Type 2 Diabetes and Recurring UTI

[desperate_dave]

Update:

It’s been an hour since I had my English breakfast which consisted of 2 x rashers of bacon, 2 x sausages, 1 x slice of Ulster Fry, 1 x egg, 2 x potato waffles (as an alternative to Hash Browns) and tinned tomatoes (I normally use fresh tomatoes but unfortunately I didn’t have any) with 2 x Crusty Cobs (I know the crusty cobs are a bit naughty but I get fed up of wholemeal bread all the time). All washed down with a mug of tea.

Okay, here’s my Hour One BG result: 10.1

I will give an updated result in an hour's time.

Dave

 

[desperate_dave]

Hour Two after full English Breakfast and my BG level still stands at 10.1 :shock:

 

[cugila]

Hi Dave.

The bread, the farl and the Potato Waffles are not good, they will probably slow down the absorption so can you also do a 3 hr test please.

 

[desperate_dave]

Hi Ken,

After THREE HOURS my BG result was 6.6.

Dave

 

[cugila]

Hi Dave.

Even better after 3 hrs, however, there is quite a discrepancy between the levels you were quoting previously and today. These levels today are more what I would have expected. I think you need to test much more and keep a food diary to relate back to see which foods are bad for you.

2 hr result is not good at 10.1 but I think the things I pointed out are the cause there. Something you need to keep an eye on.

Not sure what meter you are using ? Does it require coding, if so is it correct and are your test strips in date. That might explain the discrepancy in the readings you are having. Let us know please.

 

[desperate_dave]

Hi Ken,

The meter I use is a Prestige QX Smart System. Yes, it does require coding and the coding is set correctly to correspond with the batch number of the test strips. The expiry date of my test strips is 31/10/2010.

Ken, just a thought but could the antibiotics I'm on for my UTI be affecting my BG results?

Next time I have an English breakfast I will leave out the things you mentioned to see how much difference there is in my BG results. I know it will probably be a long slow process of elimination to find out which foods are good and bad for me but I'm sure it'll be worth it in the end.

I do keep a food diary, Ken, which I started doing four or five days ago. Incidentally, I was quite surprised when you told me 4 x Weetabix has 64 carbs. Like I say, Weetabix was recommended to me by the practice nurse because of their low sugar so I just assumed these were okay to eat. Having said that, she also recommended Oats So Simple (even though these are high in sugar). She said this was ideal for lowering the Cholesterol. Incidentally, when I was first diagnosed with T2 two years ago, the nurse wanted to put me on statins but my doctor refused, saying he'd much rather I lowered my cholesterol by diet alone. I don't know how I did it but somehow I managed to get my cholesterol down and it's never been a problem since (even though the nurse seemed quite put out that my doctor wouldn't agree to put me on statins).

I don't know, Ken, sometimes this diabetes seems like a no win situation and it can get really frustrating at times.

I've just checked my BG again and it reads 4.4

Thanks again.

Dave

 

[cugila]

Hi Dave.

Couple of things the UTI will mean that your Bg levels can fluctuate. Any infection will do that to a Diabetic. Have checked out the Amoxicilin - there is no contra-indication.

Secondly Ramipril is an Ace Inhibitor drug. There is a contra-indication when this is used together with Metformin.
This is the warning:
ACE inhibitors possibly enhance hypoglycaemic effect of metformin.
So your low Bg levels could be being helped by this effect. Might be something to discuss with your GP ?

As for your foods, it is not the sugar level so much as the carb level which by the way always includes sugars in the total. That is the thing to look at. It might say 0.3g sugar but have 30g carbs. Not a good idea !!
As for Oats so Simple.....you must be mad to eat that stuff. They contain anything from
62 to 72g carbs per 100g serving..... :shock:

Stick with it Dave. It will all get clearer.

 

[desperate_dave]

Cheers Ken,

Just one question... When you said I should leave out the bread and potato waffles from my English breakfast, I wasn't sure what you meant when you said "farl". Is this a West Midlands term for Ulster Fry?

Yes, I will mention the Ramipril to my GP when I go back to see him next week, and ask if they could be affecting my BG test results. Perhaps he'll prescribe an alternative or maybe things will settle down once my system becomes accustomed to the increased dosage of Ramipril. Like I say, he increased my daily amount from 2.5mg to 5mg when I went to see him last Tuesday. I do have an appointment to see the practice nurse this week but I'd much rather discuss my meds with my GP. I will however show her a printout of my food diary and my subsequent BG results. It will be interesting to see what she has to say.

I will definitely have to start keeping an eye on the carbs of the food I'm buying. To be honest, up until now I've only been checking the sugar content (and, in the light of my having High Blood Pressure, the salt content). Geez, I used to love shopping but now it seems like such a chore Now it seems like every item I pick up, I'm playing the "Can I? Can't I?" game.

Dave

 

[cugila]

Just one question... When you said I should leave out the bread and potato waffles from my English breakfast, I wasn't sure what you meant when you said "farl". Is this a West Midlands term for Ulster Fry

Hi Dave.
Naah ! After being around many N.Irish relatives my recollection of an Ulster Fry used to include this:
(Irish soda-leavened bread)

This is the traditional recipe for Irish soda bread, containing only flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. Soda bread became a popular hearth bread in Ireland in the mid-19th century when baking soda became available as a leavener. A baked loaf of bread is called "cake," while flattened wedges baked on the stovetop are called "farl." Soda bread is best eaten warm from the oven. It stays fresh for only a day or two, tightly wrapped. Leftovers are good for toast.

