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Overwhelmed

carilina

carilina

Active Member
Messages
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Hello :wave:

I was diagnosed T2 two weeks ago - blood glucose was 24 (whatever that means) and was told it should be 7 or under. I was prescribed Gliclazide and Metformin - 1 Gliclazide in the morning with 2 Metformin twice a day.

I didn't know anything was wrong really, other than having numb feet and feeling very tired, and my blood test was routine as I was a new patient.

I feel so ill now, much worse than before diagnosis. When I wake up I feel very weak and achy and can barely walk. I take 1 Gliclazide and 2 Metformin in the morning with breakfast (porridge) and after about 3 hours I start to get a little energy. I feel ok until I have lunch (salad or veg soup) - then I feel freezing cold, even though it's been very warm today. I get very weak and achy again and very tearful. I am so fed up.

Now I feel scared to eat anything because of the effects. I haven't taken my evening Metformin today because I want to see if there's any improvement and maybe I won't take the Gliclazide in the morning. I'm not due to see the doctor again for nearly 2 weeks but just don't feel I can go on like this. Is this normal?

At my last appointment my blood glucose was down to 15....so things are going in the right direction.

:(
 
Hi. You have joined a very large group of people who were just as surprised when they were diagnosed so you are not alone. Metformin and Gliclazide don't normally cause many problems other than perhaps some stomach upset with standard Metformin. There is a slow release version, SR, which can be prescribed with stomach problems. Do try to continue with the two drugs as they will help reduce your BS but won't work miracles by themselves. Daisy will be along shortly to give you links to a lot of advice. Do take note of the diet advice as it is usually the key to blood sugar reduction. With a BS level above 20 but going down it's quite possible it is causing your symptoms hence the need to keep taking the drugs unless you really believe they are making it worse in which case do discuss with your doctor. Most of us have acquired BS test meters so we can tell which foods are affecting our BS. Do ask any questions you may have.
 
Thank you for your reply.

I haven't been given much in the way of diet advice and have been looking for info on the internet, hence having found this forum.

A couple of months ago I lost my appetite completely and found it very difficult to find things to eat so I took to eating toffees - I seemed to crave sugar even though I've never had a sweet tooth before - and now I wonder if that's why my BS level was so high. I haven't eaten any toffees since being diagnosed and maybe that's why my BS level is coming down.

Is it possible that eating toffees gave me a false positive? Maybe I haven't got diabetes after all and that's why the medication is making me feel worse?

Does anyone know what the average timescale is for getting bS levels under control?

I've just taken my evening medication after all as I am afraid the BS level will go back up. Maybe I'll just keep going til my next appointment with my doctor.
 
Please accept it - you HAVE got diabetes. It's no good trying to deny it, you need to face it and change your lifestyle a little to deal with it. Once you do, things will start to look better and you'll feel better. You're probably feeling bad now because your BGs are starting to come down from a level that's far too high. Stick with the drugs.
Below is a note I've sent to some people that they found useful, hope you do.
. In general terms you will need to reduce the total number of carbohydrates you eat per day. All carbohydrates turn to sugar when we eat them, and no type 2 diabetic on diet only, or on diet and metformin only, can control their blood sugars (BGs) without controlling their carb intake. Even those on strong medication normally choose to control their carb intake to keep the level of medication they take down. The total number of carbs per day you can eat depends on how advanced your diabetes is. It’s perhaps worth starting at about 50% of normal levels for a non-diabetic then adjusting up or down according to how you get on. That’s 150 grams of carbs per day for a man, 125 for a woman. You can read the total carb content of food under “nutritional info” on the packet or wrapping, or look it up on the internet for loose food. Just google “carb content..”
You also need to stop or reduce the bad carbs; that is the starchy ones that make your BG go up quickly.
So obviously no sugar or glucose! But also no white bread, white rice, pasta, flour products like pastry, cake and batter. You can eat a little basmati rice, wholewheat pasta or the tri-color pasta fusilli ones in small quantities. Boiled new potatos are OK but not old pots mashed, boiled or in their jackets. (Roast is not so bad, the fat slows their absorption and conversion to glucose in the blood) Amongst other veg, parsnips are about the worst for BG, and carrots not great but ok in smaller amounts.
Multi grain bread (not wholemeal) is not SO bad, but lots of us eat Burgen soya and linseed bread from tescos and sainsburys, although all bread should be in limited amounts.
All fruit has carbohydrates, and needs to be included in the amounts of carbs you eat in a day. For most people, bananas are about the worst for pushing our BG up and berries (like strawberries, raspberries etc) are the least bad.
No sweeties!
Exercise is important. I tend to exercise about an hour after eating when I know my BG will be peaking. This helps to bring it down quicker and further. I do ten minutes hard work on an exercise machine, but you could run up and down stairs for ten minutes or go for a brisk walk.
Returning to types of food and quantities of carbs - you can only find out how many you can eat by testing. Most type 2’s are not given access to testing equipment, so you should get your own – although try arguing with your Doc that you want to manage to NICE guideline blood sugar levels, and can’t do that without testing! If you have to buy a meter, they are cheap and most manufacturers will give them away for free. They make their money on the strips you have to use! So go for the meter with the cheapest testing strips. Some people test before and after eating, on waking (fasting test) and before bed. But if you have limited strips because of cost, the key to me is testing 2 hours after eating. If your BG is above, say, 7.8 at that stage, you need to cut down on the carb content the next time you have that meal. Test after various different meals and you soon get to see a pattern of what you can and can’t eat, and in what quantities. You can then reduce your testing. I said “below, say, 7.8” because NICE guidelines are below 8.5 but most of us think that’s a little high. 7.8 is the max. Level at 2 hours after eating that a non-diabetic normally gets to so is perhaps a better target. Some then set progressively lower targets.
Do ask lots of questions; there is normally an answer on here. There aren't any stupid questions! The more you get to learn about your diabetes, the better it will be.
Welcome, and good luck.
 
