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<blockquote data-quote="NeilHewitt" data-source="post: 1910113" data-attributes="member: 493176"><p>Thanks all, some really great advice here. I appreciate it. I think for my a bit part of the problem has been laziness which is because I've been feeling generally ****** for a few years which, I now realise, is because of the gradually spiralling blood sugar levels. So Catch-22. Hopefully if Metformin helps even a little, that'll help improve my mood, which will let me do something about my diet, which will let me lose weight, which could let me come off the meds. Remission would definitely be my goal. Just existing on the meds forever is a poor option because as Jo pointed out, the disease will progress. I'm only 47 so I'm not quite ready to settle down for the slow march towards death's door yet!</p><p></p><p>To answer some specific questions:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Yes, beta blockers for the arrythmia - Atenolol. I had read about the potential link with T2. To be fair, I was pre-diabetic before I started taking it, but I guess it might have contributed. I could ask about going onto something different but for my ectopics I need a cardio-selective drug and I think they all have the same effects to some extent. But it's worth asking. I don't think I can come off it without at least having lost a bunch of weight as my resting heart rate before Atenolol was 90-100 and after it's 50-75. The odd time I forget a dose I wake up in the morning with a pulse 120+, BP through the roof and a monster headache. Not nice.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">HbA1c - I'm not absolutely sure. The doctor kept quoting a number which I think was the fasting glucose - 6.4, 6.7, 7.0, with 7.0 being the threshold of Type 2. I definitely had HbA1c tests done, several times, but usually also with a fasting glucose + liver and kidney function tests because of the HBP. I know that when I had my GTT done a couple of months back my fasting glucose was 8.4, which is a dramatic upsurge from the previous December. I guess that's when I tipped over into full blown T2. Will find out what my HbA1c is when I have it done in 3 months time.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Meter - it's a good idea. Oddly the GP (or the diabetic nurse who runs the local clinic) didn't suggest it, and also - other than offering a 1 day course on healthy eating which I've done before - didn't have any diet suggestions to speak of either. They're obviously very focussed on controlling the numbers with drugs. Targets targets targets - the NHS is all about them.</li> </ul><p>The funny thing is that I'm not massively bothered about bread and starches and quite a few of the 'bad' things - I can take them or leave them. I like bread, sure, but I don't crave it. Sugary drinks used to be my Achilles heel, but I've given them up entirely - even before diagnosis - although I know some people believe that sweeteners are almost as bad in terms of stimulating an insulin response. I'm making the transition to mostly water... slowly. I love junk food, like I said, but as much for the convenience as for anything else about it. I know if I got the energy back to cook for myself, I could do so much better. I must delete the JustEat app from my phone and block their Web site at my firewall!</p><p></p><p>The Low Carb programme here looks interesting. I've signed up and I'll see if I can do it. </p><p></p><p>Thanks for your replies. Really good to have a community that understands. My friends have been fantastic and only slightly judgemental, which is great, but they can't really understand what it's like.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="NeilHewitt, post: 1910113, member: 493176"] Thanks all, some really great advice here. I appreciate it. I think for my a bit part of the problem has been laziness which is because I've been feeling generally ****** for a few years which, I now realise, is because of the gradually spiralling blood sugar levels. So Catch-22. Hopefully if Metformin helps even a little, that'll help improve my mood, which will let me do something about my diet, which will let me lose weight, which could let me come off the meds. Remission would definitely be my goal. Just existing on the meds forever is a poor option because as Jo pointed out, the disease will progress. I'm only 47 so I'm not quite ready to settle down for the slow march towards death's door yet! To answer some specific questions: [LIST] [*]Yes, beta blockers for the arrythmia - Atenolol. I had read about the potential link with T2. To be fair, I was pre-diabetic before I started taking it, but I guess it might have contributed. I could ask about going onto something different but for my ectopics I need a cardio-selective drug and I think they all have the same effects to some extent. But it's worth asking. I don't think I can come off it without at least having lost a bunch of weight as my resting heart rate before Atenolol was 90-100 and after it's 50-75. The odd time I forget a dose I wake up in the morning with a pulse 120+, BP through the roof and a monster headache. Not nice. [*]HbA1c - I'm not absolutely sure. The doctor kept quoting a number which I think was the fasting glucose - 6.4, 6.7, 7.0, with 7.0 being the threshold of Type 2. I definitely had HbA1c tests done, several times, but usually also with a fasting glucose + liver and kidney function tests because of the HBP. I know that when I had my GTT done a couple of months back my fasting glucose was 8.4, which is a dramatic upsurge from the previous December. I guess that's when I tipped over into full blown T2. Will find out what my HbA1c is when I have it done in 3 months time. [*]Meter - it's a good idea. Oddly the GP (or the diabetic nurse who runs the local clinic) didn't suggest it, and also - other than offering a 1 day course on healthy eating which I've done before - didn't have any diet suggestions to speak of either. They're obviously very focussed on controlling the numbers with drugs. Targets targets targets - the NHS is all about them. [/LIST] The funny thing is that I'm not massively bothered about bread and starches and quite a few of the 'bad' things - I can take them or leave them. I like bread, sure, but I don't crave it. Sugary drinks used to be my Achilles heel, but I've given them up entirely - even before diagnosis - although I know some people believe that sweeteners are almost as bad in terms of stimulating an insulin response. I'm making the transition to mostly water... slowly. I love junk food, like I said, but as much for the convenience as for anything else about it. I know if I got the energy back to cook for myself, I could do so much better. I must delete the JustEat app from my phone and block their Web site at my firewall! The Low Carb programme here looks interesting. I've signed up and I'll see if I can do it. Thanks for your replies. Really good to have a community that understands. My friends have been fantastic and only slightly judgemental, which is great, but they can't really understand what it's like. [/QUOTE]
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