Here is an explanation of a traditional Ulster Fry. Hope you can decipher it like I had to ?

Fowk wur axed wha shud bae pit intil an Ulster Fry. Ivrie boadie greed tha hit shud hev bacon, eggs, pritta an soda breed. Ower tha yeirs Ulster fowk hes gat gyely fand o sausages blek an quyht puddins tomatays an mushrooms. Aa tha fowk greed tha hash broons bes frae Amerikey an tha baked beans bes Inglis.

Take it yours didn't ? Funny lot the Irish, no recipe is ever the same !! :?
If you need a translation you know where I am.

Ken.

 

[desperate_dave]

Okay Ken, here goes (I’ve just put a question mark for words I couldn’t quite understand)…

Folk were asked what should be put ????? and Ulster Fry. Everybody agreed that it should have bacon, eggs, ?????? and soda bread. Over the years Ulster folk got overly fond of sausages, black (and white?) pudding, tomatoes and mushrooms. And that folk agreed that hash browns best from America and the baked beans best English.

Let me know how I did. :?

Dave

 

[desperate_dave]

Oops! in the excitement I forgot to give you my morning (before breakfast) BG result: 4.6

 

[cugila]

Okay Ken, here goes (I’ve just put a question mark for words I couldn’t quite understand)…

Folk were asked what should be put ????? and Ulster Fry. Everybody agreed that it should have bacon, eggs, ?????? and soda bread. Over the years Ulster folk got overly fond of sausages, black (and white?) pudding, tomatoes and mushrooms. And that folk agreed that hash browns best from America and the baked beans best English.

Let me know how I did. :?

Dave

Nae bad, ma frien

intil is into
Pritta is Oatcakes I think ? Marks out of 10......10. :lol:

Morning bg was excellent !!

 

[desperate_dave]

Great stuff!

Right, Ken, I'm just about to have some breakfast... I know, I'm late again but I slept in a little longer than I intended to this morning I'm basically having the same as yesterday minus the bread and potato waffles. It'll be interesting to see my BG result an hour after eating. I'm just off to crank up the George Foreman... I'll be back (Geez, I sound like a poor man's Arnold Schwarzenegger!) :lol:

Dave

 

[wallycorker]

Great stuff!

Right, Ken, I'm just about to have some breakfast... I know, I'm late again but I slept in a little longer than I intended to this morning I'm basically having the same as yesterday minus the bread and potato waffles. It'll be interesting to see my BG result an hour after eating. I'm just off to crank up the George Foreman... I'll be back (Geez, I sound like a poor man's Arnold Schwarzenegger!) :lol:

Dave

I can tell you now Dave - it'll be fine!

John

 

[desperate_dave]

Thanks John,

I still have about 30 minutes to go before I can test my BG and I'm quite looking forward to it. If necessary, I'll post my results over each of the next three hours.

Dave

 

[desperate_dave]

Wow! Just checked my BG (one hour after my English brekkie) and it's 4.8. Is this normal or should it be higher? Not that I'm complaining, you understand? Does this low reading mean I can indulge in a Mars Bar?.... Just kidding! :twisted:

Dave

 

[wallycorker]

Wow! Just checked my BG (one hour after my English brekkie) and it's 4.8. Is this normal or should it be higher? Not that I'm complaining, you understand? Does this low reading mean I can indulge in a Mars Bar?.... Just kidding! :twisted:

Dave

That's great! Now try 90 mins, 120 mins........2 and 3 hour aren't going to be very relevant. Not that I expect that 90 & 120 to be either!

Dave your base levels seem to be very low - i.e. good. I think your problems are arising out of overdoing the bread and cereals every so often. From the results that you are reporting on this forum, it would look as though your condition is basically OK and all you need to do is to cut back on the carbohydrate to some extent to manage your Type 2 condition. By doing that you'll avoid elevated blood glucose levels and quite possibly UTI and such like.

John

 

[desperate_dave]

Cheers John, but when you say overdoing the bread, does this include wholemeal bread which I was led to believe (by my practice nurse) was okay for diabetics to eat. See John, part of my routine is to have a sandwich when I'm due to take my meds as I don't like to take my tablets on an empty stomach (especially Metformin). A sandwich seems convenient especially when it's around midnight and i just want to fix a quick snack. Also, I'd like to pick myself up on one point... When I talk about having 4 x sandwiches I probably make myself sound like a right greedy pig, but in truth I'm actually talking about the Warburtons small loaves of wholemeal bread (as oppose to their full size ones).

Anyway John, I'm just about to do another BG reading. I think I've missed to 90 minute point so this will actually be the 120 minute reading... Bear with me for a minute or two...

Dave

 

[desperate_dave]

My BG is now 4.7 which means it hasn't gone down by much.

 

[sugarless sue]

Any bread is bad for you !! Check the carb levels on the labels, it does not matter what kind it is.
Per slice anything from 13 -23 carbs per slice.

As for testing at 90 -120 minutes ?? :? Do you have the test strips ?