Got diagnosed with T2 diabetes today - Help

[Pollyanna]

May I ask what is your reason for drinking so much sugary drink?
Will you struggle at abandoning them totally?
Being diabetic isn't just about going on a diet or taking the tablets, it's about a complete lifestyle change.
Our bodies need some carbs ...i started on 75 carbs building up to 2 Metformin..it took me e 6 months to get down to an acceptable level but as I had been diabetic for so long some damage had been done ... diabetic neuropathy and kidney damage.
I now eat 75-100 carbs per day. Still on 2 Metformin and 1 Linaglyptin.
My advice would be stop worrying about what your GP or DN thinks the reasons for any improvement is, and do it for you and your loved ones before any damage is done to your body.
Good luck and best wishes.

 

[harbottle]

Hi and welcome, all good advice above, so I'll not repeat it.
I would say that even a diabetic still needs to eat some carbs, your body does need carbs, just not too much!

The body does not ‘need carbs’.
It can manage without them.

 

[harbottle]

I wouldn’t bother with the Metformin. Go for lifestyle changes first and see what happens.

 

[Jinx]

Hoping that will be the case but I’ve been lazy the last couple of weeks for various reasons.
I’ll be happy with lower than 42 if I can swing it and then work harder.

I’ve noticed a few times now with some other posts (here and elsewhere) that the second a HbA1c result is over 48, BAM, they throw Metformin at you and leave you to it.

Personally I’d have been ok with that as I’ve had untreated PCOS since I was 15, and my cholesterol is on the high side last we checked but when you know - like you do, that you can get it down easily with diet and exercise, I think you should.
Maybe don’t take the Metformin, get on it with diet and exercise, get an appointment with your GP for repeat bloods and show them you can do it yourself without meds.

🙂

Goodluck with it. I hope it works out for you. When you get lower 42 will they say you're prediabetic or normal now or would they still say cause you was 51 before you're still diabetic unless you can show for X amount of months the same a1c?

 

[Jinx]

The sugary drinks haven’t caused a misdiagnosis, you’re diabetic as the hba1c is 51. When non diabetics drink sugary drinks they have a normal hba1c. Their body deals with the sugar. When an undiagnosed or diagnosed diabetic drinks sugary drinks their body can’t deal with it and the hba1c could be increased depending on how much they are drinking and other factors.

So if my a1c in a few months is 40. That now means I am non diabetic as my body is now handling the glucose?

 

[Jinx]

So

You may have what appear to be normal reading when fasting but the factor that will increase your HbA1C is what your level is after food and does that level return to normal in a timely manner. The longer your blood glucose remains high then the excess glucose sticks to your red blood cells and it is how much is attached (broadly speaking) that the test measures.
People who are able to keep their before meal and fasting test in the 4-7 range and a 2 hour post meal to less than 8mmol/l the majority of the time for the 3 months prior to the HbA1C test would expect a result in the normal range of below 42mmol/mol.
Finger prick tests and HbA1C measure something different and cannot be directly related other than to say the higher finger prick tests are the higher HbA1C is likely to be. There is a chart somewhere showing a possible relationship.

So a a1c is showing how long your glucose levels stays up eg after eating and in general during a 2-3 month period? So if that was going down by the next test that would mean you're in reversal?

 

[Jinx]

@Jinx Your eating seems ideal - but that much sugar water each and every day - well at least it gives you a simple easy target, and there are lots of low or non at all options these days so I recon that if you swap to sugar free drinks you'll be back in normal HbA1c very quickly. I'd put money on it and I don't gamble.
If you decide to take the Metformin you'd be wise to start it when you can stay at home and/or close to a loo until you find out how you cope with it. Metformin gave me the most miserable few weeks of my life - how I lasted over a month I do not know. My memory of that time is hazy, but I did get a professional level carpet and upholstery cleaner out of the experience.

