Diagnosed a month ago with T2

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parischic

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Initially put on 12 units of insulin, now added Metformine 100 twice a day. My BS has come down to almost normal levels and I decreased insulin to 8 units. My goal is to come off all types of medication by year end. Has anyone done this? I'm eating well, drinking water, exercising.
Hope this pays off in the long term.
one thing is I'm a slim diabetic and all information is for people who want to lose weight. I want to main tain my weight or put on several pounds, but no help that I can find for skinnies like me.
 
Welcome to the forum. 🙂
 
You are right that most of the dietary advice is for people who need to lose weight.
Have you had your diabetic Type confirmed as going straight onto insulin unless you are suspected as being Type 1 and then to have metformin added is a bit unusual.
A bit more information about your diagnosis would help people understand your situation.
Generally making sure you have protein and healthy fats can help with stabilising weight but it may be you need a different medication regime.
 
As above, very unusual for a T2 to go straight to insulin without trying oral meds first, unless your HbA1c was through the roof?

Is the Metformin a typo (100) as it's normally 500mg or 1000mg?
 
parischic said:
Initially put on 12 units of insulin, now added Metformine 100 twice a day. My BS has come down to almost normal levels and I decreased insulin to 8 units. My goal is to come off all types of medication by year end. Has anyone done this? I'm eating well, drinking water, exercising.
Hope this pays off in the long term.
one thing is I'm a slim diabetic and all information is for people who want to lose weight. I want to main tain my weight or put on several pounds, but no help that I can find for skinnies like me.
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Like Leadinglights, I am wondering whether you may have been misdiagnosed; it is very common for older people to be diagnosed as Type 2 when they are actually Type 1.

It would help if you could say what your BMI was at the time you were diagnosed; or, if you don't know your BMI, your height and your weight when you were diagnosed?
 
Welcome to the forum @parischic

To have been put straight onto insulin is slightly unusual for type 2. This may suggest that your HbA1c at diagnosis was significantly elevated.

Had you lost any weight without trying before you were diagnosed? Were you tired? Going to the toilet more often?

There are other flavours of diabetes than the two most common (T1 and T2), so it is possible you have a less common type like LADA.

There are some people with ‘classic’ T2 who are normal weight at diagnosis, which can happen if people put on visceral fat around their organs while remaining fairly trim on the outside.

Hopefully the nature of your slightly unusual diagnosis and treatment plan will gradually clarify over your next appointments.

When are you due to be seen again?
 
Hi. I suspect the GP may have suspected T1/LADA as you are slim but marked it as T2 as LADA is a grey area. You may have been suffering weight loss due to not having enough insulin to metabolise the carbs. Now you are having insulin that should improve. To gain weight you need to have enough Fats and Proteins but keep the Carbs under control to maintain good BS without overdoing the insulin. BTW there are two tests that can help diagnose LADA i.e. C-Peptide and GAD.
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
Welcome to the forum @parischic

To have been put straight onto insulin is slightly unusual for type 2. This may suggest that your HbA1c at diagnosis was significantly elevated.

Had you lost any weight without trying before you were diagnosed? Were you tired? Going to the toilet more often?

There are other flavours of diabetes than the two most common (T1 and T2), so it is possible you have a less common type like LADA.

There are some people with ‘classic’ T2 who are normal weight at diagnosis, which can happen if people put on visceral fat around their organs while remaining fairly trim on the outside.

Hopefully the nature of your slightly unusual diagnosis and treatment plan will gradually clarify over your next appointments.

When are you due to be seen again?
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I'm seen every month. Yes my blood sugar was very high. I'm taking insulin as a temporary measure only. I have reduced the insulin to 6 units only (from 12 units 6 weeks ago) and take Metformin 500 twice a day. My blood sugar has been consistently in the 90s so something is working! Drastically changed by eating habits, exercise & drink 2 litres lemon water a day.
 
RBZ5416 said:
As above, very unusual for a T2 to go straight to insulin without trying oral meds first, unless your HbA1c was through the roof?

Is the Metformin a typo (100) as it's normally 500mg or 1000mg?
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I'm living in France, so maybe treatments are slightly different. Insulin was prescribed as a temporary measure only
Will gradually come off insulin & be treated with Metformin only
 
parischic said:
I'm living in France, so maybe treatments are slightly different. Insulin was prescribed as a temporary measure only
Will gradually come off insulin & be treated with Metformin only
Click to expand...
You should keep in your mind that you may actually be Type 1 or LADA as you don't fit the profile of Type 2 in which case you would need insulin.
You could ask for the tests to rule out that, those being c-peptide and GAD antibodies.
 
There is an argument that if the A1c is very high on diagnosis starting on insulin can relieve the remaining beta cells and improve long term outcomes.
 
parischic said:
I'm seen every month. Yes my blood sugar was very high. I'm taking insulin as a temporary measure only. I have reduced the insulin to 6 units only (from 12 units 6 weeks ago) and take Metformin 500 twice a day. My blood sugar has been consistently in the 90s so something is working! Drastically changed by eating habits, exercise & drink 2 litres lemon water a day.
Click to expand...

Ah! I hadn’t realised you were actually in France (even with your username!)

90mg/dl is the same as 5mmol/L (we use different units in the UK 🙂 )
 
Yes things are done differently here. Since being diagnosed the French health service has been exemplary. I had extensive tests within the first 3 weeks including scan to check pancreas, liver, kidneys. Everything is fine apart from raised sugar levels and Im definitely Type 2
 
parischic said:
Yes things are done differently here. Since being diagnosed the French health service has been exemplary. I had extensive tests within the first 3 weeks including scan to check pancreas, liver, kidneys. Everything is fine apart from raised sugar levels and Im definitely Type 2
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Interesting your comments about the French health service. Is there an equivalent French website to Diabetes UK and this spin-off forum? I keep meaning to brush up on my French speaking after 4 years working in Mons Belgium and many 8km trips into France for great local wines. A forum in French could be a useful diversion!
 
the French health service has been exemplary.
**

Shows what happens when a country spends more money on health than the UK does. Mind you, it's not just a question of 'more money' but ensuring it benefits patients, rather than say, in the USA, the health insurers and providers.....??!!!!

It would be interesting, and possibly revealing, to know whether France, or any countries with more Mediterranean-type diets than Northern Europeans, has lower Type 2 diabetes levels overall. Less disastrous junk food??
 
I cant answer your question regarding statistics of occurrence of diabetes between EU countries. As far as the health service, we pay far higher social security contributions than UK. However France is also struggling with lack of doctors, consultants etc. but not at the level of UK.I feel extremely luckily to have access to good healthcare.
 
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