Who do I turn to?

Albion · Aug 12, 2011

Recently diagnosed Type 2 and I don't have a clue what is going on
Recieved diagnosis via telephone call from GP on July 8th and was told to pick up a prescription for Metformin, didn't get to see diabetic nurse until 10th Aug, got a chat about trying carb counting but no information on anything as she had ran out of literature....recent run of new diabetics so had used everything up.
Decision was made to change medication to Gluophage due to nausea etc, given an appointment for 30th Sept and left to it

Bought myself a monitor and morning levels are between 9-11.4, several times i have recieved a HI warning on monitor (freestyle freedom lite) on reading leaflet this indicates levels above 27. i have constant headache, tired, blurred vision, thirsty still ! would like some advice as to what is happening as I can't go on feeling like this
Bought the carbs and calories book and have been watching my diet and have already lost 5lbs in a week, though I was only 9stone 7lb with a bmi of 23 i was advised to lose at least a stone

wiflib · Aug 12, 2011

Hi Albion and a big welcome to you.

I sympathise with your situation, it must be very scary. If you test and get a 'HI' on your monitor again, take yourself immediately to A&E. Because you are so newly diagnosed and left in the dark by your health care team, the staff there will be able to help you more. A reading of 'HI' is potentially very dangerous and as you may not understand the in's and out's of it all, you would be best to seek immediate help.

wiflib

RussG · Aug 12, 2011

Hi Albion,

Welcome to the forum. Diagnosis is pretty much always a bewildering time, as there's so much information to try to absorb. It's important to try to stay calm and not panic, as hard as that may be. I've posted the basic advice that we usually give to all new diabetics below but will also answer a couple of specific points. Nobody here is a medical professional and thus can only give general advice - if you're not sure about anything please do seek some medical advice.

Without wishing to worry you though, the first thing I would say is keep an eye on your levels and your weight. A 'HI' reading is a concern, and you seem to be losing weight rapidly; I would go back to your doctor soon, or as wflib says go to A&E if you get another HI reading. Whilst not very common, it is not unheard of for people to be misdiagnosed as type 2 when really they are slow onset type 1. 5lb is a lot to lose in a single week when your BMI is only 23, so I would want to watch this carefully.

Was your HI reading very recent? Have you had lower readings since?

here are my other comments.

Glucophage is metformin by another name - I assume you are now on glucophage SR, which is a slow release version that is easier on the stomach for some people.

Broadly the best thing to do is to watch your diet but don't go overboard at this point. If you can cut out added sugars and reduce your carbohydrate intake, that will help reduce your levels. Met / glucophage will take a little while to kick in, and usually only reduces your blood glucose levels by 1-2 mmol. Exercise will also help, although the advice is to exercise when your levels are between 7 and 13, but it's a lifestyle change that really is needed.

Things will take a little while to calm down blood glucose level-wise, so don't panic. High blood sugar levels cause the symptoms you have such as blurred vision, tiredness and thirst etc. These will go away as you start to get control.

Here is the advice that Ken and I, as Forum Monitors, usually give to newly diagnosed Diabetics. We hope that these few ideas gained through experience help you to gain control and give you some understanding of Diabetes. This forum doesn't always follow the recommended dietary advice, you have to work out what works for you as we are all different.

It's not just 'sugars' you need to avoid, diabetes is an inability to process glucose properly. Carbohydrate converts, in the body, to glucose. So it makes sense to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat which includes sugars.

For more information on CARBOHYDRATE see here:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20306

This is NOT a low carb diet suggestion, just a reduction in your intake of carbohydrate. You have to decide yourself how much of a reduction will keep your blood glucose levels in control.

The main carbs to avoid OR reduce are the complex or starchy carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, starchy root veg and also any flour based products. The starchy carbs all convert 100% to glucose in the body and raise the blood sugar levels significantly.

If you are on Insulin you may find that reducing the carb intake also means that you can reduce your dose of insulin. This can help you to keep weight gain down as Insulin tends to make you put on weight and eventually cause insulin resistance. This should be done slowly so as not to cause hypos.

The way to find out how different foods affect you is to do regular daily testing and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks. If you test just before eating, then two hours after eating, you will see the effect of certain foods on your blood glucose levels. Some foods, which are slow acting carbohydrates, are absorbed more slowly so you may need to test three or even four hours later to see the effect that these have on your blood glucose levels.

Buy yourself a carb counter book (you can get these on-line) and you will be able to work out how much carbs you are eating, when you test, the reading two hours after should be roughly the same as the before eating reading, if it is then that meal was fine, if it isn’t then you need to check what you have eaten and think about reducing the portion size of carbs.

When you are buying products check the total carbohydrate content, this includes the sugar content. Do not just go by the amount of sugar on the packaging as this is misleading to a diabetic.

As for a tester, try asking the nurse/doctor and explain that you want to be proactive in managing your own diabetes and therefore need to test so that you can see just how foods affect your blood sugar levels. Hopefully this will work ! Sometimes they are not keen to give Type 2’s the strips on prescription, (in the UK) but you can but try!!

For TIPS FOR STRIPS see here:

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=19002#p173253

If you are an Insulin user in theory you should have no problem getting test strips.

The latest 2011 NICE guidelines for Bg levels are as follows:
Fasting (waking and before meals).......between 4 - 7 mmol/l...(Type 1 & 2)
2 hrs after meals........................no more than 8.5 mmol/l.....( Type 2)

2hrs after meals......................... no more than 9 mmol/l ......(Type 1)

If you are able to keep the post meal numbers lower, so much the better.

It also helps if you can do at least 30 minutes moderate exercise a day, it can be split into 10 min sessions to start with. It doesn't have to be strenuous.

The above is just general advice and it is recommended that you discuss with your HCP before making any changes. You can also ask questions on the forum on anything that is not clear.

Finally a few QUESTIONS TO ASK AT DIABETES CLINIC.

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=17091

Sue/Ken.

Who do I turn to?

Albion

Newbie

wiflib

Well-Known Member

RussG

Well-Known Member

Who do I turn to?

Albion

Newbie

wiflib

Well-Known Member

RussG

Well-Known Member

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency