Hi, I had not been feeling well for some time. Head sweating and tired. My eyes were blurring, but I thought this was just due to dry eyes from using a computer for long periods. I had my bloods taken on Thursday last and then received a telephone call from the GP who told me that my blood glucose level was 200 and the best thing was for me to go on Metformin. I am feeling quite distraught. No advice given either on my condition or on taking Metformin apart from make an appointment to see the diabetic nurse. I know I have to lose weight, especially around my tummy, and start exercising. We go on holiday soon and wondered who people use for their insurance as I think I have to declare this.
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Newly diagnosed
- Thread starter larks15
- Start Date
daisy1
Legend
- Messages
- 26,457
- Location
- Switzerland
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Cruelty towards animals.
@larks
Hello and welcome to the forum
Some people find that Metformin disagrees with them and if it happens to you, you need to ask for the SR version. I'm afraid I can't advise you on insurance as I don't live in the UK but other members will be able to help soon. Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it helpful. In particular it gives a lot of information about carbs which you need to reduce.
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 over 150,000 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 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-and-whole-grains.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
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 bloodglucose 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
Some people find that Metformin disagrees with them and if it happens to you, you need to ask for the SR version. I'm afraid I can't advise you on insurance as I don't live in the UK but other members will be able to help soon. Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it helpful. In particular it gives a lot of information about carbs which you need to reduce.
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 over 150,000 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-and-whole-grains.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
- 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 bloodglucose 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.
Thank you for your reply and the information. I would have preferred that the doctor had spoken to me directly, as I my stress levels have gone through the roof the last few days worrying.@larks
Hello and welcome to the forum
Some people find that Metformin disagrees with them and if it happens to you, you need to ask for the SR version. I'm afraid I can't advise you on insurance as I don't live in the UK but other members will be able to help soon. Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it helpful. In particular it gives a lot of information about carbs which you need to reduce.
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 over 150,000 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-and-whole-grains.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
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.
- 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 bloodglucose 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.
Mrsass
Well-Known Member
Thank you Abbie.Hi @larks15 sorry you're feeling like this, the forum is an extremely helpful place, have a look around to see what other people have found/done to help them.
I have my insurance with my bank.
Please can any questions you may have and someone will be along to answer
Abbie
The problem is I am 67 and it is difficult enough to get reasonable rates without his diagnosis. I just can't take it in at the moment. I retired just recently after having a most stressful time since Oct 2013. I ruptured my Achilles tendon and was off work for 5 months, but on going back to work suffered so much stress from bullying. I always thought I ate relatively sensibly, but my weight just didn't go down, which I thought was due to my lack of exercise after the Achilles injury, I was a golfer and played a few times a week. I know I haven't slept well for a long time and I have now read about this being a contributory factor.
Daibell
Master
Hi and welcome. Travel insurance can be increased with diabetes but it shouldn't affect the premiums too much. Yes, you must declare it. Saga is one of several worth trying. Do go for the low-carb diet following Daisy's advice. Come back with more questions. I'm afraid many GPs are not good at explaining diabetes and many don't understand it either. BTW I have Lloyds bank insurance and diabetes is regarded as a 'no-screen' condition so you don't need to declare it if you have no other 'screen' conditions. Have a look at your policy.
JAY1JAY1
Well-Known Member
Hi and welcome
First thing do NOT worry , I had the same trouble with the doctor the attitude is your diabetic get on with it is of no help to anyone
Try to cut down on the carbs bread,rice ,pasta, and spuds. No cakes and pastries or sugar in your tea . The NHS will tell you to have carbs but everyone on the forum say to cut them down and I promise it will work. Have a good look around the site and if you have any questions please ask
Keep well stay safe JJ
First thing do NOT worry , I had the same trouble with the doctor the attitude is your diabetic get on with it is of no help to anyone
Try to cut down on the carbs bread,rice ,pasta, and spuds. No cakes and pastries or sugar in your tea . The NHS will tell you to have carbs but everyone on the forum say to cut them down and I promise it will work. Have a good look around the site and if you have any questions please ask
Keep well stay safe JJ
Patricia21
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 1,764
- Location
- Rochester Kent
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Animal crualty
Hi and welcome.
Dont worry and get stressed,you will be fine,Stick with the forum.
My travel insurance didnt go up at all.
I told them I was on Metformin and diet.
Dont worry and get stressed,you will be fine,Stick with the forum.
My travel insurance didnt go up at all.
I told them I was on Metformin and diet.
Paul59
Well-Known Member
Hi & welcome.
If your gp had told you more about & you followed that advice you would most likely end up on injections as many that have followed the Nhs advice have.
