"It's pointless monitoring BG when type 2..."

Sorry to hear of your woes. It was testing at home that meant I avoided insulin and the bg lowering drugs at diagnosis. If I hadn't found this site, bought an SD Codefree and started LCHF I would be well onto the NHS Pathway.

Hello @samochod Out of interest has your GP done any tests to check if your still producing insulin ? It may be that you have been misdiagnosed which does happen and that you should be taking insulin to control your blood glucose levels, I'd be asking your GP this, and I would be making a nuisance of myself to get some support too, when your feeling rubbish because of high BG levels your probably less inclined to fight your corner but with your current HbA1c you need to be getting more support and if insulin is the best way to control this then that's the best way forward for you.

Have you changed your diet?

Hi @samochod, There is always the option of seeing a different doctor.
Armed with some of the queries raised by people above you might get some tests done to look at what is happening.
A leopard cannot always change his spots !! Finding another breed might be a solution.

Gathering information can only ever be pointless if 1) the information being gathered cannot be used in any meaningful way or 2) the information gatherer does not know how to interpret the information and / or 3) the information gatherer chooses not to use the information.
Taking blood sugar readings before and again 2 hours after eating any food / meal shows how much that food / meal has increased blood sugar levels and when carried out across a wide enough range of foods, that cummulative information can be used to construct an eating plan that supports lower and more stable blood sugars - hard work? - yes, expensive? - yes, certainly in the short term (although costs can ge kept lower by choice of meter and strips) pointless? - never

Edited to add
In terms of the most cost effective meters & strips
Tee2 from Spirit healthcare http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product-category/shop/tee2/
Codefree https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/

Removing all the obvious carbs have rather immediate effect in improving our glucose levels...no medication, no exercise.

samochod said:

My diet hasn't changed so there's not anything there that's caused such a massive jump in numbers. My day to day is incredibly stressful right now and I'm convinced that has a lot to do with it alongside mobility issues.

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Based on what you've said you need to consult another specialist/GP who can re-evaluate your condition, this is no way to live at the age of 35, living constantly with tiredness, high glucose levels and tablets is not going to change anything, any time soon, please do some research today, see if there are any local diabetes groups on Facebook too so you can speak to others about what level of care is available and where. The sooner you can see someone who is interested in investigating your condition and getting the right medication to get your blood glucose levels down will mean everything physically and mentally will improve for you, but it's getting your BG levels down into single fingers which needs to happen sooner rather than later, please keep us updated with your progress Sam ?

Please put a rocket under your gp.

I am lucky, in a way. I react badly to my blood glucose level changes even at pre diabetic level.

I would not be able to function full stop with your numbers much less work.

I have/had lower leg/foot inflammation that was unexplained but blamed on varicose excema, feeling flat and sleepy attacks that bordered on narcolepsy. I was already changing my diet off my own bat to eat better which actually made me much worse. I was following public general knowledge. Rice pasta etc. Low fat.

It was a standard mot/General fitness blood screen that showed at 47. Advised to change diet etc, but I already had? I had lost over a stone. What now?

Then I logged into this site. Discovered my doctor and his info is wrong. Now the swellings have gone, I can sleep like a child, don't nap, my energy is off the charts, even my joints not to mention looking at my trackers data my heart rate is down overall by a good 15%. Just from my diet moderate exercise and the people here.

I should not really be surprised that plenty of meat and veg makes me feel good, it's taken years off me.

Just try it. It's not that drastic and doesn't cost. It's just different but it could be life changing. It was for me.

Go on start testing your blood yourself

samochod said:

Just back from my GP and he gave me that pearl of wisdom whilst saying that my Hba1c is the worst he's seen all year (131) When I can afford it I'll go rogue and self fund them. He has prescribed me Trulicity "as a last resort before insulin." Got home from the pharmacy and they had given me Victoza by accident and of course they don't have any Trulicity in stock so I've had to cancel my appointment with the doc later to be taken through the use of it.

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What is your typical days meals like?
What do you eat for meals in any given day.
What you eat impacts your BG more than any other thing you throw at this condition.
Since it appears you are not testing, it would help you a lot, if you can start testing as soon as you can, so you can have a clear and informed idea, of how any food choice impacts your blood glucose values.

