New to type 2

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Sunflower

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Type 2
Hi All,

I'm new to this forum, and this condition, so I'd really appreciate any advice offered. This is my story so far...

For at least 2 years I've been going back and forth to my doctors (a group practice) with various ailments, individually nothing too serious, but what I now realise were common indicators of Diabetes.

I was diagnosed with type 2 about two and a half weeks ago...well actually, I diagnosed myself. I found I was suddenly very shortsighted and when I looked up possible causes I kept coming across diabetes. I had a test at a pharmacy and got a 25.7 result. I went immediately to my GP who then sent me to A+E, at which point my BG was 30.1.

I've been given Metformin and gliclizide and have been testing myself regularly - now my levels are bouncing around between 9 and 5.4.

I saw my GP today. My HblAc (Is that correct?) results have been lost (!) so I have had to be tested again. I was told by my GP to STOP testing my BG levels. She also added that I would NEVER be able to control my levels without drugs as my pancreas was producing so little insulin and was worn out. I'm a bit loathe to put too much faith her or any of the doctors at the practice as they were unable to even diagnose this condition in the first place, despite some very obvious signs. Would they have suspected diabetes when I slipped into a coma?

Should I ask to be referred a Diabetes specialist? I would prefer to continue to test my BG levels daily - I want to actively monitor my health and find out what effects diet and exercise have. It seems to annoy her that I don't just shut up and put up with it.

I get more depressed every time every time I go there.

Has anyone had similar experiences and what did you do? I'd really appreciate some advice.
 
Hi Sunflower, welcome to the forum 🙂 You definitely need to find another doctor if that is the attitude, this sounds like dreadful quality of care :( It's good that you have finally been diagnosed and are now getting your levels under control. But I think a driving factor in getting good control has to be knowing how your blood sugar levels are behaving and how you tolerate different foods. I have been on this forum for five years now and I have lost count of the number of people who have really turned around their situation and are now enjoying excellent health and great blood sugar levels because they undertook a testing regime at the beginning. Without testing you are fumbling in the dark as a 3 or 6-monthly HbA1c will only give a general indication of how you are doing. It sounds like your GP would simply keep giving you more and more medication if the results were poor. Personally, I wouldn't go near someone with such an attitude knowing what I have learned.

It may be true that you need the help of some medications to keep things under control, we are all different as are our needs, but to give you such a negative and discouraging response is completely wrong in my opinion.

Please have a look at the links in our 'Useful Links' thread - in particular Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker , Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter. These will all give you a good grounding in what it is all about and how to set about getting control.

Please ask any questions you may have and we will do our best to help! 🙂
 
Hi Sunflower, I agree with Northerner change doctors if you can.

Your doctor is putting your health at risk as you are taking gliclazide, this medication can and does cause hypos. Since being gliclazide I have had a few, though mainly dipping to 3.6 / 3.7 its still a hypo.

If you are driving you are also breaking DVLA's guide lines / rules as being on a meds that can cause hypos you need to test before driving and every 2 hours until journey has been completed.

Its also in Nice guide lines if I remember correctly, that if you are on meds that can cause hypos then you should be given test strips on prescription.

I would complain to the practice manager about the lack of supplying test strips high lights at least the points I have made. Also how are you meant to know what foods affect you without testing, different foods affect people in different ways.

If you don't already have a meter, have a look on the suppliers web sites like Bayer, Abbott Medisense, Accu Chek, Life Scan, etc. Then give them a ring and they will generally send you one free. My personal likes are the Bayer contour next usb, has decent free software, Abbott range like the freestyle lite, and a good one if your are out and a bout the Accu Chek mobile.

Sorry about the post being a bit blunt and straight in at it, not too good at putting things softly.
 
Hi Northerner and Pav,
thank you for the quick responses. I think you are right, I am going to have to change my GP.
I asked if there was a practice manager but was told there wasn't one - just a practice administrator (is that the same thing?). So I have no idea of who to make a complaint to, how to get moved to another practice, or find one that might be any better!
I have already bought a monitor and I have had sticks on prescription, but now that my GP seems adamant that I should stop testing myself, I doubt that I'll get any more.
My husband bought me the Gretchen Becker book as soon as I was diagnosed. It's a great source of info but I don't yet seem to be reaching the bg levels she talks about as being 'under control'. Maybe I'm expecting to much too soon, but as no one (medical) has told me what to aim for I'm floundering.
You weren't blunt at all Pav. I've had much harsher responses from 'caring' medicos...the only good news I've had in 2 weeks was that my eyes are still healthy. I was so overwhelmed by my optician being even slightly compassionate that I burst into tears!
 
Hello Sunflower

I have recently been prescribed Gliclazide and was told that i must test 3-4 times a day as these tablets can cause hypos. They explained how important it was test before driving.

