• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

New member ; trying to get control of my sugar level

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

Rich alfred

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi to everyone, been struggling with my sugar levels without success, joined here hoping for some advise on what I am doing wrong .
1500 mg metformin
Starting at 27
8 weeks ago now sitting at 15 / 20

Spoke with nurse last week on video call and she has given me Gliclazde to try but haven’t started on it as I am a little worried at mixing the drugs
Would really like some help
Thank You
Rich
 
Hi Rich alfred. Post a few more details about your history and I am sure you will get thoughts and ideas from forum members. In the meantime don't fret about taking metformin and gliclazide together. Its a standard approach and its what I take. Those pills together with diet changes got me sorted out.
 
Docb said:
Hi Rich alfred. Post a few more details about your history and I am sure you will get thoughts and ideas from forum members. In the meantime don't fret about taking metformin and gliclazide together. Its a standard approach and its what I take. Those pills together with diet changes got me sorted out.
Click to expand...

Thank for the fast reply . I was going to start tonight
Do you take the glicazide in the morning or evening.
Many thank
 
First things first, what else have you changed about your lifestyle if anything?

Have you reduced your carbohydrate intake for instance? As a diabetic it isn't just sugar you have to think about, its total carbohydrate that you need to be aware of as it all breaks down into glucose in the body, so things like cereals, bread, pasta/rice, potatoes etc aren't best suited to a diabetic, you may of course be able to manage/tolerate smaller portion sizes of these foods but the only way to tell that is to test before eating them and then again 2 hours after, ideally your looking at a post meal rise of no more than 2-3mmol to regard that meal/food as something you could manage on a more regular basis

Have you introduced more exercise if you aren't active already? exercise can help lower insulin resistance for instance
xx
 
Rich alfred said:
Thank for the fast reply . I was going to start tonight
Do you take the glicazide in the morning or evening.
Many thank
Click to expand...

Take it in the morning along with the metformin. I'm not sure how long gliclazide remains in the system but it made sense to take it in the morning so that it would be around and working on the pancreas during the day when you are eating.

Kaylz is dead right, getting your diet right can be a powerful tool in getting your blood glucose down. This takes a bit more working on than taking the pills but get that sorted and the need for pills can be reduced to the point where some have got rid of them altogether. If you read around the forum you will soon get an idea of the principles. Ask any questions - nothing on here is considered too silly to ask.

By the way, could you do with losing a pound or two? If so then getting your BMI to a healthy number can also be very effective. If you are a slim diabetic (yes, there are a lot, including me), then forgive the impertinent question and forget I asked!
 
Docb said:
Take it in the morning along with the metformin. I'm not sure how long gliclazide remains in the system but it made sense to take it in the morning so that it would be around and working on the pancreas during the day when you are eating.

Kaylz is dead right, getting your diet right can be a powerful tool in getting your blood glucose down. This takes a bit more working on than taking the pills but get that sorted and the need for pills can be reduced to the point where some have got rid of them altogether. If you read around the forum you will soon get an idea of the principles. Ask any questions - nothing on here is considered too silly to ask.

By the way, could you do with losing a pound or two? If so then getting your BMI to a healthy number can also be very effective. If you are a slim diabetic (yes, there are a lot, including me), then forgive the impertinent question and forget I asked!
Click to expand...
Kaylz said:
First things first, what else have you changed about your lifestyle if anything?

Have you reduced your carbohydrate intake for instance? As a diabetic it isn't just sugar you have to think about, its total carbohydrate that you need to be aware of as it all breaks down into glucose in the body, so things like cereals, bread, pasta/rice, potatoes etc aren't best suited to a diabetic, you may of course be able to manage/tolerate smaller portion sizes of these foods but the only way to tell that is to test before eating them and then again 2 hours after, ideally your looking at a post meal rise of no more than 2-3mmol to regard that meal/food as something you could manage on a more regular basis

Have you introduced more exercise if you aren't active already? exercise can help lower insulin resistance for instance
xx
Click to expand...

