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Newly diagnosed type 2

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emma interrupted

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Type 2
Hi everyone,

I am a newly diagnosed type 2 - my HbA1c is 126 - i am a bit unsure of what to do, I wasn’t expecting this diagnosis - I have always been active, fit and healthy and then a few years I was in an emotionally abusive relationship and gained a huge amount of weight - about 8 stone and after that relationship ended I have lost about 4 stone and gone back to eating better and exercising a bit more (although not consistently).

My natural reaction is to cut all carbs except from green vegetables to bring my HbA1c number down as fast as possible and have not eaten any sugar or carbs since my diagnosis 5 days ago but I have been reading that this could cause damage. I don’t have the diabetic dietician until 14th - I have been prescribed 40mg of gliclazide twice a day.

Any advice on whether I should carb or no carb would be gratefully received

TIA Emma
 
Hello Emma, welcome to the forum! Getting a diabetes diagnosis can be a scary and uncertain time. But we're hear to support you 🙂.

It's important to still maintain a healthy and balanced diet, which will include carbs and sugar. You can read more about our advice on managing your diet with diabetes here: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-t...with-diabetes/what-is-a-healthy-balanced-diet

We also have a brilliant online recipe finder, that breaks down the sugar and carb content: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/recipes

If you have any questions or concerns please call our helpline on 0345 123 2399 (Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm) and we would be happy to support you!
 
As you have picked up reducing carbs too rapidly and lowering blood glucose too quickly can cause issues with your eyes and nerves. The suggested thing is to reduce your carb intake by one third for a couple of weeks, then another third for another couple of weeks and so on until you get to where you need to be.
By keeping a food diary with everything you eat and drink with an estimate of the amount of TOTAL carbohydrate you can see what to need to be reducing.
Well done with that weight loss though, it will all help.
Also worth looking at this link which follows a regime which many people find successful.
lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk

Freshwell Low Carb Project - Home

lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk
I assume you have been prescribed a home blood glucose monitor and test strips that you should have been because of the medication you are on, if not you should ask.
It is then useful for you to test the effect that your meals have on your blood glucose level so you can modify your diet.
 
Welcome to the forum @emma interrupted

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis and the difficult time you have been going through.

@Poppy DUK has given you some great links, information and starting points.

When it comes to managing your diabetes, it’s best to make changes to your menu and activity levels gradually - partly because they need to be sustainable long term, but also because very rapid and sudden changes to blood glucose levels are harder on the fine blood vessels, and changing things more gently will give your body time to adapt.

Additionally the gliclazide you have been prescribed could potentially lead to dangerously low blood glucose levels if you reduced your carbohydrate content to dramatically, or too suddenly.

Diabetes is a serious condition, but it’s also one that can usually be managed well with a few changes and adaptations - it’s something that you can learn to live well with, and it shouldn’t stop you doing things you enjoy. Often you don’t realise how weary, worn down and lethargic you have been feeling. Erratic and elevated blood glucose levels can be exhausting and are linked with low mood, but this may have come on quite gradually.

Making a few positive changes can give you more energy, a clearer mind, and a brighter outlook. Plus the regular checks you get after a diagnosis with diabetes mean that any potential problems may be spotted earlier, and can be sorted out sooner.

Let us know how you get on 🙂
 
Hi, thank you all for your advice so far. I got called back to the Gp for a urine test and again for a ketone test and ketones are at 1.9 - not sure how I can lower them but they are now testing for auto immune diabetes so will get the results of that in about a month
 
As you are taking a medication to lower glucose you should be given a test meter and strips so you can see how to deal with what you are eating.
Take readings before starting to eat and two hours later and you'll soon start to see a pattern. If you react strongly to the tablets then you might have to eat more carbs than you actually require to stop it pushing you into very low numbers - as you are starting at quite a high number you should go cautiously anyway.
If you go very low carb then you might feel very ill indeed with wobblies as you drop glucose levels very quickly, and some people can have problems with their eyes if they do that.
 
emma interrupted said:
Hi, thank you all for your advice so far. I got called back to the Gp for a urine test and again for a ketone test and ketones are at 1.9 - not sure how I can lower them but they are now testing for auto immune diabetes so will get the results of that in about a month
Click to expand...
Have they given you a blood glucose meter or a way of checking ketones at home? If you start to get any symptoms of DKA (fruity breath, nausea/vomiting etc) then you must seek medical help straight away.
 
