New and no clue

[INeedAnA-Z]

So...I got confirmation yesterday that I am diabetic, i'm guessing type 2...im guessing at everything basically. I know I should go back to my drs for more info but right at this moment i need to step off the medical rollercoaster (a lot else going on inc long term anxiety)

it started 8-10 weeks ago when i had a stinking cold and needed to take steroids (asthma & COPD) I felt so ill including chest pains, ended up in A&E where heart issues were ruled out and nothing actually ruled in but my blood and urine showed glucose trace so sent to my GP......

Lots of bloods later im told i have anaemia and low ferritin (80 & 5) elevated WBC (14, being investigated) and probably diabetes (HB1c 60) but need to retest, they mess up my retest so thats retaken another 2 weeks down the line and results were given to me yesterday (HB1c 52) I don't need to test my blood on a meter and i've be prescribed metformin and to come back in 3 months...thats pretty much as much as i know.

Is there any way of knowing how long ive had it.

My diet isnt bad...its not brilliant but id say better than average although this year it has slipped due to a couple of very stressful situations (1 ongoing)

Not sure ive had symptoms of diabetes, not sure if the utter fatigue is anaemia or diabetes or both...just feeling utterly lost, i'm guessing from the lax 8 week gap that my numbers arent bad but just more guessing.

So, avoid sugar obviously but how much like no chocolate at all? (not happening!) Limit alcohol (already do last drink was 3 months ago) Limit starchy carbs? (easier)

Worth getting a meter or not (i hate finger prick tests so might be wasted) but I feel i might get a grip on numbers and food if i can see the difference it makes.

Sorry, i know its a bit rambling but thats what my brain feels like right now with the tiredness etc I guess a bit overwhelmed (more guessing!)

AZ

 

[HSSS]

Welcome to the club no one wants to join.

I’m shocked your doctor doesn’t know that anemia can affect hb1ac and in these circumstances alternatives should have been considered. Fructosamine test or fasting glucose. are you still on the steroids as they too raise glucose? And at 52 most of us are given the option of diet and exercise (lifestyle) to turn things around before starting medication in a few months if that doesn’t help.

Hardly any type 2 get a meter. That doesn’t mean it’s not useful, so long as you know how to use it and what t means. Financial reasons or lack of knowledge how to use it for a type 2 are more the truth about not prescribing them imo. Yes it makes a difference. It shows you which foods do what to you and doesn’t have to be forever.

As for what to do. Here my intro. It’s a lot so take your time and read a link or two at your leisure. It is overwhelming at first but it gets easier. Honestly.

*********

Can I suggest you take a good look at LCHF ie low carb higher fat (than typically recommended) methods of eating (keto is just a version of this). It’s how an awful lot of us get our blood sugar levels under control and for some even eliminate medications and achieve remission and also reduce or improve complications. It is often the easiest and most sustainable form of weight loss for a type 2 if you need that. Other conditions often improve including but not limited to blood pressure, joint pain, inflammation, PCOS, and despite the dire warnings of the last few decades it improves cholesterol for most, yes improves cholesterol. Some jump right on it, others edge their toes in a bit at a time.


Try clicking these links for more detailed explanations that are well worth readings.


http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.26870/


https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/jokalsbeek.401801/ for info including low carb made simple


And https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/success-stories-and-testimonials.43/ to show it really works and for motivation


and https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today.75781/ for food ideas


also https://www.dietdoctor.com/ for more food ideas and general info of carb content of foods. Excellent site and first port of call for many getting their head round low carb.


Lots of other websites for recipes out there too. Just use the term low carb or keto with whatever you fancy.


Also it’s very important to be able to check for yourself what’s happening so you can make the necessary adjustments day to day and meal by meal rather than wait 3, 6 or even 12 months and then have no idea what had what effect. It also helps keep an eye out that any meds are working appropriately not too much or too little. Getting a blood glucose meter is the only way to do this (no matter what contradictory advice you may have heard - it’s usually budget based rather than anything more scientific). Test before a meal and 2hrs later hoping for a rise of 2mmol or less. More and the carbs eaten were too many! Please ask if you want any guidance on this.


