T2 Checking in...

[Terminator 2]

Hi, big hello to the forum

I've recently been diagnosed as Type 2 and having done a power of reading I'm still full of questions so thought I'd best sign up and get them all addressed, I'll post them up in the Q&A section when my heads sorted...that could be a while :|

Tell a lie I'm going to air one right now as its worrying me.

I was diagnosed T2 at the start of this month and since then I've found my eyesight blurry, I mean its came on like a light switch. On one hand I'm told I'm diabetic next thing my vision loses clarity, is there a correlation between this and the oral med Metformin? I ask because I find it really odd for this to happen almost in tandem with the diagnosis the only other variant being the Metformin and I suppose a big change in diet.

Can anyone shed any light on this?

Background
I had insatiable thirst at the latter part of August, diabetes got mentioned so I bought a Blood Glucose Meter, results were 13 > 15mmol, Doctor appointment was duly scheduled and fasting bloods were taken results confirmed T2 diabetes.

Since the start of Sept 11 I've been on Metformin 500mg x3 and I've been working on lowering my BG with oral meds and diet, three weeks have passed doing this before obtaining my prescription testing strips, my BG levels now after several tests in the last two days have fallen to levels between 7> and <10mmol , ....the weights falling as well :wink:

 

[daisy1]

Hi Terminator and welcome to the forum If your BG levels come down fast this could affect your eyesight but this is only temporary and you should be patient and it should go back to how it was before. I don't think the Metformin caused it - it's just a coincidence. If the effects last then you should get your eyes properly checked.

Since you are recently diagnosed I think this information will be useful to you - we give it to new members. Ask all your questions and hopefully you will get answers to all of them.

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 30,000 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes ... rains.html

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

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.

 

[Terminator 2]

Thanks for the welcome daisy1.

I'll be making an appointment tomorrow for a diabetic eye test and I'll also arrange an appointment for the nurse for bloods seeing as we are now a month post diagnosis.

Its been a very strange month, lots of mixed emotions, many hours, nah days absorbing information and I'm pleased to say I'm now in a better place and just getting on with it.

New BG Meter on order, way too erratic the results, must be fitted with the inner workings of a lottery number generator