying to cut food have only lost min of 3/4lbs. Not many carbs. Cut out a lot but nothing much is happening, on 1000g Metformine daily. Today I was 9.0 before breakfast, had porridge and a walk it was 14.5! later BG was 9, then later 8.5. I am depressed and down when will things improve for me. Got the diabetic nurse next month and an overall bloodtest. I was on 61%. I am overweight. What/when/ :?
 
Hi amc56 and welcome to the forum :)

Here is the information we give to new members which I think will be useful to you. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will help you.


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 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.
 
Hi, things can improve with good support from a diabetic nusrse and places like this forum. Part of the task is to find out which foods you can and can't eat and a good way to do this is get a meter, usually you can get them free by phoning or filling in a on line request for meter.

Though it will be then a post code lottery if your GP will support you in getting a perscription for the test strips, if not there are lower cost meter / strip options.

Your not alone with the feelings you are experiancing, 1000's of people are hit with the same thoughts, while the forum does not offer medical advice as no one here knows your medical history there is lots of help and support on here.
 
2 years ago I could hardly walk & I have been fortunate to bring my health back to a better footing. I suffer pain daily too even now & also have breathing & heart rate issues so I know where you're coming from. I learnt that the oily fish, almonds & walnuts are good food for bringing you out of the slump moods when suffering in pain etc.. I tried it thinking no chance! It helped me:-) My child now offers me nuts if thinks I'm getting grumpy;-) Or suggests my favourite of pilchards to me;-) I eat porridge every morning or weetabix then for lunch I have a cuppa soup or a mug shot & dinner a bit of meat & normally raw salad veg etc an egg is normally added & the yoke is my dressing. It is easier:-) Green tea is great too. you can get it flavoured;-) also then keeping with that on my hungrier days I can have extra food if I feel the need & do.. Mini chedders seem to be good. I may put a little potato too & if I have cheese I melt it on & that moistens it enough without margarine.. I changed my milk to red top too & my sugar went to Splenda granulated.. I use an app called fitness pal on my phone.. you set what calories you want to burn each day & the rate of weight that you would like to lose.. It shows you exactly what you are eating sugar vitamins fat etc.. You see exactly where you are going wrong with food.. You can scan the barcode & it tells you what's in your food:-) You can then decide to change it for something else:-) I set myself another rule.. I keep moving.. I take my pain killers as prescribed not just when feeling pain! It helps build up a stronger pain barrier that you feel less in the long run & my 2nd rule keep moving until it is starting to be too much. Anything that i can do by getting up & moving no matter how small.. Then I'll sit down. If it's bad all the time, as was for me where I couldn't walk.. I got a circulation booster called a health instrument.. It's in pharmacy's for £200 odd but I saved for a long long time but got it on eBay for£70 though last I saw it was down to £50 with tummy belt & a tens machine attached.. It is the best thing:-) It helps until you have more freedom to move more freely. The other thing I do is make sure I get enough sleep for me what I need.. I know after 6hrs I will feel ill the next day so I target for no more than that unless my body is needing it from bad nights! I am on my way to losing almost a stone too:-)My heart goes out to you too Here's a hug we all need one from time to time. I'm not saying you have to do this. This worked for me & by sharing my story If I could help just one person then it's worth doing:-) Take care


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
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