IMPORTANT FOR ANYONE ON DIABETIC MEDS (other than metformin): if you lower your carbs then any glucose lowering meds or insulin increasing meds may need to be adjusted accordingly to make sure you aren’t taking more than your new diet requires. It can cause a hypo if you have more gliclazide or insulin etc than your new carb intake requires. (This is not a concern for metformin on its own). Keep a very close eye on your numbers and do this with your dr’s knowledge. Please don’t be put off by an ill informed out dated rubbishing of low carb diets or being told you should eat carbs to match meds, it should be the other way around.

 

[INeedAnA-Z]

Thanks for replying

Not on the steroid tablets at the moment, but am on inhaled steroids twice daily for life (fostair) I'm aware it affects blood sugars but not a clue how much, not had any other blood sugars done bar for the 2 HB1c (I do have dipsticks at home and they rarely show glucose and never show ketones)

I have the dipsticks as I have tried to do keto (failed) and kept them in ever since as i have a cat with FIC and it was handy to keep an eye out for blood etc in his urine... But back to keto diet. I tried, for 3 months and couldnt get into ketosis despite going ZERO carbs a month in. I lost a grand total of 2lbs in 3 months. Keto groups said it was probably due to my artificially sweetened drinks or not enough fat but I don't do plain water and as i was craving veg I quit trying. I do need to lose weight but my cholesterol is ok, i saw the figures yesterday, all right in middle of the ranges.

As far as Drs..I do think they've been somewhat lax, 8 weeks to get diagnosed is too long as far as im concerned and has caused some addition stress but may be due to them trying to get to bottom of other issues...anaemia and raised WBC and a back issue for which i have had an MRI (awaiting results) But i'm wondering how much the stresses of this year have played with my numbers.

Im going to take it all in for a few days before deciding on getting a meter, I do think it will help me get a better understanding of it all and keep a check on things

 

[Rachox]

Not on the steroid tablets at the moment, but am on inhaled steroids twice daily for life (fostair) I'm aware it affects blood sugars but not a clue how much

Hi and welcome to the forum. Don’t worry about inhaled steroids, not enough is absorbed to affect blood sugar levels. I take them twice daily for life too and I run with normal blood sugar levels on Metformin and a low carb diet.

 

[HSSS]

I’d start low carb rather than keto and adjust as needed as you go along if jumping straight in didn’t go well previously. Lots of support in here to assist in the tweeking. (Although full disclosure I did jump in straight to keto as I’m an all or nothing kinda girl. Probably not as strict now as the first 6-12 months were but not too far from keto levels).

Oh and eating chicken or lambs liver is the only thing that shifts my ferretin out of single figures (iron tablets and me don’t get along too well). Last checked at a huge 17, well huge for me.

 

[INeedAnA-Z]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Don’t worry about inhaled steroids, not enough is absorbed to affect blood sugar levels. I take them twice daily for life too and I run with normal blood sugar levels on Metformin and a low carb diet.

Oh, not what ive read, higher dose inhaled steroids increased diabetes risk *goes off to look for article*, and it is a specific warning on fostair...never noticed it on any previous inhalers


"Dec. 14, 2010 -- Using inhaled corticosteroids to treat chronic breathing problems may slightly increase a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a new study finds........

For the study, which is published in the November issue of The American Journal of Medicine, Suissa and his colleagues analyzed the drug records of more than 388,000 patients who were prescribed inhaled corticosteroids in Montreal from 1990 to 2005.

They found that the risk of needing medication to control high blood sugar increased about 34% in patients taking any dose of daily inhaled corticosteroids. In those on the highest doses, the risk increased by 64%." WebMD

 

[INeedAnA-Z]

I’d start low carb rather than keto and adjust as needed as you go along if jumping straight in didn’t go well previously. Lots of support in here to assist in the tweeking. (Although full disclosure I did jump in straight to keto as I’m an all or nothing kinda girl. Probably not as strict now as the first 6-12 months were but not too far from keto levels).

