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stressed

lee16

Active Member
Messages
33
Location
Edinburgh
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi been diagnosed 5/6 weeks ago started on metformin, didn't work get, got put onto other tablets I've been trying really hard with what am earring and drinking yet am still sore and itchy in privates and feeling cold most of the day !!! What's going on.... Stressed is really an understatement.
 

Hi, @lee16 ... I have never taken Metformin but understand from others that it can take quite while to have an impact..and it doesn't really lower blood sugar in the way that say Gliclazide can. Can I ask what you mean by "trying really hard" in relation to eating...as lots of the general advice we get from doctors and nurses and dietitians is way less than up to date or individual enough? What many consider "healthy eating" is far from helpful for a Type 2. Many, many people one this site will agree with me...and many (myself included) only manage to get their blood sugar levels down effectively by reducing/avoiding carbohydrates. I was on Gliclazide to little effect...and came off it to focus instead on a low carb diet, avoiding certain foods in particular (eg. bread, pasta, rice, potatoes), and that is when I got in control and saw a real difference. Many of us have also been told that we don't need self-testing meters...which is absolute nonsense! If you don't have a self-testing meter...buy one; it is by seeing what certain foods do to our blood sugar that we can address things specifically and get in control effectively. Testing before and 2-2.5 hours after eating will soon show you what's doing the damage. Stress...yeah...it can be really stressful...particularly when you don't know what to do. This site will definitely help you. I found that getting in control of my own levels didn't just reduce stress...it made me feel good because I was able to do something about all this. Look around on the site, particularly at threads on meters and low carb diets...and about the rubbish lots of us have to listen to from some health professionals. Don't get frustrated...get informed...take control; you won't regret it. Good luck.
 
You may have thrush or a water infection. Please go and see gp for support til sugar levels improve.
Yes lowering your basic carbs can help with lowering bgs too. I find bgs over 7.8mmol/l trigger thrush.
Once complication from high bgs are treated you can focus more on lowering all your food spikes.
Have you a meter?

@daisy1 and @AM1874 have some excellent info for the newly diagnosed.
Read and dont panic into changes but reward yourself mentally as you progress.
Alot to take on board but can be very rewarding.
 
What do ppl eat instead of rice pasta bread and potatoes?
 
I do have a meter to test my bloods but when your on benefits trying to buy what you need for them all the time isn't easy, plus am not a breakfast person haven't been for years, plus I've always have had bread, pasta, rice and potatoes, and I've I can't have them what do I have ??
 
letstalk1 said:
What are you eating in a day ?
Click to expand...
Water, milk, chicken, jam sandwich, sauces with my dinner like either curry or tomatoes and bazil, some veg and a piece of fruit, am just finding it hard being on benefits, to get the good foods all the time. !!
 
It's not thrush this is worse nothing works, cos the pain and itching runs from front to back, thrush is middle !!!
 

If you were going to nominate 4 ingredients that are NOT good, you just nailed them. They will skyrocket your numbers so like it or not, get rid of them from your diet. Chicken and fish for starters and a LOT of above ground vegetables ... there are sections galore on the site that provides advice so I won't go repeating the efforts of what others have kindly done. Jams and (most) fruits are sugar laden as well

You have some hard decisions to make but the reality is that it's not difficult. Diet, weight and exercise are 3 critical elements to the control of the condition and no-one here would disagree
 
lot easier said than done, it's the fact that when you only have some amounts of money coming in every two weeks you can't buy the good stuff not really or all money is gone !!!
 
I read that in your messages and get the money restrictions
 
lee16 said:
lot easier said than done, it's the fact that when you only have some amounts of money coming in every two weeks you can't buy the good stuff not really or all money is gone !!!
Click to expand...

