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What do I do?????? Help would be really appreciated!

S

slummymummyof3

Member
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23
My OH was diagnosed with T2 almost 3 years ago and was very successfully controlled with a low GI diet and exercise until recently. He rarely deviated from eating low gi and has been really committed to diet and exercise but now it seems to have completley stopped working over the last couple of months without apparent explanation (I only found out last Friday)

So, since last weekend we have moved to low carbing after reading lots on here and using some of the recipes. Last night 2 hours after low carb cauliflower kedgeree he had readings of 15 (whilst mine was 5 - checked my bloods to ensure accuracy of monitor as I was so horrified) He cannot afford to lose any weight by the way, so how do we ensure weight maintainence as well as good control over his bloods?

His dr has prescribed Metformin SR with an initial starting dose of 1 tablet. OH wants to give low carb a good go before starting meds (and is not dealing with this latest decline in control very well - it is like when he was first diagnosed) How long before the low carbing has a measurable result?

I feel like a moaning old bag because I want him to test prior to meals and 2 hours later (wouldn't dare think about asking him to test after an hour at the moment as it wouldn't go down well) and he is starting to feel like a lab rat, but equally I know we need to know what is happening with his bloods.

Other difficulty is.........obviously if he does have to go down the meds route, Metformin is only going to bring it down by 1-1.5 and he may need other meds, however, he is in an occupation that is exempt from the DDA and should he need to progress to insulin, he will lose his job - life is a little stressful here!
 
I can't help you much - hpefully someone with more experience of this wil come along with some good advice for you :) - just wanted to say try not to worry about insulin just yet - there are lots of other drugs (if you need them) that can help before you get to the insulin stage.

Good luck with getting the numbers down, its only been a week so early days :) - and you are right about testing it's he only way to know what is going on before and after food
 
Thanks for your replies so far guy's - very much appreciated and so early in the morning!

How would we find out if he's type 1.5? Wouldn't it have come to light before now as he was diagnosed T2 almost 3 years ago?

What does type 1.5 mean as far as medication?
 
Hi
I would initially persevere with the Met, as you can ramp it up to max dosage before deciding if its not working. Im not sure where the figures come from re lowering of bg by 1 to 1.5 comes from.My MIL is T2 and Met is much more effective than that for her. However, she is on MAX daily dose

Also, there are other meds for T2s who dont do well with Metformin alone - too many to mention and Im not an expert so best to google or wait for other T2's to help, so insulin not necessarily needed just now (ie gliclazide)

What I would say re anything I've read about 1.5/LADA is that many people start on oral meds (because diet alone doesnt seem to work) and then need to progress to insulin (as the pancreas slowly gives up, more slowly than T1 but assumed to still be autoimmune in origin) but your OH hasnt needed ANY meds until around 3 year point.
Again, not an expert but I shouldnt think this would point to LADA/1.5?
However, as always, I stand to be corrected
 
After 1 week of low carbing, bloods are coming down to around 9 after 2 hrs ppd which is a huge improvement from the 15's & 16's we were seeing last week - but obviously someway to go yet!

Seeing lots more 7's during the day as well now. So we are still experimenting with the low carbing and the results are improving on a daily basis.

Having problems getting celeriac at the mo - any ideas?

Thanks for your support to date.
 
Yey! Starting to get 7.6 after 2 hrs PPD and fasting results improving - around about 7. We are now nearly 3 weeks in to low carbing.

What else can we do to improve? Any ideas welcomed.

Does anyone use soya flour at all? What sort of effect does it have on your blood sugar?
 
I would still ask the GP to make sure the T2 diagnosis is correct.
Even a T1( LADA) can get a great improvement with a low carb diet.
Hana
 
Thanks John for the link to your diet thread - I will start to wade my way through it.

Handa, many thanks for your reply. Would type 1.5 not have caused a problem before now? It is almost 3 years since he was diagnosed as type 2. We have been low gi for most of that time and it has been well controlled within that time apart from most recently and now we have swapped to low carbing. I understand what you say about how low carbing would help with Lada too but surely he wouldn't have had such good control for all this time????
 
Thanks Catherine, that is certainly interesting reading!

It would seem to make sense and might explain why he is not getting readings lower than 7 so far with low carbing. Although perhaps I am being too ambitious this early on with the low carbing - how long does it take for it low carbing to have good effect? (having said that they have improved immensley in comparison to 3 weeks ago) He says he hasn't got his energy levels back yet and still feels tired.
 
If he is still taking the metformin (I assume he is) then this would also start working by now. It does not work straight away so in a combination with diet you sound to be doing the right thing. Don't get into too much of a tiz about insulin therapy - that is a long way off!! (if at all) Lots of other options on the way to keep his license

And you're right, Type 1.5 would have caused a problem by now I would have thought!

Nicki

Type 1 - 22 years
(Less importantly - Practice Nurse with Diabetes Management diploma)
 
He has not started to take the Metformin as yet - he wanted to try and see what he could do with low carbing. He wants to try and avoid meds if he can.
 
Have had a 5.9 today!!! That is our lowest reading to date during the last 3.5 weeks. Still not happy with the fasting results first thing which tend to be around 8 - 8.5. Feel like I am constantly nagging with reminder to OH that he needs a little snack before bed to counteract the dawn phenomenem - what do you guy's snack on before bed?

Have made some little ground almond crackers that are quite good on the blood sugars but could do with some further inspiring ideas!!!
 
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