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Hi all, new to the forum. GP wants me on metformin has given me 3 months to lose done weight and change lifestyle. I'm 3 weeks in. Losing weight but still getting spikes in my blood. Average is falling tho. Anyone else have same and please motivate me it's really hard!!!
Hi all, new to the forum. GP wants me on metformin has given me 3 months to lose done weight and change lifestyle. I'm 3 weeks in. Losing weight but still getting spikes in my blood. Average is falling tho. Anyone else have same and please motivate me it's really hard!!!
Welcome to the forum.
Many are able to reduce blood glucose by adopting a low carb diet, if your average is falling that is good but a bit more information about how and when you are testing and relating that to what you are eating will be useful to know to be able to make any comment. What are you meaning by spikes, everybody's blood glucose goes up and down throughout the day in response to food and exercise, etc.
What is your HbA1C and what are typical blood glucose reading you are getting. You are only 3 weeks into this so don't be too impatient also it is better to bring blood glucose down slowly as that is less likely to give you issues with your eyes and nerves.
Hi all, new to the forum. GP wants me on metformin has given me 3 months to lose done weight and change lifestyle. I'm 3 weeks in. Losing weight but still getting spikes in my blood. Average is falling tho. Anyone else have same and please motivate me it's really hard!!!
Your GP, surely should be more concerned about your diet and blood glucose - but I really don't understand the way HCPs deal with diabetes and associated problems.
By eating no more than 50gm of carbs a day I was able to reduce my HbA1c from 91 to 47 in 80 days. Psychologically that was a great boost as it meant I was no longer in the diabetes range. I knew that 50gm a day was good for me having done Atkins before, but if your diet was really high in carbs a more cautious approach could be advisable.
I used the two hour tests to gauge progress. Once I got under 8mmol/l then I stuck with the same meals and saw the numbers drifting down. At 6 months I got HbA1c of 41 and that was, again a really significant number to have reached.
I lost weight and became more active as a result of the lower glucose levels, not the other way round I am sure, but I don't argue the point with GP or nurses - taking the advice of Sin Tzu, I chose my battleground.
Hi all, new to the forum. GP wants me on metformin has given me 3 months to lose done weight and change lifestyle. I'm 3 weeks in. Losing weight but still getting spikes in my blood. Average is falling tho. Anyone else have same and please motivate me it's really hard!!!
I was diagnosed at the end of October. At that time I was eating way too much fast food, pizzas with extra cheese, Chinese and Indian food delivered once or twice a week, loads of butter on my morning toast and on my potatoes with dinner, cheese in every sandwich, very big helpings of pasta and rice with dinner, snacking on pringles and cashews regularly, and I was drinking too much alcohol. I went to the doctor about a minor ear problem and within 2 weeks I was diagnosed with sky high blood pressure and cholesterol, and with Type 2 diabetes. Putting my data into a magic calculator the doctor told in an ominous tone of voice that I had a 56% chance of having a heart attack or stroke within the next 10 years.
It was a huge wake up call. I resolved to do everything I could to improve my lot and undo as much of the harm I had done to myself as I possibly could. I approached it like a job. I hate getting up for work in the morning most days, but it has to be done. Losing weight just had to be done, and I was going to work at it as if I was being paid to do it and desperately needed the money.
As of this morning I've lost 12.1 kilos (26.7 lbs) since diagnosis. The belt I'm wearing feels slightly loose, and soon I'll have to punch a new hole in it or buy a new belt. Every time I look in the mirror I feel a sense of achievement, amazed frankly at how much weight I've lost. I haven't had a drink since New Years Eve. Don't get me wrong, it's been hard, especially in the beginning. Feeling hungry is no fun at all. There have been a couple of times when I couldn't get to sleep because I felt hollow and resorted to scoffing a couple of low fat yogurts so I could get to sleep. It has gotten easier though, and I've even come to feel a little pleased, in a way, when I feel very hungry coming up to dinner time. When I feel that hunger I know that today is another day when I'm going to lose a little bit of weight.
If I can do it, a sedentary junk food addict and borderline alcoholic, then you can too. If you slip up, don't worry about it, just get back to the job at hand. You can do it Fran! Keep fighting the good fight! 😉
By the way the thread linked below has loads of good weight loss tips in it, and my own method is in a post at the end of the thread. Best of luck!
I've found one way to stave off hunger, or prevent myself from overeating, is sparkling water (perhaps it's the gas!). I now keep a bottle in the fridge. I also drink lots of plain water.
