Newly diagnosed and quite terrified.

[Christafur]

Hi all

Newbie here, was diagnosed T2 on Thursday. My HbA1c came back as 90, which I’m told is very high. I have been prescribed Metformin, and have altered my diet dramatically, low carbs, mainly chicken and salad, nuts, olives etc. I started my diet change around two weeks ago when I first tested my blood at home, hubby bought a machine and I just tried it as well, got a reading of 21mmol, this then went down to 14. It was this test that prompted me to go to the GP. however I literally had to beg to be seen And they then made me wait 4 days. I think I have been living with this thing for years but was too stupid to get it checked out sooner. I dread to think of the damage I’ve done to my body. Although Ive not really had any symptoms other than tiredness, which if I’m honest I’ve had since I was a teenager.

I am also alcohol dependent, I have tried cutting down And was doing well until I was actually told my results and I fell off the wagon a bit. Is there anyone else who is/has been in similar position to me? How do you cope? I want to manage this but I feel so helpless right now.

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi @Christafur and welcome to the forum.

While HbA1C of 90 is high, many had over 100 and were still able to put T2Diabetes into remission.

I have never been alcohol dependent, but I like a few drinks (or even bottles of red wine) on a weekend. Alcohol dependency is something to address with AA, however social use of alcohol isn't something that Diabetics need to forego. Alcohol itself can cause fatty liver (because of the calories), but so can carbohydrates (NAFLD) which until recently was almost unknown with GP's not believing their NAFLD teetotal patients weren't drinking excessive alcohol.
So those of us diabetics who use alcohol tend to drink spirits with low calorie mixers (= low cabs) or red wine, or dry white wine which are also low carb.

It's good that you are trying out a low carb way of eating. That is what I did, but not as a 'diet' - meaning there was no need to cut calories, so I ate more protein and more natural Fat to replace the calories lost by avoiding carbs. Thus all natural meat, fish, eggs, full fat dairy and cruciferous veg (especially cauliflower, broccoli) are OK to eat. Just don't overdo the cheese and the nuts since its very easy too much of them (I have been known to eat over 200gms of nuts or cheese at a sitting).

Use your Blood Glucose measuring machine to find out which foods your body can tolerate, we don't all process carbs the same way even though we are all intolerant of them in the quantities found in the modern diet. I can' eat parsnips or carrots though some other Type 2 diabetics don't get a BG spike from eating them. Similarly fruit - some are fine with apples/pears, but I could only eat about a half an apple, so I stick to berries (especially strawberries, raspberries, blackberries).
The way to tell if a food (or a whole meal) is OK for you is to take a Blood Glucose reading just before eating it and then again 2hrs later. If the reading 2hrs after starting to eat i is 2.0mmol or less higher than the pre-food reading, then it is probably OK for you in that quantity, but if higher than 2.0mmpl then you need to look at either a smaller portion, or substituting/cutting it out altogether.

 

[Christafur]

Hi @Christafur and welcome to the forum.

While HbA1C of 90 is high, many had over 100 and were still able to put T2Diabetes into remission.

I have never been alcohol dependent, but I like a few drinks (or even bottles of red wine) on a weekend. Alcohol dependency is something to address with AA, however social use of alcohol isn't something that Diabetics need to forego. Alcohol itself can cause fatty liver (because of the calories), but so can carbohydrates (NAFLD) which until recently was almost unknown with GP's not believing their NAFLD teetotal patients weren't drinking excessive alcohol.
So those of us diabetics who use alcohol tend to drink spirits with low calorie mixers (= low cabs) or red wine, or dry white wine which are also low carb.

It's good that you are trying out a low carb way of eating. That is what I did, but not as a 'diet' - meaning there was no need to cut calories, so I ate more protein and more natural Fat to replace the calories lost by avoiding carbs. Thus all natural meat, fish, eggs, full fat dairy and cruciferous veg (especially cauliflower, broccoli) are OK to eat. Just don't overdo the cheese and the nuts since its very easy too much of them (I have been known to eat over 200gms of nuts or cheese at a sitting).

