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Help please from a newbie type 2

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Hendryclan

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I have been diagnosed as having Type 2 6 weeks ago by my GP and she put me on metformin starting at one daily and increasing up to 4 daily 500mg x4. I was experiencing terrible diarrhoea and stomach cramps so my gp has put me on SR x 4 metformin with 1 glyiclicide. I have been taking this for one week. It am still experiencing the nausea and stomach cramps. Also this morning I experienced a very strange situation where I took my 2 x 500mg metformin and my one glyiclicide after my breakfast as usual. I took my blood sugar one hour after my brekkie and I had what I always have which is 2 brown toast and small cup of tea. My blood sugar was 14.4 after my brekkie and 9.4 before. But after another hour I began to feel very shaky and jittery and sweaty. I took my blood and it had dropped down to 7.1. I had a biscuit and now feel ok again but have stomach cramps and I am at this moment waiting for "the call" to the loo!
Will this get better! I lost 16ibs the first three weeks I started on my meds which my diabetic nurse wasn't too concerned with, as she thinks it might be down to my bad diarrhoea. I just want to get on some sort of level plain where I am not running to the loo everything I eat something, and stop having these stomach cramps. I know the meds are working as I now longer have a raging thirst and apart from this episode this morning I haven't had the shakes or sweats since.
I am still very tired though and keep dropping off. Any advice would be very gratefully re wives. Sorry for the long winded message but there is so much to take in. Thanx. Xx
 
Hello Hendryclan, welcome to the forum. Sorry you're having a bad time.

The shakes were probably a 'false hypo'. Your body has got used to running on high blood glucose levels, so when you drop to a healthier level it goes into panic mode. This will go away when you get your levels under control.

Have you been any advice about diet? ALL carbohydrates are converted to glucose - not just sugar. There's plenty of useful reading in the 'stickies' at the top of the Newbies section.

As for the effects of metformin, they did go away eventually for me. I find it best to have the tablets with a very low carb meal to avoid the unpleasantness.
 
Hi Hendryclan, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. As you say, there is a lot to take in, but take things at a pace you are comfortable with and try not to become overwhelmed with information. Having just said that, I am going to recommend that you read Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter to give you a good understanding of your diabetes and what it all entails. Another excellent resource recommended by many of our members is Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker. With these under your belt you will hopefully feel a bit more in control.

It is early days for you still. Many members find that things settle down with the metformin after a couple of weeks or so, but if you are having really bad problems with them, the GP can prescribe a 'slow-release' form that tends to be kinder on the digestive system, so do ask for this if you feel you need to.

When you experienced the 7.1 and the shakes, this will have been a 'false' hypo - your blood sugar levels were much lower than your body has been used to, so your brain sent out panic signals because it thought you were running low on energy. As you found, just eating a little something raises your levels enough to stop the symptoms. However, because you are on gliclizide you should always test when you feel like that, just to make sure your levels have not dipped below 4.0 mmol/l, which can be dangerous if left untreated with something sweet. If you drive, hopefully you are aware of the need to test prior to driving, and also during longer journeys to ensure your levels have not dropped too low.

It will take a little while for all the medication to get working properly and keep your levels steadier. When you are closer to a 'normal' range - between around 4-8 mmol/l, then you should start to feel as though you have more energy. It's important to pay close attention to your diet though, particularly the amount of carbohydrate you are eating, as this is what will raise your blood sugar levels. If they rise quickly after a meal, this will make you feel tired, so try to select food that has a slwoer and steadier effect when digesting. The GL Diet for Dummies is a good guide to choosing food that will be better for your diabetes/blood sugar levels.

It will get better if you stick with it! People often find that they end up feeling much happier and healthier once they have got their levels under control, so the future is positive! Let us know if you have any questions - nothing is considered 'silly' - and we will do our best to help out 🙂
 
Hi LeeLee
Thanx so much for the quick reply. Do you think I should change my brekkie?I was thinking of maybe porridge instead of bread. I am going to buy a book from Amazon regarding carbs and calories which a few people have recommended. It's such a minefield of advice, but like you say, once I get my levels right I should start feeling better. Any advice would able appreciated. Thanx again. X
 
Hi Northerner
Thanx so much for your advice. It's great to find other people who understand the problems. I didn't really appreciate the problems my mum and dad experience until it has happened to me. My mum has neuropathy in her feet due to her being undiagnosed for so many years so I am aware if how important it is to keep an eye on everything. I will have a look at your recommendations. Thanx again. Feel better just knowing that there is someone I can talk to about it. Xx
 
Hendryclan said:
Hi LeeLee
Thanx so much for the quick reply. Do you think I should change my brekkie?I was thinking of maybe porridge instead of bread. I am going to buy a book from Amazon regarding carbs and calories which a few people have recommended. It's such a minefield of advice, but like you say, once I get my levels right I should start feeling better. Any advice would able appreciated. Thanx again. X
Click to expand...

The best thing to do regarding your meals is to use your meter to determine what your body tolerates well, and what needs to be replaced, or perhaps reduced in portion size. Have a read of Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S for a guide to efficient testing. Basically, you need to test before eating, then one and/or two hours after in order to see where the 'peak' is in your blood sugar levels, and how much the food has caused to to rise by. Some people find porridge better than bread, but it can be a very individual thing, so you need to determine what is best for you as an individual. Insulin resistance is often greater in the mornings, so a carby breakfast can have a greater effect than later in the day, so it can be a good idea to go for a low-carb breakfast, such as scrambled eggs and tomatoes. 🙂
 
More help please

Hi guys
Me again. Just need to pick ur brains. Last week after being diagnosed six weeks ago I was taking 4 x 200mg metformin and 1 glyclicide and I felt better than I had for a long time. I was hoping I would start feeling better however this only lasted 3 days and now I feel as though I am back where I started! I am constantly tired but luckily not having the diarrhoea. But I am now having terrible headaches and feeling sick and having no appetite. Should I go back to my doctor, but I feel as though I am constantly there at the moment and I am going back for silly things. I have been taking my sugar levels and they are still in the 9 upwards range except for first thing in the morning when I wake up before my breakfast and they are between 7 - 11 blood sugar level.

Your help and advice would be appreciated, as I wonder if I am doing anything wrong. :confused:
 
Serious headache, feeling sick and loss of appetite are a set of symptoms that need looking into. Might be nothing, or something simple. What to do depends a bit on how easily / soon you can see your GP. If you can't get an appointment today, then phone 111 for advice - the call handler will go through questions, then, usually, you'll speak with a nurse. They'll recommend course of action eg self treatment, pharmacy, GP, A&E.
 
Are you sure you haven't got lactic acidosis a rare side effect from Metformin?

If you eat to many carbs when taking Met this will give you a runny bum as well.
 
If you're concerned before Friday, then do phone 111.
 
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