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Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
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- Thread starter Maria62
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Toucan
Forum Host
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hello Maria. Welcome to the forum, and good that you have taken the step to join us. Many of us know that dismal feeling on first diagnosis, but there is much help and information available, and try to stay positive. It will mean changes in lifestyle but there can be many benefits like feeling better, more energy, possible weight loss - oh and even the NHS helps with all the extra health checks that you will get.
There is no 'one size fits all' and you need to work out what it right for you. It will be a combination of healthy eating, exercise, and maybe medication of your medical team recommends that. A good place to look on the web site is the thread at the top of this section ' Useful links for people new to diabetes' and scroll down to the Type 2 heading.
Good luck, and please ask if there is anything that not sure about.
There is no 'one size fits all' and you need to work out what it right for you. It will be a combination of healthy eating, exercise, and maybe medication of your medical team recommends that. A good place to look on the web site is the thread at the top of this section ' Useful links for people new to diabetes' and scroll down to the Type 2 heading.
Good luck, and please ask if there is anything that not sure about.
SueEK
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi Maria and welcome to the forum. It’s a shock isn’t it and I totally get that you feel low. To be honest I was convinced for months that my doctor had made a mistake. However we are all here and believe me things do get better once you can get your head around it. There are lots of things you can do to help yourself and we are all here as well to help you. Ask any questions you have, whether they be big or small, don’t think oh I can’t ask that, it’s silly, just do it as if you don’t know the answer to something you must ask.
It would help to know your HbA1c if you know it as some people start off with very high numbers that need a more drastic change and others are just over the diabetic scale.
Basically carbs equal sugar so most of us have found by reducing carbs, a little more exercise and losing weight all have a big impact on reducing your levels. Fortunately by going low carb you get more energy anyway and lose weight so this is good news.
Again depending on where you are on the diabetes scale will depend on whether you should get a glucose meter, this can really help you to discover what foods really affect you and you can then adapt your food accordingly, eg I can’t really have bread or pasta but can tolerate small amounts of potato and rice, whereas somebody else won’t be able to as we all react differently.
Have a good look around the site and ask anything you want and remember things will get easier and we are all here to help and support you. Sue x
It would help to know your HbA1c if you know it as some people start off with very high numbers that need a more drastic change and others are just over the diabetic scale.
Basically carbs equal sugar so most of us have found by reducing carbs, a little more exercise and losing weight all have a big impact on reducing your levels. Fortunately by going low carb you get more energy anyway and lose weight so this is good news.
Again depending on where you are on the diabetes scale will depend on whether you should get a glucose meter, this can really help you to discover what foods really affect you and you can then adapt your food accordingly, eg I can’t really have bread or pasta but can tolerate small amounts of potato and rice, whereas somebody else won’t be able to as we all react differently.
Have a good look around the site and ask anything you want and remember things will get easier and we are all here to help and support you. Sue x
D
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Hi Maria, welcome to the forum 🙂 A recent diagnosis can be daunting which is why the forum is such a good space to gain support from those experiencing similar problems or hurdles with their management. @SueEK is right in that any question is not too big or small so ask away!
Diabetes UK can also support you through our confidential Helpline service on 0345 123 2399 where you can discuss any concerns you have.
Thanks for joining 🙂
Diabetes UK can also support you through our confidential Helpline service on 0345 123 2399 where you can discuss any concerns you have.
Thanks for joining 🙂
- Relationship to Diabetes
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- Pronouns
- He/Him
Welcome to the forum @Maria62
it is very understandable that you feel a bit
But it’s great that you have reached out and connected with the community here. Diabetes is a path that is much easier to navigate with others alongside you.
If you’ve not found it already, many new members here find Maggie Davey’s letter a useful overview of T2 diabetes
https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/maggie-daveys-letter-to-newly-diagnosed-type-2s.61307/
And AlanS’s ‘test review adjust’ a simple, methodical way of improving blood glucose outcomes around food and understanding how different carbohydrates affect each of us individually.
https://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/2006/10/test-review-adjust.html
Good luck and let us know how you are getting on.
it is very understandable that you feel a bit
But it’s great that you have reached out and connected with the community here. Diabetes is a path that is much easier to navigate with others alongside you.
