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Timescales

N

nessie216

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Hi there
I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 3 weeks ago and I feel I already have made progress but I’m curious about timescales if someone could help?

In 2013 I had gestational diabetes for about 3 weeks (picked up after a urine test at 36 weeks) and was put on metformin and given a monitor
I was never told to have a yearly test once given birth and the doctors never followed it up either
I was having issues with thrush and got sent for a fasting blood test
The diabetic nurse gave me a monitor when I asked (even though not strictly allowed to!) and told me to test every morning, which I have been doing and I was given the slow release metformin 500mg twice a day
I started off at a fasting BG of 14.5 (first at the docs was 17.5) and it has been slowly coming down - I had a couple of reading in the low 9’s high 8’s last week but had an ice cream at the Warner Brother studio tour on Saturday and I’ve not gotten lower than 10 all week
I’ve pretty much been avoiding carbs if I can - do you think I would be able to get the fasting sugars down? Or will medication have to be upped? The metformin is already causing a lot of toilet problems and I’m scared of them upping the dose

As a side note - I tested yesterday before and after dinner (2hrs) and got readings of 7.6 and 9 which I believe is good? If my levels are this low in the afternoon (considering my lunch (7hrs before was 1.5slices of bread with egg/tuna mayo/cream cheese and cucumber) why aren’t they low in the mornings? I hadn’t eaten anything else since my dinner last night so why was it 10 this morning?

I’m just curious and I am hoping I can follow in the footsteps of some others on here and getting into remission as I am only 31 . . .
 
Hi @nessie216 welcome to the forum. I will tag @daisy1 for her welcome info for you. It takes a while for metformin to get in your system and settle down. If you are still having problems, if it continues as for the sloe release one. your morning reading could be from what we call "morning phenomenon" which is a liver dump to get you ready for the day ahead. All sorts can change your blood glucose levels and as you are still in the early stages it should soon settle down. Your reading after the meal seems low considering you had bread. also be careful of some mayo and cream cheese it can have more carbs and sugar than what you think. You are in the right place for help, advice and support so any more questions ask away. :)
 
@nessie216
A couple of things.

When testing in the morning be aware that in some cases blood glucose can actually be a little higher as our liver may dump a hand of extra glucose for a burst of energy to start the day. It doesn't happen to everybody and those who do not always every day. See "liver dump" or "dawn phenomenon".

You are better off testing immediately before meals and the a couple of hours later. The reading of 7.6 that you had is better than the others but by no means good. For a well controlled T2 a good reading starts with a 5 and rises no more than 2 points after a couple of hours. It does take a while to reach these figures though and it varies with the person. For example, I started with a fasting level of 15.5 and it took a few months to get into the 5s on a regular basis. Some a faster and some never make it.

Have a poke around the forum and digest. You will need to reduce all carbs, not just the common stuff like rice and pasta. Read your food labels and buy a decent set of kitchen scales. Without exception you will find that all the successes on this site are down to massive carb reductions in our diets. Personally, I have only 20g of carbs with each meal. I may stretch it 30 if it is very low GI and I've already qualified it with my meter. You will need to find your own level via testing before and afters with food types and notes. Some have less than me and some have more.

One other thing, if you are overweight, lose it. It actually has a profound effect on blood sugar management.
Have fun,
Glenn
 
Thank you

To clarify the meal I had that BG went from 7.6 to 9 was butternut squash ‘chips’ a salmon fish cake and a couple of pieces of chicken

My lunch time meal was the bread - this was the only choice I had as it was a works buffet lunch (I hadn’t eaten breakfast either)

I believe I have lost weight but not sure how much as I don’t have a set of scales in the caravan (temporary accommodation until extension finished)

I know the reading of 7.6 isn’t good - but it’s the lowest I’ve seen in the last 3 weeks so I must be doing something right?

My diet has completely changed in 3 weeks - to the point that I sometimes get scared to eat at all - I have pretty much cut out breakfasts now and just stick to lunch and dinner which consists of predominantly meat cheese egg or veg

It’s interesting to know it took you a couple of months to reach the 5’s - I didn’t know whether it should have been a quick result or not
 
nessie216 said:
It’s interesting to know it took you a couple of months to reach the 5’s - I didn’t know whether it should have been a quick result or not
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, it's highly personal. Depends to a great extent on one's physiology. Your meter will be your best friend when you start to take note of the reaction of certain foods. Hard going early on and requires a lot discipline but works well in the end.
 
nessie216 said:
Thank you

To clarify the meal I had that BG went from 7.6 to 9 was butternut squash ‘chips’ a salmon fish cake and a couple of pieces of chicken

My lunch time meal was the bread - this was the only choice I had as it was a works buffet lunch (I hadn’t eaten breakfast either)

I believe I have lost weight but not sure how much as I don’t have a set of scales in the caravan (temporary accommodation until extension finished)

I know the reading of 7.6 isn’t good - but it’s the lowest I’ve seen in the last 3 weeks so I must be doing something right?

My diet has completely changed in 3 weeks - to the point that I sometimes get scared to eat at all - I have pretty much cut out breakfasts now and just stick to lunch and dinner which consists of predominantly meat cheese egg or veg

It’s interesting to know it took you a couple of months to reach the 5’s - I didn’t know whether it should have been a quick result or not
Click to expand...

I felt the same at first about avoiding foods. It can be hard but if you test before and 2 hours after meals it's really easy to build up a list of foods that don't spike your sugars. As to breakfast, I have a 2 egg omelette with cheese everyday and a coupe of rashers of bacon. It tastes great, makes me feel like I've had a great start to the day and doesn't raise my blood sugar any more than 1.

I started it googling and making a list of all the foods diabetics can or should eat, used this forum to refine the list and then set about making a bit out a menu to try. The testing made it dead simple to cut out the things that were causing problems and I noticed a change quickly. This is week 11 for me and I get consistent readings between 5.5 and 7.5 and I've lost 26 pounds.

You'll get there, just stick at it, get testing and use the forum for any questions.
 
@nessie216 have a look at the "What have you eaten today" thread to give you some ideas of food you can have. Also if you are looking at loosing weight have a look at the "Low Carb Diet" thread. you will soon get use to what you can and cant eat. I don't test before and after meals now because I know what I can and cant eat. I'm on Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) I'm on very low carbs, 5% or less per day. I also fast 18/6, no food after 20.00 till 14.00 next day, with only black tea, coffee and water during fast. We are all different, so see what suits you and go with it. Good luck :)
 
@nessie216

Hello Nessie and welcome to the Forum :) To help you, here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you want 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 well over 235,000 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 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. Most of these are 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.
 
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