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AndyGlos

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Evening/Morning All, I'm a type 2 diabetic diagnosed about 18 months ago. Am only up in the early hours as the last couple of days my sugar levels have gone haywire. Started today at 9.2 and now reached 16.9 so need a drink or two.
I am on medication for an auto-immune problem called Pyoderma-Gangrenosum (you won't have heard of that one), and vasculitis. They keep changing my diabetic medication but next week it's almost certain that Insulin will be tried. I was wondering if anyone else took Prednisolone or Azathioprine and has/had problems. The first has only recently been prescribed and the second they've just doubled the dose. I thought I was pretty up on diabetic things as my late partner had it for 20 years but I seem to be struggling to look after myself.
Any help or advice would be gratefully received.
 
Welcome to the forum @AndyGlos

Steroids have a bit of a reputation for playing havoc with glucose levels, and members who need to take them intermittently to help with other conditions such as arthritis or Addisons often need to adjust their meds to help balance things out.

Interesting that you have an autoimmune condition. Did they check for diabetes antibodies when you were diagnosed? Autoimmune conditions can group together and there’s a slow-onset form of autoimmune diabetes sometimes called LADA that can get mistaken for T2 as it comes on over a longer period later in life.
 
Hi and welcome from me too.

Mike has already mentioned two of my thoughts.... ie. that steroids raise BG levels to the extent that there is a steroid induced diabetes category and that autoimmune conditions often congregate and wreak havoc in the same body, so your diabetes may well be a for, of Type 1 which is autoimmune rather that Type 2.

My third thought is that you may be in possention of old school advice about managing Type 2 and what is considered a healthy diet for Type 2 and indeed the NHS is still behind the curve with dietary advice for Type 2 in many places.
Can you give us an idea of what you typically eat in a day for breakfast lunch and evening
meal. It may be that your diet is contributing to that significant rise in levels. For instance changing to wholegrain like brown bread/pasta/rice and porridge and fruit is still too many carbs for many people with diabetes.
That said, if they are starting you on insulin then hopefully you will be able to adjust your doses instead of your diet, but it will take time to get the doses right. I am sure you will feel pretty rubbish with levels that high so hopefully the insulin will make life a little easier and bring them down, but if you would like to tell us which diabetes medication you are currently taking and the sort of things you typically eat we can perhaps make some suggestions as to alternative foods/meals which would not raise your levels so high.
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
Welcome to the forum @AndyGlos

Steroids have a bit of a reputation for playing havoc with glucose levels, and members who need to take them intermittently to help with other conditions such as arthritis or Addisons often need to adjust their meds to help balance things out.

Interesting that you have an autoimmune condition. Did they check for diabetes antibodies when you were diagnosed? Autoimmune conditions can group together and there’s a slow-onset form of autoimmune diabetes sometimes called LADA that can get mistaken for T2 as it comes on over a longer period later in life.
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Hi Mike
Thanks for replying. It's all been very hit and miss with the NHS I'm afraid. The Pyoderma has been ongoing for years but because it's rare they didn't join the dots and only when I said I was getting a second opinion I got a Doctor that understood it. I was on Methotrexate but neither the tabs or injections agreed with me. I had very few checks before they put on that and then other steroids and despite a monthly blood test it was only when I suggested a diabetes check might be a good idea my Surgery, reluctantly, did one. I was confirmed 18 months after starting steroids and it was what I suspected. I haven't heard of LADA so I shall have to look that up, thanks for the heads up. I have a review with my Practice Nurse next week so will have lots of questions ready.
 
rebrascora said:
Hi and welcome from me too.

Mike has already mentioned two of my thoughts.... ie. that steroids raise BG levels to the extent that there is a steroid induced diabetes category and that autoimmune conditions often congregate and wreak havoc in the same body, so your diabetes may well be a for, of Type 1 which is autoimmune rather that Type 2.

My third thought is that you may be in possention of old school advice about managing Type 2 and what is considered a healthy diet for Type 2 and indeed the NHS is still behind the curve with dietary advice for Type 2 in many places.
Can you give us an idea of what you typically eat in a day for breakfast lunch and evening
meal. It may be that your diet is contributing to that significant rise in levels. For instance changing to wholegrain like brown bread/pasta/rice and porridge and fruit is still too many carbs for many people with diabetes.
That said, if they are starting you on insulin then hopefully you will be able to adjust your doses instead of your diet, but it will take time to get the doses right. I am sure you will feel pretty rubbish with levels that high so hopefully the insulin will make life a little easier and bring them down, but if you would like to tell us which diabetes medication you are currently taking and the sort of things you typically eat we can perhaps make some suggestions as to alternative foods/meals which would not raise your levels so high.
Click to expand...
Hello Barbara
You and Mike have given very useful information thank you and got my mind working on questions I should ask.

