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Newly diagnosed type 2, could really use some help :/

R

Rain000

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12
OK so I'm trying not to unload all my problems on you guys but I would appreciate some serious help. As i said I am new to diabetes and have just been diagnosed. My name is Matt and I'm 21.

I have been having really bad problems with confusion, low concentration and depression and was prescribed Metformin a while back and for the first two days of taking them my mind became really clear and i had never felt better. I was having meaningful conversations with people instead of feeling empty and fuzzy. A few days after i went back to the way i was and have not seen that part of me since. I'm not sure if this in fact down to my diabetes but if it is some light shed on the situation would be amazing.

I've been in tears lately over it and would like to get the problem gone :(
 
Hello Matt,

I myself cannot help you - but I have just read your post and I am sure that you are waiting anxiously for a reply. Don't worry - some-one who will have some words of wisdom will reply soon I am sure. This is a super site for help and advice from those who know best - other diabetics.

I was diagnosed in December 2011 and was really upset, frightened and tearful initially........but once things settle down you begin to feel more confident once you start getting some answers to questions - things get better.

Hope some-one with some advice replies soon.

Take care,
Karen
 
Rain000 said:
OK so I'm trying not to unload all my problems on you guys but I would appreciate some serious help. As i said I am new to diabetes and have just been diagnosed. My name is Matt and I'm 21.

I have been having really bad problems with confusion, low concentration and depression and was prescribed Metformin a while back and for the first two days of taking them my mind became really clear and i had never felt better. I was having meaningful conversations with people instead of feeling empty and fuzzy. A few days after i went back to the way i was and have not seen that part of me since. I'm not sure if this in fact down to my diabetes but if it is some light shed on the situation would be amazing.

I've been in tears lately over it and would like to get the problem gone :(
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Hi Matt, and welcome to the club no one wants to be a member of. Believe it or not - you CAN deal with this disease and keep it under control so it doesn't control you. It will require some changes in the way you 'do life' with regard to eating. But at 21 - you're so young and though changing habits isn't easy it's easier - the younger you are.

The brain fog you are experiencing and tiredness CAN indeed be a result of high blood sugars. It's likely your blood sugars were very high before you started the Metformin and the initial couple of doses you took helped a LITTLE but not enough. That COULD be why you had the 'lucid' couple of days and now not. Talk to your doc about it. But have you bought yourself a METER yet to test your blood sugar? You need to -- in a BIG way. It's the most important tool you'll have the rest of your life to control this. If your blood sugar is on the high side -- at your current dose of Metformin you may need a higher dose. Ask your doc.

Do you have a meter yet?
 
I do have a meter but I'm really confused in working it. Sometime i put the blood on and i get an error so it gets frustrating
 
Rain000 said:
I do have a meter but I'm really confused in working it. Sometime i put the blood on and i get an error so it gets frustrating
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Your number 1 goal in getting back to the 'healthy feeling again' is to learn to get a drop of blood large enough to register the meter successfully 4-8 times a day. Only then can we move to step 2, my friend. Practice until it works perfectly. Make sure you're only pricking the 'sides' of your fingertips -- not the pads.. They hurt more and you wouldn't want to do that.. You need to get a very small drop of blood but the strip usually 'sucks' the blood INTO it.. So you just have to 'touch' the blood to it.. Some other strips don't suck it in - and you just have to hold the blood on the top or side (depending on the meter) of the strip until you hear the beep.

Report back after your next 'successful reading'. And we can help you sort out what's going on. Becoming an 'expert' with your meter is your number 1 'schooling' priority right now.. Ok? Without your being able to report some numbers - we really have no 'informed' advice we can give you. Except to say - we feel your pain and tell you 'there's HOPE!!!'. :D
 
Ok so i just gave it another go and i got 5.5mmol. it seems it does suck the blood on but not enough was gathering when i put it on the strip
 
Hi matt,
firstly welcome,
don't worry you're not alone i as i am sure many others like us get very tired when sugars are higher than they should be and also get fuzzy or confused even daydreamy for want of a description i am not on any medication at least not at the moment,
i have controlled my sugars by changing my old habbits like eating the wrong foods at the wrong times etc.
now i try to eat a breakfast a lunch and a dinner at the correct times and make sure i eat healthier.
but i am 51 years old you seem very young to have type 2,
i'm sorry i can't be of anymore help but there are many that will help you
regards.
Rob... :D
 
p.s
i know what you mean about the strips they do suck it in a little but it does take a little practice and you will become a dab hand.
Rob..
 
