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Newbie here

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Angela77

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi all,

I have just been released from hospital yesterday and diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

My sugar yesterday was 24 and started on metaforman but told I dont need to monitor sugar.

My question is today every time I eat I get a nausea feeling and have to run to toilet and have diarrhoea (sorry too much info I know). My stomach is so sore and just feel really sick.

I am assuming this is normal and will take time for tablets to work. The reason I had been sent to hospital is they found ketones but these dropped in hospital.

I’m just really worried this feeling isn’t normal. Can anyone reassure.
 
Yes what you are experiencing is a common side effect of metformin, people are usually started on a low dose increasing slowly and if symptoms don't lessen then there is a slow release version which is kinder on the stomach.
You are also going to need to make some dietary changes as well, if they found ketones then I assume your blood glucose was very high. Reduction in the amount of carbohydrates will be important as will monitoring your blood glucose with a home monitor. I am surprised they told you not to and also provide you with the means to check for ketones as well.
I highly recommend the book Carbs and Cals as a good guide to carb values of a whole range of foods, also if you so a Google search for Total carbs of food X.
It is the Total carbohydrate you need to be looking at in foods and choosing ones with a lower carb amount for the portion you are going to have. Things with added sugar like cakes, biscuits, sugary drinks which are obvious but also foods like bread, pastry, cereals, potatoes, rice, pasta, pulses, tropical fruits are high carb. Meat, fish, eggs, cheese, full fat dairy, vegetables, salads and fruit like berries are all low carb.
Beware of prepared ready meals and sauces as they can have hidden carbs because of added sugar or starch.
I hope you are able to be in touch with the diabetic team for on going care.
 
Hi Angela

Good you joined here. I have found it a big help. I guess the feeling sick and running to the toilet it the medication. I was told it would have that side affect but it actually didn't affect me at all. They did tell me to take sure I took it with food which I did half way through. Maybe you are already doing that. On the other had I was only taking the medication for about a week. Be reassured you can get you blood sugar levels way down with a change in diet and exercise. Did they give you an Hba1c result in the hospital ? This result tells what you bs level was over the past 3 months.
 
Yep - Metformin did exactly the same for me! I have found I can only tolerate one 500mg tablet a day. My diabetes nurse has supplemented this with another drug to help drag the blood sugar levels down.
It's worth getting a monitor - less than £20 from any of the high street chemists or on-line. It gives you a real-time guide to what your levels currently are.
Sorting out your diet is a nightmare! Has taken me months of experimenting. Do a search on test-test-test for a really good guide to a testing regime to guide you.
Bottom line is we're all slightly different and our bodies have different tolerances. Cut out any added-sugar items and reduce carbs are the only general rules that seem to apply,
Good luck!
 
The response to Metformin seems to be pure chance.
I reacted badly, but after giving up in despair, I found that a low carb diet was all it took to get normal tests.
If the 24 was your mmol/l of blood glucose, I would really recommend testing - how else can you see if there are changes?
 
Hi @Angela77 sorry to hear about your hospitalisation and diagnosis of T2.
As Leadinglights says, it's a known side effect for metformin to make you nauseous and go to the toilet. Phone the receptionist at your GP, tell them how many times you've had to "go" and how tired you feel, and ask for the GP to prescribe the slow release version of it to see if that helps.
In the meantime, drink plenty of fluid to keep yourself topped up, and try and sip a cup of warm water or tea, even if you don't feel like drinking as you need to keep hydrated.
Hope you're feeling better soon
 
Apparently the strips for the TEE2 monitor are £19.99 for 300 on E-bay which seems a cracking price and the monitor is one of the cheapest so would be well worth investing in.
 
Leadinglights said:
Apparently the strips for the TEE2 monitor are £19.99 for 300 on E-bay which seems a cracking price and the monitor is one of the cheapest so would be well worth investing in.
Click to expand...
I don't know why it hadn't even occurred to me to check on Ebay for test strips. Off there now to see if the Gluconavii ones are cheaper there!
 
Leadinglights said:
Yes what you are experiencing is a common side effect of metformin, people are usually started on a low dose increasing slowly and if symptoms don't lessen then there is a slow release version which is kinder on the stomach.
You are also going to need to make some dietary changes as well, if they found ketones then I assume your blood glucose was very high. Reduction in the amount of carbohydrates will be important as will monitoring your blood glucose with a home monitor. I am surprised they told you not to and also provide you with the means to check for ketones as well.
I highly recommend the book Carbs and Cals as a good guide to carb values of a whole range of foods, also if you so a Google search for Total carbs of food X.
It is the Total carbohydrate you need to be looking at in foods and choosing ones with a lower carb amount for the portion you are going to have. Things with added sugar like cakes, biscuits, sugary drinks which are obvious but also foods like bread, pastry, cereals, potatoes, rice, pasta, pulses, tropical fruits are high carb. Meat, fish, eggs, cheese, full fat dairy, vegetables, salads and fruit like berries are all low carb.
Beware of prepared ready meals and sauces as they can have hidden carbs because of added sugar or starch.
I hope you are able to be in touch with the diabetic team for on going care.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for reply. The nurse called today and they are prescribing a slow release tablet. She said that it will be the metformin that is causing the issue and will prescribe new one tomorrow. She was so nice and reassuring. Thanks to everyone for responses. I was just so worried it wasn’t normal. Thanks again
 
Very normal both in the side effects of metformin and in felling overwhelmed at your diagnosis.
I assume you have been prescribed medication for your high blood pressure which should help, as well as making some dietary changes.
I certainly recommend you get a monitor as that gives you control of your diabetes and will help you make some better food choices.
 