Oh and eating chicken or lambs liver is the only thing that shifts my ferretin out of single figures (iron tablets and me don’t get along too well). Last checked at a huge 17, well huge for me.

It was a while ago but i think i I started on 60g, only from green veg, was so strict but after a month and no ketosis i dropped to zero and was persuaded to keep at it by the low carb group i was in but then my love for green beans took over ....however, my fat was fairly low and I did consume drinks containing sweeteners which can trick the body into believing its sugar in some folk apparently..

I've been prescribed iron sulphate but i don't get on with iron tablets either so am taking spa tone also been prescribed 5mg folic acid daily which i am taking...along with either black pudding, chicken liver or mussels & high dose vit c.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

So...I got confirmation yesterday that I am diabetic, i'm guessing type 2...im guessing at everything basically. I know I should go back to my drs for more info but right at this moment i need to step off the medical rollercoaster (a lot else going on inc long term anxiety)

it started 8-10 weeks ago when i had a stinking cold and needed to take steroids (asthma & COPD) I felt so ill including chest pains, ended up in A&E where heart issues were ruled out and nothing actually ruled in but my blood and urine showed glucose trace so sent to my GP......

Lots of bloods later im told i have anaemia and low ferritin (80 & 5) elevated WBC (14, being investigated) and probably diabetes (HB1c 60) but need to retest, they mess up my retest so thats retaken another 2 weeks down the line and results were given to me yesterday (HB1c 52) I don't need to test my blood on a meter and i've be prescribed metformin and to come back in 3 months...thats pretty much as much as i know.

Is there any way of knowing how long ive had it.

My diet isnt bad...its not brilliant but id say better than average although this year it has slipped due to a couple of very stressful situations (1 ongoing)

Not sure ive had symptoms of diabetes, not sure if the utter fatigue is anaemia or diabetes or both...just feeling utterly lost, i'm guessing from the lax 8 week gap that my numbers arent bad but just more guessing.

So, avoid sugar obviously but how much like no chocolate at all? (not happening!) Limit alcohol (already do last drink was 3 months ago) Limit starchy carbs? (easier)

Worth getting a meter or not (i hate finger prick tests so might be wasted) but I feel i might get a grip on numbers and food if i can see the difference it makes.

Sorry, i know its a bit rambling but thats what my brain feels like right now with the tiredness etc I guess a bit overwhelmed (more guessing!)

AZ

You certainly have a lot going on... Can tell you you're not alone there though, a lot of us have more to contend with than "just" diabetes, so it can be done. I was absolutely knackered when diagnosed. Spent most of my days in bed, but getting no rest, fatigued to the point of (muscle) pain. So yeah, that could be due to the blood sugar levels. A meter would be helpful, but only if you actually use it.... I know it was an invaluable tool for me, and you get used to the pricking. My hair used to stand on end every time I had to prick, now it's just something I don't even think about, just do it and poof, done.


So, diet. Can you tell us what you ate in a usual day which you felt you couldn't keep up? (My ferritin is a tad too high, but I eat a lot of canned tuna and smoked salmon to keep my Vitamin D up to par, which also drives those numbers up. Might be an idea for you?) If you get back into low carb eating, let us know what points you struggle with exactly, maybe we can help. Also, chocolate's still on the menu, just the extra dark kind. If you find it too bitter, try having some with a gulp of heavy cream, a bit of butter/coconut oil or a couple of walnuts. After a while your palette changes so it might not be as bitter as it was when you started out. I know my husband hates my chocolate, and when I try a tiny bite of his, it seems sickeningly sweet to me now. And I used to take 5 heaping spoonfuls of sugar in my tea. Things do change. @HSSS already shared the link to my Nutitional Thingy, but since for some reason the link doesn't always work I've put it here too: https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html , it might help somehow.


