What am I doing here!

[HighJinx22]

I only say this because I’m collecting frequent flyer points from GP / consultants and keeping them in the life they have grown accustomed to.

In all seriousness, I’d like to say hello and I’m a newbie. Was diagnosed with T2 last week. I was told to download a leaflet by my nurse and to make an appointment in three months time to see if healthy eating has helped. Is that the usual approach? I wasn’t given anything else.

I’m 50, also with a diagnosis of Bipolar and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (hEDS). I was diagnosed with hypertensive crisis a few times and high cholesterol with atrial fibrillation to finish it all off. I’m on about 14 different types of drugs a day to treat heart, pain and mood.

I’m normally a very positive person and have been dealing with the diagnoses as they have happened over the last 10 years.

I don’t drink, don’t smoke because of mood and drug interactions and I’m very confused about what I can and cannot eat as I haven’t been given any information. I have been looking at sources of support plans so I know what to eat, how much I should eat and how often I should eat. I’ll keep trying but wth I’m so hungry writing this.

I would be very interested to know if anybody out there has a mood disorders and they’re taking bipolar drugs because they increase appetite and increase weight which obviously doesn’t work well with Type 2 diabetes.

I’ll lie in bed dreaming about food while I wait in earnest for your replies.

Thank you very much in advance

 

[EllieM]

Hi @HighJinx22 and welcome to the forums. It's quite late now so a lot of the UK T2s have gone to bed but I thought I'd sneak in a welcome from a T1.

Unfortunately the lack of information you've been given seems fairly typical of many newcomers here. (Waits, and hopes, to be corrected by some T2s who have had fantastic support from their GPs.)

Unfortunately a number of drugs have undesirable effects on blood sugars, so it is quite possible that some of your meds are not helping. (eg Steroids are so renowned for increasing bgs that people can actually get diagnosed with steroid induced diabetes.)

Can I ask what your starting diabetic level was? The GP should have given you an hba1c result. Above 48 is diabetic.

Many of the T2s on here control their levels by reducing the carbs in their diet, 'll give you a link to my favourite intro to T2 and low carb diet, jokalsbeek's excellent blog.

JoKalsbeek's blog | Diabetes Forum • The Global Diabetes Community

Once again, welcome

 

[MrsA2]

Love the sense of humour! That's a great asset.

We tend to be an early to bed lot, except for a few Antipodean dwellers. I'm supposed to asleep so will keep it short.

Food is easy, just meat, fish,eggs, dairy, nuts and seeds. A few veg, preferably those that grow above the ground (root veg are sweet and carby). A handful a day of berries, no other fruit.
Keep food real, ie bought in its normal form , nothing processed, added or taken away.

So eggs for breakfast, salad for lunch, steak and veg in the evening , for example.

Tomorrow we can get you info on testing using a meter which will show you what your body responds to, we are different

Happy foodie dreams

 

[HighJinx22]

Hi @HighJinx22 and welcome to the forums. It's quite late now so a lot of the UK T2s have gone to bed but I thought I'd sneak in a welcome from a T1.

Unfortunately the lack of information you've been given seems fairly typical of many newcomers here. (Waits, and hopes, to be corrected by some T2s who have had fantastic support from their GPs.)

Unfortunately a number of drugs have undesirable effects on blood sugars, so it is quite possible that some of your meds are not helping. (eg Steroids are so renowned for increasing bgs that people can actually get diagnosed with steroid induced diabetes.)

Can I ask what your starting diabetic level was? The GP should have given you an hba1c result. Above 48 is diabetic.

Many of the T2s on here control their levels by reducing the carbs in their diet, 'll give you a link to my favourite intro to T2 and low carb diet, jokalsbeek's excellent blog.


Once again, welcome

Thank you so much EllieM. I’ll have read of this tomorrow. I really appreciate you taking the time to reply.

 

[HighJinx22]

Love the sense of humour! That's a great asset.

We tend to be an early to bed lot, except for a few Antipodean dwellers. I'm supposed to asleep so will keep it short.

Food is easy, just meat, fish,eggs, dairy, nuts and seeds. A few veg, preferably those that grow above the ground (root veg are sweet and carby). A handful a day of berries, no other fruit.
Keep food real, ie bought in its normal form , nothing processed, added or taken away.

So eggs for breakfast, salad for lunch, steak and veg in the evening , for example.

