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New and scared

A

Ailidh

Active Member
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34
Hi. I was diagnosed about 10 days ago but haven't had any advice yet.

Back in March I joined a gym, and they did a blood test as part of their induction. They said it was 11 somethings, and that I should get it checked at the doctor's.
I've only just moved here (early retirement on health grounds, bit of a breakdown [anxiety, insomnia and depression] following lymphoma), and hadn't registered with a practice yet. When I did get to it, I had a fasting blood test. I don't know what the numbers were but I got a text out of the blue from the practice saying the doctor wanted me to have a 2nd test. This did nothing at all for my anxiety levels, which had been rising steadily since I began sleeping badly again a week or so earlier. This was the HbA1c test.
A week later the diabetes nurse rang me to confirm diabetes. Told me not to worry, she could sort it in 6 months. Told me she couldn't see me for over a fortnight (it's coming up, June 30th). She left me a couple of pamphlets at reception, which I picked up. They told me to eat healthily but no specific meal suggestions.

I'm trying not to google too much - there's so much opportunity just to frighten myself! - so I'm a bit baffled as to how to proceed. I've been eating some fruit, veg, and wholemeal bread options.

At the beginning of June, before the blood tests, I'd finally tipped over into committing to weightloss (again, I'm a serial dieter) and had begun the JanePlan meal delivery system. It's food, not bars and shakes, and I hoped it would help me to understand portion-control, which I'd really lost sight of. It did, and it was very nice tasting. In the first week I lost 7lbs, which freaked me out a bit: I know I have a lot to lose, I know it's mostly water, but it seemed a lot, too much? Anyway, that's what I blamed a suddenly awful sleepless night at the end of the first week. My mind was racing and wouldn't be stilled, I didn't sleep for hours - and it took me straight back to the post-lymphoma breakdown phase, and I was terrified. So for 2.5 weeks, I've been working to reduce my anxiety, Trying (not that successfully) to stop worrying about sleep. Eventually, I managed to beg a doctor's appointment (had to go in in person and beg, no bookable appointments until mid-July), and saw my own doctor, for the first time. He said my diabetes wasn't severe (it's just over 7 somethings) but prescribed Metformin anyway. That reassured me. Then he told me to up the 10mg of Amitriptyline I've taken every night for 18 months, and which had seemed to sort out the sleep issues, to 20mg. That scared me. He printed out some information on diet but beyond showing a food plate, it goes on to discuss balancing one's insulin against various foods; I'm not on insulin, I think he's really given me the wrong info.

I took my first Metformin an hour ago, half-way through a bowl of porridge, and so far so good: no nausea or diarrhoea.

I'm still not sure how to take my diet. Some things I read, say to make healthy carb choices; others say to eat low-carb; others low GI. I'm very confused, and scared about the responsibility I have to eat the right things to protect my health. I'm particularly scared that what I eat could impact on my sleep. Oh yes, and the pharmacist told me to be careful not to miss meals when on Metformin, or I could fall into a life-threatening hypo coma. That didn't help my anxiety much. Eat too much of the wrong things and I could die; don't eat enough and I could die......

Hey, I'm wittering but it helps to write it down. If anyone can offer a scaredy-cat some advice and support, I'd be very grateful. Especially: can eating the "wrong" things, especially in the evening, affect blood sugar and sleep? I've been eating a plain Muller Rice with my evening meal, I guess that's wrong? Last night I was restless and hot - is that a blood sugar thing?

BTW: female, aged 60; 5'2"; 222 lbs (down from 238 on June 1st). Losartan & Bendroflumethiazide for HBP (this controls it well). Amitriptyline 10mg at night for sleep (this used to control it well).
 
Ailidh said:
Hi. I was diagnosed about 10 days ago but haven't had any advice yet.

