Very high BG level shot up in a year!

[Cobwebs]

Hello everyone.

I was diagnosed with diabetes in 2016/17 can't remember now.

I put myself on the LCD and lost 2 stone I needed it I was 17stone. My BG dropped to 6.4.

I had been controlling my diabetes by diet only, and managing it quite well until the first lockdown. During the pandemic from 2020 to present time I was comfort eating, not able to go out due to lockdowns so sat on my backside most of the time. My last Hba1c in 2021 was 53. So for a few weeks I went back on the LCD determined to get back to what I was before.

I recently had this years Hba1c and it had doubled. I'm not surprised, I'd become blasé' about diabetes and had slipped off the LCD back on to normal foods, lots of ready meals, greasy Italian ones and healthy ones, pies, pastries, biscuits, and an individual trifle after dinner most nights. I had become very very breathless, but thought that was my asthma (it wasn't), Then about a month ago my vision became very blurred I didn't feel safe to drive, and with no public transport nearby this was a major worry. I had had laser treatment on both eyes last year to receive high pressure, and had a lot of problems after that with my eyes, so assumed the blurred vision was related to that. So I booked an appointment to have my eyes tested, and the optician told me both eyes had changed the exact same amount which pointed to high BG and to get tested straight away, he couldn't guarantee my sight would go back to what it was but said it was possible and advised me to get a cheap pair of glasses in the meantime to see me through.

I immediately put myself back on the LCD and hopefully that helped with the results of the Hba1c I had last week, even though I'd only been back on it almost a 2 weeks. I've lost about 5lbs so far in weight which I'm happy about and now weigh 14st 13lbs. I'd like to get down to 12st or 12st 7lb and get this diabetes back into remission.

I had to wait 2 week for my Hba1c which was last week, and the results have knocked me for six. 113. So doubled in a year.
The Diabetes nurse rang me with the results today and was quite concerned as it was so high and asked me if I was ok. Well to be honest I'm not really. Living alone. you just muddle through don't you. The feeling of nausea, odd headaches (I never suffer with headaches usually), the vision problem, and very itchy groin.

So she is putting me on Metformin straight away and the health team at the surgery are phoning me today to ask a few questions etc and will decide if I should have a scan on my liver/pancreas to see if there is any reason my BG has doubled so quickly. I do have a fatty liver, it was diagnosed about 2019, when I was having pain in that area, but nothing was ever done about it and I wasn't given any advice. That was when I was registered with my previous doctors surgery who were useless.

I hate taking tablets, I'm already on statins, thyroid meds, omeprazole, and indapamide (BP).

Oh and since going back on the LCD, although only for 3 weeks now my sight has gone back to what it was before it went blurry, so I needn't have splashed out on a new pair of glasses but never mind. I can always get them reglazed, I'm just pleased to get my sight back to normal.

So that's me. I'm feeling nervous about going on Metformin and been told I will have diahorrea for 2-3 weeks until my body gets used to it.

I live on my own, have no living relatives and all my friends are online, so I am feeling really vulnerable at the moment and also very angry with myself for letting it slip and thinking everything was ok.

Take this as a warning don't think everything's ok and you can carry on and get away with things, because even if you push back to remission like I did, diabetes is still lurking in the background waiting for you to slip up so it can show itself again!

 

[LeftPeg]

I've been in a similar boat my friend.

I found that low-carb eating is so effective, that it's tempting to let it lapse and think "I'll go back on it when I'm feeling less stressed, or busy, or after this holiday etc" then before you know it the old A1C is back in triple figures.

Well done for getting back in the groove and you have plenty of friends on here if you need to vent or get advice.

 

[Antje77]

I'm sorry you're having a rough time with your diabetes at the moment, hopefully things will improve soon!

I went back on the LCD determined to get back to what I was before.

Just to make sure, do you mean a low calorie diet or a low carb diet?
Many of our members have found no need to restrict calories as long as they keep the carbs low.

You might know all this already of course, but I'll share an informative piece on diabetes and food by one of our members.
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/jokalsbeek.401801/

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi @Cobwebs
Low carb eating is a very good way of treating fatty liver and high Blood Pressure as well as high Blood Glucose, no medication required for most. The same applies to Type 2 Diabetes, but it only works so long as you continue to do it. But be careful not to go too Low Carb because you are on Indapamide for reducing Blood Pressure, but it 's fine to go as Low Carb as you like and still take Glucophage if you wish to.
Some of your symptoms may be caused by taking Omeprazole (Prilosec) adding Metformin to that is likely to make your digestive problems and nausea worse, so be warned.

 

[Cobwebs]

Thank you for your replies.

Antje77 I meant low carb diet. I don't believe in calorie counting.

I did the low carb diet when first diagnosed 3yrs ago and went into remission, its only because I fell off the wagon during the pandemic that my numbers doubled in 12 months.

