Newly diagnosed, 82 HbA1c 82 MMOL/MOL

[0110]

Metformin helps a little with insulin sensitivity (makes it work a little bit better). It also reduces the amount of Glucose your liver excretes, so your levels are more based on whats eaten, rather than self produced glucose. There is evidence that it also has some benefits regarding cardiovascular health. ( the only reason i still take it, and my doctor advises, for that reason)
If your body can tolerate it, then it is a relatively benign drug that does help, it doesn't perform miracles, but it also does no damage if tolerated.
It's like putting a very small amount of 2 stroke oil in a diesel cars fuel tank, it does nothing really noticeable, but the engine does run quieter.

Thanks, is yours controlled with Metaformin and diet? How is yours doing

 

[Lobsang Tsultim]

I was started on Metformin straight away. Had to switch to Metformin SR due to gastric "upset". Now after a year, my levels stay low with diet alone. Like ajbod, I've also heard it can have some other minor health benefits, but I am in the camp of not using medication if I don't have to.

But in England, you might want to consider the financial implications too. If you're a diabetic on medication, you can get a medical exemption for ALL your prescriptions, including your non-diabetic ones. If you have other prescriptions you have to pay for, that medical exemption can be quite useful. For instance, I'm prescribed 4 other medicines for an enlarged prostate. From this April that would cost me £38.60 paid monthly, or I can prepay for a year which would cost £111.60. Having the medical exemption, they're free

 

[wozey]

It really isn’t the end of your life, we’re around the same age and the way I’m looking at it is that at least I didn’t have a heart attack or find out much further down the line when I was in a bad way and seriously damaged from it. We can make the future better with diet and exercise but we can’t change the past so no point in worrying about it, diabetes is your new normal so throw yourself into finding out as much as you can get a blood sugar monitor and see it as a game to find out what works and what doesn’t and eventually you’ll win. Good luck and you’ll be fine

Didn’t read the other replies so sorry if I’ve just repeated everything you’ve already been told

 

[0110]

It really isn’t the end of your life, we’re around the same age and the way I’m looking at it is that at least I didn’t have a heart attack or find out much further down the line when I was in a bad way and seriously damaged from it. We can make the future better with diet and exercise but we can’t change the past so no point in worrying about it, diabetes is your new normal so throw yourself into finding out as much as you can get a blood sugar monitor and see it as a game to find out what works and what doesn’t and eventually you’ll win. Good luck and you’ll be fine

Didn’t read the other replies so sorry if I’ve just repeated everything you’ve already been told

Thanks

 

[ajbod]

Mine is controlled with diet, the Metformin has a minor effect on levels, which is obviously a help. As a certified old fart now, my prescriptions are free, but i always had a prepayment certificate before.
Everything is currently running smoothly, but as everyone on here knows, occasionally something comes along to rock the boat. At times like that we deal with the interloper first, and then get back in control.
Having had 2 strokes, and peripheral vascular disease, i see metformin as a good thing for me, i take 2 x 500mg a day, my choice as the doctor was happy with 1, but strangely i suffered the munchies, and raised my dose myself, whilst informing the doctor, this helped me, although it may have been psychological.

 

[0110]

Was the stroke related to diebetes mate?

 

[ajbod]

I'm convinced they were, they were before i was diagnosed full type 2. Only pre although i think that was skewed as the test was shortly after doing strict Keto for 4 months, and losing 25Kg.
they NEVER found a reason for them, although i was given what i later learnt was a total bull explanation of the first one.

 

[HSSS]

Thank you for the quick reply. I've definitely reduced the carbs. Why do they then hand out metaformin to the whole world for people T2.

because it does help a little and has minor other benefits
because many aren’t advised how to address the root causes or to low carb
because drs don’t know about or accept low carb
because there are a lot of people that would rather accept the pills and not change their diet whatever the consequences

other than stomach upset the other side effect to watch for is lower b12 levels after prolonged use of Metformin

 

[finzi1966]

Did a experiment. Before dinner 6. Had high carb dinner one naan bread and with a medium size portion of kidney beans curry. 45 minutes latter 7.4. Went for a 20 minute brisk walk measure again 2 hours after dinner 11.

