Type 2 Not sure but want to be pro-active

[Teddi50]

Hello Everyone

Like most new here and just learning – I do have questions but a quick background first

50 years old, heavy set, fairly active (hiking and walking and weights) - every year had blood tests done, nothing indicating high blood sugars, thyroid very healthy etc
3 years ago my hands started shaking, tremors in my core – saw Neurologist and was told I have essential tremors – both sides and my core body affected – So I have on going shakes even at rest.
Double vision started last year (Aug), facial twitching around both eyes and sides of mouth – back to Neurologist – still essential tremors – blood pressure a bit high.
See eye specialist in Sept of last year – eyes scanned and every kind of machine testing possible with pictures taken - eyes very good, no damage no sign of blood vessel bleeding etc. – I had a follow up just last week and was very pointed in asking about nerve damage due to Diabetes and he could not find a thing wrong with my eyes – still have issues with double vision that comes and goes, mostly at the end of the day.
March of this year – have dizziness when walking, vertigo when turning my head to the point of falling down (broke ankle in April of this year) right hand going numb at the fingers – see a new Neurologist May 23rd and I have a nerve test done and I have the beginning stages of carpal tunnel with nerve damage. She sends me for a diabetes test. She test for vitamin issues as well
Results of testing – Vitamin D extremely low – puts me on 4000 UI a day
Hemoglobin A1C 7.2
Glucose Tolerance Fasting 6.8 mmol/L Glucose 2h 13.7 mmol/L

Go see my GP – discuss results – will do another A1C test Aug 23rd – was told to just watch my sugars. Asked if I need medication or to be referred to someone and GP said not at this time, concerns that the low Vitamin D might have caused issues with insulin ?

So to my questions – I know my numbers are bad, and can Vitamin D really have that major effect on insulin etc
Can I have such bad diabetic neuropathy damage already - double vision, facial twitching, numb feet and legs, carpal tunnel, dizzy, vertigo and numb fingers.
To date I have cut carbs out (never really had a lot in the first place) and upped my walking to and hour and a half a day.

 

[AM1874]

Hi @Teddi50 .. and welcome
You have certainly made a good move coming here. Since joining this forum, the folks here have given me so much info, advice and support that I am now much more confident about the journey ahead. There will be plenty of folk on here who will be able to offer specific advice about your various medical issues .. so ask your questions and be assured that you will receive the answers that you need. It can all seem uphill to start with but, in my experience, it gets easier .. very quickly.

At this stage, a key point to take on board is that managing and controlling your diabetes (or pre-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 and you'll find that there is a wealth of info, relevant advice and positive support about LCHF on the forum ..

I have tagged @daisy1 for you and I suggest that you read up on the Low Carb Program in the information that she will soon be sending you. You might also find the discussion on the Low Carb Diet forum helpful .. and the following Diet Doctor websites ...
Low Carb Intro and Information
Low Carbs in 60 Seconds

It is a top priority that you get yourself a meter for testing your blood glucose and, for this, the following websites might help:
https://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/
for the SD Codefree meter, which costs £12.98 or:
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/
who distribute the TEE 2 meter, which is free.
I have both which I alternate for comparative purposes and I have never found any significant difference between them.

Unless you are prescribed a meter and test strips by your doctor (unlikely), the costs of testing comes down to the ongoing charges for test strips and lancets. Make sure that you tick the appropriate box on the on-line order form and you won't pay VAT on the cost of your meter or strips.
For the SD Codefree, the strips are £7.69 for a pack of 50 and there are discount codes available for bulk purchases:
5 packs x 50 use code: 264086 .. cost is £38.45
10 packs x 50 use code: 975833 .. cost is £76.90
For the TEE 2, the strips are £7.75 for a pack of 50 .. there are no discount codes currently available for bulk buys
I'm testing 3-5 times a day which works out at around £10 to £12 per month for either of the two packages above but, more importantly, I know what my BG levels are .. and I can now manage them

Hope this helps

 

[Teddi50]

thank you for the information

 

[librarising]

test. She test for vitamin issues as well
Results of testing – Vitamin D extremely low – puts me on 4000 UI a day
... concerns that the low Vitamin D might have caused issues with insulin ?

can Vitamin D really have that major effect on insulin etc ?

"Vitamin D is believed to help improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin – the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels – and thus reduce the risk of insulin resistance, which is often a precursor to type 2 diabetes."
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/vitamin-d.html
Geoff

 

[daisy1]

@Teddi50

Hello Teddi50 and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask more questions and someone will be able to 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 245,000 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.

 

[Pinkorchid]

All that you describe could be cause of many things even diabetes would not account for all that certainly not without having very high blood glucose levels which your GTT shows you don't have with a level of 6.8. Sounds like it is more than that and your medical team need to find out just what is wrong. You say you are a insulin dependant T2 diabetic how long have you had it ?

 

[Teddi50]

All that you describe could be cause of many things even diabetes would not account for all that certainly not without having very high blood glucose levels which your GTT shows you don't have with a level of 6.8. Sounds like it is more than that and your medical team need to find out just what is wrong. You say you are a insulin dependant T2 diabetic how long have you had it ?

This is the first diabetes testing I have had done, in the years past regular blood works with a focus on my thyroid always came back well in the normal range. My gp won't say I have diabetes until I have a second A1C test above 6.5 - I am schedule to have that test at the end of Aug. so I am in the wait and see time frame. Clearly I am well headed in that direction but not knowing anything about diabetes and the numbers I am trying to understand more and be more educated when I get the results of the second testing. Everything I have been reading has me concerned but my GP was very at ease with my results - not sure if that is normal with only one test done and no family history of diabetes etc..

 

[Teddi50]

@Teddi50

Hello Teddi50 and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask more questions and someone will be able to 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 245,000 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.

thank you for this information

 

[Pinkorchid]

My gp won't say I have diabetes until I have a second A1C

Sorry I am a bit confused as you say on your profile that you are an insulin dependant T2

 

[zand]

Sorry I am a bit confused as you say on your profile that you are an insulin dependant T2

I expect that's still a glitch with DCUK's IT. @DCUKMod ?

 

[Teddi50]

Sorry I am a bit confused as you say on your profile that you are an insulin dependant T2

Sorry about that - probably me trying to click one and hitting the other - combination of tremors and bad eye LOL makes life interesting. I have changed it to other to be on the safe side for now.

 

[ringi]

With diabetes, pre-diabetes or no diabetes, cutting down on carbs is a very good option.

My undoing was drinking Orange Juice (with sparkling water) after each walk and incensing the amount I drank as I become more thirsty.