Newly diagnosed and confused

Hi @clive Thomson xc and @lovinglife thanks for the tag:

Here’s some info with links for UK meters, and to be clear I have no commercial connections with any of the companies mentioned. I actually use the Dexcom ONE + continuous glucose monitor these days, so although these links are still current, there may be newer monitors available that I don’t know about.


HOME HEALTH have the Gluco Navii, which is a fairly new model and seems to be getting good reviews.

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-produ...ose-meter-test-strips-choose-mmol-l-or-mg-dl/


Links to the strips for future orders:

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/glucose-navii-blood-glucose-test-strips-50-strip-pack/


Then they sell the older SD Code Free, details to be found here!

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/




SPIRIT HEALTHCARE have a meter called the Tee2 + which is quite popular:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...e2-blood-glucose-meter?variant=19264017268793


The strips are to be found here:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...py-of-tee2-test-strips?variant=19264017367097


If there is a choice of units of measurement then ‘mmol/L’ are the standard units in the UK, ‘mg/dl’ in the US, other countries may vary.


Don’t forget to check the box if you have diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for all meters and strips)


Abbott usually offer a free 15 day trial of the Freestyle LIBRE 2 plus:

Sampling | Diabetes Care | Abbott


Dexcom also offer a free trial of their Dexcom ONE + here

The Dexcom ONE+ CGM (Continuous Glucose Montoring) system | Dexcom

Hi what was your Hba1c and also where are you please ?

clive Thomson xc said:

56 was my HbA1C and I'm in the UK

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ok ask you diabetic nurse/Dr if you can have a blood monitor and strips you should not have to pay for any thing on prescription now

clive Thomson xc said:

Yeah I did and they said no

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strange when I started on metformin my nurse gave me one and ordered strips and ringer prick needles
I am type 2 (on insulin now)

Lakeslover said:

It is unusual for a type 2 to be given a meter unless they are on medication that can cause hypos. So you were very lucky to be prescribed one on Metformin alone.

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AH I did not know that I was at the stage where I asked to go on Insulin instead of metformin due to its side effect

clive Thomson xc said:

What was the side effects you had please ?

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putting it politely a very upset stomach, this does not necessarily mean every one gets that

lovinglife said:

Perhaps if it doesn’t settle in a couple of weeks you could ask your GP for the slow release version apparently a lot do better on this.

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Yes there is a slow releaseversion
(didn't help me though)

clive Thomson xc said:

Hi


I was diagnosed last week T2 and I'm not really sure what I'm meant to be doing I know I can't get CGM prescribed so I have no clue what my body is doing or how I can help keep levels correct it is a little overwhelming or am I being dramatic

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Hi and welcome. I'd strongly suggest having a read-around on this forum, including older threads. It's worth having a look at the "Success Stories" section where you'll see what's worked for various people.

One thing I wish someone had told me at the outset is that "most of what you think you know about diet and nutrition is wrong". I would also beware of the many self-appointed internet "experts" who have a solution for sale that's easy, simple, and wrong.

The biggest single influence on your blood glucose is the carbohydrates and sugars in what you eat. Eat carbs and sugars, of whatever kind, and your blood glucose will rise - that's completely normal and to be expected. It happens with non-diabetic people as well. My experience is that there isn't any way round this - so achieving lower blood glucose levels meant substantially lower carb intake for me. Wholemeal is still carbs, low GI is carbs, porridge is carbs, etc.

The issue for many of us with T2 is/was how long blood glucose levels stay elevated. It's high BG over time that seems to do the physical damage. The good news is that reducing carbs seems to work very well for many of us - you'll see the the evidence for that in the "Success Stories".