Newbie with some concerns

[Resurgam]

If you are low carbing then you could see your blood pressure normalise - on the Facebook low carb forum it has been reported quite frequently, with some people falling over when the doctor refused to reduce medication, so do be careful. One poor soul smashed nose and lost several teeth falling onto the coffee table.

 

[Brunneria]

Update: Saw the dr today. Told fasting levels were fine and not to worry about the blood sugar spike and feeling unwell, as apparently this is just something that happens to people after clean eating for a while (herself included), when they overload the carbs/ sugar. Advice: Just don't have the blips and blood sugar spikes in the first place, but if I do, to drink loads, and exercise to get it down.

She refused any repeat tests or further exploration and advised me that the earliest she will repeat HBA1C and lipids is early Jan 2021, which will be 7 months from when I had my last tests.

She was also not concerned that I have been recording some really low BP readings. They are not dangerously low, but are super-low for me. On initial diagnosis of hypertension 12 months ago, my BP was 200/120, stabilised at 140/80 with a combo of 2 meds, but recently I have been getting readings as low as 100/75. Outcome: No adjustments made to chlorthalidone and cilazipril.

Just adding that today I saw my regular GP and not the stand-in that I saw 9 weeks ago, who had said repeat tests would be done after 3 months, so conflicting info between Drs

I guess I just need to get on with eating clean, losing weight, and hopefully by Jan the numbers will be down.

OK, so you get to choose whether to accept that kind of laisse faire attitude, or not.
Personally, when I get patted on the head and brushed off by medical professionals, it usually irritates me sufficiently that I do something about it.
In your situation, I would get myself a private test for HbA1c and cholesterol whenever I liked (UK companies Medichecks and Thriva offer comparable services). I would also keep testing my own BP and familiarise myself with the symptoms of low bp, and be prepared to insist those bp meds are reduced if any such symptoms appear.

You are already testing your own bp. Regular (but not obsessively frequent) testing with a glucometer would allow you to see how things go between HbA1cs, and allow you to spot any suspicious rising trends, which would potentially suggest the LADA mentioned above.

I firmly believe that we are best to be FAR more interested and motivated to look after ourselves, rather than relying on the standard conveyor belt of NHS tick box checks every year or so. But I also think we have a responsibility to carry on living, and not become too restricted by preoccupations about our health.

 

[SQ71]

If you are low carbing then you could see your blood pressure normalise - on the Facebook low carb forum it has been reported quite frequently, with some people falling over when the doctor refused to reduce medication, so do be careful. One poor soul smashed nose and lost several teeth falling onto the coffee table.

Hi yeah. I'm going to keep monitoring that BP from time to time. I have had a couple of incidents of bending down to pick something up and gotten the dizzyness on standing back up, suggesting low BP. That's awful that somebody got really hurt

 

[Mrs T 123]

Apologies, @SQ71 , I meant to add my HbA1c history, since diagnosis. I have never taken any medication for my diabetes:

HbA1c:
October 13: 73 or 8.8% (How did that happen?)
February 14: 37 or 5.5%
May 14: 34 or 5.3%
August 14: 32 or 5.1%
November 14: 33 or 5.1%
May 15: 31 or 5.0%
October 15: 33 or 5.1%
September 16: 31 or 5.0%
November 17: 33 or 5.1%
March 18: A "bonus", unexpected test due to other bloods - 30 or 4.9%. I joined the 4s club! I hadn't expected a reduction, having got used to toggling 33<>31<>33<>31 for the last 3 years, literally.
March 19: 27 or 4.6% Another surprising reduction.
February 20: 29 or 4.8%. I'll take that

Work in progress, but GP has taken me off the Diabetes Register.

As you can see, my HbA1c reverted t non-diabetic levels within 4 months and has never gone back.

I'm fortunate, and not everyone is able to replicate this, whether by virtue of other health conditions, their attitude to risk , their ability to reduce cabs enough, or a million and one other reasons.

I'm not posting that to show off, but to demonstrate that in T2, much can be possible, without medication of any sort in the mix - never mind injected insulin.

Wow - impressive numbers - well done you for all your hard work! - gold star to you - what an example you are - may I ask do you do LCHF or Keto or what? any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[SQ71]

OK, so you get to choose whether to accept that kind of laisse faire attitude, or not.
Personally, when I get patted on the head and brushed off by medical professionals, it usually irritates me sufficiently that I do something about it.
In your situation, I would get myself a private test for HbA1c and cholesterol whenever I liked (UK companies Medichecks and Thriva offer comparable services). I would also keep testing my own BP and familiarise myself with the symptoms of low bp, and be prepared to insist those bp meds are reduced if any such symptoms appear.

You are already testing your own bp. Regular (but not obsessively frequent) testing with a glucometer would allow you to see how things go between HbA1cs, and allow you to spot any suspicious rising trends, which would potentially suggest the LADA mentioned above.

I firmly believe that we are best to be FAR more interested and motivated to look after ourselves, rather than relying on the standard conveyor belt of NHS tick box checks every year or so. But I also think we have a responsibility to carry on living, and not become too restricted by preoccupations about our health.

Hi Brunneria

Yeah I did feel that she looked as me as if I was neurotic and fobbed me off. I didn't feel that I'd been heard at all, and you're right, I know myself and my body better than anyone. She seemed more interested in giving me a smear test that was due.

I'm in New Zealand so I can go to the pathology lab in the nearest city to me, and self request certain blood tests at a cost, and it doesn't seem overly expensive. HbA1C test is about $35 (about £17.50). Unfortunately none of the antibody tests can be done through self referral. I really wouldn't be at any advantage going that way.

I might possibly look into seeing another Dr (one that has more specialist knowledge in diabetes) just as a one-off as I don't really want to change Drs as I live in a small rural township and we can only have one registered GP to get the govt funded healthcare.

Thanks for your reply

 

[DCUKMod]

Wow - impressive numbers - well done you for all your hard work! - gold star to you - what an example you are - may I ask do you do LCHF or Keto or what? any advice would be much appreciated.

I eat a reduced carb diet. These days I don't count, and to be honest, I can actually get away with quite a lot these days, if I want to, but in effect, I gave up the biggies, tested a lot. My regime has always been eating to my meter.

I have never gone for keto. It's a label. It isn't a silver bullet, just because it carries that label.

I am guided by my body reactions and data collected in my initial testing phases.

Along the way I have had to go gluten-free, and I may have to go lacto-free, but neither of those things are specifically diabetes related.

I'd be disingenuous to say it was easy, but I do fear that all these labels of keto, LCHF and so on over-complicate matters.

My view is, for me, I had some bloods done which indicated some "stuff" I was eating and/or drinking (revealed by finger-prick testing) wasn't doing me and my health any favours, so I reduced or gave them up. I got skinnier and healthier.

 

[Resurgam]

Hi yeah. I'm going to keep monitoring that BP from time to time. I have had a couple of incidents of bending down to pick something up and gotten the dizzyness on standing back up, suggesting low BP. That's awful that somebody got really hurt

I'd be putting a really pointed question to the GP then - their idea that once they prescribe something you can't go ahead and get better so you don't need it any more doesn't sit well with me.