new to this

[mistee71]

Hi, never done this before so please forgve me if i have made any mistakes. :think: :roll: I was diagnosed type 2 about 9 weeks ago. Back in January i gave up smoking and joined a Gym. I went there 3 times a week and once a week i would take the dogs for a 9 mile round trip walk. I have never really been to much over weight but i got really excited when the weight just fell off. Next i got really itchy down below and thought it was probably due to getting to hot. I tried thrush creams but didn't work. Went to the Docs several times and they just gave me more creams. The thirst was unbelievable but never thought to mention it. One time i ran out of cream and went to see the Doc. It wasn't my usual one and he started asking some other questions. I mentioned that my eye sight got worse and thats when he got the blood monitor out. It registered 27.2 and thats when he mentioned those nasty words. YOUR DIABETIC. I just cried. 4 days later i ended up in hospital because of my blood preasure and pulse was to high. I've got nerve damage in my legs and find it difficult to even walk at times.i also break out in sevre sweats for no reason.. I am on the max dose of metformin and i also take gliclaside. My sugars have seemed to settle around the 12. mark. Is that okay to stay at ? I have heard that diabetica will never have a normal reading. Also the hungar is riddiculus. I 've never eaten so much and i think I'm eating the right foods. Will it settle?

 

[daisy1]

Hi mistee and welcome to the forum By looking after yourself carefully you can stop the progression of complications from diabetes and even reduce them. Sugars of 12, although a great improvement, are still too high. In this basic information below the NICE guidelines are quoted to give you an example of levels you should aim for. These are good for a start but try if you can to get your levels lower than this. Do a lot of reading on this forum and you will see what others do. There is a lot to learn at the beginning but you will soon get the hang of it. Here is some information that we give to new members to help them get started on good diabetes control. Ask as many questions as you like as there are a lot of experienced members on here who can help you.

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.

 

[viviennem]

Hi mistee71, and welcome!

First off, try not to panic . You're among friends now, and there'll be lots of people along to help you, including Daisy1, who is the forum moderator for the newly diagnosed. She'll post our excellent basic information for you to read. In fact, she already has - beaten me to it, as usual :lol:

Did the doctor tell you which type of diabetic he thinks you are? I'm assuming it's Type 2, as you're on Metformin. I take that too. How much did he explain to you, and did he give you a blood glucose monitor? Were you given any dietary advice?

Most of us have a bad reaction to being told we're diabetic, so don't worry on that score. Also, many of us had quite high blood glucose levels originally, and it is perfectly possible to control these and bring them down, with a little effort. Even the nerve damage can be reversed once you're diagnosed and start looking after yourself properly. Excessive sweating is common among some of us, me included, at times :roll:

Basically, diabetes is an inability to metabolise glucose properly (I'm talking Type 2 here - Type 1 is a bit different). The glucose in our systems comes from all types of carbohydrate, not just from sugar, and many of us find that by controlling the amount of starchy carbohydrates in our diet, we can control our blood glucose quite well. That means cutting down on the amounts of starchy carbs we eat (white bread and pasta, potatoes, anything with white flour) and substituting whole grain breads and pasta and brown rice in much smaller portions than we used to eat before. Some of us can handle more carbohydrate than others. If you have a look around the forum you'll find lots of information about how each of us handles their diabetes.

It is perfectly possible for most Type 2s to have near-normal blood glucose levels, and you will get there too. Just take it slow and steady - it isn't going to happen overnight, but you'll do it. Your levels have dropped very well already, from your 27.2 to begin with to the 12s you're getting now, so you're already going in the right direction

We're all different, but we've all been where you are now, and we'll help you all we can. You'll get used to having the condition, and you WILL learn to control it - promise! . It won't rule your life - you'll rule it!

Viv 8)

 

[chocoholicnomore]

Welcome to the forum mistee17.

Viv has explained it all really well.

I am only recently diagnosed myself and I too had all the symptoms you describe.

There are loads of experienced people in this forum and they all give great advice. I don't think I could have got by without it. No question is stupid and everybody is so friendly and helpful.

Also the hungar is riddiculus. I 've never eaten so much and i think I'm eating the right foods. Will it settle?

As for the hunger, I couldn't eat enough especially around the time of being diagnosed. Once I read all the advice on here and changed my diet it made a massive difference. I tend to go for lower carbs (although not drastically low) and lower GI foods. Changeing to burgen bread was one of the best decisions I made. It definitely keeps you fuller for longer and is both enjoyable and satisfying.

Just keep reading all the advice on the forum and ask any questions and you will soon get there.

Take care

 

[mistee71]

Thanks everyone for your support :thumbup: I have learn't more with these replies than i have from the diabetic nurse. I have only seen her once and didn't know about seeing a dietitian. They also wasn't sure whether i am type 1 or 2 but am being treated for 2. I've had no blood test except for when i was in hospital. Then they were looking for infections or something because even they could'nt get the levels down but the did find keytones? in my urine. They gave me a slow acting insulin injection but that didn't work. They discharged me when my level was 17.6 . I have been looking up about Byetta and Victoza injections. Might sound weird coz it's a needle but they sound great. Just one jab a day instead of a load of pills. It also helps with wait loss so they say. What do you think?

 

[douglas99]

I switched to a low GL diet, and quit sugar, pasta, rice, bread, (bergen soya and linseed 4 slices a day max are ok though)
I always feel slightly hungry, but little and often works.
I avoid fruit, apart from plums, things like oranges really push me up.
Don't worry about the levels yet, I was 14, now I'm around 8, you don't always drop instantly.
There are a lot of posts on here about the first three months.
I have found a meter invaluable, just to check what foods are good for me, and which are bad.
I am new to this forum though, and the biggest thing I've realised in everyone is different, so trial and error gets you there eventually.