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What supplements should I take?

T

thetallerpaul

Well-Known Member
Messages
158
Hello all,

Newly diagnosed with type 2 (by me) and my BG has not yet dipped below 8.4 (once) is is usually above 10 despite cutting out all obvious carbs. Bread is what I miss the most. It was 9.9 at the end of a day that I ate nothing but protein and salad leaves just to see what it would do. I've been trying to read through the forums but I'm lost. Can someone give me a summary or direct me to one? Zinc, Bitter Melon, Cinamon etc?

I want to do as much as I can to look after myself as I'm only 29 so hopefully have a long time to live with this. I've got my second blood test on Wednesday after the GP tried and got 23 BG which she said was a mistake as she had never used the monitor before :? . Then will need to wait for GP appointment for proper diagnosis then, based on all your experiences, get no support so I want to crack on regardless. Oh and when I say diagnosed by me I mean Wikipedia, this site, and my twice daily BG readings.

Peace

Paul
 
Hi Paul

Before going down the supplement route you really need to get to the bottom of why, if you are controlling your carbs, you are not seeing more reasonable BG results. I take all the things you've mentioned but as a plain vanilla Type 2 know that like other "real" diabetic drugs none are a tenth as effective as good as a reduction is carbs and a bit of gentle exercise.

Given that you say you are only 29 and given the lack of carbs you are eating you maybe looking at being Type 1.5 LADA or a Type 2 with very little insulin production or very high insulin resistence or even in the initial onset stages of Type 1. If you still get really high readings I would ask your gp to organise c-peptide and GAD tests to try and determine that. Did your GP do a urine test for keytones? I would warn you that low carbing my confuse the hell out of your gp as he / she will be seeing lower BG readings than they would be if you were on a normal diet. You will need to make it very clear that if you eat carb based foods your BG's run very high.

It's important you don't let your GP just assume plain Type 2 as it will be near impossible and dangerous to try controling Type 1 or Type 1.5 on diet and supplements alone even if you adopted an ultra low carb diet.

Take care and keep asking questions.
 
xyzzy,

Thanks for that, I may be in the wrong forum section then? I just assumed as I'd not had it my whole life it was type 2.

Looks like I'd better make sure I give in to my Peanut butter sandwich and chocolate cravings on Tuesday. However I've today found out that I'm only having a prick test and that this won't even be my diagnosis?! By the time I get an appointment to have 2 fasting readings done its going to be like a month since the GP first saw my elevated BG. If it wasn't for my over keeness on the web and this site I'd still be eating chocolate like the machine I once was.

GP didn't do that urine test but on your advice I have phoned up and they will be doing it on Wednesday.

You may regret your last remark if you want peace and quiet!

Paul
 
When you start low carbing, your body has approximately 2 days wrth of stored carbs to run off. This could explain your still high reading after 1 day of low carbing.

Try 3 days of low carbing, and then measure your BG...
 
No I'm afraid you can't assume Type 2 especially if you're only 29, you don't say if you're overweight as if your aren't excessively overweight then that's another indicator that you might not be Type 2 at that age.

My nephew was diagnosed Type 1 last year at 42 as was my grandfather also in his 40's when he was diagnosed Type 1. Like Patch says it might just be that you haven't given low carbing long enough but I interpreted your post as meaning you had been low carbing for days if not weeks. As plain Type 2 I saw a slow but always positive decline in BG's over a period of weeks once I started low carbing others find the effects pretty immediate and can get back to pre diabetic levels in days.

Really do mean keep asking for advice you'll get loads of it from forum members here.
 
I've only been low carbing now for 8 days although I did have some porridge on one day and a slice of Rye bread on another so not sure if that counts. I don't know what my BMI is but i'm, 6' 5" and 13.5 stone so probably pretty low I would think?

I was seeing good declines from my levels in the 20's to start but I've hit a wall now and can get it no lower. I'll keep trying with the no carbs until I'm told otherwise but getting less hopeful that I'm going to get away unmedicated.

Thanks again. I'll keep people posted and I'm sure I'll be a regular on here. I do love a good forum!

Paul
 
Your BMI is 22.4 so very much in the normal range.
I think that you must tell your doc that you are eating virtually no carbs, it might give them a totally false impression of what's going on.
You also say that your doctor thought she'd made a mistake with the reading of 23 but you also say that you had some readings in the 20s, again I think they need to know that.
Might be a good idea to write down a diary of the readings you have had , when you had them and what you had to eat.
 
Hello again all,

Second Doc I saw was very good (first not so much!) as were the nurses. They cancelled the prick test the first doc ordered as was a waste of time and did all my proper blood draws. I got diagnosed with Type 2, then told Type 1 and called back in for more tests but now am back to type 2 diagnosis and am starting on Metformin. Fasting and 2 hour BG on 500mg after 2 days is down from the around 10 mark I'd go it to with diet to about 8. I'm going back in a week to review the dose.

Its been a confusing few weeks for me waiting around while my own tests had basically confirmed there was a major issue but what a difference a good Doc makes! A sense of urgency in getting bloods on Wednesday, straight in to see doc on Thursday, back in for more draws after she worried about the decision to say Type 2 the same day and results and treatment confirmed Friday. She even proscribed me 100 testing strips as I said I would like to test twice daily and she said they came in 50's so would do 100 per month! Getting any appointment with Diabetic nurse is proving hard though as she only works 2 half days per week and there are lot of people after her time.

Paul
 
Hi Paul

Well at least you now know and a good result with the strips for a newly diagnosed T2!

It took me a few weeks for my levels to drop down into safety even with low carb and Metformin but hopefully you should start to see overall improvements. Remember if you get any bad reactions to Metformin that last more than a few days go back and get put on the slow release (SR) version. If you are low carbing then from other peoples experiences that tends to help any of Metformins side effects. You should find Metformin may only reduce your levels by around 1 or 2 mmol/l but it is good at stopping you spiking after eating.

Good luck, let us know how you're getting on and keep asking questions if you need to
 
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