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new introduction and questions

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suzy693

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Hi
I am new to this and not sure whether I am posting properly!!

I had gestational diabetes 14 years ago and have been borderline ever since, a couple of years ago my numbers started going up and it was suggested I was put on Metformin. I tried it and came off after a month because of side affects with my stomach. My doctor suggested I went on the slow release type, which I tried and had the same problems so came off it. I went about another year trying with diet and exercise my morning figures were always the highest around 7-6-8-2, slowly going up again, doc asked me to try metformin again, which I started just before Xmas 12, I was on it for 10 days and started with horrendous stomach problems on xmas ever, constipation, bloating, bowel noises and movements, I came of them again and it has taken me 4 weeks to get back to normal. Been to docs today and she has suggested Januvia, but I am so scared of taking them, as side effects say symptoms I have been suffering, pancreatitis. I have tried low carb diet for a few weeks and it did get my figures down, but I found I couldn't keep eating so much meat, cheese and eggs. Please Please can you give me some information as I am so unsure about medication etc. I do not have access to a diabetic nurse or dedicated diabetic doctor it is just my GP and I do not feel supported at all, they just put me on other medication when they haven't listened to my symptoms or done any tests!! Thanks you in anticipation and sorry if I have posted in the wrong area :(
 
Hi. The docs tried Metformin SR which was the right thing to do but sadly it doesn't agree with you. Januvia (Sitagliptin) is well worth trying. I've been on it for 2 years now. Most people on the forum who have it report no problems although rarely it does have side effects. Januvia works by blocking an enzyme that in turn switches insulin production off a certain time after a meal. This means your insulin production may last longer after a meal. Januvia reduces sugar spikes but does not cause hypos. If you are not an overweight, insulin resistant, Type 2 another tablet that docs prescribe is Gliclazide which works by prodding the pancreas to produce more insulin. I also have this but it no longer helps me. It doesn't cause most people many side effects. Do get hold of a blood sugar meter online (SDCodefree) or from your chemist; there are many popular good brands. If you like gathering loads of info you could do worse than downloading the NICE Diabetes Pathways doc from the web as it shows you a roadmap and discusses medication options. It's quite readable but not for everyone! BTW the docs should be giving you an HBa1C test within a month or two as it appears the doc had 'officially' diagnosed you as diabetic. This is a good blood test and shows your 3-month average blood sugar.

Note that Daisy should be along shortly and give you lots of links to very useful info.
 
Hi Suzy and welcome to the forum :)

Here is the information which we give to new members which I hope you will find useful. Ask more questions and someone will be able to 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 well over 30,000 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 ... rains.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 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.
 
Thank you both of you for the information it has been helpful and I will look more into it. I have a sense that I am not good at taking any medication as I usually get side effects so if possible I would like to do it by diet and exercise, so any more info on carb eating would be most helpful! I also realise that even with diet and exercise I may still need medication and I want to be able to take one that is the most suitable for me and I also know it is trial and error.
 
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