I agree with some others that the walk probably *muddied the waters* but that’s not saying it was the wrong thing to go for a walk, just that you can’t now be quite sure whether it was the high carb meal or the walk that caused the rise (exercise can cause a temporary rise, it doesn’t mean that’s a bad thing though because it’s using up sugar stored in the liver).

For what it’s worth, the figures you describe would exactly match the sort of thing I would see after a very carby meal. Not a lot would happen for the first hour or so and I would peak around two hours and be back to baseline at 3 hours (this would only be after a high carb meal especially “slow releasing” type carbs like beans).

 

[Outlier]

they NEVER found a reason for them,

Not wanting to hijack the thread, but I was in the same position with a single stroke. All tests fine.

 

[0110]

Not wanting to hijack the thread, but I was in the same position with a single stroke. All tests fine.

High sugar levels?

 

[Keechy]

I was diagnosed T2 on Friday 13th Jan this year. Great… not!! HbA1c at 92 and BG of 18. Never ever suspected I had Diabetes so quite a shock. Been working on bringing down the numbers with a little more exercise and improving my diet. BG now averaging 6.5 but really worried about the added complication of high LDL cholesterol.

 

[ajbod]

The problem with high LDL, is that it is really a meaningless figure. There are about 6 or 7 particles that are in the LDL count. As the particles get smaller and smaller they become a problem, but only the last 2 on the scale are actually a problem. These particle categories are not measured, and there may even be none of them in your sample. So how can anyone say that your reading is bad.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Morning, woken up fasting levels at 7.1. They are usually touching 9. What did I do yesterday ate a low carb lunch (chicken salad) and a smoothie for dinner. So lets see, that is the first low carb day I did hence the number I think. But its very hard in my head to never have any bread. Maybe one day in and one day out. I might see what two toast do to my levels today.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/263032/90-second-keto-bread-in-a-mug/ This might help some. I haven't had any in ages, but it was nice when I slices it and toasted it for a bit.

 

[catinahat]

I was diagnosed T2 on Friday 13th Jan this year. Great… not!! HbA1c at 92 and BG of 18. Never ever suspected I had Diabetes so quite a shock. Been working on bringing down the numbers with a little more exercise and improving my diet. BG now averaging 6.5 but really worried about the added complication of high LDL cholesterol.

You will see lots of different opinions on cholesterol, some think it's important to keep it within recommended values others think it's a meaningless number.

Both camps seem to be able to produce scientific research and experts to prove their case.
Personally I have no idea who's right, I'm not a scientist or a Dr, but no matter what you read or who you talk to, there is something that everyone including all the experts agree on.

That constantly high blood sugar is extremely bad for your health, there doesn't seem to be any debate or contradicting views on the perils of high blood sugar.

So that is the battle I chose to fight by reducing carbs and upping fat & protein, even though I don't take statins my cholesterol numbers have come down, not as low as the Dr would like, but a total of 5.2 is fine by me.

It seems to my non sciency brain that if I can increase fats and lower cholesterol, then maybe the fat bashing camp have got things wrong

 

[Keechy]

You will see lots of different opinions on cholesterol, some think it's important to keep it within recommended values others think it's a meaningless number.

Both camps seem to be able to produce scientific research and experts to prove their case.
Personally I have no idea who's right, I'm not a scientist or a Dr, but no matter what you read or who you talk to, there is something that everyone including all the experts agree on.

That constantly high blood sugar is extremely bad for your health, there doesn't seem to be any debate or contradicting views on the perils of high blood sugar.

So that is the battle I chose to fight by reducing carbs and upping fat & protein, even though I don't take statins my cholesterol numbers have come down, not as low as the Dr would like, but a total of 5.2 is fine by me.

It seems to my non sciency brain that if I can increase fats and lower cholesterol, then maybe the fat bashing camp have got things wrong

I would like to adopt your stance but with my cholesterol being at 6.2 with an LDL contribution of 5.3 I’m more than a little sceptical about just going low-carb and (therefore) increasing fats.

