• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

New diagnosis questions

Lemonie

Lemonie

Well-Known Member
Messages
244
Location
Fylde Coast
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I was diagnosed on Monday and wondered if anyone could answer a few questions for me.

I had a fasting blood last Friday and on Monday was told that I had a blood glucose? of 20 but everywhere I look it is measured in the 100's so my question is 20 what?

I have psoriatic arhtritis which has fatigue as a side effect. I do feel tired at the moment but don't feel desperately ill or anything. What should improve as I attempt to bring down my sugar? levels. I feel normal for me at the mo so am confused at how I will notice if my levels are high?
 
A glucose level of 11.1 mmol/L or more in the blood sample taken after two hours indicates that you have diabetes. The answer to your question is 20 mmol/ glucose per litre of blood. The 'normal' sugar level ideally should be around 4-8ish. Sugar levels at 20 will make you very tired. Not sure what you mean by 100's but USA sugar readings are different to UK. For instance 20 in UK is 360 in USA. My sugar levels vary between 3-33. Prolonged high sugar will result in neuropathy (starts by tingling in big toe, spreading to losing feeling in whole foot) so try to keep sugar level as low as possible.
 
Hiya

I've been trying with my diet but am obviously not doing the right thing. If I cut out most of my carbs and sugar for a few days would that bring it down a bit?
 
Hiya Lemonie, if you cut back hard on your sugar and carbs it will definitely help bring your bg levels down, a fasting level of 20mmol/L is pretty high and would almost certainly be making you feel very tired, I had been falling asleep every afternoon for weeks prior to my diabetes diagnosis, once my bg levels were brought down my energy returned :)
 
Hi lemonie
In the UK we measure blood glucose in millimoles per litre[mmol/L] in the US and many other countries, they use milligrams per decilitre[mg/dL] the conversion factor is 18 that's because a mole of glucose weighs 18 grams. Hence 20mmol/L is 360mg/dL in other words VERY HIGH. NORMAl is about 5mmol/L or 180mg/dL
Hana
 
Whilst you havnt mentioned what your diet is or what you have been doing with it as Sid said you are very likely to see a good reduction in bg levels by starting to eat less carbs especially the refined variety (e.g. bread, rice, pasta, cakes, pastry) and increasing amounts of 'colourful' veg particulary the green leafy type. You shouldnt need to starve yourself completely of everything but go for wholegrain bread, wholewheat pasta, brown rice etc but perhaps in much smaller portions than before. Its a bit easier, I think, if you like making your own meals but otherwise you'll have to carefully check packaging for the carbs in ready meals from the supermarket.

Do it gradually & try to get a bg meter & test to see what sort of foods give the best results for you. Good results should be immediate but you will need to keep it up otherwise its back to square one!
Collins gem do a very useful Carb Counter pocketbook for £3.99 listing all types of foods and products.


Lemonie said:
Hiya

I've been trying with my diet but am obviously not doing the right thing. If I cut out most of my carbs and sugar for a few days would that bring it down a bit?
Click to expand...
 
Thanks all

I have had a very low carb day today and have had some great results with the lowest score of 11.2! It's also the first time this week that I have had a lower result after a meal.

I am being a bit drastic with the diet at the mo but when the numbers come down I'll start introducing foods back and keep testing before and after meals to see what works for me.

Am very glad I found this forum as I would be totally in the dark and doing all the wrong things. Thanks for the great advice.
 
Back
Top