Mmol/l at time of being diagnosed,

[Dizzylish78]

That won't tell you anything at all. You may find you have to ask for extra strips or buy some of your own. To get your food sorted you need to test immediately before you eat and again 2 hours after first bite, then record these levels next to the food you ate (a food diary including portion sizes is the best way) Look at the rise from before to after and try to keep it under 2mmol/l. If it goes above that there are too many carbs in that meal. Testing this way is the only way to learn about food and what it does to your levels. Just testing after eating means very little unless you know where you were before you ate.

As you are on Gliclazide you also need to test before you drive.

What levels mean that you shouldn't drive? Thanks

 

[Bluetit1802]

What levels mean that you shouldn't drive? Thanks

Under 5 don't drive!

You may think seeing a level under 5 is a long way off, but if you cut out the carbs you may see it sooner than you think whilst on Gliclazide. This drug works by stimulating your pancreas to produce extra insulin. Insulin is mainly needed to cope with the glucose produced by eating carbs. The fewer carbs you eat the less insulin is needed. If you get too much excess insulin being produced it will drive your levels right down and maybe to a hypo level. That is why you need to test before driving. It is for your safety and the safety of other road users.

 

[Dizzylish78]

Under 5 don't drive!

You may think seeing a level under 5 is a long way off, but if you cut out the carbs you may see it sooner than you think whilst on Gliclazide. This drug works by stimulating your pancreas to produce extra insulin. Insulin is mainly needed to cope with the glucose produced by eating carbs. The fewer carbs you eat the less insulin is needed. If you get too much excess insulin being produced it will drive your levels right down and maybe to a hypo level. That is why you need to test before driving. It is for your safety and the safety of other road users.

I've just tested pre-lunch and I'm 12.9 (will test again 2 hours after) so no chance of me getting that low yet. Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it.

 

[CherryAA]

I was diagnosed with an hba1c of 10.3% ( 92) last August and I'm currently around 5.9% . My fasting blood sugar on diagnosis was 18.4

I found that within a week I has started to come down to the 10-12 range
within a month 8-10
three months 6-8
six months 4-7
I've had a few lows - around 3.5 but nothing I even noticed as feeling any different and recently my numbers have started being more consistent around 4.5- 6.7 the vast majority of the time . My assumption is that I am gradually reducing the level of circulating insulin and thus the likelihood of the dangerous lows is going down at the same time the dangerous highs are disappearing.
Its a slow haul but the thing to appreciate is that its a ratchet on the way up and down, What will happen is that one day you will find your first 6 appears - then within a couple of weeks , maybe they become more regular, then a 5 and so on.

If you stick with the low carbs - the odds are it will happen to you too.

 

[Dizzylish78]

I've just tested pre-lunch and I'm 12.9 (will test again 2 hours after) so no chance of me getting that low yet. Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it.

It was 15.9 2 hours after lunch.

 

[Bluetit1802]

It was 15.9 2 hours after lunch.

So from before to after the rise was 3mmol/l. That is too much.
What did you have?

 

[sheepie123]

After a month of symptoms, I tested my blood and it was 24mmol/l. When seeing my Dr he said this is slipping into diabetic coma territory. Nothing like a scare like that to tell you you're ill. This was 11 years ago.

One thing that might happen is that you will be told to continue eating a 'balanced' diet which includes plenty of carbs. This is extraordinarily bad advice for diabetics. Thing is, they can't tell you any different because the 'guidelines' come from up-above.

I asked my dietician about this and she agrees that a low carb diet is best but isn't allowed to tell patients that.

She just told a patient lol.

 

[Dizzylish78]

So from before to after the rise was 3mmol/l. That is too much.
What did you have?

I had granary bread with chicken, lettuce and cucumber.

 

[Bluetit1802]

I had granary bread with chicken, lettuce and cucumber.

Therein lies your culprit. The bread I'm afraid. (unless you had a carb laden dressing? Or the chicken was coated? ) Check the amount of carbs per slice of your bread. All bread, white, brown, granary, wholemeal, all have a lot of carbs and all carbs turn to glucose. It may be your body cannot tolerate bread. Many can't. If you have a Lidl near you they sell delicious high protein rolls (in the fresh bread baskets). They are only 8g carbs per roll and are packed with fibre.

 

[Daphne917]

I had granary bread with chicken, lettuce and cucumber.

Therein lies your culprit. The bread I'm afraid. (unless you had a carb laden dressing? Or the chicken was coated? ) Check the amount of carbs per slice of your bread. All bread, white, brown, granary, wholemeal, all have a lot of carbs and all carbs turn to glucose. It may be your body cannot tolerate bread. Many can't. If you have a Lidl near you they sell delicious high protein rolls (in the fresh bread baskets). They are only 8g carbs per roll and are packed with fibre.

If, like me, you don't like the Lidl high protein rolls try Tesco's protein bread which is only 10 carbs per slice.

 

[Dizzylish78]

If, like me, you don't like the Lidl high protein rolls try Tesco's protein bread which is only 10 carbs per slice.

Just a chicken salad for me tomorrow then. Thanks!!

 

[Daphne917]

Just a chicken salad for me tomorrow then. Thanks!!

That's what I had for lunch today!

