Just Diagnosed Type 2

Metformin (slow release version) should be fine and good to hear of you upping the exercise.

The finger pricking gets easier so don't worry about that. It inspires you when you get lower numbers Welcome by the way

Mike

kerryjohnson43 said:

Hi Everyone, my name is Kerry and yesterday I was diagnosed with type 2. My HBA1C is 77 and I was showing blood sugar readings of 16.9. I have been kitted out with my glucose meter and been put on metformin and Invokana. Have already starting making changes to my diet and trying to get a bit of walking done. Today my blood sugar readings have settled down a bit better with 8.9 being the highest today. Have heard some stories about medication causing side effects and I am worrying about that. I also hate needles and I know the the finger testing is minimal It fills me with anxiety each time I have to do it. Hoping to make some friends on here and give and receive support to everyone else.

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Hi Kerry and welcome. I will tag @daisy1 who has some welcome info she can post.

I don't like fingerprick testing much but I find the results valuable. You can minimise the pain by using the sides of your fingers instead of the fingerprint area. Also use a fresh lancet each time until you are comfortable reusing them if you want to... they are ok for a certain number of tests then they go blunt and cause pain. Set your lancing device to the lowest depth setting too.

An HbA1c of 77 is moderately high but with attention to food choices it is possible to reduce this to under 48 within 3 months, as several people here have done this.

The most common metformin side effects are stomach pain, nausea and diarrhoea. About 25-50% of people get these. They usually come right after a couple of weeks but if you find them really distressing, go back to your GP and ask for the slow release version. If the problems still don't settle, discuss with your GP about stopping it. There is no point in suffering unnecessarily. This med is helpful but arguably not essential. It is better to look at what you are eating first and consider medications second.

Invokana does have some bad side effects for some people and it has some long term risks, like any medication. As you learn about ways to control your diabetes by changing what you eat, you might consider whether you need any meds at all or this med in particular. Take your time and do lots of reading before you decide, then discuss it with your GP before changing anything.

Here is some information about metformin and invokana. Try not to be alarmed by "potential" side effects as you might not get them. Manufacturers are required to list every known side effect to cover themselves.
http://www.drugs.com/metformin.html
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045911.php

http://www.drugs.com/invokana.html
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/36474059.php

@kerryjohnson43

Hello Kerry and welcome to the forum Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it helpful, in addition to the advice you have got and will get from other members. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will be able to help.


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 over 150,000 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-and-whole-grains.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 bloodglucose 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.

Check with the pharamacist @kerryjohnson43

They'll tell you. As I said, finger pricking is REALLY easy. I use the same finger every day and it's dead easy.

Get moving, lose some weight and you maybe you'll be off metformin before you know it. I was on 2 a day. Now? None and that was after 4 months.

Takes work so stay with us and we'll help where we can

Hi Kerry, and welcome aboard,

I've never been on any meds up to now, and hope to stay that way as long as possible. I control my blood sugar levels by diet and a little added exercise, but my HbA1c was not as high as yours when I was diagnosed, so you may need a little help with meds to begin with. Diet is the key.

Have a good read round, read Daisy's post and note the role of carbohydrates. Bread, potatoes, rice, pasta and cereals are the main culprits in raising blood sugar levels, and we also need to be careful with fruit and milk. Your meter will tell you what you can or can't cope with. Test immediately before a meal, then again 2 hours later. Look at the rise from before to after. If it is above 2mmol/l there is something in that meal that needs attention, either reducing in portion size or avoiding completely. Keep a food diary and record your levels alongside. You will soon see patterns emerging and learn which foods you can eat. As our bodies are all different, we cope differently with each food type. Whereas one person may find one food fine for them, others may find the same food is not so fine.

Good luck, and ask questions.

kerryjohnson43 said:

Thanks Mike I am not sure if my Metformin is slow release or not ? It doesn't state on them.

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Hi. If the pack doesn't say SR or MR then you will have the standard version. Some people have little problem with it, but if you do have bowel issues than ask to be swapped to the SR version.

