• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Type 2 ... no idea how to bring down high levels

W

whyme_again

Active Member
Messages
25
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
N?A
I have been type 2 fir 5 years now so you would expect me to be able to control my blood sugar's well and to know how to lower them when high.

Yet, I still have no idea food wise, on this area. Low levels, easy, small amounts of sugar stuff and fruit juice but come to high levels and I'm stuck.

My GP says excercise, yes, that's good considering I'm in a wheelchair! I asked for a diaticians referral (due to Covid and missed appointments, the system automatically generated the DNA and send back to GP). She did refer me to a group session but after talking to them they said it was no good to me.

My GP just adjusted the med's and most if consultations on my blood sugars are done via the pharmacist.

So...

To my biggest issue...

Yesterday I was at the hospital for an appointment. I was waiting to be picked up and suddenly felt I'll like I needed food urgently. I was shaky, my heart rate was racing, and I really felt I'll.

The cafe was useless for me, as my dietary restrictions and allergies prevented me from having virtually everything there. So I had to choose what I could eat but not necessarily what I should eat. My blood sugar's were 15.2 at this time

A pear, a Bakewell tart, a packet of shortbread biscuits and apple juice.

I had some sugar free sweets but I'm not sure how good they were in this situation but ate two of them.

The lady got a nurse to see me because I was feeling so unwell and sleepy with a headache.

They took my blood sugar and they were at 12.3 that was I'd guess about 20-30 mins after my reading.

How can I control my blood sugars!? What can I eat when they are high to prevent this happening again?
 
Wow at 15 you definitely were not hypo, in fact you were high, and so the shakes were not because you needed food and response needed was not carbs or sugar.

What medications are you on? What are your dietary restrictions? these will effect any suggestions made.

The key to type 2 is not to go high in the first place and that is avoided by choosing foods that don’t take us high. If we do go high it’s wait it out, be as active as we can manage and hydrate well to help us eliminate some of it. Or rely on medications - which obviously have their disadvantages and don’t really address the underlying problem only mop up the symptoms as best they can.
 
@whyme_again Can you use your arms shoulders using weights/cans to exercise? Generally such strength/muscle building is more beneficial than additional cardio exercise (for those already achieving the NHS advised 30 min of brisk walking 5 times per week).
 
So, I spoke to the receptionist yesterday, where I asked for an appointment next week with either the Dr or the diabetic nurse. She asked a few questions and said no, you need to speak to someone now. I'm sending an email through but it maybe tomorrow now before they ring you.

As she predicted, it was today the Dr rang.

What a waste of time, she said it's nothing, it's because steroids I'd just finished. However, I've been off them for over 2cweejs now, so isn't related to the steroids.

Then she said it's your hormones, well isn't that what diabetics is?

She then said it's anxiety, your getting worked up. I tell you what, was getting more worked up talking to her than had been before hand.

Then she said it's something else causing it to raise. You are testing too frequently and it's causing you to get anxious. Just test 2 times a day, your testing too much!

This was a strange thing to say as I had actually only been testing if I was feeling ill but should have been doing them on waking and before meals and bedtime. In terms of what was testing, I gave her my readings from before bed, on waking and before breakfast this morning.

I have done 13 tests thus month and of those, 2 were on Wednesday, one last night, one when I woke up (fasting) and one before breakfast. How she could say that I was testing too much I'm unsure of as I hadn't said how often was testing.

To me it felt like she considered me a waste of a call or a nuisance.

When I asked her how to control the levels, she said eat more carbs...yet I'm sure your supposed to eat less!

She did say about increasing my medication but I'd rather stay as is. I'm loosing weight currently vans I'd like to stay at this weight rather than go back to gaining even more weight or risk having hypos.

Well, she's the diabetic doctor so go by what she says.
 
I am shocked! But even worse not entirely surprised! I hope you are going to completely disregard anything this doctor tells you! Other Type’s 2 I am sure will step in with advice, I am Type 1, I eat low carb. It’s been a huge success for me. Fantastic you have lost weight already. Change your diet and do some regular exercise that’s achievable. My brother in law was recently diagnosed type 2 and he followed this advice and has lost 2 stone and HbA1c now mid 30’s Took him about 4 months, no medication needed. You can do this. I gave him this book and he only ate low carb recipes.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Low-Carb-D...50624023&sprefix=cavan+diabetes,aps,71&sr=8-8
 
Depends on what meds you are on, but for me low carb - no sugar (incl honey, etc), potatoes, rice, or ordinary bread and the only fruit is berries in small portions or rhubarb - was the answer. I certainly wouldn't eat anything except protein if my blood sugar was high.
When I first went low carb I had several false hypos - testing showed I was high not low so I just had water or a black tea and waited them out.
 
Your dr is an idiot.
Carbs increase blood glucose not reduce it.
Testing twice a day doesn’t tell you what’s raised it or what keeps it stable.
You are nowhere near having hypos at the moment with readings in double figures.

The way to reduce blood glucose levels, weight and other metabolic issues is to cut the carbs right down. Have a read of this https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/the-nutritional-thingy.2330/ and this https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/all-the-things-i-wish-i’d-been-told-at-type-2-diagnosis.173817/ and then the links these contain.

Which medication are you on currently? Metformin is fine with low carb. Low carb and even more so keto can have rapid results and require less of some medications very quickly to avoid hypos. Testing more often not less will keep you abreast of what’s happening.

Edit. Looking back at your old posts you had lots of advice about carbs previously yet you still eat high carb items which are a lot of the reason your levels remain high . Is there a reason why?
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…