Use your Blood Glucose measuring machine to find out which foods your body can tolerate, we don't all process carbs the same way even though we are all intolerant of them in the quantities found in the modern diet. I can' eat parsnips or carrots though some other Type 2 diabetics don't get a BG spike from eating them. Similarly fruit - some are fine with apples/pears, but I could only eat about a half an apple, so I stick to berries (especially strawberries, raspberries, blackberries).
The way to tell if a food (or a whole meal) is OK for you is to take a Blood Glucose reading just before eating it and then again 2hrs later. If the reading 2hrs after starting to eat i is 2.0mmol or less higher than the pre-food reading, then it is probably OK for you in that quantity, but if higher than 2.0mmpl then you need to look at either a smaller portion, or substituting/cutting it out altogether.

Thank you for your helpful advice and not judging me. I only drink red wine but have started cutting that down a bit, but glad to know it’s okay I’m moderation. My fingers hurt from all the testing but I will persevere with it, thank you again.

 

[ianf0ster]

I hope you are using the sides of your fingers for testing. It's so much less painful that using the pads!
This is because : 1). Skin is thinner so don't need to use so much force ( dial the lancet to a lower number.
2). We use the pads of our fingers all the time, typing and touching things. Not so the sides, so gets a chance to recover.

Anyhow, use the lowest number which will give decent blood drop for the test.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi all

Newbie here, was diagnosed T2 on Thursday. My HbA1c came back as 90, which I’m told is very high. I have been prescribed Metformin, and have altered my diet dramatically, low carbs, mainly chicken and salad, nuts, olives etc. I started my diet change around two weeks ago when I first tested my blood at home, hubby bought a machine and I just tried it as well, got a reading of 21mmol, this then went down to 14. It was this test that prompted me to go to the GP. however I literally had to beg to be seen And they then made me wait 4 days. I think I have been living with this thing for years but was too stupid to get it checked out sooner. I dread to think of the damage I’ve done to my body. Although Ive not really had any symptoms other than tiredness, which if I’m honest I’ve had since I was a teenager.

I am also alcohol dependent, I have tried cutting down And was doing well until I was actually told my results and I fell off the wagon a bit. Is there anyone else who is/has been in similar position to me? How do you cope? I want to manage this but I feel so helpless right now.

Hi Christafur,

You're making the right changes, I just hope you're not going hungry. (Being hungry all the time ends up making the diet difficult to keep up). If you throw in more fats it might be more doable? https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html might help some, as your diet right now seems a little "narrow" and bland.

As for the alcohol, @ianf0ster makes a good point... I don't know if your liver hurts after a drink, but if it does, please be careful, and see someone about it if you think you need help with it, whether a GP or AA or... Whatever works for you, if need be, and if you want to eh. A T2 more often than not already has fatty liver disease, and drinking can make it that much worse. It can be a killer, so that's something to consider. I'm teetotal, mainly because I know I have an addictive personality, so I do get it's not a piece of cake to change any of that, but... It's something to keep an eye on, liver function and such. Your life, your choices. One more thing... I don't know if your doc knows and can advise accordingly, but some medication can cause hypo's, and if a liver is busy filtering alcohol, it can't dump some glucose to keep you from going too low. It sucks far as multi-tasking goes, the little sh*t just can't do it. So while I always recommend getting a meter and testing, I think it'd be good if you got some extra strips. A GP'll often say you don't need to test, but if you end up medicated with gliclazide or somesuch, and drinking, you really, really do need to keep an eye on things even more than others would, as it might get iffy here and there.

Be gentle with yourself eh, and welcome.
Jo

 

[HappyPumpkin]

Hi @Christofur

I am not alcohol dependant but have NAFLD and am getting a Fibroscan this Friday to see if it is fibrosis or cirrhosis and whether I have enough good liver left to rule out a transplant.

