Hi I am new on here and I just wondered if anyone can help. I am type 2 on 2 metformin twice a day, my blood sugars have shot up to 19-26.5 I mentioned this when I went for my routine blood test, the nurse tested my sugars and they read 26.5 so got me an appointment with the GP who has put me on Orlistat ( weight loss pill ) but I don't understand how in the long term these will bring my sugars down surely I should be on another diabetic drug. I am so fed up of feeling rotten and having no energy.
-
Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »
Tablets
- Thread starter bevlar73
- Start Date
Are you following a low carb diet? This is often more effective at treating high blood glucose levels than either of the 2 drugs you mention. Most people lose weight on it too, and although I called it a 'diet' it's actually a healthy eating plan for life. My heart consultant suggested I go on Orlistat. It didn't work.
Have a look at these links
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/a-new-low-carb-guide-for-beginners.68695/
www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
http://www.xperthealth.org.uk/shop/details/p/handbook-lowcarb-highfat-lifestyle
Metformin has very little effect on blood sugars but is quite good at helping with insulin resistance which will help you lose weight. I took it for a while but my GP will no longer prescribe it as my HbA1c is below 48
Ask us any questions you want and welcome to the forum
Have a look at these links
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/a-new-low-carb-guide-for-beginners.68695/
www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
http://www.xperthealth.org.uk/shop/details/p/handbook-lowcarb-highfat-lifestyle
Metformin has very little effect on blood sugars but is quite good at helping with insulin resistance which will help you lose weight. I took it for a while but my GP will no longer prescribe it as my HbA1c is below 48
Ask us any questions you want and welcome to the forum
Hi, Thanks for your help ☺ I am on Slimming World and have lost just over a stone. Last diabetic check I had said we have 4 years to sort it out or I won't see 70 so this had scared the living daylights out of me so have worked so hard to get sugars down and they seem to be getting higher. Really getting me down
A
Avocado Sevenfold
Guest
Hiya. What do you typically eat in a day? When I did SW it was good for weight loss, but I was not diabetic then. I did green days (veggie) which were very high carb/low fat so I couldn't do it now. I eat low carb for good diabetes control now. I eat fat which stops me feeling hungry. I have read that Orlistat can have an unpleasant side effect if too much fat is consumed. Have a look around this site and check out what people are eating for good control and weight loss.
One of the moderators @daisy1 will be along with some helpful info.
Ah yes SW. I went there and just went for the weigh-in because I found LCHF to be a better means of weight loss and also much better for my blood sugars. I didn't find the advice for diabetics to be very useful. At best it was bland.
Well done on the weight loss so far.
Well done on the weight loss so far.
amgrundy
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 1,333
- Location
- lancashire
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Being bored
Hi bevlar73 I was diagnosed in Jan 2016 BG reading 19.3. I joined this fabulous website and it has given me so much support and have found this spurs me on. I follow the Low carb Diet . I have 1 lidl high protein roll a week, probably 3 slices of Burgen bread a week no rice or pasta, potatoes maybe 1-2 weekly [ that's if i go out for meals.] Plenty fish / chicken/ Mackeral fillets [ I eat a lot ] Poached Eggs and bacon with tomatoes or mushrooms for breakfast. Rivitas/ crackerbreads/ and as for fruit [ some people can not have certain fruits.] I eat fruit every day plums / pears / water melon / bananas / and raspberries in raw oats and plain yogurts [ normally Alpro yogurt with Almonds or Coconut. I have smaller portion sizes and have lost nearly a stone in 5 weeks. I am on 2 Metformin 500mg tablets daily. Do get tired and have a few tummy upsets now and then, get days when I feel off and can not explain why. I feel I must quote < Just like others Last diabetic check I had said we have 4 years to sort it out or I won't see 70> To me that is not a nice thing to have been told I am not surprised it scared the living daylights out of you. Try not to get too down there are lots of good people on here that will support you and advise if they can, lease stick with us.
Pinkorchid
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 2,927
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
I think it is what suits you personally as some diabetics have found Slimming World really good for them. My daughter.. not diabetic.. does Slimming World and she says there are a couple with diabetes in her group who swear by it they say they have never done or felt so well their BG has come down and they have lost weight. I think they will make some adaptation in diets for diabetics
Pinkorchid
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 2,927
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
How different doctors and nurses have different ideas. My HbA1c was 46 when I was diagnosed and I was put straight on Metformin my nurse said they were advised now to put everyone with diabetes on MetforminAre you following a low carb diet? This is often more effective at treating high blood glucose levels than either of the 2 drugs you mention. Most people lose weight on it too, and although I called it a 'diet' it's actually a healthy eating plan for life. My heart consultant suggested I go on Orlistat. It didn't work.
Have a look at these links
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/a-new-low-carb-guide-for-beginners.68695/
www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
http://www.xperthealth.org.uk/shop/details/p/handbook-lowcarb-highfat-lifestyle
Metformin has very little effect on blood sugars but is quite good at helping with insulin resistance which will help you lose weight. I took it for a while but my GP will no longer prescribe it as my HbA1c is below 48
Ask us any questions you want and welcome to the forum
amgrundy
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 1,333
- Location
- lancashire
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Being bored
Hi Pinkorchid, Yes I have a friend who swears by Slimming World she has given me a couple of food items to eat. Thinking of joining myself.
A
Avocado Sevenfold
Guest
@bevlar73 is doing Slimming World and has blood glucose levels in the 20's so obviously something is amiss in this case.
If a change in diet does not help, perhaps she should be asking about the possibility of a misdiagnosis.
Daibell
Master
Hi and welcome. Did the surgery do a recent HBa1C test? Be careful with SW or any of the branded diets. Many still follow the 'low-fat' mantra which is not right for us. Whilst they may help a bit you need to think carbs not calories and keep the carbs down. Protein, fats, veg and non-tropical fruit are fine.
Yes it's the low fat bit that put me off so I ignored it, followed LCHF and lost over 10% of my bodyweight over 24 weeks.
Pinkorchid
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 2,927
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
So many people love SW my daughter says it is not so much a diet but just a healthy way to eat for life...she doesn't have the SW ready meals from Iceland though she cooks from scratch. She says it is the only diet including Weightwatchers she has tried that has worked for her she has lost the stone she wanted to and is eating foods she never did before and enjoying them. She has reached her target weight but says she will still go to the meetings to keep on track as she doesn't want to slip back into bad eating habits. I know if I was overweight which I never have been I would go to SW myself
daisy1
Legend
- Messages
- 26,457
- Location
- Switzerland
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Cruelty towards animals.
@bevlar73
Hello and welcome to the forum Orlistat can have unpleasant side effects so see if you can get permission to come off it. A low carb diet will help you more to reduce your sugar levels. Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it helpful. Ask more questions if you need to and someone will help.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
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 over 150,000 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 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-and-whole-grains.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
LOW CARB PROGRAM:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/low carb program
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
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
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 bloodglucose 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.
Hello and welcome to the forum
Orlistat can have unpleasant side effects so see if you can get permission to come off it. A low carb diet will help you more to reduce your sugar levels. Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it helpful. Ask more questions if you need to and someone will help.BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
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 over 150,000 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-and-whole-grains.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
LOW CARB PROGRAM:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/low carb program
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
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
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 bloodglucose 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.
