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Should I see a GP?

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orchidlady

Well-Known Member
Messages
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Hi All, I am now into my 4th week of taking Metformin, low carbing but nothing has improved. My lowest reading ever was 9.7 but on average mid teens. Just tested now and 17.9 When my levels get to around 10 I actually start to feel ill, shakey, flu like symptoms, just don't know what is going on. I have never seen a GP only the DN who gave me the usual blab and eating carbs with each meal, blah blah. When I last spoke to her I said I am really concerned about the BG reading, considering how I eat. Her response was well imagine how bad things would be if I was not eating sensible ***! Anyway would any of you wise people think it was a good idea to demand an appointment with a GP and if so how to tackle things.
 
Orchidlady,
I would ask for doctor as "DN" may not be one, only a nurse, allocated to deal with the diabetics and not really qualified to deal with your situation!
It may be that at a BG of 10, high as it may seem, you are getting a "false hypo" as relitively speaking your drop from mid to high teens may be making your body think you are running low on BG.
Regrding your DN's admonition to eat carbs at evert meal, what are you eating? A lot of us find that this advice is just plain wrong and find that trimming exess carbs have helped us reduce our BGs without feeling hypo at the levels yoou report.
I found that using my meter as a diagnostic tool helped me greatly.I tested, tried a food ,tested at+2 hrs and used that data to tailor my diet. By repeating this over many foods, I have gone from T2 on insulin 18 basal, 3x16 bolus to 20mg gliclazide and am weaning to diet & exercise alone :D
Eating to my meter has paid off for me. :thumbup: :thumbup:
 
Hi. Yes, ask for the GP. When were you diagnosed? Have you had an HBA1C blood test done yet; if not the GP needs to get one done so you both know your average blood sugars over the last 3 months. How old are you? If you are young and not overweight, the T2 diagnosis might need to be checked. Do come back with more questions, and, of course, continue low-carbing using the meter to see what foods affect you
 
Thanks guys, I have an appointment booked a week on Monday.

*Fergus* you are spot on about a false hypo, that is exactly how it feels. To answer a couple of question, I was told in Sept, am 47 am not over weight, in fact am still loosing weight without trying. I know something is not right. Oh and don't worry have not listed to advice from DN about diet. Doing No bread, very very small portions if any of Rice ( Brown), pasta NO sugar etc, I think that is why I am getting very frustrated as doing all the right things and making no difference.
 
I don't understand it all myself, being type 2, but there is another type which is sometimes referred to as Type 1.5. It's a genetically caused variant and one of the indicators can be normal weight, wildly fluctuating BG and other stuff.

The link should give you the information you need about it and another variety of 1.5 referred to as LADA.
 
Thanks indy omg I am going to demand a test for LADA, I have a seriously underactive thyroid ( past 10 years), a cousin who has LADA ( just found out), rapid weight loss, BG levels little change even very low carbing and getting worse. When I brought this up with the DN last time she just dismissed me. Said I was reading too many internet forums. LOL
 
Hi. The reason I asked about age and weight was due to the possibility of LADA. I'm afraid many diabetes HCPs haven't a clue when it comes to LADA. As my diabetes GP said last time I queried my diagnosis 'you are either T1 or T2'. The treatment is about the same but I'm afraid the need for insulin will come more quickly if you are a LADA. The two tests that can be done are the c-peptide for insulin level and GAD for antibodies which defines LADA. The need to keep carbs low'ish is valid for any form of diabetes. You may need to go gradually thru the full regime of tablets to keep control, starting with Metformin or Gliclazide or both. I had Sitagliptin added a year ago to help a bit with spikes.
 
Hi,
I was initially diagnosed as a type 2 despite weight loss and high levels on diagnosis.
After about 18 months my levels kept going up and up despite eating virtually no carbs at times and losing weight at quite a rate. It took about 3 visits to the Doctors/Nurse before I was referred to the hospital.
By the time I got there my fasting level was 14.2, my HbA1C climbing by the week, cholesterol 14 or 15 and when finally checked for keytones at the hospital (something the Doctors had never done or suggested) I was +4. The Consultant said I was days away from being an emergency admission and my initial diagnosis had all the pointers of type 1. She did a GAD antibody test which came back at 1943 and she has now re-diagnosed me as type 1.
When I mentioned the results of the GAD test to one of the Doctors I had seen previously, he said "that means nothing to me" and I had to explain that a positive result meant Type 1.
Please make a fuss to get checked out.
Best wishes
Angie
 
angie that is truly shocking. How did you feel when your levels were that high. I am going prepare myself properly before seeing the GP, I have been though all this before when I wanted to have a thyroid test, it took 3 visits to GP before (eye rolling) ok if you insist but I really don't think anything is wrong, I am now on nearly the highest dosage of of thyroxine. I beginning to think there is a connection between Thyrroid issues and Diabetes. My average fasting is around 15, sometimes I can get to 10 by late afternoon, I only start feeling a bit weird when levels, it is all a bit odd
 