Yeah I blame the sugar drinks. Cause I don't really eat fried food much maybe twice a month. Most my food is air fryed now. Other then sandwich at work which is just cheese and salad. Other then that food at home is mainly meats and fish. I guess the coating on fish like battered fish could cause this? But even that I would only have once a week. Chicken I eat is only fried twice a month, generally made in air fryer with basic spices. I make wraps with kebabs but even those kebabs are air fryed so it's gotta be the excessive drinks unless I am going mad. Even when I make fries once a week or every other week that is air fryed. Thanks for your belief in me. I'm really feel confused and alone right now. Like just life is going good I get hit with this and now everything in my mind seems uncertain like am I gonna lose my eye sight in a few yrs. Will I be alive. Like all diff thoughts going on in my head.

 

[rebrascora]

So if my a1c in a few months is 40. That now means I am non diabetic as my body is now handling the glucose?

If you have altered your diet to achieve that reduction then I would say that you were a person with well managed diabetes and if you could maintain that reading below 48 for the next HbA1c then you would be considered in remission, but you are still diabetic just managing it well by the dietary changes you have made. If you go back to regular sugary drinks or regain any weight you lost, you will likely see it rise again and in the future you may have to make additional dietary changes to manage it.

 

[Jinx]

Hi and welcome.

It is up to you whether you take the Metformin or not. If you decide to take it, I am not sure what you have been told but you start on a low dose, usually 1x500mg tablet a day and build it up over 4 weeks to the full dose of 4 or whatever is prescribed. It is best taken mid meal with a substantial amount of food to reduce the risk of side effects (most commonly stomach upset) Some people don't suffer any side effects, some get minor digestive disruption and some get more serious side effects.
If you decide not to take them, then it would be wise to monitor your levels so that you can review that decision if BG levels start to rise suddenly rather than remain steady or hopefully reduce slightly.
Don't get too hung up on fasting readings, especially as regards inferring anything about your diabetes diagnosis. It can vary according to many factors including how well or poorly you slept, so it is not useful as a diagnosis guide. If you feel that it will be relatively easy to cut down on or completely avoid the sugary drinks then that may well help your levels to drop back down into the normal range. If you don't see any improvement in HbA1c by the time your doctor does another test then you can reconsider the metformin.
Generally speaking at that level (HbA1c of 51) you would not expect to experience symptoms of diabetes and a second confirmatory test would be done before giving you a proper diagnosis. Lab errors can happen and other factors like anaemia can inflate the HbA1c result so a single reading at that level is not in it's own an ideal way to diagnose diabetes and you could argue that point with your GP or nurse when you eventually see them, but if reducing your intake of sugary drinks lowers that level then I think you likely have diabetes but are managing it well enough to bring it down to being well managed rather than say you don't have it. Once you have diabetes you need to take steps to manage it for the rest of your life. That might be losing weight by whatever means and keeping it off, or never drinking sugary drinks again or not eating bread and pasta and rice and potatoes to achieve those lower levels but you are essentially managing it by doing whatever needs doing to hopefully keep it in remission.... ie. You can't just go back to the way you used to live/eat once you get it into remission, or the HbA1c will rise again.

Thanks for the advice. I did read about there is no cure for diabeties other then to lower weight and get it to a normal level where you don't have diabeties anymore but will if your weight rises again. Just about will power right? From what I read most tests done on groups of ppl around 80% go into remission when losing weight but after a few yrs most are diabetic again cause they haven't been able to keep the weight off. I mean I can still have a coke once a week or every 2 weeks right? It's a bit differece from drinking 3litres daily..

 

[Jinx]

If you have altered your diet to achieve that reduction then I would say that you were a person with well managed diabetes and if you could maintain that reading below 48 for the next HbA1c then you would be considered in remission, but you are still diabetic just managing it well by the dietary changes you have made. If you go back to regular sugary drinks or regain any weight you lost, you will likely see it rise again and in the future you may have to make additional dietary changes to manage it.

