Hiya

[knotted pumpkin]

Hello everybody
I was diagnosed back in May with type 2, finally saw the doctor in July and following a nasty medical complications with metformin, I am now on gliclazide.

I'm a full time wheelchair user thanks to a spinal injury and EDS type 3.

Changes in diet has been hard, on a strict calorie diet and loads of food intolerances, and for the fact that for the past 35yrs, I have only eaten once a day. My stomach is not impressed especially with breakfast, I might be up and active, but it's not. Given up trying now.

Hope everyone is doing well and looking after themselves.

Regards
Knotted

 

[Leadinglights]

Hello everybody
I was diagnosed back in May with type 2, finally saw the doctor in July and following a nasty medical complications with metformin, I am now on gliclazide.

I'm a full time wheelchair user thanks to a spinal injury and EDS type 3.

Changes in diet has been hard, on a strict calorie diet and loads of food intolerances, and for the fact that for the past 35yrs, I have only eaten once a day. My stomach is not impressed especially with breakfast, I might be up and active, but it's not. Given up trying now.

Hope everyone is doing well and looking after themselves.

Regards
Knotted

Welcome to the forum
That was all you needed with your medical issues, many will recognise the metformin nasty effects.
You mention a strict calorie diet which is fine as long as that is also keeping an eye on carbohydrates. As you are on gliclazide you should have been prescribed a home testing blood glucose monitor and strips to keep an eye on your blood glucose as that medication has the potential for causing low blood glucose so you need to be careful if only having 1 meal per day.
What was your HbA1C that led to your diagnosis.

 

[knotted pumpkin]

Hiya
The HbA1C was 58. The reaction to metformin was spasticity in my limbs, even the legs which I have zero control or feeling in.

The GP says that I don't need to be testing my blood, I'll be able to sense a hypo. Having experienced 2 hypos (delayed stress reaction), the symptoms are the same as if my blood sugar is high, also the same for a few other issues. I purchased my own test kit and pay for the test strips myself. Tomorrow I'm supposed to have an appointment with the nurse for a diabetic review, pointing out that I need this on prescription cos I also have to test before driving- legal requirement. Also, he says that he knows nothing about the exemption certificate re prescription charges, luckily I have a prepayment certificate at the moment. Hopefully the nurse can help me out.

The calories are because of reduced activity due to my disability. I'm limited to 800 per day. It's a good meat and 2 veg type meal and a little snack later. I'd hate to try and split 800 by 3 meals.

 

[gll]

you are completely correct about test strips. official guidelines info below if you need to have something as backup

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng28/chapter/Recommendations#blood-glucose-management

specifically this section

Self-monitoring of capillary blood glucose​

These recommendations relate to self-monitoring by capillary blood glucose monitoring.

1.6.12Take the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)'s Assessing fitness to drive: a guide for medical professionals into account when offering self‑monitoring of capillary blood glucose levels for adults with type 2 diabetes. [2015, amended 2022]
1.6.13Do not routinely offer self-monitoring of capillary blood glucose levels for adults with type 2 diabetes unless:

• the person is on insulin or
• there is evidence of hypoglycaemic episodes or
• the person is on oral medication that may increase their risk of hypoglycaemia while driving or operating machinery or
• the person is pregnant or is planning to become pregnant (see the NICE guideline on diabetes in pregnancy). [2015, amended 2022]

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Also, he says that he knows nothing about the exemption certificate re prescription charges, luckily I have a prepayment certificate at the moment. Hopefully the nurse can help me out.

Welcome to the forum @knotted pumpkin

Your GP or nurse should be able to give you a form (that your GP needs to sign) with which you can apply for your prescription medical exemption certificate

Medical exemption certificates | NHSBSA

A medical exemption certificate entitles you to free NHS prescriptions. Find out if you’re entitled to NHS dental treatment and other help with health cost using the NHS eligibility checker. Check your medical exemption certificate is valid Check that your exemption certificate is valid...

www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk

 

[trophywench]

And once you have said certificate - this means ALL your prescriptions whether for diabetes medication or other ailments, will be free. I checked this with GP in 1972 saying well what it it's for something completely random like dunno - athlete's foot cream? He replied, Because nobody can prove one way or the other that you are not more or less likely to get athlete's foot than me or my wife, or that you won't need more medication for it and/or for longer than anyone without diabetes - so definitely all free! And so it is. You get a plastic card which the pharmacy can ask to physically see at any time you collect a prescription and tick the appropriate box of the back so they don't ask you to pay. Sadly, I don't think you can apply for a refund on your pre payment card.

NB - they last 10 years and it is 100% your own responsibility to make sure you renew them, no reminders sent.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome.

So sorry to hear that you have diabetes to contend with on top of your other issues and that Metformin had such a drastic effect. I am also horrified that the doctor has so little knowledge of the situation and is prescribing medication without appropriate safeguards ie testing kit with Gliclazide, particularly to someone in your situation. That is really shocking and yes low BG levels can often feel similar to highs, so you need to be able to check and keep yourself safe.
The nurse should be better informed and more supportive. I really hope so anyway. The practice nurse often receives some in house training from a very qualified Diabetes Specialist Nurse from the hospital clinic and usually is able to seek guidance from them is they get an unusual case, so hopefully you will get more sense and practical support from the nurse.

I note that you mention breakfast and it sounds like you don't normally eat breakfast. It is not necessary to eat 3 meals a day just because you have been diagnosed with diabetes. This is very outdated advice and indeed intermittent fasting and skipping breakfast is considered by some experts to be beneficial to Type 2 management. The only difficulty is if you are taking Gliclazide which stimulates the pancreas to produce more insulin, so if your dose is twice a day then you would need to eat food, so that the insulin has something to work on. I would discus this with the nurse and perhaps ask about taking it just once a day for now when you have your main meal or perhaps once with your snack and once with your main meal if it needs to be twice a day.

We find that it is really helpful to have a list of questions written down for appointments like these and make sure that you go through each one and get an answer or a promise to check. Medical Exemption certificate for free prescriptions should be sorted by the nurse without any problem and as stated, will then cover all your other medications for other medical conditions, so you will no longer need prepayments. They should also sort you out with testing kit. Do ask about not eating breakfast if you find that challenging and/or it throws your routine out and what to do about your medication if you do go back to skipping breakfast. ie. taking Glic at lunch snack and evening meal or whatever you find works for you.

Let us know how you get on. Good luck!

 

[Lucyr]

NB - they last 10 years and it is 100% your own responsibility to make sure you renew them, no reminders sent.

5 years. Ask GP reception for the form, you fill in the form and the GP signs it and sends it off

 

[CBeresford]

Hiya
The HbA1C was 58. The reaction to metformin was spasticity in my limbs, even the legs which I have zero control or feeling in.

The GP says that I don't need to be testing my blood, I'll be able to sense a hypo. Having experienced 2 hypos (delayed stress reaction), the symptoms are the same as if my blood sugar is high, also the same for a few other issues. I purchased my own test kit and pay for the test strips myself. Tomorrow I'm supposed to have an appointment with the nurse for a diabetic review, pointing out that I need this on prescription cos I also have to test before driving- legal requirement. Also, he says that he knows nothing about the exemption certificate re prescription charges, luckily I have a prepayment certificate at the moment. Hopefully the nurse can help me out.

The calories are because of reduced activity due to my disability. I'm limited to 800 per day. It's a good meat and 2 veg type meal and a little snack later. I'd hate to try and split 800 by 3 meals.

There are some good recipes in Dr Michael Mosley’s 800 calorie books. I split the 800 over 2 meals. I am quite small and have a low BMR so 800 is a slow weight loss diet for me.