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Stripey

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Hi

Like so many before me I have been browsing the forum for some time now (Dec last year in my case) during which I have enjoyed reading but not contributing.

So here goes my first post 🙂

I was diagnosed last December with type 2 diabetes which came as a big shock. I am currently on 2g of Metformin and thankfully it seems to be doing its job.I do however have a couple of questions that the good people on here may be able to shed some light on.

Firstly the problem of "wind" everything that I have read says that the problem should go away after a few months for me now into my 10th month on metformin it is still with me. Quite frankly it is embarrassing at times. Is there much that can be done about it?

Secondly I am 53 years young and in the past two or three months I have started to get a lot of really bad spots around my nose and cheeks, is this another known side effect.

I have got a review at my GP's in a couple of weeks and I would like to be able to go armed with some info.

Thirdly loss of feeling in toes\feet, I have my little toe on one foot and the big toe on the other that are numb also the side of one foot. The nurse does not see this as a problem. Does anyone have any thoughts on this.

Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings.
 
Hi Stripey, welcome to the forum - glad you decided to join in 🙂

Regarding the metformin, I don't have any personal experience although I think others have mentioned to timing of the dose in relation to food can be important, and also to be careful about the amount of carbohydrate in the meals you eat.

It's not unusual to have loss of sensation in toes when initially diagnosed, when and if this goes may depend on how your blood sugar levels are behaving. I do think that the nurse should take things more seriously from what you say, it would be a good idea to ask to be referred to a podiatrist if you haven't already seen one - they have more expertise. One of the problems with diabetes care is that early problems are often overlooked or disregarded, so I would stick to your guns and express your worries at your review.

The skin problems may again be related to your blood sugar levels - higher levels encourage the bacteria that cause these problems. Are you testing your levels with a home meter? You may have read other posts in which we would advise this, so that you can build a true picture of how you are managing your diabetes - the 3 or 6-monthly checks may obscure some ups and downs along the way, and this is something you can improve. I'll just repeat the recommendations for reading that we suggest: Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter, and the excellent Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker.
 
Stripey said:
Hi
Like so many before me I have been browsing the forum for some time now (Dec last year in my case) during which I have enjoyed reading but not contributing.
So here goes my first post 🙂
I was diagnosed last December with type 2 diabetes which came as a big shock. I am currently on 2g of Metformin and thankfully it seems to be doing its job.I do however have a couple of questions that the good people on here may be able to shed some light on.
Firstly the problem of "wind" everything that I have read says that the problem should go away after a few months for me now into my 10th month on metformin it is still with me. Quite frankly it is embarrassing at times. Is there much that can be done about it?
Secondly I am 53 years young and in the past two or three months I have started to get a lot of really bad spots around my nose and cheeks, is this another known side effect.
I have got a review at my GP's in a couple of weeks and I would like to be able to go armed with some info.
Thirdly loss of feeling in toes\feet, I have my little toe on one foot and the big toe on the other that are numb also the side of one foot. The nurse does not see this as a problem. Does anyone have any thoughts on this.
Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings.
Click to expand...
Yes, all good questions to bring up at the GP.
Some people get slow release metformin (SR) which solves a few side effects.
My diabetic nurse does what I call a tickle test with a point on the underside of my foot, and seems happy that I can feel most areas. You should express your concern about your areas of no feeling.
 
Welcome to the forum Stripey 🙂
 
Northerner-Yes I am using a meter and my average reading is now at 7.2.I only use it twice a day now though when I first got it I used it to determine which foods I could eat without my BG going up to much. I dont see how you can control diabetes without one as everyone is different.

Bill- "Some people get slow release metformin (SR) which solves a few side effects" Yes I read that on this forum and these are the ones that I am taking.I had a flexible plastic thingy ( sorry for being so technical) used on me by the nurse. My list of questions concerns for my review is growing ho hum.
 
Welcome stripes, glad you decided to post. It took me a couple of months of lurking, but I haven't looked back. Good luck with your appointment. 🙂
 
Welcome, Stripey.🙂
 
Welcome Stripey. :D
 
Hello Stripey, can't help with the Metformin issues but I wanted to say hello and welcome. Randomly though I have noticed I've got an oily nose with some blemishes since being diagnosed, I asked the DSN because it's weird given that I haven't had an oily t-zone since I was a teenager, she said uncontrolled blood sugar can cause skin dryness, which in turn can make the skin overproduce oil. It seems to have calmed down quite a bit now that my blood sugar is stable but it's still more of a shining star than I'd like :D

Foot wise I'd push them a bit to take a closer look at what's going on there just for peace of mind 🙂
 
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