Hello, and don't worry you can control diabetes and as people can't see it they'll never know (for each of the last 3 weeks I've been out I've added a new female friend to my facebook!) so you are still you! and the instuction to lose weight may of indeed helped me o gain those friends! So diabetes is not always a bad thing in my case it's been a force for the good!
 
Hi Matt and welcome to the forum :) I'm glad to see that everyone has rallied round to help you. That is how it happens here. Now, the following morning, I expect you could cope with some information. This is information that was written by Sue and Ken, former monitors, to help new members. This should help to get you started on managing your diabetes to keep yourself in as good health as possible. Ask as many questions as you like - as you have already seen, there is always someone here to help.

Here is the advice that Ken and I, as Forum Monitors, usually give to newly diagnosed Diabetics. We hope that these few ideas gained through experience help you to gain control and give you some understanding of Diabetes. This forum doesn't always follow the recommended dietary advice, you have to work out what works for you as we are all different.

It's not just 'sugars' you need to avoid, diabetes is an inability to process glucose properly. Carbohydrate converts, in the body, to glucose. So it makes sense to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat which includes sugars.

For more information on CARBOHYDRATE see here:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20306

This is NOT a low carb diet suggestion, just a reduction in your intake of carbohydrate. You have to decide yourself how much of a reduction will keep your blood glucose levels in control.

The main carbs to avoid OR reduce are the complex or starchy carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, starchy root veg and also any flour based products. The starchy carbs all convert 100% to glucose in the body and raise the blood sugar levels significantly.

If you are on Insulin you may find that reducing the carb intake also means that you can reduce your dose of insulin. This can help you to keep weight gain down as Insulin tends to make you put on weight and eventually cause insulin resistance. This should be done slowly so as not to cause hypos.

The way to find out how different foods affect you is to do regular daily testing and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks. If you test just before eating, then two hours after eating, you will see the effect of certain foods on your blood glucose levels. Some foods, which are slow acting carbohydrates, are absorbed more slowly so you may need to test three or even four hours later to see the effect that these have on your blood glucose levels.

Buy yourself a carb counter book (you can get these on-line) and you will be able to work out how much carbs you are eating, when you test, the reading two hours after should be roughly the same as the before eating reading, if it is then that meal was fine, if it isn’t then you need to check what you have eaten and think about reducing the portion size of carbs.

When you are buying products check the total carbohydrate content, this includes the sugar content. Do not just go by the amount of sugar on the packaging as this is misleading to a diabetic.


As for a tester, try asking the nurse/doctor and explain that you want to be proactive in managing your own diabetes and therefore need to test so that you can see just how foods affect your blood sugar levels. Hopefully this will work ! Sometimes they are not keen to give Type 2’s the strips on prescription, (in the UK) but you can but try!!

For TIPS FOR STRIPS see here:

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=19002#p173253

If you are an Insulin user in theory you should have no problem getting test strips.

The latest 2011 NICE guidelines for Bg levels are as follows:
Fasting (waking and before meals).......between 4 - 7 mmol/l...(Type 1 & 2)
2 hrs after meals........................no more than 8.5 mmol/l.....( Type 2)

2hrs after meals......................... no more than 9 mmol/l ......(Type 1)

If you are able to keep the post meal numbers lower, so much the better.

It also helps if you can do at least 30 minutes moderate exercise a day, it can be split into 10 min sessions to start with. It doesn't have to be strenuous.

The above is just general advice and it is recommended that you discuss with your HCP before making any changes. You can also ask questions on the forum on anything that is not clear.

Finally a few QUESTIONS TO ASK AT DIABETES CLINIC.

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=17091



Sue/Ken.
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Rain000 said:
Ok so i just gave it another go and i got 5.5mmol. it seems it does suck the blood on but not enough was gathering when i put it on the strip
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5.5 is pretty good, Matt and likely wouldn't be a high enough blood glucose reading for your to feel tired and fuzzy, etc. Were you feeling tired and fuzzy when you took THAT particular reading? Next time you're feeling the unwanted symptoms - test immediately. Don't forget to always wash your hands before testing. Mostly water -- not too much 'if any' soap as that can mess up a reading too.

Keep us posted!
 
Hi,

It could be that you have been running high numbers and the 5.5 is lower than you are normally used to. Your body will respond accordingly and you may be experiencing a false hypo, all the symptoms of a hypo but the numbers are not in hypo range.
 
