I'm XpatJock. My wife is newly diagnosed.

[XpatJock]

Hi everyone. Just signed up as my wife has been recently diagnosed with type 2.
In addition she has struggled for years with hypothyroidism and gluten intolerance.
It would be good to hear from anyone who has had similar problems.

 

[EllieM]

Welcome to the forums @XpatJock. It's good to see that you are supporting your wife.

Thyroid issues are quite common in T2s so she is definitely not alone. As regards gluten, coeliacs disease is relatively common in T1s and most of the T2s here have to avoid gluten anyway because products such as bread and cereal tend to have too many carbs for them. (T2 diabetics are carbohydrate intolerant and generally do much better if they reduce them.)

What treatment has been recommended for your wife.?

 

[XpatJock]

She has been prescribed metformin for the T2 diabetes. Has been on Levothyroxin now for over 15 years and we started cutting out gluten/wheat & sugars around 12 months ago, more off our own bat than due to med advice.
No breads really. We tried sourdough rye to see if it would help, but she still had problems with her gut/digestion. Has problems with some other veggies etc as well.

Also on meds for high BP and Arrythmia. Cant get her weight down no matter what, and the lockdowns havent helped. She is afraid to go outside unless absolutely necessary, so exercise has dropped off quite a bit. (She used to be in a gym & swim three times a week. Arthritis also limits how much walking she can do

 

[Resurgam]

The thyroxine should have sorted out the hypothyroid and the annual check ought to show adequate supplementation.
As a type two diabetic, avoiding dense carbohydrate foods is the first step most make to reduce blood glucose, then using a blood glucose meter to check if the after meal levels are within range, or no more than 2, or maybe 3 at the start higher than before starting to eat.
I eat low carb veges and salad stuff and have two meals a day.
As the ideal diet for a type 2 probably has no grain in it, it should also be ideal for someone gluten intolerant.

 

[XpatJock]

The thyroxine should have sorted out the hypothyroid and the annual check ought to show adequate supplementation.
As a type two diabetic, avoiding dense carbohydrate foods is the first step most make to reduce blood glucose, then using a blood glucose meter to check if the after meal levels are within range, or no more than 2, or maybe 3 at the start higher than before starting to eat.
I eat low carb veges and salad stuff and have two meals a day.
As the ideal diet for a type 2 probably has no grain in it, it should also be ideal for someone gluten intolerant.

Her throxine dose was increased recently. before we managed to get a private prescription for T3 (thyronine?) which was supplied from a pharmacy in Germany, but that was closed off due to Brexit &c. So now its throxine or nowt.

The only 'grain' she now eats is gluten free oats. (She loves her Kasha in the mornings). Rest of the time its buckwheat pancakes, made without sugar or salt. Despite all this Glocose levels vary. he is having to avoid all sorts of fruit that she used to love and isnt liking it.

 

[XpatJock]

trouble is, she also has high cholestorol so is paranoid about avoiding fat in her diet. Difficult to find a suitable balance.

 

[VashtiB]

Hello and welcome,

She is lucky to have you in her corner. I suspect those here who are able to manage their blood sugars find it easier with their partner on board.

Okay- does she have a meter? If not I really recommend that she get one.

Second- I'm also gluten intolerant but as. type 2 that is no longer an issue because iz don't cope with carbs so don't eat anything with gluten.

A couple of links below that might be a useful place to start:
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/the-nutritional-thingy.2330/

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.17088/

There is also some information about fat intake and cholesterol and also about cholesterol in general. Basically she doesn't need to fear fat as much as is traditional. If you want more links let us know- don't want to overwhelm you.

Good luck and let us know how you and your wife get on.

 

[Hertfordshiremum]

Her throxine dose was increased recently. before we managed to get a private prescription for T3 (thyronine?) which was supplied from a pharmacy in Germany, but that was closed off due to Brexit &c. So now its throxine or nowt.

The only 'grain' she now eats is gluten free oats. (She loves her Kasha in the mornings). Rest of the time its buckwheat pancakes, made without sugar or salt. Despite all this Glocose levels vary. he is having to avoid all sorts of fruit that she used to love and isnt liking it.

