Newly Diagnosed after sudden onset symptoms

[Ljc]

Hi. I am so glad that your Gp seems to be in the ball and will hopefully keep a close eye on things.

Diabetes is a funny thing, what carbohydrate foods are good for one person are not for another.
Their is a way of using your glucose meter to find this out. More ahoy that later.

The only thing I check out on the nutritional label on the back ,is the carbohydrate content I never bother checking the sugar content as it is a simple carbohydrate which is already included in the carb content.

Though healthy those nice juicy fruits have lots of fructose ( fruit sugar) in them which you may or may not be able to tolerate, many people find that they tolerate fruit that has berry as part of its name much better. Bananas and grapes are high carb , in fact we call grapes little sugar bombs.
Many have the same problems with porridge too.
Breakfast cereals are usually high carb too.
I don’t worry about fats either, good fats that is, as we do need some fats, it keeps us feeling fuller fir longer and often the low fat version of things has had extra sugar etc added to improve the taste and texture, so it’s higher carb than the full fat version.

A good breakfast for us is the traditional full English minus the beans , potato products , fried bread .
Opt for high meat content sausages and burgers,

Eggs cooked anyway you like .

Some people have Greek yogurt and add a few berries to it.

We honestly do not live on lettuce and fresh air, we enjoy a very tasty meals and snack , many if which will surprise you , chees and a few unsalted nuts are not off the menu .

The food /carb query forum will give you loads of info and ideas , especially the recipe and what did you eat yesterday threads.

Though you may want too, it is not a good idea to bring your blood glucose levels down to quickly as that can cause some unpleasant symptoms including what we call false hypo’s, this is where you feel really horrid but you BG levels are nowhere near hypo levels 4.0 or below.

Testing to see what meals and snacks suit or don’t suit you involves testing just before eating then two hours after your first bite ,
If its no higher than 3.0 than your starting level then that meal etc was ok
Initially you will find that you may be in double figures , but providing the hospital is right , that you have T2 (and tbh I still don’t think they are right) then your levels will start to come down.

 

[Docb]

Good to get the update @imran999. There is a lot to take in but your GP has put everything in place.

I suggest you take the revision of your diet methodically rather than rush at it. Read around the forum and look at the recipes board and you will begin to get the idea of the better ways to go.

When it comes to nutritional information it is the total carbohydrate that is important - for the time being, ignore everything else. Also, ignore the big labels on the front of the packet with all the buzz words trying to sell the stuff. Things like low fat, healthy, organic are just plain wrong when it comes to blood glucose control.

When it comes to fruit different people react differently to different fruit. Some can tolerate it others cannot or can tolerate it in small quantities. Finding out how your system works is where the meter comes in.

Getting your testing regime organised will be helpful - doing tests at random is likely to cause confusion.

I test first thing in the morning and last thing at night. The morning reading gives a sort of base line and the last thing reading gives me an idea of how my day has gone. These days I do few tests during the day but at the beginning I tested immediately before eating and two hours afterwards to gauge how my body had reacted to whatever I had eaten. Looking at the rise and comparing it with what I had eaten gave me all the clues I needed about what I should change in my diet. To help this I got myself a notebook and started a diary in which I wrote it all down.

What sort of things would you eat now for breakfast, lunch and evening meal? Knowing that would help members to point to things you can think about.

As @everydayupsanddowns ups and downs keeps reminding us, diabetes is a serious condition but it can be successfully managed to the point where it has minimal effects on our health and well being. You need to work out a plan to deal with it that suits you and then stick to it. We are here to help you do that.

Edit, just seen Ljc's post which echos mine. Great minds eh?

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Glad you got checked out @imran999

You’ve had some helpful suggestions of how to examine the effects of your current meal plan and move toward a more moderate carb approach (grated cauliflower can make a very effective low carb rice substitute as a meal accompaniment).

Hope the change in meds and the early menu tweaks begin to bring down your punishingly high BGs.

Interesting that the hospital defaulted back to T2. If the standard approaches continue to struggle, you may want to ask about a CPeptide test which will show how much insulin your body is able to
produce and may suggest you need to move onto insulin if your pancreas is struggling with insulin production.

Losing weight will help your organs function efficiently again, so do apply some focus to weight loss over the coming months too. Hopefully the moderate carb diet will bring some natural weight loss of its own.

Keep in touch and let us know how you are getting on 🙂

 

[grovesy]

Glad you got checked out @imran999

You’ve had some helpful suggestions of how to examine the effects of your current meal plan and move toward a more moderate carb approach (grated cauliflower can make a very effective low carb rice substitute as a meal accompaniment).

Hope the change in meds and the early menu tweaks begin to bring down your punishingly high BGs.

Interesting that the hospital defaulted back to T2. If the standard approaches continue to struggle, you may want to ask about a CPeptide test which will show how much insulin your body is able to
produce and may suggest you need to move onto insulin if your pancreas is struggling with insulin production.

Losing weight will help your organs function efficiently again, so do apply some focus to weight loss over the coming months too. Hopefully the moderate carb diet will bring some natural weight loss of its own.

Keep in touch and let us know how you are getting on 🙂

I agree.

 

[Madeline]

Cauliflower is a fabulous sub for rice, we’ve even managed to make a very acceptable sushi with it, needed a little egg to bind it, and we microwave it as a ‘sheet’ to put on the nori.

 

[imran999]

Glad you got checked out @imran999

Interesting that the hospital defaulted back to T2. If the standard approaches continue to struggle, you may want to ask about a CPeptide test which will show how much insulin your body is able to
produce and may suggest you need to move onto insulin if your pancreas is struggling with insulin production.