Well I've been feeling like this for quite a while, It was worse when I took that reading because a few hours before I had eaten some roast potatoes with tomato sauce and it made me feel horribly depressed (and by this my head felt abysmal). I have been taking antidepressants so I'm wondering if this is contributing to the fuzzy head feeling but as i said it was worse after the pots and sauce. I'm so glad the community here is here gathering around me and helping, I've felt a bit lost and alone ever since I got diabetes. Most people seem to shy away from the subject if i seek help from friends or family. Its had me in tears a good few times as well :oops:
 
hi again matt,
my wife has been on anti depressants for many years and recently has had the brand and type changed and does get a little funny headed sometimes but then i don't take anti depressants and find that if my sugars tend to rise i get a fuzzy head.
talk to your gp and ask if this could be a side affect of any medication/conditions you may have.
hope this helps.
Rob... 8)
 
Hi Matt.

My bit of advice would be to get your GP to test to see if you are T1 or T2. Some GP's are very good at giving a diagnosis without actually knowing the whole story. At your age (indeed at any age) it is possible you are T1 in which case you will need to be on a completely different treatment. How were you diagnosed? Was it by chance or did you go to your GP with symptoms? What blood tests did he do?

The secret to control is test, test and test some more. Follow the advice you've already been offered here.

Welcome to the club!

wiflib
 
Rain000 said:
Well I've been feeling like this for quite a while, It was worse when I took that reading because a few hours before I had eaten some roast potatoes with tomato sauce and it made me feel horribly depressed (and by this my head felt abysmal). I have been taking antidepressants so I'm wondering if this is contributing to the fuzzy head feeling but as i said it was worse after the pots and sauce. I'm so glad the community here is here gathering around me and helping, I've felt a bit lost and alone ever since I got diabetes. Most people seem to shy away from the subject if i seek help from friends or family. Its had me in tears a good few times as well :oops:
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I'm gonna bet that the anti-depressants are 'in' this equation, Matt. And as Lister suggested, it's possible your body's reacting differently to them now. I have that happen with my acid reducing meds for my stomach about ever 1.5 to 2 years one of them stops working and the heartburn returns. So I float between Protonix, Nexium and Aciphex every couple of years to keep my body tame. Check with your GP about a change to a different brand or type.. BUT in the mean time you can food test. My wife gets the symptoms you're talking about from wheat products. She's a full Celiac's disease patient now and get muscle aches too - and the elimination of wheat took it all away. BOY try to eat without any wheat.. PRETTY HARD. But about as hard as limiting all carbs like we diabetics do.

Though people have vastly different approach to 'how much' carbs to eat, Matt - the one 'primary lesson' you need to learn as a new diabetic is that it's only foods from the 'carbohydrate' macronutrient category that raise our blood sugars. What are problem carbs? Well all the 'comfort 'yummy' foods'.. :cry: - Think of anything 'white' or sweet:
Bread (even wheat bread), cereal, pasta, potatoes, rice (even the brown rice) - anything with grains, corn, the starchy veggies like most 'beans' and of course fruits. Veggies are a carb but they usually don't raise blood sugar. All diabetics to some level start to learn to live on LESS of the carbs than the 'daily recommended input' amount of most health organizations. Eating a potato -- other than the vitamins is no different, blood sugar-wise, that eating a candy bar or two teaspoons of sugar in terms of how your body reacts. As a diabetic now - that MATTERS. So when you ate the potatoes and tomatoes (tomatoes are a fruit) you likely spiked your blood glucose levels and IF high BG levels are part of this symptom you're having that would likely explain how you felt after eating that.

Start testing 1 hour after your first bite of a meal and start a log book.. Then test 2 hours after. If you ate something high in fat - you can forget the 1 hour after test and test only 2 and 3 hours after.
This will start giving you a log of 'safe' and 'unsafe foods' for you. you never want a rise of more than 2.7mmol from your fasting number (the number before the meal) - which is considered a 'spike' and you'd need to consider that food 'unsafe' and put it on the 'fun cheat' list.. And just limit it. I'm not saying get rid of it - unless you're the personality type that can 'quit things' immediately. My father's like that. Not me!!! :lol:

We still don't have enough info to help you - until you've taken a few days readings of 'before meal' and 1hour and 2hour after meal to see if 'spikes' in your blood sugar correspond with these 'symptoms'. YOu can do it. As a young man, I remember that HAVING to do ANYTHING was hard for me. I just wanted to be 'care free' -- So making this testing thing a REGIMEN in your life is going to feel, at first, like you went into the Royal Navy... :lol: But you HAVE to build this into your life now. So let us know if you can find any correlation between a more than 2.7mmol rise in your blood glucose 1-3 hours after a meal and see if the symptoms line up..

