Hello

[Dartmoor]

Hi, im joining the forum for help to support my 87 year old mum newly diagnosed with steroid induced diabetes,
Im really struggling with information on sugar content in fresh fruit, I am trying to support her diet changes , unfortunately she has macular degeneration so the traffic light system is helpful but labelling appears generally poor

 

[Leadinglights]

Welcome to the forum, brilliant that you are supporting your mother, MD is not an easy thing for people to manage but the MD society do offer quite a bit of help with visual aids etc which might be useful to her.
A bit more information about her diagnosis would help people make suggestions.
Is she permanently taking steroids or is it short term
Was she / you been told what her HbA1C is as that will indicate how far she is into the diabetic zone. Sadly steroids do have the reputation of causing elevated blood glucose.
Try not to think of just sugar content as it is all carbohydrates that increase blood glucose, unfortunately the carb content is in small print on the back of packets and that is what you need to look at not the traffic light system which is useless for anyone with diabetes.
To give you a bit more understanding this link has good explanation https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/ However what dietary changes may be suitable will depend on how high her blood glucose is and if she has been prescribed any medication.

 

[Dartmoor]

Hi, im joining the forum for help to support my 87 year old mum newly diagnosed with steroid induced diabetes,
Im really struggling with information on sugar content in fresh fruit, I am trying to support her diet changes , unfortunately she has macular degeneration so the traffic light system is helpful but labelling appears generally poor

Welcome to the forum, brilliant that you are supporting your mother, MD is not an easy thing for people to manage but the MD society do offer quite a bit of help with visual aids etc which might be useful to her.
A bit more information about her diagnosis would help people make suggestions.
Is she permanently taking steroids or is it short term
Was she / you been told what her HbA1C is as that will indicate how far she is into the diabetic zone. Sadly steroids do have the reputation of causing elevated blood glucose.
Try not to think of just sugar content as it is all carbohydrates that increase blood glucose, unfortunately the carb content is in small print on the back of packets and that is what you need to look at not the traffic light system which is useless for anyone with diabetes.
To give you a bit more understanding this link has good explanation https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/ However what dietary changes may be suitable will depend on how high her blood glucose is and if she has been prescribed any medication.

Thank you she is on steroids since March for PMR she is expected to be on them for another 6 months , she landed up in A/E 3 weeks ago with a blood sugar of 32 snd HBA1C 117 after putting in a complaint we now have been given a BM machine and a nurse will phone next week for readings, currently running around 18 . She now takes metformin 500 one twice a day
Thank you for the links i will have a good read

 

[Lucyr]

Hi, im joining the forum for help to support my 87 year old mum newly diagnosed with steroid induced diabetes,
Im really struggling with information on sugar content in fresh fruit, I am trying to support her diet changes , unfortunately she has macular degeneration so the traffic light system is helpful but labelling appears generally poor

Any supermarket app or website, or google, will be able to give you information on carb content of fruit. Alternatively specific apps like nutracheck or myfitnesspal or there are books.

 

[Leadinglights]

Thank you she is on steroids since March for PMR she is expected to be on them for another 6 months , she landed up in A/E 3 weeks ago with a blood sugar of 32 snd HBA1C 117 after putting in a complaint we now have been given a BM machine and a nurse will phone next week for readings, currently running around 18 . She now takes metformin 500 one twice a day
Thank you for the links i will have a good read

That is seriously high blood glucose so I suspect she will need additional medication other than metformin so keep in close contact with her nurse. It would also be a good idea to have some ketone urine dip sticks to check for ketones as high blood glucose and ketones would need urgent medical attention. I would suggest that she does finger prick tests regularly to check and if it is in the high teens or twenties then check for ketones.
They may want to bring her blood glucose down slowly as it is then less of a shock to the body.
Make sure she is staying well hydrated as that will help flush excess glucose from her system and do keep a eye out for Urinary tract infections which are common with high blood glucose but also in the elderly.
If she become unwell then don't hesitate to call 111 and tell then she is newly diagnosed diabetic with high blood glucose.
This may be being over cautious but better safe than sorry.