Back in March I joined a gym, and they did a blood test as part of their induction. They said it was 11 somethings, and that I should get it checked at the doctor's.
I've only just moved here (early retirement on health grounds, bit of a breakdown [anxiety, insomnia and depression] following lymphoma), and hadn't registered with a practice yet. When I did get to it, I had a fasting blood test. I don't know what the numbers were but I got a text out of the blue from the practice saying the doctor wanted me to have a 2nd test. This did nothing at all for my anxiety levels, which had been rising steadily since I began sleeping badly again a week or so earlier. This was the HbA1c test.
A week later the diabetes nurse rang me to confirm diabetes. Told me not to worry, she could sort it in 6 months. Told me she couldn't see me for over a fortnight (it's coming up, June 30th). She left me a couple of pamphlets at reception, which I picked up. They told me to eat healthily but no specific meal suggestions.

I'm trying not to google too much - there's so much opportunity just to frighten myself! - so I'm a bit baffled as to how to proceed. I've been eating some fruit, veg, and wholemeal bread options.

At the beginning of June, before the blood tests, I'd finally tipped over into committing to weightloss (again, I'm a serial dieter) and had begun the JanePlan meal delivery system. It's food, not bars and shakes, and I hoped it would help me to understand portion-control, which I'd really lost sight of. It did, and it was very nice tasting. In the first week I lost 7lbs, which freaked me out a bit: I know I have a lot to lose, I know it's mostly water, but it seemed a lot, too much? Anyway, that's what I blamed a suddenly awful sleepless night at the end of the first week. My mind was racing and wouldn't be stilled, I didn't sleep for hours - and it took me straight back to the post-lymphoma breakdown phase, and I was terrified. So for 2.5 weeks, I've been working to reduce my anxiety, Trying (not that successfully) to stop worrying about sleep. Eventually, I managed to beg a doctor's appointment (had to go in in person and beg, no bookable appointments until mid-July), and saw my own doctor, for the first time. He said my diabetes wasn't severe (it's just over 7 somethings) but prescribed Metformin anyway. That reassured me. Then he told me to up the 10mg of Amitriptyline I've taken every night for 18 months, and which had seemed to sort out the sleep issues, to 20mg. That scared me. He printed out some information on diet but beyond showing a food plate, it goes on to discuss balancing one's insulin against various foods; I'm not on insulin, I think he's really given me the wrong info.

I took my first Metformin an hour ago, half-way through a bowl of porridge, and so far so good: no nausea or diarrhoea.

I'm still not sure how to take my diet. Some things I read, say to make healthy carb choices; others say to eat low-carb; others low GI. I'm very confused, and scared about the responsibility I have to eat the right things to protect my health. I'm particularly scared that what I eat could impact on my sleep. Oh yes, and the pharmacist told me to be careful not to miss meals when on Metformin, or I could fall into a life-threatening hypo coma. That didn't help my anxiety much. Eat too much of the wrong things and I could die; don't eat enough and I could die......

Hey, I'm wittering but it helps to write it down. If anyone can offer a scaredy-cat some advice and support, I'd be very grateful. Especially: can eating the "wrong" things, especially in the evening, affect blood sugar and sleep? I've been eating a plain Muller Rice with my evening meal, I guess that's wrong? Last night I was restless and hot - is that a blood sugar thing?

BTW: female, aged 60; 5'2"; 222 lbs (down from 238 on June 1st). Losartan & Bendroflumethiazide for HBP (this controls it well). Amitriptyline 10mg at night for sleep (this used to control it well).
Click to expand...
Hi ailidh, welcome to the forums.

Firstly, I think the risk of a hypo with metformin is very low and your pharmacist is covering himself by telling you that. So relax a little.

Next, think about getting yourself a meter to test your blood before and after meals so that you know what's going on. The NHS doesn't usually give them to T2s but you could ask. The SD Codefree has the cheapest test strips if you're self funding.

Think about reducing your carb intake, it can help to make your BS easier to control and will assist with weight loss as you've already started dieting.

If you're condition is not severe you could find that your diabetes is reversible with the right approach.
 
It's easy to say Don't worry! but don't. This is manageable.

My first advice is to start go for walks. Excellent help in controlling blood glucose and helps with blood pressure, anxiety and promotes sleep.