We're here to help, Matt.. Hang in there! But testing your blood is going to become a very big part of your life for a while. It gets easier in about 6 months after you've learned what foods make you react what way.. But for 6 months it's a lot of testing and logging. Pip Pip -- let's get started! :D
 
NewdestinyX said:
Start testing 1 hour after your first bite of a meal and start a log book.. Then test 2 hours after. If you ate something high in fat - you can forget the 1 hour after test and test only 2 and 3 hours after.
This will start giving you a log of 'safe' and 'unsafe foods' for you. you never want a rise of more than 2.7mmol from your fasting number (the number before the meal) - which is considered a 'spike' and you'd need to consider that food 'unsafe' and put it on the 'fun cheat' list.. And just limit it.
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1 hour testing is pretty much considered unnecessary and a waste of an expensive test strip as even non diabetics are going to show a spike in their bg levels after eating and in many cases a lot more than 2.7mmol/L.

IMHO it is far more useful to check at the 2 hour period and thats 2 hours after finishing your meal not after the first bite as you may be eating for an hour or more, and to ensure that your levels are returning to close to postprandial levels at that 2 hour period, I accept that high fat meals will cause delayed stomach emptying but in most cases 2 hours is the optimum time, for me, to check. For others it may vary slightly but 2 hour is a good starting point

As for safe and unsafe foods I can only assume you have never heard of portion control, if after 2 hours of eating a new food type my levels are over the limit I set for myself I merely reduce the carb portion of that meal the next time I eat it, no foods are unsafe only portions of food are unsafe if they are too large and raise your bg levels above your goals.

Patch laughed when I said in another thread that I had 16g of cornflakes for breakfast but I dont find it funny at all that I can only eat corn flakes in small portions at least I can eat them and while I am talking about portions a portion is generally considered what you can fit in the palm of your cupped hand and I can assure you that I can not fit more than 16g to 18g of corn flakes in my cupped hand and I dont have particularly small hands. Most people today I believe, eat food in unnecessarily large portions and most diabetics would find that if they reduced their portion sizes they would still be able to eat most foods.

The one caveat I would add is that we are all different :roll: and everyone will find they can eat more or less of a food than someone else is able to. I find it very hard to eat Pasta so I eat it only very occasionally and accept that it will raise my bg levels but as an occasional treat that doesnt matter much in the scheme of things.

Riding a motorcycle at 100 miles an hour without a crash hat is unsafe, free diving is unsafe and base jumping is unsafe but food is just food as long as it is only eaten in moderation.
 
Sid Bonkers said:
1 hour testing is pretty much considered unnecessary and a waste of an expensive test strip as even non diabetics are going to show a spike in their bg levels after eating and in many cases a lot more than 2.7mmol/L.
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This is actually not backed, Sid, by any science I've ever read. A non diabetic even after the most carby and high portioned Christmas dinner will never move above 6.9-7.0mmol anywhere from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours after the meal and then will be back to fasting levels (4.15-4.7mmol) between 1.5 and 3 hours after meal depending on how much fat was in the meal. Spiking at the one hour mark does matter. I agree two hours -- if expense is an issue is the 'better one' to choose. We agree there. 2-3 hours -- again depending on the individual's stomach emptying timeframe and whether the meal had much fat in it. But non diabetics never 'spike', Sid. That's something only 'we diabetics do'. If you have any science you can offer to demonstrate otherwise I'd love to read it. I'm always learning. But sometimes people say these things - like 'even non diabetics spike' and I think -- who ever started 'that myth'.. :D I'm not talking about you personally at all, Sid.. Because I was told it too, and believed it, and even read it in a 'blog or two about D', until I started consulting medical sources.

As for safe and unsafe foods I can only assume you have never heard of portion control, if after 2 hours of eating a new food type my levels are over the limit I set for myself I merely reduce the carb portion of that meal the next time I eat it, no foods are unsafe only portions of food are unsafe if they are too large and raise your bg levels above your goals.
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Hmm. I suppose that 'may' work for some. But it's not a universal principle. And we have to apply your concept there well. The point is that for some 'ANY' portion of SOME foods will produce an unacceptable spike. You mention for you it's 'pasta'. Me too on pasta. For the newly dx'ed MANY carbs will provide an unacceptable more than 2.7mmol rise (spike) at ANY portion size. Those are the foods I'm telling Matt to look out for. For me - ANY portion of CEREAL will do it too.. I mean any more than 2 mouthfuls.