 

[Dartmoor]

That is seriously high blood glucose so I suspect she will need additional medication other than metformin so keep in close contact with her nurse. It would also be a good idea to have some ketone urine dip sticks to check for ketones as high blood glucose and ketones would need urgent medical attention. I would suggest that she does finger prick tests regularly to check and if it is in the high teens or twenties then check for ketones.
They may want to bring her blood glucose down slowly as it is then less of a shock to the body.
Make sure she is staying well hydrated as that will help flush excess glucose from her system and do keep a eye out for Urinary tract infections which are common with high blood glucose but also in the elderly.
If she become unwell then don't hesitate to call 111 and tell then she is newly diagnosed diabetic with high blood glucose.
This may be being over cautious but better safe than sorry.

Thank you , yes I have made my thoughts very clear on the lack of GP monitoring , I’m a respiratory nurse but know that glucose is dangerous, I’m 300 miles away but travelling up each week end to ensure all is being done, we now have a diabetic community nurse phoning us this week, the Bm machine finally arrived yesterday, and I managed to get her in the swing of doing them really well considering she is partially sighted, she has gone from a 18 to. 14 dress size, so really was in a mess with the undiagnosed diabetes, blood sugars yesterday and today around 11 in the morning and 18 in evening, not ideal but improving greatly, urine dip is clear now for keystones but did have some when in A/E, I’m happy we are moving in right direction as she looks vastly better, I want to support her now with diet as her eyes are so poor it’s hard for her to read labels, Thank you again x

 

[Dartmoor]

Any supermarket app or website, or google, will be able to give you information on carb content of fruit. Alternatively specific apps like nutracheck or myfitnesspal or there are books.

Wow thank you never thought about the Apps, I’ve found searching on google brings a lot of American info up, I will try the Apps- Thank you

 

[Leadinglights]

Thank you , yes I have made my thoughts very clear on the lack of GP monitoring , I’m a respiratory nurse but know that glucose is dangerous, I’m 300 miles away but travelling up each week end to ensure all is being done, we now have a diabetic community nurse phoning us this week, the Bm machine finally arrived yesterday, and I managed to get her in the swing of doing them really well considering she is partially sighted, she has gone from a 18 to. 14 dress size, so really was in a mess with the undiagnosed diabetes, blood sugars yesterday and today around 11 in the morning and 18 in evening, not ideal but improving greatly, urine dip is clear now for keystones but did have some when in A/E, I’m happy we are moving in right direction as she looks vastly better, I want to support her now with diet as her eyes are so poor it’s hard for her to read labels, Thank you again x

If you make careful choices then some of the slimming world or weight watchers ready meals are low carb so something that could be kept in the freezer. Also cooked meats with salad and coleslaw are low carb options, eggs and cheese and tinned fish like tuna, mackerel or salmon are low carb, however it sounds as if she does not need to lose anymore weight so important to have plenty of protein and healthy fats. Full fat Greek yoghurt with berries or high protein yoghurts would be good.
The weight loss she had may indicate that she may need to additional help with insulin.
My other half's mother had MD and had various devices to help her read labels, I can't remember what it was called by it was supplied by the MD Society.
I hope her sight is good enough for her to manage doing the finger pricks and see the monitor to be able to use it.
Does she have any support at home.

 

[Dartmoor]

Thank you, yes she belongs to local MD club and has some great devices, im impressed how she is managing to do the BM after s few attempts, but we are there now, unfortunately my dad is 93 and in poor health so she has extra pressure but my brother is close by and i travel up to see her and wonderful face time is a life saver, she has good neighbours i rely on one being a paramedic,

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear about your Mum’s steroid-induced diabetes @Dartmoor - it’s the second post I’ve read this morning about a GP not necessarily being very forthcoming about the possible impact of steroids on glucose levels

Macular degeneration must be adding significant extra difficulty. My Mum has been living with MD for a while, and finds the reduction in her eyesight very challenging

There were a few specialist BG monitors which used to offer speech / spoken instruction several years ago, to assist people with loss of vision.

I had a guest post on my diabetes blog about 10 years ago that covered some options - not sure if they are still available?

