Newly diagnosed

[Jellybean61]

I think I'm.in the wrong place. Newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Please can some tell me how to get into the newbie group

 

[Leadinglights]

I think I'm.in the wrong place. Newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Please can some tell me how to get into the newbie group

Welcome to the forum. Posting here is fine, when people look all new posts pop up.
Would you like to say a bit more about your diagnosis, what your HbA1C result is, you should have been told that as it will indicate how much work you need to do. The medication you may have been prescribed may make a difference as to what dietary approach will be suitable. There are a number of options but dietary changes are very powerful in reducing blood glucose.

 

[Jellybean61]

Hi all. I have been newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. I was pre-diabetic for approximately 6 months. I have just been put onto Metformin @ 500mg twice a day. The rest I need to know. I'm hoping to get and give support on the forum. It's the unknown that scares me a bit. Thank you

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi all. I have been newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. I was pre-diabetic for approximately 6 months. I have just been put onto Metformin @ 500mg twice a day. The rest I need to know. I'm hoping to get and give support on the forum. It's the unknown that scares me a bit. Thank you

If you are just on metformin then a low carb approach should be a good route to go with. this link has some good principals, menu plans and recipes https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
You must have had quite a jump in HbA1C that you have been put on metformin straight away rather than giving you the opportunity to make some dietary changes first.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Jellybean61

Glad you have found us!

It’s quite a common experience to feel a bit overwhelmed and spooked in the beginning. 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 🙂

If you would like a good overview of T2 diabetes, to add to the knowledge you’ve already picked up, you might want to register for an account with the Learning Zone (the orange tab in the main menu) which is packed full of informative bite-sized modules. Additionally, for a more personal take, members here frequently recommend Maggie Davey’s Letter to the Newly Diagnosed and Gretchen Becker’s book T2 Diabetes, the first year, which you can work through gradually and will give you a solid starting point.

And keep asking questions too - nothing will be considered ‘silly’ 🙂

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I think I'm.in the wrong place. Newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Please can some tell me how to get into the newbie group

I’ve merged your two threads together @Jellybean61 🙂

 

[Jellybean61]

Welcome to the forum. Posting here is fine, when people look all new posts pop up.
Would you like to say a bit more about your diagnosis, what your HbA1C result is, you should have been told that as it will indicate how much work you need to do. The medication you may have been prescribed may make a difference as to what dietary approach will be suitable. There are a number of options but dietary changes are very powerful in reducing blood glucose.

I attached the readings from the blood test in Jan 2024. I was pre diabetic in July 2023 but following the blood test as attached the gp has put me onto Metformin. 500mg twice per day. Since my blood test I have lost 1 stone 3 lbs through diet and exercise. My blood wasn't tested before being put onto Metformin. So I don't even know if the results are still elevated. I have read the instruction leaflet and it mentioned Lactic Acidosis which has me worried a lot. I am on slow release Metformin and when I asked the gp if there would be ill effects for me he just said No. I'm so confused what to eat. Can the metformin make things worse for me. I'm sorry for the long post.

 

[Leadinglights]

I attached the readings from the blood test in Jan 2024. I was pre diabetic in July 2023 but following the blood test as attached the gp has put me onto Metformin. 500mg twice per day. Since my blood test I have lost 1 stone 3 lbs through diet and exercise. My blood wasn't tested before being put onto Metformin. So I don't even know if the results are still elevated. I have read the instruction leaflet and it mentioned Lactic Acidosis which has me worried a lot. I am on slow release Metformin and when I asked the gp if there would be ill effects for me he just said No. I'm so confused what to eat. Can the metformin make things worse for me. I'm sorry for the long post.

Metformin is considered to be one of the safest medications if you can tolerate it, it does have a reputation of causing stomach issues for some people but slow release is kinder. The risks of Lactic acidosis are very small so if your stomach is OK I would not worry. However it is a medication that does not work directly on the food you eat but enables your body to use the insulin it produces more effectively and reduces the output of glucose by the liver. Most people have no issues following a low carb diet when taking that medication and it is really one of the things that I'm surprised that your GP didn't suggest you try before the medication as your HBA1C at 56mmol/mol was not desperately high.
The link I posted has very good explanation about what you can eat and what it is wise to avoid or only have in reduced portions. I post it again in case you missed it. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/

 

[snowball12]

If you are just on metformin then a low carb approach should be a good route to go with. this link has some good principals, menu plans and recipes https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
You must have had quite a jump in HbA1C that you have been put on metformin straight away rather than giving you the opportunity to make some dietary changes first.

I was put on Metformin straight away too as were a few Diabetics I know. I wish all GP's would sing from the same songsheet

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I was put on Metformin straight away too as were a few Diabetics I know. I wish all GP's would sing from the same songsheet

It is interesting the diversity of GP’s approaches we see from newcomers on the forum all sorts of ways, time before follow-up appointments… frequency of blood checks… whether to offer meds or not… even whether to diagnose after one result, or to get a follow-up to confirm the first.

I guess that while there is best practice guidance from bodies like NICE, a lot of these variations will be down to the experience of the GP, and the sorts of cases and people with diabetes they have encountered. We’re a diverse bunch! So it probably depends in part on what the GP has found worked best for the majority of people they’ve seen?

 

[Leadinglights]

It is interesting the diversity of GP’s approaches we see from newcomers on the forum all sorts of ways, time before follow-up appointments… frequency of blood checks… whether to offer meds or not… even whether to diagnose after one result, or to get a follow-up to confirm the first.

I guess that while there is best practice guidance from bodies like NICE, a lot of these variations will be down to the experience of the GP, and the sorts of cases and people with diabetes they have encountered. We’re a diverse bunch! So it probably depends in part on what the GP has found worked best for the majority of people they’ve seen?

My daughter and son in law (both doctors) say they get an instinct about whether their patients will engage with lifestyle changes and what motivation they have and that is why they will prescribe medication even for those with relatively modest HbA1C.
Of all those being diagnosed it is only a fraction of people who will be coming on forums like this and basically will just carry on as before without making any change and come back year after year having made no improvement and in fast got worse.

 

[Classic]

Hi all. I have been newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. I was pre-diabetic for approximately 6 months. I have just been put onto Metformin @ 500mg twice a day. The rest I need to know. I'm hoping to get and give support on the forum. It's the unknown that scares me a bit. Thank you

Hi Jellybean, I´m newly diagnosed too and scared and confused too. But there seems to be such a wealth of knowledgeable, helpful members on here, I´m sure we won´t be scared and confused for too long.