Need some advice please

[Tina23]

Hello, I’ve been a watcher of this site for quite a while now but decided to join today

I was diagnosed with type 2 about 18 months ago after being boarderline for quite a while my levels were 48 then but then stayed at about 62 for a while , I was then put on metformin slow release 1 tablet twice a day. After a while my levels shot up to 98 (unsure why as no diet change) so was then put on 2 metformin tablets twice a day 1000mg .

After 3 months I had another test (not sure what it is except it tests your levels over the last 3 months) and found it had stayed the same. The diabetic nurse then put me on canagliflozin 100mg. Now this has been great for my weight loss as I’ve lost around 6kg (over a 2 month period) but I’m still feeling extremely tired and still have Foggy brain

Medication I’m on is:
Levothyroxin 100mg
Statin 10mg
Amitriptyline10mg (for pain in my spine at night)
Metformin 1000mg slow release
canagliflozin 100mg

Is there any of these that could be causing this or is it the diabetes still?

 

[kitedoc]

Hi @Tina23, Welcome on board!!
From my experience as a diabetic and lots of reading, not as professional advice or opinion:
When diabetes seems to get worse more quickly than expected, I think:
Why? ? weight increase due to diet not being right? Stress ++ pushing up BSLs?
infection like an infected tooth, ? something happening to the pancreas?
Throwing in more medication might help the BSLs but not necessarily deal with the underlying cause.
Do you measure your BSLs? Some DSNs and doctors may prescribe glucose meters and strips for their T2D patients, but I gather many do not.
Tiredness and foggy brain might be symptoms of high BSLs, perhaps loss of body salts through the urine also but again,
unless the underlying cause is found (and it may be something other than the above, or in addition) the problem remains.
Suggestions:
1) Go to the Home page and in the search box, right upper corner,
type in LADA and read about this type of diabetes, blood tests are needed to detect if this is a possibility
2) Whilst on the Home page also look at the Type 2 diabetes menu and the various diets described there
3) See your doctor about
a) the tiredness and fogginess,
b) LADA and the tests used to diagnose it
c) ask about any symptoms like tooth ache etc which you think might be a source of infection
d) plus about any stress you are experiencing
e) ask if he/she will prescribe a glucose meter and test strips given your high HBA1C and need for more medication
4) If neither your doctor or nurse will prescribe a meter and strips, look at the Home page again. under Living With Diabetes - and Blood Glucose far left , then Blood glucose meters, then comparisons down the list of pretty pictures of meters to the heading Sanofi - SD Code Free - this meter and its strips is, according to UK diabetics on site, the less expensive meter to self-fund.
And you are entirely within your rights to ask the diabetes nurse, or a nurse at our GP's surgery to show show you how to work it.
I hope the above helps and please let us know how you get on.

 

[Prem51]

Welcome to the forum @Tina23. I can't comment on most of those diabetic medications as I have not been prescribed them. Other forum members who have experienced them will probably be along in the morning to comment.

The only medication you are taking, which I was prescribed previously is statins. I didn't experience any noticeable side effects apart from a little upper arm/shoulder pain initially, which did go after a few weeks. But statins can also raise blood glucose levels so may have contributed, among many other factors, to my Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis. I stopped taking them.
Some people report more serious physical side effects, including severe muscle pain, stomach disorders, tiredness and 'brain fog'.
So statins might be a possible cause of your tiredness and brain fog.

I did get extreme tiredness a few years ago, which after tests was found to be due to an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), which was also responsible for a squeezing sensation around my heart (I had thought it was angina).
Both symptoms went after I was prescribed 100mg Levothyroxene daily. So another possible reason for your tiredness might be that you need a higher dosage of thyroxene - your gp would need to do blood test to determine if you are on the necessary dosage.

With so many medications it might not be possible to establish which is causing you the problems.

 

[Debandez]

Hi and welcome @Tina23 I will tag in @daisy1 who will send you lots of invaluable info.

I agree with the other comments and would certainly be investing in a blood sugar monitor. You will be instantly able to tell what is putting up your HbA1c. You can record each reading in the mysugr app which then gives you an idea of what your HbA1c will be. It's very motivational and a great tool in itself.

What do you have to eat on a typical day if you don't mind me asking?

