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Type 2 Who knows best?

B

Beej@76

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New here, first diagnosed 2015 with an HbA1c of 52 and given six weeks to reduce that with diet control,second result 48. Did ask about self testing but was told I didn't need it! Had my last results 12th May now back up to 54, put onto Metformin 500mg, one with breakfast then increase to two a day (?) This information given to me over the phone by the receptionist so promptly forgot what she said but I wasn't too worried as had my first appointment with DN the following week. Sooo when I asked her she said "Oh just carry on taking one a day but don't tell anyone I told you" Who knows best DN or GP
Anyway the good thing was she recommended this site, so after reading several topics ordered the SD Codefree and collected from sorting office this morning and my first readings: 6.7 before breakfast and 8.7 two hours later. Whilst I don't fully understand this yet they don't seem too bad to me. Have been cutting down on carbs and think I'm going to have look at the LCHF.
There is so much to take in so trying to limit my reading to small chunks each day and think the penny has dropped now that is for life, so huge thank you's to you all
 
Out of interest what diet advice were you given for those six weeks?
 
The only advice I remember was to switch from white bread to seeded varieties, no more baked potatoes but can eat small new ones and cut out the chocolate which was the most difficult as a self confessed chocoholic. I learnt more from my daughter who had gestational diabetes with all three pregnancies
 
The sad thing is that had your doctor recommended testing right at the beginning your HbA1c may not have jumped up from 48 to 54 and may have reduced even further. This is why testing is so important. If only the NHS would learn.

Anyway, you are where you are now and with LCHF and testing you can get this level back down again. We generally say on this forum that a rise of 2mmol/l at 2 hours is acceptable. Indeed it is acceptable if your meal contained carbs, but it isn't preferable. The flatter the better at 2 hours - ideally under 1.5mmol/l. When you are first starting to test out meals it is also important to know how long you stayed up, bearing in mind the 2 hour test is most likely not your peak - this is most likely somewhere between an hour and 90 minutes and by 2 hours you were on your way down. Conversely, you may have still been climbing upwards at 2 hours. It is all trial and error, recording the food and portion sizes and recording the levels so you can look for patterns and learn which foods/portion sizes are OK for you and which are not.

We can't really comment on your Metformin dosage and who was right about it. I suspect your GP is concerned because of your increased HbA1c. All I can say is my HbA1c on diagnosis was 53 and Metformin was never mentioned. I have been diet only ever since.
 
Sigh - take the advice you got and do almost the opposite and you might get somewhere - no bread no potatoes, but there are no added sugar and high cocoa chocolate bars in just about every supermarket, and you can have a few squares of them every day - as long as the no added sugar ones don't upset your insides as they have sugar alcohols as sweeteners.
I went from 91 to 47 at my second Hba1c test, and it wasn't at all difficult to do - I was thinking a year to get down into the 50s perhaps, but it was much faster, now, after 6 months from diagnosis I am trying to get weightloss started again and it seems I have succeeded. LCHF seems to work like a charm for me. I know it isn't magic, it just feels like it is.
 
My thoughts exactly Bluetit1802 regarding the testing. So far am able to do without the chocolate, if I get a sweet craving at the moment I'm trying sugar free jelly and now having read a little about the LCHF, adding cream to that. Mostly my snacking urges come in the evenings in front of the TV so am picking up my crochet instead of chocolate or biscuits
 
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