Anxiety + perimenopause + type 2 diagnosis has me freaking out

J

Jennybean

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Type 2
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Hi all. I have struggled for years with my mental health and for the last 18 mths or so have gotten to the point where my 21yr old son looks after me, he does all of the cooking - i will help on a good day, and on the very rare occasion that i am brave enough to leave the house, i need him to accompany me. We eat a very high carb diet, thanks to my Italian grandmother pasta is life! Along with rice, potatoes and bread, I only eat white meat and as far as cooked veg is concerned i will enjoy broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, sweetcorn, mushrooms but thats about it. I enjoy lots of salad though. I love all fruit.

My diagnosis on 22/10/24 has come out of nowhere, the only reason they did the HbA1c was as part of my first annual review. Results were 56 on both tests - when the nurse said that it had to be >48 to be confirmed i was panicked that mine was through the roof, after reading some of these posts i now realise that is nothing to be worried about.
I've got to wait 2 weeks before my first chat with the nurse, so i guess I'm wondering what should i do to prepare for that? I'll be taking my son with me. I've started to keep a food diary and have switched my bread and pasta for wholemeal. I can't stand brown rice though.
I also do not get thirsty, i have to force myself to drink sips of water throughout the day and have 1 cup of tea, but that was just to dunk biscuits in so i probably won't bother now. It's a very good day if I've drank 2 glasses so i definitely don't tick the excessive thirst box.

I am morbidly obese at 112kg and only 5'2. So i know that losing weight will help dramatically. In the week that I've been tracking my food my daily calories sit between 1200 - 1800, am i right in thinking it's not about calorie intake and more about sugar and carbs though? There's so much to try and take in.
They put my weight gain, night sweats and very erratic periods (sorry fellas) down to being perimenopausal at age 41 So i have been on HRT for the last year which isn't working. Just got back from my review and they are switching it up. I'm wondering whether it is affected by the diabetes, or vice versa? I'll look through the forum. Nurse just said "it's all hormonal!"

I take beta blockers (Propanalol) for my panic attacks. They come out of nowhere, i will be talking to someone normally and then my vision blurs, go very light headed, and have to lie down on the ground for anything up to 20 mins until i am able to sit upright. Is there any chance that could actually be blood sugar related and not my anxiety? I know you are not medical professionals. Just wondering if anyone has experienced the same. I've never had my levels tested.

Anyway, sorry for harping on, just wanted to say hi before i do a deep dive of everything on here!
 
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Hi @Jennybean and a very warm welcome to the forum, your HbA1c results are not that bad, but to be honest could be a lot better but very achievable.

Given what you've said and you have been very honest, I would look at 3 areas as a starting point.

1) Weight
2) Diet
3) Exercise

Our bodies are all different, so what works for one may not work for another.

This forum has a vast amount of combined experience and will offer help and support as and when you need it, so please ask as many questions as you wish.

Just losing a few lbs, a slight change in diet combined with exercise can give amazing results

Alan 😉
 
I know panic attacks can be a symptom of the menopause and by extension could be perimenopausal as well.
Regarding bread, pasta and rice, there are the same amount of carbs in both brown and white, but unless you are testing yourself, you won't know if this affects you. I know for a fact that white bread will spike me whereas brown bread doesn't despite the science!
If you could manage a reduction in your carb intake, that would be very beneficial and help you to lose weight as well. Once you get used to reducing them, it's easy to continue and thus maintain a low-carb diet. It's great that you like leafy greens because they are good for diabetics in general. For fruit, go for berries as a preference as these are the lowest in carbs, but best avoid bananas and exotic fruit for a while.
I'm sure there will be others along soon with more information x
 
Hi @Jennybean I had awful anxiety with the perimenopause. It was horrible and so unlike me. However, in my case HRT sorted it very quickly and I soon felt myself again. Different brands/types of HRT suit different people so don’t be put off by the fact your combo hasn’t helped yet. A change might well help.

For panic attacks, breathing into a brown paper bag can help if that’s appropriate, as can learning breathing techniques to stop the hyperventilation that causes some of the horrible symptoms.

As your weight is quite high, have you considered whether the NHS soups and shakes diet would suit you? Does your GP offer any support? Your BMI is 45+ so there might be extra help for you if you ask.
 
Hello @Jennybean.
Well the good news is that the brown carbs are just as much carbs as the white ones - so you don't have to swap to them - but they are still to be counted, I'm afraid. Oh - and sweetcorn is a grain.
Any meat, fish. eggs or cheese should be low carb, full fat dairy is fine, low carb fruits and above ground veges, herbs and spices all help to ad variety of flavour and texture.
Low carb can help a lot with hormonal imbalance - on a low carb forum am on there are young women with PCOS who come on there with thoughts of getting pregnant in a few years - and then a couple of months after they are all in a fluster when they realise that they are expecting. My sister came for an extended holiday, complained about the food all the time, and then fell pregnant. They were only weeks away from starting IVF treatment.
 
Inka said:
Hi @Jennybean I had awful anxiety with the perimenopause. It was horrible and so unlike me. However, in my case HRT sorted it very quickly and I soon felt myself again. Different brands/types of HRT suit different people so don’t be put off by the fact your combo hasn’t helped yet. A change might well help.

For panic attacks, breathing into a brown paper bag can help if that’s appropriate, as can learning breathing techniques to stop the hyperventilation that causes some of the horrible symptoms.

