Hello everyone - newbie diabetic here!

Q

qwerty123

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Type 2
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Hello everyone. I've have been recently diagnosed with diabetes 2 being the more likely (more on that later), with a HbA1c reading of 100! I've recently noticed that I've lost quite a bit of weight from last year (10 kgs), being more thirsty and peeing more often. Went to the GP, blood test to get a high reading level of hbA1c, but wanted to wait for a few weeks to get a second reading to confirm diagnosis, which was confirmed this week. I was prescribed metformin twice a day to start with, with another blood test booked in December.

While it wasn't a total shock from looking at my symptoms, it was a quite unexpected given that my hba1C reading was 41 last year! At that time, I was 74 kgs (now dropped to 64) and am fairly moderately active (Been going rock climbing 2/3 times a week), so the GP said I do not fit the typical diabetic 2 profile - I could have lada/ moby but GP said to get blood sugar down before doing anything.

I am of East Asia ethnicity, so diet is primarily rice/ noodles with other usual form of carbs (pasta/ potatoes). I'm quite conscious of heavy carbs, so while they do feature prominently, I don't usually have large portions.

So it could be hereditary as my father also had diabetes 2, but I am wondering what diet to go from there - I do not want to lose more weight - actually I want to bulk up more.
 
HI, and welcome to the forum. I had similar symptoms and was also told I didn't fit the typical T2 profile but they went with that diagnosis and to date it seems to have been the right call. My mother had T2 and my sister has been Pre- for some years, so genetics may well be involved. I've actually regained some of the weight I lost, partly through aiming to hit 2000 calories per day and also by being more active and maintaining/increasing muscle mass. I stick to a low carb diet of under 130g per day and that includes low carb/high calorie stuff like nuts but I avoid rice and potatoes, opting for riced cauliflower and celeriac instead. I also ditched wheat pasta in favour of non-grain pasta, currently red lentil pasta. Those simple swaps have enabled me to drastically reduce my carb intake and enabled me to achieve my 130g per day max.
 
Welcome to forum @qwerty123
I am confused by your GPs comment to "get blood sugar down before doing anything."
If you have Type 1 diabetes (LADA is a variant of Type 1 which many doctors don't bother using as it is confusing and ambiguous) it will explain the weight loss and the relatively fast increase in HbA1c. And, if you have this, you do not have the tools to bring your BG down - you need to inject insulin.
There are tests for Type 1 diabetes c-peptide and GAD which are better to be taken sooner rather than later so you can get the right treatment.

Some people assume Type 1 is a hereditary childhood disease. However, more than half of the people wit Type 1 are diagnosed over the age of 20 years old and, over the age of 25, the chances of being diagnosed with Type 1` are the same regardless of parents.
 
helli said:
I am confused by your GPs comment to "get blood sugar down before doing anything."
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I was told the same, though. I was prescribed Metformin, told to pick up a BG testing kit from reception on my way out, given an appointment for 2 weeks later and told that they wanted to see if I could get my BG down into single figures with low carb and medication. I got a waking 9.2 on the day of my appointment. They then dismissed the c-peptide and GAD antibody tests as being unnecessary, although I was sent for a CT scan of my pancreas, which showed no abnormalities. 3 months after diagnosis my HbA1c had dropped from 114 to 56 and 2 months after that it was back into normal range.

I've been incredibly fortunate with my surgery as some people with a similar or even lower HbA1c to mine have gone straight onto Gliclazide or even insulin. Maybe @qwerty123 has a GP like mine.
 
Thanks all, just wondering why my GP didn't refer to the C peptide and GAD test? Unfortunately I did find my GP dismissive and for someone who just found out I had diabetes I had endless questions.
 
qwerty123 said:
so the GP said I do not fit the typical diabetic 2 profile - I could have lada/ moby but GP said to get blood sugar down before doing anything.
Click to expand...

Good to hear that your GP has recognised that you don’t fit the profile for classic T2, and the unintentional weight loss you’ve seen could be a bit of a red flag, as unintended weight loss can occur before a diagnosis with T1 or LADA.

One of the weird things is that if you DO have LADA or T1 then Metformin is very unlikely to be effective at all, so the idea of doing that as a first line and waiting for an accurate classification until levels have improved seems an odd strategy?!
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
Good to hear that your GP has recognised that you don’t fit the profile for classic T2, and the unintentional weight loss you’ve seen could be a bit of a red flag, as unintended weight loss can occur before a diagnosis with T1 or LADA.

One of the weird things is that if you DO have LADA or T1 then Metformin is very unlikely to be effective at all, so the idea of doing that as a first line and waiting for an accurate classification until levels have improved seems an odd strategy?!
Click to expand...
Wouldn't you have said exactly the same thing about my GP's strategy?
 
qwerty123 said:
So it could be hereditary as my father also had diabetes 2, but I am wondering what diet to go from there - I do not want to lose more weight - actually I want to bulk up more.
Click to expand...
Hey there! So, I found out I’m at risk of diabetes because I have insulin resistance, and it’s made me really focus on nutrition. I’ve been listening to a ton of podcasts and reading blogs about it. Most of what I’ve found suggests going low-carb and high-protein, plus making sure to get enough sunlight and decent sleep 🙂.

If you’re trying to manage blood sugar and build muscle, low-carb and high-protein might be worth a shot. Just a heads-up, though—definitely talk to a nutritionist if you can. My GP wasn’t super helpful; they recommended more fruits, grains, pasta, and rice, which I know just sends my blood sugar through the roof. I ended up finding a nutritionist who’s guiding me on a low-carb diet and getting over 100 grams of protein a day. It’s made a real difference for me!

During all these years fighting PCOS and insulin resistance, and being at risk of diabetes, I've learned that unfortunately, GPs can be a waste of time 🙄. So now, I always look for private care (thank God my insurance from work covers the cost). It’s so much more thorough and empathetic.

Hope this helps! 🙂
 
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