Hi and welcome to the forum, you are in the right place to get yourself on track. It takes a bit of time to get your head around everything so if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask, we are a helpful bunch

Hi Kerry,

The following are the things you should take:

Confirm the diagnosis. Even if a first test says you're diabetic, a second is advised before deeming the diagnosis official. The initial results may be unreliable if, say, the lab made a mistake or if you accidentally ate or drank before being tested, says endocrinologist John Buse, past president of medicine and science at the American Diabetes Association. Patients aren't supposed to eat or drink before undergoing the fasting plasma glucose and oral glucose tolerance tests. The hemoglobin A1c test, however, which measures average blood glucose levels over three months, can provide an accurate diagnosis even if given soon after a meal or if you have a cold or other infection, which can throw off the results of those other tests. (Despite its strengths, the A1c should still be done twice.) People whose A1c is at least 6.5 are considered diabetic and are often put on medications to lower blood sugar.

Assemble your team. Regular visits with your primary-care physician are key. He or she will focus on helping you reach your target blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, and can refer you to other helpful healthcare providers such as a diabetes educator or dietitian. Dietitians can help you devise a diabetes-friendly meal plan that will still suit your taste buds; diabetes educators make certain you know the ins and outs of your disease, including how to check your blood sugar at home, for example. Gretchen Youssef, an educator and dietitian at Washington Hospital Center in D.C., says that personalized diabetes education soon after diagnosis can dramatically improve blood sugar levels.

Start on medication. Metformin, a generic drug, is generally recommended as a first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes. The reason, says Buse, is that people who try to manage the disease with lifestyle changes alone are not always successful, while metformin, which has little risk of side effects, can help get blood glucose down to healthy levels. If your blood sugar still doesn't budge, however, your doctor may prescribe a different diabetes drug. In addition, says Buse, diabetics over age 40 should talk to their doctor about taking a cholesterol-lowering statin to protect against heart disease, the No. 1 killer of people with diabetes. The ADA also advises that most men older than 50 and women over age 60 take 75 to 162 milligrams of aspirin every day to prevent heart attacks.

Get on a meal plan. Diabetics are often encouraged to tweak their diet to consume fewer carbohydrates and fats, since carbs can cause blood sugar spikes, while fatty foods can raise cholesterol. That doesn't mean you have to give up all your favorites, however. Trimming portion sizes, cutting out saturated and trans fats, and substituting soda or sweet tea for unsweetened, lower-calorie beverages may do the trick. A food diary may also help by revealing which foods have the biggest effect on blood sugar.

Exercise. Regular physical activity not only helps to shed pounds but can also improve blood sugar levels. Diabetics should spend at least 30 minutes, five days a week doing moderate exercise such as walking or swimming. But if you're the type who'd rather watch football on TV than toss one in the backyard, realize that exercise doesn't have to be a production. It can be incorporated into your daily routine, says Buse. Hang laundry instead of using the dryer; take the stairs instead of the elevator; park farther away from the supermarket entrance.

Schedule regular screenings. Annual eye and foot exams can catch early signs of problems that may lead to blindness or amputation. The American Diabetes Association also recommends that people with diabetes get screened for kidney disease every year.

Develop a positive attitude. Sure, diabetes is scary. But keeping a bright outlook is just as important as exercise and healthy eating, says Buse; he suggests reaching out to friends and family for support.

tvlicencenumber said:

Start on medication. Metformin, a generic drug, is generally recommended as a first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes. The reason, says Buse, is that people who try to manage the disease with lifestyle changes alone are not always successful, while metformin, which has little risk of side effects, can help get blood glucose down to healthy levels. If your blood sugar still doesn't budge, however, your doctor may prescribe a different diabetes drug. In addition, says Buse, diabetics over age 40 should talk to their doctor about taking a cholesterol-lowering statin to protect against heart disease, the No. 1 killer of people with diabetes. The ADA also advises that most men older than 50 and women over age 60 take 75 to 162 milligrams of aspirin every day to prevent heart attacks.

Get on a meal plan. Diabetics are often encouraged to tweak their diet to consume fewer carbohydrates and fats, since carbs can cause blood sugar spikes, while fatty foods can raise cholesterol. That doesn't mean you have to give up all your favorites, however. Trimming portion sizes, cutting out saturated and trans fats, and substituting soda or sweet tea for unsweetened, lower-calorie beverages may do the trick. A food diary may also help by revealing which foods have the biggest effect on blood sugar.

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Nope. Statins are not for everyone. They carry the risk of severe side effects and I would caution anyone to think very carefully about whether there are other ways to get their lipids down (there usually are) and whether these serious risks are worth it.

Carbs raise triglycerides. Fatty foods do not raise cholesterol, as far as I know. Many people here have adopted a LCHF diet and had vastly improved lipid results within 3 months. Cholesterol is made in the body. Dietary fat consumption has little impact on it.