Hey! :)

[cr1979]

Hello everyone,

I have just been diagnosed with T2 diabetes as of 2 weeks ago. Thought I’d join the forums as im really struggling with the diagnosis and what I should be doing.

Basically had all the symptoms, went to the docs because I was just feeling horrible and she told me there and then I had diabetes and sent me to the Hospital. After everything they confirmed it was type 2.

I’m really disappointed in my GP as he basically told me over the phone that I was going on meds (Metformin & Glicazide) that I need to lose some weight, that I don’t need a blood Sugar monitor and that I should look at this website for info.

I’ve been trying to navigate my way around this, but I’m so confused (google
Is not my friend right now!!!)

I have found that I have a few side effects from the meds (my dose started with 1 metafornin and 1 Glicazide) in the morning, then 2nd week 2 M and 1G and from this weekend 3M and 1G) I have found my vision has become strange and the headaches are skull Splitting. I’m freaking out as I don’t know if this is the meds or my blood sugars are low/high.

HELP!!

anyways that is the basics, if anyone can give me some tips as to what I should do, it would me amazing! 🙂

 

[Inka]

Welcome @cr1979 🙂 My tip would be to get a blood glucose monitor. That way you can see how foods affect you and that will help you choose wisely. Also, Gliclazide can cause hypos so it’s sensible to keep an eye on your levels.

A good starting place is to make a food diary of what you ate pre-diagnosis and see where you can improve things. Most Type 2s need to keep an eye on carbs - all carbs not just sugar. So if your diet was very carb-heavy before diagnosis, cutting your portions down would be a good start.

 

[Inka]

I’d check with your GP again to just make sure you can’t get a meter from them. I know some people on Gliclazide have been given meters.

If you can’t, the two meters often recommended by Type 2s here are the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Tee2 because they’re good and not too expensive to buy the strips.

 

[cr1979]

Welcome @cr1979 🙂 My tip would be to get a blood glucose monitor. That way you can see how foods affect you and that will help you choose wisely. Also, Gliclazide can cause hypos so it’s sensible to keep an eye on your levels.

A good starting place is to make a food diary of what you ate pre-diagnosis and see where you can improve things. Most Type 2s need to keep an eye on carbs - all carbs not just sugar. So if your diet was very carb-heavy before diagnosis, cutting your portions down would be a good start.

Thanks for your reply! My GP told me I didn’t need one at this stage, which I find really strange? I might just get one anyways as it’s really giving me anxiety as I don’t know what’s happening! Thanks for the Info 🙂

 

[Inka]

You’re very welcome 🙂 I’m Type 1 not Type 2 but if I was Type 2 I’d definitely test to see how I reacted to certain meals. That will help guide your diet changes.

 

[Docb]

Hi @cr1979 and welcome to the forum.

Do you know what your HbA1c test result was? If you do not then I suggest you ring your surgery and ask for it. The result of that test is what would have been used for diagnosis and tells you where you are on the diabetes scale. The fact that your GP is heading straight for metformin and gliclazide as well as recommending diet changes suggests it might be a bit high. Once you have got that, you can begin to get an understanding of the size of the hill you have to climb and that will allow you to work out the best plan to get there.

 

[Drummer]

Thanks for your reply! My GP told me I didn’t need one at this stage, which I find really strange? I might just get one anyways as it’s really giving me anxiety as I don’t know what’s happening! Thanks for the Info 🙂

Do you drive?
You should be given a meter to check that you are legal to drive.

 

[cr1979]

Hi @cr1979 and welcome to the forum.

Do you know what your HbA1c test result was? If you do not then I suggest you ring your surgery and ask for it. The result of that test is what would have been used for diagnosis and tells you where you are on the diabetes scale. The fact that your GP is heading straight for metformin and gliclazide as well as recommending diet changes suggests it might be a bit high. Once you have got that, you can begin to get an understanding of the size of the hill you have to climb and that will allow you to work out the best plan to get there.

I rang him today and he told me that on the day I was diagnosed that they where 120 if I can recall.

