Type 2 newly diagnosed

Hi @Juliep66 and welcome to the forum

It can be quite overwhelming just after diagnosis, but you’ve come to the right place for help and support.

As a starting point have a good read of the information in this link and ask as many questions as you like: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.17088/

Cutting out most of the carbs/sugar I used to eat made me feel like I was having hypos for the first few weeks but testing my blood sugar showed I was still slightly above the optimum range.
If you are going to try low carb then check with your doctor about the impact of the new drug mix?

Alogliptin can cause weight gain so you might have been told to do the impossible.
You might also experience some nasty side effects - why you are put straight onto drug intended for diabetics who fail to control their blood sugar I can't understand - it is as though your dr expects you to fail and fail again.
I am sorry to be pessimistic about the regime you are on, but a blood glucose level of ten isn't high - I don't understand why you were not just alerted to the fact that as a type two starch and sugar is a problem, reducing the amount eaten will probably result in normal blood glucose in weeks.
I do have rather strong feelings about medication - I was put straight on Metformin and Atorvastatin but after a dreadful few weeks got so low I threw them in the bin - but I never needed them. I was soon back in the normal range for blood glucose and Hba1c was just at the top end of normal in six months.
I suggest that you read the information about side effects in the tablets, and perhaps talk to the doctor about your anxiety.
Eating a diet that will control type two isn't complicated or difficult, lots of us do it, simple and delicious meals every day seem more like a reward than a punishment to me.

Juliep66 said:

Hi be gentle with me as very nervous about posting. Diagnosed on tues 21st and gone into full meltdown. Think they said my blood sugar was 10, not sure what that’s measured as. Been put on Metformin, Alogliptin and Atorvastatin. Started taking yesterday so don’t know what effect they’ll have. Weigh 242lbs so told to lose weight. Already knew that as my diet was full of rubbish and I have quite bad anxiety so tend to sit a lot and overthink everything. On the plus side I’ve lost 8.4lbs since jan 7th and no chocolate or snacking since being diagnosed.
Having lots of meltdowns as there’s so much info to take in, and it’s really stressing me out . It’s like since I’ve been diagnosed I feel sick and dizzy but this time last week before I knew I had it i was fine. Is it all in my head now? Also really having trouble actually eating any food without gagging, is that just stress again? Hope this makes some sense

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Hi @Juliep66

not what any of us wanted to hear from doctors, but at least you now kNOW and can take action.

quite a lot of meds already if just been diagnosed.

was T2 right..(is under the right forum category, just checking )
and meds purely for that or are there other issues you take meds for (if you don't mind answering, if you'd prefer not to,
then please don't..the idea is to help as much as possible not stress you out any more ))

as for the Numbers, it would be useful for others to help if you could tell us your HBA1c number..
if UK that should be from 40+ upwards to over a 100..presumably over 48+ i'd guess

that will tell you how raised you blood sugars have been up to now..a baseline if you will.

and will give you a marker to check for improvements over the coming months.

The 10 number is most likely the finger prick test most of us do each day

ideally we'd like to be around 5+/- so 10 is high, but not so drastic you can't amend it in shortish order hopefully.

While it's been a rocky few days/weeks.
you have imho, made the BEST of choices coming on here.though

a wealth of information from those who HAVE been exactly where YOU are now.
able and willing to give your their stories and methods for how they manage their T2

and IF in need of any comfort and inspiration, DO read the signatures under many postees, these tell their own stories of how far they have travelled on this Diabetic road and the results that ARE possible once you take on board a few suggestions re foods etc.

Best wishes for your time here.
life is gonna get better, honest.

Juliep66 said:

Thanks for replying
I wasn’t happy with being given so much medication straight away but my head was all over the place. I haven’t started on the Alogliptin yet or the Atorvastatin, just taking the Metformin. I really wanted to lose some weight first and cut down on my sugar ( I was eating tons of bad things) I have high blood pressure but mostly it’s under control with meds.

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If you have a few pounds to lose then that often helps with blood pressure.. as for statins maybe avoid as they have been known to raise blood sugar levels. Cut out as many carbs as you can.. you don't "need" any at all, although that can be quite hard to achieve. If you just stick to the metformin (providing it doesn't cause you digestive issues) you can go very low carb from the word go.

Hi juliep66, You probably don't yet realise the full extent of the mis-information that the NHS and your GP have sold you.
Let's start with the Atorvatstatin. This is something ( a Statin) prescribed to most people when diagnosed with T2 Diabetes. But statins are drugs which themselves raise Blood Sugar in a substantial number of cases , meaning they either cause Type 2 Diabetes or make it worse ! If you don't have a genetic condition causing extremely high LDL Cholesterol then there is considerable debate as to whether it will do you any good or whether it will harm you.

The Alogliptin is another drug which you may not need and which can make it more difficult to control your Blood Glucose using a 'Way Of Eating'. A Low Carbohydrate way of eating (not a Calorie restricted diet) is probably the best documented way of reversing /controlling Type 2 diabetes. Alogliptin may cause dangerously low blood glucose (hypoglycaemia), shortness of breath, liver problems, stomach pain, tiredness or other problems.

Metformin can't do any real harm if you can tolerate it. But in many people it causes wind and loose bowels. The slow release version causes fewer, but even so quite a few people still can't tolerate it. problems, especially if taken with or just after a substantial meal.

Most people when first diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are given some time without medication in which to attempt to control it by diet and exercise, unless their HbA1C figure is extremely high. An instantaneous (finger prick test) of 10 is high, but nowhere near being extremely high.

This is what a Google search on Alogliptin shows:

Juliep66 said:

Thanks for replying
I wasn’t happy with being given so much medication straight away but my head was all over the place. I haven’t started on the Alogliptin yet or the Atorvastatin, just taking the Metformin. I really wanted to lose some weight first and cut down on my sugar ( I was eating tons of bad things) I have high blood pressure but mostly it’s under control with meds.

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It's so easy to worry about your condition and make things worse. When I was diagnosed I read as much as I could about diabetes. Finding this site was the big turning point for me. BUT, it's very important that you remember that people who post on this site are not doctors. Many of us think that the NHS have an outdated attitude to diabetes and diet, but medication is essential for some and we are all different. for example, I refused to take statins for a year and then decided to try them. My cholesterol number fell into the normal range and my blood glucose didn't rise at all. Others will have had different experiences. My advice is to read as much as you can on the subject and then ask your medical team sensible questions about your treatment. If you have concerns seek a second opinion from another doctor. That is your right. Reducing your blood glucose is a marathon, not a sprint. Diet and exercise work in many cases, but sometimes medication is needed.

Hello and welcome to this site,

It is totally normal to feel overwhelmed and upset when you get the diagnosis. It ws at least 2 weeks for me before I didn't cry every day. Having said that things will get better.
At the beginning there seems so much to learn- you will get there. The people on this site are amazing and so ready to answer questions, give advice and empathise- on this site we have people who really understand how you fee- but more importantly have managed to keep their blood sugars under control for year- it is possible.

Stress has a lot of effects on your body and will not help your blood sugars- just so you know.

Things will get better- breathe and remember you don't have to learn everything today- you don't have to have everything under control today- take your time, read around this site and ask questions our vent- whatever you need to do.

Take care and welcome.