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I need help

P1ckle

P1ckle

Well-Known Member
Messages
272
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Worsening t2 here and totally left to drift by professionals. I need help. Where can I post to ask for help?
 
Looks like you’ve done it already! Can you tell us a little bit more about yourself please? What meds do you take? What is your diet like, can you post a typical day’s food and drink? And finally what are your recent HbA1cs? If you’re comfortable answering those questions it’ll help us to help you.
 
P1ckle said:
Worsening t2 here and totally left to drift by professionals. I need help. Where can I post to ask for help?
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Hi P1ckle, well you've come to the right place. Lots of great people on here who are really supportive. Can you let us know a little about what you need help with.
 
I know it’s not dreadful but hba1c was 53 last July then 58 in December and 60 now. Ive been logging bg on an app and it says estimated hba1c now is 83 (from readings over the last 3 weeks).
I’ve been on metformin for ever and dn increased it to 2 twice a day at Christmas.
DN today has told me to start Jardiance 10mg as well.
A typical day is 30g porridge oats with milk for breakfast, green salad (lettuce, cucumber, onion) and baked chicken or tuna with a little light mayo for lunch and then chicken and broccoli/cauliflower/cabbage for supper. Typically I eat less than 1000kcal per day yet I’m not losing weight (I am very very overweight).
Was told I have altered sensation in my feet as I have no feeling in some toes. DN said new jardiance will make me wee all the time and I have to drink loads. I’m a teacher and am really worried about how I will manage this. I’m super scared and don’t know how to take control of this :( sorry to be so pathetic but I had it under control until 6months ago. Had been stable for the previous 2 years.
 
I’m sorry your struggling and feeling stressed over it but asking for help on here is a great step towards finding a solution. My first advice would be not to worry about calories and focus on carbs. In fact 1000 calories sounds a bit low and maybe it’s slowing your metabolism. Do you have a lot to lose? Your daily food doesn’t look too bad but I’d ditch the porridge and add in some fats.

Some blurb and links follows that might give you some guidance or ideas

************

Can I suggest you take a good look at low carb high fat methods of eating (keto is just a version of this). It helps many of us lose significant amounts of weight, if desired, keep our numbers down and for some even eliminate medications and achieve remission and reduce or improve complications. Try clicking these links for more detailed explanations that are well worth readings

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/jokalsbeek.401801/ for info including low carb made simple

And https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/success-stories-and-testimonials.43/ to show it really works and for motivation

and https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today.75781/ for food ideas

also https://www.dietdoctor.com/ for more food ideas and general info of carb content of foods. Lots of other websites for recipes out there too. Just use the term low carb or keto with whatever you fancy.


Also it’s very important to be able to check for yourself what’s happening so you can make the necessary adjustments day to day and meal by meal rather than wait 3, 6 or even 12 months and then have no idea what had what effect. Getting a blood glucose meter is the only way to do this (no matter what contradictory advice you may have heard - it’s usually budget based rather than anything more scientific). Please ask if you want any guidance on this.



IMPORTANT FOR ANYONE ON MEDS CONSIDERING LOWERING CARBS: if you lower your carbs then any glucose lowering meds may need to be adjusted accordingly to make sure you aren’t taking more than your new diet requires. It can cause a hypo if you have more gliclazide or insulin etc (this is not relevant for metformin on its own) than your new carb intake requires. Keep a close eye on your numbers and do this with your dr’s knowledge. Please don’t be put off by an ill informed out dated rubbishing of low carb diets or being told you should eat carbs to match meds, it should be the other way around.
 
I have a glucose monitor and started to test morning, before meals and 2 hours after.
 
In the morning 15
Before and after meals 12
Sometimes I wake in the night with an awful headache so I started checking sugars and then it’s around 20
 
Ok that sounds high for your mostly low carb diet if what you listed is typical. How long have you eaten this way? Is there anything you have regularly not listed. One poster realised the multiple litres of milk each day was probably his krytonite despite the rest of the day looking good. Any other meds that might be having an effect, ongoing serious stress or illness?

Have you had any tests like c peptide or gad? I’m wondering about LADA. How long have you been diagnosed? Are these bgl numbers what you’ve always had?
 
Most days are like that. Sometimes I skip meals because I’m just not hungry. Eating isn’t any fun or enjoyable anymore. I don’t actually like green salad :/
I occasionally have a few boiled new potatoes but again maybe once a week. I drink less that 500ml of milk each day. Way less some days. I don’t drink alcohol and drink sugar free squash or water.
I’m on a lot of other meds but nothing new.
My sugars used to be around 8-9 with the occasional 7. I’ve been diagnosed 3 years. My blood pressure has also gone up at the same time my bg has. I’ve been under a lot of stress for the last 12months particularly :(
 
I really don’t mind being told I’m doing it wrong because no one has ever told me how to do it right. I’ve had the blood pressure nurse telling me to eat low fat, the diabetic nurse telling me not to eat low fat and the gp just telling me to lose weight. Everyone telling me different things.
 
I agree with what @HSSS has said.
If your daily food menu is accurate, and you are under 1000 cals a day, then something else is going on.
Try replacing the porridge with a protein meal.
If your metabolism has slowed down through low calorie eating, you may need to eat more for quite a while to try and undo the slow down.

Have you any food intolerances? Milk? Gluten? Sweeteners?

And has your doc checked out your thyroid?
Do you have other hormonal stuff going on?

I would suggest that you ask for a referral to your local diabetes/endocrinology clinic.
If you are not a typical T2 and there are other things going on, then continuing to take you through the gamut of T2 medications will not achieve anything other than rising blood glucose levels and you feeling grottier and grottier.

Have a hug.
 
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I'd certainly look at the weight if that's a concern ... what do you think you need to lose?
 
P1ckle said:
I really don’t mind being told I’m doing it wrong because no one has ever told me how to do it right. I’ve had the blood pressure nurse telling me to eat low fat, the diabetic nurse telling me not to eat low fat and the gp just telling me to lose weight. Everyone telling me different things.
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You currently have diabetes. You (presumably) don’t currently have cvd issues and that’s not withstanding the current controversy over low fat guidelines coming from many sources including cardiologists. Likely none of the hcp have had extensive dietary education. I’d focus on the immediate problems.

Totally agree with @Brunneria and be asking for a referral up the chain. It could short cut years of trial and error at gp level.
 
In the meantime 500ml of milk sounds a lot to me. Could you swap some out for cream? Or not have whatever your having it with (cereal?) I eat no potato at all, nor cereals, bread, rice or pasta. All my carbs come from dairy (cheese, cream or butter) or veggies
 
Notorious said:
Repeating what a previous posters has said, get your thyroid checked out.
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I mentioned that to the DN today and she told me to mention it to the blood pressure nurse on the 23rd.
 
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