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firesheps

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Hi ive been type 2 now for three months, im ex forces and have always been fit but its in the family! im 37 6 ft 2" 16 stone love cycling and walking so sport aint a problem, how ever im having problems getting a grip of this im a psv driver who starts my day at 4:30 am has breaky n metformin but then may not get a break from work until gone 1200 i drive some days for 5:30 mins then a break then another 4:30 mins but i keep hitting a wall i feel like all my power has been zapped I feel sick and dizzy but when i test my bloods they are still high 7+? I thought you only get faint feelings if type 1 and hypo? this is affecting my job big time as i dont feel safe behind the wheel after a few hours of driving?
 
Think you should buy yourself a meter and strips, and test before food and 2 hours after. Carry snacks like nuts, cheese, boiled eggs, peeled if you are driving. Berries in a container are good too.
Reduce the wheat i.e white stuff, bread, pies, pastry is no good.
 
If your blood sugars were extremely high before diagnosis then it could be you feel ill and shaky with 7+ sugars because your body is not used to have normal sugar levels.
If mine have been high for a long time and I start bringing them down this is exactly what happens to me (although I am a type 1 so you will have to see if type 2s agree with this or not).




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When you say your readings are 7+, do you mean in the 7s or are they going considerably higher, in the teens for example. In the 7s is not particularly high. Also, perhaps you are having some side effects of metformin? I don't take it myself but it may be something to discuss with your doctor.

If you have cut down your carb intake, that will make you feel like you suddenly run out of steam. You normally need carbs to maintain energy levels but, watching your carbs is something you need to do as a diabetic. When I cut down on my carbs in the first few months, I had to go take a nap. Now that I eat carbs which release more slowly and now tha I am more used to the new regime, I don't.
 
Thanks guys im reading between 7.5 to 8.5 before breakfast and metformin. My diet aint changed alot as its good anyway my main downfall is bread for sarnies at lunch time :-/ what im having real problems with is after food of any kind I feel ok for a few hours then I feel so low that I just want to sleep on the spot and loss concentration but when I test at that point my levels are all over the show once in double figures and mostly 7 to 9 area. I know these numbers are not super high compared to some people but I really want to get this sorted as I dont feel safe enough to drive 90 plus people on a coach around the Dorset country side when my concentration is all to pot! As for the sleepy feeling ive never been the type of person who needs to nap im an up early attack the day bed at midnight man so this is a really strange feeling for me? At the mo I feel working a shift pattern of 50 hours a week were my hours are different every day aint allowing me to get used to coping with diabetes. I feel like im whining about this but im a bit of a control freak n three months in of being type 2 I feel like I should be coping better with it?

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I'm unsure if this is possible but could you ask your doctor to sign you off for a bit to get used to your condition? Or alternately book some holiday?
This might give you time to get your head around it and do a bit of reading / researching.

If you are eating white bread I would suggest switching to whole grain as this is slower release and does not spike your sugar levels as much as / as quickly as white bread. Sudden spikes and drops in your blood sugar may contribute to tiredness. Also eat protein with it and a little fat as again your sugar levels won't go up as quickly.
Could you eat a little less bread and maybe a bit of salad? Eating a little less carbs may help over the long term but as stated above it may take your body a little while to get used to and initially you may feel a little more tired.
Maybe you could try a little afternoon (healthy) snack too, e.g a few sultanas (not too many as they contain a lot of sugar) & nuts, a apple, etc.
I think you might have to play around with different foods and see how they make you feel.
Also going to the doctor is a really good idea (as stated above) as perhaps it could be a side effect of your medication.

Hope thats helpful.
Patch13
 
Well ive found that if I have breakfast at 7 lunch at 1300 tea at 17:30 with a good amount of walking or riding in the day my levels are 5.5 to 6.5 but still high before breakfast unless I have a v late snack then its 6.5 ish before breakfast. However as soon as I start work and my shifts start at 5am and finish 10ish with 9 plus hours driving my counts go high. So is my driving job with its shifts which vary from day to day and ten hours sat on my bum going to be bad for my diabetes? Is there a point where its job v health as im worried that if I keep on going at work and not controlling my levels ill will end up type one sooner rather than later?

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