Hi

I rarely post but have very similar to your wife. I have Hashimotos disease (hypothyroidism) for about 8 years, type 1 LADA diabetes, and have to eat gluten free. Firstly I am impressed that you managed to get T3! Despite swimming almost daily and eating very carefully I struggled for years with Hashimotos and finally paid to see an endocrinologist about 3 years ago. I lost 3 stone in a few months by switching to a different timing regime, apparently there was a US study where everyone improved and it’s really worked for me too. Your wife has probably been told to take the Levo in the morning however this doesn’t work for many people as it simply passes through you too quickly. The endo told me finish dinner by 8pm then only drink water (no tea coffee, juice or alcohol) certainly no snacks, then take the Levothyroxine about 11pm, this is so your dinner has been digested then the tablet has all night to work in a fairly empty stomach. The majority of my symptoms disappeared over the first couple of months and I lost all the weight I had originally gained in a few months and some more. That was 3 years ago and I have stayed slim. It’s easy to try, but be very strict about sticking to the rules and timings so it works. I now also have type 1 LADA diabetes (since 2018) originally told I had type 2, however the metformin didn’t help much and I pointed out that I already had 2 other autoimmune diseases and ate gluten free and low carb. So the doctor agreed to do a GAD antibody test as Hashimotos is an autoimmune disease and so is Type 1 LADA diabetes. I had a high number of GAD antibodies and improved tremendously once on insulin. Does your wife have Hashimotos? Has she had a TPO antibody test? Be aware if the metformin is not helping that it may be worth getting the blood test for GAD antibodies just to rule this in or out. Eating can be a problem with multiple issues. If you cut out too many carbs with hypothyroidism you could cause reverse T3 so I make sure I eat at least 60g carbs per day. After a lot of trial and error I have found a really good book and have the help of a nutritionist who phones me every couple of months, arranged by my diabetic nurse. It is on Amazon by Dr Cavan and Emma Porter, link below, I have a few but this one has worked for me the best. There are lots of good books and I would recommend trying lots of recipes and seeing what works for your wife. Good luck, feel free to ask questions. She is not alone, I am in a similar situation, and I hope by telling you my story this will help her get back on track and improve sooner rather than later.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Low-Carb-D...s=diabetic+type+1+book&qid=1617831031&sr=8-23

 

[Hertfordshiremum]

She has been prescribed metformin for the T2 diabetes. Has been on Levothyroxin now for over 15 years and we started cutting out gluten/wheat & sugars around 12 months ago, more off our own bat than due to med advice.
No breads really. We tried sourdough rye to see if it would help, but she still had problems with her gut/digestion. Has problems with some other veggies etc as well.

Also on meds for high BP and Arrythmia. Cant get her weight down no matter what, and the lockdowns havent helped. She is afraid to go outside unless absolutely necessary, so exercise has dropped off quite a bit. (She used to be in a gym & swim three times a week. Arthritis also limits how much walking she can do

Just another quick question what type of arthritis does your wife have? Is it rheumatoid arthritis? I do zoom Pilates and exercise with a resistance band as well as walking. All great for lowering blood sugar.

 

[XpatJock]

Hi Hertfordshiremum.

Yes she has Hashimoto. Been diagnosed for over 15 years. Arthritis is not rheumatic but she has other issues.

Currently additional issues with digestion and liver.
I will look into changing the time for the thyroxine.

As for the T3, we were lucky our GP a few yrs back was willing to make out a private prescription.. Also lucky I found a Web forum on thyroid problems that includes a link to an online pharmacy in Germany. No longer an option unfortunately as they could only legally fulfil scripts from another EU country.

 

[Hertfordshiremum]

Hi Hertfordshiremum.

Yes she has Hashimoto. Been diagnosed for over 15 years. Arthritis is not rheumatic but she has other issues.

Currently additional issues with digestion and liver.
I will look into changing the time for the thyroxine.

As for the T3, we were lucky our GP a few yrs back was willing to make out a private prescription.. Also lucky I found a Web forum on thyroid problems that includes a link to an online pharmacy in Germany. No longer an option unfortunately as they could only legally fulfil scripts from another EU country.

Hi

As your wife has Hashimoto's this could justify asking your GP for the GAD antibody blood test, definitely keep an eye on the diabetes and if she feels ill with high blood sugar check for ketones, ask her diabetes nurse for testing strips or a meter if she doesn't have one.

Take care and best wishes

 

[XpatJock]

Hi

As your wife has Hashimoto's this could justify asking your GP for the GAD antibody blood test, definitely keep an eye on the diabetes and if she feels ill with high blood sugar check for ketones, ask her diabetes nurse for testing strips or a meter if she doesn't have one.

Take care and best wishes

Sorry for the delayed reply.
She has a glucometer. Not had GAD test but diagnosed T2.