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Hi, newby type 2 and confused

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Hmm I might need to ask about this blood test then. I got my hba1c results yesterday and it was 101 whatever that means. The nurse called it "atrocious" and said she's surprised I've been walking around with blood sugars so high. She's immediately started me on 2grams of metformin. 2 in a morning and 2 on a night (well for the first week I'm only to take one on a morning and one on a night then increase it) she said she's officially put my diagnosis on the system as type 2 and lectured me for a good 20minutes about my weight. I obviously know I'm overweight by about 4-5 stone but I've been dieting for ten years and haven't ever lost weight so I don't think it's going to happen right now!

Anyway, I'm hoping the metformin will make me feel better as I'm so exhausted all of the time and it feels like I'm in a fog for want of a better expression!

Thanks for welcoming me to the group 🙂
 
Tired, lethargic, like you've not been sleeping properly & in a fog. I know the feeling.
I have been feeling better since being on metformin & found it easier to walk places.
I'm on metformin 500mg twice a day. Is your does more than mine?
I found Shape Your Wait a help. Though they don't do diabetes, diabetics do it. It's run by the NHS, lasts 9 weeks and you get support afterwards (make sure you ask for it). I found the Health Trainer who do it really good.
I got on it because I asked at my doctors for something.

HbA1c: from your post you about much as me. DESMOND mentions something about it. I don't remember the details now.

Repeating myself, sorry. It's the best I can do!
 
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I'm glad the Metformin has helped you! I really hope it helps me as the lack of energy is the most annoying thing. I'm constantly just exhausted.

I'm on Metformin 500mg twice a day for a week then 500g FOUR times a day for the foreseeable future afterwards. I'm praying it'll help. I just feel poorly :(

Ooh I'll ask my GP about that it sounds interesting! I need all the help I can get really! Thanks!
 
Rosiecarmel said:
Hmm I might need to ask about this blood test then. I got my hba1c results yesterday and it was 101 whatever that means. The nurse called it "atrocious" and said she's surprised I've been walking around with blood sugars so high. She's immediately started me on 2grams of metformin. 2 in a morning and 2 on a night (well for the first week I'm only to take one on a morning and one on a night then increase it) she said she's officially put my diagnosis on the system as type 2 and lectured me for a good 20minutes about my weight. I obviously know I'm overweight by about 4-5 stone but I've been dieting for ten years and haven't ever lost weight so I don't think it's going to happen right now!

Anyway, I'm hoping the metformin will make me feel better as I'm so exhausted all of the time and it feels like I'm in a fog for want of a better expression!

Thanks for welcoming me to the group 🙂
Click to expand...

Rosie, your HbA1c is very high indeed - it's only slightly less than mine was at diagnosis and I was practically comatose :( Metformin can take a couple of weeks to show any effect, so don't expect things to improve overnight. However, if you are actually Type 1, then it will have virtually no effect. If you continue to feel terrible then please ask for a second opinion.
 
Hi Rosie

That's quite a high HBA1C, just lower than mine when I was diagnosed, and I was very ill at the time. I don't want to scare you but just to reiterate what others have said if you start to feel worse in any way please go back to the doctor (or maybe ask a doctor at work as you're a nurse). There's a lot of assumptions made about diabetes on diagnosis not all of which are right. I was diagnosed with type 1 at 40 in DKA and a consultant still suggested I was type 2 because of my age. Thankfully the more sensible consultant won the argument and I was treated appropriately. To put that into context, I had a blood sugar of 61 which had to be measured using arterial blood because it's off the scale a meter can measure, was in DKA and comatose (a very strong indicator of T1), had other autoimmune indicators including very enlarged glands, had a BMI of less than 16, and showed almost zero insulin production. Yet the fact that I was 40 convinced the other consultant I must be type 2. I tell you that because it's important to realise that sometimes medical professionals get fixated on something like age or weight and can't see the wood for the trees. Don't be afraid to challenge them if you don't respond to Metformin or if you don't start to feel better. If you are type 2 they still need to take some prompt action to lower that blood sugar in the short term. Good luck and I hope you get some action from them soon 😱
 
I'm amazed you were still on your feet as well Rosie, mine was about that level when I was carted off to hospital just before I was diagnosed. I'm glad to see that the Metformin is helping.

Are you able to monitor your blood sugar levels yourself? Testing could help you learn about how food affects your levels and adjust your diet accordingly and is well worth considering on those grounds. I hope you start feeling better soon.
 
The one thing I would add is that Metformin works in the background and doesn't have an relatively immediate effect like insulin and gliclazide (ok, don't shout, I know there are long term insulins).

Therefore from a diabetes point of view, they potentially isn't much difference between 1 pill four times per day, 2 pills twice a day or 4 pills at once. But there will be an impact on how your body tolerates it.

It's usually important to make sure you are eating with the pill. So if you only eat twice a day might be worth splitting the dose with them (although, don't do the 4 at once! That will most likely send you rushing for the loo...)
 
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