It worries me how different doctors give different information. When i read some of the messages posted on here i realise how lucky i am with my Doctor and Diabetic nurse.

I would seriously think about changing your doctor.

Welcome to the forum its a great place to come for help and support. 🙂
 
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You have already made big improvements Sunflower, but it will take a little time to get things under control so try not to worry - it will happen! 🙂

I would ask around friends and relatives to see if they can recommend a doctor/practice. It should just be a case then of asking to become a patient at the new one and they should arrange to have your records sent over.

As the others have suggested, it is possible to experience low blood sugars with gliclazide, so your doctor is wrong to tell you to stop testing, if only for that reason - but for the other reasons too. Not everyone wants to test, and not everyone benefits from it, so sometimes it is seen as a waste - but not if you are methodical and make each test tell you something new about your diabetes and your diet. Another thing you should press for is attending a diabetes education course, such as DESMOND or Xpert Diabetes - or your local area might have its own version. It can be very beneficial meeting others in the same boat, making you feel less isolated. 🙂
 
Ask your friends which doctors they use and what they think the doctors are like. The problem you will face unless any of your friends are diabetic as well is what they are like in diabetes care.

I have been looking at other doctors and reports of them are similar as the one I current use. At least at this one I can get test strips after justifying why I needed them.
 
Hello Sunflower, welcome. 🙂

Looking up GP practices is something I've spent my working life doing for the last few months. If your practice has a website, a quick Google search should be all you need, and the practice manager's name together with the complaints policy and procedure should be provided.

If you can't find a practice website, go to www.nhs.uk, click on the GP tab in the Service finder in the middle of the screen enter your postcode. Select your GP from the list that comes up. There's lots of useful information on there, including ratings from other patients. If you click on the Staff tab, the doctor(s) and practice manager (if there is one) should be listed. If you click on the Contacts tab, at the bottom of the page there's a link to the CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group). The CCG should have a link to their own website, or you can Google it now that you know which one to look for. You're looking for the PALS department (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) that handles complaints.

Now that you know how to look up a practice, you can have a look at the ratings for others in your area.

There endeth the lesson.

N.B. The above applies to England
 
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Welcome to the forum Sunflower 🙂
 
thank you all

Hi,

Many thanks to all of you for the info...I feel much better armed to make a well-founded complaint now.

I didn't fit the 'profile' of a type 2 diabetic. I am not overweight, I didn't think I had any close relatives with the disease (although I now suspect my father is an undiagnosed diabetic) and I think that these factors have played a part in not having an earlier diagnosis. Perhaps a small kick up their butts will alert my medical practice to the need to test more people for diabetes.

With regards to the gliclizide - I'll bear in mind the Hypo danger and will definitely test before driving. Having said that my most recent test was 12.6 - I hope it's because I'm stressed after today.

Particular thanks to LeeLee. x 🙂
 
Sunflower said:
Hi,

Many thanks to all of you for the info...I feel much better armed to make a well-founded complaint now.

I didn't fit the 'profile' of a type 2 diabetic. I am not overweight, I didn't think I had any close relatives with the disease (although I now suspect my father is an undiagnosed diabetic) and I think that these factors have played a part in not having an earlier diagnosis. Perhaps a small kick up their butts will alert my medical practice to the need to test more people for diabetes.

With regards to the gliclizide - I'll bear in mind the Hypo danger and will definitely test before driving. Having said that my most recent test was 12.6 - I hope it's because I'm stressed after today.

Particular thanks to LeeLee. x 🙂
Click to expand...

There may be something else to consider given what you say here - it's possible that you may be a slow-onset Type 1 and not a Type 2. This means your pancreas is still producing insulin but it may be in slow decline. Something you can ask your new doctor about!

Stress can raise your levels, but try not to be alarmed by the occasional high reading. You'll soon start to spot patterns if you test methodically 🙂
 
If you have enough test strips could well be worth testing last thing before bed and first thing in the morning.

Last thing at night reading will give you and indication if you need a snack / treat before bed. I have been in the low 4.0's at this time (its always when I have a very low / no carb tea) and would need a little treat to boost it into the 5.0's. The morning reading sets me up to see what if any thing I need to tweak for the day. I am mostly hitting 4.4 and some times up to 4.9 and occasionally in the low 5.0's which sets me off to a good start for the day. 🙂
 
Sunflower welcome to the forum and I hope you can find a more sympathetic doctor with diabetic knowledge.:D
LeeLee thanks for that info. I looked up my own surgery and was not surprised at the low results.😡
 
Your name says a lot about what type of person you are ! I am not keen on flowers but love the sight of a field full of "sunflowers" (happy). As others have said your docs dont sound to good at the big "D". If you find out what you eat shoots your blood sugar up by testing. Its easier to eat less of that & more of what doesnt ! 🙂
 
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