Just found out today I have type 2 diabetes level 80! No-one in family has it. Since about Easter I noticed the following symptoms but put it down to begin 54: skin is dry, crepey and itchy, my hair is thining at front (nice), tingling left arm now and then and exhausted; although been under a lot of financial stress this year. I've lost since summer 3 stone on Cambridge diet with 4 stone to go - so you can imagine my shock when they said type 2. I am so ashamed. I can't tell anyone. I found your site and just had to share. I am in shock and feel terrible with no-one to turn to. I made a GP appointment for Monday and see that the likely medication with be Metformin. Can you tell me how long will it take to make the above symptoms go away? And why would the hospital doctor say that itching is noting to do with Diabetes? When it is listed on many sites talking about diabetes. Thank you for your time.
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Ralph-YK
Much missed Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Welcome to the forum Rizla, from a fellow T2.
Once your BG is down, improvements in symptoms can be quite quick. It's also possible for some improvement as you lower your BG.
Is that a HbA1c test?
Depends on how long it takes for you to lower your blood glucose (BG). And exact cause (a number of us have several things going on).
Once your BG is down, improvements in symptoms can be quite quick. It's also possible for some improvement as you lower your BG.
Hi thanks for the quick reply. I don't know the test name. I guess so. I'm off to see GP on Monday. So will ask. The hospital said 48 is normal. So looking at your list I see that you are within that range now. Well done. So guess it was the HbA1bc test. I also have managed Acromegaly (too much growth hormone - had op few years ago).
SueEK
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi @Rizla and welcome to the forum. Firstly and foremost may I say PLEASE do not feel ashamed, diabetes can affect absolutely anyone. I was diagnosed at the beginning of this year with an HbA1c of 90, also no one in my family has it, I am slim and always have been, though confess I did like my carbs. I hope you can come to share your diagnosis with your family and friends at some point as it is good to have support and understanding. Having said that we are just great at supporting and offering advice from our own personal experience but our diabetes can affect us all very differently so you will need to give yourself some time to work out what is best for you. It can be overwhelming and scary at first but believe me you will get used to things and what you need to do to help yourself.
Can I suggest you have a look through the site and write down as many questions as you want, nothing is too big or small, we have all been in your situation as a newbie so we do understand. Keep posting. Sue xx
PS very well done on your weight loss
Can I suggest you have a look through the site and write down as many questions as you want, nothing is too big or small, we have all been in your situation as a newbie so we do understand. Keep posting. Sue xx
PS very well done on your weight loss
SueEK
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Sorry @Rizla just realised I didn’t answer your questions. The only two I can help with is the tiredness, I suffered extreme exhaustion which when I drastically cut down on the carbs started to abate within weeks. I used to have a sleep every afternoon, couldn’t get through a whole day, now I rarely have a nap unless I have had two sandwiches then I crash out, bread is seriously my enemy (and pasta). About the Metformin it certainly helped get my levels down and I had no problem with it after a couple of weeks other than awful nausea which went when I changed when I took them, ie during or after my main meal, you really need food in your tummy before you take it or it can upset your tummy, if this does happen you can change to a slow release version. Some people do have problems with Metformin but others none at all. Sue x
Ralph-YK
Much missed Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
"Normal" would be 30(?) to 41.
48 and above gets you a diagnoses of diabetes. (Even if you go back below that, you're still down as diabetic.)
rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hi and welcome.
Firstly, do not be embarrassed or ashamed. I found the TED talk (linked below) by an eminent American doctor Peter Attia to be helpful in my early journey with diabetes....
Secondly, you have every reason to be proud of yourself for losing 3 stone since summer. That is an amazing achievement and just shows that you have the mindset and determination to tackle your diabetes in a similar fashion.
I think there may be more than one thing causing your problems/symptoms and they may or may not be related. Skin infections including yeast infections thrive when your Blood Glucose is high, so that may be related and the tingling can also be due to diabetes, however the dry, itchy skin and possibly the hair loss could also be due to stress or even the menopause or not being properly hydrated. (I recently started on HRT and that has made a big difference to a lot of issues) The most common symptoms of diabetes tend to be thirst and weeing a lot as the kidneys try to remove the excess glucose from the body, particularly when your HbA1c is quite high as yours is, but there are plenty of people on the forum who have brought their levels down from even higher than that, through dietary changes and put their diabetes into remission, so with the right advice and a positive attitude, you have a good chance of doing the same.
The key is to cut down your carbohydrate intake. That is not just sugars (which are found in fruit, fruit juice and smoothies as well as the obvious cakes, biscuits and sweets) but also starchy carbs from grain products like bread and pasta and rice (even those healthy wholemeal varieties) and breakfast cereals, even that wholesome porridge and also potatoes. You might wonder what there is left to eat but it is surprising once you get your head around it.... after all, we have spent a lifetime pilling our plates with carbs, so learning what to eat instead is bound to be a bit mind boggling at first.