In any case... You can do this, and you don't have to do it alone. Ask any questions you have, and please do tell us what your diet looks like at the moment... It's more of a lifestyle change, as a diet sounds so temporary, and it's a "for life" thing. But it's not going to be for life if you absolutely hate it. Key is to find stuff that you enjoy eating AND keep you healthy. That requires work-arounds sometimes, but they're out there and we might be able to help you find them.


Good luck!

Jo

 

[INeedAnA-Z]

and you get used to the pricking. My hair used to stand on end every time I had to prick, now it's just something I don't even think about, just do it and poof, done

I'm not squeamish about it, just that it hurts and i end up with purple painful finger tips for 4-5 days each time...i'd much prefer a needle. (ive also got a clotting disorder)

If you get back into low carb eating, let us know what points you struggle with exactly

Didnt really struggle with any points, just that i couldnt get into ketosis, it wasnt happening even when i cut out my green beans (the only carbs i was getting for a month prior) I had 2 carb groups going over my food diary and they both concluded that my artificially sweetened drinks were probably to blame and the one said my fat was a bit on the low side, had carb/atkins flu just no ketosis...went up one bar on the dipstick when i had a stomach bug and didnt eat for 2 days. I can do the no starchy carbs fairly easy as cant stand rice or pasta (pregnancy destroyed my love for it) cant have too much bread etc without dire rear (yes i know its not how its spelled but sums it up perfectly) Tatties were harder but veg were the hardest to limit...if i had to choose one food to live on for the rest of my life it would be green beans and i can and do eat just a huge bowl of the things for a meal quite often.

Diet really isnt that bad but i eat too much of it for my activity level, severely limited due to the brittle asthma and severe emphysema but i am trying to lose weight because i also have a suspected slipped disc in lower back that im awaiting results on. Plenty of veg, (green beans, broccoli, salad veg raw carrot) probably a bit too much meat, fish once or twice a week

Im on calcium and vitamin D supplements due to the steroids so im ok there, the clotting disorder is probably a lot to do with my low blood count and ferritin level although I was often anaemic as a child so can't blame it all female hormones and the menstrual cycle.

If i was a horse.......

Thank you everyone for the welcome and advice so far

 

[HSSS]

I'm not squeamish about it, just that it hurts and i end up with purple painful finger tips for 4-5 days each time...i'd much prefer a needle. (ive also got a clotting disorder)

How are you pricking? It really shouldn’t cause that reaction (unless it’s about your clotting issue). I use a multiclix/fastclix as it’s less fiddly and easier disposal. Make sure it’s sharp still so dont reuse if you’re having issues. Set it to the minimum depth. Have warm clean hands that you’ve massaged a bit from palm to tip on the chosen finger. Windmill your arms a bit too if getting a drop is hard. Be well hydrated as it makes it a lot easier to get blood then too. You don’t need a lot. Fire it off against the side of the tip, not the centre or top. If the minimum isn’t enough increase one step at a time. I find different fingers use different depths sometimes if they’ve hardened a bit. Try and have a system so it’s not the same finger or side each time allowing easier and longer healing.

 

[Rachox]

How are you pricking? It really shouldn’t cause that reaction (unless it’s about your clotting issue). I use a multiclix/fastclix as it’s less fiddly and easier disposal. Make sure it’s sharp still so dont reuse if you’re having issues. Set it to the minimum depth. Have warm clean hands that you’ve massaged a bit from palm to tip on the chosen finger. Windmill your arms a bit too if getting a drop is hard. Be well hydrated as it makes it a lot easier to get blood then too. You don’t need a lot. Fire it off against the side of the tip, not the centre or top. If the minimum isn’t enough increase one step at a time. I find different fingers use different depths sometimes if they’ve hardened a bit. Try and have a system so it’s not the same finger or side each time allowing easier and longer healing.

