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Newly diagnosed with type 2 and feeling unwell

yorkshirelad27

Member
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23
Hi there, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes nearly two weeks ago. My HBA1C was 60 but I don't know if that is % or mol. My gp started my on Metformin 500mg twice a day straight away. I have been off work with severe fatigue and exhaustion for the last month.

I was also diagnosed the same week with severe obstructive sleep apnea and because of this I often sleep late. This means that I often wake up and just have lunch and miss breakfast. I saw the practice nurse this week and she said to have the metformin at breakfast and evening meal. I did this for two days and then the last two days I didn't. Last night and tonight, I think I have had low blood sugars. Last night, I had blurred vision that wasn't great but was noticeable, headaches and feeling tingly in my arms and hands. Tonight I've not had the blurred vision but the headaches, feeling very lightheaded and sweating at one point. Sometimes this seems to be after a meal but I don't know if it was because I didn't have dinner until 1830.

I did tell the nurse that some nights I felt I had low blood sugars and she gave me advice about my diet but said I didn't need a blood glucose testing machine as was not on Gliclazide. Does anybody have any advice and I've been thinking about buying my own blood glucose testing machine. If it would be a good idea, can anybody recommend a good one. I was thinking about going back to work as felt better earlier in the week but am not sure now. I've been worried about my sickness record and want to get back to work. Thank you for reading and if you have any comments. - Mike.
 
Hi Mike and welcome!
As this is your first post I’ll tag in @daisy1 for her useful info post.
First let me reassure you that getting a hypo is very very unusual on Metformin, it’s just doesn’t work in that way, however it would be good for you to buy a meter to gauge how different foods affect your blood sugar level. The blurred vision etc... are more likely to be symptoms of high blood sugar. Were you given any dietary advice when you got your diagnosis?
A lot of us keep our blood sugar at non diabetic levels with or without Metformin by reducing our carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrates turn to sugar once eaten.

Here’s some info on meters, and to be clear I have no commercial connections with any of the companies mentioned. For a meter with cheap strips go for the Tee2 + found here:

http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-plus-blood-glucose-meter/ with the strips found here:

http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-testing-strips/


With more expensive strips is the Caresens Dual which I currently use, this one has the advantage of glucose and ketone testing in one machine, it’s to be found here:

http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/caresens-dual-blood-glucose-and-ketone-meter/

With the strips here:

http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/caresens-pro-blood-glucose-test-strips/


And to be totally transparent I used to use the SD Code Free which has the cheapest strips available. However I found itto be becoming less and less reliable. Here it is for anyone wanting to give it a go:

http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/

and here for the extra strips

http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/sd-codefree-test-strips-to-be-used-only-with-the-sd-monitor/

There are discount codes if you buy in bulk.

5 packs 264086

10 packs 975833


Don’t forget to check the box that you have diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for all meters and strips)
 
Thank you Rachox for your reply. My nurse did give me some dietary advice and I am having meals like tonights which was fish, peas and a jacket potato. I am cutting down on fats and calories and am losing weight gradually. I thought it was hypo because I felt lightheaded, was sweating and felt weak. As you say, if I get a meter, it may help me check what is affecting my blood sugars. Thank you for the meter references.
 

That is the common dietary advice and will help with weight loss but it’s difficult to maintain and won’t unfortunately do much for your blood sugars.You will see when you start testing. I haven’t counted a single calorie and don’t use low fat products. I have simply counted carbs, I keep to under 50g carbs per day, I have lost over six stone since diagnosis easily, I don’t feel hungry as the fat content of the food keeps me feeling full. Sounds like magic I know but truly it works!
 
Hi, your evening meal was carbohydrate-rich and even more so if the fish was battered. It would have lead to raised blood glucose levels which could result in the symptoms you described. It takes some time before the combination of Metformin and dietary changes result in normalisation of blood glucose levels. Many people on this forum have reduced their intake of carbohydrate to less than 120:/ day and have found big improvements in HbA1c readings.
I would tag you to Daisy if I knew how to do it and I'm sure someone will come along to help with soon. She is a mine of useful introductory information.
Incidentally, were you given tests for anything other than diabetes? A month is a long time to be off work.
Ok, I see that Rachel tagged you for info!
 
