• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

One size of T2 fits all....?

F

First.Officer

Well-Known Member
Messages
55
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Okay, have posted a few times in the forums now and since original diagnosis in January of this year, have lost 3-stone in weight, low-carbed and low sugared my way to non-diabetic HbA1C levels averaging 37 mol/mmol.
All of the above should mean (if NHS expertise in the field of endocrinology etc. is to be believed) I should feel great. But since April I generally have felt awful, dizziness and tinnitus and lethargy to name a few. The sad fact is that I felt far better and healthier when undiagnosed and with HbA1C levels that qualify as a T2 diabetic. Lately, I’ve decided to conduct a little experimentation and have found that by consuming higher levels of carbs and sugars, I feel much better and oddly my dizziness and tinnitus are almost non-existent.
With the above in mind, I have a theory that for some of us at least, we run best at higher than normal HbA1C levels.....regardless of the guidelines published. I’ve been seeing (and still seeking) results via various doctors in the NHS, and not one has managed to identify the causal issues. In fact, they seem somewhat reluctant to want to find anything and it’s a slog to get any kind of investigations done without submitting my bank savings to explore at a private level. Now, is it just me, or does this “one size fits all” approach to endocrine science seem somewhat outdated? - after all, many chronic illness and diseases afflict human physiology in individuals in many differing ways and severity of symptoms. Is it not time that investigations are based on individuals as opposed to the overall herd?? As I have no explanation otherwise for how I feel better when consuming normal levels of carbs and sugars.
 
Research, research, and research some more. If the professionals cant help, then do it yourself. Things to consider is adrenal gland disorder, thyroid disorder, pituity disorder, all can be affected by high insulin and blood glucose. Dont dismiss gut disbiosis as that can affect everything as well.
Might also be your carb addiction is really strong.
Not an easy challenge as endocrine system is very difficult and poorly understood. There is reason why there aren't many endocrinologists about.
 
We all have to find the right things for us. I'm losing after a bariatric operation. Insulin still restricting heavy loses now but unable to run this off like in my past. Life changes, our bodies too.
Our expectations more so.
 
May I ask what your hbA1c level was when you felt good, before diagnosed. I was thinking that maybe our bodies adjust to higher levels like they do when people smoke or drink too much. But eventually, the body can't handle it and that's when things start to go wrong. Just thought x
 
I agree with Mazza- I think while we should listen to our bodies we need to use our judgement. I'm another that now feels dizzy and lethargic rather than better. My thinking- just based on my experience is that my body is having a little bit of a temper tantrum. It was used to running on much higher levels and is taking time to adjust to lower levels. And for me, I think that there is a level of grief to my physical symptoms. I still don't really enjoy LCHF and still miss the carbs. But I am going to persist. I read somewhere that when you leave a relationship you should take one month for every year of the relationship to get over it. My relationship with carbs was for a lot of years- I'm only 3 months on my journey without them so I've a lot more months to go. Maybe in a few years I will be over them but even if I'm not I will still be low carb eating
 
If you have to go lower carb, you should do it slowly.
If you get to the stage where you feel a bit rough, it is because your body is used to high levels. It is your brain telling you to eat more carbs, it is missing them. And you have to have a little bit more will power, just like giving up everything else, you have to wean yourself off whatever you need to.
It has several names including carb flu, it is similar to giving up a habit, once you've through the cold turkey, you should need the kick less.
As it has been said, we all have different reactions to going lower carb, at which levels do the symptoms kick in, how severe the symptoms are and at levels, in normal levels are the best for us individually.
Mine is between 4.5 and 4.9 is when my energy levels really good.
What really is happening, is your brain kidding you, that you should keep eating too much of the food that has given you a diabetic diagnosis in the first place. It's okay to give in sometimes as a treat, but you should temper it with doing low carb a little bit more than your brain is telling you.
Eating smaller low carb more often, will trick your brain into stopping the symptoms.
Once your Hba1c levels and you know that your blood sugar levels is below diabetic levels consistently, can you start adding more carbs to your meals.
Just to add, if a medical care advisor states that you need glucose for your brain and you need to eat complex carbs and quite a bit of it!
Ignore them!
The body will provide.
I've been in ketosis for over five years, I'm a healthy OAP, doing very well!
 
Carbs definitely give you a comfort (hitting dopemaine receptors) and an energy boost so it could just be you've jumped off the deep end rather than easing yourself in and getting used to lower blood sugar levels. It took me a while to shift my fuel supply from sugar to fat! Even now when feeling under the weather, a piece of marmite toast remains alluring.
A mineral deficiency may account for your feelings of weakness and fatigue as this can often happen when going low carb because of the loss of fluids when your body isn't digesting so many carbs.
Tintinitus sufferers are advised to avoid caffeine, salt (!!) , sugar and junk food though and to eat more zinc, pineapple, banana (not great for low carb) and garlic so I am not seeing the link but I imagine you will do more of a google/pubmed deep dive.
https://www.hiddenhearing.co.uk/blog/2018/foods-that-can-help-relieve-tinnitus
The blood sugars you are getting now are in a narrow 'normal for metabolically healthy human range that I would be keen to get too, but can't as a type 1 and I don't think running with high insulin and high glucose levels can be healthy in the long term.
Having said that there may be a level of carbs that you can tolerate whilst still in that normal range as in that sense we are all different!
 
From your original post I’d question a few things about your low carbing in order to try and see if there are any culprits for why you feel rubbish on it.

how were your electrolytes? Did you ensure you were eating plenty of sources of magnesium and potassium as well as sodium? Or supplement if not? Low carb tends to, and should, involve more fluids than high carb. This can have the effect of flushing gout electrolytes at a faster rate than were used to. The lack of any of these can leave you feeling truly dire and even in extreme cases heart palpations etc. If you can get a gp to cooperate they can test these levels. I think sodium and potassium are in the usual batch of diabetes tests but magnesium is definitely an extra.


Did you eat enough energy? Or were you doing low fat at the same time as well leaving your fuel tank permanently on empty?
 
Just what I was thinking @HSSS. I remember light headedness, hitting a wall 3 miles into a 5 mile pacey walk.

Easy wins to try are lo-salt (sodium and potassium) and a few bars of the darkest chocolate you can stand (magnessium).

I would up fat to start as well, either cheese or dairy for a couple of weeks and then try may be tinned sardines in brine on top of a regular meal. See what works, additional carbs will probably not end with the best outcome
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…