Hi,

Yes I have monitor and strips and have been testing on waking, before eating, two hours after eating and before bed- my numbers have come down over the last week from 24.2 to between 5 and 8 and pretty much stayed down apart from on waking which I think might be dawn phenomenon but my ketones have stayed highish between 1.6-1.9. The GP advised if I start to feel breathless then to go to A&E

Does anyone have any advice on how I can lower my ketones please

Thank you, Emma
 
@emma interrupted Unless your ketones become high then you're probably OK - as it could be an indication of being in ketosis - a situation very different from ketoacidosis due to lack of insulin.
If you are a plain ordinary type 2 - which could be something indicated by the reduction in blood glucose as a response to low carbing - then you could see ketones at moderate levels for some considerable time to come, it is actually a good thing as it indicates your metabolism is happily burning fat rather than carbs for fuel.
 
Your ketones may be due to following a very low carb way of eating as @Drummer has mentioned. The main concern with ketones is when your BG levels are high and you have ketones as the high BG causes acidic conditions which make the Ketones toxic. So if your BG levels are mid teens or above and you have ketones over 1 then it would be prudent to seek urgent medical advice, since you don't have insulin to inject to bring your BG levels down. If your BG levels remain at those lower levels then the ketones you are seeing should be fine..... the concern would be if you got Covid as apparently that caused quite high ketones at lower BG levels, which were I believe a cause for concern.
Do you have a means of testing for ketones at home.... ie. Have they given you a pot of Ketostix to test your urine if/when BG levels hit mid teens or above? If not, ask for some or they can be purchased over the counter at most pharmacies for about £5 for a pot of 50.

It is good that they are investigating autoimmune diabetes (Type 1) as a possibility as that was my concern when I read your opening post. I hope the test gives some clarity to your situation. In the mean time maybe ease up on the low carb diet a little. Finding a balance with diabetes is really important so perhaps consider taking it a little less gung ho in the first instance to give your body a chance to cope with what are quite extreme changes for it.

Good luck and please keep us updated with your progress and test results and do ask any questions you need to.

Personally I don't hold with the "balanced diet" approach proposed by our very generous host Diabetes UK and the NHS. What works for one person will not work so well for another and following a low carb higher fat way of eating in a valid alternative. With diabetes, you have to find what works best for you. For me, low carb and more fat enables me to manage my diabetes better, keep my BG more stable, feel fitter and healthier and slimmer than I have for a long time and be in control of my comfort eating which has been a problem for many, many years..... and I still enjoy my food. My diet is contrary to that which is recommended by DUK and the NHS but it works well for me. You need to find a way of eating which suits you, your body and your diabetes.
 
Leadinglights said:
As you have picked up reducing carbs too rapidly and lowering blood glucose too quickly can cause issues with your eyes and nerves. The suggested thing is to reduce your carb intake by one third for a couple of weeks, then another third for another couple of weeks and so on until you get to where you need to be.
By keeping a food diary with everything you eat and drink with an estimate of the amount of TOTAL carbohydrate you can see what to need to be reducing.
Well done with that weight loss though, it will all help.
Also worth looking at this link which follows a regime which many people find successful.
lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk

Freshwell Low Carb Project - Home

lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk
I assume you have been prescribed a home blood glucose monitor and test strips that you should have been because of the medication you are on, if not you should ask.
It is then useful for you to test the effect that your meals have on your blood glucose level so you can modify your diet.
Click to expand...
you can try an app to measure what you eat - like a food diary. I like Myfitnesspal but there are others that are good too. x
 
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