So I would still be classed as diabetic even though my reading was normal just because once my a1c was in diabeties range?

 

[Jinx]

Hi and welcome, all good advice above, so I'll not repeat it.
I would say that even a diabetic still needs to eat some carbs, your body does need carbs, just not too much!
A low carb diet is generally considered around 120g of carbs per day or less. Aiming for 0 carbs is not sustainable!
Also, whatever changes you make now, also need to be sustainable, eg: reducing or stopping very sugary drinks. Its no good giving them up juts to reduce the numbers, but then starting drinking them again afterwards. You need to reduce them permanently or find alternatives.
Bear in mind also that its not just sugars, but all carbs that you need to keep a check on, potato, pasta, rice, bread, baked goods, sweets, cakes, etc, etc. Also beware of fruit, some are also high in carbs, eg: pineapple, bananas, exotic fruits, etc. Berries are generally ok.
Once a diabetic, unfortunately you are then always a diabetic, even if you go into remission and get the numbers down, you will always be at an increased risk of the numbers rising again. So you need to manage things going forward.
Good luck with it, hope you find a solution that suits you.

Thanks for advice. That's crazy once a diabetic always a diabetic. I don't really eat sweets and chocs once or twice a month. don't like cakes much maybe once every other month. Don't eat pasta. Rice once a month. Bread not much but burger buns I guess a few times a week. Don't eat baked goods...

 

[Jinx]

I wouldn’t bother with the Metformin. Go for lifestyle changes first and see what happens.

Yeah will try that. GP appointment in 5 weeks regarding this. So I've got a weight loss app. My initial weight. Let's see what I can get it down in 5 weeks so I can show them I've lost x amount and will continue and that to give me another a1c

 

[Pollyanna]

So I would still be classed as diabetic even though my reading was normal just because once my a1c was in diabeties range?

Basically yes...
I think you need to get a better idea of the effects of carbs on blood sugar. It doesn't matter if your fries are not fried what matters is that potatoes are a starchy food and starchy food means carbs.
Same with breads. The diet needs to be well balanced incorporating all the food groups.
I occasionally have battered fish but I don't have chips with it...
If I have bread it's healthy bread and I don't have oats that morning for breakfast.
As I said in previous reply it's about a lifestyle change...balance the diet, get an exercise routine going, dump the sodas and you will more than likely go into the pre-diabetes stage...if you then resume the sort of diet you are on now you will return to diabetes stage.

 

[Pollyanna]

Thanks for advice. That's crazy once a diabetic always a diabetic. I don't really eat sweets and chocs once or twice a month. don't like cakes much maybe once every other month. Don't eat pasta. Rice once a month. Bread not much but burger buns I guess a few times a week. Don't eat baked goods...

There are approximately 35gm of carbs in a burger bun probably more if brioch.
I maintain on 70-100 gms of carbs a day. 1 burger would be half my allowance for a whole day.
How many burgers would you eat? Do you have fries with it?
There is approximately 40gm of carbs in a portion of oven fries ...
With 1 burger in a bun that would be my whole day's allowance...not that I would anymore because it's not a meal I have had for 6 years.
Don't wait until you get your first attack of diabetic neuropathy...it isn't pleasant and it potentially changes your quality of life.

 

[Quill]

Goodluck with it. I hope it works out for you. When you get lower 42 will they say you're prediabetic or normal now or would they still say cause you was 51 before you're still diabetic unless you can show for X amount of months the same a1c?

Yet to be seen.
GP refused to have me down as Diabetic at 51, going about it as ‘pre-diabetes’ until the results of next test.
Imagine under 42 he will just have me down as normal as I’d have dodged both Diabetic and pre-diabetic numbers (hopefully!)

I think 2 tests is the standard for a full diagnosis so I’d just go hard to get the numbers down and see about getting that second test from your GP for confirmation.