Second is to look into diet. Many of us on here go for low carb and quite a few are on LCHF, that is Low Carb High Fat. I follow the advice of http://www.dietdoctor.com/ with great success. Basically every gram of sugar and starch turns into glucose in the blood. Starchy things are for example bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and many other roots. Sugar is found in milk, around 5%, and in fruit of all kinds. Most above ground vegetables are OK, peas can be tricky, and some roots like celeriac and turnips are usually OK.

If you overdo the protein part this may lead to highish BG too so keep protein normal. Fat, on the other hand, does next to nothing BG wise so it's good to fill up on, healthy fats like organic butter, coconut oil, olive oil, duck fat etc.

Thirdly, get a blood glucose meter. The test strips are expensive so try and see if you can get them through your diabetes nurse or GP. Testing is absolutely vital in order to see what you can eat or should avoid.

Your nurse and GP will probably tell you follow the healthy plate and not to test. They may also tell you diabetes is progressive and that you eventually might have to start on insulin. Do your own research and look around the forum. There are lots of low carb recipes and check the success stories too. And go for a walk.
 
Welcome to the forum ...you have come to the right place...:P
 
Hi, and welcome.

I'd repeat what has already been said about not being scared; you will be able to take control and it sounds as if you may've found out about it relatively early, which is good.

You'll find a wealth of resources and help on here, so make use of it: there are lots of people on here with experience and knowledge. Brace yourself for less than thorough back-up from the NHS. It's not deliberate neglect but it's not top of their list of priorities and sometimes it takes time for appointments and such like to come through.

@daisy1 will be along in due course, with some helpful information for starters, and don't hesitate to ask questions.

About 12 months ago, I was where you are now - newly diagnosed and, erm, bricking it. Things will improve and you will find yourself in control before too long :)
 
@Ailidh

Hello Ailidh and welcome to the forum :)

Some excellent advice above. Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask all the questions you want 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 over 150,000 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

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

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 bloodglucose 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.
 
Hi and welcome
I agree with all the above it seems like death and gloom to start with far from it , if I was that bad you would be in hospital by now.
So please stop worrying with just a few simple steps you will start to see light at the end of the tunnel.
CUT DOWN ON THE CARBS and I say cut down smaller portions to start with so suds pasta bread and rice , sugary things no cakes pastry or sugar in your tea, that's a start , you will need to test so that you can tell what foods are definitely out , it's not all salads some yes but not all. Have a look at the low carb section you will be suprized what you can have .
Any questions just ask.
Keep well stay safe JJ
 
Hi. If your Hba1c was 7.n% then it could be worse so don't panic. Yes, the low-carb diet is essential to reduce both weight and blood sugar. A meter will guide you. In general, ignore NHS diet advice as it is often wrong for us. Follow the advice from many on this forum. To make up for lower carbs, protein and fats together with veg are fine.
 
Hi and welcome. It's horrible to be diagnosed but the advice and support on site soon helps you realise that a few changes can make all the difference and that you can take control of things
 
Hello and welcome.
I remember how I felt a year ago,and realy understand your anxiety.
Stick with the forum,you will get all the help you need.
It is very manageable,
 
Hi Ailidh,
I was once a lymphomaniac too! Fortunately, my white cells have seen the error of their ways and are now behaving themselves.
In the simplest T2, your pancreas makes plenty of insulin, but the liver doesn't respond very well. Reducing your carbs gives the liver a chance to manage better without overloading it. sadly it's not just sugar, so rice, potato, pasta bread and such like all need to be reduced.
I found that cutting back on the carbs led to fast and significant weight loss - much more than in 30 years of messing about with low fat.
I can relax - but only a small amount.
If it's hard, focus on the next meal only.
Best wishes
Adam
 
Most people are fine, but if you should find yourself on the "untoward" end of the spectrum (and it can take a while to become apparent), don't hesitate to ask for SR (slow release) metformin, which sorts out the problem for most.
 
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