As your weight is quite high, have you considered whether the NHS soups and shakes diet would suit you? Does your GP offer any support? Your BMI is 45+ so there might be extra help for you if you ask.
Click to expand...
GP has only said that i need to eat less and exercise. For someone my size i don't actually eat that much, but since being signed off long term as unfit to work due to my mental health, i became less and less active to the point of being sedentary.
My social anxiety had stopped me from even stepping outside my door for up to 4 months at a time. Working with my new MH specialist on exposure therapy i am now able to do a 30 minute walk almost every other day, as long as i go before 7am i barely run into anyone. I'm in so much pain when i get home that i can't even manage the stairs and the next day i am stiff all over. I know i have really ruined my body, my mind just didn't care because i had no will to live. I'm slowly crawling my way out of that headspace, but if this fight becomes too difficult for me i am worried that i will just give up again.
I have done slimming world in the past and lost several stone, but it slowly creeps back on if i stop going.
I've not heard of the soups and shakes diet, i will look at that now thanks x
 
It’s great you’re now able to do a 30 min walk @Jennybean 🙂 I find walking helps me emotionally as well as physically. Would you also be able to do some exercise in the house? I’m not talking about a major gym routine, just short periods of exercise during the day, eg walking on the spot, stepping using a step, etc.
 
Drummer said:
Hello @Jennybean.
Well the good news is that the brown carbs are just as much carbs as the white ones - so you don't have to swap to them - but they are still to be counted, I'm afraid. Oh - and sweetcorn is a grain.
Any meat, fish. eggs or cheese should be low carb, full fat dairy is fine, low carb fruits and above ground veges, herbs and spices all help to ad variety of flavour and texture.
Low carb can help a lot with hormonal imbalance - on a low carb forum am on there are young women with PCOS who come on there with thoughts of getting pregnant in a few years - and then a couple of months after they are all in a fluster when they realise that they are expecting. My sister came for an extended holiday, complained about the food all the time, and then fell pregnant. They were only weeks away from starting IVF treatment.
Click to expand...
Thank you Drummer.
That's so good to know that white and brown carbs are the same because my son refuses to eat the brown so i have been getting both of everything which has been more costly.
I was tested for PCOS last year because of ongoing issues so I'm suprised that eating low carb wasn't even raised as a suggestion at the time because they obviously saw the state of me.
Congrats on your sisters pregnancy, IVF can be a costly and heartbreaking path so it's great that she was able to conceive naturally x
 
Inka said:
It’s great you’re now able to do a 30 min walk @Jennybean 🙂 I find walking helps me emotionally as well as physically. Would you also be able to do some exercise in the house? I’m not talking about a major gym routine, just short periods of exercise during the day, eg walking on the spot, stepping using a step, etc.
Click to expand...
Yes, i used to do step aerobics many moons ago and that was really effective so i will definitely give it a go on my good days. It doesn't take much to get my heart pumping now x
 
Vonny said:
I know panic attacks can be a symptom of the menopause and by extension could be perimenopausal as well.
Regarding bread, pasta and rice, there are the same amount of carbs in both brown and white, but unless you are testing yourself, you won't know if this affects you. I know for a fact that white bread will spike me whereas brown bread doesn't despite the science!
If you could manage a reduction in your carb intake, that would be very beneficial and help you to lose weight as well. Once you get used to reducing them, it's easy to continue and thus maintain a low-carb diet. It's great that you like leafy greens because they are good for diabetics in general. For fruit, go for berries as a preference as these are the lowest in carbs, but best avoid bananas and exotic fruit for a while.
I'm sure there will be others along soon with more information x
Click to expand...
Thank you Vonny.
I think portion size is going to be the key for me with carbs. When I've lost weight before it was through Slimming World so i could eat as much rice, pasta and potatoes as i wanted because they were classed as "free foods." I don't think I've ever looked at counting carbs so it's going to be a learning curve for sure.
Are there any apps that you would recommend that would make this easier? Ideally something with pictures of portions so we wont have to weigh everything, i think my son will lose patience with that.
It's a shame about bananas because i use them to sweeten my shredded wheat and porridge instead of using sugar or honey. I could use strawberries with cold cereal but not with hot, that seems weird to me (it might be a sensory thing!)
 
People have already chipped in with lots of suggestions but there are many of the foods you are mentioning which are really foods that many who are Type 2 will be avoiding, potatoes, rice, pasta, breakfast cereals and fruit like bananas.
The book or app Carbs and Cals is useful as it does give portion sizes and carb values.
You may also find this link helpful as it may give you some ideas for meals which are based on the suggested no more than 130g carbs not just sugar per day. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
 
Jennybean said:
Are there any apps that you would recommend that would make this easier? Ideally something with pictures of portions so we wont have to weigh everything, i think my son will lose patience with that.
Click to expand...
If your son can bear with weighing for a while, you soon get the hang of what weighs what. There is a handy pocket book called Carbs and Cals book which he might find useful. I've just googled it and it appears there is an app: https://carbsandcals.com/product/app/
I've never used the latter but used the book quite regularly in the early days.
BTW, can I just say that your son is awesome! My son is 30 and the idea he could cook me anything edible is laughable. He's moving out into his own place soon and hope he can keep body and soul together!
 
Just on the hormones side have you had any scans (ultrasound or hysterescopy) as it’s easy to just say ‘hormones’ when it could be endo, cysts or other things causing it. They can also impact weight.
 
Welcome to the forum @Jennybean

Glad you have found us!

Great that cauliflower is on your list of likes - several people on the forum have great success using cauli as a substitute for rice, or mashed instead of potato. Covered in toasty cheese it can be really satisfying and filling on its own, and has almost no carbs in it at all.

Hope you can find a version of HRT that works for you.

And happy browsing. Keep asking questions as they crop up 🙂
 
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