If you’ve not found it already, many new members here find Maggie Davey’s letter a useful overview of T2 diabetes
https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/maggie-daveys-letter-to-newly-diagnosed-type-2s.61307/
And AlanS’s ‘test review adjust’ a simple, methodical way of improving blood glucose outcomes around food and understanding how different carbohydrates affect each of us individually.
https://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/2006/10/test-review-adjust.html
Good luck and let us know how you are getting on.
SB2015
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Glad you have found the forum Maria.
A Diabetes diagnosis is always a shock, but there are plenty of people on here who have loads of successful management strategies, and there’s plenty of support too.
Keep in touch and let us know how you get on.
Hi Maria, welcome 🙂 It is a bit of a shock at first but its really not that bad once you get your head around it. We all started feeling a bit
For me personally it has changed my life completely......for the better!! I am healthier, happier, sleep better and have more energy than i have had in years 😉
I chose to go the low carb route after reading the information here for weeks before i started asking questions, i had so much help and support that carried me through the phase of ‘I am so going to starve to death’ 😱 I also have heart disease including angina that had me requiring my gtn spray on a daily basis, i am now 4 stone lighter and haven’t touched my spray in about 9 months
For me personally it has changed my life completely......for the better!! I am healthier, happier, sleep better and have more energy than i have had in years 😉
I chose to go the low carb route after reading the information here for weeks before i started asking questions, i had so much help and support that carried me through the phase of ‘I am so going to starve to death’ 😱 I also have heart disease including angina that had me requiring my gtn spray on a daily basis, i am now 4 stone lighter and haven’t touched my spray in about 9 months
Thank you everyone. I’m waiting for results of further blood test and I think my GP is going to prescribe metformin, my 1st test came back 91mmol/mol, I’m not even sure what that means ♀️ but I’ve been reading up and am really worried about the side affects. Should I ask for the slow release version?
Felinia
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Your HbA1c was 91 mmol/mol which is pretty high but others have been higher. I was also tested twice, just to confirm the result of the 1st test, so it's not unusual. You are right to think you will probably be prescribed Metformin, possibly in conjunction with other medication. I've read that it's best taken in the middle of a meal, so you have food before and after. You can ask for slow release from the word go though. SueEK has given good advice and everydayupsanddowns pointed you to reading material, plus there is as well the website's training section. If it helps to know, I was newly diagnosed in August, and by following a low carb eating plan, losing weight, and doing 4 one hour Aquafit classes a week, I significantly reduced my blood glucose in just 3 months. Best wishes
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
If your Hba1c is 91 then you are quite high on the scale - I suggest that rather than waiting for tablets that a change in diet would be advisable.
I was at 91 when first tested, but a low carb diet soon sorted that. Assuming you are a typical type two, and lucky, then eating low carb should reduce your blood glucose levels to normal, and reduce the Hba1c right down.
Your GP might well sulk though - mine put NFA on my notes and has not spoken to me since......
I was at 91 when first tested, but a low carb diet soon sorted that. Assuming you are a typical type two, and lucky, then eating low carb should reduce your blood glucose levels to normal, and reduce the Hba1c right down.
Your GP might well sulk though - mine put NFA on my notes and has not spoken to me since......
rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hi Maria and welcome from me too.
91 is at the higher end of the scale, but some people have been above 130, (less than 42 is normal, 42-47 is pre-diabetic and 48+ is diabetic) so they will almost certainly want you to start oral medication rather than just manage it by diet, but there is no harm in starting to eat low carb and see how things go. If you buy a Blood Glucose test monitor and test before and 2 hours after each meal, you will have an idea of how well you are responding to a low carb diet and perhaps convince the doc that you don't need medication after all or come off it quite quickly if you make a real effort to get your levels down.
Metformin has a reputation for upsetting your digestive system but if you take it mid meal with a substantial amount of food, that will minimize the chances of an upset tum and it is by no means certain that you will suffer any problems. I got the occasional twinge of colicky, trapped wind (or free flowing wind 😱) and/or feeling like I urgently needed to go to the loo, but even when a visit to the toilet was not an option (when I was out horse riding) the feeling subsided without incident. There really is no need to be worried about trying it. The side effect sometimes wears off after a couple of weeks even if you do have problems. I would have no qualms about going back to taking it if I needed to. It can also have the effect of suppressing your appetite which helps with losing weight if that is something that you need to do, so there can be beneficial side effects as well as the possible negative one.
