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"Just Keep Swimming....!!"

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Ginja Gee

Ginja Gee

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi, I was diagnosed last week with Type 2 diabetes. I've been wondering why I felt so terrible and so very tired but just put it down to 1) my age ....... I'm 50 which really isn't old, and 2) previously being diagnosed as anaemic (which I've been prescribed iron tablets for) .

My doctor thought that I might be diabetic because I had a yeast infection that was taking ages to go. I did a blood test and my Hba1c reading (hope that's right) came back as 99!! 2 years ago it was 48.

I've been prescribed Metformin 3 times a day and advised to take one metformin tablet with breakfast for 1 week, then take one with breakfast and dinner the second week, then with breakfast, lunch and dinner from the third week.

I'm absolutely exhausted all of the time and my already poor vision (I'm very short sighted) is blurry. Can't wait for the tablets to kick in. Just want to shift this zombie like state that I'm currently experiencing. :(
 
Hi Ginja,
Do you test? What's your FBG number, what is it 2 hours post-meal?
High BG will cause fatigue & poor eyesight (assuming no other underlying cause), also, high BG can cause poor sleep which has a knock on effect to the next day. That's why testing is so important for the ongoing management of our disease.
Armed with a meter, you can look at the effect carbs are having to your BG in the foods you are eating & allow you to select the foods that you respond well to & deselect those that cause you to spike.
 
Martin Canty said:
Hi Ginja,
Do you test? What's your FBG number, what is it 2 hours post-meal?
High BG will cause fatigue & poor eyesight (assuming no other underlying cause), also, high BG can cause poor sleep which has a knock on effect to the next day. That's why testing is so important for the ongoing management of our disease.
Armed with a meter, you can look at the effect carbs are having to your BG in the foods you are eating & allow you to select the foods that you respond well to & deselect those that cause you to spike.
Click to expand...
Hi Martin, my FBG this morning was 17.8. (We were out at a birthday party last night though). Yesterday it was 16. I've been testing three times a day for the past 2 weeks just to get an idea of where my BG levels were. My FBG has not been lower than 15 since I started testing. I've not recorded anything lower than 13.4 during my pre medication testing so I sort of assumed that I would be put on medication.
My doctor has recommended that I take another blood test in about 4 to 5 weeks time (once I've been taking the prescribed dosage for a couple of weeks).
 
That does seem kinda high..... I was immediately put on Metformin after DX with FBG 14.0 & I was feeling lousy at that level. Fell to 9.something within a couple of weeks of cutting all the extra carbs
 
Hi and welcome to the forum. I was wondering what sort of dietary advice you were given, as this is just as important as the medication. You must be feeling rubbish with bs numbers like that, so I don't know if you are cutting down on your carbs, but if so, hopefully that will help.
 
stephknits said:
Hi and welcome to the forum. I was wondering what sort of dietary advice you were given, as this is just as important as the medication. You must be feeling rubbish with bs numbers like that, so I don't know if you are cutting down on your carbs, but if so, hopefully that will help.
Click to expand...
Hi Stephknits. Apparently I need to wait until my next appointment in 4 to 6 weeks before being referred to the DN. I assume that they're waiting to see if the meds bring my levels down?? Not 100% sure. I know that I'm being referred for the DESMOND course but haven't been told about a referral for dietary advice yet. I've been trying to figure out what I can eat by looking online but must admit that I'm finding it all a bit confusing. I'm trying to cut down on my carbs but I'm also trying to find alternatives for snacks/ breakfasts etc. It's difficult at the moment because I'm finding it hard to concentrate for long enough. It'll all hopefully settle down soon.
 
Welcome from a fellow T2 who's just about 17 months in.
 
If you mean "just keep swimming" literally, rather than metaphorically, then try http://www.teambloodglucose.com/TeamBG/Type_2_Basics.html

It will take a while, but gradually, as blood glucose levels return to normal, you will feel better. If levels were to fall too quickly, you would experience many feelings of false hypos, as your body has got used to working with higher than normal levels.
 
Ginja Gee said:
Hi Stephknits. Apparently I need to wait until my next appointment in 4 to 6 weeks before being referred to the DN. I assume that they're waiting to see if the meds bring my levels down?? Not 100% sure. I know that I'm being referred for the DESMOND course but haven't been told about a referral for dietary advice yet. I've been trying to figure out what I can eat by looking online but must admit that I'm finding it all a bit confusing. I'm trying to cut down on my carbs but I'm also trying to find alternatives for snacks/ breakfasts etc. It's difficult at the moment because I'm finding it hard to concentrate for long enough. It'll all hopefully settle down soon.
Click to expand...
Cheese is one my go-to's for a snack, a slice of cheese (& sometimes deli meat) wrapped in lettuce is a great snack. Beware, though, choose full-fat as the low fat versions of 'cheese' can gave too many carbs. My (non-D) wife loves celery & cream cheese as a snack.
Breakfast could be an egg (prepared any style). A lot of D's prefer to have a zero carb breakfast. Personally I don't want or need to eat until mid-day. Many D's can't tolerate grains or cereals & so have to cut them completely.
 