I second what @HSSS says about finger pricking with just one addition, after pricking, press on the puncture site firmly for several minutes.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. You have a few too many things going on to make it easy to decide the best way forward. Your HBa1C is still relatively good so I would focus on trying to resolve your other conditions, have the lower-carb diet and possibly don't do your own testing until you stabilise.

 

[DumfriesDik]

Taking control of diabetes is not easy, if it was, this forum would be empty. I didn't get on with my diabetic team and don't see them any more, but I do consult with my GP. Lots of good advice and information in this thread from @HSSS and @JoKalsbeek . I am embarking on a LCHF diet and the effect has been dramatic for me. The surprising thing with food is where the carbs hide. To help find them, I use an App/Book called Carbs & Cals. I have become a bit of a bore, I have to read every label going to check for the amount of carb in a product.

Well done for getting started on taking control and understanding diabetes. All the best.

 

[bulkbiker]

.went up one bar on the dipstick

May I ask how long had you been low carb/keto before you started testing with the pee sticks?
They can for some be notriously unreliable as they only measure "wasted" ketones in urine. Once you are in ketosis the body stops wasting them and uses them instead so the pee sticks can show no ketosis when in fact...

 

[INeedAnA-Z]

How are you pricking?

Either done at the hospital with the tri lancet type thing or those automatic press to the finger thing. And yes, probably my clotting disorder, even the most pain free blood draw usually leaves me bruised for a couple of weeks.

after pricking, press on the puncture site firmly for several minutes.

I do, i still bruise, my last but one blood draw was totally pain free, compressed for 10 minutes while she filled in the forms and chatted and still left me with a long bruise down my arm for 2 weeks, its just me and my low clotting factors

Hi. You have a few too many things going on to make it easy to decide the best way forward. Your HBa1C is still relatively good so I would focus on trying to resolve your other conditions, have the lower-carb diet and possibly don't do your own testing until you stabilise.

Yes, i'm thinking get my MRI results and my HGB & ferritin sorted before i concentrate too hard on anything else. Will still be trying to lose weight as that will aid my back too hopefully

 

[INeedAnA-Z]

The surprising thing with food is where the carbs hide. To help find them, I use an App/Book called Carbs & Cals. I have become a bit of a bore, I have to read every label going to check for the amount of carb in a product.

I used MFP, logged everything. No bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, only veg was green beans, the rest was meats, eggs and fats

May I ask how long had you been low carb/keto before you started testing with the pee sticks?

From when i started to when i quit 3 months later

 

[JoKalsbeek]

I'm not squeamish about it, just that it hurts and i end up with purple painful finger tips for 4-5 days each time...i'd much prefer a needle. (ive also got a clotting disorder)

Didnt really struggle with any points, just that i couldnt get into ketosis, it wasnt happening even when i cut out my green beans (the only carbs i was getting for a month prior) I had 2 carb groups going over my food diary and they both concluded that my artificially sweetened drinks were probably to blame and the one said my fat was a bit on the low side, had carb/atkins flu just no ketosis...went up one bar on the dipstick when i had a stomach bug and didnt eat for 2 days. I can do the no starchy carbs fairly easy as cant stand rice or pasta (pregnancy destroyed my love for it) cant have too much bread etc without dire rear (yes i know its not how its spelled but sums it up perfectly) Tatties were harder but veg were the hardest to limit...if i had to choose one food to live on for the rest of my life it would be green beans and i can and do eat just a huge bowl of the things for a meal quite often.

Diet really isnt that bad but i eat too much of it for my activity level, severely limited due to the brittle asthma and severe emphysema but i am trying to lose weight because i also have a suspected slipped disc in lower back that im awaiting results on. Plenty of veg, (green beans, broccoli, salad veg raw carrot) probably a bit too much meat, fish once or twice a week

Im on calcium and vitamin D supplements due to the steroids so im ok there, the clotting disorder is probably a lot to do with my low blood count and ferritin level although I was often anaemic as a child so can't blame it all female hormones and the menstrual cycle.