You have made a good choice finding this site as there are many on here that live with it every day & know how to keep it under control & have good results.
Just take it one step at a time & things will fall into place.
Hi, thanks for replying. I'm calming down a bit. Sorry to say the insurance has rocketed on all the sites I have tried so far.
Hi, thanks for replying. One thing tI don't understand is my BG level he quoted me was 20. But 20 what!!! I have searched everywhere and still can't find this value.
teacher123
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 270
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
Hey @larks15 that will be 20 mmol/L. The normal range of your BG level should be between 4-7 ideally.
Here is link: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html
Here is link: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html
OMG 20 is off the scale isn't it. This is really scary. I must have had this for some time to be at that level, or can it just happen suddenly. I keep thinking back to the terrible stress I had last year at work and how I was in a constant state of upset. The head sweating is one of the things I find is difficult. Does this improve once BG levels start to come down?
JAY1JAY1
Well-Known Member
Larks15
It does and faily quickly try to cut down on the carbs smaller portions that's all it takes to start with
Spuds rice pasta and white bread you must cut down on these to start with as once eaten they change to sugars and your BG goes up , you don't have to survive on salads there are lots of things to eat have a good look around the site , any questions ask
It does and faily quickly try to cut down on the carbs smaller portions that's all it takes to start with
Spuds rice pasta and white bread you must cut down on these to start with as once eaten they change to sugars and your BG goes up , you don't have to survive on salads there are lots of things to eat have a good look around the site , any questions ask
Just had a chat with one of my GP's this morning. My BG was 21 on Thursday last. Today 16. My cholesterol is raised however, so low fat and low carbs diet. Feeling slightly better, still some head sweats but not so many episodes.
Thank you everyone who has given me advice. My GP said if I follow all the correct advice having diabetes is a healthy lifestyle, so not to get stressed about the situation. Seeing the diabetes nurse on Wednesday, so progress made in getting my various tests done sooner through seeing the doctor this morning.
Thank you everyone who has given me advice. My GP said if I follow all the correct advice having diabetes is a healthy lifestyle, so not to get stressed about the situation. Seeing the diabetes nurse on Wednesday, so progress made in getting my various tests done sooner through seeing the doctor this morning.
Hi and welcome. We all start with different levels but with the right diet can often bring under control. It's a long term change rather than a short term fix and takes a while to get your head round but you will get there
Thank you.
Lamont D
Oracle
- Messages
- 18,250
- Type of diabetes
- Reactive hypoglycemia
- Treatment type
- I do not have diabetes
Hi @larks15
You mentioned low fat, this is misleading and misinformation unless you have to avoid full fat because of a medical condition.
Low fat is the fat taken out and replaced by bad sugars, which raise your blood glucose levels!
Full fats, like butter, cream slow digestion rate and help you control your blood glucose levels.
Have a read of the low carb forum about what the posters eat and you will find some great recipes and meal ideas.
You mentioned low fat, this is misleading and misinformation unless you have to avoid full fat because of a medical condition.
Low fat is the fat taken out and replaced by bad sugars, which raise your blood glucose levels!
Full fats, like butter, cream slow digestion rate and help you control your blood glucose levels.
Have a read of the low carb forum about what the posters eat and you will find some great recipes and meal ideas.
Sirmione
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 477
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Donald Trump
One but of advice not yet given is buy a blood glucose meter ... and test on waking and then before and two hours after a meal.
It is also important to log your results to spot general trends.
When buying a meter check the costs of replacement test strips out before you buy, most meters are sold cheap or even given away as the companies make more money from selling the strips. I have a few makes and types of meter but the cheap and cheerful Codefree SD currently has the cheapest running costs. Amazon is a good source for these. Blood glucose meters are not super accurate but they are a good general indication of what is happening.
Now 6 months after diagnosis I can say it took me nearly 5 months to get decent control of my Blood Glucose Level, In the early days don't be too alarmed if you get sudden spikes in your meter readings, managing Type 2 Diabetes is a learning experience, you learn about your food, your learn about your medication you learn about your body.
It is also important to log your results to spot general trends.
When buying a meter check the costs of replacement test strips out before you buy, most meters are sold cheap or even given away as the companies make more money from selling the strips. I have a few makes and types of meter but the cheap and cheerful Codefree SD currently has the cheapest running costs. Amazon is a good source for these. Blood glucose meters are not super accurate but they are a good general indication of what is happening.
Now 6 months after diagnosis I can say it took me nearly 5 months to get decent control of my Blood Glucose Level, In the early days don't be too alarmed if you get sudden spikes in your meter readings, managing Type 2 Diabetes is a learning experience, you learn about your food, your learn about your medication you learn about your body.
