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New Member Carry on Ken

carry on Ken

carry on Ken

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6
Hi everyone, i suppose i have found myself in this forum as recently been diagnosed with induced steroid type 2 diabetes.
At 60 out of the blue my left eyelid drooped and i had bouts of double vision. To cut a long story i had many tests and was diagnosed with Ocular myasthenia gravis which is an autoimmune chronic disease to which there is no cure. It is managed with a medication called Mestinon. Initially these tablets worked at managing my symptoms. However late 2019 my symptoms suddenly returned. Got back in touch with my neorologist and he put me on a course of steroids Prednisilone. These steroids along with my mestinon have managed my symptoms of omg, and my steroid dose is down to 5mg from 40mg.Have been taking these steroids now for just over 2 years. Apart from the weight gain and other minimal side effects, they have continued to manage my mg.
Now three months ago i was called to my surgery for routine blood test etc and my bloods apparently came back high and was told im pre-diabetic, and so have since had two more blood/sugar tests done and its now confirmed im type 2 diabetic. My diabetes nurse has given me a blood monitor and chart to complete currently on ny second week. I have to prick my finger 4 times a day before food and note the results. Now bare in mind since i was diagnosed two plus weeks ago, i have virtualy cut out all of the foods i loved mainly sweet stuff, sweets cakes vimto diet cola, i was a beggar for eating Jakeman sweets and extra strong mints (you could say i was addicted) ive also been known to partake in an occasional strawberry cocktail and fruit ciders, all of which i have not touched since my diagnosis. Cutting to the chase my first weeks results ranged from 11.2 to 8.9 averaging around these readings, all still high supposedely. Second week(just gone) diabetic nurse prescribed Glickazide 40mg before breakfast. Results have so far improved down to 7.1 6.9 and this mornings reading 6.0 But just now ive taken my before lunch reading and it has shot back up to 12.9 the highest its been so far and that reading was after i had eaten a boiled egg small veg soup and a low fat yogurt with chia seeds.
So my issue is this its obvious the steroid i take is the culprit for my type 2 diabetes as my diabetic nurse and doctor has confirmed. So a dilemma indeed. I need the steroids to control my m. g. but this will affect my blood sugar glucose levels which need to come down.,but how am i ever going to manage this if im taking one tablet to bring the levels down but then im taking my other meds including the steroid which is going to bump up my blood/glucose levels? Sorry folks for such a long sermon its not so much an introduction as a life story.
 
Hi @carry on Ken , welcome to the forum.

Juggling steroids and diabetes isn't easy. I have no experience with this, thankfully, but I'm tagging @JohnEGreen for you, who has myasthenia gravis as well, and is on long time steroids too. He might have some helpful tips! :)
carry on Ken said:
and a low fat yogurt with chia seeds.
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All carbs raise your blood glucose. Often the low fat products are higher carb than the high fat ones, although low fat yoghurt can be low in carbs as well.
You might like to have a read of this: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/jokalsbeek.401801/

Being on gliclazide means it's possible to go too low. Please make sure to always have your meter with you to test if you feel funny, and something sweet to treat a hypo should you get one!
 
carry on Ken said:
had eaten a boiled egg small veg soup and a low fat yogurt with chia seeds.
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Testing before eating only give half the picture. It's the tests after that tell whether a meal is not so good for you. This one was probably the veg soup, especially if it had potatoes and other starchy veg in, and coupled with the low fat yog, which will have been sweetened to cover the lack of fat.
A better yoghurt is any plain, unsweetened thick yoghurt such as the greek style ones.

I too spike too high after some soups, so much so unless I've made them myself I no longer trust anything made elsewhere. I ordered a "creamy garlic" soup in a restaurant thinkingnit was based on cream, but turned out it was based on potato. Shot me sky high.

Takes time to find what yourbody will tolerate and what it won't. There's a whole new load of learning in front of you. Welcome to the party :)
 
Hi, and welcome to the forums! I'm in the US, so I can't answer on the specifics but there are plenty of wonderful people on here to help with that. Hope you enjoy your time here.
 
MrsA2 said:
Testing before eating only give half the picture. It's the tests after that tell whether a meal is not so good for you. This one was probably the veg soup, especially if it had potatoes and other starchy veg in, and coupled with the low fat yog, which will have been sweetened to cover the lack of fat.
A better yoghurt is any plain, unsweetened thick yoghurt such as the greek style ones.

I too spike too high after some soups, so much so unless I've made them myself I no longer trust anything made elsewhere. I ordered a "creamy garlic" soup in a restaurant thinkingnit was based on cream, but turned out it was based on potato. Shot me sky high.

Takes time to find what yourbody will tolerate and what it won't. There's a whole new load of learning in front of you. Welcome to the party :)
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Thank you. I make my own veg soup containing Leeks Celery Lentils carrots Onions and garlic. As a vegatarian i only use veg stock. It was probably the low fat yogurt. i did have some clotted cream icecream ( not a lot) bjt enough to stop my craving. I cannot believe 2 weeks ago when i hadnt got that call from my diabetes nurse that my blood sugar levels confirmed type 2 diabetes. Prior to that knowledge i was tucking into almost everything i enjoy eating. Sometimes i think, should i forget the warnings and let nature take its course.At almost 65 i really dont want to have all these restrictions in foods that i love even though i know they are not healthy. One can follow a strict diet and eat low carb food, and then succumb to another illness. Its early days yet so i will do as i am told, but its so **** hard. Trouble so far for me are the inconsitant blood glucose levels i keep recording currently 4 times a day a. m. is usually lowest then it rises before lunch rises again teatime and then drops before bedtime. My readings currently range from 6.1 to around 8.5.These are after ive taken my Gliptizapide. Prior to this medication all my levels averaged between 9.2 up to 12.1 so a slight improvement but im still unsure if the lower readings of around 8.1 is that serious enough for a complete lifestyle change?
 
carry on Ken said:
Sometimes i think, should i forget the warnings and let nature take its cours
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Sadly that might well mean losing your sight, or a limb, yet still carrying on living, just in a more disabled way.

I thought the same, that I would miss certain foods, but no I don't. My tastes have changed so much its almost unbelievable . Eating low carb but with sufficient healthy fats to keep feeling full has stopped all cravings and desire to overeat. Don't give up before you've even started. It is worth doing
 
It could have been the low fat yoghurt but the lentils, carrots and onion in the soup could have also added up to a lot of carbs. Carrots and onions are around 9% carbs. Lentils are two thirds carbs. It’s easy to eat far too many if your diet is vegetarian (I know, I’ve basically been vegetarian for the last thirty years).
 
Hello and welcome @carry on Ken

It sounds like you have had a rough time. The body is a complex thing and it can be very difficult managing a number of conditions.

I hope you are able to find a way that works for you in managing everything. I miss carbs, I really do but having seen people suffer from the possible consequences of unchecked blood sugar levels...well I'm not ready to go there yet, if I ever will be. I do get your point about succumbing to another illness though.

Whatever you decide it just needs to be with knowledge. I am a firm believer that there is no one right way. As human beings we need to find a way to manage our lives that is right for us. I'm a lawyer and on occasions clients do not follow my advice. I will always fully support them. My job is to provide them with advice and allow them to make decisions. They may not be the decisions I would make but that's not the important thing. The important thing is to give them all the information so they can make the decision that's right for them.

So after that longwinded statement- welcome and good luck :)
 
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