The one caveat I would add is that we are all different :roll: and everyone will find they can eat more or less of a food than someone else is able to. I find it very hard to eat Pasta so I eat it only very occasionally and accept that it will raise my bg levels but as an occasional treat that doesnt matter much in the scheme of things.

Riding a motorcycle at 100 miles an hour without a crash hat is unsafe, free diving is unsafe and base jumping is unsafe but food is just food as long as it is only eaten in moderation.
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We're pretty much on the same page on this issue, Sid. Thanks for the caveats. I do believe in 'everything in moderation'. But I do believe a newly dx'ed person should see any rise in BG level over 2.8mmol or so as a 'spike' and to be avoided. And at first before their 'fasting levels' come down to under 5.5mmol even a 1.7mmol rise at 2hrPP could be considered not good. If you start at 8.8 before a meal and go to 10.5 that's still something you want to change over time and modify what you ate in 'kind' or 'portion'. I think noobs should give themselves 'a break' to be sure - but should also know the long term picture and have the 'desire' to get in line - eventually with NICE guidelines, or one of the other organizations. I don't believe, as some do, that they have to shoot for 'perfect numbers immediately' - as IF there are EVEN perfect numbers.. The term should be 'non diabetic' numbers -- I guess.

Good points, Sid! Thanks!!
 
NewdestinyX said:
Sid Bonkers said:
1 hour testing is pretty much considered unnecessary and a waste of an expensive test strip as even non diabetics are going to show a spike in their bg levels after eating and in many cases a lot more than 2.7mmol/L.
Click to expand...
This is actually not backed, Sid, by any science I've ever read. A non diabetic even after the most carby and high portioned Christmas dinner will never move above 6.9-7.0mmol anywhere from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours after the meal and then will be back to fasting levels (4.15-4.7mmol) between 1.5 and 3 hours after meal depending on how much fat was in the meal. Spiking at the one hour mark does matter. I agree two hours -- if expense is an issue is the 'better one' to choose. We agree there. 2-3 hours -- again depending on the individual's stomach emptying timeframe and whether the meal had much fat in it. But non diabetics never 'spike', Sid. That's something only 'we diabetics do'. If you have any science you can offer to demonstrate otherwise I'd love to read it. I'm always learning. But sometimes people say these things - like 'even non diabetics spike' and I think -- who ever started 'that myth'.. :D I'm not talking about you personally at all, Sid.. Because I was told it too, and believed it, and even read it in a 'blog or two about D', until I started consulting medical sources.
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Grant, are you saying that a non-diabetic who maybe eats a large portion of chips with his/her meal followed by a large piece of sugary creamy chocolaty cake never spikes above 7mmol? Sorry but who ever said that is wrong and I have to take that as a "myth".

I have personally tested many non-diabetics and some even after a "normal" portion of chips were still in the 7's even 2 hours after meals meaning that they definitely must have been at a higher spike after only one hour. Same as diabetics, non-diabetics are also not all the same and some will spike depending on the size of the meal they've eaten and the amount of movement/exercise undertaken.

The thing that differentiates a -non-diabetic to a diabetic is that under normal circumstances (ie: eating normal portions) the non-diabetics "spike" will fall within 2 hours post-meal but definitely not all of them as I found out personally, especially if they eat a large (ish) meal.
 
NewdestinyX said:
This is actually not backed, Sid, by any science I've ever read. A non diabetic even after the most carby and high portioned Christmas dinner will never move above 6.9-7.0mmol anywhere from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours after the meal and then will be back to fasting levels (4.15-4.7mmol) between 1.5 and 3 hours after meal depending on how much fat was in the meal.
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Just because you have never read something doesnt mean it is wrong, I was shown a graph a couple of years ago on another forum (perhaps someone here will remember it) but it basically stated quite clearly that a healthy non diabetic can hit a bg level of 11 mmol/L for approximately 45 minutes a day.

A very quick google has thrown this up, I'm sure if I could be bothered I could find more.

facts.jpg


Seems to be saying that a healthy non diabetic will spike at well over 200 mg/dl which as I'm sure you will know is over 12 mmol/L And surprise surprise that high spike appears to come after breakfast, which will come as no real surprise to anyone who has logged their bg levels over a 24 hour period.
 
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