Hi @yorkshirelad27 I am a newbie too that's just been diagnosed. It's a lot to take in isn't it? I can't offer any advice on how you're feeling but just wanted to say I have the tee2+ meter and started testing last night. The meter seems good enough though I have nothing to compare it to. You get 10 lancets and 10 test strips and the solution to test the meter and strips and a case to keep everything together and a little log book to log your readings, free with the meter. Took about 4 days to arrive from Spirit healthcare. Hope this is some help to you.
Sorry can't be any more help.
Hope you're feeling better soon
 
Oof, that meal was.... Not good for a T2. Thing is, the guidelines for losing weight are the same across the board... But they don't do T2's any favours, as we have a metabolic disorder. low fat is exactly wrong for us. Once you know practically all carbs turn to glucose once ingested, you can guess what the potato and peas did to you. (And battered fish wouldn't be good either. Without the batter it's fine tho'.). On top of that, your weight is most likely a symptom of prediabetes and later diabetes. It didn't cause T2, actually. When you become insulin resistant, you have loads of insulin floating around, but it's not doing it's job anymore because you've become insensitive to it. Meaning, rather than helping you burn glucose for fuel, it just gets stored in fatcells instead. (Hello, fatigue!) You keep gaining weight until the stores are full, and then boom... It overflows into your bloodstream, doing damage to eyes, kidneys, nerve endings, liver, what have you... And you're a full-blown T2.

I'm going to try and keep a long story short: There are 3 macro-nutrients. Carbs, fats and protein. (Though them you get the micro-nutrients; vitamins and minerals). If you cut one, you up the others to avoid deficiencies and hunger. Now, fat doesn't raise bloodsugars at all, protein just a tiny bit... Carbs make them skyrocket. Really, it's not even funny. So... You cut the carbs and up the fats. Added bonus of fats: they slow down the uptake of any carbs you do ingest, so bacon, cheese, cream etc are back on the menu, believe it or not. I mean, I have bacon once or twice a day, and I lost 50 pounds, got my bloodglucose back into the normal range, my cholesterol is down so I'm off the statins as well as the metformin an gliclazide... I was on pills for 3 months. I've been non-medicated for diabetes and cholesterol for 2 years. On top of that my fatty liver is improving, my kidneys are happy, my foodintolerances have alleviated and my clinical depression and panic attacks have become managable. (High bloodsugars affect mood as well).

So... Not good for T2's: Potatoes, bread, pasta, rice, cereal/weetabix/muesli, corn, and most fruit. (Avocado, berries starfruit ad tomatoes are okay.). Aside from the obvious straight sugars like refined sugars, honey, dates etc.
Excellent for T2's: Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, (non-starchy) above ground veggies/leafy greens, butter, cream, full fat greek yoghurt, berries, avocado, tomato, extra dark chocolate (85% and above), cheese, olives etc.

You might want to pick up dr. Jason Fung's book, The Diabetes Code, to really understand this condition and how to achieve remission. T2 doesn't have to be a progressive disease if we throw diet into the mix. And you could get rid of the apnea as well, because a low carb, high fat diet'll make you lose weight rather quickly. Do get a meter, you're flying blind without one. Test before a meal and 2 hours after, if you go up more than 2.0 mmol/l, the meal was carbier than your body could process. So you don't have to take my word for it, just check with the meter whether you respond badly to spuds or not.

As for meal ideas, check dietdoctor.com. You can join the site as a paying member, but you don't actually have to.... The recipies there are free, and all the info you might want is available for non-paying members, so... Knock yourself out. But if you want some inkling of what'd be okay:

Scrambled eggs with bacon, cheese, mushrooms, tomato, maybe some high meat content sausages?
Eggs with ham, bacon and cheese
Omelet with spinach and/or smoked salmon
Omelet with cream, cinnamon, with some berries and coconut shavings
Full fat Greek yoghurt with nuts and berries
Leafy green salad with a can of tuna (oil, not brine!), mayonaise, capers, olives and avocado
Leafy green salad with (warmed goat's) cheese and bacon, maybe a nice vinaigrette?
Meat, fish or poultry with veggies. I usually go for cauliflower rice or broccoli rice, with cheese and bacon to bulk it up. Never the same meal twice in a row because of various herbs/spices.

