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New - Type 2

Peri

Peri

Member
Messages
16
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hello

I received my D2 diagnosis on 17th June, so this is all very new to me. I went to the docs because I was constantly fatigued and my thyroid has been noticeably swollen for about 8 months. I expected a diagnosis of low-thyroid, so to get a D2 was a bit of a shock. The doc wasn't terribly helpful - he gave me a prescription for Metformin and told me to increase the dose over 3 weeks from 500g to 1500g per day. I have to wait to see the Diabetic Nurse, so everything I've been doing has been via things I've read.

I've cut out most obvious carbs and I am keeping an eye on the carbs from sugar in everything I eat. I've lost 18lbs as a result since 17th June - with way more to go, but this is significant for me because I have been trying for years to lose weight with no success at all. I'm glucose testing before and after eating with a pre-meal average of 7.5 and a post-meal average of 8.4. I have the occasional spike as I am still learning (fruit for breakfast = BAD!)

The only thing that's bothering me - to the point where I am tearful and feel very low, is that I cannot shake this tiredness or muddle-headedness at all. I could easily sleep after every meal (and I am not eating large amounts). Tonight, I went to bed for a snooze at about 6pm, got up at 7pm and by 8pm was desperate to go back to bed. That can't be right? Please tell me it gets better because at the moment, it just feels like nothing has improved at all and the thought of having to go through life feeling like this is almost too much to contemplate.
 
Hi Per, do you eat enough? I can understand it's great to lose weight if you need it but you need to eat properly too or you'll get tired. I do low carb high fat in order to keep BG normal and still get enough energy. Some extra salt and water may help too.

The main symptom of low thyroid function is tiredness. What were your thyroid results?

Have you had FBC, B12, liver panel, kidney test and vitamin D tested?
 
Welcome to the forum! Glad you have found us so early on your journey as the advice offered here has been invaluable to me over the past 6 months. Firstly congratulations on your fantastic weight loss in such a short space of time, it would certainly appear that eating a low carb diet is working for you. Are you eating enough full fat to replace the carbs you have cut out? You will obviously need to keep providing your body with an energy source to avoid being tired. If you are not doing so already, introduce fats such as avocado, nuts, olives, oily fish, cheese to your diet and make sure you eat full fat dairy products rather than low fat. Also make sure you are drinking enough water, especially in this hotter weather. With fruit, experiment to see what affect berries have - many people find that they can have a handful of eg blueberries or strawberries without it having an effect on their BS levels. Your current levels don't look disastrously high to me. It may be worth discussing with the diabetic nurse whether you can try controlling your diabetes with diet and exercise alone before going on to Metformin. Well done for taking the bull by the horns, testing your levels regularly to find what works for you and seeking help. I know some people suffered from 'carb flu' during the first weeks of a low carb diet. Hang in there, it does get easier!
 
Peri said:
Hello

I received my D2 diagnosis on 17th June, so this is all very new to me. I went to the docs because I was constantly fatigued and my thyroid has been noticeably swollen for about 8 months. I expected a diagnosis of low-thyroid, so to get a D2 was a bit of a shock. The doc wasn't terribly helpful - he gave me a prescription for Metformin and told me to increase the dose over 3 weeks from 500g to 1500g per day. I have to wait to see the Diabetic Nurse, so everything I've been doing has been via things I've read.

I've cut out most obvious carbs and I am keeping an eye on the carbs from sugar in everything I eat. I've lost 18lbs as a result since 17th June - with way more to go, but this is significant for me because I have been trying for years to lose weight with no success at all. I'm glucose testing before and after eating with a pre-meal average of 7.5 and a post-meal average of 8.4. I have the occasional spike as I am still learning (fruit for breakfast = BAD!)

The only thing that's bothering me - to the point where I am tearful and feel very low, is that I cannot shake this tiredness or muddle-headedness at all. I could easily sleep after every meal (and I am not eating large amounts). Tonight, I went to bed for a snooze at about 6pm, got up at 7pm and by 8pm was desperate to go back to bed. That can't be right? Please tell me it gets better because at the moment, it just feels like nothing has improved at all and the thought of having to go through life feeling like this is almost too much to contemplate.
Click to expand...
It does get better!

Hi @Peri
Welcome to the forum.
I've tagged @daisy1 to give you the newcomers welcome information.

You are doing great, have a little patience (no pun intended!)
This could be a huge lifestyle change for you.

Have a read around the forums especially the low carb and the success stories.
There are some very knowledgeable people who have been through everything you are going through.

Ask plenty of questions.
 
Thanks for the replies.

I am due for my annual check up at the beginning of August, so I might know a bit more then about what my other blood results were/are.

It's possible I am not eating enough - certainly not enough fats as I still can't accept the notion that high fat can be a good thing! I'll try adding nuts, oily fish and olives in, but you can keep the avocados ;)

Any other tips are greatfully received!
 
Dairy full fats are far better for you than the semi skimmed and low or no fat.
The ones I mentioned have the fat replaced by produced sugars.

Have some Butter instead of low fat spreads. Cook with butter. Have cream in your coffee or tea.
Have full fat yoghurt, I love the Greek yogurt!
Have cheese any way you like.
 
Hi, I am a pre-diabetic newbie and traveling through the forum collecting as much info as I can.
I also went on a low carb diet with 1000 - 1400 cals daily. I am suffering with 'muddle head' as well. Someone in pre-diabetic forum also suggested that I may not be getting enough fat and sodium. I added avocados yesterday. I do eat lots of nuts and cheese. I eat salmo, but don't think this is an oily fish. But it's the only fish I like besides sardines. My husband thinks I am not eating enough. I think that might be the issue. So I am perusing the forum looking for recipes.
Your list of good fats really helped me see I am on the right track.
 
