His blood sugar is 13.9, eating is tricky at the min as he has Bell's palsy so left side of face including mouth which is paralysed. Porridge for breakfast, soup for lunch and he tried a meat pie for tea.
Thank you chalup for welcome and link.
Hi. I very much agree with comment above regarding steroids. The steroid I was on (and still am to a lesser extent) post transplant CAUSED my diabetes not my lifestyle or anything to do with weight etc. I got my blood sugars down from 20mmols plus top about 10mmols purely by reducing carbs - but it was not until my steroid was dramatically cut (at my request) that I got it down to normalish levels. That steroid is prednisolone (very common treatment for palsy)..well known now to bring on diabetes for those on it for more than a few weeks. My initial diagnosis was called "pre-onset diabetes" and now "steroid induced diabetes" Type 2. I believe acyclovir is less of an concern - ask about alternatives. Did he have Type 2 before treatment with the steroid? Anyway - more importantly, without going into too much detail a good way to get his level down is to find alternatives to high carbohydrate foods. My levels only stay acceptable if I avoid certain foods (among them porridge, most soup which is also generally with bread, and pastry such as usually covers a meat pie! - sorry). Find alternatives if you can. Research low carb diets. I avoid cereals, bread, spuds and pasta among other things. I am not saying make him miserable but just cut carbs where you can. So - in short (which I struggle with!) - avoid (if possible) steroids, stress and carbohydrates. Good luck.
Thank you for the above info, I will follow links and try to get my husband on board.@Ilovecake
Hello and welcome to the forumTo help you to look after your husband, here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you want 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 well over 210,000 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 carbohydrates
- Reduce your carbohydrate intake
- Choose ‘better’ 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
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
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.
Thanks Liam and WOW am loving that smile hahaha!@Ilovecake - Hello and Welcome to the Forum.
Oh heck, carbs have been a large part of his diet. A little history he had T2 diabetes about 8years ago and with diet and exercise he lost 5stone and was clear of diabetes. Four years ago due to stress at work he suffered acute psychosis and was sectioned upon release he was doing well then developed post psychosis depression and tried to take his life. He was retired from work as any stress could cause another psychotic episode. Being clinically depressed and not even able to make a cup of tea at first he put on weight. His type 2 returned a year last April however his mental health is hindering his ability to make the right choices, his is going to the gym 3times a week. Boxing Day last year he contracted pneumonia and sepsis and we have struggled to control the diabetes since, he was in ICU and is lucky to be here, and now this palsy. The steroid he is on is prednisolone only for 10 days. I work full time but it's half term so I am going to research some recipes and healthy menus and gradually sneak them into his diet. You seem very knowledgable thank you so much it's been a hard few years and just when I think we have turned a corner we get tripped up!
Its a half way house type of solution, Not ideal, but may help with the transition. Watch out for cost since it is usual that home made is cheaper with better control and is the way to aim for.I have tried the atkins products and find that they do affect my blood sugar quite a bit. It is however still much better than very high carb foods.
Oh heck, carbs have been a large part of his diet. A little history he had T2 diabetes about 8years ago and with diet and exercise he lost 5stone and was clear of diabetes. Four years ago due to stress at work he suffered acute psychosis and was sectioned upon release he was doing well then developed post psychosis depression and tried to take his life. He was retired from work as any stress could cause another psychotic episode. Being clinically depressed and not even able to make a cup of tea at first he put on weight. His type 2 returned a year last April however his mental health is hindering his ability to make the right choices, his is going to the gym 3times a week. Boxing Day last year he contracted pneumonia and sepsis and we have struggled to control the diabetes since, he was in ICU and is lucky to be here, and now this palsy. The steroid he is on is prednisolone only for 10 days. I work full time but it's half term so I am going to research some recipes and healthy menus and gradually sneak them into his diet. You seem very knowledgable thank you so much it's been a hard few years and just when I think we have turned a corner we get tripped up!
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