type 2 due to chronic pancreatitis

[Cameraman]

I would take snacks with you always. In my work bag as well as my lunch I have a couple or three or more small snacks, nuts, dried fruit, fresh fruit and so on. I normally have a snack mid morning, then lunch then a snack mid afternoon. Doing this keeps your levels constant thoughout the day, no highs, no lows. I work particulary long hours, have a home made porridege/meusli breakfast and a proper meal with plenty of green veg when I get home at night. I'm diet only and average 5.5 whenever I do check my blood.

 

[chrishatsgirl]

Hi There,

Have you tried carrying glucose tablets with you? I get the lucozade ones which I usually have 2 or 3 of if I am hypo.

The last time I was hypo was really scary, I was travelling to Leeds on the train, had to change at doncaster, just as we were getting into doncaster and trying to get off the train I felt really light headed and thought I was going to pass out, my blood sugar was 1.9!!!!! Thankfully, we had to wait 40 minutes for our next train, so I took some glucose tablets and also I have one of those mini mars bars, and within 10 minutes I was fine again. Whenever I go anywhere, I always make sure I have some of the mini mars bars and glucose tablets with me. You can buy the glucose tablets from any chemist, but don't go taking too many, I think 2 or 3 is plenty, but you will have to see how you get on. This is only advice for when you are having a hypo. I am on insulin so it may be different if you are on diet or tablets.

Hope this helps anyway,

Chris

 

[bookworm]

Many thanks to you all, I sometimes find it frustrating not knowing what to do, its so easy to stay doing what your doing even though it may not be working very well for fear of making things worse, to hear from other people what they do and the sort of meals they eat and when and what effect it has on there bg will help me think differently as to what my food options are.
I don’t understand much about carbs, good ones bad ones, or the sort of food that causes spikes, or food that releases its sugar slowly.
I will be getting glucose tablets to keep on me and will make sure I have something to eat when I go out.
I am probably guilty of seeing diabetes as yet another health problem I have to deal with, but I`m hoping that by hearing from other people and how they manage it might concentrate my mind on what I need to do.
I still don’t understand why I`m dropping low, surely by not taking metformin it puts me back to where I was before I was diagnosed and the problem then was high bg not getting lows.
Anyway thanks again to all.

 

[TheScribbler]

Hi Bookworm.

I have diabetes as a result of three episodes of acute pancreatitis last year. The first time I spent 3.5 weeks in hospital. I went straight on to insulin after my most recent attack. I take 13 units of Levemir a day and between 4 and 8 units of Novorapid with each meal, depending on the carbohydrate content. I have a large pseudocyst where a lot of my pancreas has died. As well as insulin I also take Creon 10000 capsules, as I am not producing enough pancreatic enzymes.

I'm just hoping I don't get any more episodes of pancreatitis, but I guess that the less pancreas you have, the less there is to have pancreatitis! :lol:

I have found diet a real problem, as my body can't handle too much protein or fat, and too much carbohydrate sends my blood sugars soaring. I usually have a largish bowl of muesli for breakfast, balanced by 5 units of Novorapid, and I will be fine until lunch time, but if I have a slightly smaller portion size than usual, I can almost guarantee that I'll have a hypo. But in the evening, I seem to be much less sensitive and don't need to be so careful.

Be sure not to take too many of those glucose tablets - just two or three at a time when you are having a hypo. I've taken too many and spent the rest of the day with yo-yoing blood sugar levels and feeling dreadful.

Take care.

 

[Dennis]

I still don’t understand why I`m dropping low, surely by not taking metformin it puts me back to where I was before I was diagnosed and the problem then was high bg not getting lows.

Hi Bookworm,

Unfortunately your doctor has misinformed you about both metformin and hypos. Metformin is not capable of producing a hypo. However it certainly is possible for a type 2 to experience a hypo. These are rare when not on medication but not unknown.