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Newbie, feeling overwhelmed!
- Thread starter Lucie2012
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Leadinglights
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- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
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- She/Her
Welcome to the forum
I hope you have been advised to start with a low dose building up over a few weeks if you are tolerating it. If you are not then there is a slow release version which is kinder on the stomach. Taking with your main meal helps with the stomach issues. It is a common side effect which should settle down.
Making some dietary changes is as powerful as metformin so reducing carbohydrates in your diet is needed.
Excellent you have been given a monitor, many who are Type 2 are not. Many use their monitor to establish what meals they can tolerate by testing before they eat and after 2 hours where an increase of no more than 2-3mmol/l is OK and as your levels come down then no more than 8-8.5 mmol/l. The aim is to have before meal readings of 4-7mmol/l.
People will also test in the morning to monitor progress or if they feel unwell.
This link may help you with some ideas for dietary changes, it is a low carb approach based on real food which many find successful in reducing blood glucose and losing weight if you need to. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/. Low carb is suggested as being no more than 130g per day TOTAL carbohydrate not just 'sugar'
Some people find a low calorie or shakes based regime will give them a kick start but whatever approach you try has to be enjoyable or otherwise it will not be sustainable long term.
Do have a read around the forum, the Learning Zone has good information and some links you may find useful. But do feel free to ask questions as I'm sure you will have many.
I hope you have been advised to start with a low dose building up over a few weeks if you are tolerating it. If you are not then there is a slow release version which is kinder on the stomach. Taking with your main meal helps with the stomach issues. It is a common side effect which should settle down.
Making some dietary changes is as powerful as metformin so reducing carbohydrates in your diet is needed.
Excellent you have been given a monitor, many who are Type 2 are not. Many use their monitor to establish what meals they can tolerate by testing before they eat and after 2 hours where an increase of no more than 2-3mmol/l is OK and as your levels come down then no more than 8-8.5 mmol/l. The aim is to have before meal readings of 4-7mmol/l.
People will also test in the morning to monitor progress or if they feel unwell.
This link may help you with some ideas for dietary changes, it is a low carb approach based on real food which many find successful in reducing blood glucose and losing weight if you need to. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/. Low carb is suggested as being no more than 130g per day TOTAL carbohydrate not just 'sugar'
Some people find a low calorie or shakes based regime will give them a kick start but whatever approach you try has to be enjoyable or otherwise it will not be sustainable long term.
Do have a read around the forum, the Learning Zone has good information and some links you may find useful. But do feel free to ask questions as I'm sure you will have many.
Thank you for all your support I am only having 1 tablet after breakfast so far, but will see how I go, have also been prescribed another drug so hoping that helps some of the symptoms. I have been feeling run down for a while. I will have a look at that link, keen to start doing all I can to manage this!
Leadinglights
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- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
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What is the other medication you have been prescribed as that may influence the suggestions you may get from people.
Certainly high blood glucose will give people symptoms of tiredness, thirst, frequent loo visits so of course that affects your sleep.
D
Deleted member 21371
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Have you a stomach upset?
Take the tablets after an evening meal, and give it a week or so to settle if you have.
It rarely lasts.
Hiya, the other drug is Gliclazide, hoping to start that next week. Slowly building up with the metformin, hoping it settles soon
Leadinglights
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The gliclazide is medication which encourages the pancreas to produce more insulin so has the potential to cause low blood glucose so make sure you test with your monitor if you feel unwell and have something available to treat the Hypo, jelly babies are suggested.
Felinia
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hello and welcome. We are a friendly bunch and happy to answer any questions you may have. Nothing is silly - we have all been where you are now, and probably asked the same questions. Leadinglights has given you some excellent suggestions.
You can get an online app to help you monitor cals and carbs if you decide to go down that route. There are several - I use NutraCheck.
Your HbA1c is high but there are plenty of people on this Forum who started at similar levels who have successfully brought down their blood glucose level within a few months. If you are reducing your carbs it is best to take it slowly over a period of weeks, as too quick a reduction can cause vision problems. Your body needs time to adjust as your blood glucose reduces. Best wishes
You can get an online app to help you monitor cals and carbs if you decide to go down that route. There are several - I use NutraCheck.
Your HbA1c is high but there are plenty of people on this Forum who started at similar levels who have successfully brought down their blood glucose level within a few months. If you are reducing your carbs it is best to take it slowly over a period of weeks, as too quick a reduction can cause vision problems. Your body needs time to adjust as your blood glucose reduces. Best wishes
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
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- He/Him
Welcome to the forum @Lucie2012
Glad you have found us!
It can be really helpful to have other folks to compare experiences with, and to share your journey. Ask away with any questions, and feel free to just offload, vent, and let off steam.
The Learning Zone is a great resource to get your head around your new diagnosis.
Good luck, and let us know how you get on 🙂
Glad you have found us!
It can be really helpful to have other folks to compare experiences with, and to share your journey. Ask away with any questions, and feel free to just offload, vent, and let off steam.
The Learning Zone is a great resource to get your head around your new diagnosis.
Good luck, and let us know how you get on 🙂
Thanks for the reply, I have lowered the carbs quite a bit and my sight is still quite wobbly, I wonder if that's why
Felinia
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Possibly but you need to give it time to settle down.
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Your vision can alter with changing blood glucose level either increasing or decreasing quickly. When your blood glucose increases it usually happens quite slowly and your eyes adapt so you may not notice until it becomes really high but when levels then drop quickly either with dietary changes and/or medication then it is noticeable. The shape of the eye changes because the eye environment changes from sugary to the more normal salty so it alters the focal length.
It should settle down, how long it takes is quite individual, mine took several months. My far vision was Ok it was my near vision that was awful, my eyes didn't seem to be working together.
It should settle down, how long it takes is quite individual, mine took several months. My far vision was Ok it was my near vision that was awful, my eyes didn't seem to be working together.
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