Hello!

[JanetT]

Hi there,
I've just been diagnosed with Type 2 - bit of a glitch in starting medication as should have heard from nurse that blood test was OK to start it. This will now be Monday. So probably metformin 2 x 500gm. In the meantime concentrating on diet. I'm sure this forum will be really helpful. When I had breast canccer the forums were really helpful.

 

[Leadinglights]

Welcome to the forum
I wouldn't worry about the delay in starting the medication as it is dietary changes which will have the most impact, metformin just helps the body use the insulin it produces more effectively and many people manage getting levels down with dietary changes alone but that depends on where your starting point is. So the higher your HbA1C the more likely you are to be prescribed medication. It is usual to start the dose gradually to allow the body to get used to it so do check that you need to start on 2 x 500mg rather than 1 and then increase after a week. It is suggested it is taken with food as it minimises the potential effect on the stomach.
The Learning Zone is a good resource for information and you might find this link useful as it is a low carb approach that many people find successful for both reducing blood glucose and losing weight if you need to. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/.
It is advisable to reduce your carb intake gradually as it is gentler on your eyes and nerves.
Keeping a food diary of everything you eat and drink and estimating the TOTAL carb (not just the sugar) will help you see what savings can be made.
A low carb regime is less than 130g per day but some people do go lower than that.
Many people find having a home blood glucose monitor allows them better control enabling better food choices. If you are interested then a suggested one is the GlucoNavil which has the cheapest test strips available on line.

 

[JanetT]

Thank you so much - that is very reassuring. My HbA1C was high - 103 so hence the meds. Good idea to keep a food diary I will start that.
I have been given a blood glucose monitor and just started using before breakfast and before evening meal. Today's readings were 9.5 and 9.8 Thanks for the advice on reducing carbs gradually - have to admit I've had a couple of lean days probably need to be less drastic. I will take a look at the website. Many thanks.

 

[Leadinglights]

Thank you so much - that is very reassuring. My HbA1C was high - 103 so hence the meds. Good idea to keep a food diary I will start that.
I have been given a blood glucose monitor and just started using before breakfast and before evening meal. Today's readings were 9.5 and 9.8 Thanks for the advice on reducing carbs gradually - have to admit I've had a couple of lean days probably need to be less drastic. I will take a look at the website. Many thanks.

As you have been given a monitor (you are lucky as not many GP give them out) and hopefully prescribed sufficient test strips to be useful then testing the effect of meals on your blood glucose is useful. Test before you eat and after 2 hours and if the increase is no more than 2-3mmol/l then that meal is OK, if more than that then you should look to reducing the portion size of any high carb components, cut them out and find some substitutions.
The test strips for GP supplied monitors are often more expensive than for the GlucoNavil so if you haven't been prescribed enough strips to establish a good testing regime then you would recoup the cost of the other monitor quite quickly.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @JanetT

Glad you have had a positive experience with the power of peer support before. hope you find this forum just as supportive and encouraging.

Hope the metformin treats you kindly when you start on it. A degree of gastric upheaval is quite common. For many members this is relatively short lived, but some find they need the SR ‘slow release‘ versions, and others unfortunately get a more severe reaction which doesn't settle.

So if you get a bit of an upset stomach, don’t despair - there are many here who have been there before you, and might have some tips that could help.