If i was a horse.......

Thank you everyone for the welcome and advice so far

Couple of things: You don't need to be in ketosis to get your blood sugars under control. Pee sticks don't register ketones in urine when you've done keto for a few weeks, after a while you can only measure ketosis with, alas, a little bloodletting. (Same sort of prick as with a blood glucose machine. One drop is enough, but I see you have problems there). I am in ketosis, but that's just a choice I made because carb counting was driving me nuts, and just going for the lowest possible count was more convenient. The beans: Yeah, they're kinda carby. But do you have to eat a whole bowl of them? Can you just include 100 grams or so, in every evening meal? So you don't miss them, you get to have them every day and you still take care of your diabetes? A low carb diet consists of making choices... Have the beans, cut something else. There's no such thing as too much meat or fish, so you're all good there... Eggs, cheeses and such would be fine too. Above ground, non-starchy veggies also a-okay... There's people who get their blood sugars under control at 80 grams of carbs a day, some need to go for 40 or 20, or even less.... Can't really say where you fall without measuring, alas, but.... Try and figure out what works for you. Add enough fats to keep from getting deficient in vitamins and minerals, and to keep from going hungry. What are you eating now? Per meal? maybe there's hidden carbs somewhere in there. I switched to loose leaf tea and fizzy water as I had to say goodbye to diet drinks for a different reason (The artificial sugars basically laid waste to my gut), but there's a bunch of people here who use crush or something? (Dunno what it is, I'm Dutch). Might be something for you?

 

[HSSS]

Either done at the hospital with the tri lancet type thing or those automatic press to the finger thing

The hospital quite likely have it set quite deep so it works first time on everyone. The automatic ones used at home should have a depth gauge. I appreciate that you don’t clot well and bruise easily (again I echo the bruising issue) but the smaller the hole made the less you’ll bruise. Press firmly but not so hard as to bruise in and of itself

 

[INeedAnA-Z]

Pee sticks don't register ketones in urine when you've done keto for a few weeks

I tested at lt least once daily from the start of doing low carb, I never got into ketosis, i lost 2lb in 3 months. This was about 10 years ago and was for weight loss not diabetes

But do you have to eat a whole bowl of them? Can you just include 100 grams or so, in every evening meal

I dont eat a whole bowl of them often, im just saying i can as they are my favourite food.
When i was doing low carb i was only having a small portion of them a couple of times a week, when I failed to get into ketosis after 1 month of this i dropped them totally for 2 months. I was then on meat, eggs, fish, fats and diet tonic water/bitter lemon. black unsweetened decaff coffee, no milk, No carbs. And still failed to get into ketosis or lose weight

Im not really monitoring my food much right now, im concentrating on getting my iron up first. I'll deal with the carbs later, I cant be doing very low carb with the initial no energy and foggy head when i have zero to start with due to the anaemia. When i start then i will be trying for ketosis to kick start it but it wont be my main goal this time.

I cant drink caffeine drinks as really sensitive to the stuff, i have largely given up carbonated drinks even though they were sugar free but i cant stand plain water so am drinking sugar free flavoured water or sugar free squash/cordial



Strangely, while feeling a bit overwhelmed last night i thought "blow it!" and had 2/3rds of a dairy milk bar, today i feel better than i have in a few weeks, maybe deprivation was making me feel worse! yeah yeah i know not the way to go but im human

 

[INeedAnA-Z]

The hospital quite likely have it set quite deep so it works first time on everyone. The automatic ones used at home should have a depth gauge. I appreciate that you don’t clot well and bruise easily (again I echo the bruising issue) but the smaller the hole made the less you’ll bruise. Press firmly but not so hard as to bruise in and of itself

I'll be asking advice on what to go for if i decide to go that route but as mentioned earlier i think i need to work out the other issues first ...who knows my next HB1c might be within normal or pre range if i can get my Hgb normal and cut my stress