Snacks? Pork scratchings, cheese, olives, extra dark chocolate, nuts.


Hope this helps! (It's a lot to take in... I was overwhelmed at first, but it helps to take notes.). Also, very important, always ask for your testresults. You need to know where you're coming from to see whether there's any improvement.

Good luck!
Jo
 
Thank you so much all of you for your advice. It has been rather confusing as some of the diabetes information I got from the nurse, said to have starchy foods. However, after reading what you have put and also reading about the Harcombe diet, I am now starting on a low carb diet. I haven't just been off of work with the diabetes but mainly the fatigue from the sleep apnea which was classed as severe. I feel more positive now. Once again, thank you.
 

Hi welcome to the forum. I suffer sleep apnea have done for over 20 years, It causes tiredness because during the night we can wake many times without knowing and other times we do know about it , and it causes palpitations shortness of breath , we are not getting enough sleep and each time we get apnea the oxygen is cut off but luckily we wake up and start breathing again .

I only get it when I am stressed now and it has improved 99 percent since losing weight . You should ask the doctor to see a sleep disorder specialist you might need a special mask to sleep with , but they are not ideal and restrict movement in bed, I have never been offered either and have had to cope alone, but many people find the masks helpful.

Losing weight can really reduce sleep apnea .

and this video helps too I have just made a thread with the video too .


LCHF will lower your blood sugar and you will have more energy too .
Hope this helps you .
 
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Hi @yorkshirelad27

Welcome.

You symptoms sound familiar.

I put it down to cutting back on sugar .
3-4 weeks I was rough as the proverbial.
Sleeping heavy , tired all the time.

Seems our bodies do get hooked on the Sugar and high carbs foods,

the minute we cut back, it kicks off like a hyper active child in the supermarket sweet aisle that can't get it's it's own way.

Good news is..it does settle down once the body gets used to the new regime

Better news is @JoKalsbeek @Rachox @Dr Snoddy posts are spot on and full of good advice.

I agree with your choice of foods being bad for you
I love potatoes, but now they no longer are a part of my diet...I just don' tolerate them very well, now

I too lost weight..my goal was to lower my blood sugar levels, the weight loss was an added bonus.

It will seem like all you can eat is a lettuce leaf.
But my diet is pretty varied and I have more then enough choices to keep me more then full each day.

A tip when your back at work, and wondering *** CAN I eat.

For takeaways,
I have grilled chicken, no chips or drink.
Bag of saladl from supermarket,

shish kebab from kebab shop boxed, and just don't eat the pitta.

Subway also do a SALAD bowl that worth the money.

Many others also go the BUNLESS burger root...same thing as a burger, they just toss away the bun
(Seems odd, but I know see the bread as just another bit of packaging that gets in the way of me eating the food )

And that's before you get into all the bits and pieces you can prep and buy to bring in from home .

You will improve, once you understand the issue is we are CARB INTOLERANT.

SUGAR intolerant if you like.ss all carbs turn into sugar.

And just like those with nut allergies,

the secret is to be careful and watch what you eat ..and for us..that's carbs .

Meter is a GREAT IDEA.
 
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@yorkshirelad27
Hello Mike and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it interesting and helpful.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

  • Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why

  • Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
 
yorkshirelad27 said:
the fatigue from the sleep apnea which was classed as severe.
Click to expand...
I wonder if NHS can/will loan you a mask till weight loss has resolved your sleep apnea problem? Fatigue is such a robber of life quality. Welcome, by the way I'm so glad you've decided to ignore the bad dietary advice you got from your DN. I know it will improve your health no end. It did mine and so many others' in here.
Edited to ad: I see @Charis1213 beat me to it.
 
Once again, thank you all for your lovely support and comments. It has been really helpful and insightful. I have seen a specialist about the sleep apnea and I am due to collect a CPAP mask and machine in four weeks (this is the earliest that they can see me). Thank you for welcoming me to the group.
 

