New and struggling

[Ripelda]

Hi all. I was diagnosed amonth or so ago, with a fasting level of 19. I was given Metformin which sent me into a deep sleep for 12 hours and made me very cold. My G.P told me not to take it anymore. I tried low carbing but that lasted less than a week before I started zoning out and feeling faint all the time. Meantime my fasting level hovered between 10.6 and 13. I was given Glimepiride, but after one tablet my levels dropped too quickly and I hypoed out. My levels are still around the 13 mark on waking and rise to 15 or 16 before breakfast after I walk the dog for an hour. I am off all diabetes medication while I wait to see a specialist. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I do next? To add to the mix I was diagnosed with gallstones this week as well! Thanks.

 

[sugarless sue]

Here is the advice we give to new Type 2's. If you have Gallstones then you also need to avoid fat and take as little as possible.

Here is the advice we usually give to newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics.This forum doesn't always follow the recommended dietary advice, you have to work out what works for you as we are all different.

It's not just 'sugars' you need to avoid, diabetes is an inability to process glucose properly. Carbohydrate converts, in the body, to glucose. So it makes sense to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat which includes sugars.

The main carbs to avoid or reduce are the complex or starchy carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, starchy root veg and also any flour based products. The starchy carbs all convert 100% to glucose in the body and raise the blood sugar levels significantly.

The way to find out how different foods affect you is to do regular daily testing and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks. If you test just before eating then two hours after eating you will see the effect of certain foods on your blood glucose levels. Some foods, which are slow acting carbohydrates, are absorbed more slowly so you may need to test three or even four hours later to see the affect that these have on your blood glucose levels.

Buy yourself a carb counter book (you can get these on-line) and you will be able to work out how much carbs you are eating, when you test, the reading two hours after should be roughly the same as the before eating reading, if it is then that meal was fine, if it isn’t then you need to check what you have eaten and think about reducing the portion size of carbs.

When you are buying products check the total carbohydrate content, this includes the sugar content. Do not just go by the amount of sugar on the packaging as this is misleading to a diabetic.

As for a tester, try asking the nurse/doctor and explain that you want to be proactive in managing your own diabetes and therefore need to test so that you can see just how foods affect your blood sugar levels. Hopefully this will work ! Sometimes they are not keen to give Type 2’s the strips on prescription, (in the UK) but you can but try !!

As a Type 2 the latest 2010 NICE guidelines for Bg levels are as follows:
Fasting (waking).......between 4 - 7 mmol/l.
2 hrs after meals......no more than 8.5 mmol/l.
If you are able to keep the post meal numbers lower, so much the better.

It also helps if you can do 30 minutes moderate exercise a day. It doesn't have to be strenuous.

Sue/Ken.

Try just reducing the amount of carbs you eat so that your body gets used to fewer carbs at a slow rate. Maybe you reduced your carb intake too quickly the first time.

 

[ebony321]

Hi all. I was diagnosed amonth or so ago, with a fasting level of 19. I was given Metformin which sent me into a deep sleep for 12 hours and made me very cold. My G.P told me not to take it anymore. I tried low carbing but that lasted less than a week before I started zoning out and feeling faint all the time. Meantime my fasting level hovered between 10.6 and 13. I was given Glimepiride, but after one tablet my levels dropped too quickly and I hypoed out. My levels are still around the 13 mark on waking and rise to 15 or 16 before breakfast after I walk the dog for an hour. I am off all diabetes medication while I wait to see a specialist. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I do next? To add to the mix I was diagnosed with gallstones this week as well! Thanks.

Hi,

welcome to the forum

sorry to hear your having difficulty finding something that works for you!

i'm not type 2 so i'm no pro with oral medication but hopefully when you see a specialist they'll be able to fix you up with something that works

in the mean time like sue says, try reducing your carbs a little bit slower and montitor your blood glucose at the same time

make sure your still eating enough to give your body the fuel it needs though!

it's good your walking your dog alot too, that can help lower them a little too

good luck!

 

[Ripelda]

Thanks for the advice. I forgot to mention that I am a strict veggie as well and don't do tea, coffee, milk or cheese or eggs. Or carbonated drinks. Being low carb didn't help as my levels went up like rockets, much faster than now even, and I felt weak all the time. In fact my levels are stable ( tho' high) whereas on the lo carb diet they were all over the place!

 

[cugila]

In the circumstances and reading your posts I would advise you to get a referral to an Endocrinologist and a Dietician as your case is not quite so simple on the face of it. These are the experts who will better be able to diagnose what exactly your problem is and offer solutions. You may need tests for other problems as well as Diabetes.

Ken