New to diabetes - worried about hypos

@MNawaz2 Metformin will not cause you to go hypoglycaemic. so you should have nothing to worry about even once you start Metformin.

@MNawaz2

Hello and welcome to the forum Here is the basic information we give to new members and I hope you will find this useful. It will give you advice about carbs and levels and includes a link to the Low Carb Program which you might like to try. Ask more questions when you want and someone will come along and 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 220,000 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

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.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

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.

MNawaz2 said:

@debrasue what was your last hba1c?

Click to expand...

42mmol/mol - 6% in May. I'm waiting for an appointment for the next one.

MNawaz2 said:

Thankyou @walnut_face for replying. I really appreciate it. Up till now I have been diet controlled but my last hba1c has come back at 51. I need to go and see diabetic nurse for a review. Doctor has prescribed me some metformin but I haven't started taking it. I am waiting to see the diabetic nurse.

Click to expand...

51 isn't so bad. Yes, it's on the high side of normal, but its not too bad. Upon diagnosis earlier this year mine was 63, yet within 3 months it had reduced to 42 (i.e., normal), and this was purely due to following the LCHF programme. I have never taken any meds.
I really don't think you need to worry about diabetic complications right now; as I understand it, these can arise when someone has suffered many years of uncontrolled high BG levels - in the red (or maybe high amber) areas of the chart which @Clivethedrive has supplied above.

MNawaz2 said:

Thankyou @Clivethedrive for this chart. My hba1c is at 51, so I shouldn't be worrying too much.

Thankyou to everyone for making me feel welcome.

Click to expand...

Very welcomeMNawaz2, our best chance of controling this is to get a meter and test before your feet hit the floor in morning ( fasting ) then immediately before each meal and again 2 hrs later so as to know what spikes our bs levels , most here go lchf which basically means very low carbohydrate moderate amounts of fat,and no sugar , keep posting and let us know how your getting on,clive

Do you take meds for your asthma?
As this may affect your readings!

MNawaz2 said:

Clive, you seem like such a nice person. I do have a meter. I normally test like twice or three times a day. These blood glucose strips cost very expensive. I am going to see if I can get them frm my gp.
I have been feeling very stressed after being diagnosed. I am also an asthmatic, I just felt really down but after speaking to you and a few others I feel a little better. I really appreciate everyone taking time to talk to me.

Click to expand...

Welcome MNawaz2, when i first joined this forum i knew nothing,and got so much help from very kind posters,it is the best forum on the web

MNawaz2 said:

Hiya @Lamont D, yes I do take inhalers for my asthma. If i don't take my inhaler, I develop asthma symptoms within a day.

Click to expand...

Are they steroid based? as they will raise your blood glucose levels.

MNawaz2 said:

@debrasue getting your blood glucose at 42 from 63 is a great achievement without medication.
About complications I was reading that they can start developing in about 5 years. That's what scared me really.
@debrasue Is it the low carb program on here that you follow. Need to find some recipes that I can eat.

Click to expand...

Yes it is. Check it out...