@nosher8355, what Greek yogurt do you eat. I am in the U.S. I have yet to find one I like because I have to stay clear of added fruit.
 
@mshumph - both salmon and sardines are oily fish, so you're on the right track there. You may have an electrolyte imbalance that is causing you to feel ''off''. Most of the low carb expert suggest extra sodium and drinking things like bone broth/bouillon.
 
Welcome,
If you are losing weight and have a fair few pounds to go then I recommend continue a little longer. Make sure you drink lots and lots. Fill that tank up with water. Have a read of my first 3 month journey. I did the same as you and then I increased my fats (and carb levels). The tiredness could be because as you have list weight your blood glucose levels have come down and also you have probably skipped over from glucose burning to fat burning which takes a while and can make you feel rubbish - persevere and I am sure you will brighten out of it and feel wonderful. BTW you need to gauge how you are doing on your waist measurement more than weight.

Have a read of my first 3 month journey where I lost about 15% of my weight and my numbers improved dramatically and my first HbA1c came back normal from more than double normal
 
mshumph said:
@nosher8355, what Greek yogurt do you eat. I am in the U.S. I have yet to find one I like because I have to stay clear of added fruit.
Click to expand...
If you Google 'Greek natural plain full fat yoghurt'.
There is bound to be outlets near your.
Persevere or add some berries for taste.

I have as my nightly treat, yoghurt, strawberries and 2 pieces of 85% dark chocolate! Mmmmm!
 
@Peri

Hello Peri and welcome to the forum :)

To add to the good advice above, here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you need to 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 over 150,000 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-and-whole-grains.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 bloodglucose 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.
 
mshumph said:
Hi, I am a pre-diabetic newbie and traveling through the forum collecting as much info as I can.
I also went on a low carb diet with 1000 - 1400 cals daily. I am suffering with 'muddle head' as well. Someone in pre-diabetic forum also suggested that I may not be getting enough fat and sodium. I added avocados yesterday. I do eat lots of nuts and cheese. I eat salmo, but don't think this is an oily fish. But it's the only fish I like besides sardines. My husband thinks I am not eating enough. I think that might be the issue. So I am perusing the forum looking for recipes.
Your list of good fats really helped me see I am on the right track.
Click to expand...
Yes salmon is an oily fish and sardines are really good to
 
Peri said:
Hello

to the point where I am tearful and feel very low, is that I cannot shake this tiredness or muddle-headedness at all. I could easily sleep after every meal (and I am not eating large amounts). Tonight, I went to bed for a snooze at about 6pm, got up at 7pm and by 8pm was desperate to go back to bed. That can't be right? Please tell me it gets better because at the moment, it just feels like nothing has improved at all and the thought of having to go through life feeling like this is almost too much to contemplate.
Click to expand...

Hi Peri

I'm recently diagnosed, definitely, T2 (a week!) and, since then, have been suffering from low mood (and, as a result, so is my family) . I came on to the site today looking for information and advice on this aspect. I've come across the idea that diagnosis is a bit like bereavement in that I'll have to go through al the stages - denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression and, finally, acceptance. So the good news is that I'm at the last but one stage!

I'm actually looking forward to my appointment with the Diabetic Nurse at my practice and any courses so that I can meet people in the same boat, face-to-face. I'm not convinced that what I will learn there will match what I'm learning here (I've read the NICE guidelines!).

But good luck - we'll deal with it I'm sure!
 
Hi and welcome
Sorry your feeling so Blahhh at the moment this can happen when you first start on low carb as the body has got used to live on plenty of carbs , by having full fat in your meals it will help replace them and give the body a boost cheese , cream , meats are all good , so please don't give up on it yet and give it a go
Keep well stay safe JJ
 
Andrew Colvin said:
Welcome,
If you are losing weight and have a fair few pounds to go then I recommend continue a little longer. Make sure you drink lots and lots. Fill that tank up with water. Have a read of my first 3 month journey. I did the same as you and then I increased my fats (and carb levels). The tiredness could be because as you have list weight your blood glucose levels have come down and also you have probably skipped over from glucose burning to fat burning which takes a while and can make you feel rubbish - persevere and I am sure you will brighten out of it and feel wonderful. BTW you need to gauge how you are doing on your waist measurement more than weight.

Have a read of my first 3 month journey where I lost about 15% of my weight and my numbers improved dramatically and my first HbA1c came back normal from more than double normal
Click to expand...
Thank you - this is really helpful :)
 
JAY1JAY1 said:
Hi and welcome
Sorry your feeling so Blahhh at the moment this can happen when you first start on low carb as the body has got used to live on plenty of carbs , by having full fat in your meals it will help replace them and give the body a boost cheese , cream , meats are all good , so please don't give up on it yet and give it a go
Keep well stay safe JJ
Click to expand...
thank you for the encouragement - as long as the weight is coming off, I will keep going. Today seems a bit easier (might have something to do with the fact I consumed half my body weight in olives....!)
 
Billy Ruffian said:
Hi Peri

I'm recently diagnosed, definitely, T2 (a week!) and, since then, have been suffering from low mood (and, as a result, so is my family) . I came on to the site today looking for information and advice on this aspect. I've come across the idea that diagnosis is a bit like bereavement in that I'll have to go through al the stages - denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression and, finally, acceptance. So the good news is that I'm at the last but one stage!

I'm actually looking forward to my appointment with the Diabetic Nurse at my practice and any courses so that I can meet people in the same boat, face-to-face. I'm not convinced that what I will learn there will match what I'm learning here (I've read the NICE guidelines!).

But good luck - we'll deal with it I'm sure!
Click to expand...

And very best wishes to you on this journey of ours :)
 
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