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Nannie Ali

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Type 2
Recently been diagnosed type 2 diabetic , my GP messaged to say I would be started on metformin & ozempic however diabetic nurse has refused , can anyone recently diagnosed advise ?
 
Welcome aboard! I'm about 18 months ahead of you.
Did anyone mention the HbA1c blood test result? That usually gives a good indication of how far into the danger zone you are.

Code: 
HbA1c             42             47
------------------|--|--|--|--|--|------------------------
  normal            pre-diabetic             diabetic
 
Hi , my HBA1c was 50 , I have BMI of 37 & really struggle to lose weight
I’ve drastically cut down my carbs & sugar
Diabetic nurse reluctantly prescribed metformin , I’ve also started losartan recently
 
I'm astonished your DN is able to overrule the GP! In the 3 years since I was diagnosed the DN now takes care of my metformin prescription, but certainly at the beginning my GP insisted I was put onto metformin, despite my plea to manage it with diet and exercise. Mind you my hba1c was 76 which was quite high (it's now 39). May be worth another chat with your GP if your hba1c is high. Some people start out here in 3 figures and successfully manage to reduce it.
 
Vonny said:
I'm astonished your DN is able to overrule the GP! In the 3 years since I was diagnosed the DN now takes care of my metformin prescription, but certainly at the beginning my GP insisted I was put onto metformin, despite my plea to manage it with diet and exercise. Mind you my hba1c was 76 which was quite high (it's now 39). May be worth another chat with your GP if your hba1c is high. Some people start out here in 3 figures and successfully manage to reduce it.
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Many thanks for your advice , I didn’t find the diabetic nurse helpful at all , struggling to see GP , I was informed of being diabetic by text ,it’s all so confusing , a friend has lower BMI & she is pre diabetic , she has been started on metformin & trulicity .
 
My Hba1C was 50mmol/mol and I managed to reduce it to 42mmol/mol in 3 months and lose 12kg by following a low carb way of eating with no medication. I followed the principals in this link https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/ and it is now my new way of eating.
I still could do with losing more weight but have been hampered in walking due to a knee injury 18 months ago.
 
Nannie Ali said:
Many thanks for your advice , I didn’t find the diabetic nurse helpful at all , struggling to see GP , I was informed of being diabetic by text ,it’s all so confusing , a friend has lower BMI & she is pre diabetic , she has been started on metformin & trulicity .
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That seems very premature to put a pre-diabetic onto metformin and trulicity. Afraid that diabetic management is very much of a lottery postcode as to what help/information is forthcoming. Keep on trying to get hold of your GP, but I've just seen from your other post that your hba1c is 50 so you may be able to bring it down by reducing your carb intake and possibly increasing exercise. You are not far into the diabetic range. Best of luck x
 
Vonny said:
That seems very premature to put a pre-diabetic onto metformin and trulicity. Afraid that diabetic management is very much of a lottery postcode as to what help/information is forthcoming. Keep on trying to get hold of your GP, but I've just seen from your other post that your hba1c is 50 so you may be able to bring it down by reducing your carb intake and possibly increasing exercise. You are not far into the diabetic range. Best of luck x
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I agree it is very much a postcode lottery as to your treatment , since joining this forum im going to persevere with my low carb diet & be patient I am feeling a lot better for eating less carbs & sugar
 
Nannie Ali said:
Recently been diagnosed type 2 diabetic , my GP messaged to say I would be started on metformin & ozempic however diabetic nurse has refused , can anyone recently diagnosed advise ?
Click to expand...
There’s a pathway of medication, diet and exercise you need to go through first. Metaphorically, there’s no point hitting something with a big hammer if a tap with a finger will do the job. See what happens with improvement in diet exercise and metformin first.
 
Nannie Ali said:
... since joining this forum im going to persevere with my low carb diet & be patient I am feeling a lot better for eating less carbs & sugar.
Click to expand...
If you have the willpower to control your carbs intake then discuss this with your doctor and see if you have the option of going without medication for a while. It would take about twelve weeks for the results to show up on HbA1c blood test. I started at 91 and was down to 43 in twelve weeks or so. (I didn't suffer any side-effects but some can so read up a bit on it on the forum and play safe.)
 
Nannie Ali said:
Many thanks for your advice , I didn’t find the diabetic nurse helpful at all , struggling to see GP , I was informed of being diabetic by text ,it’s all so confusing , a friend has lower BMI & she is pre diabetic , she has been started on metformin & trulicity .
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear you haven’t found the diabetes nurse helpful, and that your diagnosis has all been a bit impersonal and confusing :(

I think approaches vary from surgery to surgery, and between healthcare professionals. Some want to offer the support of meds early on, while others prefer to give people a chance to try diet changes first.

It does seem quite unusual to offer metformin (first line) and another med (second line) from the outset to someone who does not yet have a formal diagnosis with diabetes.

The standard NHS NICE/SIGN flowcharts for introducing medications are here if they help


And here - the NICE flowchart
 
You may find it helpful to do daily monitorings of your glucose levels as you change your diet and exercise routines. It will give you a handle on what is going on inside your body, and is an 'immediate' read out of your state at the time of test.

Lots of recommendations here as to which monitor. All the best with it.
 
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