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Hello from Leeds - initial GluccoNavvi concerns

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
West Leeds Rick

West Leeds Rick

Active Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I'm a man, 48, with type 2 diabetes. I'm very excited about purchasing a GlucoNavvi with some AccuChek Fast Clix lances. I collected them this afternoon.

I turn 50 in Feb 2024 and I am determined to put my type 2 diabetes into remission by them. At least I've got the facts at my finger tips now, literally. For too long, I've seen overuse of food as a safe way of expressing emotions, speaking as a person who used to get into all sorts of trouble when I used to drink.

I've been brought up on a mantra that fresh air and exercise are non-negotiable so I'm confident that if I kick the emotional eating the exercise should see me through to put the diabetes in remission.

I'm a big lad, around 103 kg but only 5 foot 9.

My first GlucoNavvi experience has been a strange one. It was after some junk food (crisps and sweets). I recorded as H1, which certainly grabbed my attention. I then had a load of water and a sleep and then I was recorded as only 28.1 mmol/L.

I'm also having real problems getting blood from lancing, even at the deepest penetration setting of 5. That seems worrying as well.

My prescriptions are 4*500mg metformin a day, one Jardiance/empagliflozin 10mg a day plus one Atorvastatin 80mg a day after plaque was discovered in some arteries during an angiogram.

If you're curious, Leodis is an old name of Leeds and my name is a pun on Otis Redding, who sang the wonderful "Sitting on the dock of a bay".

Regards
Rick
 
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Welcome!

You’ll be met with open honesty, respect, a bit of sarcasm and a whole lot of help and advice on this forum Rick. And not all the sarcasm will come from me I promise!

(For transparency’s sake I should point out to the others that I extolled the virtues of this forum and the Gluconavvii and FastClix to Rick elsewhere🙂)

There are a number of threads about testing protocols you could follow but basically it’s test first thing in the morning; before eating; two hours after taking the first bite of a meal.

If you keep a food diary you can see if there is any particular food which causes you to spike but all knowledge is a good thing when it comes to taming your diabetes.

It’s not always going to be a smooth ride but we’re here for you Rick.
 
Sometimes I don’t draw enough blood for a test either. Just keep fluid intake high and generally I find it’s ok as long as I hit the right places on a finger.
 
Yes, Colin deserves all the credit for getting me on here and testing and hopefully changing my lifestyle for the better during the course of a long phone conversation on Monday afternoon.

I've hated not having a handle on what was going wrong with my body in the last five years, as it was pretty well-oiled machine in my younger life.

Colin and I know each other from an organisation which takes anonymity to an extreme level, which is the only reason I didn't give him his due before. I am no longer in that organisation and am feeling very demob happy about it!

Regards
Rick
 
Hi Rick, @Leodis Redding, and welcome to the forum.

It is important that you do a retest last thing this evening and again in the morning. The reason is that the HI on your meter meant that your blood glucose was too high for the meter to read. It is consistent with repeat of 28.1 mmol/L which is way above anything that would be considered normal.

So, do some more testing, last thing tonight and again first thing in the morning, washing your hands before hand to make sure that there is nothing on your hands which might be affecting the results. If the repeats are in the mid to high 20's then call your GP first thing tomorrow and get them to double check your readings and to test for ketones. If you feel at all unwell then call 111 with your readings who will almost certainly tell you to get to A&E. Blood glucose at those levels, if real, can cause unwanted short term problems. Look up DKA if you want to see what I mean.

Hopefully the repeats will be in single figures or low teens and the high readings can be put down to beginner error on the using the meter. Then you can relax, and start to work out a way forward.

How long have you been diagnosed and how did that come about. Do you know what your HbA1c was?
 
Welcome to the forum, good that you have been encouraged to join.
There are many was that people address getting their condition managed but whatever way you choose has to be enjoyable otherwise it will not be sustainable long term.
I personally found a low carb approach suited me and I don't miss any of the high carb foods that were causing the problem, well I do have some bread, home made by my otherhalf.
I followed the principals in this link as it is a regime based on REAL food. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
For example, tonight I had chilli and salad with a slice bread and baked apple and cream. for lunch homemade soup and mackerel pate with a couple of crackers, breakfast was full fat Greek yoghurt and berries with 20g of low sugar granola.
 
Hi Rick and welcome.

So pleased that Colin has dragged you along here to the forum.... hopefully not kicking and screaming too much😉.

I am sure we can help you to turn things around a bit..... Shouldn't be too difficult if you are currently getting friendly greetings from your Gluco Navii in the form of "Hi" 😱 I remembers I was in a total panic one night not long after diagnosis when I hit 27 after eating a large packet of Jacobs salt and balsamic vinegar crackers. Yum! The thought of possibly having to go to hospital and admit the reason was my gluttony, was enough to cure me of doing that again🙄. I too drank a lot of water that night to try to flush it out ..... not sure I slept much between my heart hammering (combination of panic and sugar rush) and the frequent toilet trips, but I was down to 22 the next morning. Phew!! Don't ever want to go that high again.
Generally we would advise people that readings in the 30s warrant emergency advice or A&E, especially if you don't have insulin to bring them down. It would also be wise to invest in a pot of Ketostix to test your urine for Ketones if you regularly get readings of mid teens or higher. Ketones and high BG levels can result in Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) which is where the blood becomes acidic and toxic with the ketones and can lead to organ failure, coma and even death if not treated. It is unusual for Type 2 diabetics to develop ketones, but some do and some are wrongly diagnosed. It happens when the body is unable to produce enough insulin which can occur after damage to the pancreas perhaps from illness or from alcohol or drug overuse, so being able to check for ketones when levels are mid teens or above would be a wise investment. They can be bought over the counter at most phamacies for about £5 for a pot of 50.