orchidlady said:
in fact am still loosing weight without trying. I know something is not right. Doing No bread, very very small portions if any of Rice ( Brown), pasta NO sugar etc, I think that is why I am getting very frustrated as doing all the right things and making no difference.
Click to expand...
No wonder you are frustrated! You are not getting the right medication or support. If I were your doc I'd recommend insulin right away so you can start feeling healthy again, stabilize your weight, and - here's a nice thing about insulin - although some on insulin do low-carb, most of us eat what we like as long as we've learnt how to accurately match the insulin to the carbs.
Sadly I'm not your doctor. I'm not even a doctor. Bet I'd do a better job than some of them. :x

orchidlady said:
I beginning to think there is a connection between Thyrroid issues and Diabetes
Click to expand...
it's not your imagination. There is a recognised link between them.
 
orchidlady said:
angie that is truly shocking. How did you feel when your levels were that high. I am going prepare myself properly before seeing the GP, I have been though all this before when I wanted to have a thyroid test, it took 3 visits to GP before (eye rolling) ok if you insist but I really don't think anything is wrong, I am now on nearly the highest dosage of of thyroxine. I beginning to think there is a connection between Thyrroid issues and Diabetes. My average fasting is around 15, sometimes I can get to 10 by late afternoon, I only start feeling a bit weird when levels, it is all a bit odd
Click to expand...

I didn't realise how rough I felt until I got onto the insulin and immediately started feeling better.
The best of it was the Doctor that didn't understand about the GAD results was the one I went to initially when my levels started to rise. I knew they were getting worse as I have always been an avid tester. At that time my fasting levels were ranging around 7 to 9 so everything I ate put me over the recommended 8.5 and I was not getting any low figures at all. He said there was nothing to worry about as my figures were still in single figures. I said I was worried as when I got up in the morning with levels of 8 or 9 I had pains in my feet and didn't feel like working. I also explained that I was concerned that my levels would keep going up and up and not come down. That he said wouldn't happen as it didn't work like that :crazy: finally he agreed to up my Metformin dose, this made no difference at all though.
I next tried the Practice Nurse who deals with the diabetics when the extra Met made no difference. By now I was regularly hitting 10's and I was losing weight. She added Januvia but said my levels were still acceptable.
I was getting towards the time of my annual review by the time these showed they wouldn't work so I left it and then went for the blood tests. They revealed an HbA1C that had gone from 5.6 a year before to over 7 and cholesterol levels getting higher. This prompted one of the other Doctors to call me in. He was not happy and added Gliclacide and I had to keep upping the dosage and ring him with progress reports. He also did a full set of fasting blood tests on virtually everything he could tick on the list. I had been on Glic when first diagnosed and one tablet would pull me down then, but this time even 4 tablets a day (max dose) didn't work. This prompted the Doctor to call me a Metabolic Disaster that needed to be seen by a Consultant sooner rather than later. I'm so pleased he did.
By the time I got to the consultant I had lost about a stone and a half, getting down to 7 and half stone (at 5 feet 6 inches this gave me a very low BMI) due to the keytones. I was feeling groggy and getting tired. My eyesight was going blurred again (as per first diagnosis) and I kept getting headaches.
I would suggest at the very least you test for keytones, either via your Doctor or if no joy there go to the local chemist and get some testing strips. If you are showing any (over the regular small amount you may see low carbing) then you need to get something sorted soonest.
Good luck
Angie
 
Angie that is a terrible story. It makes me so cross when I read things like that.

I was on the receiving end of this sort of treatment when my OH was suffering from TN. Constantly getting fobbed off by people that plainly knew nothing. Sadly it seems that unless you are very lucky in the UK and have a doctor / nurse that is fully up to speed with diabetes, the only way to get things done is to jump up and down and make a fuss. Unfortunately there are many people who do not do this, and just go away and try to cope. It really isn't good enough. I do wonder if the threat of legal action would make them a bit more interested, after all they do have a duty of care don't they? I don't know, but if you have a problem, and have suggested tests etc. that they have ignored, but its later shown that you were correct and have suffered injury as a result, surely they are liable - negligence? OK, it doesn't help you much if you have lost a foot or your eyesight etc. Surgeries seem to be too complacent with our health.

Good luck orchidlady
 
Angie They really don't give us much confidence do they? What I can't believe really is that my original fasting was 15.5, ( I was only give test because I demanded, despite there being a big history in the family and my Thyroid condition) I was not even given an medication but told to manage with Diet and exercise, luckily I am very into nutrition and food values. But have not really been able to bring levels down, so guess I will really have to fight to get the right diagnosis and correct treatment. I am very aware than consistently running levels in the teens will not be doing much good for me.
 
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