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Just diagnosed with type 2 diabetes

M

mojomax

Member
Messages
9
Hi just a quick question as Ive written a novel to introduce myself, but saved it in drafts and now I don't know how to get it onto the introduction page?? where can I get help for this?

I was diagnosed last week for T 2 and have a very high reading of 23.9 mmol/L. Ive just taken the test,

The DR said the blood tests I had to diagnose diabetes was in the high teens, but didn't say what it was. He prescribed me Metformin, but when you read my intro you will understand why i'm reluctant to take More tablets. Anyway, how can I get my blood glucose level down quickly without meds, or will I have to take them until I get them level then stop taking them when I am in a better position to work out how I manage the diabetes myself?

Ive taken two other test since last week. One was 18.8 on fasting, then 4 hours later it was 25.6. two days later I just took it at fasting and it was 17.4. I didn't take it again that day. Tonight I just took it and it was 23.9. I can't believe I have diabetes and I'm finding it hard to figure out what I should be doing. The DRs have been no help so far. After being diagnosed I was told to stick to a low carb diet, yet the Dr I saw who arranged the blood test to diagnose diabetes said to have hig carbs??? Ive tried reading up on the internet but I'm still totally confused about it all. I came across this site last week but I haven't really had a good chance to read many threads.

Where do I begin to manage this, what will happen if I don't get this bgl low??

Mo
 
Hi Mo, welcome to the forum, here is a sort of potted advice for new diabetics ( type2)
It is possible to control type 2 diabetes with diet but you need to reduce your carb intake drastically .Some can do this but others need the medication to help them achieve this.

It's not just 'sugars' you need to avoid, diabetes is an inability to process glucose properly. Carbohydrate converts, in the body, to glucose. So it makes sense to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat which includes sugars.

The main carbs to avoid or reduce drastically are the complex or starchy carbohydrates such a bread, potatoes, pasta and rice also any flour based products. The starchy carbs all convert 100% to glucose in the body and raise the blood sugar levels significantly.

The way to find out how different foods affect you is to do regular daily testing and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks. If you test just before eating then two hours after eating you will see the effect of certain foods on your blood glucose levels.

Buy yourself a carb counter book (you can get these on-line) and you will be able to work out how much carbs you are eating, when you test, the reading two hours after should be roughly the same as the before eating reading, if it is then that meal was fine, if it isn’t then you need to check what you have eaten and think about reducing the portion size of carbs.

When you are buying products check the total carbohydrate content, this includes the sugar content. Do not just go by the amount of sugar on the packaging as this is misleading to a diabetic.
 
Hi Mo,

Sorry to hear about the diagnosis but welcome to the forum. :)

I am very new on here too but Lo-carb is the way I am going and it seems to be working well for me. I have been testing to work out what foods are doing to me and have had to cut out all grains and potatoes. The good part is that I am feeling so much better already and the numbers are going down! 8)

Look on all the different forums, there is lots of information and good people with helpful advice.

All the best for the journey! :D
 
Thank you for your quick replies,

I need to sort my head out about living with a low card eating lifestyle, as its been drummed into me to eat less fat most of my life?? Can a low carb eating plan be used with the GI index??? I need to find out more. Is there a good book to read that will help me manage it??

I'm reading some threads, maybe I should walk before I can run as I'm reading the food forum about how to cope with Christmas!!! :wink: lol.

My mind is in a turmoil of carbs and fat, calories, blood testing, going without my favorite food.

How long can I be in this high blood glocose level?? what will happen to me if I don't get it down quick. Will the medication bring it down quick??

I go to the Drs on Monday but I will only have 10 minutes to ask a hundred questions that I didn't have a chance to ask another Dr. I couldn't get an appointment to see the dietician until January!! I feel in limbo without any practical support from my practice.

I would appreciate your thoughts on this
 
Hi mojomax,
You say that your readings are in the 20's.

How do you feel in yourself at the moment? I would advise that if you feel unwell it would be a good idea to go to A@E with levels this high. I am surprised that your Dr. did not advise you of this.

It is difficult when the advice you are given about diet is contradictory but it will gradually fall into place. It is not something that you can learn overnight as there has to be a lot of trial and error and frequent testing involved.

Catherine.
 
This is a quote from a post we got today,

The biggest difference I have found is through the regular testing advised by both sue and cugila. I have DRASTICALLY cut my carbs intake, I don't know if you'd call it low carb but I guesstimate at about a 75% cut in previous consumption is a fair estimate.. The difference is amazing, I feel brighter, can concentrate easier, am sleeping better and my sugars are now between 5.4 and 7.1 ( Is this healthy??? I feel better!!). I have decided to give up Lager and Bitter in the short term and limit myself to a glass of Red now and again. In the 3 days or so since my original post, this forum has given me far better advice than my doctor has in 4 years...
Click to expand...

Now.... I'm not saying you will be quick as this because we are all different but by reducing your carb intake you can bring down your blood sugar levels fairly quickly.

Concentrate on the carb aspect of your meals, if you do not eat a lot of fat then continue doing that. Don't worry too much about calories, reducing the carbs will not only reduce your blood sugar levels but also help you lose weight. Change the size of the plate you eat from to a smaller one, you will be surprised at the difference this makes as well.
 