Diabetes often comes along because of liver issues. Liver damage can raise blood sugar, and you may not necessarily be type 2. It just maybe the liver isn't coping, so if it were me, I would ask my Dr for Liver Function Tests and explain about your drinking.

If your liver is ok, stopping drinking will help rest the liver and regenerate it and lower your blood sugar. It's far easier to fix whilst it still has 20% or more good tissue left. Even if it is a lot worse, not all hope is lost. Diet, exercise, coffee, and the lack of alcohol will help you greatly.

Between my first two HbA1c tests, I lost 2.1kg, and my score went from 54 to 51. I only have to reach 47, and I am out of type 2 range.

Take the first step to the GP and next to a local AA group. You can do this

 

[Resurgam]

@Christafur I was diagnosed with Hba1c of 91 and was back to normal in 6 months with no need for medication and all seems well 5 years later - but I don't drink regularly, and just a small amount when I do which could be a factor.
The leaflet which comes with Metformin probably warns against drinking alcohol so it might be advisable to make your GP aware if you have been prescribed it without that being part of the conversation.
A low carb diet can be very varied and enjoyable - I certainly have no complaints - and it is often very effective in controlling blood glucose and getting the metabolism back on track.

 

[Guilty]

Keep up the good work @Christafur !

I have had problems with alcohol. And see lots of good advice already in this thread. But do think about speaking to a doctor.

I never thought it would be the case, but it's true, healthy diet and lifestyle and I find I'm happier now than I've ever been. Good luck!

 

[Dave with T2]

Hi @Christafur and welcome to the forum.

While HbA1C of 90 is high, many had over 100 and were still able to put T2Diabetes into remission.

I have never been alcohol dependent, but I like a few drinks (or even bottles of red wine) on a weekend. Alcohol dependency is something to address with AA, however social use of alcohol isn't something that Diabetics need to forego. Alcohol itself can cause fatty liver (because of the calories), but so can carbohydrates (NAFLD) which until recently was almost unknown with GP's not believing their NAFLD teetotal patients weren't drinking excessive alcohol.
So those of us diabetics who use alcohol tend to drink spirits with low calorie mixers (= low cabs) or red wine, or dry white wine which are also low carb.

It's good that you are trying out a low carb way of eating. That is what I did, but not as a 'diet' - meaning there was no need to cut calories, so I ate more protein and more natural Fat to replace the calories lost by avoiding carbs. Thus all natural meat, fish, eggs, full fat dairy and cruciferous veg (especially cauliflower, broccoli) are OK to eat. Just don't overdo the cheese and the nuts since its very easy too much of them (I have been known to eat over 200gms of nuts or cheese at a sitting).

Use your Blood Glucose measuring machine to find out which foods your body can tolerate, we don't all process carbs the same way even though we are all intolerant of them in the quantities found in the modern diet. I can' eat parsnips or carrots though some other Type 2 diabetics don't get a BG spike from eating them. Similarly fruit - some are fine with apples/pears, but I could only eat about a half an apple, so I stick to berries (especially strawberries, raspberries, blackberries).
The way to tell if a food (or a whole meal) is OK for you is to take a Blood Glucose reading just before eating it and then again 2hrs later. If the reading 2hrs after starting to eat i is 2.0mmol or less higher than the pre-food reading, then it is probably OK for you in that quantity, but if higher than 2.0mmpl then you need to look at either a smaller portion, or substituting/cutting it out altogether.

I can concur with most of the advice above but not the last paragraph. I have been diagnosed as Type 2 for a exactly a year. I initially had an HbA1c of 61 but it has come down to 41 and seems stuck there.

Medical staff never mention testing to me and I got into finger pricking last July influenced by this forum. I was testing before a meal and two hours after. In particular, I was having porridge for breakfast and all seemed fine. My blood sugar two hours after eating was no higher than before I ate it. However, in September I started the Libre 2 continuous monitoring system. I found that 30 minutes after porridge I was having an enormous spike which had receded within two hours of eating. After checking this for several days I have not eaten any form of cereal since.