Leadinglights said:
Very normal both in the side effects of metformin and in felling overwhelmed at your diagnosis.
I assume you have been prescribed medication for your high blood pressure which should help, as well as making some dietary changes.
I certainly recommend you get a monitor as that gives you control of your diabetes and will help you make some better food choices.
Click to expand...
Yes, I take one in morning. Nurse said to get a bp monitor as best to take readings. So will buy both and see how they are doing. Struggling to eat much at all and worrying as it’s wholemeal bread that I seem to be able to eat. Had it for breakfast and dinner but small size. Thanks for help and advice x
 
Angela77 said:
Yes, I take one in morning. Nurse said to get a bp monitor as best to take readings. So will buy both and see how they are doing. Struggling to eat much at all and worrying as it’s wholemeal bread that I seem to be able to eat. Had it for breakfast and dinner but small size. Thanks for help and advice x
Click to expand...
Until your stomach settles down then just take one day at a time and when you get your monitor you can start to test what foods you can tolerate. There is plenty of information here about reducing carbohydrates but keeping a food diary is a good start to see how much carbs you are having and where you can start to reduce them. It is better to cut down slowly so by one third for a couple of weeks, then another third until you get to where you need to be to get your blood glucose levels down.
 
Angela77 said:
Yes, I take one in morning. Nurse said to get a bp monitor as best to take readings. So will buy both and see how they are doing. Struggling to eat much at all and worrying as it’s wholemeal bread that I seem to be able to eat. Had it for breakfast and dinner but small size. Thanks for help and advice x
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear you're struggling to eat much. Hopefully the different metformin will be a bit kinder on your appetite and digestion. I hope you're feeling better soon.
Burgen bread is lower carb, but not actually tried it myself yet. I don't know how it compares to wholemeal.
When you're feeling a bit better, BBC food has some low carb recipes. I've made their broccoli and Stilton soup and left out the potato to reduce the quantity of carbohydrates, and it was delicious.
 
Standard Metformin has a high % of folks who get side effects, the slow release has a much lower % of folks who can't tolerate it.
Since it is so common, it is a trivial thing for GPs to sort out.

My experience was being told to come off my metformin (after 5 weeks on it) for a few days and reintroduce one tablet at a time over a few weeks. Day 1 of reintroduction was a disaster so was moved onto a different medication entirely.
After a few weeks they tried to introduce the SR metformin again but I only managed a couple of weeks. Meds switched again (and seem to be okay).

It all takes time to find what works unfortunately so be patient but be your own advocate and don't just put up with feeling terrible.
Just dance their dance, sing their song but tell them if it isn't working 🙂
 
I’m not sure they make the burgen ‘soya and linseed’ any more I’m afraid @Windy - though there used to be a few other lower carb options in supermarkets including Vogel I think?

Welcome to the forum @Angela77, sorry to hear about your diagnosis, and your unfortunate reaction to ’metfartin’.

Hopefully the slower release one will be kinder on your tum. I think it also has different instructions for when to take it too.

Several forum members find that their gastric upheaval settles after a while, but it can be very unpleasant while it lasts. Hope you feel much better soon, and the suggestions from the forum have been reassuring.
 
Angela77 said:
I am assuming this is normal and will take time for tablets to work. The reason I had been sent to hospital is they found ketones but these dropped in hospital.
Click to expand...
Hello and welcome to the forum.
Have they tested you for type1 diabetes as it's unusual for a type2 to have ketones? I hope you are feeling better soon.
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
I’m not sure they make the burgen ‘soya and linseed’ any more I’m afraid @Windy - though there used to be a few other lower carb options in supermarkets including Vogel I think?
Click to expand...
I've just recently noticed that our Asda now have Burgen soya and linseed. I haven't bought any as it doesn't look like wholemeal (the only bread I can eat) plus it is higher carb per slice than my Nimble - although slices are larger with the previous.
 
janw said:
I've just recently noticed that our Asda now have Burgen soya and linseed. I haven't bought any as it doesn't look like wholemeal (the only bread I can eat) plus it is higher carb per slice than my Nimble - although slices are larger with the previous.
Click to expand...

Ah! Thanks @janw - that’s really interesting.

Have found this article which talks about a relaunch and new recipe.

www.thegrocer.co.uk

Allied Bakeries’ Burgen brand given major makeover after sales plunge

The makeover includes a new logo, renames Burgen as 'Bürgen' and includes the strapline 'powered by plants' on-pack
www.thegrocer.co.uk www.thegrocer.co.uk
 
13g CHO per slice - good grief, hardly low carb now, is it!
 
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