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so confused

G

grace84

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Ive been newly diagnosed with type 2 after feeling ill i had a test and my HBA1C was 81. Originally the dr called me and put me on metformin 2 a day. The next day i had a call back from another doctor to say they would like me to go on gliclazide 2 x a day along side 1 x metformin and take my sugar levels before and after meals etc.

the problem i have is im really worried around weight gain ive been working hard to loose weight before diagnosis on was on track to 2 stone but now after reading abut gliclazide im worried it will have all been a waste of time and ill out back on - i also want to start a family after trying for 3 year with no luck, the dr rang me to say i should defiantly not get pregnant on these tablets

im worried that taking the gliclazide is going to have such an impact on my mental health, is there an alternative - im expecting a call on Wednesday from the nurse to see how im getting on and not sure how to approach this
 
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If you go low carb, you will reduce your next hba1c, do it properly and you will lose weight, and you don't need the glicazide to do it.
 
grace84 said:
Ive been newly diagnosed with type 2 after feeling ill i had a test and my HBA1C was 81. Originally the dr called me and put me on metformin 2 a day. The next day i had a call back from another doctor to say they would like me to go on gliclazide 2 x a day along side 1 x metformin and take my sugar levels before and after meals etc.

the problem i have is im really worried around weight gain ive been working hard to loose weight before diagnosis on was on track to 2 stone but now after reading abut gliclazide im worried it will have all been a waste of time and ill out back on - i also want to start a family after trying for 3 year with no luck, the dr rang me to say i should defiantly not get pregnant on these tablets

im worried that taking the gliclazide is going to have such an impact on my mental health, is there an alternative - im expecting a call on Wednesday from the nurse to see how im getting on and not sure how to approach this
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Hello, @grace84 and welcome.
This must be a very anxious time for you, but you have come to the right place for support.
I am not going to advise on medication. That choice is yours to make, though if you are hoping to get pregnant then the doctor should take that into consideration when advising and prescribing meds.

It would be very helpful to have the facility to be able to test blood glucose levels. I doubt the doctor has provided You with a meter and test strips. You could ask, but if not forthcoming it is a good investment to make for yourself. Then you can test before and after meals to have an idea of how various foods affect your levels.

Many members here have had higher HbA1c levels and managed to gain control and lose weight, by reducing the carbohydrates in their diets. Also reduced or even been able to stop medication.
Here is the information for new members.
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.17088/

Have a read, get clued up before you next talk to doctor. Do come back and ask questions. Members here are a great supportive lot.
 
grace84 said:
Ive been newly diagnosed with type 2 after feeling ill i had a test and my HBA1C was 81. Originally the dr called me and put me on metformin 2 a day. The next day i had a call back from another doctor to say they would like me to go on gliclazide 2 x a day along side 1 x metformin and take my sugar levels before and after meals etc.

the problem i have is im really worried around weight gain ive been working hard to loose weight before diagnosis on was on track to 2 stone but now after reading abut gliclazide im worried it will have all been a waste of time and ill out back on - i also want to start a family after trying for 3 year with no luck, the dr rang me to say i should defiantly not get pregnant on these tablets

im worried that taking the gliclazide is going to have such an impact on my mental health, is there an alternative - im expecting a call on Wednesday from the nurse to see how im getting on and not sure how to approach this
Click to expand...


Hi there Grace - Many people have done very well swapping their diets around to get their blood sugars under control, although many do have a bit of help from medication too. I was diagnosed with an HbA1c of 73, and was given 3 months to see what I could do without medication. By that point I had blood sugars in the "normal" range.

If you are to take medication, there are a huge number of variations of medications that can be used to help with T2, so my strongest recommendation would be that you share all these concerns with your Doctor and see where you go from there.

Good luck with it all.
 
Hi Grace,

I was also given three months to try and lower my A1C. I was able to get in a normal range during that time through an ultra low carb diet and exercise. I’d talk to your doctor about giving you time to try.
 
hi @grace84 , welcome to the forum. There are many helpful people here. While we cannot give recommendations, I can tell you about my experience. I got diagnosed with T2 almost 6 years ago with a Hb1Ac over 100. I went cold turkey on sugary drinks, but after two months Hb1Ac was still over 90, so was put on Metformin. Things improved, but not enough. When the doctor prescribed gliclazide, I got scared. Gliclazide lowers your blood sugar by increasing the amount of insulin your body produces. I decided to go on 5+2 intermittent fasting diet and lose 10 kg, so very low carb and only 600 calories for two days (The fast diet 5+2, book by Michael Moseley). I was given a blood sugar meter (strips and pricks) so I am able to measure blood sugar levels as well. Luckily this worked. My Hb1Ac came down further and I am off medication now. I never took the gliclazide.

I learned a lot about diabetes, also from this form. In particular, I recommend the book from Jason Fung - the Diabetes code - it explains well what this is all about. You should also watch youtube videos by Fung, David Unwin (diet doctor) or others.
In one word the problem for T2s is that carbs increase our blood sugar levels since we have insulin resistance. Hence many people on this forum are on a (very) low carb high fat (LCHF) diet and managed to get their numbers down.
I suggest you talk about your concerns with your doctor or nurse. Come up with a plan and try it out for 3 months. Make sure that you get at blood sugar sensor, strips and pricks.

I hope that helps.
 
You should have been provided with a meter and test strips if they want you to take Gliclazide - it can cause hypos if you are eating fewer carbs, and low carb and gliclazide is not advised - so if they have left you with no means for you to test, the gliclazide might be problematic.
However - eating low carb is a very effective way to lower blood glucose, so you might stick with that and let them see how you are doing at your next checkup.
 
Thank you all thats all really helpful - i have a call tomorrow with the nurse so im going to suggest low carb for now and see how i get on as i worry if i take the gliclazide ill just be so paranoid about weight gain that it will have an affect on my mental health as ive done so well so far. i do have a monitor with strips and pricks and its coming down - my highest used to be 18 and is now 14 - i know still far too high.
 
update - they wont let me come of the glic at the moment but said it could be an option once things settle down a bit :-(
 
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