Tomorrow we can get you info on testing using a meter which will show you what your body responds to, we are different

Happy foodie dreams

Hi MrsA2, thank you for the help. Really appreciated. :0)

 

[Jo_the_boat]

I think it depends what type of nurse you have as to what type of leaflet you get.
Some so-called health-professionals, er, how can I put this, don't appear to act in the best interests of T2 diabetics.
Diet does make a difference to us as T2s, as documented over and over on this site.
I lost so much weight to start with I could wear my wife's tights. Till she found out. Other benefits include, good sugar control which helps with all manner of niggles. With many of us we're talking low carb diet.
You say you're hungry all the time? I, and others, have found that a low carb diet means that we don't feel hungry. Not logical really because some of us eat much less than we used to and skip meals (intermittent fasting). Perhaps your other meds are interfering, we're all different, but I'm sure you'll find a way eventually.

You already have a heck of a packet to deal with before this wrinkle, so all I can do really is wish you well and suggest that there's plenty of help and support here if you want it.
Keep that sense of humour too.

 

[markpj31]

Hello!

Yes, the information or lack of dietary information you get is pretty astonishing to be honest seeing as it is such a large part of your "treatment". Also (as mentioned above) - Certain medications relating to depression or anxiety have the potential to increase blood sugars. I was prescribed Sertraline and never took it because the leaflet and side effects didn't make for easy reading.

 

[Erin]

I only say this because I’m collecting frequent flyer points from GP / consultants and keeping them in the life they have grown accustomed to.

In all seriousness, I’d like to say hello and I’m a newbie. Was diagnosed with T2 last week. I was told to download a leaflet by my nurse and to make an appointment in three months time to see if healthy eating has helped. Is that the usual approach? I wasn’t given anything else.

I’m 50, also with a diagnosis of Bipolar and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (hEDS). I was diagnosed with hypertensive crisis a few times and high cholesterol with atrial fibrillation to finish it all off. I’m on about 14 different types of drugs a day to treat heart, pain and mood.

I’m normally a very positive person and have been dealing with the diagnoses as they have happened over the last 10 years.

I don’t drink, don’t smoke because of mood and drug interactions and I’m very confused about what I can and cannot eat as I haven’t been given any information. I have been looking at sources of support plans so I know what to eat, how much I should eat and how often I should eat. I’ll keep trying but wth I’m so hungry writing this.

I would be very interested to know if anybody out there has a mood disorders and they’re taking bipolar drugs because they increase appetite and increase weight which obviously doesn’t work well with Type 2 diabetes.

I’ll lie in bed dreaming about food while I wait in earnest for your replies.

Thank you very much in advance

Hi HighJinx22! Regarding your question about bipolar meds; I have been on lithium for 41+ yrs, which served me well, until it became toxic. It did increase weight, which may have contributed to diabetes 2 eventually. It is not as bad as divalproex or Latuda (recent switch) both surge blood sugar. I have stopped both due to very severe side effects.

 

[HighJinx22]

Hello!

Yes, the information or lack of dietary information you get is pretty astonishing to be honest seeing as it is such a large part of your "treatment". Also (as mentioned above) - Certain medications relating to depression or anxiety have the potential to increase blood sugars. I was prescribed Sertraline and never took it because the leaflet and side effects didn't make for easy reading.

Thanks markpj31. It’s very Interesting to know I’m not alone in this journey and that others are struggling to find their feet too. I only take comfort in the fact that i know I’m not an isolated case. This forum is such a great help. Thanks a lot

 

[HighJinx22]

I think it depends what type of nurse you have as to what type of leaflet you get.
Some so-called health-professionals, er, how can I put this, don't appear to act in the best interests of T2 diabetics.
Diet does make a difference to us as T2s, as documented over and over on this site.
I lost so much weight to start with I could wear my wife's tights. Till she found out. Other benefits include, good sugar control which helps with all manner of niggles. With many of us we're talking low carb diet.
You say you're hungry all the time? I, and others, have found that a low carb diet means that we don't feel hungry. Not logical really because some of us eat much less than we used to and skip meals (intermittent fasting). Perhaps your other meds are interfering, we're all different, but I'm sure you'll find a way eventually.

You already have a heck of a packet to deal with before this wrinkle, so all I can do really is wish you well and suggest that there's plenty of help and support here if you want it.
Keep that sense of humour too.

Thank you for the laugh Jo. I nearly spat out my tea when I read your comments about your wife’s tights. Hilarious

 

[HighJinx22]

Hi HighJinx22! Regarding your question about bipolar meds; I have been on lithium for 41+ yrs, which served me well, until it became toxic. It did increase weight, which may have contributed to diabetes 2 eventually. It is not as bad as divalproex or Latuda (recent switch) both surge blood sugar. I have stopped both due to very severe side effects.

