New to forum

[debs248]

My hba1c score was 114 in January and had dropped to 48 in July.

Similarly I was 113 in April, don't know what it is now but daily BG readings are down quite a bit

I have recently started testing my blood sugar a few times a day (finger prick test) and this is typically between 8-10, but highest first thing in the morning (around 10) and tends to drop thoroughly the day.

I get double figures first thing and a gradual drop also. I think I just have an unhelpfully generous liver.

Just not sure on how to reduce my blood sugar as seems high still and nothing seems to make a difference as it has been the same for past month - doesn’t seem to matter what exercise I do or what I eat at present. Only time it reduced to around 5 was after a couple of beers - not something that goes well with Metformin!

Whether I eat 50 carbs or 150 in a day seems to make no difference, it's always around 10-11 first thing, dropping to 8-9 by late evening. I'm also on Metformin only.

It might be worth you keeping a food diary with an estimate of the amount of carbs in everything you eat and drink and when with your blood glucose readings and record any exercise as you may be able to spot a pattern of what may be happening. Those readings seem a bit high if that is all you have been eating.

I've been doing that for 3 months and apart from pastry and figs, nothing I eat makes much difference. A couple of times I've fasted all day (22/3 hours) and still had double figures. Something else is going on, unfortunately I can't tell what!

Do you have breakfast? as that can be beneficial in preventing your liver from releasing glucose otherwise you start the day at a higher level.

I'm experimenting with this as I'm not a natural breakfast eater. A few spoons of egg mayo did drop BG from 12.2 to 10.5 after an hour today but more testing is needed. Some people eat a small handful of nuts. If it works for me I think I'll try cheese as it's fine out of the fridge overnight so I can keep a slice by the bed.

Good luck finding something that works for you!

 

[Lucyr]

Whether I eat 50 carbs or 150 in a day seems to make no difference, it's always around 10-11 first thing, dropping to 8-9 by late evening. I'm also on Metformin only.

Low carb doesn’t work for everyone. Some people do better on different diets eg moderate carb low fat or plant based

 

[JimmyBlue]

@Mkroxxy hi and welcome to the forum. Reading through your posts and the details of your food, I wonder if you are exhibiting signs of ketosis particularly with regards to weight loss? When I was diagnosed last October, I too went down the reduce carbs route with the intention of eating no more than 130g per day, while at the same time upping my exercise. I lost a lot of weight very quickly and that caused issues with the Diabetes nurse who sent me for lots of other tests to make sure that it wasn't a different form of diabetes. In the end though, it was determined that I was not consuming enough carbs or calories especially with respect to the level of exercise I was doing and therefore was effectively in ketosis. Your diet may also have taken you down that road.
As others have said your diet needs to be something sustainable that you can continue with over time. If you also have issues with BP and cholesterol, this does not need to be an issue in terms of your diet particularly with regards to fat. I made the following changes to address BP and cholesterol concerns and as of beginning of June this year, my diabetes nurse is very happy with my my diabetes control, BP and cholesterol levels.

• Use low or 0% fat yoghurts (I buy Greek low fat yoghurt)
• Monitor calorie intake to ensure it aligns with the level of exercise you are doing
• Eat carbs before exercise to make sure there is enough BG to be used for energy
• Do resistance exercise as well as cardio. There is evidence that doing weights and other resistance exercise improves insulin performance to reduce BG levels and this lasts longer than from cardio only.
• Try something like Benecol or own brand products that are proven to reduce cholesterol and can help maintain it at a healthy level
• Make sure cardio exercise leaves you a little out of breath as that level provides most benefits
• Make sure to eat plenty of protein and healthy (i.e. unsaturated) fats as these are needed to replace the carbs that are not available on a low carb diet

In terms of the NHS, you have exactly the same service I receive. GPs tend not to get involved in diabetes unless there is a material concern e.g. feet issues, problems with ulcers, etc. As the title says they are generalists whereas the diabetes nurses receive additional training to work with and support diabetes patients. For type 2 the system seems to be to work with individuals to help them get their BG under control, make sure that they don't forget about cholesterol and BP and to let them initiate contact if they need anything else.
This forum is probably the best place for support and help with managing diabetes as the people here are all living with the condition in one form or another and can provide a lifetime of experience to the discussion and any questions you may have.