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scotsguy46

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having diabetes
Hi im hoping for some advice ,i was diagnosed last october my reading was 27.5 was put on metphormin and made my blood sugar drop to 1.3 and then jump up to 12 etc for weeks so doctor said to come off it and try diet only which i did my bloods have come down to 6.5 but my blood sugar is still between 8 and 20 on and off the only time it sits around 5 is if i dont eat.I am constantly tired feel sore have throat problems feels like someone is choking me and that i constantly have catarrgh at the back of my throat.I don't sleep at night and feel like i have been abandoned ,my doctor is totally uninterested and has told me to exersize more,which is so difficult as im so tired all the time also my eyes are weird when i walk into supermarkets etc,any advice would be so helpful.Scotsguy46
 
The reason your eyes are funny is the fact that your blood sugar levels are so high. Once you manage to get your levels lower your eyes will probably settle down. You should get retinal screening done as part of your diabetic treatment and this will tell you if there is any damage to your eyes.

Here is the advice we usually give to newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics.This forum doesn't always follow the recommended dietary advice, you have to work out what works for you as we are all different.

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 are the complex or starchy carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, starchy root veg and 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. Some foods, which are slow acting carbohydrates, are absorbed more slowly so you may need to test three or even four hours later to see the affect that these have 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.

As for a tester, try asking the nurse/doctor and explain that you want to be proactive in managing your own diabetes and therefore need to test so that you can see just how foods affect your blood sugar levels. Hopefully this will work ! Sometimes they are not keen to give Type 2’s the strips on prescription, (in the UK) but you can but try !!

As a Type 2 the latest 2010 NICE guidelines for Bg levels are as follows:
Fasting (waking).......between 4 - 7 mmol/l.
2 hrs after meals......no more than 8.5 mmol/l.
If you are able to keep the post meal numbers lower, so much the better.

It also helps if you can do 30 minutes moderate exercise a day. It doesn't have to be strenuous.

Sue/Ken.
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I am in the same position as yourself, despite trying to control my BS with diet and tablets 240mg Glicazide my BS is still far to high. This can be really hard work at times, my last HBa1C was 7.8% not great at all.
I have tried reducing carbs but just feel even worse however this may well work for you and a lot of other people on this forumn and is well worth a try.
My trouble is controlling my overnight BS often waking with bs in the 8 to 10 range, have tried not eating before I go to bed and also eating before bed, both of which dont seem to make any difference.
Not sure what to do now but I do know that feeling like this 24hrs a day is really starting to get to me.
I really cant understand this whole thing, BS after exercise are falling to 3.6 so have to be careful that I dont go hypo, I then eat and in sensible amounts with a low ish GI diet and my bs shoots up to 14 and takes ages before it goes down again.
Not sure what to do next for the best.
 
Scotsguy 46 - if your BS after eating was 6.5 (I think you said) what were you eating - when your BS went up what were you eating - its obvious that the food you were eating put your BS up and the food you were eating when you were 6.5 was correct for you. Try eating more of the type that put your BS at 6.5 - it is hard but carbs turn to sugar so when looking at the table for the food i.e say yogurt it says carbs - sugars 7.0 then gives you a separate reading for sugar say 5.0 add that together and its 12.0 sugar - minefield out there at getting it right - low fats items can actually be high in sugar as well - all very depressing to say the least but its only by trial and error on what makes your BS go up or down - salad seems for me that is the best food to eat. I did feel great for a while when my sugar went down but am feeling tired again and depressed but reading athis forum and keeping in touch with it helps you to pick yourself up.

CSFROWANTREE - are you over excersing as I read on here that if you over exercise the liver dumps a load of sugar into you - not sure if i miss understood but your comment read as though you eat after your exercise if that is the case and that your liver had dumped sugar because of your exercise then your reading is going to be high. The forum suggested moderate exercise.