Hi Erin, thank you so much for your post - I was fascinated. You have had more experience on lithium than I have. I am on sodium valproate, lithium and Brintillex for the bipolar. When I started on these drugs my weight sky rocketed.

I’ve been dealing with lithium toxicity for the last 6 months so I’m a bit all over the place at times but trying to keep myself as well as possible.

I was doing intermittent fasting for a year and then my psychiatrist told me to come off it as it was affecting my mood.

I’m wondering what one piece of advice you could have given yourself looking back on when you were first diagnosed with Type2 knowing you had the added challenge of Bipolar?

Thanks a million

 

[Erin]

Hi Erin, thank you so much for your post - I was fascinated. You have had more experience on lithium than I have. I am on sodium valproate, lithium and Brintillex for the bipolar. When I started on these drugs my weight sky rocketed.

I’ve been dealing with lithium toxicity for the last 6 months so I’m a bit all over the place at times but trying to keep myself as well as possible.

I was doing intermittent fasting for a year and then my psychiatrist told me to come off it as it was affecting my mood.

I’m wondering what one piece of advice you could have given yourself looking back on when you were first diagnosed with Type2 knowing you had the added challenge of Bipolar?

Thanks a million

I should clarify that I am Type 2 diabetic. I would be interested to know your lithium dose as both time taken, and dose can lead to toxicity. That you are taking other bipolar meds, may have guided your dr. to give reduced maintenance doses. I was diagnosed with diabetes about 12 yrs. ago; it really crept up on me until I noticed walking in an eye haze and sleeping a lot. I should have listened to an optometrist who by chance (some yrs earlier) advised me to check with my dr. as he saw early signs of retinopathy. That's the one piece of advice I suppose.

 

[HighJinx22]

Hi @HighJinx22 and welcome to the forums. It's quite late now so a lot of the UK T2s have gone to bed but I thought I'd sneak in a welcome from a T1.

Unfortunately the lack of information you've been given seems fairly typical of many newcomers here. (Waits, and hopes, to be corrected by some T2s who have had fantastic support from their GPs.)

Unfortunately a number of drugs have undesirable effects on blood sugars, so it is quite possible that some of your meds are not helping. (eg Steroids are so renowned for increasing bgs that people can actually get diagnosed with steroid induced diabetes.)

Can I ask what your starting diabetic level was? The GP should have given you an hba1c result. Above 48 is diabetic.

Many of the T2s on here control their levels by reducing the carbs in their diet, 'll give you a link to my favourite intro to T2 and low carb diet, jokalsbeek's excellent blog.

JoKalsbeek's blog | Diabetes Forum • The Global Diabetes Community

Once again, welcome

Hi EllieM, thank you for your very warm welcome.
I’m not au fair with the different measurements. All I know is that my first reading was 6.5 in a routine blood test and after the Glucose tolerance test it was above that. I was clueless. I had to ask what it meant :0) The nurse said “you have type 2 diabetes”. Lol I was tempted to say “not to worry, what’s another diagnosis” but I felt it prudent not to be cheeky as this woman is responsible for sticking needles in me every few weeks. ;-)

 

[HighJinx22]

I should clarify that I am Type 2 diabetic. I would be interested to know your lithium dose as both time taken, and dose can lead to toxicity. That you are taking other bipolar meds, may have guided your dr. to give reduced maintenance doses. I was diagnosed with diabetes about 12 yrs. ago; it really crept up on me until I noticed walking in an eye haze and sleeping a lot. I should have listened to an optometrist who by chance (some yrs earlier) advised me to check with my dr. as he saw early signs of retinopathy. That's the one piece of advice I suppose.

Hi Erin
That’s a great help. I’ve been having my lithium taken every month since last August. I had been on 800mg and my level was 0.41. I was under severe stress due to another issue so they went up to 1g and my level was 0.91 but I was very sick, (sorry tmi vomiting etc. ) they reduced it back down to 800mg and I was still ill but thankfully not as bad and my level was 0.7.
I’m on 700mg now and my last reading was 0.56. I seem to be ok now for the last fortnight but I got the T2 news the week after this reading. I’m due an eye test very soon so I’ll make sure to get them to check for retinopathy.