I think most of us have been where you are now, the low-carb way of eating feels so "wrong" because it's at odds to what we have been told for years- and are still being told. You are in a good place here and will get well informed real life advice and encouragement.
 

Hello Yorkshire lad (I am based in Yorkshire too!).
I got my Hba1c from 66 to 40 in 3 months and I attribute this to 3 things:
i) Low Carb diet - avoiding potatoes, cereals, bread, pasta and rice, sweet things and fruit juice.
ii) testing my blood before and 2 hours after every meal - so valuable
iii) the support, advice, friendship and guidance of this forum. Even sometimes for challenge or a reality check.
If you are anywhere near Leeds, then there has recently been a LowCarbLeeds group set up which you can find on Facebook - just getting going but it there are couple of PCH Ambassadors on there sharing some valuable input, they meet occasionally (I haven't been yet) and the members share some of their own recipes.

I wrote a blog about my first 50 days post diagnosis - maybe it will resonate: you can read it here
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/type-2-my-first-50-days.2190/
 
Evening Yorkshirelad27
Finding the right advice is difficult with half the internet desperate for you to eat carbs. Fortunately for you you came to the right place. So did I. My opening thread and story is just below yours.
What I have learnt already has changed my life immeasurably for the better.
Best of luck with finding your route out but lchf/keto proved to be mine.
Oooh, I know someone who has a machine, they are very happy with it so let's hope you get on with it.
 
Hi Mike,

Can I ask if you are noticeably overweight?
It's not any sort of dig, more a question to find out facts.
I was diagnosed T2 30+ years ago. I went down the route of Metformin but found the damned stuff so disagreeable with me (mood, fatigue etc, that I chose to get off it. I was behaving like Dr David Banner of The Hulk fame "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry". I chose to go on insulin to stabilise my moods and anger, caused by the Metformin.
Over the next 30 years all was good. After I gave up smoking and playing football at the age of 44, my weight started to climb and I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnoea. The mask left a permanent scar across the bridge of my nose, thanks to an unchecked for, allergy to latex, so I threw it back at them and told the hospital to get lost.
In time,as you can imagine, I was struggling and 2 and a bit yrs ago peaked at 17 stone 3 (109 kilos). My blood sugars were a mess and I was thoroughly depressed and couldn't even run a few short steps to catch a bus. I had hear of another injection (to go with my NovoRapid and Lantus and had heard that it assisted in weight loss.so bullied my hospital Diabetic Clinic into prescribing it for me. The drug is Liraglutide, often marketed as Victoza. It had a great effect on me, allowing me to substantially reduce my insulin levels. To remain on the drug, I had to lose 5% of my total body mass within a set time. This was achieved with ease. In June of 2017, my wife suggested going low carb. I did some research using this very site and went for it. I now weigh 11 stone 13, (75.8) kilos, can jog all the weigh around the exterior of my local park (3 KM), something that I could never do thoughout my entire time playing football. I, having lost all this weight, fully reversed my Sleep Apnoea and my wife gets a good night's sleep without my waking her up through loud snoring or those lovely moments when I stopped breathing. At the age of 60, I have far more energy than I ever had in my 30s and love life, with my ongoing depression almost fully eliminated. Good luck on your journey with T2. It took me a heck of a long time to learn how to get it right. This forum was the major influence, along with the support I get from my wife of 28 years+.
 
I have sleep apnoea, but for a long time I have had a CPAP machine and that has made a big difference to how I sleep. The modern masks are plastic I believe - so no problem with allergy to latex if you have it.
I used a blood glucose meter to see how foods affected me, and learned how to get down to normal levels.
I liken not having a meter and being diabetic to not having a speedometer in a car and relying on the fines for speeding letting you know that you drive too fast.
 
I would much rather do what I did, got my weight, and fitness, sorted, no longer suffer with Sleep Apnoea. Am also on a third of my previous Insulin intake.
 

LIKE

and a very similar journey.
no sleep apnoea..but the weight, yep.
and the BOLD ..fully agree,
 
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