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Newbie saying hi - confused diagnosis

Gekkota

Gekkota

Member
Messages
5
Location
England
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Hello all, another newbie here. Just wanted to stop by to give my story and to ask a few questions /waves

I've just been diagnosed with Type 2 after asking the doctor to check as I was concerned with some symptoms I have been having. I had previously done a free check at an Asda pharmacy and scored an 18.0 (this was essentially a fasting test as I hadn't eaten since dinner the night before) which made up my mind to get it checked. My offical fasting blood test was 15.5, which was better, but still very bad. I vaguely remember the dr showing me the three month test. It was 91, where it should be 43? (I see a lot of people on here put percentages, but I don't know what mine was or how I work it out).

The doctor has put me on Metformin, 1 tablet once a day, and I have already seen the DN who thoroughly scared the hell out of me by giving it to me straight. I just had no idea what I was truely dealing with. She recommended this forum and I'm glad she did :)

However, things are never straight forward are they? The nurse was concerned that I am having 'symptoms', like, a few hours after I eat breakfast or lunch, I have what I call a 'crash'. It's almost like I am hungry. I get lightheaded, shaky, nauseous, anxious; exactly how I when I'm hungry and haven't eaten yet. However, I don't get this after dinner when I've taken my Metformin and asked whether it would be better to take it at lunch, so I don't get that 'crash' in the afternoon. The nurse was rather shocked at hearing this. Apparent'y I'm not supposed to notice the effects Metformin is having on me and came out and said she thinks I am Type 1, or at least borderline Type 1. Now I am awaiting an appointment to revisit the dr and to get a BG monitor which she wants me to use before and after each meal for two weeks. She also informed me I need to stop trying for a baby for at least 6 months as to get pregnant right now would be dangerous to both me and a baby :(

As you can probably imagine, I left more confused and upset than when I went in! I've digested most of it since and I'm more at peace with the fact I now have diabetes and will have for the rest of my life. It just shocked me to learn it will only get worse as I get older, that I will need more tablets and it will be harder to manage. I had no idea.

Has anyone else been in the same boat with a confused diagnosis? I keep thinking that if I am Type 1 after all, how come they didn't pick this up when I had the tests? Do the dr's assume you'll be Type 2 and really only check for this? For now, I'm putting it down to an overly dramatic nurse and will assume I am Type 2 until I learn otherwise. But I was wondering, how will they check for Type 1? More fasting bloods? Urine samples. Both?

Anyway, I've rambled enough! It's nice to meet you all and I'm sure I'll be asking a load more questions as time goes on. I get the feeling I am barely scratching the surface on what's to come.
 
You're in the right place to allay your fears and get on with living.
It aint all bad.
Welcome .... to the Hotel California.
Bit quiet tonight but you'll soon be in the thick of it and learning the ropes.
Seems very confusing at first but one step at a time.
I'm a T2 too.
Metformin and diet is how you'll learn how to control those blood sugar readings.
High readings are damaging to our nerves so it is important we keep the glucose in our blood low.
Cut the industrial drug called sugar that in my opinion is wrongly sold to us as a food when it really is a mood altering and addictive drug.
Cut the sugar.
Next bit is learning about carbs that turn to glucose (sugar) when you eat them.
Spuds rice bread beer noodles.
Alcohol is fine but beer is liquid bread.
I hope I'm not putting you off.
Have a read around this place about bloods and diets but try and stick to the T2 stuff as T1 is very different and confused the hell out of me when I first arrived.
 
Wow! That's unusual, you have a dsn that recommended this forum. Lol!

You have come to the right place, it is a minefield of misinformation a trying to sort what's happening.

I was misdiagnosed as type2, but wasn't!!!

It happens all the time.

Take a deep breath and then start reading the forums. I already see that you are low carbing. That's great.

I've tagged @daisy1 to give you the newbie info.

I can't give you any advice except for diet, until you are diagnosed.

Best wishes welcome.

Keep posting ask questions
 
Gekkota said:
just shocked me to learn it will only get worse as I get older, that I will need more tablets and it will be harder to manage. I had no idea.
.
Click to expand...

It shocks me that the NHS is so backward and gives out information like that, let me tell you there are heaps of people on this forum that are living a life far more healthy than they might have without being diagnosed diabetic.

