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Advice

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Steve H

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I have been type 2 diabetic for about 4 years. I am on metformin and my hba1c is normally very good.
I have noticed some changes recently in that I am feeling mildly symptomatic a little more often (low blood sugar I think) when I ought to be ok. This started when the weather was hot and I was very active too so I put it down to that af first but it has continued. Around the same time my appetite and attitude towards food has changed. I have very little appetite for normal food to the point of feeling nauseous but constantly crave sweet or high carb food. Anyone else experienced the same and can offer any advice?
 
Hope some of our metformin using T2s will be along shortly with some feedback for you @Steve H

I find the hot weather often reduces my appetite. I gather that metformin can reduce appetite too, so combined with the heat I can imagine that could be quite uncomfortable. Perhaps your brain is reaching out for dense sources of easy energy?
 
So - do you spot check your blood glucose at home when you feel odd ? If you do, what are the results?

The nausea, lack of appetite, craving sweet things is EXACTLY how I felt in the weeks leading up to my Type 1 diabetes diagnosis and are classic symptoms of HIGH blood glucose, not low! Hence it's ringing alarm bells in my brain because it is quite common these days for people with a type of diabetes - LADA - which initially responds perfectly well to Type 2 treatment and subsequently 'morfs' into what may as well have been Type 1 in the very first place so metformin won't even touch it - they'll need treatment as a T1 for the rest of their life - and get on far better with everything from then on.

Did they do blood tests for GAD antibodies and C-peptide before they pronounced you were T2?
 
So - do you spot check your blood glucose at home when you feel odd ? If you do, what are the results?

The nausea, lack of appetite, craving sweet things is EXACTLY how I felt in the weeks leading up to my Type 1 diabetes diagnosis and are classic symptoms of HIGH blood glucose, not low! Hence it's ringing alarm bells in my brain because it is quite common these days for people with a type of diabetes - LADA - which initially responds perfectly well to Type 2 treatment and subsequently 'morfs' into what may as well have been Type 1 in the very first place so metformin won't even touch it - they'll need treatment as a T1 for the rest of their life - and get on far better with everything from then on.

Did they do blood tests for GAD antibodies and C-peptide before they pronounced you were T2?

I don't test at home and no I didn't have any of the tests you mentioned. My hba1c was only high 50s to start with but generally high 40s now so very good really. I feel like although my average levels are very good they possibly fluctuate a lot either way.
 
Yes and it's that last sentence I'm wondering about - fluctuation. I've known another T2 chap for a good many years and he copes well with it generally but they have a large lawn at home and his BG frequently drops low at some point whilst mowing it. Because he's well aware of where his levels are (Because he has used a meter to test for years, and uses it to his advantage) and knows that a cup of tea with one spoonful of sugar in it will bring his level back up again without being OTT and it will stay there nicely until after he's completed the rest of it.

You obviously don't like how you feel at the mo - so I really would be happier if you did treat yourself to a meter and some strips and tested whenever you feel 'odd' and it should help us to suggest what you could try in order to avoid it.

Some makes the strips cost up to c. £25 for a pot of 50, but there are couple of much more reasonably priced ones, the SD Navii and the Spirit Tee 2 where the strips are around £8 for 50. I don't think you can buy either over the counter at a pharmacy, or any others as cheaply, but those two are available online.
 
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