Anyway, now that you have seen the dizzy heights that eating rubbish can send you to, you will hopefully settle for a packet of pork scratchings (my guilty pleasure😱.... all fat and protein and no carbs :D) or a chunk of nice cheese and a small glass of red or a pot of olives with feta, instead of the high carb stuff. Doesn't have to be all sack cloth and ashes, but ease off the stuff than sends your levels into orbit and find other things that you enjoy which don't aggravate your diabetes..
 
And I thought I was your guilty pleasure @rebrascora 😉
 
ColinUK said:
And I thought I was your guilty pleasure @rebrascora 😉
Click to expand...

Oh no! No one said that I am only allowed one guilty pleasure!
Colin I am quite sure you are the whole forum's guilty pleasure but i don't mind sharing you with everyone else. XX
 
rebrascora said:
Hi Rick and welcome.

So pleased that Colin has dragged you along here to the forum.... hopefully not kicking and screaming too much😉.

I am sure we can help you to turn things around a bit..... Shouldn't be too difficult if you are currently getting friendly greetings from your Gluco Navii in the form of "Hi" 😱 I remembers I was in a total panic one night not long after diagnosis when I hit 27 after eating a large packet of Jacobs salt and balsamic vinegar crackers. Yum! The thought of possibly having to go to hospital and admit the reason was my gluttony, was enough to cure me of doing that again🙄. I too drank a lot of water that night to try to flush it out ..... not sure I slept much between my heart hammering (combination of panic and sugar rush) and the frequent toilet trips, but I was down to 22 the next morning. Phew!! Don't ever want to go that high again.
Generally we would advise people that readings in the 30s warrant emergency advice or A&E, especially if you don't have insulin to bring them down. It would also be wise to invest in a pot of Ketostix to test your urine for Ketones if you regularly get readings of mid teens or higher. Ketones and high BG levels can result in Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) which is where the blood becomes acidic and toxic with the ketones and can lead to organ failure, coma and even death if not treated. It is unusual for Type 2 diabetics to develop ketones, but some do and some are wrongly diagnosed. It happens when the body is unable to produce enough insulin which can occur after damage to the pancreas perhaps from illness or from alcohol or drug overuse, so being able to check for ketones when levels are mid teens or above would be a wise investment. They can be bought over the counter at most phamacies for about £5 for a pot of 50.

Anyway, now that you have seen the dizzy heights that eating rubbish can send you to, you will hopefully settle for a packet of pork scratchings (my guilty pleasure😱.... all fat and protein and no carbs :D) or a chunk of nice cheese and a small glass of red or a pot of olives with feta, instead of the high carb stuff. Doesn't have to be all sack cloth and ashes, but ease off the stuff than sends your levels into orbit and find other things that you enjoy which don't aggravate your diabetes..
Click to expand...
Hi Barbara

At least it's friendlier than my German language alarm clock which gives me the greeting of "DIE" on a Tuesday (Dienstag in German).

Regards
Rick
 
Welcome to the forum @Leodis Redding

Sorry to hear your levels have been reading so high.

Do consider double-checking with a healthcare professional if you get repeats at those levels, as high 20s can signal some pretty serious situations that need prompt medical attention.

If you’ve been running at high levels for a while, it can be important to make any changes to your menu and activity levels in a series of gradual steps. Lurching from high levels straight down towards your target range can put quite a lot of strain on fine blood vessels in the eyes and supplying nerve endings - which can cause some unfortunate short-term damage.

A more gradual, stepped approach is kinder on the body, and allows time for things to adjust and adapt. This is a marathon not a sprint!

Keep going and let us know how you get on. 🙂
 
That's better!

I just tested at 12.2.

This web page has brought me down to earth, however: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/Diabetes-and-Hyperglycaemia.html I didn't realise that >11 is hypoglycaemic. No wonder yesterday's junk food-affected readings were a concern here.

Interesting points made by Mike just now. I had a very low carb breakfast but I won't change my habits completely. I have some udon noodles that need eating up for lunch.

Regards
Rick
 
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Rick there’s a thread where we post morning waking figures and generally chat about stuff and get to know each other a bit better.
It’s the Group 7-day Waking thread.
It really is a general thread and it leads to lots of conversations about other things. You may find it interesting and reassuring as well so please join in.
 
Diabetes UK has some information on blood glucose monitoring here

How to check your blood sugar levels

Knowing your blood sugar levels helps you manage your diabetes and reduces your risk of having serious complications – now and in the future. On this page:
www.diabetes.org.uk www.diabetes.org.uk

(worth bearing in mind that the .co.uk site is completely unrelated to the charity Diabetes UK)

The general guidance is usually to aim for 4-7 before meals, Nd no higher than 8.5-9 by 2hrs after meals.

BUT

If you’ve been running in the high 20s then 12.2 is a good start!

Aim to bring your levels down gradually over a number of weeks, rather than crashing straight back down too quickly.

Knowing your reading before and after a meal can take the pressure off the numbers themselves. Just aim to reduce the rises so that the difference between before and after is 2-3mmol/L or less. Smaller meal rises will let your overall levels come down gently in the background. 🙂
 
Interesting, Mark.

I just tested as 7.7 2 hours after my dinner.

I haven't been testing myself before meals. In for a penny, in for a pound, so I'll start doing that.
 
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