In fact diabetes doesn't have to be 'progressive' at all, one thing is for certain, if you follow current NHS guidelines then your diabetes is likely to get worse over time.

I don't personally believe you can reverse diabetes, but I sure do believe you can hit the brakes on it by controlling it to the point it's no longer 'progressive' and you can expect to live just as long and happy as you might have done without, in fact for many on this forum, diabetes will have given them the motivation and skillset to live a life longer than they might have without even having diabetes.
 
By ignoring the NHS advice and talking to people on here who have to live it every day I've lost weight got healthier all round take less blood pressure medicine less diabetes medicine no statins and eat healthier than ever.
How depressing to be told it's all down hill from here .... it's so untrue.
 
@Gekkota

Hi and welcome to the forum :)

Some very good advice above. Here is some more advice which we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask all the questions 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 140,000 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.
 
Hi Gekkota - I'm new here too, so not in a position to give any advice, but I can vouch for all the excellent guidance and support here, can't tell you how helpful everyone has been.
I got my monitor and Eat Fat book during week there, so I'm taking baby steps right now. I have lots of scope for diet and life style changes, being a bit a lazy fatso, with high BP and T2 diabetes the only way is up for me.
Stick in there - and full marks to your DN pointing you here, more info than I got :)
 
Hi and welcome. It' difficult to know why you crash after some meals. The symptoms are similar to a hypo (low sugar) but you wouldn't expect any hypos after a meal or with just Metformin. Quite a few of us were mis-diagnsoed a T2 when we were actually late onset T1 (LADA). Many GPs just assume T2 with no futher testing and some have no idea you can be a T1 in later years. The main indicator of T1 is being slim or having lost weight at diagnosis. If you have excess weight, then T2 is more likely. There are two tests for LADA whcih aren't conclusive but can help. Either way you need to follow a low-carb diet to get the blood suagr down. You may need more tablets added particularly if LADA. Being diabetic whether on tablets or insulin does not mean you shouldn't become pregnant but I'm sure it's wise to get the diagnosis and medication sorted first.
 
Hi. Your symptoms ring bells with me. I still half wonder if I'm LADA. Daibell is very comforting on this topic as shown in an earlier post (forgive the liberty :))
Your DN probably suspects Late onset T1 (LADA) and it's good that she has this possibility in mind rather than just assuming T2 as a lot of GPs do. LADA is more likely if you are young and slim. The treatment approach is similar i.e. a low-carb diet and possibly some medication. The optimum tablets for each type are slightly different. If you are diagnosed as a LADA it can progress at wildly varying rates. Insulin can be needed eventually but don't panic as it can take years to reach that point and insulin isn't a problem anyway. The low-carb diet is the most important thing to do at this time and get hold of a meter. Many manufacturers supply them free if asked or the SD Codefree is very low cost.
Since I started eating few carbs and more fat those "hypo" symptoms have gone and I feel really well. Stick around.
You DN nurse is one in a million.
 
Thank you all for the lovely warm welcome :) I'm definitely feeling more optimistic about things now. I picked up my new sparkly BG monitor today from the docs. Tested myself just before lunch after essentially fasting (I don't do breakfast.. I know, I know!!) and scored 19.3. Ouch. Must've been the few swigs of apple juice I had while waiting for the bus...

The nurse wants me to test myself before and 2hrs after every meal, and whenever I feel unwell, for at least two weeks, then to go back to see my doctor. For those who also test throughout the day, when do you do it? When you wake up and go to bed? Just around meal times? What about if you have a snack? Also, do you log what you've eaten with the result?

I've bought myself a special notepad to log everything, including what I eat to give as much infor as nescessary. Gonna have sore fingers for a while I think hehe

Thanks again for the welcome and advice :)
 
Hi. Testing just before and 2 hours after a meal is good advice. I might occasionally do a morning fasting test but these may not tell you too much due to overnight liver dumps of glucose. I wouldn't worry about testing after a snack unless it's a big one. I don't log anything but I've now had diabetes for 10 years so know what's going on. As you have found, fruit juice drinks are not good. I have no sugar added cranberry and blueberrie juice which has low overall sugar.
 