 

[catinahat]

I would like to adopt your stance but with my cholesterol being at 6.2 with an LDL contribution of 5.3 I’m more than a little sceptical about just going low-carb and (therefore) increasing fats.

We all have to find our own way, I understand your scepticism, when I first found this forum I thought they were mad and what they were saying was nonsense.

At the time I was fully invested in the low fat doctrine so higher fat seemed counter intuitive.
But I was obese with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart & Iver problems and T2.

I reasoned that the low fat, healthy approach hadn't worked too well in my case so I had nothing to lose trying low carb for a few months. I lost weight, blood pressure / cholesterol came down and my hba1c was below 40 at my next review. Liver is good now although I still have heart problems, can't expect miracles I suppose.
As far as I'm concerned the results I got were better evidence than some scientific study I can't understand.

As for increasing fats, I'm still a little cautious with fats, I just increased them enough to replace the carbs so I didn't go hungry. Instead of spuds and gravy, I now have meat & 3 veg with a knob of butter. A drizzle of olive oil on salads, full fat yoghurt, that sort of thing. I definitely don't eat slabs of lard or whole blocks of butter,

 

[wozey]

I just want to add my 2 pence worth to the cholesterol thing. My mother died age 54 of a massive heart attack, she was slim and didn’t eat badly at all but she had Familial hypercholesterolemia that prevented her body breaking down the cholesterol and she didn’t stand a chance without statins as diet would never have been enough, we found all this out at postmortem so I’d advise anyone with any concerns about cholesterol levels to speak to a doctor especially if high cholesterol runs in the family

 

[JoKalsbeek]

So firstly I want to thank everyone for their contributions, I am a little nervous and new to this hence all the questions. So everyone is saying it is not going to be fixed in 10 days. That's true I guess. Only two weeks ago I wasn't even thinking about this stuff and eating my so called normal diet without panicking or shakes etc.. Now I have made changes I am getting these effects. I still feel a little shakey and I think its me driving up the levels, I am stressing and I am work from home today, in the office I would have been more calm. Two hrs after eating the porridge the sugar is 10.

BTW

Yep, false hypo's... You brought on a lot of changes in one go, and your body absolutely panics because you're lower than it thinks you should be. Don't be fooled by the term false: it entirely feels like a real one. I've had true hypo's and false ones, and they're indistinguishable. For me, it meant wobbly legs, nausea, my heart going bonkers inside my chest, vertigo... It isn't a real one, you'll not slip into a coma or anything, but it is absolute misery, and scary to boot.

Thing is, if you keep treating them with carbs, they don't do away. Your body has to get used to being closer to, and eventually, normal levels. That takes a little time. So, while eating is pretty much right, try eating something low or no carb? It'll help, and it'll get you through this phase faster than just hitting the carbs. I did, because I didn't have this place yet to ask what they were and what I should do, so it took me some time to dare leave the glucotabs at home. I got there eventually, but it took ages.

Keep the questions coming. That's what we're here for.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

I just want to add my 2 pence worth to the cholesterol thing. My mother died age 54 of a massive heart attack, she was slim and didn’t eat badly at all but she had Familial hypercholesterolemia that prevented her body breaking down the cholesterol and she didn’t stand a chance without statins as diet would never have been enough, we found all this out at postmortem so I’d advise anyone with any concerns about cholesterol levels to speak to a doctor especially if high cholesterol runs in the family

Familial hypercholesterolemia is an excellent reason for statins. There's nothing else for it, really... Well, maybe red rice yeast, but that's technically the same as a statin. But when it doesn't run in the family, if there aren't extreme numbers present, then a low carb diet can actually get cholesterol levels down. (Case in point, me, and many others here. And I do love my bacon.). That's why it's always a good thing to know why something's happening, to get a once over with a doc regularly and whatnot... Is it a condition, or is it something caused by external factors? Then act on the information you have and see what it gets you.