Hope this helps nice to talk to you both
Sue :)
 
Sue Morton said:
it is hard but carbs turn to sugar so when looking at the table for the food i.e say yogurt it says carbs - sugars 7.0 then gives you a separate reading for sugar say 5.0 add that together and its 12.0 sugar - minefield out there at getting it right - low fats items can actually be high in sugar as well
Sue :)
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Sue.
When a label says Carbs.7 grams......sugars.5 grams........it means that there is a total of 7 grams of Carbs. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate. You do NOT add them together. That would give you a totally false reading.

In the UK when it says Carbohydrates on the label it gives the total which ALREADY includes the sugars.

Hope that makes things clear.

Ken
 
scotsguy46 said:
Hi im hoping for some advice ,i was diagnosed last october my reading was 27.5 was put on metphormin and made my blood sugar drop to 1.3 and then jump up to 12 etc for weeks so doctor said to come off it and try diet only which i did my bloods have come down to 6.5 but my blood sugar is still between 8 and 20 on and off the only time it sits around 5 is if i dont eat.I am constantly tired feel sore have throat problems feels like someone is choking me and that i constantly have catarrgh at the back of my throat.I don't sleep at night and feel like i have been abandoned ,my doctor is totally uninterested and has told me to exersize more,which is so difficult as im so tired all the time also my eyes are weird when i walk into supermarkets etc,any advice would be so helpful.Scotsguy46
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I do not think type 2 on metformin will range in BG between 1.3 & 12. Metf is highly unlikely to cause hypo.
8 to 20 is much more believable, but with that range, I think it is unlikely to be controlled by diet & exercise. You will feel tired at that level.
Before we can advise further, we need more info:
What is your HbA1c reading? (blood glucose derived from glycolated cells) it represents a 2-3 month average
diet
overnight readings
reading 2 hours after meals

I suggest you base your diet on plenty of protein food, so you don't get hungry & weak. sugarless sue has given you the general diet advice to follow.
 
Ken,

Sorry about that but I thought when packages said Carbohydrate of which is sugar 7gms and then gives a separate reading for sugar ie 5gms - I thought that meant you were getting 7 gms of sugar from the carb and 5 gms from the actual sugar that has been added I am a bit confused now.

I am still a novice at all this.

Sue :oops: :!:
 
Sue.
No need to apologise. No need to be embarassed. It does get confusing. :)

You are right in one respect that they are separate but you just do NOT add them together when you are looking at the package labels. That has already been done. If you add them together again that total would be wrong and in some cases show a massively higher carb level than it actually contains.

An example: A Co-op Cherry Genoa Cake. Contains 56.7g carbs per 100g portion. :shock: The sugars on the label show as 36.6g per 100g portion. Now, if we were to take the sugars away from the carbs total that leaves 20.1g carbs from the actual cake ingredients. It has then had the sugars added to it, more carbs. Now all of these things are carbs and will have an effect on Bg levels. That is what we need to remember as Diabetic's. If we took the figures and added them together it would total 93.3g carbs......way more than it actually contains. It's still high whichever way you look at it.....I might manage a VERY small slice......maybe !!

Just remember that on nutrition labels in the UK Total Carbs includes the added sugars .......

Added sugars are sugars and syrups that are added to foods or beverages during processing or preparation. They do not include naturally occurring sugars such as those found in milk (lactose) and fruits (fructose). Added sugars (or added sweeteners) include natural sugars (such as white sugar, brown sugar and honey) as well as other sweeteners that are chemically manufactured.

I hope that has cleared things up a little. Total carbs is what you need to consider as a Diabetic, because they convert 100% to Glucose in the blood stream which will raise your Bg level. This then needs Insulin to lower the levels, Insulin from your own Pancreas and/or injected to counteract the rise.

Ken
 
Thanks Ken - seems like salads are the way forward for me and not to shop - that was a joke what women would not shop!

I had spag bol the other week and did my BS and it was 7.1 brill I thought till the other day and realised that I should see what it was like 3 to 4 hours later - as I thought the slower it converts to sugar the better off you are - BUT.. not knowing what my BS was 3 to 4 hours later not so sure now.
Excuse to try another spag bol and test 3 to 4 hours later to see if I can continue to have my spag bol (of course smaller portions then I used to have).