Well done to all successfully losing weight.
I've found one way to stave off hunger, or prevent myself from overeating, is sparkling water (perhaps it's the gas!). I now keep a bottle in the fridge. I also drink lots of plain water.
Well done to all successfully losing weight.
I went from an HbA1c 88 to 39 in about four months with a lower carb diet - I restricted myself to around 75/100 g per day. I was on metformin as well, but came off them after my levels had dropped. Don't forget it is lifestyle and not just diet. If you can exercise, that will also have an effect. I started walking a lot, and it definitely contributed to my drop.
I congratulate you on having an actual conversation with your GP. All I got was a phone call to tell me I was diabetic, cut down on sugars, take metformin and come to this site and learn what to do - 5 minutes max!
Hi Kopiert the NHS tried that on me too... I had that phone call so booked a doctors appointment. They said exactly same to me BTW. So I bought a Libra2 continuous monitor (not on doctors advice) and am now walking and moving more. I am eating no grain carbs but just lots of cooked veg a little cheese small amount of chicken and done fish. So my average is now 40. And I am not overweight.. I weigh 66 kg. My only problem is that when I eat anything at all my blood sugar spikes. Is that what happens to most type 2 diabetics? Will metformin lower my average and my spikes? Spikes are going up to 11 or 12. I also didn't know you can start metformin then come off....
Ps thank you for writing back. The GP said go away for 12 weeks and we can see if you can alter your levels. I do however have symptoms... Feet get cold, wounds take ages to heal.
Hi Kopiert the NHS tried that on me too... I had that phone call so booked a doctors appointment. They said exactly same to me BTW. So I bought a Libra2 continuous monitor (not on doctors advice) and am now walking and moving more. I am eating no grain carbs but just lots of cooked veg a little cheese small amount of chicken and done fish. So my average is now 40. And I am not overweight.. I weigh 66 kg. My only problem is that when I eat anything at all my blood sugar spikes. Is that what happens to most type 2 diabetics? Will metformin lower my average and my spikes? Spikes are going up to 11 or 12. I also didn't know you can start metformin then come off....
Well I have a meal sometimes that consists of onion, fennel, orange & salmon, and it only causes a small rise of blood sugar - probably between 10-20g of carbs. Might go up into the sixes after an hour, then back to the 5s in two hours. I sometimes have some fruit afterwards as well.
It doesn't take a lot carbs to raise blood sugar - there's only a teaspoon in the blood at normal levels, and 10g of carbs can raise it by around 2-3. People with T2 diabetes generally have a very slow response to rising blood sugar so it goes up higher than it should and takes longer to come down.
As for Metformin, I believe its main effect is to help lower fasting glucose, with a smaller effect on post-meal glucose, but research has shown that Metformin + post meal exercise can improve levels hence why it's advised to use Metformin with a 'lifestyle change'. I've also read research that shows it also makes a difference with non-obese T2s as well.
Hi Kopiert the NHS tried that on me too... I had that phone call so booked a doctors appointment. They said exactly same to me BTW. So I bought a Libra2 continuous monitor (not on doctors advice) and am now walking and moving more. I am eating no grain carbs but just lots of cooked veg a little cheese small amount of chicken and done fish. So my average is now 40. And I am not overweight.. I weigh 66 kg. My only problem is that when I eat anything at all my blood sugar spikes. Is that what happens to most type 2 diabetics? Will metformin lower my average and my spikes? Spikes are going up to 11 or 12. I also didn't know you can start metformin then come off....
At what time point is is going up to 11 or 12 and what was your premeal reading, pairs of reading are much more useful is seeing the effect of meals.
If you make a food diary and try to estimate the amount of carbs in your meals, snacks, drinks you may be able to identify any particular foods which are making your 2 hour post meal readings more than 3mmol/l more than before or more than 8.5mmol/l
Metformin works primarily by inhibiting glucose secretion into the bloodstream from the liver. The liver usually secretes glucose when it 'detects' that levels of insulin in the bloodstream are low. *Correction - the liver secretes glucose in response to glucagon, a hormone secreted by the pancreas. The pancreas does all the blood glucose detection*. The insulin in the blood is secreted by the pancreas when it 'detects' that there is lots of glucose in the blood, such as immediately after eating carbohydrates. As such, the liver should only secrete much glucose when a person hasn't eaten for a while. This system, in a healthy person, ensures that the body has a constant, sufficient supply of glucose when you're not eating, such as when you're asleep. In a typical Type 2 diabetic however the liver is thought to be 'insulin resistant' - i.e. it is no longer able to respond to blood insulin levels properly. As a result it pumps out glucose much more than it would in a healthy person. Metformin puts the brakes on glucose output from the liver, and as a result should bring down baseline blood glucose levels a bit throughout the day. It is also thought to enable insulin to work a little more effectively in some way, though I have not learned how that works yet.
