My husband has got type 2 but is really skinny he lost over half a stone before being diagnosed. He is finding it really diffircult to eat enough to put on weight. He is eating small amounts of bread and potatoes but trying to avoid them. Any suggestions to what will fatten him up! A lot of the information I read assumes you are fat when you have diabetes. Are rice cakes any good or which bread would be the best to eat?
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I am thin!
- Thread starter Beckybird
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Hi. Being thin unexpectedly can be a sign of being T1 and not T2. Your husband needs to increase fats and proteins and not the carbs as he may be finding he can't metabolise carbs properly if he has low insulin levels. Ask for the two tests for T1 as mis-diagnosis is quite common. What meds is he on?
Inka
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- Type 1
@Beckybird Ask them to rule out Type 1. Contrary to popular belief - and the belief of some med professionals too - you can get Type 1 at any age.
Ask for the antibody tests and C Peptide.
What meds is he on? What are his blood sugars like?
Ask for the antibody tests and C Peptide.
What meds is he on? What are his blood sugars like?
Docb
Moderator
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- Type 2
There are a few "slim" diabetics on the forum - I consider myself one who does not have problems with keeping my weight steady.
If your husband is finding it difficult to maintain his weight then I would suggest that he should not hesitate in going back to his GP for further assessment. The T2 label is often automatically put on adults with high blood glucose levels without too much thinking and as others have suggested, the inability to put on weight should be the prompt needed to get the medics to think a bit more widely.
If your husband is finding it difficult to maintain his weight then I would suggest that he should not hesitate in going back to his GP for further assessment. The T2 label is often automatically put on adults with high blood glucose levels without too much thinking and as others have suggested, the inability to put on weight should be the prompt needed to get the medics to think a bit more widely.
rebrascora
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Agree with the others. He I likely late onset Type 1. I was diagnosed last year at the age of 55 and there are many more of us late starters here on the forum and many of us were misdiagnosed. He needs to push for the tests mentioned above which will indicate if he is Type 1 and it is important to do that sooner rather than later as he could end up seriously ill in hospital and even in a coma. If he is not testing his BG levels then obtain a BG meter and start testing.
He is unable to metabolise carbohydrates, so increase his levels of fat and protein will help to provide him with nutrients his body can make use of. Things like eggs for breakfast without bread. I find omelettes great as they don't need bread to soak up the yolk and have plenty of cheese and ham/bacon, mushrooms, onions, courgettes, peppers etc in it. I tend to have a large salad with mine with a big dollop of creamy or cheesy coleslaw... not low fat versions. Other breakfast options are creamy Greek natural yoghurt with a few berries which are the lowest carb fruits. Blackberries are in season at the moment so a good choice.
Cauliflower can be mashed instead of potatoes and if you add a good dollop of cream cheese in with it, it will add calories to help him and I usually have that with good quality high meat content sausages or gammon and cabbage sweated in butter or the meat fat.
The high carb foods like bread and pasta and potatoes and rice will just increase the levels of glucose in his blood and put him at higher risk, but ultimately he will need insulin if we are right and he is Type 1 even on a very low carb diet. Please push for that testing and get a BG meter so that you can monitor his Blood Glucose levels at home and get him to hospital if they go into the high 20s or 30s or if he starts to feel unwell (stomach pain or respiratory distress) or his breath smells like pear drops.
He is unable to metabolise carbohydrates, so increase his levels of fat and protein will help to provide him with nutrients his body can make use of. Things like eggs for breakfast without bread. I find omelettes great as they don't need bread to soak up the yolk and have plenty of cheese and ham/bacon, mushrooms, onions, courgettes, peppers etc in it. I tend to have a large salad with mine with a big dollop of creamy or cheesy coleslaw... not low fat versions. Other breakfast options are creamy Greek natural yoghurt with a few berries which are the lowest carb fruits. Blackberries are in season at the moment so a good choice.
Cauliflower can be mashed instead of potatoes and if you add a good dollop of cream cheese in with it, it will add calories to help him and I usually have that with good quality high meat content sausages or gammon and cabbage sweated in butter or the meat fat.
The high carb foods like bread and pasta and potatoes and rice will just increase the levels of glucose in his blood and put him at higher risk, but ultimately he will need insulin if we are right and he is Type 1 even on a very low carb diet. Please push for that testing and get a BG meter so that you can monitor his Blood Glucose levels at home and get him to hospital if they go into the high 20s or 30s or if he starts to feel unwell (stomach pain or respiratory distress) or his breath smells like pear drops.
Nick Cliff
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
@Beckybird I am a skinny Type 2 but have so far been able to maintain my meagre weight and control the diabetes via diet and exercise. I agree with others that increasing fats and protein in his diet in place of some of the carbs should help keep his blood sugar levels down whilst maintaining his weight. Others on this forum have found that removing carbs almost completely has helped them, but I find that my metabolism still requires a certain level of carbs so have not done this, but found a balance involving less carbs. We're all different, so the fact that this has worked for me for 11 years as a skinny Type 2 doesn't mean it will necessarily work for someone else of similar build. I can't comment regarding the possibilty of him having been misdiagnosed, but discussing this with his doctor seems good advice.
