Is this high sugar levels

[Colin#]

i have sugar levels around 11mmols is that classed as high my doc wants to put on insulin

 

[Eddy Edson]

Is that your HbA1c (measured in mmol/mol) or your fasting blood glucose (measured in mmol/L) or ...?

Sorry, confusing, I know!

Anyway, either would be pretty high, but not way, way high - some people are higher at diagnosis.

Only your doc can say whether insulin is right for you, temporarily or for the longer term. But it will certainly bring your BG down and it's not such a big deal. Some T2's here who need it really appreciate the control it gives them.

 

[Colin#]

Is 11mmol classed as high sugar level as doc wants me to use insulin injections have my hba1c blood test on the 17 March pending on results I will start injecting

 

[Colin#]

I only use my blood monitor when I am not well as doctor ordered because test strips are expensive so I have been using them lately and noticed it use to be around seven mmol about a year ago now it’s about 11 mmol and that’s around three to four hours after eating

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hello @Colin#

Welcome to the forum

How long have you been living with diabetes?

And how do you currently manage it? Are you on medication? Or diet and exercise?

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I only use my blood monitor when I am not well as doctor ordered because test strips are expensive so I have been using them lately and noticed it use to be around seven mmol about a year ago now it’s about 11 mmol and that’s around three to four hours after eating

Guidelines for T2 are to aim for no higher than 8.5mmol/L at 2 hours after eating.

If you add a BG check before the meal, and then check 2 hours after the first bite then you can also see how much of a rise that meal gave you. Which can help show you where there are carbs in your diet that you may need to have smaller portions of, or swap for something else

 

[Colin#]

I have had diabetes about eight years and on medication metformin tablets 500milligrams four a day

 

[Drummer]

Has your diet altered much since you were getting lower levels - are you following a low carb way of eating?

 

[Colin#]

No not following a low carb diet let myself down a bit should try harder

 

[Drummer]

Nope - the low carb diet is really nothing you need to really try to do - when I look at my admittedly modest size of steak or couple of sausages or maybe a pork chop served with mushrooms and what I find in the fridge - I really do not hanker for porridge or cornflakes. Sometmes I have kippers and a slice (also small) of low carb bread - or recently soft boiled eggs and toast. Then I have coffee with cream. There is no try, as Yoda pointed out.

 

[rebrascora]

It sounds like you need some advice about things you can eat and things to reduce or remove from your menu. Eating low carb can be really enjoyable once you get your head around it..... which I think is what @Drummer is trying to say, so it should not take too much effort once you understand what carbs are and things you can eat instead of them.

As @Anitram says, if you can give us an idea of the sort of things you eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner .... and what you drink as well, we could make suggestions that would be lower carb options.

Unfortunately GPs don't have the time or knowledge to explain how to eat low carb and they do not seem to realise how hugely beneficial it can be at managing diabetes.... better than almost any medication.... but it involves some effort on the part of the patient in learning how to adjust their diet. If you are interested in learning to take control of your diabetes through the food you eat, we are here to help you.

Exercise is another important tool in managing diabetes, but it doesn't have to be anything overly energetic. A brisk 20 min walk every day or an hour or two in the garden is as good as anything. A walk should be faster than yout usual pace and make you breath more deeply. Swimming is another good form of exercise if that is something you might enjoy.

 

[grovesy]

So what are you eating? If you've been living with diabetes for 8 years you must know all there is to know about what to eat, what not to eat and how much to eat.

Martin

Sorry I disagree with that assumption, I personally have had to adjust what works for me to eat a number of times over the years.

 

[grovesy]

I'm sorry, grovesey. Seeing my reply again it looks a little blunt. What I was trying to say was that based on what Colin said I hadn't made any assumptions.

I read it as you assumed that as he had Diabetes for 8 years and should know what to do .
My point was for me, what was working for me and worked well, at times needed to reevaluated and adjusted.

 

[rebrascora]

I also read it like that, but if Colin wasn't given the correct dietary advice 8 years ago (which is likely the case, since the NHS still rarely advise people to eat low carb) then he is unlikely to really know how to manage his levels through diet other than maybe not eating cake and sweets too often which we all know is not enough.... And whilst medication may have helped in the early days, his pancreas may be getting tired now.
Going low carb now may give it a rest and enable it to recover enough to continue without insulin or it may have reached the point that it is running dry and injecting insulin may be inevitable. In my opinion, it would be worth committing to a low carb diet and convincing the doc to give him another 3 months to see if he can bring levels down with dietary changes which we can help support him with through the forum.