 

[DCUKMod]

Hello, I’ve been a watcher of this site for quite a while now but decided to join today

I was diagnosed with type 2 about 18 months ago after being boarderline for quite a while my levels were 48 then but then stayed at about 62 for a while , I was then put on metformin slow release 1 tablet twice a day. After a while my levels shot up to 98 (unsure why as no diet change) so was then put on 2 metformin tablets twice a day 1000mg .

After 3 months I had another test (not sure what it is except it tests your levels over the last 3 months) and found it had stayed the same. The diabetic nurse then put me on canagliflozin 100mg. Now this has been great for my weight loss as I’ve lost around 6kg (over a 2 month period) but I’m still feeling extremely tired and still have Foggy brain

Medication I’m on is:
Levothyroxin 100mg
Statin 10mg
Amertripoline 10mg (for pain in my spine at night)
Metformin 1000mg slow release
canagliflozin 100mg

Is there any of these that could be causing this or is it the diabetes still?

Hi @Tina23 - I see @kitedoc has comment extensively about your blood glucose numers etc., but in addition to that, I would ask if your thyroid function has been checked recently and if your function/medication is in the optimal regions?

In my experience of reading of others, and to a much less extent for myself, out thyroid being off-kilter can wreak havoc with out whole body balance. Even if you have been stable for a while on your 100mcgr Levo, it's worth a decent look at it. You need to know the numbers from your results, not that they're "fine" or "in range", because it's not alwas quite that simple.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hello, I’ve been a watcher of this site for quite a while now but decided to join today

I was diagnosed with type 2 about 18 months ago after being boarderline for quite a while my levels were 48 then but then stayed at about 62 for a while , I was then put on metformin slow release 1 tablet twice a day. After a while my levels shot up to 98 (unsure why as no diet change) so was then put on 2 metformin tablets twice a day 1000mg .

After 3 months I had another test (not sure what it is except it tests your levels over the last 3 months) and found it had stayed the same. The diabetic nurse then put me on canagliflozin 100mg. Now this has been great for my weight loss as I’ve lost around 6kg (over a 2 month period) but I’m still feeling extremely tired and still have Foggy brain

Medication I’m on is:
Levothyroxin 100mg
Statin 10mg
Amertripoline 10mg (for pain in my spine at night)
Metformin 1000mg slow release
canagliflozin 100mg

Is there any of these that could be causing this or is it the diabetes still?

Hi Tina,
For me, when my weight changed, so did my need for levothyroxine. I had to adjust my intake (went from 175 to 132,5 micrograms as I lost 50 pounds). So that is certainly worth checking. If what you call amertripoline is what I know as Amitriptyline (an antidepressant that is also used for nerve pain and neuropathy) then that could be a cause for the brainfog. Considering it is something you really need to be on though if it is severe nervepain you're treating in your back, I'd weigh my options and see whether it's worth a bit of haziness. I think it probably is, but only you can tell for sure. Then there's statins, they can certainly cause some brainfog too... So there's three possible causes right there, aside from diabetes.

You may be interested in a low carb / high fat diet to keep your diabetes from progressing, and possibly getting your bloodsugars back into the normal range. (Practically all carbohydrates turn to glucose once ingested, so starches too, not just sugars.). As you lose weight on a low carb diet your cholesterol may increase for a little bit as your body gets rid of what it has been storing, but after a while it'll come down and then maybe it'd be worth discussing ditching the statins, (and possibly the metformin) with your GP. Get yourself a meter and try to see what foods work for you. Test before a meal and 2 hours after the first bite. If it didn't go up more than 36 (2.0 mmol/l) the meal was perfect, and your overall bloodsugar levels will drop on that sort of diet. Diabetic complications are amazingly reduced on that too. On top of that you will lose a considerable amount of weight, which may make a difference for your back. I know mine gave me more trouble when I was heavier, in any case, and I have a rather deformed spine. (Scoliosis and kyfosis; it's all over the place).

I hope this helps!
Jo

 

[Brunneria]

Hi and Welcome to the forum!

Great info above, so I will just point out that my brain gets foggy whenever my blood glucose is higher than normal.
- and it looks like yours has been running higher than normal for a looooong time.

I suspect that when you get your blood glucose under control (whether that is by diet, lifestyle changes and/or medication), then your foggy brain will improve along with it.

I won't bang on about carb intake, because if you have been reading the forum for a while, then you have read it all before!

 

[daisy1]

@Tina23
Hello Tina and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it both interesting and helpful.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

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 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. Most of these are 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.
  

