65 year old newbie here. my average daily glucoes is around 10 uk scale or 180 in mg/dl. I have no symptoms unltil it gets about 50 % higher. My last HBA1-c was 7.8% in November 21 but i have put on a bit of weight and not watching my diet (lots of chocolate, ice cream and hot drinks with sugar) for 3 months due to stress factors. Doctor want to put me on insulin but I want to try diet and change of meds first as I have got the average glucose down by 40% in a week by cutting out all bad stuff and eating like a rabbit. Currently on metformin 1000 twice a day and gliclazide 30mg ext release once a day and I know people who are on a lot more pills than that and avoiding insulin. Is anyone on multiple pills that are working effectively, if so what? I also hear there is a urine test for insulin production developed in Plymouth University that can help refine treatment to avoid insulin jabs, I but I can't find find anything about how or where to get it done. Anyone had it and did it help? Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this.
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I dont want insulin insulin :-)
- Thread starter phlipperz
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Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Welcome to the forum. Your HbA1C given as 7.8% converts to 62mmol/mol which is the new units used in the UK. Although well into the diabetic zone it is by no means as high as many are on diagnosis and who manage to bring it down to normal level by either dietary changes alone or diet and oral medication.
I would suspect that if you have acted on those two things your HbA1C would already be showing improvement.
Changes to dietary regime is the most powerful thing you can do, the meds just give a helping hand. If you are a straight forward Type2 then there is no reason to suppose that insulin is inevitable.
In essence following a low carbohydrate regime is successful for many people in both reducing blood glucose and losing weight. Low carb is less than 130g carb per day though many do need to go lower to be where they need to be.
A review of your diet may be in order, this link may help you find a way forward with some changes. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
Establishing a routine of testing the effect foods and meals have is a good way to check if you are tolerating the amount of carbs you are having. Testing before you eat and after 2 hours aiming at no more than a 2-3mmol/l increase will allow you to make better food choices.
If all the lifestyle changes and oral meds do not work and you continue to have high blood glucose then the other tests might be appropriate but you would likely have to be very persuasive to your GP as many people do have to fight for those to clarify their diagnosis of diabetes type.
I would suspect that if you have acted on those two things your HbA1C would already be showing improvement.
Changes to dietary regime is the most powerful thing you can do, the meds just give a helping hand. If you are a straight forward Type2 then there is no reason to suppose that insulin is inevitable.
In essence following a low carbohydrate regime is successful for many people in both reducing blood glucose and losing weight. Low carb is less than 130g carb per day though many do need to go lower to be where they need to be.
A review of your diet may be in order, this link may help you find a way forward with some changes. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
Establishing a routine of testing the effect foods and meals have is a good way to check if you are tolerating the amount of carbs you are having. Testing before you eat and after 2 hours aiming at no more than a 2-3mmol/l increase will allow you to make better food choices.
If all the lifestyle changes and oral meds do not work and you continue to have high blood glucose then the other tests might be appropriate but you would likely have to be very persuasive to your GP as many people do have to fight for those to clarify their diagnosis of diabetes type.
Having a good low-carb diet is generally the highest priority in controlling BS. Taking insulin with excess weight is not always the best solution as a T2 with excess weight and hence insulin resistance may already have too much insulin in the body, so try the low-carb diet first before insulin.
Thanks leadinglights and daveb for your quick response. i am around 85kg, really need to lose 7 or so I think. I have monitored food intake and carbs do make the biggest diff. I am trying to keep under 50g a day, mostly vegetable because bread of any type send it rocketing.
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
It is good that you are testing as gliclazide can cause low blood glucose especially if you are having quite a low carb regime.
Do make sure you are including protein and healthy fats in your meal. Yes some people find bread a problem but others can tolerate it to a limited extent in particular the low carb breads if they can find them.
Thanks rebrascora. have been warned about gliclazide but I am only on 1x30 xr a day. Now done 3 days daily average 178, lowest reading 160 so I have a margin for error. I want to get off gliclazide anyway as it causes me unpleasant side effects. Any recommendations about healthy fat? If it stays stable at that level then I would be fairly happy and hope losing a few kilos will bring me to around 160 average. I found a website which said 130 is ok for my age (65)
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Many people have full fat dairy, eggs, avocados, nuts all in moderation.
I see you work in mg/dl so I think dividing by 18 brings it to what we use in the UK. the range people aim for is 4-7mmol/l fasting or before eating and no more than an increase of 2-3mmol/l from before eating to 2 hours after, then as levels come down then a post meal reading of no more that 8.5mmol/l is the aim.
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