Meat, fish, eggs, nuts and mushrooms are all good. Green leafy veg are great. Mediterranean veg are good, oils and fats are good (you need to get your calories from somewhere, if you are reducing your main source of them (carbs) and fats take longer to digest so they keep you fuller for longer) so opt for full fat dairy like wholemilk, butter, cheese, cream and creamy natural Greek yoghurt as these are lower in carbs than low fat options. Cauliflower is your friend.... who doesn't like cauliflower cheese (better for diabetics made by coating the par cooked cauli in cream cheese and grated mature cheese and then browned off in the oven rather than using flour (carbs) and milk to make a cheese sauce. It can also be mashed to replace potatoes and used to top a cottage pie or finely chopped to make a rice or couscous substitute. Courgettes can be spiralised to make courgetti instead of spaghetti and there is a product called Bare Naked Noodles which is pretty much zero carb for use in stir fries etc. Hopefully that gives you some ideas.
I appreciate that the Cambridge Diet has worked for you but I am not sure eating meal substitutes like shakes and bars is ideal and eating real food id definitely more satisfying. Surprisingly, eating fat does not make you fat as we have been led to believe and many people still lose weight on a Low Carbohydrate, Higher Fat (LCHF) diet.
It is also important to increase your activity levels and a brisk walk each day, even if it is just 10-15 mins can help to lower your BG levels.
Finally, many members here find it is beneficial to self fund a Blood Glucose Meter as they are not generally provided to Type 2 Diabetics these days. They are relatively cheap to purchase (approx. £15) but it is the on going purchase of test strips which tots up the expenses and for this reason the SD Codefree Blood Glucose Meter is recommended most often on the forum because it's test strips are one of the cheapest at £8 for a pot of 50. It can be purchased on Amazon I believe and testing before and 2 hours after food will tell you whether your body coped with what you ate or you need to reduce the carb portion in that meal next time. If the rise in your BG is more than 3mmol 2 hours after the meal then you need to modify it. Less than 3 and you are doing well. We are all different in how we digest food and some diabetics will be able to eat more carbohydrates than others, so testing yourself and tailoring your diet according to your readings is the best way to manage it, rather than blindly following general dietary advice from health care professionals, which is often outdated.
Also, if/when you start on Metformin, do make sure to take it mid meal with a substantial amount of food as it has a tendency to cause digestive upset.
Best of luck and feel free to ask whatever questions come to mind. Some of your symptoms may take a few months to settle down (like the arm tingling) provided your BG levels come down. The skin problem may be something else.
Hope the above gives you some guidance. If you read plenty of back posts you will gain a lot more insight.
Firstly, do not be embarrassed or ashamed. I found the TED talk (linked below) by an eminent American doctor Peter Attia to be helpful in my early journey with diabetes....
Secondly, you have every reason to be proud of yourself for losing 3 stone since summer. That is an amazing achievement and just shows that you have the mindset and determination to tackle your diabetes in a similar fashion.
I think there may be more than one thing causing your problems/symptoms and they may or may not be related. Skin infections including yeast infections thrive when your Blood Glucose is high, so that may be related and the tingling can also be due to diabetes, however the dry, itchy skin and possibly the hair loss could also be due to stress or even the menopause or not being properly hydrated. (I recently started on HRT and that has made a big difference to a lot of issues) The most common symptoms of diabetes tend to be thirst and weeing a lot as the kidneys try to remove the excess glucose from the body, particularly when your HbA1c is quite high as yours is, but there are plenty of people on the forum who have brought their levels down from even higher than that, through dietary changes and put their diabetes into remission, so with the right advice and a positive attitude, you have a good chance of doing the same.
The key is to cut down your carbohydrate intake. That is not just sugars (which are found in fruit, fruit juice and smoothies as well as the obvious cakes, biscuits and sweets) but also starchy carbs from grain products like bread and pasta and rice (even those healthy wholemeal varieties) and breakfast cereals, even that wholesome porridge and also potatoes. You might wonder what there is left to eat but it is surprising once you get your head around it.... after all, we have spent a lifetime pilling our plates with carbs, so learning what to eat instead is bound to be a bit mind boggling at first.
Meat, fish, eggs, nuts and mushrooms are all good. Green leafy veg are great. Mediterranean veg are good, oils and fats are good (you need to get your calories from somewhere, if you are reducing your main source of them (carbs) and fats take longer to digest so they keep you fuller for longer) so opt for full fat dairy like wholemilk, butter, cheese, cream and creamy natural Greek yoghurt as these are lower in carbs than low fat options. Cauliflower is your friend.... who doesn't like cauliflower cheese (better for diabetics made by coating the par cooked cauli in cream cheese and grated mature cheese and then browned off in the oven rather than using flour (carbs) and milk to make a cheese sauce. It can also be mashed to replace potatoes and used to top a cottage pie or finely chopped to make a rice or couscous substitute. Courgettes can be spiralised to make courgetti instead of spaghetti and there is a product called Bare Naked Noodles which is pretty much zero carb for use in stir fries etc. Hopefully that gives you some ideas.
