newly diagnosed

[israr]

I am newly diabetic. It was found during my annual body check up in 2007 that my Glucose level is at border line. I did not much care about it. In 2008,2009 and 2010 also same condition. Fasting around 6. Early 2011 i always feel tired and some time hand shaking etc. Went to see doctor to check glucose. checked several times. mostly every week for several weeks. Result range from 5 to 6. never above 6. Doctor told me i am not diabetic. sound good.
In August i came across a small meter on sale. i bought it and tested my glucose at home and it was 8 something. Alarm. next day called my doctor and had OGTT which confirmed i am diabetic.
So much worry and tense all the time.
Have not start my medicine yet and still on diet and mild excercise. Every morning i test my BG and it ranges around 5 something. even after breakfast it remain below 6. But after lunch and dinner it jump to 8,9, and sometime 10. Any body tell me why is that. Should i start medicine now. i am worry about stomatch problem caused by metfarmin. Thanks for reading and help. Israr

 

[daisy1]

Hi Israr and welcome to the forum You were right to buy yourself a testing kit to see what your blood levels are like at certain times of the day. The high after-meal levels are caused by what you eat. Are you testing at 2 hours after eating? If your levels are high then you should cut down on the carbohydrates you have been eating. By testing before and 2 hours after meals where the levels should be approximately the same, you can see if what you have eaten is OK for you. Here is some basic information which should help you to start managing your diabetes. If you get good results you may not need medication. Ask as many questions as you like as there is usually someone here who have the answer.

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 30,000 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes ... rains.html

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

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.

 

[israr]

Dear Daisy, Many thanks for your reply. Infect i am looking for many answers. My doctor really don't have much time for me even he is specialist and taking lot of money on each visit.
Well i am pakistani origin and live in Hong Kong for 20 years. I am really confused about carbs. I dont understand about carbs. What is it.
Usually i eat indian roti (bread) with curry in lunch and dinner. some time basmati rice. is that carry too much carbs. i am not really the person who eat a lot. i have totaly cut down sugar in my meals but how to cut carbs.
Any help/tips will be much appriciated. Thanks again. Israr

 

[daisy1]

Hi Israr
In the advice posted above, there is quite a lot of information on carbs (carbohydrates) which will answer at least some of your questions. Rice and bread contain a lot of carbs and should be eaten in small quantities only. By testing before meals, and 2 hours afterwards, you can see which foods you can eat without problem, which foods you need to eat in smaller portions, and which foods you need to cut out completely. Let us know if you have any more questions and someone will try to answer.

 

[Daibell]

Hi Israr

Most people at first diagnosis have a careful look at their diet and as Daisy has said keeping the carbohydrates under control should help. The reason is that carbs are turned quickly into glucose by the body so can be as bad as sugar. Ref your question about Metformin, your GP may put you on these if diet and exercise alone don't keep your BS within limits. If you go onto Metformin and you have stomach problems then Metformin SR (Slow Release) may help but it is more expensive.