Newly Diagnosed Type 2

[szia]

I posted a message before but it disappeared so will try again. I have been diagnosed as type 2 on 19th August with a HBAC1 reading of 75. My cholesterol levels and blood pressure were also high and have been given 3 months to lower otherwise will have to take medications for them. I was put on 2 metformin tablets a day which were increased to three a day as I was still feeling tired all the time.

I immediately began a low carb diet (approx. 100-150g a day) and 30min walking per day. 4 weeks on, I have lost 7 pounds and blood pressure has decreased to normal levels. However my morning blood glucose level are usually between 7 - 8 and never below the normal level of 6.7.

Anyone know why this is and what I can do?

 

[Hiitsme]

Hi @szia and welcome
Your previous thread
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/type-2-and-running.107325/

If you click on your previous thread Daisy1 has posted some very helpful info for newcomers. If you can't find it someone will tag Daisy again for you. There have been a few issues with the forum which hopefully are now resolved.

It took me several weeks if not months to get a fasting reading below 7 so hang in there. You seem to be making a good start. If you start be looking at how each meal you eat is working for you by testing before you eat and 2 hours after you will soon learn what foods you can manage and what are better avoided or reduce portion sizes. I was happy to begin with if the rise was less than 2, if the rise was 3 or more I tried to alter that meal, particularly looking at the carbs. You may not need to work as hard as me as my starting HbA1c was 95! I wrote down everything readings, meals and anything else I thought might be relevant.

 

[Tabbyjoolz]

Hi Szia, we were diagnosed on the same day!

Give yourself a massive pat on the back! you're doing brilliantly. The morning readings are the last ones to fall, or, at least, that's been my experience. Most days now mine are in the 6s, but I still get a rogue 7, 8 or even 9 occasionally. For the rest of the day I tend to score 5s, 6s and sometimes low 7s after exercise.

Like you, I am very, very keen to dodge the tablets for as long as I can. I was diagnosed with mild hypertension a fortnight before I got the T2D diagnosis. My blood pressure is now coming down too.

 

[szia]

@Hiitsme Thanks for the link. I thought that post never appeared so had not seen the replies on it. I only had 10 strips which I got free with my Free Tee2 meter. My doctor/Nurse won't prescribe any strips so was only measuring fasting as it is comparable. I will have to purchase some and try testing at different times and after meals too.

 

[Hiitsme]

@szia
If you are funding your own strips you may find the SD codefree has cheaper strips. Some meters are give away free but they tend to have high prices for the strips.
http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/
You need to say you are diabetic as then you do not pay VAT. If you are interested it might be worth ordering now as the prices are due to go up at the end of this month. We use mmol/L in UK.

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/sd-codefree-users-please-read.107944/

Discount codes for bulk buying
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833
At today's prices if you buy 5 packs of strips it works out just over £5 each pack. I was paying over £15 a pack for the ones my GP had given me.You will need the new meter as the strips only work in their meter.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. I wouldn't worry too much about the fasting level being a bit high as it can be caused by the overnight liver dump and not as useful as a test 2-3 hours after a meal.

 

[Liam1955]

@szia - Hello and Welcome to the Forum.

 

[Freema]

I posted a message before but it disappeared so will try again. I have been diagnosed as type 2 on 19th August with a HBAC1 reading of 75. My cholesterol levels and blood pressure were also high and have been given 3 months to lower otherwise will have to take medications for them. I was put on 2 metformin tablets a day which were increased to three a day as I was still feeling tired all the time.

I immediately began a low carb diet (approx. 100-150g a day) and 30min walking per day. 4 weeks on, I have lost 7 pounds and blood pressure has decreased to normal levels. However my morning blood glucose level are usually between 7 - 8 and never below the normal level of 6.7.

Anyone know why this is and what I can do?

about your morning blood glucose; try to eat 4 almond while still in bed when you awake, and wait 15 minutes to get out of bed... for some people it works as a signal to the liver that it doesn´t have to kompensate hunger in the morning

 

[Nicksu]

Hi there, this is my first post after being diagnosed 6 weeks ago. Regarding your testing strips, you do realise that you will be entitled to free prescriptions because you are diabetic don't you? And that means ALL prescriptions. It amazes me that pharmacies don't tell people this as standard. Because of this, you can ask your GP to put your testing strips and lancets on repeat prescription - this will save you an absolute fortune going forward. If they won't do this then this is extremely remiss of them - I wonder sometime if they don't like people to be well informed.

 

[Hiitsme]

Yes as long as you are diabetic on medication for diabetes BUT GP's are having to try to cut costs and so are discouraging type 2's to test. I was given a meter and strips on prescription when diagnosed but as I am now considered to have control I'm told I only need to do 2 or 3 spot checks a week. It was using a meter that enabled my to get control and I don't want to lose control so I now fund my own strips.

 

[Nicksu]

Crazy! It still shouldn't stop them from putting your strips on prescription. Let's face it, better you get the occasional prescription than end up in hospital with a hypo.

 

[Liam1955]

Hi. I take Insulin and Metformin daily. About a year ago - the test strips I was getting free on prescription got stopped by my GP. Instead I was offered the Practises preferred Meter and Test Strips on Prescription Free - so I accepted.

 

[Hiitsme]

Crazy! It still shouldn't stop them from putting your strips on prescription. Let's face it, better you get the occasional prescription than end up in hospital with a hypo.

@Nicksu
I assume you are on meds that could give you a hypo and so you NEED to test, hence strips on prescription. For those of us who are diet controlled or on Metformin, we are presumed to be no more likely to have a hypo than a non-diabetic so don't qualify for strips on prescription in most cases.

 

[13lizanne]

In my GP practice you are only given meter and strips if you are on Insulin or Gliclazide or if, like me, you have another auto-immune condition. I had to put my case for the strips to be reinstated after I managed to reduce my HbA1c to non-diabetic levels (through lchf) and come off all meds. At that point my strips prescription was automatically cancelled and I had to argue my case for them to be reinstated