Hi @samochod, i think you do need to dig your heels in. An Hba1C level of 131 mmol/mol is the equivalent of an average finger prick reading of 19.9 mmol/l. This is extremely high and should trigger your doctor to be doing more tests. Definitely don't give up.

It's time to test your BG before meals and change your diet. I was in the same place as you my BG reading was at 10.3 I have now
cut that down to 5.4.

Well I am T2 and testing has helped me get my HbA1c down from 51 to 34. Spurred on by this I have now just placed my first Freestyle libre to my arm so I can learn even more. I test so that I am in control. It's my body and I need to know how to take care of it, I can't know this if I don't test.

zand said:

Well I am T2 and testing has helped me get my HbA1c down from 51 to 34. Spurred on by this I have now just placed my first Freestyle libre to my arm so I can learn even more. I test so that I am in control. It's my body and I need to know how to take care of it, I can't know this if I don't test.

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Fair play.
You'll find that your libre is like having a mate, keeping an eye on you.
I've been back on my libre after falling off the diet/exercise wagon and seeing one or two danger signs.
With the libre I've been able to demonstrate ( not prove) that my BG rises during times of work stress and drops to a very normal level when relaxing after.

DaveXF said:

Fair play.
You'll find that your libre is like having a mate, keeping an eye on you.
I've been back on my libre after falling off the diet/exercise wagon and seeing one or two danger signs.
With the libre I've been able to demonstrate ( not prove) that my BG rises during times of work stress and drops to a very normal level when relaxing after.

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From Australia
Hi i thought i would put in my thoughts if it will help, i have been a type 2 diabetic for over 24 years, i live in South Australia and I am 70 years old. I have kept my levels steady, and have good Ablc and good Cholestetol and have for the past 15years.
But it was not always like this, I was out of control, levels going haywire, then my docter at that time said, I can go on as i am and would end up losing limbs, and sight or i could take control myself. He advised i take a diary write down everything i ate and drank for 3 month, take BSL before and again 2 hours later,. This will give me knowledge of foods that effect my BSL.
This is what i found that anywheat product will raise my sugar level, from that knowledge i have kept to a strict diet of low carbs, high vegies, nuts, small smounts of meat, no biscuits, sweets, or soft drinks, and to this day i still monitor my BSL before a meal and 2 hours after, especially if i feel unwell. I am on metformin only but i only take them when BSL are out of whack otherwise it is diet alone.
Although you may feel frustrated, and angry always remember this advice, if all you have to do is change your diet, abd take some medication, there is always people out there who have far worse conditions, like not being able to walk or see,. YOU CAN DO THIS, keep that in mind evetytime things go wrong and just get back on track, good luck from Australia.

Juicyj said:

Hello @samochod Out of interest has your GP done any tests to check if your still producing insulin ? It may be that you have been misdiagnosed which does happen and that you should be taking insulin to control your blood glucose levels, I'd be asking your GP this, and I would be making a nuisance of myself to get some support too, when your feeling rubbish because of high BG levels your probably less inclined to fight your corner but with your current HbA1c you need to be getting more support and if insulin is the best way to control this then that's the best way forward for you.

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I agree. The best way is to have a fasting insulin test. It’s not done on the NHS (which is crazy and would save some much time and heartache). It’s a simple test. I got mine done in Spain for about 30 euros. You will be able to find a private clinic offering this test but you will have to pay. It’s showed I produced next to zero insulin. Now i take 10 units of basal insulin at night. I am LCHF so, therefore, very very rarely have to inject with meals (bolus). I feel so much better. I realised how poorly I was getting and how much weight I had lost. I feel that the insulin is so much better than the nasty cocktail of drugs.

Hello samochod, firstly just wanted to say that trulicity has been very successful for me. You may get some nausea and digestive upsets, and a degree of appetite loss that seems to vary from person to person but in my experience that was very helpful as I struggle to control my appetite.

I have self tested since diagnosis and paid for all but a few months of strips. The stability of my sugar levels since starting trulicity is amazing, and self testing now keeps me on a positive feedback loop with better diet control and slow steady weight loss.

I feel really cross with the idea that type 2s don't need to test. Even if you have 3-monthly b.s. tests, without routine self monitoring you're flying blind for all that time and still ultimately have no clue about your personal response to different food types.