My head is in a spin.

Hi @grante and welcome to the forum.

I'm tagging @daisy1 who will provide some useful information which is given to all new members.

Have a read of that and ask as many questions as you like.

See http://www.diabetes.co.uk/what-is-hba1c.html

If this was a HbA1C test then 11%. See chart. This is equivalent to a blood glucose level of 14.9
You should get a blood glucose meter to check your blood sugars before and after meals.

Best advice is to cut down on carbohydrates in your food, so eat less of breakfast cereals, bread, rice, pasta. Avoid fruit juice as that has a lot of sugar. You can eat more fat in your diet as that does not raise sugar e.g. Cheese, butter, full fat yoghurt, avocados, nuts.

@grante

Hello Grante and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find this helpful. Ask questions when you need to and someone will 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 well over 235,000 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

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.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

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 blood glucose 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.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.

Hi
Just take a breath and don't panic. Yes you can reduce the numbers but it will take time. The results are an average over 3 months. Do as others have said and cut down your refined carbs as a start. Then start to read. It is a slow condition but you can get control of it if you put your mind to it. Be prepared for some side effects with the metformin. Some of us cannot take it. You main response at the moment is diet. Blood testing is not recommended for t2 by the NHS but a lot of us do as it tells us what carbs cause the biggest problems. Everyone is different. We are all a bit rebellious on this forum as we don't follow the NHS guidelines blindly . Ask questions no one bites.

grante said:

My blood glucose is 11. I now remember the doc saying this

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Did your doc do a finger prick test? i.e. prick your finger.. get a drop of blood and put it on a strip or did they take a blood sample to be sent off for analysis (they could have done both)?
Your blood sugar level can be reduced by changing what you eat. A lot of us here follow the LCHF (Low Carb Higher Fat) way of eating. We cut down carbohydrate consumption a lot (some of us almost completely) and fill up on tasty fats. This lowers your blood sugar levels and, possibly counterintuitively, leads to weight loss.
Have a read around on the forum especially the Low Carb diet threads and check out
www.dietdoctor.com for some really useful info.
Ask any questions you have and someone will be along to answer but they have probably been asked and answered before so check out the search function of the threads using the box at the top of the page.
Hope that helps a bit.
Regards and welcome
Mark

grante said:

Hello all, please could I have your advice.
I got a call from the doctors yesterday informing me that I have type 2 diabetes.
He said that my level was 11, not sure what this figure is or means.
He sent a prescription to the pharmacy for me to collect after work. He has prescribed metformin. I have to take 2 per day.
My doctors is a really busy surgery and I can't get an appointment to discuss anything with him until the 16th May.

I am after a bit of reassurance and advice.

Questions
My result of 11 is this high what does it mean ? Can I reduce this by losing weight ?
Do I need to test my blood? If so what machine would you recommend?

I have so many questions but don't know where to go

Thank you in advance

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Hi Grante,

First of all don't panic . Think very carefully about whether to take the pills.

The medical profession issues pills like candy and in my case is was not necessary . I started off with numbers exactly like yours and got the same advice - metformin - I said no thanks- instead I will wait for three months and if I haven't seen improvements by then THEN I will take it. The issue is that once you start taking the pills, you inevitably think they are making a big difference to you so you end up relying on them. In fact the MAIN thing that will make a difference is quite simply cutting out carbs. So if you do that first if you do end up taking the metformin .you still need to change your diet but you won't know which thing is helping most.

If you view diabetes along the lines of being " allergic" to sugar and where you then understand that ALL carbs are really just sugar in disguise, you won't go far wrong. So chuck away all sugars, and all refined foods - bread, pasta, flour, rice, wheat, biscuits. and also really carby vegetable - those growing below ground - potatoes ,parsnips and fruits ( except berries) . also chuck away the vegetable oils for frying etc. no beer or mixers ( malt whisky works well and some wine is ok - preferably dry !)

Whilst that looks like its a bit drastic - the stuff you can eat is marvellous - steak, meat, fish ,eggs, olive oil , avocados, all the hard fats - coconut oil, butter, lard, cheese, nuts , all the green vegetables
if you go to diet doctor .com or the low carb menus on here you will easily learn about the right things to eat. If you start today you will already be showing significant improvements in your daily blood sugar by 16 May and though it will take a while for the 11 to come down - it will ( mine went from 10 to 6 in four months and many others have the same experience. ) , This result will likely be faster than medication alone anyway.

Get yourself a meter - most of us like codefree because the trips are cheaper- there is lots of info on the forum about that.

If you follow what you see on this forum you are likely to find you can lose 2-4 stones over the next few months, normalise your blood sugars and improve your lipid profile -in terms of reducing heart disease risk, all just by following a low carb diet. Once you get into it you won't even feel that hungry - other than the first few days when basically you are trying to get rid of an addiction to sugar.

You will also find that lots of niggly little things that are bothering you will go away or reduce - sleepless nights, frequent toilet visits, pins and needles, fingers locking up, persistent coughs, extreme tiredness. All of these will reduce as your blood sugar comes down when you get rid of sugar out of your diet, All of this can be done without metformin for many, many of us.