 

[Tina23]

Hi @Tina23, Welcome on board!!
From my experience as a diabetic and lots of reading, not as professional advice or opinion:
When diabetes seems to get worse more quickly than expected, I think:
Why? ? weight increase due to diet not being right? Stress ++ pushing up BSLs?
infection like an infected tooth, ? something happening to the pancreas?
Throwing in more medication might help the BSLs but not necessarily deal with the underlying cause.
Do you measure your BSLs? Some DSNs and doctors may prescribe glucose meters and strips for their T2D patients, but I gather many do not.
Tiredness and foggy brain might be symptoms of high BSLs, perhaps loss of body salts through the urine also but again,
unless the underlying cause is found (and it may be something other than the above, or in addition) the problem remains.
Suggestions:
1) Go to the Home page and in the search box, right upper corner,
type in LADA and read about this type of diabetes, blood tests are needed to detect if this is a possibility
2) Whilst on the Home page also look at the Type 2 diabetes menu and the various diets described there
3) See your doctor about
a) the tiredness and fogginess,
b) LADA and the tests used to diagnose it
c) ask about any symptoms like tooth ache etc which you think might be a source of infection
d) plus about any stress you are experiencing
e) ask if he/she will prescribe a glucose meter and test strips given your high HBA1C and need for more medication
4) If neither your doctor or nurse will prescribe a meter and strips, look at the Home page again. under Living With Diabetes - and Blood Glucose far left , then Blood glucose meters, then comparisons down the list of pretty pictures of meters to the heading Sanofi - SD Code Free - this meter and its strips is, according to UK diabetics on site, the less expensive meter to self-fund.
And you are entirely within your rights to ask the diabetes nurse, or a nurse at our GP's surgery to show show you how to work it.
I hope the above helps and please let us know how you get on.

Thanks @kitedoc i do have an under active thyroid which I did think could be causing the tiredness and foggy brain my levels are pretty good atm T-SHIRT about 2 so it’s so hard to work out which it is

 

[Tina23]

Hi @Tina23 - I see @kitedoc has comment extensively about your blood glucose numers etc., but in addition to that, I would ask if your thyroid function has been checked recently and if your function/medication is in the optimal regions?

In my experience of reading of others, and to a much less extent for myself, out thyroid being off-kilter can wreak havoc with out whole body balance. Even if you have been stable for a while on your 100mcgr Levo, it's worth a decent look at it. You need to know the numbers from your results, not that they're "fine" or "in range", because it's not alwas quite that simple.

Hi @Tina23 - I see @kitedoc has comment extensively about your blood glucose numers etc., but in addition to that, I would ask if your thyroid function has been checked recently and if your function/medication is in the optimal regions?

In my experience of reading of others, and to a much less extent for myself, out thyroid being off-kilter can wreak havoc with out whole body balance. Even if you have been stable for a while on your 100mcgr Levo, it's worth a decent look at it. You need to know the numbers from your results, not that they're "fine" or "in range", because it's not alwas quite that simple.

Hi, yes last time I had a blood test my levels was quite good I believe TSH about 2 and T4? Was 11 so pretty low and my tiredness did get better before I was diagnosed with type 2

 

[Blip22]

Hello, I’ve been a watcher of this site for quite a while now but decided to join today

I was diagnosed with type 2 about 18 months ago after being boarderline for quite a while my levels were 48 then but then stayed at about 62 for a while , I was then put on metformin slow release 1 tablet twice a day. After a while my levels shot up to 98 (unsure why as no diet change) so was then put on 2 metformin tablets twice a day 1000mg .

After 3 months I had another test (not sure what it is except it tests your levels over the last 3 months) and found it had stayed the same. The diabetic nurse then put me on canagliflozin 100mg. Now this has been great for my weight loss as I’ve lost around 6kg (over a 2 month period) but I’m still feeling extremely tired and still have Foggy brain

Medication I’m on is:
Levothyroxin 100mg
Statin 10mg
Amertripoline 10mg (for pain in my spine at night)
Metformin 1000mg slow release
canagliflozin 100mg

Is there any of these that could be causing this or is it the diabetes still?