Metformin is typically the first medication prescribed for Type 2 because it is regarded as a safe medication that is generally well tolerated. While a considerable number of people experience some side effects in the beginning, the great majority of people tolerate the medication very well after their bodies get used to it. There are some serious potential side effects to be aware of, so always read the patient information leaflet if you are prescribed it, but those occur rarely. In my case I chose to go on metformin, and while I hope to be able to go off it some day I'm content to take it for the rest of my life, if necessary, to preserve my health. I did experience some side effects, particularly a little nausea after taking it, but after a month or so I had zero side effects that I could sense.
As with almost all medications your doctor will deprescribe it, take you off it, if you no longer need it. You should always talk to your doctor and discuss it before going off any medication.
At what time point is is going up to 11 or 12 and what was your premeal reading, pairs of reading are much more useful is seeing the effect of meals.
If you make a food diary and try to estimate the amount of carbs in your meals, snacks, drinks you may be able to identify any particular foods which are making your 2 hour post meal readings more than 3mmol/l more than before or more than 8.5mmol/l
Im going to try that from today. Does a 2 hour post meal reading still count if I go for a walk ?? I'm at the stage where if I go for a walk post meal then I can get the spike down quite quickly. However currently the spike can be up to 11. That's happening with eating leeks and courgettes !
Well I have a meal sometimes that consists of onion, fennel, orange & salmon, and it only causes a small rise of blood sugar - probably between 10-20g of carbs. Might go up into the sixes after an hour, then back to the 5s in two hours. I sometimes have some fruit afterwards as well.
It doesn't take a lot carbs to raise blood sugar - there's only a teaspoon in the blood at normal levels, and 10g of carbs can raise it by around 2-3. People with T2 diabetes generally have a very slow response to rising blood sugar so it goes up higher than it should and takes longer to come down.
As for Metformin, I believe its main effect is to help lower fasting glucose, with a smaller effect on post-meal glucose, but research has shown that Metformin + post meal exercise can improve levels hence why it's advised to use Metformin with a 'lifestyle change'. I've also read research that shows it also makes a difference with non-obese T2s as well.
Thank you so much. That's really helpful I'm so touched with allbthe help I've been getting as have felt quite alone with this. I'm going to get some vv warm shoes on amd go for a fast walk now
Im going to try that from today. Does a 2 hour post meal reading still count if I go for a walk ?? I'm at the stage where if I go for a walk post meal then I can get the spike down quite quickly. However currently the spike can be up to 11. That's happening with eating leeks and courgettes !
Exercise is very good at bringing down blood sugar. Mine drops quite quickly even after a short brisk walk - for instance, I see it drop into the 3s sometimes. I do a check around half an hour after finishing to see what's happened and it's usually back up into the 4s/5s. Using a sensor I could see a sharp dip followed by a slow rise back up to normal levels.
Im going to try that from today. Does a 2 hour post meal reading still count if I go for a walk ?? I'm at the stage where if I go for a walk post meal then I can get the spike down quite quickly. However currently the spike can be up to 11. That's happening with eating leeks and courgettes !
It would count but would not give you good data as to the effect of that meal unless it was something you would always do.
Did you test before your meal and what did you have with your leeks and courgettes?
Im going to try that from today. Does a 2 hour post meal reading still count if I go for a walk ?? I'm at the stage where if I go for a walk post meal then I can get the spike down quite quickly. However currently the spike can be up to 11. That's happening with eating leeks and courgettes !
If you differentiate between the times you go for a walk and the times you don't then you can most likely use the data from all your tests, but as two separate indicators.
Leeks and courgettes are usually counted as low carb foods, so it is odd if you are spiking after eating them.
However if you are just starting out on eating low carb and testing you could simply be emptying out over stuffed storage as you return towards more normal numbers.
The two hour test is usually done at two hours from the premeal test, or from starting to eat, not counting from the end of the meal. It seems that testing then gives the best indication both of how the meal suits and how it is dealt with.