You have to be creative with the budget. I shop for 2 of us on less than £30 a week at Lidl. Out of that £30 I have to spend at least £5-£10 on lunchbox junk for my hubby. The rest is low carb food for meals.
Firstly, I would replace potatoes and pasta with broccoli and/or cauliflower. 2 heads of cauliflower are cheap and will go a long way - you can do normal cauliflower, cauliflower cheese, or as I found out last week Cauliflower cheese mash.
You can also fill up on mushrooms, again cheap. Mushrooms fried in a spoon of cream, and a bit of cheese, is one of my favourite dishes and goes really nice with those Dulano Frankfurter sausages that Lidl do (which were on offer on saturday).
Lidl do "Protein rolls", which are a good substitute for bread, and are very filling. If you are a big fan of bread, I'd definitely look to replacing it with those.
Greens are still a great option - cabbage, spinach, etc. The more, the better.
I buy around 30 eggs a week - the cheapest Lidl ones. They're good for a quick breakfast, but I also like to make crustless quiches, veggie omlettes, or throw them in with a few ground nuts to make pancakes.

There's loads of us in the group on low incomes, benefits, or just frugal (I'm a bit of both- a bit low income, a bit frugal). It's about being smart and buying wisely.
Also, as an allotment owner, I'd highly recommend approaching your local council for a plot if you are able. It costs me £17.00 a year, and I'm currently not having to buy any salad as it's coming from my plot. In a month or so I'll be getting green beans. Then as autumn starts, we'll hopefully be getting cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli, and more greens over winter. I reckon that I'm saving at least £15 a month currently by NOT having to buy lettuce, courgette, beetroot, baby spinach, carrots.
 
lee16 said:
It's not thrush this is worse nothing works, cos the pain and itching runs from front to back, thrush is middle !!!
Click to expand...

I used to get that prior to being diagnosed. It's caused by yeasty beasties feasting off the extra sugar in the body fluids and sweat. The only real remedy is to reduce your blood sugar. However, if you speak to your GP they should be able to help with a course of anti-fungal treatment.
Unfortunately itchy bits and pieces is par for the course for us diabetics when our blood sugars are out of check.
I did used to find that a tea-tree oil solution provided instant relief when liberally applied.
 
@lee16

Hello Lee and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope it will be useful to you. 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 250,000 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

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 free 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
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.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all 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.
 
and August is the perfect time to sow spinach, spring greens and start strawberry babies, get cuttings for currant bushes started and prepare the ground for raspberries. I have some celeriac in the ground to. Several people have suggested I should grow yacon because it contains an insulin type compound. Remember to plant some flowers for the house to. Plus it is great exercise and reduces stress two mre big pluses for handling diabetes.
 
See the gp you need it checked out. Stress is bad for diabetes and having a limited budget is stressful in itself. There are some great recipes in the recipe section on this site and you should check out https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/recipes?s=cabbage&st=recipe for great ways of cooking cabbage for instance. I agree with @luceeloo about wonderful lidl. I am doing sausage casserole with their bratwurst for tea tonight. 2 egg Omelette for breakfast and sardines with salad off the lottie for lunch.

For now keep a diary listing meals and drugs taken along with meter readings if you test. I keep a table showing medical results and targets. Take it along with you to every medical, even ones not related to the complaint. I have multiple unrelated issues and my table has got to the stage were it helps the health professionals and their sugestions.

Also do an internet search for the side effects of every drug you take. As you learn more about the organs affected by diabetes you will find it very worthwhile. Look up the public forum sites relevant to each complaint as all the ones I am on have somewhere that includes their members who suffer from diabetes.
 
You can get thrush anywhere on your body, not just down below.
 
Hi,

I agree that when you first think about reducing bread, rice, potatoes and pasta, and switching to lower carb foods, it does look like it is going to be more expensive.

But it doesn't have to be. In fact, now I have been buying more meat that requires slow cooking, I am definitely saving money!
Here are a few links that may help you get your head around it:

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/cheap#save

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/a-few-asking-for-low-carb-food-lists.96321/

https://uk.atkins.com/blog/eating-low-carb-on-a-budget/

https://www.budgetbytes.com/2017/01/45-budget-friendly-low-carb-recipes/
 
As an addition to what Brunneria said, if you eat low carb you end up eating fewer meals as you just don't get hungry so you'll be saving money in the long run. You just have to stick at it through the carb flu and you'll be set.
 
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