HiThere are several diseases that can cause secondary diabetes which often present as atypical diabetes, so this is something you could ask your GP to consider. A glucose meter can be helpful in understanding your response to food and diet. Look into low carb diets, hopefully your diabetic nurse/doctor will be open/supportive of this relatively new but effective approach, and you may find you could come off of a lot of the medication you're on, but again discuss this with your health professional or GP. The HbA1c as you say is a three month average, and can be misleading particularly if you have wide fluctuations if blood glucose. It was recognized decades ago that this test fails to recognize some cases of diabetes. An oral glucose tolerance test is usually diagnostic, and can reveal other important information. Please do ensure you seek professional advice though from your GP/diabetic nurse.

 

[Tina23]

Hi Tina,
For me, when my weight changed, so did my need for levothyroxine. I had to adjust my intake (went from 175 to 132,5 micrograms as I lost 50 pounds). So that is certainly worth checking. If what you call amertripoline is what I know as Amitriptyline (an antidepressant that is also used for nerve pain and neuropathy) then that could be a cause for the brainfog. Considering it is something you really need to be on though if it is severe nervepain you're treating in your back, I'd weigh my options and see whether it's worth a bit of haziness. I think it probably is, but only you can tell for sure. Then there's statins, they can certainly cause some brainfog too... So there's three possible causes right there, aside from diabetes.

You may be interested in a low carb / high fat diet to keep your diabetes from progressing, and possibly getting your bloodsugars back into the normal range. (Practically all carbohydrates turn to glucose once ingested, so starches too, not just sugars.). As you lose weight on a low carb diet your cholesterol may increase for a little bit as your body gets rid of what it has been storing, but after a while it'll come down and then maybe it'd be worth discussing ditching the statins, (and possibly the metformin) with your GP. Get yourself a meter and try to see what foods work for you. Test before a meal and 2 hours after the first bite. If it didn't go up more than 36 (2.0 mmol/l) the meal was perfect, and your overall bloodsugar levels will drop on that sort of diet. Diabetic complications are amazingly reduced on that too. On top of that you will lose a considerable amount of weight, which may make a difference for your back. I know mine gave me more trouble when I was heavier, in any case, and I have a rather deformed spine. (Scoliosis and kyfosis; it's all over the place).

I hope this helps!
Jo

Thank you @JoKalsbeek very interesting I’m only on 10mg stain and since taking it my reading has dropped from 7 to 4 so 8 may ask if 8 can try not taking it anymore (think I’m due another blood test in about a month). I probably do eat to many carbs as we do love pasta I’ll have to look into changing that.

 

[Tina23]

@Tina23
Hello Tina and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it both interesting and helpful.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

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 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. Most of these are 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.

Thank you so much @daisy1 very helpful and I will have a good read of this

 

[Tina23]

HiThere are several diseases that can cause secondary diabetes which often present as atypical diabetes, so this is something you could ask your GP to consider. A glucose meter can be helpful in understanding your response to food and diet. Look into low carb diets, hopefully your diabetic nurse/doctor will be open/supportive of this relatively new but effective approach, and you may find you could come off of a lot of the medication you're on, but again discuss this with your health professional or GP. The HbA1c as you say is a three month average, and can be misleading particularly if you have wide fluctuations if blood glucose. It was recognized decades ago that this test fails to recognize some cases of diabetes. An oral glucose tolerance test is usually diagnostic, and can reveal other important information. Please do ensure you seek professional advice though from your GP/diabetic nurse.

Hello and thank you you @Blip22 I did buy a meter but I find it very tricky to use never seems to work for me so cost a fortune replacing the strips but I’ll look for a different one.im not allowed to come off the metformin yet as I did ask when it didn’t seem to be working but she told me the new medication canagliflozin will work with it together

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Thank you @JoKalsbeek very interesting I’m only on 10mg stain and since taking it my reading has dropped from 7 to 4 so 8 may ask if 8 can try not taking it anymore (think I’m due another blood test in about a month). I probably do eat to many carbs as we do love pasta I’ll have to look into changing that.

Pasta, bread, potatoes, cereal (incl. weetabix, muesli, bran flakes etc), rice, most fruit... They all spike bloodsugars. That's where a meter comes in handy, you'll see exactly what is happening to your bloodsugars when you eat certain things. Stuff that won't spike you are meat, poultry, fish, above-ground and/or leafy green veggies, butter, cheese, full fat greek yoghurt, nuts, eggs, avocado, berries, tomatoes, starfruit, olives, that sort of thing... It's a big change, but for me, it meant getting the diabetes into remission, ditching the statins, and not having everlasting infections anymore. My back's way beter than it was too. Plus ridding myself of those 50 pounds, having more energy and clear-headedness.