I appreciate that the Cambridge Diet has worked for you but I am not sure eating meal substitutes like shakes and bars is ideal and eating real food id definitely more satisfying. Surprisingly, eating fat does not make you fat as we have been led to believe and many people still lose weight on a Low Carbohydrate, Higher Fat (LCHF) diet.
It is also important to increase your activity levels and a brisk walk each day, even if it is just 10-15 mins can help to lower your BG levels.
Finally, many members here find it is beneficial to self fund a Blood Glucose Meter as they are not generally provided to Type 2 Diabetics these days. They are relatively cheap to purchase (approx. £15) but it is the on going purchase of test strips which tots up the expenses and for this reason the SD Codefree Blood Glucose Meter is recommended most often on the forum because it's test strips are one of the cheapest at £8 for a pot of 50. It can be purchased on Amazon I believe and testing before and 2 hours after food will tell you whether your body coped with what you ate or you need to reduce the carb portion in that meal next time. If the rise in your BG is more than 3mmol 2 hours after the meal then you need to modify it. Less than 3 and you are doing well. We are all different in how we digest food and some diabetics will be able to eat more carbohydrates than others, so testing yourself and tailoring your diet according to your readings is the best way to manage it, rather than blindly following general dietary advice from health care professionals, which is often outdated.
Also, if/when you start on Metformin, do make sure to take it mid meal with a substantial amount of food as it has a tendency to cause digestive upset.
Best of luck and feel free to ask whatever questions come to mind. Some of your symptoms may take a few months to settle down (like the arm tingling) provided your BG levels come down. The skin problem may be something else.
Hope the above gives you some guidance. If you read plenty of back posts you will gain a lot more insight.
Crispycrystal
Active Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Although high, many others have been diagnosed with Hba1c at about the same level, or more - I was up at 91.
I could not stand the side effects of Metformin and Atorvastatin and stopped them after a few weeks.
By eating a low carb diet I dropped down below the diabetes range in only a few months, and was in the normal range at 6 months.
I seem to be very sensitive to carbs and need to keep my intake low - under 40 gm per day in order to stay at normal levels, but I prefer that to taking the tablets.
I could not stand the side effects of Metformin and Atorvastatin and stopped them after a few weeks.
By eating a low carb diet I dropped down below the diabetes range in only a few months, and was in the normal range at 6 months.
I seem to be very sensitive to carbs and need to keep my intake low - under 40 gm per day in order to stay at normal levels, but I prefer that to taking the tablets.
Eddy Edson
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Don't feel ashamed! Who knows why you drew the short straw in the D-stakes, but that's all it is, really. But it might not be that hard to get under control, I was higher than you at diagnosis and got things down to normal levels in <6 months via weight loss, a bit of focus on eating more healthily and working out which carbs did what to my BG. You'll see a bunch of people around here who have done the same kind of thing & there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to also.
Re the symptoms: really you need to talk with yr doc about these; nobody here is an expert. But generally as your BG control improves you should probably expect to see improvements.
Itching or tingling? Tingling might be a sign of neuropathy, a common diabetes complication (I have some in my feet) - or it could be something else. Again, talk to yr doc.
Metformin: it will help a bit in bringing BG down, mainly your waking level, probably, but it's usually not enough by itself to get things under control, without lifestyle changes.
All the best & feel free to ask questions about anything.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Welcome to the forum @Rizla, many new members here find Maggie Davey’s letter a useful overview of T2 diabetes
https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/maggie-daveys-letter-to-newly-diagnosed-type-2s.61307/
For a little more depth, Gretchen Becker’s book ‘type 2 diabetes the first year’, which is written in a very clear and understandable way, is also well regarded here.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/073821860X/
https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/maggie-daveys-letter-to-newly-diagnosed-type-2s.61307/
For a little more depth, Gretchen Becker’s book ‘type 2 diabetes the first year’, which is written in a very clear and understandable way, is also well regarded here.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/073821860X/
Brando77
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Don't be ashamed. When I was diagnosed I was 98, and I told everyone. It's a kick up the Arse and when you start to control your sugars you will feel a million dollars. When I was first diagnosed this place answered my questions. The answers are from people living it not 200 dodgy Google findings.
Ask any question and someone will answer. Good luck ✌
Ask any question and someone will answer. Good luck ✌
Martin9
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Just saying hello, as you’ve been given great advice above, which I was given when I joined here around 1.75 yrs ago, by following the advice here I managed to get my HbA1c in the mid to low 30s from 3 months onwards since diagnosis , so it’s entirely possible, and I feel much better since ...
Regards
Martin
Regards
Martin
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