 

[Erin]

Hi Erin
That’s a great help. I’ve been having my lithium taken every month since last August. I had been on 800mg and my level was 0.41. I was under severe stress due to another issue so they went up to 1g and my level was 0.91 but I was very sick, (sorry tmi vomiting etc. ) they reduced it back down to 800mg and I was still ill but thankfully not as bad and my level was 0.7.
I’m on 700mg now and my last reading was 0.56. I seem to be ok now for the last fortnight but I got the T2 news the week after this reading. I’m due an eye test very soon so I’ll make sure to get them to check for retinopathy.

Your lithium range is therapeutic, but if you take the ohter meds, they may have an interaction. I was on 900mg; could have done on lower imo, to spare the kidney damage over the years. Your other meds may interact; wonder why you are not on monotherapy. Sorry you have been ill. I really wish they could just get things right in pharmacology; sometimes wonder if we should not go back to the old hard drugs, e.g. narcotics. Best wishes, and lithium is great at the right dose, imo.

 

[HighJinx22]

Your lithium range is therapeutic, but if you take the ohter meds, they may have an interaction. I was on 900mg; could have done on lower imo, to spare the kidney damage over the years. Your other meds may interact; wonder why you are not on monotherapy. Sorry you have been ill. I really wish they could just get things right in pharmacology; sometimes wonder if we should not go back to the old hard drugs, e.g. narcotics. Best wishes, and lithium is great at the right dose, imo.

Thank you Erin. Really appreciate it.

 

[EllieM]

Hi EllieM, thank you for your very warm welcome.
I’m not au fair with the different measurements. All I know is that my first reading was 6.5 in a routine blood test and after the Glucose tolerance test it was above that. I was clueless. I had to ask what it meant :0) The nurse said “you have type 2 diabetes”. Lol I was tempted to say “not to worry, what’s another diagnosis” but I felt it prudent not to be cheeky as this woman is responsible for sticking needles in me every few weeks. ;-)

Hmm, it's very difficult to tell without knowing the units of that 6.5 but if it was a hba1c (measured in a %) rather than a blood sugar (measured in mmol/L) then that puts you at the bottom level of diabetic hba1c (48 in mmol/mol, there are two competing measuring systems for hba1c). Doctors tend to diagnose T2 based on 3 tests
1) hba1c - if its 6.5% /48mmol/mol or above
2) fasting blood sugars above a certain level
3) glucose tolerance test

They often don't bother with test 2 or 3 if the hba1c is high enough. But the diagnostic techniques can also vary a bit by country/location/doctor.

If you're bothered you could ask your medical team if that 6.5 is an hba1c in %. Hba1cs reflect your average blood sugar over the last 3 months and shouldn't be affected by a glucose tolerance test.

The advantage of having an hba1c that is only just in diabetic levels is that it should hopefully be relatively easy to use diet to nudge your levels back down.

And it definitely helps to keep a sense of humour about medical conditions, in my opinion. Your seems alive and very well.

If you want to use diet to treat your T2 then this is my favourite link to T2 and low carb, jokalsbeek's excellent blog..
(Don't think anypne else has linked to it yet, apologies if they have).
JoKalsbeek's blog | Diabetes Forum • The Global Diabetes Community

Good luck.

 

[SonjaJankowski]

@EllieM thank you so much for the explanation here. Glad to know more about it.

 

[HighJinx22]

Hmm, it's very difficult to tell without knowing the units of that 6.5 but if it was a hba1c (measured in a %) rather than a blood sugar (measured in mmol/L) then that puts you at the bottom level of diabetic hba1c (48 in mmol/mol, there are two competing measuring systems for hba1c). Doctors tend to diagnose T2 based on 3 tests
1) hba1c - if its 6.5% /48mmol/mol or above
2) fasting blood sugars above a certain level
3) glucose tolerance test

They often don't bother with test 2 or 3 if the hba1c is high enough. But the diagnostic techniques can also vary a bit by country/location/doctor.

If you're bothered you could ask your medical team if that 6.5 is an hba1c in %. Hba1cs reflect your average blood sugar over the last 3 months and shouldn't be affected by a glucose tolerance test.

The advantage of having an hba1c that is only just in diabetic levels is that it should hopefully be relatively easy to use diet to nudge your levels back down.

And it definitely helps to keep a sense of humour about medical conditions, in my opinion. Your seems alive and very well.

If you want to use diet to treat your T2 then this is my favourite link to T2 and low carb, jokalsbeek's excellent blog..
(Don't think anypne else has linked to it yet, apologies if they have).
JoKalsbeek's blog | Diabetes Forum • The Global Diabetes Community

Good luck.

Great info EllieM must go to a bit of homework.