I'd hold off on quiting the statins, as you really should discuss that with your doc before doing anything drastic, but as it turns out cholesterol isn't as bad as people used to think... Same with fats really. No idea if your doc's up to date with the lastest research, but just try to get a dietary change in place first (also with your doc knowing), and then see what you can change medication-wise to suit the changes.

I've used cauliflower rice and broccoli rice to replace pasta, potatoes and rice in our daily meals, which has worked rather well. Courgetti's good as a pasta-replacement too, (spiralised courgette). Then there's konjac pasta, which is a bit rubbery, but can replace pasta as well. You've got options.

I'll just stick my usual list of meal ideas here;
Scrambled eggs with bacon, cheese, mushrooms, tomato, maybe some high meat content sausages?
Eggs with ham, bacon and cheese
Omelet with spinach and/or smoked salmon
Omelet with cream, cinnamon, with some berries and coconut shavings
Full fat Greek yoghurt with nuts and berries
Leafy green salad with a can of tuna (oil, not brine!), mayonaise, capers, olives and avocado
Leafy green salad with (warmed goat's) cheese and bacon, maybe a nice vinaigrette?
Meat, fish or poultry with veggies. I usually go for cauliflower rice or broccoli rice, with cheese and bacon to bulk it up. Never the same meal twice in a row because of various herbs/spices.

Snacks? Pork scratchings, cheese, olives, extra dark chocolate, nuts.

Hope this helps!
Jo

 

[Tina23]

Pasta, bread, potatoes, cereal (incl. weetabix, muesli, bran flakes etc), rice, most fruit... They all spike bloodsugars. That's where a meter comes in handy, you'll see exactly what is happening to your bloodsugars when you eat certain things. Stuff that won't spike you are meat, poultry, fish, above-ground and/or leafy green veggies, butter, cheese, full fat greek yoghurt, nuts, eggs, avocado, berries, tomatoes, starfruit, olives, that sort of thing... It's a big change, but for me, it meant getting the diabetes into remission, ditching the statins, and not having everlasting infections anymore. My back's way beter than it was too. Plus ridding myself of those 50 pounds, having more energy and clear-headedness.

I'd hold off on quiting the statins, as you really should discuss that with your doc before doing anything drastic, but as it turns out cholesterol isn't as bad as people used to think... Same with fats really. No idea if your doc's up to date with the lastest research, but just try to get a dietary change in place first (also with your doc knowing), and then see what you can change medication-wise to suit the changes.

I've used cauliflower rice and broccoli rice to replace pasta, potatoes and rice in our daily meals, which has worked rather well. Courgetti's good as a pasta-replacement too, (spiralised courgette). Then there's konjac pasta, which is a bit rubbery, but can replace pasta as well. You've got options.

I'll just stick my usual list of meal ideas here;
Scrambled eggs with bacon, cheese, mushrooms, tomato, maybe some high meat content sausages?
Eggs with ham, bacon and cheese
Omelet with spinach and/or smoked salmon
Omelet with cream, cinnamon, with some berries and coconut shavings
Full fat Greek yoghurt with nuts and berries
Leafy green salad with a can of tuna (oil, not brine!), mayonaise, capers, olives and avocado
Leafy green salad with (warmed goat's) cheese and bacon, maybe a nice vinaigrette?
Meat, fish or poultry with veggies. I usually go for cauliflower rice or broccoli rice, with cheese and bacon to bulk it up. Never the same meal twice in a row because of various herbs/spices.

Snacks? Pork scratchings, cheese, olives, extra dark chocolate, nuts.

Hope this helps!
Jo

Omg some of the things you say are ok I’m shocked at ie: pork scratchings and cheese and you say full fat Greek yoghurt ive always brought low fat ones.

I won’t stop the statins unless my diabetic nurse says it’s ok

 

[Pinkorchid]

Perhaps seeing your doctor might be a good idea as brain fog and tiredness could be due to your thyroid problem We do talk about the low carb diet here but that it is not always suitable for those who have other medical problems so we would advise you to talk to your doctor or nurse about it. Well done for the weight loss though you are doing something right

 

[Tina23]

Perhaps seeing your doctor might be a good idea as brain fog and tiredness could be due to your thyroid problem We do talk about the low carb diet here but that it is not always suitable for those who have other medical problems so we would advise you to talk to your doctor or nurse about it. Well done for the weight loss though you are doing something right

Thank you I’m so pleased as for around 3 years I’ve really struggled from weight loss which I believe could be to do with the underactive thyroid

 

[Tina23]

Hi and Welcome to the forum!

