Frustrated and confused, Help!

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Anna Gambone

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Type 2
hi everyone, i was diagnosed type 2 in 2008. ok so at first i did not take it seriously, i mean i didnt feel any different and found out by chance rather than having any symptoms.
i was put on metformin which played havoc with my stomach so had to come of that as i could ever be more than 6 foot from the loo :(
i was put on gliclazide which frankly i am not sure is doing anything. My sugar is incredibly erratic. ranging from 10.2 to 24.7 and that's all in the same day.

i exercise often, i went on a 12 mile bike ride a couple of weeks ago after having a meal of chicken and salad, on return my sugar was 11.5, 2 hours later after having nothing but water my sugar was 15.6.

my doctor has now started me on victosa. i have been injecting for 1 week. the other day i read in the news that this so called diabetic wonder drug is causing thousands of cases of cancer of the pancreas. My gran died from this and i dont want to follow suit.

I read that 60% of diabetic type 2's improve greatly after having a gastric band fitted. If this is true why is this not being offered as an option.

my life style is incredibly busy, i work 80 yours a week with young people and i admit that some days i am so busy i realise i have forgotten to eat food. so maybe my problem is i don't eat often enough...

right now though i am scared of this victosa injection which is due to be increased later today. i know i need to loose weight, easy said than done. i have seen the dietitian who said i am not eating regular enough so my body is in starvation mode and holding on to fat. I need to learn how to graze feed.

right now i am very frustrated. is anyone else on victosa...

am i worrying for nothing.

help needed

annalou x:confused:
 
Sorry can't help on medicine front at all as only had metformin myself.

Regarding gastric band. I wouldn't one at any point let alone as a diabetic control. Seems pretty drastic to me 🙂

Hope someone comes along soon who can help with your medication questions. The forum has been struggling for a few days (it's being worked on) so might be a bit before anyone sees your post

Good luck!
 
Hi Anna,

I don't know much about type 2 meds, so can't advise on those. Your BG levels are rising when you exercise because you don't have sufficient insulin circulating. Your muscles need fuel, and normally the glucose in your bloodstream would be used for this, but without sufficient insulin this process can't happen, so your body releases more glucose from stores in your liver (which still can't be metabolised without insulin), hence the blood glucose level goes up and up. Meds for type 2 do one of two things - either they stimulate your pancreas to produce more insulin, or they increase your body's sensitivity to insulin to make it work more efficiently. However, with levels between 10-24 and which rise with exercise, it does sound as though your current meds are ineffective. You may find you'd do much better if you started on insulin injections, it's worth asking your GP.

On the weight front, how much do you have to lose? There are some amazing people on our weight loss forum who could share some tips with you. Gastric bands are a pretty desperate and high risk strategy imo.
 
Hi Anna, if i was in your place i would look at the type of food that you are eating & as the dietition says you my be eating large amount at tea time or night. I know more about T1 but i never miss brecky & i am set for the day. If you eat something then go for walk etc not sit on the couch.You sound as though you work hard & long but if you are coming home & then eating a bit ? Good luck sorting 🙂
 
Welcome to the forum Anna 🙂

Regarding the gastric band, it might be worth you having a search around this web site: http://diabetesupdate.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/no-wls-does-not-cure-diabetes-study-by.html

Probably your diet and your eating habits are something that needs sorting first. A gastric band still isn't a solution in itself, you still need to eating the right food and having the right exercise to support it.

By the way, there is also a slow release version of metformin which is less prone to given you the need to rush to the smallest room.
 
Hi,

I am on Victoza too. Its took a while of me messing about to get used to it and to sort the sickness but now on some very good anti sickness tablets and am finding my appetite has greatly reduced and changed.
The thought of sweet food and even slightly greasy food is not for me anymore. I am now really enjoying salad and am hoping this will see my weight go down.

I would make an appointment with your GP to discuss your concerns re the Victoza and get your GP's view as I do think it can help with the weight loss too as well as controlling your sugars better.

I am now finding that my sugars are better controlled and I am less hungry so I guess they are related.
 
If I had been offered surgery a year ago, I probably would have accepted. However, since losing 6 stone with diet (Slimming World) and exercise with a low dose of metformin thrown in, I'm glad it wasn't offered. The diet I'm still following is both sustainable and healthy - I'm just eating a bit more than I did before, with an extra treat or two thrown in for good measure.
 
update

hi guys, thank you for your replies.

Here is an update.

I saw the doctor on friday and told her i was not happy about being on the victosa due to reports that there was a very high risk of pancreatic cancer.

she took me of the drug right away and told me she would start me on insulin instead. She didnt try and talk me into saying on victosa or give any argument for it.

Today i see the diabetic nurse to start on the slow release insulin.

I mentioned the gastric band to her and she said there s no way i would be able to have it on the NHS as they only use it got extremely obese people.

I need to loose around 3 stone.... so i am heading now to the weight loss forum to get some handy tips and help.

She did tell me that there is a high risk of me having hypos now.... i have never had one and i live alone.... what happened if i get a hypo and go unconscious.... this worries me a lot. does anyone else have this worry and how do you cope with it.

thank you 🙄
 
Anna, you will be started on a low dose of insulin to see how you respond. It is highly unlikely you will go unconscious from a hypo, they have to be very sudden and severe for that to happen and the vast majority of times you will feel the symptoms well before that happens and will be able to treat it easily - just make sure you always carry some sugar on you and have some by your bed just in case (jelly babies, glucose tablets, full sugar coke etc.)

If you drive you will need to inform the DVLA when you are on insulin.
 
Hi Anna welcome to the forum. Please try not to worry about hypos I haven't collapsed from one for more than 28 years🙂. However it is VERY important to ALWAYS have something sweet with you in case you have hypo symptoms. Jelly babies are perfect and three are usually a good amount to treat a hypo.if you have a driving licence you must inform DVLA immediately that you are on linsulin. There is also important information about blood sugar levels when driving - I think these are in the forum's driving section.
 
Thanks AJ

so now i have permission to eat jelly babies :D

i need to inform the DVLA today... do i risk loosing mu licence? i need my car to work 😱
 
Hi Anna
Yes hypos = jelly babies, isn't that great!:D

The driving licence usually has to be renewed every three years. You should be ok as long as you keep to the the guidance e.g. don't have a sugar below 5 when driving, don't have more than one hypo that requires assistance within the past twelve months, have the correct eyesight standard (with glasses) etc. The full guidance is in the drivers section of the forum.
 
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