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Newly diagnosed

L

London_Lady_D

Member
Hi

I went to the Doctor about a pain in my side he wanted to take some bloods and referred to a colon clinic. this was on a Monday
On Wednesday my phone at home and my mobile was filled with messages from the Doctor. Went to see him thinking the worst . He told be I had a very high sugar level and was classed as diabetic. he put me on Metformin 850g 3 times a day.
Started taken them on Thursday was violently sick for 10 - days.. I left a number of messages on the phone for him, finally got to see him and he was more distress about the reaction I had, We agreed that I would stop taken them. I would try the low GI diet and have another test in a few weeks.

I was fine and stated to be optimist about the future. Went for an eye screening test to be told that they detected some leakage at the back of the eye and I should be on medication but she could not discuss it as the results need to go to review and go to my doctor.. I am very upset, scared stressed and now I have to wait for a result about my eye.. I do know there are option but I do not want to loose my sight. this is the first ever post I have done as I a looking for some advise and reassurance

D
 
Hello and welcome to the best place there is for help and support.

Do you know what your test results were? Your HbA1c ? Did you ask for a print out of these results or if you can view them on-line? If not, I suggest you get these as you then know where you are starting from.

I also strongly urge you to buy a blood glucose meter. This is an essential tool if you are to control this disease. It will help you find a suitable and sustainable diet. It may well be low GI won't be enough for you. All carbs convert to glucose once inside the system. Low GI ones take a bit longer, but still convert at some point. Some people manage fine with this, others (me included) don't. A meter will tell you. Once you get a meter, we can help you use it to your best advantage.

Were the Metformin tablets the slow release version? If not, you could ask your GP to prescribe this version as it is supposed to be kinder on the tummy.

I'm sorry about your eye screening test. I really can't comment on this as it has never happened to me as yet. I hope others will be along to offer you support on this matter.

I am going to tag @daisy1 who has some excellent advice and information to all newly diagnosed. Have a good read, and take note of the role of carbohydrate. Also have a good read round the forum, and if you have a question, just ask!
 
Hi @London_Lady_D .. and welcome
So sorry you are having such a rough time but you are not alone in being shocked and scared and you have made a good move coming to this forum ..

There is a slow release version of Metformin available that you should discuss with your doctor, who sounds as though he is treating things with urgency .. so, hopefully, your eye test results should not take too long. I think, though, that you should be asking for an urgent appointment as soon as possible

Otherwise, managing and controlling your diabetes through exercise, diet and testing your Blood Glucose seems to be the best way forward for many people. For me, committing to an LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) lifestyle and testing 3-5 times a day, seems to be working. There is a wealth of info, relevant advice and positive support on the forum .. so ask your questions and be assured that you will receive the answers that you need ..

I have tagged @daisy1 and I would suggest that you read up on the Low Carb Program in the information that she will be sending you.. you might also find the discussion on the Low Carb Diet forum helpful .. and the following websites ...
Low Carbs in 60 Seconds
Low Carb 10-week Programme

For self-testing, try the website at: https://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/ for the SD Codefree meter or: http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/ who distribute the TEE 2 meter, which is free. The costs of testing comes down to the ongoing charges for test strips and lancets. I'm testing 3-4 times a day which works out at around £10 to £12 per month for the two packages above but, more importantly, I now know what my BG levels are .. and I will be able to manage them
Hope this helps
 
Low GI might not work - if there are carbs in food they will be digested and turned into glucose, so concentrating on low carbohydrate foods might be a more effective way to lower your BG quickly.
I was getting down to normal levels in quite a short time after diagnosis and returning to Atkins, though it has taken until now, almost 5 months to be getting really low numbers, but I think that my metabolism is correcting itself. The main thing for me was to be able to keep to the plan - though there are such things as melons, strawberries grapes and chocolate these days - just none of the more easily resisted boring stuff such as pasta and I am able to be moderately sensible about the amounts. If I get another blood test I will be able to assess just what my lack of resistance means, and perhaps have to stop buying such things, but my doctor is no longer interested as my Hba1c level was below the official level diagnostic of diabetes at the second test.
Even if I have to give up the higher carb foods, eating low carb is quite easy, satisfying and results in more energy and even weightloss. The only downside is having nothing to wear when everything shrinks. Even my feet.
 
Hi. Did the GP suggest changing you to Metformin SR (Slow Release) as it's much kinder than the plain version? Yes, just go for Low-carb. Low GI carbs are the better ones but overall you need to reduce your total carb intake.
 
