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toni123

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I had check and my reading was 15mmol. I take 2 tabs a day .now the docs wants me to go back and see him wat will he sat?
 
Hi
Was that an Hba1c or fasting glucose?
What meds are you on?
Have you looked at your diet? They will want you to cut down refined carbs and sugars to get your blood glucose down.
 
Hi
Was that an Hba1c or fasting glucose?
What meds are you on?
Have you looked at your diet? They will want you to cut down refined carbs and sugars to get your blood glucose down.
I it was hbac1 and I take 2 metformin My diets poor.do u think I'll have to take more tabs? I'm nervous
 
@toni123 No one can know what your doctor will say or do.

Has he spoken to about your diet before? What do you mean about a poor diet? What do you eat most days?

Tagging @daisy1 for some new member information for you.
 
Hi
Have you been on any courses? The metformin will only reduce your blood sugar levels a little. You need understand what is pushing it up. If you are eating lots of bread potatoes rice pasta they all turn to sugar in your blood and push up your levels. You need to read some of the info on this forum and get your head around what you will need to do.
 
Well - yes - but it isn't also a forum for the psychically gifted.

However, I don't need a crystal ball to be able to assure you that eating a poor diet isn't a good idea for anyone, and if it is a diet specifically bad for a diabetic, with lots of sugars and starches, then all the tablets available aren't going to be much help to you.

Not knowing what you are eating puts everyone in the dark - many Type 2s know that eating low carb is a great help in getting a low Hba1c level, and well controlled BG readings, so we can help - but not if we don't know what you are doing.
What your doctor will say is not possible to forecast.
 
There are some NICE guideline for treating type 2s but not all doctors follow it. Also every one is different and many have other health conditions as well which will have to be considered by your doctor. What are you nervous about?
 
Read the info @daisy1 will send you. Then read the info about consequences of diabetes. It is important to get your head around that first. Once you understand that you will see why you need to get your levels down.
 
I understand about food etc but I'm poor and I cannot request certain items wen I go to the food bank and food i do buy i have to buy for two to last a week
 
Hi @toni123 welcome to the forum. When you go to the food bank mention that you have diabetes and that you can only eat low-carb food. They should be able to give you tins of meat and fish. I'm sure that they will try to help. Good luck!
 
Eggs are good, any meat, green veg, cauliflower.
Fish such as tinned tuna. I know it can be hard on a budget because carbs are cheap.
Ask if you can have brown rice if they have it. If you have a Lidl near you they do a high protein roll that is low in carbs in the bakery bit. They are only 29p but very filling. About 280 calories. Add cheese or meat and you have a meal.
 
@toni123

Hello Toni and welcome to the Forum :) Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 147,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all free.
  • Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why :)
  • Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
 
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