its scarey

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karen7171

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Type 2
hi i was diagnosed with type2,at chrismas,am on metformin,really not managing well,blurred vision,legs are shakey,(it feels as if im drunk!)thirstyall the time,ive told my doctor nd just said it would sort its self out!i knw thats nt true ,any advice plz?......:confused:
 
Hi Karen, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sorry to hear you are still feeling so poorly. Not very helpful from your doctor, is it? I'm guessing that you don't have a blood glucose meter so you can measure what your blood glucose levels are when you are feeling bad? If not, then it is something that you really need so you can start to get to grips with managing your diabetes.

Have a look at the links in this thread: http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=10406

The book by Gretchen Becker is particularly helpful in understanding and learning how to manage your diabetes. There are also links to some good books for the GL Diet, which is a method of choosing foods that will be most beneficial to keeping your blood glucose levels nice and steady.

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have, nothing is considered 'silly', and there are lots of friendly, experienced people here who will do their best to help you out! 🙂
 
scarey

thank you, my doctor told me i didnt need a meter, are there symptoms im having normal?
 
thank you, my doctor told me i didnt need a meter, are there symptoms im having normal?

It's difficult to say without knowing what your blood glucose levels are. Diabetes can be a confusing condition where some of the symptoms of a high level can be similar to the symptoms of a lower level, However, the blurred vision suggests that your levels are higher than normal, as does the fact that you feel thirsty all the time. The 'feeling shaky' symptom may be due to occasions when your levels fall lower than you are used to, although they may still be quite high.

What advice were you given to help you control your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels? Are you on any medication? Have you have much contact with the doctor since your diagnosis, and why did he say you didn't need a meter? It's quite common for doctors not to give meters to Type 2 diabetics and they may give some excuse, such as not needing to test, but really it is because the test strips are expensive. You need to go back and persuade your doctor that you do not feel able to control your diabetes well without following a structured regime of testing. The links and book I mentioned earlier will tell you how to do this properly.
 
Hi Karen - welcome to the forum

When was the last time you saw the Dr. and he/she told you it would sort itself out. If its some time back then go back and say you have waited x weeks or months and still feel awful.

If its recent go back and ask whether if they were having all these symptoms they would be happy to allow them to just run.

When you go ask them to do a finger prick check of your blood whilst in the consultation - that will tell them what you are at that point in time and give an indication as to whether the meds are working or not - it could prompt them to change your meds.
 
Welcome Karen. Without testing, it's impossible to know for sure, but the most likely explanation is that, after perhaps years of higher than normal blood glucose levels, your body is getting used to normal levels, but interpretting them as too low / hypoglycaemic. Blurred vision can happen acutely during low blood sugarm but also caused by long periods of raised blood sugar; feeling thirsty can mean high blood sugar, especially if you're peeing lots, getting up to pee during night etc, but it can also mean you're getting a sore throat, and any infection can raise blood glucose levels.

Best to ask your GP, as they can take a full history and check clinical signs / symptoms. Hope they're willing to prescibe blood glucose test strips. Worth asking manufacturers for a free meter, which usually come with a few eg 10 strips. If you have to buy meter, can be as cheap as ?5. Record your levels, food intake, exercise etc to show your GP that you are using the tests to spot reactions to foods, situations etc. If in England, make yourself familiar with NICE recommendation for self blood glucose testing for type 2 diabetes, or equivalent for Scotland / Wales / Northern Ireland - will supply URLs if you like.
 
Hi Karen

Welcome to the forum. Sorry you are having such a rotten time :(

If you were only diagnosed at Christmas time, you must still be in a bit of turmoil. There's a lot to learn and take in, but you have time. You are in this for the long-haul. And the more you can help yourself gradually get your levels back toward the 'normal' range the better you will feel.

As Northie says, it does sound like your levels are running quite high (thirst and blurred vision) I would guess you must be feeling pretty exhausted too.

The tablets you are on will help your body use the insulin you produce more effectively, but you can do an awful lot to help by taking a careful look at what you are eating.

Diabetes means that your body has a problem 'dealing with' carbohydrate. That means sweet things, like cake, biscuits, jam, honey, but also lots of other things too. Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, cereals, oats, grains, fruit, even starchy veg like carrots and parsnips will all be broken down when you eat them and end up as 'glucose' in your bloodstream. Some (especially more refined or processed foods like white bread) will tend to get into your bloodstream faster, but one of the confusing things about the condition is that foods will affect different people differently. And even the same food can be OK for someone in the evening but cause a rapid rise in their blood glucose (BG) level at breakfast.

Take a read at the links on the page Northerner posted, and have a look around the other threads here and you'll find pretty much everyone talking about carbobydrate and BG meter readings.

If you want to help your Metformin work harder for you consider reducing the amount of carbohydrate you are eating at each meal. Get yourself a meter to test before you eat and then an hour or two hours after you've finished to see what the effect of the food was (you might get a meter/strips from your GP or you might need to buy your own). Don't get too horrified at the numbers to begin with (they are likely to be higher than the recommended range) but look at the effect of the food - how much it made your BG rise and how quickly. Then use that to change portion size and/or what's on your plate.

Good luck and keep us posted 🙂
 
Welcome to the forum Karen 🙂 x
 
Hi karen. Welcome.🙂

Rob
 
Hello Karen, welcome to the forum.

When I was diagnosed and my levels were brought under control (I was given a meter by the way and found it extremely valuable initially), I found that my eyesight blurred quite a lot. However, in time it settled down.

In my case my body was getting used to the lower levels and reestablishing a more normal equilibrium. I also often got feelings of false (or perhaps real) hypos where my blood sugar levels felt low (i.e. shakey and weak).

Again, those passed in time and I am now much improved.

Good luck with everything,

Andy 🙂
 
hi i was diagnosed with type2,at chrismas,am on metformin,really not managing well,blurred vision,legs are shakey,(it feels as if im drunk!)thirstyall the time,ive told my doctor nd just said it would sort its self out!i knw thats nt true ,any advice plz?......:confused:


Possibly the first thing you need to change is your doctor.

In the meantime, please read this (click on it): Getting Started.
 
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