Hi Carilina and welcome to the forum :) As mentioned earlier, in addition to all the advice you have already received, here is the advice we give to new members. Ask as many questions as you need to as there is always someone here to help.

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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please sign our e-petition for free testing for all type 2's; here's the link:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/petition/

Do get your friends and colleagues to sign as well.
Click to expand...
 
I have been recently diagnosed with T2 diabetes,and the only advice I have been given by my GP here in Bahrain is to follow a low GI diet,& Excercise daily. I am trying to walk for 30mins most days,but I suffer from vertigo which means that some days I am too dizzy to get off the sofa. I felt depressed due to the vertigo,but now I too feel completely overwhelmed by the diabetes diagnosis. :cry: I have to wait another month for any further blood tests.
 
Hi Desert Diva

With diabetes you have to try to take control and not let it control your life. The advice to have a low-GI diet and take exercise is good but you also need to keep your overall carb intake below a sensible level. Many try to keep below 150gm per day and perhaps less than that. Try to obtain a test meter and you can start to check your blood sugar level and what food affects you. Hopefully your next blood test results will show your sugar levels coming down.
 
Thank you ever so much for all the help and advice on this thread, much appreciated. I've got plenty of stuff to read.

I still very ill and I wonder if it's because I'm taking my medication at the wrong time of day?

I take 1 Gliclazide and 2 Metformin in the morning which makes me feel pretty much ok until I take the next lot of medication around 5 or 6 pm (same dosage as in the morning). All evening I then feel extremely cold, even though the weather is very warm, and I feel weak and tired and dizzy. I have trouble walking. I then have real problems trying to sleep and invariably come back downstairs around 2pm and then sleep on the sofa from around 4pm.

I feel miserable, really. Maybe I don't need the second lot of medication or maybe I need to take it later at night or maybe I need 3 lots of medication....I really don't know what to do to get this under control.

Is this what everyone else experiences when they are first diagnosed? Is this normal? I really dread the evenings and nights. When I first wake up I feel lousy until around 10am when things start to kick in after breakfast and make me feel better.

Thank you if you can offer any more advice xx
 
Hi. Neither Metformin nor Gliclazide normally cause those sorts of problem so I would continue taking them if you can. Metformin is best taken with food and Gliclazide just before. Do ask for Metformin SR if you aren't already on it as it has less side effects due to the slower release. Are you perhaps down due to the diabetes diagnosis; something many of us go through?
 
I can't deny I feel down about the diagnosis but it's the symptoms - the weakness, the tiredness, the feeling cold - that is making me feel miserable. I did have this before the diagnosis but not nearly so bad. The medication seems to be exaggerating what I had before. When the weakness creeps in I find it very difficult to walk or get up from a chair. It's scary.

With this medication, should I take it exactly as the doctor says or is it ok to experiment a little? My sisters friend, for instance, is supposed to take her gliclazide in the morning but she says it makes her feel ill all day so she takes it in the evening. She seems to have it all under control which is encouraging and I look forward to getting to that stage.

I haven't taken my second lot of medication yet today and I still feel relatively ok, but I know that within half an hour of taking it then the coldness will start followed by feeling incredibly weak and tired. When I say cold, I have to wrap up in 2 pairs of leggings, 2 vests, a cardigan, a dressing gown, 2 pairs of socks and then when I sit on the sofa I cover myself with 2 blankets!!

I dread taking the evening medication.

I don't see my doctor again until next week. :(
 
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