This forum is really so helpful thank you everyone.
Sue :D
 
Sue.
Spag Bol......mmmmm !! Love that. It is all trial and error when you first start. We have all been there Sue, just keep asking questions and we will do our best to give you answers. I know from my own experience over the years we make mistakes, get things slightly wrong, but eventually it all becomes clear and it all improves.

Ken. :D
 
scotsguy46 said:
Hi im hoping for some advice ,i was diagnosed last october my reading was 27.5 was put on metphormin and made my blood sugar drop to 1.3 and then jump up to 12 etc for weeks so doctor said to come off it and try diet only which i did my bloods have come down to 6.5 but my blood sugar is still between 8 and 20 on and off the only time it sits around 5 is if i dont eat.I am constantly tired feel sore have throat problems feels like someone is choking me and that i constantly have catarrgh at the back of my throat.I don't sleep at night and feel like i have been abandoned ,my doctor is totally uninterested and has told me to exersize more,which is so difficult as im so tired all the time also my eyes are weird when i walk into supermarkets etc,any advice would be so helpful.Scotsguy46
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Hi scotsguy46 :)

The advice posted by sugarless Sue is what you need to get to grips with. I am afraid that there are no half measures when you are trying to get to grips with the new lifestyle called diabetes! Many of us on here have had to completely cut out all the starchy carbs and the only way that you will know how your body reacts is to test.
I now eat meat, fish, eggs, cheese, salad bits, vegetables, selected fruits, nuts and seeds. I can make good varied meals from this selection of foods, my BG levels came down and I feel much better. When the numbers come down your energy increases and you are able to exercise to help yourself even more.

When you need help or encouragement just ask because there is always someone here happy to help. 8) :)
 
I'm brand new but getting there very quickly with all your help. Can I keep this very simple as I'm in overload a bit having only been diagnosed yesterday and not seeing diabetic nurse till Monday. Am I right in thinking:

1. Cut down on carbs and see if that works for me (understand it may not)
2. Leading a generally healthy diet and exercise should pay dividends
3. Self-test regularly to work out what's working/what's not.
4. Pray!
6. Presume need to cut down on fatty red meats and stick to fish/lean stuff (not sure where I got this from)
7. Steer clear of sugar (i.e. the teaspoon of brown sugar I simply love to put in my coffee)?
8. Keep a smile on my face!!

Have I missed anything?

No doubt more questions will be coming everyone's way as I find my way!!

Griffy.
 
griffy said:
I'm brand new but getting there very quickly with all your help. Can I keep this very simple as I'm in overload a bit having only been diagnosed yesterday and not seeing diabetic nurse till Monday. Am I right in thinking:

1. Cut down on carbs and see if that works for me (understand it may not)

Diabetes is a condition that means you cannot process carbs properly so it makes sense to reduce your carb levels until you can get your blood sugars under control. It also helps you lose weight if you need to.

2. Leading a generally healthy diet and exercise should pay dividends

A 'healthy' diet is not always a good 'diabetic' diet. As mentioned above it is the carb content you need to be aware of. A good half hour or more exercise also helps as it speeds up the metabolism.

3. Self-test regularly to work out what's working/what's not.

Very essential in the early days. Along with a food diary so you can note down your results this is your chief weapon to gain control of your blood sugar levels.

4. Pray!

May help! :D

What happened to 5 ? :?

6. Presume need to cut down on fatty red meats and stick to fish/lean stuff (not sure where I got this from)

All natural meats are proteins, so unless you have damaged kidneys, you can eat as much as you usually do, the fat on a normal piece of meat is not going to do you any harm. Be aware though that 60% of protein can also turn to glucose in the body so it can have an affect on your blood sugar levels. Keep away from processed meats as they often contain added hidden sugars.

7. Steer clear of sugar (i.e. the teaspoon of brown sugar I simply love to put in my coffee)?

Try a substitute such as Splenda.

8. Keep a smile on my face!!

A sense of humour is essential :lol: :lol:

Have I missed anything?

No doubt more questions will be coming everyone's way as I find my way!!

Griffy.
Click to expand...
 
Thank you Sue!

No. 5 got lost in the maze of my mind somewhere...... :?
 
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