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Hofmara

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Type 2
Hello, sorry a bit long this but hopefully you don’t mind.
I was diagnosed Type 2 late last year after a few years of being pre diabetic, my result was 50 HBAIC, I opted for a 3 month check and was 49 which my nurse was pleased with, so hopefully I’m doing the right things. I do know I’m not doing enough exercise at the moment so I’d better get on to that. Then a couple of weeks ago my husband who wasn’t diabetic, went for his annual ‘MOT’ and his blood sugars were really high, so for now they have taken more blood tests and in the meantime given him Gliclazide 40mg tablets to take one in a morning and also a finger pricking monitor which he has to use once a day at different times each day while they determine whether he is Type 1 or 2, although our nurse has said she thinks he will be type 2 but they have to make sure.
I’m looking forward to joining in with conversations as pretty sure I’m going to need advice and help, especially with food advice. I have just finished an EX-PERT online course which ran once a week for 6 weeks. There were only about 4 of us who were regulars but I really enjoyed it and found it quite helpful.
Thanks for having me x
 
Hi, and welcome to the Forum from a fellow 75-year-old T2. Well done on stalling the rise in your HbA1c. Hopefully what you learnt on the X-PERT course will help you push it down further and also enable you to support your husband. He'll find the BG monitor useful. I was also given one and now wouldn't be without it.

Exercise is good. I tend to walk places these days, eg to the shops, and also do 20 lengths of our local pool twice a week. I'm finding that's enough to keep me fit. Exercise doesn't have to mean a gym membership.
 
Hello @Hofmara and welcome to the forum.
The EX-PERT course has a good reputation (at least the in-person ones do).
So you probably know that all carbohydrates raise Blood Glucose when digested ( starches as well as sugars).
For you with an only just fully diabetic HbA1C level, just a small change to how much bred, potato, rice, pasta or breakfast cereal you eat can easily get you back all the way into the normal range without need for medication and without additional exercise or calorie restriction.

But it's a different case for your husband (even if he has just the ordinary Type2 Diabetes).
Once Gliclazide (or Insulin) is involved, much more care needs to be taken about reducing carbohydrates, because medicines which actually reduce blood glucose (rather than Metformin which helps the liver from putting more glucose into the bloodstream) require the patient to eat enough carbohydrate so that the BG level doesn't go too low (called a Hypo).

My experience and knowledge from diabetes forums (not just this one) is that your husband needs to test more frequently than he has been advised. The NHS tends to frown on testing even though it's the only way a person can see how much a particular meal spikes their Blood Glucose and so is able to adjust portions or swap for lower carbohydrate food.
I can't see how a finger prick test is going to clarify which type of Diabetes he has. There are 2 blood tests for that GAD and C-Pep and in each of those a blood sample is sent off to a lab.

What I suggest is that he starts by testing his breakfast since it's normal to eat pretty much the same thing every day.
The way to do that is to take a BG reading before the meal and then again 2hrs later. if the 2nd reading is no more than 2.5 mmol higher, then the meal was likely low enough in carbs for his body to deal with (with the added help from the Glic).

Low carb breakfasts include eggs, meat, fish, cheese, some low carb granolas, plain Greek Yogurt with a few nuts and/or berries.
 
Welcome to the forum @Hofmara

Glad to hear you found the Xpert course helpful, and it sounds like you are making gentle progress with your HbA1c. A few more modest tweaks to your menu could well see that level return back down below 42-48 if that’s what you desire.

Sorry to hear about your husband’s very high BG levels - hopefully the Glic will begin to gently steer his levels back into a healthier space - bit not too quickly, as a gradual taper from high levels back towards in-range is much gentler on the fine blood vessels in the eyes, and on the nerve endings.

Keep firing away with any questions you have - nothing will be considered too obvious or ‘silly’ 🙂
 
This link may be a useful read for both of you, https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/product/freshwell-low-carb-manual/
I followed the principals in the link and reduced my HbA1C from 50mmol/mol to 42 in 3 months and below that which is where I am 2 years on by sticking to the new way of eating.
There is no reason why you both can follow the same regime assuming your husband's diagnosis is confirmed as Type 2 but with the aid of the monitor he can keep an eye on levels not going too low with the addition of the medication he is taking.
 
ianf0ster said:
Hello @Hofmara and welcome to the forum.
The EX-PERT course has a good reputation (at least the in-person ones do).
So you probably know that all carbohydrates raise Blood Glucose when digested ( starches as well as sugars).
For you with an only just fully diabetic HbA1C level, just a small change to how much bred, potato, rice, pasta or breakfast cereal you eat can easily get you back all the way into the normal range without need for medication and without additional exercise or calorie restriction.

But it's a different case for your husband (even if he has just the ordinary Type2 Diabetes).
Once Gliclazide (or Insulin) is involved, much more care needs to be taken about reducing carbohydrates, because medicines which actually reduce blood glucose (rather than Metformin which helps the liver from putting more glucose into the bloodstream) require the patient to eat enough carbohydrate so that the BG level doesn't go too low (called a Hypo).

My experience and knowledge from diabetes forums (not just this one) is that your husband needs to test more frequently than he has been advised. The NHS tends to frown on testing even though it's the only way a person can see how much a particular meal spikes their Blood Glucose and so is able to adjust portions or swap for lower carbohydrate food.
I can't see how a finger prick test is going to clarify which type of Diabetes he has. There are 2 blood tests for that GAD and C-Pep and in each of those a blood sample is sent off to a lab.

What I suggest is that he starts by testing his breakfast since it's normal to eat pretty much the same thing every day.
The way to do that is to take a BG reading before the meal and then again 2hrs later. if the 2nd reading is no more than 2.5 mmol higher, then the meal was likely low enough in carbs for his body to deal with (with the added help from the Glic).

Low carb breakfasts include eggs, meat, fish, cheese, some low carb granolas, plain Greek Yogurt with a few nuts and/or berries.
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Thank you for your reply. I have thought myself he needs to test more during the day to keep a check on it. The nurse has taken another blood test which has been sent off not relying on just finger prick. Thank you for your advice.
 
Martin.A said:
Hi, and welcome to the Forum from a fellow 75-year-old T2. Well done on stalling the rise in your HbA1c. Hopefully what you learnt on the X-PERT course will help you push it down further and also enable you to support your husband. He'll find the BG monitor useful. I was also given one and now wouldn't be without it.

Exercise is good. I tend to walk places these days, eg to the shops, and also do 20 lengths of our local pool twice a week. I'm finding that's enough to keep me fit. Exercise doesn't have to mean a gym membership.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your advice, my friend and myself did a 3 mile walk this morning band will hopefully be out again tomorrow morning. I also do Tai Chi which I enjoy
 
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