 

[Pollyanna]

Thanks for the advice. I did read about there is no cure for diabeties other then to lower weight and get it to a normal level where you don't have diabeties anymore but will if your weight rises again. Just about will power right? From what I read most tests done on groups of ppl around 80% go into remission when losing weight but after a few yrs most are diabetic again cause they haven't been able to keep the weight off. I mean I can still have a coke once a week or every 2 weeks right? It's a bit differece from drinking 3litres daily..

Good lu k with the diet app but just bear in mind that low calories doesn't mean low carbs and a lower blood sugar.
You can have a coke but it will spike your blood sugar and take longer to come down and thus affect your blood test result.

 

[Lucyr]

So if my a1c in a few months is 40. That now means I am non diabetic as my body is now handling the glucose?

No you’re still diabetic, you’ll just have modified your diet to manage your blood sugars

If you get to the point where you can eat anything you like and eg drink the 3-4L of sugary drinks every day and still have an a1c of 40 with no medication, and you can maintain that, then you’re still diabetic but in remission

 

[Leadinglights]

I think you need to get a better understanding about Type 2 as some of the comment you have made suggest you haven't quite grasped how the condition works and the role of carbohydrates.
For example diet coke is zero carbs therefore it is a drink that you can still have but not full sugar coke.
There is good explanation in the Learning zone, on the main site which explains the HbA1C test and how it works and in the link to the Freshwell Program I posted earlier in the thread.

 

[Drummer]

Yeah I blame the sugar drinks. Cause I don't really eat fried food much maybe twice a month. Most my food is air fryed now. Other then sandwich at work which is just cheese and salad. Other then that food at home is mainly meats and fish. I guess the coating on fish like battered fish could cause this? But even that I would only have once a week. Chicken I eat is only fried twice a month, generally made in air fryer with basic spices. I make wraps with kebabs but even those kebabs are air fryed so it's gotta be the excessive drinks unless I am going mad. Even when I make fries once a week or every other week that is air fryed. Thanks for your belief in me. I'm really feel confused and alone right now. Like just life is going good I get hit with this and now everything in my mind seems uncertain like am I gonna lose my eye sight in a few yrs. Will I be alive. Like all diff thoughts going on in my head.

Oh dear - I'm afraid you have the wrong end of the stick when it comes to food choices and glucose levels are nothing to do with fried food or weight.
Yes the sugar water drinks are a big part of it, but aren't fries potato? Sandwiches - bread, batter is made with wheat flour, wraps, flour again.
You might not need to alter what you eat all that much if you switch to sugar free drinks, but carbs are the starches as well as the sugars, and you need to keep a count of those.
Low fat can be unhealthy - any Biology text book on the subject of lipids will wax lyrical about the raw materials of hormones, repairs to nerves and brain tissue, the cell wall structures and their properties - all down to the natural fats we need. We cannot live without them, so I am often concerned about the vitriol heaped upon what hominids have been eating for maybe 3 million years.
My HbA1c was 91 at diagnosis, but 6 months low carb and I'd lost weight without even thinking about it, but the best bit was I was no longer in the diabetes range, not even prediabetic, and feeling so much better, plus strong enough to go back to work servicing knitting machines.

 

[Jinx]

Basically yes...
I think you need to get a better idea of the effects of carbs on blood sugar. It doesn't matter if your fries are not fried what matters is that potatoes are a starchy food and starchy food means carbs.
Same with breads. The diet needs to be well balanced incorporating all the food groups.
I occasionally have battered fish but I don't have chips with it...
If I have bread it's healthy bread and I don't have oats that morning for breakfast.
As I said in previous reply it's about a lifestyle change...balance the diet, get an exercise routine going, dump the sodas and you will more than likely go into the pre-diabetes stage...if you then resume the sort of diet you are on now you will return to diabetes stage.

Yeah I understand, the higher the carb the more sugar. Thanks for the reply.