For your information, carbohydrates are easily broken down by the body into glucose and released into your bloodstream. Even complex carbs in porridge/breakfast cereals and wholemeal/wholegrain foods like bread, pasta and rice and vegetables like potatoes get broken down, so a low carb diet involves dramatically reducing anything containing both sugars and starches, including grain products and fruit. There are low carb bread options which some people use on occasion when they really can't manage without bread, but I have found I really don't miss it. I might very occasionally have a half a slice of bread and butter with some soup if I am eating out but I no longer buy it to eat at home. It just takes time to learn what to buy and how to cook it, but after a few weeks of testing your blood before and after food, you will have an idea of what your body will tolerate and which foods you need to avoid.
We are here to support you with this. It is really daunting at first, but quite a few of us actually feel better and are leaner and fitter and healthier as a result of our diagnosis and we get regular health checks and free prescriptions so there can be positives to it. I have not had a migraine since diagnosis (which was a chronic and debilitating problem for me for the past 10 years) as a result of changing my diet. I can even drink a glass or two of red wine now which was one of my main triggers. My joints don't ache like they used to either.
91 is at the higher end of the scale, but some people have been above 130, (less than 42 is normal, 42-47 is pre-diabetic and 48+ is diabetic) so they will almost certainly want you to start oral medication rather than just manage it by diet, but there is no harm in starting to eat low carb and see how things go. If you buy a Blood Glucose test monitor and test before and 2 hours after each meal, you will have an idea of how well you are responding to a low carb diet and perhaps convince the doc that you don't need medication after all or come off it quite quickly if you make a real effort to get your levels down.
Metformin has a reputation for upsetting your digestive system but if you take it mid meal with a substantial amount of food, that will minimize the chances of an upset tum and it is by no means certain that you will suffer any problems. I got the occasional twinge of colicky, trapped wind (or free flowing wind 😱) and/or feeling like I urgently needed to go to the loo, but even when a visit to the toilet was not an option (when I was out horse riding) the feeling subsided without incident. There really is no need to be worried about trying it. The side effect sometimes wears off after a couple of weeks even if you do have problems. I would have no qualms about going back to taking it if I needed to. It can also have the effect of suppressing your appetite which helps with losing weight if that is something that you need to do, so there can be beneficial side effects as well as the possible negative one.
For your information, carbohydrates are easily broken down by the body into glucose and released into your bloodstream. Even complex carbs in porridge/breakfast cereals and wholemeal/wholegrain foods like bread, pasta and rice and vegetables like potatoes get broken down, so a low carb diet involves dramatically reducing anything containing both sugars and starches, including grain products and fruit. There are low carb bread options which some people use on occasion when they really can't manage without bread, but I have found I really don't miss it. I might very occasionally have a half a slice of bread and butter with some soup if I am eating out but I no longer buy it to eat at home. It just takes time to learn what to buy and how to cook it, but after a few weeks of testing your blood before and after food, you will have an idea of what your body will tolerate and which foods you need to avoid.
We are here to support you with this. It is really daunting at first, but quite a few of us actually feel better and are leaner and fitter and healthier as a result of our diagnosis and we get regular health checks and free prescriptions so there can be positives to it. I have not had a migraine since diagnosis (which was a chronic and debilitating problem for me for the past 10 years) as a result of changing my diet. I can even drink a glass or two of red wine now which was one of my main triggers. My joints don't ache like they used to either.
Toucan
Forum Host
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hello again Maria,
As you can see there is plenty of help here.
if the doctor prescribes metformin then definitely ask for the slow release version as they are easier to deal with. I have been taking them for some time and have never had any side effects, but it important to always take them with or immediately after eating.
Very best wishes
As you can see there is plenty of help here.
if the doctor prescribes metformin then definitely ask for the slow release version as they are easier to deal with. I have been taking them for some time and have never had any side effects, but it important to always take them with or immediately after eating.
Very best wishes
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