Guest post: BG monitors for blind/visually impaired people

Because no two days with type 1 diabetes are the same. Except when they are. The ups and downs of life with T1D.

www.everydayupsanddowns.co.uk

 

[Dartmoor]

I need to have a good read on diet and understand the carbs better as i was assuming just getting the sugar out of the diet was the way to go , everyone is being so helpful

 

[Dartmoor]

Sorry to hear about your Mum’s steroid-induced diabetes @Dartmoor - it’s the second post I’ve read this morning about a GP not necessarily being very forthcoming about the possible impact of steroids on glucose levels

Macular degeneration must be adding significant extra difficulty. My Mum has been living with MD for a while, and finds the reduction in her eyesight very challenging

 

[Dartmoor]

Thank you, ive been very upset with GP as i had been messaging and emailing GP requesting a blood sugar as i could see what was happening talking to her on FaceTime, no bloods since july so i drove up here and saw her and called 111 and she spent the day in A/E, the hospital have supported my complaint to GP which is under review , lets hope they learn a lesson

 

[Dartmoor]

Thank you all for your help, we now have a community diabetic nurse helping mum, the blood sugars are coming down, metformin has been increased, we are struggling to find what’s the best breakfast cereal, fruit and fibre is ok but she used to like cornflakes, what is the best breakfast cereal to choose ,

 

[Leadinglights]

Thank you all for your help, we now have a community diabetic nurse helping mum, the blood sugars are coming down, metformin has been increased, we are struggling to find what’s the best breakfast cereal, fruit and fibre is ok but she used to like cornflakes, what is the best breakfast cereal to choose ,

Cereal is not the best as all cereals are high carbs, All bran or a low sugar granola would likely be best but important to be careful of portion size. A better option would be full fat Greek yoghurt with some berries and then just a small portion like 15-20g of granola.
Or eggs

 

[rebrascora]

In general, all cereals are by nature high in carbohydrates because they are made from grains. If they also have dried fruit, that is also high in carbs so fruit and fibre isn't always the best option if BG levels are high and you are relying mostly on diet. Many of us here avoid cereals altogether and have creamy Greek style natural yoghurt with some mixed seeds and a few berries which are the lowest carb fruits... raspberries, blackcurrants, blackberries, strawberries or blueberries. Or eggs are really good. I find scrambled eggs quick and easy to do in the microwave and nice with some grated cheese and mushrooms and/or a sliced tomato or some pickled gherkins.... but maybe I am just a bit weird! 🙄
Some people can manage a small portion of porridge but others like myself find it acts like rocket fuel for my BG levels. Some people manage one Weetabix. Personally I can't see any fun in eating porridge or Weetabix without sugar or something to lift it's blandness, so I mostly stick with yoghurt and berries. I also enjoy an omelette with salad and coleslaw if I am having a late breakfast/brunch and I then skip lunch and just have an evening meal.

 

[Dartmoor]

Cereal is not the best as all cereals are high carbs, All bran or a low sugar granola would likely be best but important to be careful of portion size. A better option would be full fat Greek yoghurt with some berries and then just a small portion like 15-20g of granola.
Or eggs

Thank you, I’m just taking it steady changing her well set ways at 87 old , ❤️ she is finding change hard, but doing really well , she did pick up the Greek yoghurt today with some berries so that’s a great start, this forum is so helpful, thank you again

 

[Dartmoor]

In general, all cereals are by nature high in carbohydrates because they are made from grains. If they also have dried fruit, that is also high in carbs so fruit and fibre isn't always the best option if BG levels are high and you are relying mostly on diet. Many of us here avoid cereals altogether and have creamy Greek style natural yoghurt with some mixed seeds and a few berries which are the lowest carb fruits... raspberries, blackcurrants, blackberries, strawberries or blueberries. Or eggs are really good. I find scrambled eggs quick and easy to do in the microwave and nice with some grated cheese and mushrooms and/or a sliced tomato or some pickled gherkins.... but maybe I am just a bit weird! 🙄
Some people can manage a small portion of porridge but others like myself find it acts like rocket fuel for my BG levels. Some people manage one Weetabix. Personally I can't see any fun in eating porridge or Weetabix without sugar or something to lift it's blandness, so I mostly stick with yoghurt and berries. I also enjoy an omelette with salad and coleslaw if I am having a late breakfast/brunch and I then skip lunch and just have an evening meal.

Thank you, weetabix was a no today , we are trying Greek yoghurt tomorrow with berries , thank you for your ideas, that’s a super list of berries to try, I know she loves blueberries and raspberries an a lot , thank you,