Thank you Kayla , you have given me a lot to think about .
I have started to read some of the other threads on here very helpful indeed.
Rich
 
If you haven't made significant dietary changes to lower carbohydrate intake and increase activity levels with a brisk daily walk (if you are able) then personally I would try that before starting the Gliclazide. It sounds like you have a BG meter and can test your own levels at home (correct me if I am wrong) so you should see significant progress within a few days of cutting your carb intake. If not, then by all means start the Gliclazide, but if you start the medication and go low carb at the same time it might make your levels go too low, so I would give dietary changes a go and then introduce the new medication if you don't see any progress. A few more days won't make much difference as regards when you start them and in my experience a low carb diet is a far more powerful tool in reducing BG levels than most other medication.

If you would like to post the sort of things you currently eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner and any snacks, we could perhaps make suggestions for low carb alternatives you could try.
 
Rich alfred said:
Thank you Kayla , you have given me a lot to think about .
I have started to read some of the other threads on here very helpful indeed.
Rich
Click to expand...

Glad to hear you are finding the forum helpful Rich.

Hope you can find the right balance of dietary changes and meds to suit your diabetes.

Let us know how you get on 🙂
 
After some good advice on here and reading a lot other posts , I am still struggling to get below 12 I did start with readings of 28
I am taking 2 mg of metformin a day . Normal release
I was also given gliclazide but haven’t taken this as I was hoping to get it under control with life style changes
I have loss weight and now weight 90 kg
I have noticed my heart rate has increased by about 10 bpm is this normal when taking
Any one have any advice
Thank you
Rich
 
Have you substantially reduced your carb intake @Rich alfred ?

Was the weight loss planned and intentional? Or has it just happened?

Since you have progressed to the max dose of metformin quite rapidly and your levels remain high - if you are also eating low carb it might begin to raise questions about your diabetes type and whether you might be ‘slow onset’ T1 or LADA?

Do you have a family history of T2, or any autoimmune conditions in the family?
 
Can you tell us what sort of things you are eating... ie what does an average breakfast lunch and dinner menu look like for you including drinks and what if any snacks do you eat?

If you are following a low carb diet and still getting readings like that then I would be wondering if you have been misdiagnosed.... hence asking the sort of things you are eating. For instance many people say they are eating low carb but they are still eating fruit and porridge and wholemeal bread etc which are all carb rich foods, so knowing what you actually eat helps make an assessment of whether carbs can be reasonably reduced further or if a misdiagnosis is more likely.
As regards heart rate it might be down to the high BG levels but worth discussing with your doc if you are concerned. I am not sure it is a side effect of Metformin but it would be a good idea to check the patient info leaflet.
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
Have you substantially reduced your carb intake @Rich alfred ?

Was the weight loss planned and intentional? Or has it just happened?

Since you have progressed to the max dose of metformin quite rapidly and your levels remain high - if you are also eating low carb it might begin to raise questions about your diabetes type and whether you might be ‘slow onset’ T1 or LADA?

Do you have a family history of T2, or any autoimmune conditions in the family?
Click to expand...
Hello I normally have an egg and 1 slice of brown toast and a banana or apple or both for lunch I normally have a small boil of rice and curry but only a small bowl
One slice of toast and sardines later in the evening
I might have an autoimmune problem but and waiting to be tested as it was postponed due to covid 19
It’s suspected I might have FAP
Thank you
 
Frankly, the FAP is more of a concern than the diabetes BUT your body will have a far better chance of fighting off anything 'more concerning' if you can get your BG down to a sensible level as soon as poss - hence I'd have a go at taking the gliclazide too if I were you - you can always drop it or reduce the dose later, loads of T2s use it temporarily until they're in a better place with their diabetes control.
 
Rich alfred said:
Hello I normally have an egg and 1 slice of brown toast and a banana or apple or both for lunch I normally have a small boil of rice and curry but only a small bowl
One slice of toast and sardines later in the evening
I might have an autoimmune problem but and waiting to be tested as it was postponed due to covid 19
It’s suspected I might have FAP
Thank you
Click to expand...
If you are a typical type two then the toast, fruit and rice will be why you have high numbers.
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top