Morning!

[SneezeLouise81]

Newly diagnosed type 2 yesterday, started metformin this morning, trying to stay positive. Yay for insatiable thirst!

 

[KARNAK]

Hi @SneezeLouise81 welcome to the forum 🙂. Sorry about your diagnosis but you have come to the right place. Plenty of info here read and learn, experienced members will be along soon to advise you and don`t be afraid to ask questions.

 

[Sharron1]

Ask away as many questions as you like and again and again if needs be. There is always someone who can help.

 

[SneezeLouise81]

Ahh thank you. My test came back back at 150, my doctor said that if I wasn't looking or feeling so well, I'd be straight off to hospital cos it was so high. She reckons I feel so well as I'm drinking so much fluid, swear to god, some days I think if I drink any more water, I might actually drown! Easily drink 8 or 9 litres of water a day! Lol, great for the skin mind you! X

 

[Northerner]

Ahh thank you. My test came back back at 150, my doctor said that if I wasn't looking or feeling so well, I'd be straight off to hospital cos it was so high. She reckons I feel so well as I'm drinking so much fluid, swear to god, some days I think if I drink any more water, I might actually drown! Easily drink 8 or 9 litres of water a day! Lol, great for the skin mind you! X

Hi Louise, welcome to the forum 🙂 Very sorry to hear about your diagnosis, how did it come about? Had you been experiencing symptoms for long? That number of 150, if it is an HbA1c test is indeed very high, especially for someone with Type 2 diabetes. Has the possibility of it being Type 1 been suggested? I ask because it can sometimes be misdiagnosed in adults, as many of our members have discovered for themselves. It's important to know so that you can be sure of receiving the correct medication to deal with it and bring your blood sugar levels under control. When do you next see the doctor?

Sometimes people can feel well, despite such high numbers, because their body has adapted to the new, abnormal levels - this can happen to a greater or lesser degree with many people. Do you have any family history of diabetes, of any type? Your excessive thirst is caused by your body trying to flush the excess glucose out through your urine - so you will be losing a lot of liquid at the same time as consuming a lot. 8-9 litres a day is a lot of water, and could potentially be dangerous in itself as it can dilute the amount of essential salts and minerals in the body. This should improve though as you start to bring your blood sugar levels under control. What advice have you been given regarding diet, and have you been given a blood glucose meter so you can check your levels at home?

Regarding metformin - don't expect any instant improvements from taking this medication - it takes a few weeks to 'establish' itself in your system before it can start to help properly.

I would say that, certainly for now, it would be a good idea to minimise your consumption of carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, cakes, pastries, sweets etc.) as these will have the greatest and fastest impact in raising your blood sugar levels. It's worth reading Maggie Davey's letter for some good food and general advice. I'm reluctant to suggest more at the moment as it seems uncertain whether you are actually Type 2 or perhaps a slow-onset Type 1. In adulthood, Type 1 can take weeks, months or even years to fully manifest itself, so it can be difficult to distinguish initially from Type 2 (I was probably heading that way for about 18 months prior to my diagnosis). I'm not saying this is the case with you, but the high number and very high water consumption suggest that it should be an option that is explored (there are special tests that can be done) - I am presuming that you haven't been drinking 8-9 litres a day for very long?

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Easily drink 8 or 9 litres of water a day! Lol, great for the skin mind you!

Might be good for your skin but it's obviously not sustainable. While it's a way to get rid of glucose (obviously not the right way!) it'll also get rid of other things. In particular, sodium. Sodium's rather important.

Have you had a blood test for sodium levels? If not it's probably worth suggesting one (in the context of your drinking so much fluid).

 

[SneezeLouise81]

Hi Louise, welcome to the forum 🙂

Hi there, thanks for the reply, some good info in there. Been drinking a lot of fluid For a long time because I also take sertraline antidepressants and the side effects I get from that is mostly excessive sweating, tiredness and dry mouth So just put the dry mouth and thirst down to that, it wasn't until I recently had thrush really bad that I looked up what caused thrush/how to cure it, that I noticed the symptoms Of diabetes, thought there was no harm in ruling it out, so I now find myself newly diagnosed and just gathering bits of information. Had my first tablet today, yup, had the side effects of that too, wasn't very pleasant while I was at work but I think that's eased off for now x

 

[SneezeLouise81]

oh and I have my full newly diagnosed diabetic review on Friday. I have already had feet tests for sensitivity as I have an ingrown nail which I've been to the foot clinic with and doctors for antibiotics...kinda weird how its all come about at the same time!

 

[Northerner]

oh and I have my full newly diagnosed diabetic review on Friday. I have already had feet tests for sensitivity as I have an ingrown nail which I've been to the foot clinic with and doctors for antibiotics...kinda weird how its all come about at the same time!

Good luck at the review, please let us know how you get on 🙂 Do ask about the possibility of slow-onset Type 1 (sometimes referred to as Type 1.5 or LADA - Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adulthood), if that 150 you mentioned was an HbA1c test then it is unusually high.