How do I lower my sugar level

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Hazel1010

Hazel1010

Active Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I was out with my son and almost fainted managed to get home and for some reason my level is 12-6 , I’m waiting for doctors to come back to me after blood test etc but not on any medication yet
any ideas on lowering this level naturally please as I’m having very fast heart beat, dizzy spells etc ( I have called the doc waiting for call back )
 
You have definitely done the right thing in contacting the doc.
In the short term, make sure you drink plenty of water as that will help flush the excess glucose from your system.
That is quite a high level to see and is almost certainly as a result of the foods and meals you are having which are too high in carbohydrates for you body to tolerate.
Now is probably not the time to go into more detail but do come back with how you have got on with the Doc and people will be able to point you in the right direction.
 
Leadinglights said:
You have definitely done the right thing in contacting the doc.
In the short term, make sure you drink plenty of water as that will help flush the excess glucose from your system.
That is quite a high level to see and is almost certainly as a result of the foods and meals you are having which are too high in carbohydrates for you body to tolerate.
Now is probably not the time to go into more detail but do come back with how you have got on with the Doc and people will be able to point you in the right direction.
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Thank you , I’m so new to this I don’t know if I’m coming or going I am drinking lots of water and avoiding sugar , reading the labels etc.
thank you for your reply
 
@Hazel1010 I hope that you are soon feeling better.
Did you have something high in carbs to eat today? Starches as well as sugars contribute to blood glucose, so if you had bread or something densely carb that could be the culprit.
If you are only recently diagnosed, it might be that you are not a plain ordinary type two at all, but something more interesting.
 
Your levels are 12-6?
 
Hazel1010 said:
Thank you , I’m so new to this I don’t know if I’m coming or going I am drinking lots of water and avoiding sugar , reading the labels etc.
thank you for your reply
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I know how you feel. I didnt get much advice at the beginning. This forum was great help. Let us know how things go. You did right - possibly maybe its not the glucose level...... Doc will know. Take care
 
Well that was as clear as mud , had a call back from the docs and I’m 10-2 now , she told me to get an appointment on Monday and keep some sweets to hand in case I feel faint again ‍♀️ I’m soo confused , if I’m high in glucose why do I need sweets? And while I’m moaning and feeling like an idiot can anyone recommend an eating plan so I can help myself , thank you all in advance for any advice
 
Hazel1010 said:
Well that was as clear as mud , had a call back from the docs and I’m 10-2 now , she told me to get an appointment on Monday and keep some sweets to hand in case I feel faint again ‍♀️ I’m soo confused , if I’m high in glucose why do I need sweets? And while I’m moaning and feeling like an idiot can anyone recommend an eating plan so I can help myself , thank you all in advance for any advice
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What a shame that was not more helpful, but for people to give you appropriate advice a bit more information about yourself would be helpful so a few questions.
How long have you been diagnosed, what was your HbA1C which gave your diagnosis and are you on any medication.
You obviously have a blood glucose monitor as you mention a blood glucose level of 10.2 mmol/l so how typical is that for you and do you test regularly.
A high carbohydrate meal will potentially raise your blood glucose more than your body can tolerate which can give those symptoms you describe.
The way to start to reduce your overall blood glucose levels is to reduce ALL carbohydrates in your diet. Basing your meals on meat, fish, eggs, cheese, dairy, vegetables, salads, fruit such as berries whilst avoiding or reducing portions size of high carb foods such as potatoes, rice, pasta, cereals, pastry, cakes and biscuits and sugary drinks.
Have a look at the food forum thread What did you eat Yesterday for ideas of what Type 2 folk have. Bare in mind some will be dietary managed, some will also be on meds or insulin.
Also looking at the Learning Zone will give you a better understanding of the condition.
 