I go to the Drs on Monday but I will only have 10 minutes to ask a hundred questions that I didn't have a chance to ask another Dr. I couldn't get an appointment to see the dietician until January!! I feel in limbo without any practical support from my practice.
Click to expand...


Here are a few questions you can ask.

What can I do to control it, diet,medication ??

Appointments to see dietician, podiatrist, retinal screening.

Test meter /strips.

Test results and what do they mean? Get a print out of the results for your own records.

Who will I be seeing the nurse or GP? If I have problem can I see either of you?

How often do I get blood tests, Hba1c/Cholesterol/ full lipid panel.. Should be every 3 months initially till in control.

Take a notebook with you and write down what you are told. If the doctor/nurse says things that you do not understand then ask them to explain it so that you can write it down.

This is your condition, your diabetes, you should be encouraged to take part in the treatment that you will be getting, not dictated to.

If you find that the doctor/nurse is unsympathetic then we suggest you find out which doctor in the practice is good with diabetes. Some doctors have a special interest in certain subjects, it’s worth finding this out.


( Mo can you check your inbox at top of the board please, there is a PM that needs answering.)
 
Hi mojomax,

You've had some great advice aleady from Sue.

It's the usual simplified advice from me - to any Type 2 such as myself - is to cut down on the starchy carbohydrate that you eat - i.e. cereals, bread, potatoes mainly but also be careful of pasta and rice etc too. That usually leads to a big and very quick improvement in blood glucose levels and you certainly need that at present considering the levels that you have quoted.

Best wishes - John
 
Thank you all for your advice.

Should I ring the NHS helpline about the high readings. What can happen to me if I don't get my bgl down??? in the next day or so???
 
catherinecherub said:
Hi mojomax,
You say that your readings are in the 20's.

How do you feel in yourself at the moment? I would advise that if you feel unwell it would be a good idea to go to A@E with levels this high. I am surprised that your Dr. did not advise you of this.

It is difficult when the advice you are given about diet is contradictory but it will gradually fall into place. It is not something that you can learn overnight as there has to be a lot of trial and error and frequent testing involved.

Catherine.
Click to expand...


Hi Mo.

This previous post was excellent advice, it hasn't changed. At the very least phone NHS Direct for advice....0845 46 47. Let us know how you get on.

Sue asked you to check your Inbox (Pm) we still need an answer to that message please.
 
Hi Mo,

I know everything is overwhelming right now but PLEASE take your metformin as your body needs help right now,
it's really important to reduce your readings . Remember to drink plenty of water and as others have said , cut down on carbs. Try sticking to meat , fish , veg , youghurts and eggs
 
I am new here, just posted "eye issue" which details my situation, but just wanted to ask in relation to this thread....

How does the Lo-Carb advice here relate to High BP, which I think is more serious to me even than BG? (At least it is according to the letter about background
In other words, am I OK to follow a high(er) meat diet and cut out bread and potatoes?


Kev
 
Hello mojomax

I joined this forum just in the last hour and read this discussion thread, as it struck a chord. I understand very well what you are going through, having being diagnosed in February 2008, with levels of 23/24. I have never been overweight, always have eaten healthily, very aware (like you) of fatty foods etc. and wondered why did this happen. So here's my tuppence worth, based only on my own experience:

1. The first 3 to 6 months are the hardest. Not knowing how frequently to use my tester. I have a good GP and a 'diabetes nurse', but found what is lacking is an understanding of these first 6 months. So you may be told to check after breakfast one day then before dinner every second day. It took me a few weeks to figure out there is no significance in those timings. It was merely the nurse suggesting not to check all the time. - My view is that I wanted to check 2 or 3 times daily until I could understand a pattern and recognise what affects BS levels. So it's about getting control yourself, rather than depending on the GP/Nurse (as you say, they have limited time and they will be applying a general approach.

2. Testers - I attended within the first 3 months a 3 * 1 hour class run by the NHS over 3 weeks period. It was very good, but of the 16 people there, I was surprised to find out that only around 4 people had testers and were able to test their own BS. The others depended on a 3 or 6 monthly BS test with the nurse. I do not know how any trend or conclusion can be reached with that frequency of testing. So make sure you have a tester.

3. Medication - I was prescribed Metformin (3/day). I was also prescribed Statins, but declined this. My rational was that my Cholesterol was 6.3 at that time and although not overly high, the GP wanted to get it lower and all in all it felt like it was a sledgehammer approach. The reason I said was to give it 2 or 3 months without statins, I would adjust diet slightly, but also exercise more. This point therefore is to make sure you maintain knowledge and control of your condition.

4. Books - I immediately bought a couple of books. One of them I still use regularly and would highly recommend. It is 'Natural Approaches to Diabetes' by Dr Sarah Brewer. I recommend it because it explains the logic behind how our bodies work with sugar, pancreas, and different food stuffs etc.