Gekkota said:
Must've been the few swigs of apple juice I had while waiting for the bus...
Click to expand...
Yes, I had a litre of elderflower and cranberry cordial, diluted 10:1, at Christmas and scored a scary BG. To think I used to glug down a pint of orange juice (with bits) regularly :***:
 
Gekkota said:
Thank you all for the lovely warm welcome :) I'm definitely feeling more optimistic about things now. I picked up my new sparkly BG monitor today from the docs. Tested myself just before lunch after essentially fasting (I don't do breakfast.. I know, I know!!) and scored 19.3. Ouch. Must've been the few swigs of apple juice I had while waiting for the bus...

The nurse wants me to test myself before and 2hrs after every meal, and whenever I feel unwell, for at least two weeks, then to go back to see my doctor. For those who also test throughout the day, when do you do it? When you wake up and go to bed? Just around meal times? What about if you have a snack? Also, do you log what you've eaten with the result?


I've bought myself a special notepad to log everything, including what I eat to give as much infor as nescessary. Gonna have sore fingers for a while I think hehe

Thanks again for the welcome and advice :)
Click to expand...

I log and record everything, I devised a diary just for me, on a4 paper to put on in a folder.

I don't need to weigh anything, but if you say you had a certain type of food and how much, then you can see what effects it has on your blood glucose levels. Then compare it when you repeat the meal.
I always found the testing experimenting part fun. Now! It's just to see if I'm being so good boy.;):)
 
Gekkota said:
Thank you all for the lovely warm welcome :) I'm definitely feeling more optimistic about things now. I picked up my new sparkly BG monitor today from the docs. Tested myself just before lunch after essentially fasting (I don't do breakfast.. I know, I know!!) and scored 19.3. Ouch. Must've been the few swigs of apple juice I had while waiting for the bus...

The nurse wants me to test myself before and 2hrs after every meal, and whenever I feel unwell, for at least two weeks, then to go back to see my doctor. For those who also test throughout the day, when do you do it? When you wake up and go to bed? Just around meal times? What about if you have a snack? Also, do you log what you've eaten with the result?

I've bought myself a special notepad to log everything, including what I eat to give as much infor as nescessary. Gonna have sore fingers for a while I think hehe

Thanks again for the welcome and advice :)
Click to expand...
Hello gekkota welcome to the forum,can you get the app my fitness pal? It is very handy for us to record what we have eaten,also when you do the finger prick use the top of the finger on the side...less nerves! Also work out your bmi and on the my fitness app it will calc' your req' calories, as you will come to realise its carbohydrates that turn into sugar that we need to watch out for,so most here lchf,
Ask as many q's as you like.
 
Hi
Welcome to forum. As you are talking about trying for a baby I guess you may be in your 20's or 30's. Which means T1/LADA is much more likely than T2.
Read up on forum and if you are a going to need insulin then do ask for a referral to hospital consultant as they will be a lot more knowledeable than GP.

You do need your bloods lower really to ensure you and a baby are healthy. So learn as much as you can about counting carbs and looking at the back of packets:):)
 
@Daibell

Thanks for the info. I really don't wanna go overkill and whip the monitor out everytime I fart, but at the same time I wanna make sure I'm testing at the right times :) I'm a little annoyed that I can't seem to tolerate apple juice. I asked about this specifically as, apart from water, my other drink of choice is coke zero, which is something I've been wanting to cut out anyway. The nurse said apple juice is counted as my 1 a day and will be fine. Grumble. Better I find out now!!

@Clivethedrive

I already have an My Fitness Pal account that I've used sporadically in the past. I've always hated measuring out my food and putting it in so would quickly get bored. But that was only when dabbling with calorie restriction in order to lose weight, it's a different story now. Thanks for the tip, I had forgotten about it :) I'm keen to look into LCHF. I've been Paleo before with great results and as far as I've read, it's a similar concept.

@donnellysdogs

I am 31, and we've been trying for 5 years now. I was referred to a fertility specialist almost a year ago now, but I've yet to hear anything. I was planning on seeing my doctor about it very soon and get him to see what's going on with it all when this sprang up. My nurse was very reassuring about the help available to me when it's time to start trying again, now that I have diabetes. I fully understand I need to get my blood sugars down and under control before I think about a baby. It was just a little heartbreaking to hear I need to stop for the time being.
 
What tests have the GP's done to confirm that you are type 1 or type 2?

Have they done a GAD or c-peptide test?
 
Have you been given a blood tester?
Are you able to test yourself before and after meals?
Do you know how many carbs you are having on a typical day?
I e apart from fruit juice what is an average day food for you?
 
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