 

[miahara]

I only got my meter yesterday afternoon and was told to check levels up to 4 times a day but not told when I should test them, so for consistency I'm doing it 2 hours after each meal. The nurse wasn't concerned with my diet yesterday so hoping we'll talk about that next week. I had porridge and honey for breakfast this morning but will try something else tomorrow to see if it makes a difference.

Some folk find that porridge causes a spike in BG, but others don't so you need to do further tests to see However honey contains a whopping 76.4gm carbs (all of which is sugars) per 100gm and is quite probably the main cause of an elevated BG. Try porridge without honey and this will give you a better idea as to if it should form part of your diet.
BTW The glycaemic index of honey at 100gm is used as the standard against which all other foods are rated for their GI. Also type 2 diabetes used to be called diabetes mellitus (mellitus come from Greek for honey) as doctors diagnosed diabetes by tasting urine which tasted sweet.

 

[grante]

I tested my levels last night 2 hours after eating and taking the Gliclazide and it was 10.6 - I'm not feeling good today, tested my levels 2 hours after breakfast & they're 15.3 - this seems like quite a difference, is it normal to have such a difference in levels? Thanks

I am using an app called "my fitness pal"
I am logging all my food and it gives you an idea of the carbs etc that you are eating.
For breakfast I am having full fat Greek yogurt with some blue berries.

 

[miahara]

Under 5 don't drive!

You may think seeing a level under 5 is a long way off, but if you cut out the carbs you may see it sooner than you think whilst on Gliclazide. This drug works by stimulating your pancreas to produce extra insulin. Insulin is mainly needed to cope with the glucose produced by eating carbs. The fewer carbs you eat the less insulin is needed. If you get too much excess insulin being produced it will drive your levels right down and maybe to a hypo level. That is why you need to test before driving. It is for your safety and the safety of other road users.

I have to agree with "under 5 don't drive", but if one has a reasonable grip of BG and diet I really don't think that testing before driving is required. I've been on gliclazide for 18 months and my BG is pretty well regulated by diet. I've had one hypo and that was following a 12 hour trip by car, plane and taxi, and what caused it was lack of carbs as I didn't eat on the plane and had breakfast several hours earlier than normal. On a "normal day" with a "normal" diet I'm pretty well aware of where my BG levels will be before I get in the car.

 

[Bluetit1802]

I have to agree with "under 5 don't drive", but if one has a reasonable grip of BG and diet I really don't think that testing before driving is required. I've been on gliclazide for 18 months and my BG is pretty well regulated by diet. I've had one hypo and that was following a 12 hour trip by car, plane and taxi, and what caused it was lack of carbs as I didn't eat on the plane and had breakfast several hours earlier than normal. On a "normal day" with a "normal" diet I'm pretty well aware of where my BG levels will be before I get in the car.

I don't have meds to worry about, but if I did I would rather test and be safe than sorry. This is a mysterious disease/condition and we can never be entirely sure what is going on in our bodies.

 

[Dizzylish78]

Some folk find that porridge causes a spike in BG, but others don't so you need to do further tests to see However honey contains a whopping 76.4gm carbs (all of which is sugars) per 100gm and is quite probably the main cause of an elevated BG. Try porridge without honey and this will give you a better idea as to if it should form part of your diet.
BTW The glycaemic index of honey at 100gm is used as the standard against which all other foods are rated for their GI. Also type 2 diabetes used to be called diabetes mellitus (mellitus come from Greek for honey) as doctors diagnosed diabetes by tasting urine which tasted sweet.

I'm now feeling totally confused, my reading was 12.8 before lunch and dropped to 11.2 2 hours after my lunch of chicken salad - I've just tested again before dinner and its dropped to 6.8 which seems like a massive drop and that's before taking the Gliclazide.

 

[miahara]

I'm now feeling totally confused, my reading was 12.8 before lunch and dropped to 11.2 2 hours after my lunch of chicken salad - I've just tested again before dinner and its dropped to 6.8 which seems like a massive drop and that's before taking the Gliclazide.

The drop in level after lunch was good and goes to show what you ate was low carb and 6.8 a few hours later is because you were using up the glucose in your blood stream. Today my BG before lunch was 6.5 and two hours later it was 5.7. Lunch was low carb - chicken & veg soup and some chicken wings and after lunch I was quite physically active in my garden..
It's still early days for you, so don't get too concerned about fluctuating levels, as you learn more about diet and how different food affect you things will become much easier to manage.

Dave

 

[Dizzylish78]

The drop in level after lunch was good and goes to show what you ate was low carb and 6.8 a few hours later is because you were using up the glucose in your blood stream. Today my BG before lunch was 6.5 and two hours later it was 5.7. Lunch was low carb - chicken & veg soup and some chicken wings and after lunch I was quite physically active in my garden..
It's still early days for you, so don't get too concerned about fluctuating levels, as you learn more about diet and how different food affect you things will become much easier to manage.

Dave

Yes I've definitely learnt that bread is not my friend. Thanks Dave

 

[Bluetit1802]

I'm now feeling totally confused, my reading was 12.8 before lunch and dropped to 11.2 2 hours after my lunch of chicken salad - I've just tested again before dinner and its dropped to 6.8 which seems like a massive drop and that's before taking the Gliclazide.

You must now see, after only one meal, that low carb works! Keep going. Your levels will drop, and this is why earlier on I mentioned testing before driving.