I remember the day I first looked on here - and posted the top row of figures as shown in my signature. even then having looked at the research i was convinced things would soon get better and they did by following the advice on here. If anyone at your doctors surgery suggests you need to eat carbs they are quite simply wrong!

grante said:

My blood glucose is 11. I now remember the doc saying this

Click to expand...

The first thing you need to do, and this is important, is to contact your surgery and ask for a print out of your test results.
This will tell you exactly which test you had. Until you know that, neither you nor we know where you are in the scheme of things. Give them a ring and ask.

You then need to buy a blood glucose meter. The biggest difference between meters is the cost of the test strips. These can range from about £7.50 to £30 for 50, so you need to be careful. The most popular on here are the Codefree and the Tee2 because they have the cheapest strips. These are not available from pharmacies.
Try here for the Codefree meter
http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/

and here for the extra strips
http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/sd-codefree-test-strips-to-be-used-only-with-the-sd-monitor/

There are discount codes if you buy in bulk and don’t forget to check the box that you have diabetes so you can buy VAT free.
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833

The Tee2 is here. http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/

grante said:

Thank you, I feel I have been dropped a bomb shell and now have to wait two weeks to start asking the questions with the doctor.

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We all understand that bomb shell feeling. The same bomb was dropped on all of us when we were diagnosed. You will recover! Most GPs know nothing about diabetes, or at best they know very little. No doubt your diabetes care will be delegated to a nurse as this is the general procedure. Meanwhile, just keep reading and researching, buy a meter, get a print out, and start trying to find a suitable and sustainable way of eating.

Ask as many questions as you like.

You could try asking at the surgery if you could see a nurse for diabetic advice before you see the doctor - at many places it's much easier to get a nurse appt. It will be someone to talk to before you see the doctor.

A low carb diet can cut your numbers very quickly in many cases - but try the tablets. Yes some people get side effects, but the majority don't
I'd they affect you badly you can always stop them again.

grante said:

I have started on the pills and I have also started looking at the carbs I am consuming too.
I just don't know which way to turn, what is for the best?

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Your best bet is to keep looking around the forum and seeing how others are managing. What they are eating, bit of exercise maybe. Your head is spinning now, but in addition to the shock and uncertainty, your high numbers wont be helping. Once they come down and stabilise, you should feel calmer.

Take it one day, one meal, at a time. What do you fancy tonight? Focus on that. I am having a curry (no rice or breads, but still low carb and tasty)

grante said:

I have started on the pills and I have also started looking at the carbs I am consuming too.
I just don't know which way to turn, what is for the best?

Click to expand...

You need a meter. That will help you better than anything on which foods to eat and in what portion sizes. The idea is to test before you eat and then again 2 hours after first bite. Look at the difference from before to after. It is that rise that will tell you if you have eaten too many carbs for YOUR body to cope with. Any rise above 2mmol/l and there are far too many carbs. Try to keep it under 1.5mmol/l.

The worst culprits for raising levels are potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, breakfast cereals and flour. We also need to be careful with fruit and milk. If you keep a food diary including portion sizes and record your levels alongside, you will soon see patterns emerging and be able to see which carbs need reducing in portion size or eliminating completely. We all have different carb tolerances. Some people can mange a couple of new boiled potatoes, others can't manage any. Some can manage a couple of slices of low carb bread, others can't. A meter will tell you where your tolerances lie.

Tonight I am having steak, mushrooms, a grilled tomato and some veg.

grante said:

I have started on the pills and I have also started looking at the carbs I am consuming too.
I just don't know which way to turn, what is for the best?

Click to expand...

I wouldn't expect too much from your discussion with your GP. Most GPs have no idea of how to treat type 2 diabetes effectively. They will probably just say eat less sugary things and do more exercise. Metformin helps a little, not nowhere near as much as a low carb diet.

When diagnosed my fasting blood glucose was 13.1. After 5 weeks when I saw the diabetes nurse, who gave me a glucose meter, it was 9.8. I started to cut out more carbohydrates in my diet and it dropped to about 6 a few weeks later.

The only thing you need to worry about is cutting out the carbs in your diet. See https://www.dietdoctor.com/ for some advice about low carb foods, recipes etc.

grante said:

How often do you test please. ?

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As often as you like, but it needs to be organised, not random.

The essential ones initially are:
Before meals
2 hours after first bite
The NHS guideline targets are
before meals 4 to 7mmol/l
at least 90 minutes after meal under 8.5mmol/l

Some also test immediately on getting out of bed. This is your fasting blood sugar (FBS)
Some also test at bedtime.

Make sure you record all these.

grante said:

I was having a curry too, tonight with rice and nan, but since I found out about my T2 , I will be leaving the rice in the pan and the nan on the side. I have been feeling tired and a little faint at times today, I have already cut back on the carbs I normally have. I am planning on starting back at the gym tomorrow, but I am sat here writing this with very little energy so I am not motivated at all to go, other than I know it is the right thing to do.

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Insulin resistance sucks the energy out of you, but it will get better when you get your diabetes under control. I used to fall asleep standing up. If you can't face the gym, just go for a walk in the fresh air. I find even gentle exercise helps with lowering blood glucose levels and, of course, improves emotional wellbeing. Take care. Enjoy your curry!