Great info above, so I will just point out that my brain gets foggy whenever my blood glucose is higher than normal.
- and it looks like yours has been running higher than normal for a looooong time.

I suspect that when you get your blood glucose under control (whether that is by diet, lifestyle changes and/or medication), then your foggy brain will improve along with it.

I won't bang on about carb intake, because if you have been reading the forum for a while, then you have read it all before!

Thanks @Brunneria yes I have been reading about the low carbs diet and I have tried to cut down on them. I can’t wait to see my next results as I’ve lost the weight and I know my BS is lower as I had a procedure done on my back a few weeks ago and was tested first thing it was 8 where as before it was averaging about 12

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Omg some of the things you say are ok I’m shocked at ie: pork scratchings and cheese and you say full fat Greek yoghurt ive always brought low fat ones.

I won’t stop the statins unless my diabetic nurse says it’s ok

This is going to be a bit long, so get yourself some tea...

There are 3 macro-nutrients. Fats, carbs and protein. If you cut one, you up the others, to avoid becoming malnourished and to still get all the micro-nutrients. (vitamines, minerals). Carbs turn to glucose once ingested and will make you spike. Protein can cause a raise in bloodsugars, but nothing near as dramatic as carbs... And fats are a glucose-flatline. They will not spike you, at all. Better yet, they'll mitigate the effects of any carbs you do have, slowing down their uptake.

Quite a few decades ago there was a rather biased research done in the USA (funded, I seem to remember, by the food industry), that claimed fats were bad and we should up the carbs. (sugar and starches are not only a cheap additive, they're literally addictive too. To quote pringles: Once you pop, you can't stop. And the high crabs are responsible for that.) The research wasn't done well, but it got picked up practically all over . We dutifully cut fats, upped the carb intake and... 40, Maybe 50 years later on there's a diabetes pandemic in the Western world. Long ago, T2 was a condition that only hit the elderly. Now it's hitting people in their thirties, sometimes even 20's. (I was 38). That says a lot, no?

So... All those light products, the ones that are low to no fat? They have to have some flavour, have to be bulked up somehow, right? Enter the carbs. If you check packaging of low fat products, you'll usually find they're high in carbs. Exactly what you don't want.

I'm assuming you have weight to lose, as 90% of T2's are more or less overweight? Some slightly, some morbidly. Carbs, as I mentioned before, usually turn to glucose once ingested. A T2 makes a LOAD of insulin, but has become insensitive to it. So rather than helping us turn that glucose into fuel, it just plain doesn't... And that glucose in our bloodstream is initially stored in fat cells, as it doesn't have anyplace else to be, and certainly isn't burned off. It's the carbs that make us big, as a symptom of prediabetes! After a while those fat cells are full, and the glucose overflows into our system. Hello, full blown T2! It's in our blood, our eyeballs, tears, saliva, urine, it's spilling out all over the place because it can't be stored anymore, and we can't burn it for fuel efficiently either. See the problem?

So... To feel full, and get all the macro-nutrients we need, we up the fats when we cu the carbs. Protein remains moderate as too much of that will raise our bloodsugars too, but all in all... We have a metabolic contidion... And we need to change out diet to cater to what our body can handle.

I changed my diet, and usually have one or two portions of bacon on my plate a day... (Usually when I have eggs with bacon and cheese, and in the evening I bulk up my cauliflower rice with bacon and cheese too. I never go hungry. ). My cholesterol came down in three months and I could stop the statins I'd just barely started. Ditched the medication too (Metformin didn't agree with me, and while the gliclazide was fine, it gave me hypo's on the new regime: just didn't need it as I was learning how to eat as a T2!). My non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a lot better, energy levels are up, my HbA1c is solidly in the non-diabetic range....

I say, everything truly is beter with bacon. (And my thyroid is underactive too... So if I can lose weight in spite of that... Then you can too. The porblem was just that you didn't know where the problem was, and now you do! Yay!)

If you want, check dietdoctor.com for meal ideas and more information, and maybe pick up Dr. Jason Fung's the Diabetes Code. It explains it all a lot better than I can. And Fung's not a dry, boring read, believe it or not.