5. Exercise - I noticed in this discussion there is very little mention of exercise. I cannot promote this enough. As stated above, I had a good diet (OK liked some pizza) but 5'11' and 12.7 stone, always felt healthy but have for many years a drive to an office, sit all day and a drive home (overall drive time is about 3 to 4 hours a day. I garden at the weekend but this is not enough. SO, referring to the medication point above; I refused statins and said I would like to try more regular exercise. Joined the gym at where I work, go about 3 times a week for about 45 minutes and within 3 months my Cholestorel went from over 6 to 4.9 !! My blood sugar also dropped to single figures - and no Statins. I get yearly health checks as part of my emplyers benefits and Cholestorel, Heart and Lungs are in the range of 20 years younger (I'm 53).

6. Diet - I always eat pretty well, the only additons were things like lloyd grossman sauces and it's surprising how many things have sugar in them (bread etc.). In addition, I drank a healthy amount of wine most days (21 units per week for men is recommended, so the good news is you don't have to stop altogether). Also I went through an initial phase of overdoing it with fruit and of course that is needed for diabetics but too much doesn't work either. So the lesson here is to use your tester/monitor regularly and check effects of different styles.

I hope all of this offers some encouragement. The first few months will be difficult (it feels like a life sentence has been passed), but get informed, get exericse and work out a diet that suits you. I think it has been said many times in this thread, all of us are different, this means we all have to apply lessons learned to our own cases.

Good luck and I will continue to use this and other forums.

To the organisers/administrators, what made me join was the level of discussion and the experiences others have which I found helpful this morning, particularly around Metformin. Thanks!
 
Hi All,

I survived over the weekend with my high BG levels until I went to the Drs yesterday. The Dr I saw takes the diabetic clinic at the surgery, so she made me feel much more at ease and reassured me that I should take the Metformin to lower my BG levels, then we could talk about managing with diet alone if it was possible to do without medication. I also got lancets and tester strips on prescription. She made all the necessary appointments for the diabetes nurse and clinic, and gave me advice on diet. I got the impression this was the "norm" but like you say Johnmac, everyone is different and at first I guess it will be a case of trial and error. At least I have the Metformin to fall back on.

I too like a glass of wine, but have stopped having my "treat" of 4 glasses per week. I was looking forward to toasting the Christmas and New Year with a couple of glasses of red, but was worried as it said on the Metformin information leaflet that you were not to have any alcohol with it. I asked the Dr and she said I could have "a glass"!!!

Tell me Johnmac, do you feel ok whilst drinking wine after taking your metformin?

Thank you for a much informed reply and thankyou all for your good advice.
 
Hi mojomax

Regarding wine and Metformin. First of all you can still have a glass on christmas day. In fact if you olny have 4 glasses per week just now, there is no reason to change that intake. I usually finish my dinner, finish the glass of wine then have a drink of water before taking the metformin with water as well. As I'm sure you know you can't wash this or any medicines down with wine or any alcohol and taking it right after a glass of wine doesn't feel to good either. So I've found the above works for me.

There's an interesting effect on BS and wine consumption, which my nurse couldn't really explain, but through reading the book I mentioned and others, plus testing, I figured out what was happening. - After 2 or 3 glasses of wine (not by any means recommending this is good or an appropriate amount) with dinner, I noticed that when testing before bed my BS was OK - say around 6 or 7. However when I then tested the next morning before breakfast it was higher than that (say 9 or 10). That surprised me, but alcohol lowers BS levels and this is well known, however after a period of time it raises BS levels - so the result is, without food or any more liquids my BS was higher 7 hours later. The fundamental problem is that is is artifically lowered during the evening.

The other area to look into is vitamin b. Tests have shown a 10%-15% lowering in vitamin b12 levels over a 4 month period of taking metformin (form what I have read). There are other reasons to take vitamin b. I have taken this since one month after diagnosis (just a simple vitamin b complex capsule per day).

So worth looking at this area.

I must stress, any info above is based purely on my own reading and should not be taken as advice or be seen as advice that I have been given from any medical practitioner.

Good luck !
 
Thank you Johnmac for your reply. It sounds very sensible advice (and I wont sue you if it all goes wrong :wink: )lol.

My BG levels have dropped from (the highest) 25.6 last week to 13.2 (fasting) and 17 two hours later. This is with taking the Metforn, so I do feel more at ease that it is coming down. I'll worry about diet later when I have it at a lower level. I'm looking more at what I eat of course, and doing our Christmas shop yesterday was the first time Ive had to look closely to sugar content!!! needless to say all my Christmas treats came off the list :(. I was almost crying. But I did find sugarfree Werthers Originals which are my favourite sweets!!! Hubby told me to put them back as Santa might be bringing me some!!! Well, I know I'm getting those for Christmas :D . I also drool at the Lindt advert :( Never mind. There are people far worse off than us, so I guess a few sacrifices won't do us harm.

Thanks again,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Mo
 
Hi again Mo,

Glad to hear that your situation has improved somewhat from the very high levels. However, it is my own personal experience that metformin will not solve your blood glucose problems on its own. The dietary changes relating to carbohydrate intake are much more powerful in bringing blood glucose levels down.

You'll get there!

Good luck and best wishes - John
 
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