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New member - need advice

smidge

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,761
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi all,

I was diagnosed Type 2 about a year ago. Had no symptoms and no risk factors. Problem came to light during routine blood tests. Fasting blood glucose 12, followed by failed Glucose Tolerance test. At 5ft and very petite, everyone was surprised. I was basically given diet and exercise advice (even though my diet was healthy and exercise half an hour a day already). I adjusted my diet to remove lots of the starch carb and sugary foods and in Feb this year my HbA1c was a healthy 5.3. Was told I didn't need to blood or urine test.

Over the last month, I felt something wasn't right and eventually bought urine test sticks which showed glucose in urine off the scale! Over two days, this never eased. Went back to diabetes nurse and had more blood tests. HbA1c now at 10.3. In just seven months! Argued with nurse about monitoring as she still said not necessary. Bought blood monitor anyway and took first reading an hour after porridge - 22.9. Terrified. Rang doctor in panic and have had more blood tests. Still awaiting results. With very careful monitoring and even more careful eating, glucose is now between 8 and 10. Have cut out all starch carb and sugar - including fruit. Today, nurse is trying to put me on Gliclazide. I believe I have been misdiagnosed as Type 2, but they won't carry out the blood test that would prove it. My weight has fallen from 8.5 stone to less than 7 stone. Nurse says I must put carb back into my diet and take the tablets. What should I do? I am frightened and confused. Any help or advice would be appreciated.
 
I too have suffered the abnormal weight loss / angst about diagnosis. But I can't give advice as it would only refer to me!

Only your hcp can sort this out, but in the meantime try not to get too stressed out. Stress raises blood sugar!

It could possibly have been that ditching some carbs gave you a honeymoon period and that now the true situation is asserting itself. Either way, and whatever the "label" you end up with, you will need to talk to them and make them pay attention and sort out whatever treatment gets things stable again for you. That's for the sake of your extremities. And even if you have to take some medication, you don't have to immediately reinstate all carbs - you can balance carb intake and medication so long as you avoid hypos and maintain weight.

It's just all so frightening, isn't it, when we feel they haven't heard us or they're riding roughshod over our brains/bofies without sharing what they know. Hang in there and make sure you ask questions and get answers before making decisions. It's your diabetes after all.

As I say, I'm only another forum user - the doctors are your focus right now. And good luck. Let us know how it goes.
DG
 
Smidge
ask for a second opinion on your diagnosis.It's your right to ask, but unfortunately not your right to be referred.
There are quite a lot of wrong diagnoses out there, but the medical professionals won't admit it.
Even if you were correctly diagnosed, a second opinion can't hurt.
Hana
 
Thanks DG and Hana. I'm back at doctor's for more blood tests on Thursday. I'll ask to be referred. I'll let you know how it goes.

Smidge
 
Well, I think I might have made a little progress. The Gliclazide didn't work at all, just left me feeling ill with a bad headache, so they've taken me off those. The small handful of barley I had in a chicken stew while on the Gliclazide pushed my glucose up to 12.9 again, so the nurse now accepts that I can't handle carb at all. I am only keeping glucose in the 8/9 range by avoiding all starch carb and sugar.

I had my repeat blood tests (they messed up last week's ones!) and I have explained how concerned I am at the weight loss and how it's affecting me psychologically. The doctor says I am now underweight, so he has ordered the blood test results urgently so they should be back tomorrow (they have been taking 10 days a time). As soon as he receives them he'll speak to me and if nothing underlying the diabetes shows up, he'll refer me immediately to a specialist. I know there's a long way to go, but at least I feel I've made a start to getting this sorted.

Thanks for your support it really helped.

Smidge
 
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