Oh dear I feel like a real winge bag
im waiting for my diagnosis, I had blood test at the doctors last week that came back normal apparently.
my high glucose was picked up by my cardiologist three month ago at a level of over 10 when I was in hospital with severe palpitations and he referred me to my doctors to follow up
but in the mean time I cut my sugar level as much as I can and have lost 7lb already but other than that I no nothing and am winging it badly by the looks of it ……
 
Hazel1010 said:
Oh dear I feel like a real winge bag
im waiting for my diagnosis, I had blood test at the doctors last week that came back normal apparently.
my high glucose was picked up by my cardiologist three month ago at a level of over 10 when I was in hospital with severe palpitations and he referred me to my doctors to follow up
but in the mean time I cut my sugar level as much as I can and have lost 7lb already but other than that I no nothing and am winging it badly by the looks of it ……
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Nobody will think that and you have come to the right place to get advise from people with a wealth of experience of diabetes if that is what your diagnosis turns out to be. I would be useful to clarify exactly what those levels you were given are. Was it an HbA1c or just a spot test of the glucose level at that time as it could make a big difference and what test did you have done at the doctors?
It could be of course that the fainting spell could have nothing to do with diabetes.
 
It sounds to me like you are in the early stages of insulin resistance. It would be interesting to know what your hba1c result was. This is number. Although mine was 55 at diagnosis which is not too far over the threshold for diabetes my levels where 16-18 all day long with some reaching 28! Although nobody can decide what type of diabetes i have I don’t really remember feeling too different apart from a little breathless at times but I’m sure that was my anaemia. Good news is that you may of caught this really early and there is plenty that you can do to stop it in its tracks. Get some solid answers and there will me so much advice on here for you.
 
Hazel1010 said:
Well that was as clear as mud , had a call back from the docs and I’m 10-2 now , she told me to get an appointment on Monday and keep some sweets to hand in case I feel faint again ‍♀️ I’m soo confused , if I’m high in glucose why do I need sweets? And while I’m moaning and feeling like an idiot can anyone recommend an eating plan so I can help myself , thank you all in advance for any advice
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If you are having glucose levels of 10 and 12 then of course the last thing you need is sweets.
Long before diagnosis I was eating a low carb diet and it made me feel very well. It was basically Atkins.
 
Thank you all so much for your support, I don’t know anyone else with diab so I shall be asking lots more questions I expect
 
EmmaL76 said:
Ask anything you like hazel. Many of us have no family history of diabetes including me… that’s why this site can be so useful, for practical and emotional support xx
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thank you one basic question, I’m sorting my diet, exercise etc based on the information on this site until I get to my next appointments one quick question, when and how often would you test your levels. I don’t want to get over obsessed or do tests at inappropriate times that might give me incorrect readings
thank you
 
So sorry to hear that the doctor was as useful as a chocolate teapot. Sadly, many do not really understand diabetes and also many do not actually listen to their patients. Sweets for high glucose levels? Deary me !!!! Daft advice, probably standard advice for any diabetic.

Assuming that you are diabetic....

The good news is that, if you are a type 2 diabetic, you may be able to get it under good control with a suitable diet and exercise. I can't say about T1 as I have no experience but there are plenty here who can.

The tough bit is finding a 'suitable T2 diet'. Everyone is different, so what is suitable for one person may not be for another.

As a T2 it's the carbohydrates (not just sugars) that are the problem, so getting those reduced in your diet will be important. Just to add to the confusion, people react differently to the same foods, so some quite innocent foods may make your blood glucose levels spike. The only way to discover this is to do blood tests with a blood glucose meter before eating something and then 2 hours after eating that something. Looking for a raise in blood glucose of no more than 2 (ish?).

Myself, I calculate the carbs for every food and meal and restrict myself to less than 130g carbs a day. I eat well too. I also exercise walking every day. I feel well. My blood glucose levels are now within the normal range, however at diagnosis they were about 21 (HbA1c of 140). And, I do not take any diabetic meds.

So, I guess, the first thing you need to do is look at your diet and see where you can reduce the carbs. I think the body does need some carbs so eliminating them completely may be unwise and pretty much impossible.

So, if it is diabetes then....

