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Newly diagnosed type 2

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Pedro lapacas

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hello,
I was diagnosed over the weekend.
Bit of a shock but at least I’ve got some idea why I’ve not been feeling good and lost a lot of weight.
What’s the best thing to start with if I’m to do this right.
All information is welcome
 
Welcome to the forum. There is a bit of a red flag when you say you have lost a lot of weight especially if this is without trying as that can indicate you may be Type 1 or LADA not Type 2 in which case the treatment is rather different.
I suggest you read up about the different types, info in the Learning Zone on the orange tab at the top to see if you recognise how your symptoms fit.
There are tests which can distinguish Type 1 which you should ask for.
Meantime a bit more information about your diagnosis would help people to make suggestions. How did your diagnosis come about, what is your HbA1C, have you been prescribed any medication or given any dietary advise
All that will enable people to make appropriate comments.

I had to slap myself on the wrist as a poster didn't say they were on insulin and of course the suggestions I made were not applicable, that is why I am asking.
 
Leadinglights said:
Welcome to the forum. There is a bit of a red flag when you say you have lost a lot of weight especially if this is without trying as that can indicate you may be Type 1 or LADA not Type 2 in which case the treatment is rather different.
I suggest you read up about the different types, info in the Learning Zone on the orange tab at the top to see if you recognise how your symptoms fit.
There are tests which can distinguish Type 1 which you should ask for.
Meantime a bit more information about your diagnosis would help people to make suggestions. How did your diagnosis come about, what is your HbA1C, have you been prescribed any medication or given any dietary advise
All that will enable people to make appropriate comments.

I had to slap myself on the wrist as a poster didn't say they were on insulin and of course the suggestions I made were not applicable, that is why I am asking.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply.
I’m off to the doc now to find out what is happening.
I’ll let you know.
 
Hey Pedro, welcome to the forum! We know that getting diagnosed with diabetes can be confusing and scary, but we have lots of resources and advice available to help you make sense of what it means.
Hopefully your doctor has given you more information, but either way we have simple guides to the different sorts of diabetes and how they typically present on our website.
In terms of management, that varies depending on what type of diabetes you have and what your medical team recommends. Please do let us know what they say and keep asking questions!
 
Hi and welcome from me too.

Can you tell us a bit more about how your diagnosis came about and your HbA1c result if you know it? This is the blood test used to diagnose diabetes and monitor how effective the management of it is. It will usually be a number in excess of 47 but can be into 3 figures if things have gone badly astray and I am guessing that yours is likely pretty high.
How long have you had symptoms, what were they and did they come on suddenly or has it been a slow progression? For instance I went out for a meal one night and just as I was leaving the pub, I got a really bad thirst. I got home and downed a glass of water and was still thirsty. I had another glass half an hour later and of course, the trips to the toilet resulted. I was drinking and weeing all day and night and over the next few days and I have never known a thirst like it!

As @Leadinglights mentions, unintended weight loss at diagnosis is more associated with Type 1 than Type 2 diabetes but unfortunately many GP's don't know much about Type 1 and often assume that if someone is not a child or young adult, then they must have Type 2. Many of us here on the forum were diagnosed later in life and were subject to this misunderstanding and initially assumed to be Type 2. There are tests that can be done to look for/confirm Type 1 but they are not always totally conclusive and ideally need to be authorized and the results assessed by an experienced consultant at a diabetes clinic rather than a GP.

Let us know how you got on at the doctors today, if you managed to get an appointment and if they have started you on any medication.... and if so, what?
 
Welcome to the forum @Pedro lapacas

Hope you can get a confirmation of the type of diabetes you have developed. It’s not all that uncommon for adults to be reclassified, especially of they don’t fit simply into the standard boxes. Diabetes can be a tricksy customer, and even after lots of investigation, some forum members seem to fit in between the hard and fast ’types’.

How long have you been feeling off colour? Has it built up over several years, or did it come on over a few weeks or months?

Were you carrying much extra weight beforehand?

Do you have anyone in your close family with diabetes of any type?
 
Leadinglights said:
Welcome to the forum. There is a bit of a red flag when you say you have lost a lot of weight especially if this is without trying as that can indicate you may be Type 1 or LADA not Type 2 in which case the treatment is rather different.
I suggest you read up about the different types, info in the Learning Zone on the orange tab at the top to see if you recognise how your symptoms fit.
There are tests which can distinguish Type 1 which you should ask for.
Meantime a bit more information about your diagnosis would help people to make suggestions. How did your diagnosis come about, what is your HbA1C, have you been prescribed any medication or given any dietary advise
All that will enable people to make appropriate comments.

