Newbie - just got diagnosed today :-)

Hi Danni and welcome to the forum.Please take onboard what Sarah Q has said as it's very important.It does not seem very sensible for a doctor to leave you up in the air without much guidance but please keep coming back to the forum as you will get lots of good advice on here. If you have any questions, ask away, as there are lots of experienced diabetics and a few health professionals here too, who will be only too happy to help.

in total agreeance with the above, when i was first ill i had a test at lloyds and blood was 14 so they sent me to drs who arranged a glucose tolerance test for 2 wks later,but in the meantime i felt like i was dying and bought myself a monitor and was then 38mmol,went to a n e and had plus 4 keytones so plz keep an eye out if u feel any worse,
take care
amanda

I agree. You could well be a type 1 and if so will need insulin injections (I think your rapid weight loss suggests this - but I'm not medically trained). If you become more unwell go to A&E, tell them what you've told us and query whether you're a type 1. The good news is A&E are likely to test you to clarify your type, instead of just guessing as GP's tend to do. (Of course some GPs are brilliant, unfortunately as you may have gathered from reading the posts here, many are clueless. )

Good luck, let us know how you get on.
Sue (type 1 for 35 years)

Hi Dannii, and I'm sorry to hear of your rough baptism.
I agree with some of the previous posts, your diagnosis is not clear and you have not had a good service.
The weight loss you describe is symptomatic of a loss of insulin production, more commonly associated with type 1. You are also very slim which is another trait of t1's on diagnosis. The age thing is less of an issue since many t2's are being diagnosed much younger these days.
Your doc clearly believes it to be t2 and has done what the book says in asking you to reduce your carbohydrate intake. Sugars are a start, but be aware that bread, rice, potatoes and rice can raise your blood sugars just as much, and often just as quickly.
Keep a close eye on your blood glucose numbers and if they continue to rise despite your dietary changes, get yourself to A&E as soon as.

Good luck and keep us posted,

fergus

Hi Danii

What you are describing is just like I had before I was diagnosed type 1. Fortunately when I went to the Drs' the 3rd time the Dr tested my blood sugar and tested for ketones straight away.

Having not had any tests for ketones I do wonder whether its worth going to a pharmacist and trying to get hold of some ketone testing sticks yourself. I'm not sure how much they are as I get them on prescription but if you do have ketones (along with all the other symptons) and you turn out to be type 1 you need to know now so that you can start getting treated.

Take care.

Claire

It really does sound like you have been given very poor (and possibly dangerous) advice. Your symptoms do sound like T1, but don't take my (or anyone else's) word for it. The only way that you can tell the difference between T1 and T2 in the early stages is with a test that measures your "C-Peptide" levels (they are normal or high in T2, but very low or even zero in T1). If you haven't had this test, then your doctor is just guessing. This is a potentially dangerous guess, because if you are indeed a T1 then it is possible that without the correct treatment you will go downhill very quickly. As others have said, if you seem to be getting worse - particularly if you get nausea or stomach pains - then get to a hospital fast.

Assuming that doesn't happen, then next time you see your doctor (or a diabetic nurse) then press them about why they think that you are a T2. Many GPs don't know a lot about diabetes, so unless you are absolutely confident in him then you should ask (or demand if necessary) to be referred to a specialist. Whatever sort of diabetes you have, then the advice to cut back on carbs is good. If you are a T2, then that (and increasing exercise) might be able to control it effectively, or if it doesn't then there are various very effective drugs. However, if you are T1 then you will need insulin very soon. That isn't anything to be afraid of - with modern equipment the injections aren't painful - it just adds an extra chore to your life. Without insulin, though, a T1 will rapidly get very sick and won't survive for long. This is why it is vitally important to get the diagnosis right!

The advice about not testing is, sadly, fairly standard for T2s these days. If your doctor tells you to test, then he will have to prescribe strips and they are expensive. Many PCTs seem to be strongly discouraging doctors from prescribing strips to newly diagnosed T2s. However, without testing it is much harder to monitor your condition and impossible to learn what effects various foods are having upon your blood glucose. You should test regularly, and learn how to interpret the results. If in doubt, post here - lots of people will help you to do this.

BTW - the ketone test that several people have talked about doesn't in itself tell you what sort of diabetes you have. Rather, it will give you advance warning of the dreaded DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis). This is a dangerous (in fact potentially fatal) complication of diabetes - that is usually seen in untreated T1 diabetics. This is why we have all been telling you to get to a hospital fast if you start getting suddenly worse (the nausea and stomach pains, on top of the thirst and tiredness of diabetes, are a classic symptom of DKA).

Hi Danii

Sorry to hear that you have been diagnosed today, It can be a big shock when you are told your life has to change especially when your Dr doesn't take it as seriously as he/she should. I was diagnosed as T2 around 3 weeks ago now and I have to say the care I recieved from my medical team was second to none, as soon as I told my Dr of my symptoms I was booked in the next day for blood tests and I was put on meds straight away. My bs was 25.9 at its worst but after careful diet and following advice that I have been given I have had a reading today of 5.9.
Please take the advice of others seriously and try and get yourself checked out by another Dr (some of them do care!)

Good luck

jimmy