I pay about £24 per week for Libre 2 so it is very expensive, although Abbott Health are offer a free two week trial which can be useful to experiment.

I have found I needed to cut out potatoes, rice, pasta, ordinary bread and some fruits. In the plus side the supermarkets (Morrisons and Tescos for certain) sell frozen cauliflower rice in bags containing 4 individual servings.

Now I turn to the major plus I have to offer - which I picked up on this forum. Bread is a problem with a typical slice having 25g of carbs. However, there is a bread sold only by Waitrose (to my knowledge) called Liv Life.

It is low carb and because the slices are also thin and small they have only 7g of carbs per slice. They also taste like normal bread. I drive 10 miles to my nearest Waitrose and buy 6 loaves to put in the freezer.

Sandwiches are thankfully still included in my diet.

Best wishes for coming to terms with T2.

Dave

 

[ianf0ster]

I can concur with most of the advice above but not the last paragraph. I have been diagnosed as Type 2 for a exactly a year. I initially had an HbA1c of 61 but it has come down to 41 and seems stuck there.

Medical staff never mention testing to me and I got into finger pricking last July influenced by this forum. I was testing before a meal and two hours after. In particular, I was having porridge for breakfast and all seemed fine. My blood sugar two hours after eating was no higher than before I ate it. However, in September I started the Libre 2 continuous monitoring system. I found that 30 minutes after porridge I was having an enormous spike which had receded within two hours of eating. After checking this for several days I have not eaten any form of cereal since.

..........................................................................

Dave

As has been said very many times, we all tend to process individual carbs a little differently form each other.
@Dave with T2 's experience with porridge is rather unusual, but there are quite a few circumstances where such a reaction - very fast at first, then dropping back quite quickly, are more likely to happen.
I'm not saying that any of these conditions applied in Dave's case, just that they affect the graph of the BG levels.

1. Porridge made with water of skimmed milk rather than full fat milk because fat in a meal tends to slow down the absorption of the carbs a little - the pizza effect.
2. 'Instant' porridge (the more highly processed the grains, the faster the carbs are absorbed) and so the insulin production starts quicker and in larger quantity, hence the drop down towards starts earlier.
3. Reactive Hypoglycaemia: Which is a condition where each high spike in BG is quickly followed by a precipitous drop (often down to below 4.0 i.e. hypo levels.

It is for these reasons that some Type 2's feel the need to test at several intervals after eating a 'new' meal if it contains potentially problematic carbs. These additional measurements can be as short as 1hr after eating up to as long as 3 and a half hours after eating. But most people who feel they require that detail of information go for a free trial of a CGM rather than finger pricking so much -ouch!

 

[Christafur]

@Christafur I was diagnosed with Hba1c of 91 and was back to normal in 6 months with no need for medication and all seems well 5 years later - but I don't drink regularly, and just a small amount when I do which could be a factor.
The leaflet which comes with Metformin probably warns against drinking alcohol so it might be advisable to make your GP aware if you have been prescribed it without that being part of the conversation.
A low carb diet can be very varied and enjoyable - I certainly have no complaints - and it is often very effective in controlling blood glucose and getting the metabolism back on track.

Thanks for your reply. I had a LFT as part of my tests and all seems okay. I’ve cut right down but my mental health has plummeted. I guess it’s my body adjusting! Bloods are coming down I just want to be one of the luckier ones who can put this into remission and carry on with a healthier lifestyle.

 

[Resurgam]

Thanks for your reply. I had a LFT as part of my tests and all seems okay. I’ve cut right down but my mental health has plummeted. I guess it’s my body adjusting! Bloods are coming down I just want to be one of the luckier ones who can put this into remission and carry on with a healthier lifestyle.

Low carb is very effective in reversing ordinary type 2.
I was very down after 5 weeks of Atorvastatin and Metformin - edging towards suicidal the week before Christmas 2016. I think settling on low carb Atkins style eating helped me to get back to something approaching normal.