Now that i am thinking about it, the hospital didn't actually say about type 1 or 2. I've probably wishful thinked that i was type 2 as the hospital did not raise much of an issue after checking bloods. Hospital advice was; new meds and see how they work and get referred to diabetes nurse in the community.

Surely they would have checked if i was type 1 in the hospital?
This mornings blood sugar was 13.4 on wake up (2hrs after wake up as had a long lie. Took sick day from work).

CPeptide test can this be done from gp or only hospital?

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Surely they would have checked if i was type 1 in the hospital?

It does seem a bit surprising (to me, a layperson). There are issues: I understand the tests aren't cheap and don't necessarily give a definitive answer. And you're not young and a bit overweight and have a family history of Type 2.

On the other hand, it seems clear your BG isn't under control with the current medications and diet so regardless of what type you are they surely ought to be helping you more.

(The tests can be requested by your GP, I think.)

 

[imran999]

Not sure how quick the tablets work or how long they take to start bringing blood sugars down. I'm guessing its not instant
I'm day 2 of glicizide (1 in morning)
and day 4 of metaformin (1 in morning)

One plus side....i'm not desperately thirsty anymore and not needing to go toilet as much. No during night trips needed last night.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Yes its not all that clear cut i’m afraid @imran999

The tests that usually offer clarity are antibody tests (often GAD antibodies) and cPeptide.

But antibodies, even in classic confirmed T1 can disappear over time, so you can have a definite T1 who tests negative. Or you may have a classic T2 with a trace of GAD, but is still T2.

The best way to diagnose is still on clinical factors in the individual case... but for that you need an expert and experienced clinician, rather than a Dr who insists T1 only happens in childhood 🙄

 

[Felinia]

Lots of helpful advice from everyone here. When I was newly diagnosed I found what helped me most with managing my carb intake was a downloadable app like NutraCheck. It has carb values of thousands of items and keeps running totals for you by meal, day and week. It's free for a week so you can see whether it suits or not. There are others which Forum members may suggest as I believe some allow you to record your blood glucose recordings as well. I input my plan first thing each morning, keep digital scales on the kitchen top, and weigh and measure everything that goes in my mouth. If you have a partner, it is best to get them on board with managing your intake, particularly if they are the cook. Best wishes

 

[imran999]

Small update to my situation.

I am now taking 2 x metformin 500mg and 1 Glicizide 80mg in morning
and nurse has said to start taking one metformin with evening meal.

Blood sugars are getting under control this week and have come down to single figures.
My wake up BG is varying between 6.4 and 7.7, and last thing at night is averaging between 6.4 and 8.4 (depending how late i had dinner)
My eyesight has changed; Gone from wearing glasses for 30 years, to now, not needing them at all.

Diet, i've cut out biscuits and sweets/ice cream....also carbs i have reduced significantly but not cut out entirely.
Exercise i have also increased. Going for walks initially till i get my fitness levels back up.

Thanks for everyones help/thoughts/concerns.

 

[rebrascora]

Well done! Sounds like you are getting things on track. Keep up the good work!

 

[NotWorriedAtAll]

Hello @imran999 Sounds like you have got off to a good start now.
I have a Facebook page I started to share my experience and tips and wrinkles about changing my food choices when I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

There are lots of recipes and suggestions for swaps so you can make changes that will be enjoyable and then you can keep it up for a nice long lifetime because you enjoy the new way of eating more than the old way.

You can find the link in my information underneath this post.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Thanks for letting us know how you've been getting on @imran999

Great to hear that you efforts have resulted in such positive outcomes 🙂

 

[grovesy]

Small update to my situation.

I am now taking 2 x metformin 500mg and 1 Glicizide 80mg in morning
and nurse has said to start taking one metformin with evening meal.

Blood sugars are getting under control this week and have come down to single figures.
My wake up BG is varying between 6.4 and 7.7, and last thing at night is averaging between 6.4 and 8.4 (depending how late i had dinner)
My eyesight has changed; Gone from wearing glasses for 30 years, to now, not needing them at all.

Diet, i've cut out biscuits and sweets/ice cream....also carbs i have reduced significantly but not cut out entirely.
Exercise i have also increased. Going for walks initially till i get my fitness levels back up.

Thanks for everyones help/thoughts/concerns.

Don't be suprised if you needed your glasses again after things settled.

 

[MAC2020]

Small update to my situation.

I am now taking 2 x metformin 500mg and 1 Glicizide 80mg in morning
and nurse has said to start taking one metformin with evening meal.

Blood sugars are getting under control this week and have come down to single figures.
My wake up BG is varying between 6.4 and 7.7, and last thing at night is averaging between 6.4 and 8.4 (depending how late i had dinner)
My eyesight has changed; Gone from wearing glasses for 30 years, to now, not needing them at all.

Diet, i've cut out biscuits and sweets/ice cream....also carbs i have reduced significantly but not cut out entirely.
Exercise i have also increased. Going for walks initially till i get my fitness levels back up.

Thanks for everyones help/thoughts/concerns.

Wow, wow, wow!!!
Well done! Gains upon gains!

The combination of Metformin, diet and exercise will see not only your BG return to normal levels (frankly to me you don’t seem that far off normal now) but also your weight loss will be dramatic. I’m expecting you to update us sometime in the next six months with your weight loss victories.

Keep it up! You’re doing so well. We are all rooting for you!!