Hi I'm 44 and recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.... I was put on metformin tablets which they wanted me to take 2 in morning 2 in evening eventually. These tablets made me so I'll I went back to the doctors and was put on a slower releasing tablet but this is also making me poorly. I really don't know what to do can anyone help.
-
Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »
Newly diagnosed with type 2
- Thread starter Kizz35
- Start Date
Hiitsme
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 2,986
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Hi @Kizz35 and welcome.
I'll tag @daisy1 who will post some useful info for newcomers.
How high was your HbA1c?
I was wondering if you could manage your diabetes by changing your diet. When Daisy posts there will be a lot of information about low carb. It is the carbs that send our blood sugars up so cutting them will help.
I would also recommend getting a meter and testing as then you would be able to see how different foods affect you. I reacted violently to Metformin and my GP eventually agreed to a 3 month trial without meds. This worked for me,
I'll tag @daisy1 who will post some useful info for newcomers.
How high was your HbA1c?
I was wondering if you could manage your diabetes by changing your diet. When Daisy posts there will be a lot of information about low carb. It is the carbs that send our blood sugars up so cutting them will help.
I would also recommend getting a meter and testing as then you would be able to see how different foods affect you. I reacted violently to Metformin and my GP eventually agreed to a 3 month trial without meds. This worked for me,
dawnmc
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 2,453
- Location
- Sheffield
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Hmm bit drastic putting you on a huge dose like that. Metformin will make you ill in that quantity, you have to build up to that. You need to ring up and ask what your HbA1c is. Usually the first tactic is to try diet and exercise first.
You have done the right thing joining this forum. You wont be given much advice about diet either. Read the forum you will soon find out more about what you should be eating and also you will become an expert and know more about your diabetes than your GP.
You have done the right thing joining this forum. You wont be given much advice about diet either. Read the forum you will soon find out more about what you should be eating and also you will become an expert and know more about your diabetes than your GP.
Daibell
Master
Hi. I agree starting you on full dose Metformin was probably not very sensible. Most GPs will increase the dose over several weeks to avoid stomach upset. The SR version is a lot better but you may want to agree with the GP that you reduce the dose and build it up. Stomach problems usually subside after a week or two.
daisy1
Legend
- Messages
- 26,457
- Location
- Switzerland
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Cruelty towards animals.
@Kizz35
Hello and welcome to the forum
As mentioned above, here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. It contains a lot of advice about carbs and a link to the Low Carb Program which you could try. Ask more questions when you need to and someone will be able to help.
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 210,000 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:
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 free 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
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
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.
Hello and welcome to the forum
As mentioned above, here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. It contains a lot of advice about carbs and a link to the Low Carb Program which you could try. Ask more questions when you need to and someone will be able to help.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 210,000 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
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 free 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
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
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.
Nicksu
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 743
- Location
- Manchester
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Grumpy bosses!
Oh the dreaded Metformin - not many people can take this without side effects. I was given this at first along with gliclazide. I felt vaguely nauseous for the first 2 weeks, then my stomach decided to rebel - nausea and diarrhoea - lovely - not! Also had really blurry eyesight. As soon as I stopped taking the metformin both symptoms stopped. I've bought myself a monitor and altered my diet and exercise routine i.e. low carbs and actually doing some exercise! My levels for the past week have been no higher than 6.4 (when I had a cold earlier this week) and at the lowest 4.6. All in approximately 7 weeks. If my doctors mention Metformin again they will get told to go away!
Take heart - I know its scary, but its an opportunity to take control, don't let the medical profession rule your life - you have a choice in how you do things. The biggest thing is to look for hidden sugars in foods - its just scary where they crop up!
Take heart - I know its scary, but its an opportunity to take control, don't let the medical profession rule your life - you have a choice in how you do things. The biggest thing is to look for hidden sugars in foods - its just scary where they crop up!
Liam1955
Master
- Messages
- 10,964
- Location
- York, England, UK.
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Insulin
- Dislikes
- Anti-Gay People, Self Centre People, Two Faced People and Bad Language.
@Kizz35 - Hello and Welcome to the Forum . Metformin is not suited to everybody, but it takes time to build up in your system to it's desired effect. Remember to take it with food - taking it on an empty stomach will give you stomach upsets.
Ask questions if you are not sure about anything. We are a friendly, Helpful group.
. Metformin is not suited to everybody, but it takes time to build up in your system to it's desired effect. Remember to take it with food - taking it on an empty stomach will give you stomach upsets.Ask questions if you are not sure about anything. We are a friendly, Helpful group.
Tanis
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 84
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
I was diagnosed 3 weeks ago and put straight on Metformin. I have had no problems at all apart from some constipation. Apart from this i have no idea what i am doing or supposed to do, even what type i have. Another blood test next week then Drs appt. so should know more then. I am afraid i reacted badly to the news, i HATE that i have devolped diabetes and am still in shock. A neighbour lent me a testing kiit and i immediately changed my diet to very low carb. Having done the Atkins diet, i am very familiar with this. My readings are anything from 11 to 20. I know i have a long way to go before i understand all this and need to see Dr and nurse to get on right track.
Last edited:
Liam1955
Master
- Messages
- 10,964
- Location
- York, England, UK.
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Insulin
- Dislikes
- Anti-Gay People, Self Centre People, Two Faced People and Bad Language.
4ratbags
Well-Known Member
Hi and welcome to the forum. It takes time to get your head around everything but you arw in the right place. If you have any questions dont be afraid to ask, we are a helpful bunch