I tend to have greek natural yoghurt & berries for breakfast. I get frozen berries as they mix in better with the yoghurt. Weekends I have a fry up of 97% pork sausages, bacon, eggs, mushrooms & plum tomatoes. All this & im still losing weight. Love LCHF.:D
 
Love the breakfast and snack suggestions!! Thanks so much. Will take a look at the LCHF diet. Sounds fab!!
 
Ginja Gee said:
Love the breakfast and snack suggestions!! Thanks so much. Will take a look at the LCHF diet. Sounds fab!!
Click to expand...
Personally I love LCHF, there are so many new recipes I'm wanting to try.... Been on it for 4 months & my Wife has also just started so it's making it even more fun. We are approaching it from 2 different angles, me to control BG & my wife's for weight. I now have good BG control (typically FBG between 3.9 & 5.0) & personally dropped weight from 16st to 12.5st (though LCHF can only claim 1.5st of that)

There are many web resources, one favorite of my wife's is http://www.ruled.me/ they give simple explanations about LCHF and the background & easy to follow recipes....

One of the things you might see is mention about Ketone Bodies, this is referring to Nutritional Ketosis rather than DKA.... 2 very different animals which shouldn't be confused.
 
Ginja Gee said:
Hi, I was diagnosed last week with Type 2 diabetes. I've been wondering why I felt so terrible and so very tired but just put it down to 1) my age ....... I'm 50 which really isn't old, and 2) previously being diagnosed as anaemic (which I've been prescribed iron tablets for) .

My doctor thought that I might be diabetic because I had a yeast infection that was taking ages to go. I did a blood test and my Hba1c reading (hope that's right) came back as 99!! 2 years ago it was 48.

I've been prescribed Metformin 3 times a day and advised to take one metformin tablet with breakfast for 1 week, then take one with breakfast and dinner the second week, then with breakfast, lunch and dinner from the third week.

I'm absolutely exhausted all of the time and my already poor vision (I'm very short sighted) is blurry. Can't wait for the tablets to kick in. Just want to shift this zombie like state that I'm currently experiencing. :(
Click to expand...
Hi Ginja Gee, really sorry to hear all this. Your waking levels are concerning - if they don't improve at all, and/or you start feeling sick, not just tired, please don't wait for your scheduled appointment. It's possible to be misdiagnosed which can mean that the medication you are on is inappropriate and won't really help, so it's important to keep an eye on things and seek help if things appear to take a turn for the worst. The reason I say this is that two years is quite a short period of time for your HbA1c to double and your waking levels are very high. I was diagnosed aged 49 with an HbA1c of 106, and symptoms had developed over the previous 18 months (I only realised this with hindsight!).

So, please be alert and keep an eye on things. I could be totally wrong, of course! Let us know how you get on 🙂
 
Ginja Gee said:
Hi, I was diagnosed last week with Type 2 diabetes. I've been wondering why I felt so terrible and so very tired but just put it down to 1) my age ....... I'm 50 which really isn't old, and 2) previously being diagnosed as anaemic (which I've been prescribed iron tablets for) .

My doctor thought that I might be diabetic because I had a yeast infection that was taking ages to go. I did a blood test and my Hba1c reading (hope that's right) came back as 99!! 2 years ago it was 48.

I've been prescribed Metformin 3 times a day and advised to take one metformin tablet with breakfast for 1 week, then take one with breakfast and dinner the second week, then with breakfast, lunch and dinner from the third week.

I'm absolutely exhausted all of the time and my already poor vision (I'm very short sighted) is blurry. Can't wait for the tablets to kick in. Just want to shift this zombie like state that I'm currently experiencing. :(
Click to expand...
Good luck & you will feel better when BG gets down a bit. Keep asking Ginja Gee & wewlcome 🙂
 
Awww Thanks for the welcome everybody!! 😉
 
Another upset stomach and feeling (meh) day today!! I went from 1 to 2 Metformin a day on Thursday. Funnily enough I had the same thing happen last Saturday. :confused: I know that Metformin can have this effect on some people but I thought that I may have been one of the lucky ones as I've been fine during the week!!

I usually have Oats So Simple with a banana and take the pill either during eating or just after. Over the weekend though I tend to have something different. The only food that I can pinpoint as the possible culprit is eggs. I had them as part of my breakfast on both occasions. I'm wondering if it's the eggs or whether it's just my body getting used to the Metformin??

Find it strange (but I'm very thankful) that it has only happened on Saturdays............so far!! :confused: Living in dread that it should happen when I'm at work or out somewhere!! 😱
 
There can be all sorts of differences at the weekend. Could even be a combination.
 
I've not taken metformin Ginja, so not sure if eggs might be a problem with it. What else did you eat with the eggs? I suppose things might become clearer if your usual breakfast doesn't cause a problem - or maybe (hopefully!) you won't have any more problems with it! 🙂
 
I've never noticed any effect from metformin with any food, including eggs.
 
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