I got diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a week ago and I'm struggling with what I do now i have been put on metformin i think it's called but have to wait till 7th June to see nurse and do I need to get a blood glucose tester for at home to keep an eye on my levels any advice plz would be appreciated
Recently diagnosed
- Thread starter dawnc3311
- Start Date
Thanks Mike i wasn't told anything just given tablets and told see nurse so I was confused as to what to do which one would u advise as don't know anything about them
Here's a link to a post in a thread by @Rachox here today about the cheapest meters and strips to get.
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/confused.146344/#post-1779113
Prem51
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Hi @dawnc3311 and welcome to the forum. It is a shock when you get that diagnosis and takes a bit of time to get your head around it all, but you will get a lot of good advice and support on here. Many of us on here have found that adopting a Low Carbohydrate High Fat (lchf) approach to eating has lowered our blood sugar levels.
Have a read round the threads to see how it works and ask any questions you want to.
Do you know what your HbA1c test figure was? If not you should ask your GP surgery for the test results so you know where you are starting from. They should have your medical records and test results online, and you can request access, or ask for a printout.
Have a read round the threads to see how it works and ask any questions you want to.
Do you know what your HbA1c test figure was? If not you should ask your GP surgery for the test results so you know where you are starting from. They should have your medical records and test results online, and you can request access, or ask for a printout.
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I agree with prem51, I have found low carb eating and self testing along with Metformin have put my blood sugars back into the normal range. I keep on the same regime a year later to maintain this. I started on less than 100g carbs/day, then after 6 weeks I reduced to 50-70g/day, now a days I keep between 40-60g. By reducing gradually I avoid ‘carb flu’ which is a flulike feeling you can get if you drop too quickly. Here’s a useful website for low carb planning and recipies:
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb
I’ll also tag in @daisy1 for her useful info post.
This forum has been my rock, come back here with any questions you might have.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb
I’ll also tag in @daisy1 for her useful info post.
This forum has been my rock, come back here with any questions you might have.
dbr10
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SD codefree available from Home Health UK or TEE2 from Spirit Healthcare. Both are available from Amazon, but the TEE2 is free if you order direct with some test strips.
Someone will post the full details.
Liam1955
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Welcome @dawnc3311 to the Forum 
.
For the SD Codefree Meter. State you are Diabetic for VAT exemption and in the UK we use mmol/l.
If buying in bulk for Test Strips here are the discount codes:
5 packs = 264086. or 10 packs = 975833.
http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose/
http://spirit-healthcare.com/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/
Tee2 blood glucose meter is free and Test Strips, Lancets are reasonably cheap to buy.
.For the SD Codefree Meter. State you are Diabetic for VAT exemption and in the UK we use mmol/l.
If buying in bulk for Test Strips here are the discount codes:
5 packs = 264086. or 10 packs = 975833.
http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose/
http://spirit-healthcare.com/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/
Tee2 blood glucose meter is free and Test Strips, Lancets are reasonably cheap to buy.
daisy1
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@dawnc3311
Hello Dawn and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it interesting and useful. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will be able 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 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:
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
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 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.
Hello Dawn and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it interesting and useful. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will be able 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 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
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
- 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 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.
Hi and welcome. Many of us have been thru the same lack of information from the GP at diagnosis. Yes, do keep the carbs down and have enough protein and fat to keep you feeling full. Metformin is a good, safe drug but don't expect too much from it but it helps a bit. If you do suffer any bouts of bowel trouble it should clear but if not ask to be swapped to the Slow Release version. You should expect further blood tests and GP/DN appointments every 3 to 6 months unitil your HBa1C blood measure is good when you may then have an annual appointment. Make sure you leave your appointment with forms for the next blood test so you get that done 1 to 2 weeks before then you will have the results to discuss. Do get access online if you can and you will need the second level of access to get full test results.