 

[Docb]

I rang him today and he told me that on the day I was diagnosed that they where 120 if I can recall.

Ah, then you are well up into what I call the red zone and explains why you have gone straight onto the treatment regime you have been put onto. My suggestion is that you spend a bit of time reading the forum and looking at the learning zone to get an understanding of what an HbA1c of 120 means and the options you have for reducing it. Then go back to your GP to waken him up to working with you to get it down. He should be doing more than referring you to a web site (albeit a very good web site) in my opinion.

 

[NotPink]

Thanks for your reply! My GP told me I didn’t need one at this stage, which I find really strange? I might just get one anyways as it’s really giving me anxiety as I don’t know what’s happening! Thanks for the Info 🙂

I bought a blood glucose meter as soon as I was diagnosed. It has me helped enormously to understand which foods affect me and to get to grips with diabetes 2. I only use it now if I feel the symptoms coming on or I eat something I have not tried before.
I was not told not to get one by docs. I just got one. So, good luck, buy a monitor and you can see which foods affect you and have more control over your diet and health. Good luck.

 

[Leadinglights]

I would reiterate the advice to get a blood glucose monitor, it is your decision even though your GP says it is not necessary. You should really have been prescribed a monitor and test strips as you have been put on gliclazide so you can test before driving to make sure your glucose levels are not too low which can happen.
You are most likely eating meals and foods which your body cannot tolerate and by testing before and 2 hours after meals you will be able to make some better food choices. You would be aiming at no more than a 2-3mmol/l increase and no more than 8mmol/l
Testing will allow you to tailor your meals to get within sensible limits.

 

[mage 1]

I was given a blood glucose monitor from my doctor and a prescription for strips before I even went to hospital with the hbA1c 118 the diabetic nurse at the hospital told me to check morning and night and the diabetic consultant Prescribed metformin and gliclazide and also said I need to check my bloods morning and night

 

[helli]

@cr1979 I don't think anyone has commented on the side effects you are experiencing.
The headaches maybe due to your high blood sugars (which a meter will tell you about).
The "strange" vision is common. When we have high sugars, our body tries to get rid of it through any orifice. This is why excess weeing is a common symptom. It is also why some dentists can notice more teeth problems. It also comes out through out tears.
With type 2, diabetes can creep up on us and our bodies are great at adjusting. For example, our eyes will slowly adjust to the different focal length of sugary tears compared to salty tears.
When we start to get this under control, our levels come down faster so the focal length of our tears will change quicker than it takes our eyes to adjust. Therefore, vision can be affected as we start to bring our diabetes under control.
It is not recommended to buy expensive glasses to correct this as it is temporary but some people find that cheap ready readers help.

 

[cr1979]

I bought a blood glucose meter as soon as I was diagnosed. It has me helped enormously to understand which foods affect me and to get to grips with diabetes 2. I only use it now if I feel the symptoms coming on or I eat something I have not tried before.
I was not told not to get one by docs. I just got one. So, good luck, buy a monitor and you can see which foods affect you and have more control over your diet and health. Good luck.

I’m so confused lol I just ate some porridge for breakfast as my doctor had told me to take that for breakfast and now I’m reading that T2 people shouldn’t be eating it arrrghhh. Anyways what monitor did you buy? I was looking last night and there are so many types? 🙂

 

[cr1979]

@cr1979 I don't think anyone has commented on the side effects you are experiencing.
The headaches maybe due to your high blood sugars (which a meter will tell you about).
The "strange" vision is common. When we have high sugars, our body tries to get rid of it through any orifice. This is why excess weeing is a common symptom. It is also why some dentists can notice more teeth problems. It also comes out through out tears.
With type 2, diabetes can creep up on us and our bodies are great at adjusting. For example, our eyes will slowly adjust to the different focal length of sugary tears compared to salty tears.
When we start to get this under control, our levels come down faster so the focal length of our tears will change quicker than it takes our eyes to adjust. Therefore, vision can be affected as we start to bring our diabetes under control.
It is not recommended to buy expensive glasses to correct this as it is temporary but some people find that cheap ready readers help.