Sort out diet to reduce the carbs (which means the protein and fats will have to increase to compensate)
Do blood tests before and 2 hours after eating looking for no spikes
Keep a food diary which will show you which foods (if any) give any problems (and avoid or reduce those in the future)
Try not to panic, everyone here will help you when you need it. You are not alone.
Take as much control as you can. Doctors and nurses do not know 'YOU'. Learn as much as you can about diabetes and about 'YOU'. However, if your high glucose and fainting is NOT diabetes related it will be very important to listen to the doctors. I have found that once you get their attention and get them actually listening they are very good.

Let us know how you get on
 
Gwynn said:
So sorry to hear that the doctor was as useful as a chocolate teapot. Sadly, many do not really understand diabetes and also many do not actually listen to their patients. Sweets for high glucose levels? Deary me !!!! Daft advice, probably standard advice for any diabetic.

Assuming that you are diabetic....

The good news is that, if you are a type 2 diabetic, you may be able to get it under good control with a suitable diet and exercise. I can't say about T1 as I have no experience but there are plenty here who can.

The tough bit is finding a 'suitable T2 diet'. Everyone is different, so what is suitable for one person may not be for another.

As a T2 it's the carbohydrates (not just sugars) that are the problem, so getting those reduced in your diet will be important. Just to add to the confusion, people react differently to the same foods, so some quite innocent foods may make your blood glucose levels spike. The only way to discover this is to do blood tests with a blood glucose meter before eating something and then 2 hours after eating that something. Looking for a raise in blood glucose of no more than 2 (ish?).

Myself, I calculate the carbs for every food and meal and restrict myself to less than 130g carbs a day. I eat well too. I also exercise walking every day. I feel well. My blood glucose levels are now within the normal range, however at diagnosis they were about 21 (HbA1c of 140). And, I do not take any diabetic meds.

So, I guess, the first thing you need to do is look at your diet and see where you can reduce the carbs. I think the body does need some carbs so eliminating them completely may be unwise and pretty much impossible.

So, if it is diabetes then....

Sort out diet to reduce the carbs (which means the protein and fats will have to increase to compensate)
Do blood tests before and 2 hours after eating looking for no spikes
Keep a food diary which will show you which foods (if any) give any problems (and avoid or reduce those in the future)
Try not to panic, everyone here will help you when you need it. You are not alone.
Take as much control as you can. Doctors and nurses do not know 'YOU'. Learn as much as you can about diabetes and about 'YOU'. However, if your high glucose and fainting is NOT diabetes related it will be very important to listen to the doctors. I have found that once you get their attention and get them actually listening they are very good.

Let us know how you get on
Click to expand...
Thank you so much , I honestly thought I had to just cut out sugar and the rest would take care of itself I probably messed myself up yesterday feeling faint was probably caused by me only eating a bit of fruit that day and with all the information I’ve been given I’m beginning to get there
 
Hazel1010 said:
Thank you so much , I honestly thought I had to just cut out sugar and the rest would take care of itself I probably messed myself up yesterday feeling faint was probably caused by me only eating a bit of fruit that day and with all the information I’ve been given I’m beginning to get there
Click to expand...
That sounds like a reasonable explanation as fruit would be metabolised fairly quickly. Gwynn has given you lots of advice to make a start on but you do need to have the appropriate test to confirm a diagnosis before making any drastic changes. Keeping the food diary would be a very useful thing to be doing meantime.
 
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Leadinglights said:
That sounds like a reasonable explanation as fruit would be metabolised fairly quickly. Glynn has given you lots of advice to make a start on but you do need to have the appropriate test to confirm a diagnosis before making any drastic changes. Keeping the food diary would be a very useful thing to be doing meantime.
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On it , keeping a diary of food and levels etc upping the exercise and relaxing in equal amounts, will chase up the docs on Monday too x thanks for your help
 
@Hazel1010 can I ask, prior to the time you felt faint etc and tested 12.6 were you doing testing and if so, what kind of numbers were you seeing?

It's just a thought, but the symptoms that you describe are those most of us experience when having a hypo (i.e. a low blood sugar incident). If your body had been running considerably higher than 12.6 over a period prior to the incident, then it may have seen the drop to 12.6 as a "false hypo" and was sending out warning symptoms. I am wondering if that was why the GP suggested carrying sweets.
 
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