Hi you have done well. I will take on your advise
 
Daibell said:
Hi. Did the GP suggest changing you to Metformin SR (Slow Release) as it's much kinder than the plain version? Yes, just go for Low-carb. Low GI carbs are the better ones but overall you need to reduce your total carb intake.
Click to expand...
Hi. I think he will put me on the slow release ones but not yet
 
Don't worry too much about your eyes for now. It was my routine eye test that found I had microaneurisms which I believe are what you are describing. That led to my diagnosis. I was told that it wasn't anything to worry about immediately but I needed to see my GP. I expect the having got my BG down a lot it my eyes will start to return to normal. Certainly my vision is better. I'm due my diabetic screening in the next few weeks and will feed back what they report.
 
Hi

I have just had an eye test abou 4 weeks ago at the optician and they did not pick it up. It just everything is new and scary at the moment. I just wish people who do tests and are not suppose to comment on things would keep their gobs shut. Thanks for the post
 
Yes I understand. Mine was only picked up on the photos not with the normal examination. It's just that they happen to do the photos anyway. Because of the photos they did the eye drop thing there and then, so could see the issue directly. Lucky really.

I had a rather stressful weekend when they diagnosed me. Went for a blood test and was told it would take 7 working days to get results. Within two hours I had a phonecall to say I MUST go to see the doctor the next working day (the phonecall was Friday, so next working day was Monday). I said I already had an appointment on the Wednesday but they insisted that wasn't soon enough. You can imagine how that weekend went! I was a touch miffed when I went to the appointment and was asked why I wanted to see the doctor.
 
Hi

I can as they did the same to me. My blood pressure was through the roof. They did do photos at the opticians but not the ones with the eye drops they use to do it but it is more about getting as many people through the door than looking after your eyes. I guess I be getting the phones calls again next week. I thought doctors were suppose to make you better
 
I'll admit overall I've been lucky. The optician taking the time to look a bit deeper for a start. The first doctor I saw, and the diabetes nurse were OK, but gave me the usual 'it's going to get worse and then you die' stuff, but a second doctor sort of pointed me here. I only see her now, you can guess why. By the way, she also mentioned my cholesterol being high but said 'we will talk about that later' and later hasn't come round yet. I don't think that's an error but to give me time to prove that LCHF helps that too.

The worst part is the admin side has been useless. Almost impossible to get my test results, hard to get appointments, having to sort out my registration with the diabetic screening service myself. But I'm lucky I'm able enough and stubborn enough to sort it out. I feel for those that aren't.

I may have it, but I'm not finished!
 
welcome here London_Lady_D

the best and fastest way to get control is to go down to under 100 grams of carbs a day (shared out on more meals to avoid high spiking blood glucose.. )and see if that lowers ones blood glucose...then if it does one can slowly go to maybe 130 grams a day or a bit higher , very few can manage around 200 grams a day... so the best is to learn to like low carb foods.. and luckily there are really many wonderful low carb foods we can eat...


low glychemic foods are good but just usually not enough restriction to get numbers down to normal in type 2 diabetes
 
@London_Lady_D

Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. In particular, in my signature, is a link to the Low Carb Program which you could try. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will try and help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

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 147,000 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 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
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. They're all 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.
 
Hello and welcome LL

About 20 years ago after about 20 years of diabetes i had blood spillage behind my peepers.
I had laser treatment which went well and hey ho 20 years on i'm working and driving and in good shape for 42 years a diabetic.
Please don't stress too much the key thing with your peepers is well, ahem forgive me but keep an eye on them.
If the spillage is on the outer periphery then you might not need to have anything done yet.
Good control first and the rest should fall into place.

Kindest regards

Tony
 
Hi

Thanks for this. It is the not knowing that is bothering me. The person that did the test only gave me half the facts. She said that it looked like they was leakage at the back of the eye but the pictures had to go to review and the results will be sent to me and my doctor. I have had issues with my eyes since birth. I have had corrective surgery up until I was 14. My right eye where she said there was a problem is very week and I have always had worries about it. I can deal with knowing as you said there are options.

D
 
London_Lady_D said:
I am very upset, scared stressed and now I have to wait for a result about my eye.. I do know there are option but I do not want to loose my sight. this is the first ever post I have done as I a looking for some advise and reassurance.
Click to expand...
Hi @London_Lady_D and welcome to the forum. It is scary when you first get that diagnosis. But try not to stress too much as stress also raises your blood sugar levels.
You will get a lot of good advice and support on here. You do need to get the results of your HbA1c test from your GP surgery to know where you are starting from.
 
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