For reasons of my build and weight, following my initial Type 2 diagnosis by my GP, I was tested by the hospital for Type 1 and also for known genetic profiles which give rise to abnormally high baseline blood sugar levels, but was negative on both counts. So just Type 2 and skinny... as was my father... not so common, but not unusual. Hope your husband gest on an even keel soon.
Regards. Nick.
For reasons of my build and weight, following my initial Type 2 diagnosis by my GP, I was tested by the hospital for Type 1 and also for known genetic profiles which give rise to abnormally high baseline blood sugar levels, but was negative on both counts. So just Type 2 and skinny... as was my father... not so common, but not unusual. Hope your husband gest on an even keel soon.
Regards. Nick.
Thanks for all your replies although the thought he may be type one is a bit alarming. At the moment taking Metformin one in the morning and one in the evening ( to be increased after the next week to another one at lunch time) Also on 1 tablet of Gliclazide a day. Were given the BG test kit. Morning 16, midday 22 and before evening meal back to around 16. Have only been testing for 3 days but have been taking the Metformin for about 10 days. Would like to know when things could change? i think we will cut out bread totally and see if that has any results although John was only eating one slice a day.
I think that alarm is called for! In type 1 where there is not enough insulin the body is unable to "burn" glucose. It will attempt to use fat. If there is no insulin available it can not do this properly and will produce toxic ketones. This will produce a condition known as diabetic keyto acidosis (DKA)
This is a serious problem (alarming!).
You might consider ringing 111 to seek advice. They might advise a trip to A&E rather than wait for someone to get around to giving the correct treatment.
This is a serious problem (alarming!).
You might consider ringing 111 to seek advice. They might advise a trip to A&E rather than wait for someone to get around to giving the correct treatment.
Inka
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
@Beckybird Those levels are high. As suggested above, I’d be speaking to someone ASAP.
If his surgery is less than receptive to the idea he might be a Type 1, do push for a second opinion or a referral to a specialist.
If his surgery is less than receptive to the idea he might be a Type 1, do push for a second opinion or a referral to a specialist.
The Gliclazide should be helping a bit for a while and can be increased if needed. I was on 320mg/day before i was (finally) moved onto insulin. It stimulates the pancreas to produce more insulin.
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trophywench
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- Type 1
No good trying to stimulate cells that your own body has already killed off though @DaveB - LADA responds for a while but not T1.
@Beckybird - with BGs as high as your husband's at the moment he's already in danger of killing of either damaging or even killing off some of his bodily organs unless he gets sufficient medication pretty soon - that's certainly a lot more scary than just injecting insulin. By the way - we don't use great long hedgestake needles for that these days! - they're 4mm long and approx. double the diameter of a human hair. Single use jobbies - not in the slightest bit frightening I assure you.
@Beckybird - with BGs as high as your husband's at the moment he's already in danger of killing of either damaging or even killing off some of his bodily organs unless he gets sufficient medication pretty soon - that's certainly a lot more scary than just injecting insulin. By the way - we don't use great long hedgestake needles for that these days! - they're 4mm long and approx. double the diameter of a human hair. Single use jobbies - not in the slightest bit frightening I assure you.
Madeline
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Gliclazide had absolutely no effect on me whatsoever. Personally I’d rather be type 1 than 2, life is a heck of a lot easier now I’m on insulin, I find it far easier to control my levels, and I feel a lot better too.
Docb
Moderator
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- Type 2
Interesting @Madeline, I have found the opposite! A year or so ago the DSN suggested I stopped taking gliclazide on the grounds I had got my levels to a point she was concerned about the risk of hypos. This I did but kept monitoring and watched my average creep upwards. After a couple of weeks we decided I should restart it.
All goes to show that things are a bit more complicated than some would make out and that it is best to work towards a treatment that best suits the individual.
All goes to show that things are a bit more complicated than some would make out and that it is best to work towards a treatment that best suits the individual.
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Whilst I did not like the occasional hypo, Gliclazide worked fantastically well for me. For the most part my body was able to manage itself.
But then it abandoned me, and I was only on 80 mg. By the time I tried increasing to 320 mg it was already too late so it did nothing. I suppose I should be blaming my pancreas or my immune system and not lashing out at lovely, lovely Gliclazide. But that relationship is over now, never to be again.
But then it abandoned me, and I was only on 80 mg. By the time I tried increasing to 320 mg it was already too late so it did nothing. I suppose I should be blaming my pancreas or my immune system and not lashing out at lovely, lovely Gliclazide. But that relationship is over now, never to be again.
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