Thanks also for the warnings of feeling more nauseous with omeprazole and metformin. I take the omeprazole as I was having stomach problems a few years ago before the pandemic and it stopped the symptoms. So if I stop the omiprazole I'll get those pains back again in my liver area.

It's comforting to be amongst people all with the same condition.

Now I'm concerned that when I start the metformin (tomorrow morning with breakfast) if I do have a reaction to it, the docs will be closed until Monday, so wondering whether to wait until Monday to start it. I live alone so always a bit dubious about starting new meds before the weekend. And having been on the low carb diet now for 3 weeks I expect my numbers have dropped slightly anyway so maybe starting on Monday instead of Friday is a good idea, although the doctor wanted me to start them tomorrow. When I told her about the low carb diet she said it didn't sound very healthy, so I told her that it's recommended by Diabetes.co.uk so she said 'oh well if it's recommended by them it must be good.' I'd have thought a doctor would have known about the benefits of the low carb diet.

 

[Oldvatr]

Thank you for your replies.

Antje77 I meant low carb diet. I don't believe in calorie counting.

I did the low carb diet when first diagnosed 3yrs ago and went into remission, its only because I fell off the wagon during the pandemic that my numbers doubled in 12 months.

Thanks also for the warnings of feeling more nauseous with omeprazole and metformin. I take the omeprazole as I was having stomach problems a few years ago before the pandemic and it stopped the symptoms. So if I stop the omiprazole I'll get those pains back again in my liver area.

It's comforting to be amongst people all with the same condition.

Now I'm concerned that when I start the metformin (tomorrow morning with breakfast) if I do have a reaction to it, the docs will be closed until Monday, so wondering whether to wait until Monday to start it. I live alone so always a bit dubious about starting new meds before the weekend. And having been on the low carb diet now for 3 weeks I expect my numbers have dropped slightly anyway so maybe starting on Monday instead of Friday is a good idea, although the doctor wanted me to start them tomorrow. When I told her about the low carb diet she said it didn't sound very healthy, so I told her that it's recommended by Diabetes.co.uk so she said 'oh well if it's recommended by them it must be good.' I'd have thought a doctor would have known about the benefits of the low carb diet.

Metformin takes a while to bed in. Unless you get an anaphylactic shock to it, then any side effects from the Met (tummy troubles) do not normally require medical intervention, just patience and bulk purchase of tissue. I was ok with Met, and went to max dose without major incident, but others find it a difficult drug to tolerate. If you can, give it a while to settle down before deciding. If you get the colleywobbles, there is a version that is Slow Release that is gentler on the system that could be tried.

 

[Cobwebs]

Thanks yes the nurse did say if the normal met doesn't suit then she'd try me on the slow release one. I'll start it in the morning with breakfast now you've reassured me. I know it makes me sounds stupid to be worried about weekends but when you have no local or family support network it's a worry.

 

[Cobwebs]

Well I started the standard Metformin yesterday morning and was fine til early afternoon, thought oh this is good, no sickness or anything, then at 3.30 I had terrible diahorrea like I've never had before and was stuck on the toilet for 3/4 of an hour. Just when I thought it was over and got 3ft across the bathroom floor whooooosh it just exploded. I felt dreadful too. Lightheaded and couldn't get my balance properly. Had to bag and bin my clothes. So rang my surgery and they got the doc to phone me. She told me to stop the tablets straight away and she'd send a script up to the village pharmacy which she did and the pharmacist dropped the new meds in on his way home. Which was really kind of him, as I was in no state to get in the car and drive. The new meds are Diagemet XL 500mg prolonged release.

So I start them this evening one tablet with my evening meal. I usually eat between 5 and 6pm. But not sure when to eat now or even if I want to start them just yet. I'd rather wait til perhaps Sunday evening or Monday evening. Just incase I have another reaction like I did with the standard metformin.

Any advice would be gratefully received. x

 

[Lakeslover]

Personally I would take the first one after breakfast in the morning on a day you don’t plan to go out. That way you can assess the results over a long period before bed. From experience it’s not nice to wake up to fing a Metformin explosion has taken place.

I find that a low carb diet makes my Metformin side effects worse, I am on the prolonged release version but cannot take the dose my doctors would like me to take without unacceptable side effects.

 

[Cobwebs]

Thats interesting about the low carb diet affecting the side effects. I can imagine the distress and shock waking up to a met explosion had occurred. Funnily enough when the doctor said she would put me onto the prolonged release version she said start them in the morning. The pharmacist said evening. Hence my confusion.

 

[LINMARIE]

Hi reading all the horror stories of ordinary metorformin tabs i woukd have thought that slow release be only given as its wasted nha money if majority cant take them anyway and pharmacists wont take back unused meds to reuse only destroy I hope new tabs working for you now Good luck and i love the low carb way of esting and living

 

[Antje77]

Hi reading all the horror stories of ordinary metorformin tabs i woukd have thought that slow release be only given as its wasted nha money if majority cant take them

I think the majority is doing fine on regular metformin, it's only when things go wrong people most feel the need to talk about it.