Introducing myself

Fredtaylor71 said:

Hi my name is Fred, 56 soon to be 57 and was told last August 2018 that I had type 2 diabetes. For a while I had a feeling I was type 2 but results where always borderline, along with have high cholesterol which my gp pretty much ignored. Thankfully he retired and was given a new gp, who took notice of all the signs and symptoms, and put me on statins and new blood tests.

At the time I was thing through a bad time in life and very depressed and feeling I did not care or want to live anymore. So when I was diagnosed it pushed me down even more, and in many ways I had given up caring about my health. So why care about what I eat if I did not want to live, felt I could not deal with diabetes before I sorted out my mental health.

I was prescribed metaformin which I have been taking even with the upset stomachs, but eating all the things I shouldn't of been eating and put on a lot more weight.

I know now I was an idiot to ignore it as I'm in a better place manually, so now I have to try and get my life back on track and joining here is one of the first steps.

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Welcome Fred! You're in a great place, anything you need help with right now, just ask. If not then take a good look around the house and don't forget the information pages that are on the website but not actually in the forum.

Click on the links in my signature for further information.

Well it’s good that a dr didn’t ignore the diabetes. Personally I wouldn’t agree the statins are a necessarily a good step. Apart from issues with regard to side effects and overall real benefits, they also raise blood glucose levels. There’s a comprehensive thread about it here https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/cholesterol-and-statins.156985/ but it’s long so don’t try and get through it in one go.

Pleased to hear you’re feeling better and able to tackle your health issues. Metformin commonly upsets peoples tummys. There is a slow release version that is better for many. I’d be asking for that if you decide to stick with it rather than ignoring unpleasant side effects still in place 9 months later.

Do you know your test results? What are you eating ? Most of us type 2 in here manage our bloods and weight using lower carb eating of some sort.

Here’s some reading material that will give you some idea about foods and testing and options.

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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 ideally do this with your dr. 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.

Hello and welcome @Fredtaylor71 - tagging @daisy1 for our new members information

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Diagnosis can be a hard enough time in itself but so much harder when life has already kicked you in the teeth. It doesn't help matters that higher blood glucose levels can exacerbate poor mood.

May I ask if you have a blood glucose monitor at home? In my opinion this is a vital piece of kit that will enable you to learn which foods raise your glucose to unacceptable levels.

Have a wander around the forum and ask as many questions as you like.

Your nurse could not be more misguided. You MUST have a meter and you must test

Those morning readings could be partially a liver dump and partially diet related but they're far too high

You test before breakfast and first bite, one hour later and then two hours later and do the same with lunch and dinner to know the impact of your diet on blood sugars

Fredtaylor71 said:

Only just got a monitor in the last week, took 3 readings on different mornings before breakfast and they ranged from 15.3 to 18.4. I really don't know when best to use it to get the most benefit, as I was told by the diabetes nurse not to bother getting one.

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You did right to get one.
Here's when to test for best results.
First thing in the morning on awakening and before you rush around getting ready for the day.
Then test before the first bite of food/meal and then again two hours after your first bite. The difference between the two readings should be no more than 2mmol preferably less than that.
Keep a record of what you eat and the readings, this will help you decide which foods to cut back on, which foods to cut out and which foods you can have to your heart's content.

It is a learning curve not surprisingly. You may find that the stuff that gives the highest rise in levels are bread, pasta, rice and potatoes as well as the obvious culprits like cakes, sweets and crisps.

Fredtaylor71 said:

Only just got a monitor in the last week, took 3 readings on different mornings before breakfast and they ranged from 15.3 to 18.4. I really don't know when best to use it to get the most benefit, as I was told by the diabetes nurse not to bother getting one.

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The skeptical amongst us would tell you a diabetes urse would say that because the practice doesn't want to admit you need it and then be embarassed into paying for it. It is difficult to overststate how important a monitor is in respect to good glucose management.

Your fasting level when you wake up, immediately before eating and around 1-1/2 to 2 hrs after eating (this is usually when your glucose levels peak) will give you a reasonable idea how you're getting on.

I eat quite a few packets of sugar free jelly, which I make up double strength and then tip in frozen berries - I look for the lowest carb mixtures or single types - it sets almost at once, and makes a good dessert for after dinner.

@Fredtaylor71
Hello Fred and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it interesting and helpful.

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 220,000 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

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.

Over 220,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

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.