I had to slap myself on the wrist as a poster didn't say they were on insulin and of course the suggestions I made were not applicable, that is why I am asking.
Click to expand...
rebrascora said:
Hi and welcome from me too.

Can you tell us a bit more about how your diagnosis came about and your HbA1c result if you know it? This is the blood test used to diagnose diabetes and monitor how effective the management of it is. It will usually be a number in excess of 47 but can be into 3 figures if things have gone badly astray and I am guessing that yours is likely pretty high.
How long have you had symptoms, what were they and did they come on suddenly or has it been a slow progression? For instance I went out for a meal one night and just as I was leaving the pub, I got a really bad thirst. I got home and downed a glass of water and was still thirsty. I had another glass half an hour later and of course, the trips to the toilet resulted. I was drinking and weeing all day and night and over the next few days and I have never known a thirst like it!

As @Leadinglights mentions, unintended weight loss at diagnosis is more associated with Type 1 than Type 2 diabetes but unfortunately many GP's don't know much about Type 1 and often assume that if someone is not a child or young adult, then they must have Type 2. Many of us here on the forum were diagnosed later in life and were subject to this misunderstanding and initially assumed to be Type 2. There are tests that can be done to look for/confirm Type 1 but they are not always totally conclusive and ideally need to be authorized and the results assessed by an experienced consultant at a diabetes clinic rather than a GP.

Let us know how you got on at the doctors today, if you managed to get an appointment and if they have started you on any medication.... and if so, what?
Click to expand...
Hello
I had some blood tests earlier last week after I had had a bad chest infection 2 weeks previously as I have COPD.
I got txt from my surgery late Friday evening saying that the test showed my blood sugar was seriously high and could I go to A+E.
I went to my local hospital in Eastbourne on Saturday.
I was put on a saline drip for 3 hours, I had some insulin and half a pill of metformin I think not sure.
 
Pedro lapacas said:
Hello
I had some blood tests earlier last week after I had had a bad chest infection 2 weeks previously as I have COPD.
I got txt from my surgery late Friday evening saying that the test showed my blood sugar was seriously high and could I go to A+E.
I went to my local hospital in Eastbourne on Saturday.
I was put on a saline drip for 3 hours, I had some insulin and half a pill of metformin I think not sure.
Click to expand...
BTW I’m 56 and no family history of diabetes.
 
Pedro lapacas said:
Hello
I had some blood tests earlier last week after I had had a bad chest infection 2 weeks previously as I have COPD.
I got txt from my surgery late Friday evening saying that the test showed my blood sugar was seriously high and could I go to A+E.
I went to my local hospital in Eastbourne on Saturday.
I was put on a saline drip for 3 hours, I had some insulin and half a pill of metformin I think not sure.
Click to expand...
Where does that leave you with ongoing treatment, I think you need more information about whether the test was actually an Hba1C, blood glucose can be elevated as a result of infection.
Do you happen to take steroids for your COPD as steroids are well known for causing high blood glucose and some people do have steroid induced diabetes.
Are you still having insulin or other medication. You sound as if you have been left in the lurch.
 
My surgery rang me and I talked to a random doctor who explained that I would receive a call about my ongoing treatment.
I’m on metaformin 500 mg.
 
Pedro lapacas said:
My surgery rang me and I talked to a random doctor who explained that I would receive a call about my ongoing treatment.
I’m on metaformin 500 mg.
Click to expand...
The metformin will probably make no immediate difference as it is quite a low dose which is what people are normally started on and takes some time to build up in your system but even so it's effect is minimal and reducing carbohydrates is also important.
Have you been given any way of testing your blood glucose level or testing for ketones as if both those are high would need immediate medical attention.
Did they suggest any dietary changes.
 
Leadinglights said:
The metformin will probably make no immediate difference as it is quite a low dose which is what people are normally started on and takes some time to build up in your system but even so it's effect is minimal and reducing carbohydrates is also important.
Have you been given any way of testing your blood glucose level or testing for ketones as if both those are high would need immediate medical attention.
Did they suggest any dietary changes.
Click to expand...
No,
I’m waiting for a call on that.
 
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