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Three weeks in and suffering

P

PToK72

Newbie
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2
So 3 weeks ago I found out I have diabetes after a number of symptoms came on out of the blue.
Out of hours doctor tested me and sent me to A&E and I was reading 15.2 at that point.

I was prescribed Insulin to start with but over the course of the next week the dosage was increased and Metformin and Zicron added to the mix.

My levels have come down quite well (helped by me cutting sugar from tea and also my snacking on sweet things throughout the day). Obviously this is early days and still trying to figure out what to eat and everything else.

I have two ongoing issues which started around the time when I got diagnosed and I am trying to figure out if this is normal: -
  • Blurred vision, this was there at the start of the symptoms then cleared up for a few days before returning as my levels dropped. From what I can gather this is probably my eyes adjusting to my levels and it should settle so I am less concerned with this.
  • Chronic constipation resulting in stomach pains at the front and left hand side of by body. I was concerned the pains might be something else but after a short lived bout of movements over the weekend the pain went away but is now back with avengance.
I guess all I am hoping for is for someone to say that this is a temporary thing that should ease over time but if any of you has any suggestions they would be greatfully received as it’s starting to get me down.

Thanks for reading,
Chris
 
Your eyes should get back to normal when your bg has been stable for a few weeks. Don't buy any expensive glasses in the meantime.

Constipation can be due to a change in diet, drinking plenty of water should help.
 
I have been on LCHF diet for about a month and took about 3 weeks for my eyes to settle down. Even with my reading glasses on things were blurry and i am glad its back to normal now

I didnt seem to be going to the toilet much at the beginning (bowel movements) it was every 4ish days and then not much but i wasnt in pain like you. I did start taking magnesium supplement from Holland and Barrett (buy 1 and get another for 1 pence) as i had a few signs that i was deficiant and i am going everyday now . Its not alot but its regular as i think my body is using most of what i eat now. I also only dink 2-3 cups of coffee with a bit of cream in and rest is water every day
 
I had exactly the same issues when I was first diagnosed and prescribed metformin. Typically if you are struggling with standard metformin (which can cause the pain and movement you are experiencing) mention it to your GP and the next stage is to try slow release Metformin. If that doesn’t improve things then there are a number of alternatives to consider. Let us know how you get on.
 
Hi @PToK72 ,

Yeah, that eye thing is common and nothing to worry about. It'll level out as your blood sugars stabilise. As for the constipation, that could be either the metformin or the change in diet, or both. You don't mention whether you're a T1 or T2, but do be careful when changing your diet around, as you could experience hypo's when you drop the amount of carbs you ingest and maybe take a fixed dose of insulin. (You mention cutting out sugars, but if you're on insulin I do hope you know that practically all carbs turn to glucose once they hit our system?).

If your bowels need some help to move things along, you might want to consider senna or aloe vera to smoothe the way, psyllium husk if you think it may be a lack of fibre, or extra gut bacteria (available from Holland & Barrett's), in case you've started consuming diet products with artificial sweeteners. (Those tend to be toxic to gut bacteria and that's a massive nightmare right there...! Never knew drinking diet coke could get so bloody!). Anyway, try the slow release metformin instead and see whether that makes a difference eh, before you empty the bank over at H&B's.

Good luck!
Jo
 
Thanks guys for your responses (and apologies for not coming back sooner).

It is good to know that it’s not just me, whenever I have mentioned the pains to the diabetes nurses i was advised to speak to a doctor as it wouldn’t be related to the diabetes.

My biggest challenge is learning more about diet, I managed to cut out the sweet stuff and my snacking habits but I really need to understand how to eat healthy.

I just signed up today for DESMOND so hoping that with that and reading some of the guidance online I’ll understand the condition more and how to live with it.

My eyes seem to be clearing up a little which is a relief. I had been relying on the very bottom part of my varifocal lenses to read emails at work and I was starting to get concerned that it may be longer lasting,

So thanks again, I’m sure to be around here regularly and it’s good to know there are plenty of people willing to share their experiences with us newbies.
 
Great that you're cutting out sugar and snacks . This causes you to lose fluids quickly as your insulin levels drop so I imagine this is what is causing the constipation. Fluids and salts plus magnesium if things get chronic. You can make it worse by eating lots of veggies by adding to the traffic jam so to speak. Going forward though those veggies are a good source of useful minerals and vitamins if you et the above ground varieties.
Eyes can swell up because they react to high bgs. As a type 1 I get this if I've got high blood sugars.
You are on classic type 2 meds but are you still taking insulin? (seems odd for a newly diagnosed type 2 so I wondered...).
Hope you start to get used to things. Take your time!
 
I was very constipated when I was in hospital. They were giving me a laxative drink and tablets. I remember sitting on the commode for 2 hours, lots of pain and similar to giving birth but I managed. Think we dehydrate and struggle. Since then I've not taken any more laxative and I'm back to my normal habits. Soluble fibre and healthy carbs (not white) is helping me now. I also have the blurred vision and have been to the opticians.
 
I hope the issues are resolving themselves! I went on the DESMOND course 8 years ago and was not pleased to be told to continue to eat 'healthy' carbohydrate i.e. wholemeal pasta, brown rice, fruit etc. I had already taken on board that, as a Type 2, I had become intolerant of carbohydrate in all its forms and that changing my diet to low carb was the way forward.
However, that does not mean that the diet proposed wasn't suitable for Type 1s or any anyone else with one of the other forms of diabetes who used insulin.

@JoKalsbeek provides a really useful guide to low carbohydrate eating.
Also, the NICE guidelines do not allow for the promotion of anything other than the modified Eatwell Plate by the NHS.
 
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