Thanks for your help! 🙂

 

[Leadinglights]

I’m so confused lol I just ate some porridge for breakfast as my doctor had told me to take that for breakfast and now I’m reading that T2 people shouldn’t be eating it arrrghhh. Anyways what monitor did you buy? I was looking last night and there are so many types? 🙂

2 inexpensive monitors are the GlucoNavil or Spirit TEE2 as they also have then cheapest strips which you will use quite a lot of certainly at first when you are testing before and after meals.
Both available on line, you do not need to pay VAT.

 

[cr1979]

2 inexpensive monitors are the GlucoNavil or Spirit TEE2 as they also have then cheapest strips which you will use quite a lot of certainly at first when you are testing and after meals.
Both available on line, you do not need to pay

Fantastic! Thanks

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear you have been having a frustrating and confusing time of things @cr1979

Hopefully by comparing notes with the friendly folks here, and asking any questions you think of as they come up will help you navigate the sometimes tricky maze of diabetes information.

For a handy source of information you can refer back to, many members here recommend: Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker. It is slightly geared towards a US reader, but easy to translate and written in a clear and accessible way.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Thanks for your reply! My GP told me I didn’t need one at this stage, which I find really strange? I might just get one anyways as it’s really giving me anxiety as I don’t know what’s happening! Thanks for the Info 🙂

If you drive then you need a meter due to the hypo inducing med you are taking. So point this out to the GP 🙂

 

[Felinia]

Hi and welcome
Lots of excellent advice above. One thing that might help you understand your carb intake is to get an app which shows both calories and carbs. I use NutraCheck - in fact it was the first thing I did when diagnosed. If you are going to follow a lower carb eating plan, less than 130gm carbs a day is what is suggested. You will be surprised at how many carbs some foods have, and how quickly they can mount up during the day.
Also everyone is different - some people are very sensitive to carbs, so have a very low daily total, others can successfully eat more. I experimented and settled on around 90gm a day. That is where the monitoring comes in. Testing immediately before and 2 hours after the first bit of a meal will indicate which foods affect you more than others. For example, I can have one slice of toast from a medium sliced 400gm wholemeal loaf, but for others it is strictly a no-no. But I can't have apples. Please avoid snacking as that might have an adverse effect on the measurements.
As you initially had very high blood glucose, coming down too quickly can effect your eyesight. Also you would be advised to reduce your carbs slowly - I read on here to reduce by a third initially for a week or so, then slowly keep reducing until you reach the desired level.
Standard Metformin can have undesirable side effects, and I have read of people whose ability to work has been affected (ie running to the loo constantly for No 2), or doubled up with cramps. If that is the case, you can request a slow release version as I did. Many people find that suits their insides better. Also the Metformin should be taken in the middle of the meal - a sort of pill sandwich. I found I could only tolerate one 500mg pill, and have been put on Canaglifloxin in addition, as I did not want to take Gliclazide, and I need to drive. It sounds like you were not given any say, just dictated to. I hope you get allocated a diabetic nurse you can talk to.
Finally there is a part of the forum where people post their meals, to give you some idea. This is fairly typical for me as I'm a fairly boring eater, but others have far more adventurous suggestions. I cook from scratch, make up portions and freeze. There are low carb alternatives to potato, rice and pasta. Cauliflower is my best friend instead of potato or rice, and courgetti / boodles take the place of pasta.
Breakfast: 80 gm berries with Greek yogurt, or a poached egg with grilled mushrooms and tomatoes
Lunch: Salad with 120gm protein like chicken, tuna, egg, salmon, prawns, cottage cheese, or 300ml homemade soup made without potato, flour or other thickeners (I puree to thicken), or crudities with a dip made from cottage cheese/fromage frais flavoured with something like paprika or a dash of curry powder
Dinner: 120gm protein like baked fish, grilled chicken and lots of vegetables like cauliflower, spinach, kale, cabbage, Brussels, green beans, broccoli, swede, squash and smaller portions of root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, sweet potato
It does seem overwhelming at first but it is amazing how quickly you can adapt to a new way of eating. Best wishes