I suspect I am a bit behind the curve regarding diets. My Partner passed away 3 years ago and it's not something I have had to give thought to recently. I've always eaten healthily anyway, I'm a country lad brought up on Dartmoor. Breakfast now is 1 piece of brown, buttered, seeded bread. Lunch is home made soup, various types, or bacon and egg. Evenings I have various meats, chops, chicken or something with either salad or veg and a couple of small boiled spuds and my guilty pleasure is a ripe pear every day. If friends are around I'll pig out a bit on a cottage pie and veg or something similar. The only thing I can't have is any type of fish or shellfish as I'm allergic to that and I avoid processed food.

Meds at the moment are 40mg Gliclazide twice a day and 1 x 500 Metphormine in the evening. I was resisting insulin as I misread the driving rules and one of my hobbies is very old cars. But have reassurance on that so that's why the Nurse and I will be having a discussion as to what she thinks is best, assuming I get more than 5 minutes with her.

Kind regards
 
Doesn't sound like you are going overboard with the carbs. Do you have bread at lunchtime with the soup as well as breakfast? Some of us find that bread is particularly challenging with regard to spiking our levels and mostly I avoid it, But if you are only having one slice, that is only about 15-20g carbs for breakfast so not a lot. Your ripe pear is probably another 15-20g. A bowl of soup, depending upon the type it is, but probably another 15-20g carbs and if you have bread with it you can double it, so 30-40g for lunch and then a couple of spuds is 20-30g in the evening, so probably 80-100g carbs a day (low carb is anything below 130g carbs a day, and considering you are taking Gliclazide and still seeing the levels you are getting it sounds like you do need insulin, so hope you get started on that soon. Getting the correct classification of your diabetes can be iportant, particularly if you are a slow onset Type 1/LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults) as it means you have access to better support and technology like getting Constant Glucose Monitor (CGM) on prescription which is the sensor that goes on your arm usually and samples your levels every few minutes to give readings. It is a steep learning curve to start with but yes you can still drive although you will be reduced to a restricted 3 year medical licence which means you lose your 7.5 tonne lorry entitlement, if you have one, but still enables you to drive cars and bikes.

Just as a matter of interest, my partner has a couple of vintage cars.... a 1927 Lea Francis and a 1919 Angus Sanderson, which was one of the first production line car factories in the UK and made locally to us in the North East at Birtley, although the one he owns is only one of a handful remaining and was exported to Australia as a rolling chassis and bodied there, so it has been halfway around the world and back! We also have horses and have period horse drawn vehicles which we use.
 
rebrascora said:
Doesn't sound like you are going overboard with the carbs. Do you have bread at lunchtime with the soup as well as breakfast? Some of us find that bread is particularly challenging with regard to spiking our levels and mostly I avoid it, But if you are only having one slice, that is only about 15-20g carbs for breakfast so not a lot. Your ripe pear is probably another 15-20g. A bowl of soup, depending upon the type it is, but probably another 15-20g carbs and if you have bread with it you can double it, so 30-40g for lunch and then a couple of spuds is 20-30g in the evening, so probably 80-100g carbs a day (low carb is anything below 130g carbs a day, and considering you are taking Gliclazide and still seeing the levels you are getting it sounds like you do need insulin, so hope you get started on that soon. Getting the correct classification of your diabetes can be iportant, particularly if you are a slow onset Type 1/LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults) as it means you have access to better support and technology like getting Constant Glucose Monitor (CGM) on prescription which is the sensor that goes on your arm usually and samples your levels every few minutes to give readings. It is a steep learning curve to start with but yes you can still drive although you will be reduced to a restricted 3 year medical licence which means you lose your 7.5 tonne lorry entitlement, if you have one, but still enables you to drive cars and bikes.

Just as a matter of interest, my partner has a couple of vintage cars.... a 1927 Lea Francis and a 1919 Angus Sanderson, which was one of the first production line car factories in the UK and made locally to us in the North East at Birtley, although the one he owns is only one of a handful remaining and was exported to Australia as a rolling chassis and bodied there, so it has been halfway around the world and back! We also have horses and have period horse drawn vehicles which we use.
Click to expand...
Thank you again Barbara, My GP rang me this afternoon after reading some discharge notes from the Hospital. He's doubled the Gliclazide until I see my Diabetic Nurse next week. We had a good chat about food and if I go any higher today, currently 16.4, I have been instructed to get straight to Hospital. I've been reading up on what you and Mike have mentioned and I think I shall be having a serious conversation with the Nurse about LADA especially as I haven't had a reading below 10 this week. I'm not good with technology though, hence the old cars lol. I have so much to catch up with on Diabetes and now realise how far behind the times I am. I don't have a breakdown wagon any more so can do without the 7.5 tonne bit on my licence but do need to tow a large trailer.
I know about a Lea F and the Angus. I wonder if that's an ex M W-W one? I have a 1904 Berliet, you can google pictures, and a 1908 Hillman-Coatalen under restoration which also came from Aus. If you and Hubby ever visit Prescott I am 12 miles from there and there's always spare beds here if you need accommodation.
 
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