Only diagnosed on Monday but feeling light headed

[Sheilagh1958]

Hi I was diagnosed with Diabetes 2 on Monday with a finger prick reading of 23.5.

I have an appointment a week to day with the Nurse at my surgery to discuss what happens next.

Since Monday I have been eating very sensibly and have been going on 30-60 minute brisk walks each day. I have ordered an exercise bike for the nights I cant get out for my walks. (If only I had been this sensible before)

However today I am feeling very light headed. Will this be due to my levels starting to come down.

 

[Northerner]

Hi Shelagh, well done on all your efforts so far! 🙂 It may well be that your levels are starting to come down, so your brain might be fooled into thinking that it hasn't quite got enough glucose, as it has been used to much higher levels prior to diagnosis. This shouldn't be a problem for you, but do be careful not to overdo things and if you feel unwell then rest and have a cup of tea or something to see if it makes you feel better. Ideally, you would be testing your levels with a meter when you feel like this so that you can build a diary which you can relate to in the future. It might be worth getting a meter which would normally come with ten strips then you could use them over the next week or so until you see the nurse. Also, it's good practise to record your meals each day so you can discuss them with the nurse and possibly relate the food to how you feel afterwards.

 

[Caroline]

It is possible the light headedness is your numbers comming down. I felt like that in the begining. It is because the numbers have been high for a while and your body needs to get used to the new lower numbers.

Welcome to the forum. Please feel free to ask as many questions as you like and explore the boards.

 

[lucy123]

We can also feel light headed just through diet,so this may be contributing too.
In the past whenever I have dieted I have always found day 3/4 a bit llike this, but keep going and once through it things should get better.

 

[traceycat]

welcome to the forum 🙂

 

[Sheilagh1958]

Hi Shelagh, well done on all your efforts so far! 🙂 It may well be that your levels are starting to come down, so your brain might be fooled into thinking that it hasn't quite got enough glucose, as it has been used to much higher levels prior to diagnosis. This shouldn't be a problem for you, but do be careful not to overdo things and if you feel unwell then rest and have a cup of tea or something to see if it makes you feel better. Ideally, you would be testing your levels with a meter when you feel like this so that you can build a diary which you can relate to in the future. It might be worth getting a meter which would normally come with ten strips then you could use them over the next week or so until you see the nurse. Also, it's good practise to record your meals each day so you can discuss them with the nurse and possibly relate the food to how you feel afterwards.

Thanks Northerner and everyone else for your replies this forum is so helpful to me.

Will I get a meter from my surgery or is this something I need to get myself?

How do the meters work?

 

[Andy HB]

Thanks Northerner and everyone else for your replies this forum is so helpful to me.

Will I get a meter from my surgery or is this something I need to get myself?

How do the meters work?

Some surgeries give meters out and prescribe strips, others don't and you'll need to buy your own (or you can try to get one free by contacting the manufacturers directly).

Generally, the meters are cheap. It's the test strips that come with them that are expensive (mine cost ?25 for a pot of 50 from the pharmacy - but you can get them cheaper elsewhere).

The meters come with lancet devices which are used to prick a finger (around the edges, not on the pad) to produce a blood droplet. The test strip is then inserted into the meter and you hold the other end of the test strip against the blood drop to draw a bit of blood onto the strip. The meter then displays a value which represents your bg level after a few seconds.

Andy 🙂

 

[Caroline]

Thanks Northerner and everyone else for your replies this forum is so helpful to me.

Will I get a meter from my surgery or is this something I need to get myself?

How do the meters work?

Worth trying to get one from the doctors surgery. Mine first one came from the hospital when I had an education day after being diagnosed.

If not try seeing if you can get a free one from one of the companies. Depending on what the meter does, they can vary in price from about ?15 to about ?30. Most manufacturers are happy to give the meter away as they make their profit on the strips. If you can't get the strips on prescription it pays to shop around as some place give a better deal than others.

 

[Northerner]

Do try and get your doctor or nurse to give you one and prescribe strips. Some will do so, others are reluctant because of cost, but you should explain how you intend to use the strips (to determine the effects of different foods and activities on your levels) and that it will give you great peace of mind to be actively managing your diabetes in this way. Stress that you will make each test useful, and that you won't be alarmed at high readings - you will only use these to educate yourself. If they are still reluctant, you should ask for one or two boxes of strips so that you can prove they will be beneficial to you. Be prepared to stick to your guns - some doctors/nurses will agree if they can see you are serious. 🙂