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Some doctors have no idea!!!!!

nannoo_bird

Well-Known Member
We had a delivery today, and I got chatting to the guy and discovered he was also T2. He told me his doctor told him he didn't need to check his BG levels, the HbA1C was enough - even though that was high!! I started to talk about low-carbing, but realised he didn't have a clue. How many other diabetics out there are being fed false information by their doctors, and have no clue about what diet they NEED to follow? This is criminal - through no fault of their own, these people are being set up for severe disabilities in later life because their doctors are wilfully or educationally ignorant. This is scandalous.
 
It makes me sad and angry too.. My own GP is the same.. he has neither the time or inclination to give any sensible advice. The nurse was very anti low carb.
When I was first diagnosed and asked about controlling it with diet I was told I was wasting my time and it's a progressive disease... The tragic thing is how people put their trust in GP's and they are being badly let down.
 
The doctor that first diagnosed me told me nothing except that I had type 2. He wouldn't even refer me to the diabetic centre for the one day course. He just wrote me a prescription for metformin and said "see you in 3 months". When I tried to insist that he write the referral to the diabetes course. I guess I asked too many questions, because he told me to find a new doctor. A couple of years later someone from his office called asking to book a yearly physical with him I told them he was no longer my doctor and that I was surprised he still had his licence. Of course, this led to a favourable outcome for me because I was forced to learn all I could about type 2 diabetes on my own and that led me to LCHF and this forum and normal blood glucose levels. It's sad to think about all the type 2 patients that he must have and the sorry state they must be in. Then again, I think my experience is typical, but without the patient figuring out the right way to treat themselves.
 
@NoCrbs4Me know how that is. When I was diagnosed type 2 last year the diabetes specialist I waited to see for 4 hrs told me I'm definitely t2 and I can eat anything. I suffered for three months until my husband got fed up of that doc always upping my metformin, added januvia and glimsulin too. I was having highs in the 300 and 400 range all the time. I went to another doc and he actually confirmed me type 1 as I had keystones in my urine and tablets weren't doing anything for me. I'm on insulin now and alls well so far.
 
Yes. Good for you. The only way.
 
I think that is most doctors actually
 
I was type 2 for almost 9 years before I discovered low carb hf . My doctors, nurse and dietitian all said I didn't need to change my diet and just take meds. These kept going up after every blood test. It never occurred to me that they were ALL wrong. No advice is better than the wrong advice then at least you are motivated to find things out for yourself. I feel stupid and angry for trusting my healthcare team so much.
 
When I asked about the LCHF diet a while ago the DN said it wasn't good for me. Fast track about 2 1/2 yrs later and the DN told me to buy The 8 Week Sugar Diet in fact she now follows it! At last she's seen the light I've not seen a Dr regarding my diabetes for about 5 yrs, so have no idea what the practice thinks of LCHF and don't really care!
 
I'd agree that the vast majority of diagnosed T2s are either unaware of the potential impact of an improved diet on their condition or have absolutely no wish to change. In fact a Diabetes Specialist (Endo) told me, "People don't want to change". In response my head was screaming, but they don't enjoy T2 much either.

Even more shocking was a confession by a Consultant Opthalmologist, who does lots of lasering on diabetic eye conditions that he had no idea T2s were not routinely prescribed testing kit, and absolutely horrified to learn testing is actively discouraged for those not taking hefty drugs. He also had no idea that diet controlled T2s still pay for any prescriptions they have, if they don't take diabetes drugs.

Every day is a school day?
 
Reading all your responses makes me so despondent for diabetics. In the UK they believe there are possibly 4 million with diabetes, and maybe 1 million are undiagnosed. This is costing the health service billions. So surely it is in the interests of the medical profession to get as informed as possible to ultimately reduce the numbers. But ... it is not in the interests of the drug companies who will lose billions if people become informed and use diet to put their diabetes in remission. So I think that perhaps drug companies put pressure on doctors to prescribe - and of course doctors do not have the time to give lifestyle advice, it is quicker to prescribe. But this is not moral or ethical.

My other point is that many people do not want to change their WOE and/or do not have the knowledge they need to make informed choices. This chap that I spoke to yesterday didn't have a clue, and didn't want to (or couldn't comprehend) consider a different WOE. "Potatoes are a big part of my diet, meat and two veg man, me". So what can you do with people like that? Well, I believe if doctors told diabetics that they are "carbohydrate-intolerant" (just as they tell coeliacs they are gluten-intolerant) and that eating carbs could ultimately kill them, perhaps more people would make the changes necessary. But then it comes back to Big Pharma again .....
 
Unfortunately I think a lot of people only listen to their doctors and follow their advice. I can understand a chap not taking much notice of someone he was delivering to if it opposes what his doctor has said. We have been brought up to 'Trust me, I'm a doctor.' Perhaps if diabetics started to sue the medical profession for bad advice they may start to change, but we would have a hard job proving anything.
 

Yes, that's probably why lots of us get no advice at all !
 
I think my gp has and believes in canagliflozin. God help him if he gets what I've got. He's retiring this year, I'm led to believe.
Maybe he might listen when he becomes disabled by a tablet. Even insulin has side effects!
What's sad is I genuinely like both my gps. I just hope he's careful.
 
Personally I've decided to make a change. I was told I needed to change my diet. Low fat spread, stop drinking sugary drinks. Change to wholemeal bread. Eat pasta, rice and similar. Have cereal for breakfast. Avoid cheese. No biscuits and cake. Now this is what made me wonder because I'd already been doing just that for many years. So the medical advice was effectively to change nothing, which clearly wasn't working.

I've come across a few other diabetics since diagnosis. Some of them seem happy just to take the tablets, and continue to eat as though nothing is wrong. Others seem keen to make a difference. I'm changing things, and its making a difference for me, so I'm passing on the message to those that want to hear. I know others are doing the same. A random conversation with a fellow diabetic on Facebook, a one out of three conversation at our GPs, and a couple of books I read all say to me, THIS is the way.

At the end of the day, if you want the results to change, the inputs have to change. The drugs might make a difference, but evidence seems to be that it's not a big change and is certainly not a cure.
 
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