Not sure what I'm experiencing...

@PolyWogg
Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it interesting and helpful.

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 235,000 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 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. Most of these are 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.
  

I would go back to doctors regarding medication changes. Also, having recently found out I have a genetic condition called haemochromotosis in my family, I am advising others to take a look just in case.

mariavontrapp said:

I would go back to doctors regarding medication changes. Also, having recently found out I have a genetic condition called haemochromotosis in my family, I am advising others to take a look just in case.

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The hills are alive..

PolyWogg said:

Anyone with thoughts?

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Hi and welcome to the forum. I can't add to what's already been said.

PolyWogg said:

I do a LOT of computer time for work and home, and I'm finding I'm almost getting motion sick.

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Wouldn't be vertigo, maybe, perhaps?

PolyWogg said:

I'm a relative newb to diabetes, although it runs in my family. Brother diagnosed at age 17, multiple organ transplant at age 52, etc.

I'm 50, and jumped 50 pounds in last two years to weigh 340 pounds. A1C had been 5.9 two years ago, jumped to 7.1 last September, back to 5.9 in January with loss of 35 pounds. I am on low dose of metformin, things seem to be working, controlling stuff with diet (more about timings for me than portions, and less processed stuff with carbs).

However, I switched blood pressure meds at the start of January too, along with taking the metformin. A month later, I'm getting more frequent headaches (used to be 3 times a week, now almost every day), centred around back of head and sides (just above and in front of ears). I do a LOT of computer time for work and home, and I'm finding I'm almost getting motion sick. It's not "dizziness" as the symptoms for hypoglycemia suggest, more just that I get warm and flushed. My eyes have been getting dried out too, so using drops, but two nights in a row now I've had to stop working on the computer and just go to bed because I felt like ****.

I'm not on any blood monitoring and it doesn't seem like it fits hypoglycemia but maybe I'm being too literal for what dizziness would be like. I have headaches (symptom but I've had some form of migraines and cluster headaches for 25 years, just frequency is way up, and seems to be more nasal-linked, maybe from CPAP machines); eye focus issues (always had problems like this if I use screen for too long, but drier than normal); and more heat rush/flush than dizziness.

Anyone with thoughts?

A confused PolyWogg

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Get some glucose and next time you think it may be a hypo take the glucose and if your symptoms clear up immediately then it’s a good chance it is hypos, also when I have had hypos my body screams for food