Recent Type 2 Diagnosis

[Nessalb]

Hi, I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in April 2023, and I'm still in shock and not sure how to cope. I was "Pre-diabetic" for a while, but stable until last September. I had Covid which hit me hard at the end of June 2022, and then I was admitted to hospital with a blood clot on the lung, pleurisy and pneumonia in September 2022. A slow recovery followed, and my blood sugar levels continued to rise even though I made changes to my diet, which was disappointing. I also have gastric issues and take medication to control the symptoms, and I'm very drug sensitive, so I'm reluctant to start taking Metformin because of the side effects. So, my question is can Type 2 be controlled without medication? Thank you.

 

[Drummer]

As long as it is not anything more 'interesting' than plain ordinary type 2 then being controlled by diet is possible.
I have been back in the normal range for 5 years now except for one annual test, but as I wasn't told about it at the time, only a year later once all was back to normal once more I don't know how long I had higher blood glucose, or even if I had any - Hba1c can be affected if the red blood cells are not being recycled at the normal rate. I have had Covid 5 times but it doesn't seem to hit me all that hard. I get weird alterations in sense of taste and smell though.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis @Nessalb

And what a difficult time you’ve had health-wise over the past year or so

What changes have you made to your diet? Cutting back on total carb intake (not just ‘of which sugars’) can have a major effect on glucose levels - as can significant weight loss, eg via the Newcastle diet.

Illness and injury (including Covid) can bump up your BG levels, so perhaps any benefits of your menu changes have been offset by the health problems you have been having?

 

[Nessalb]

Thank you for getting back to me with some advice and tips. Having been informed that my HbA1c was 49 in April, I'm still trying to get my head around the changes to my diet that I need to make, especially checking the carbohydrates/sugar content of everyday food items in the supermarket.

My HbA1c was 42, (Pre-diabetic) when I was ill last September and I thought this would improve as I recovered, but I felt weak and lacking in energy for a few weeks afterwards, and then I had Covid for a second time at Christmas and again it hit me hard.

My HbA1c level continued to rise, even though I cut down on weekend cake treats with friends, stopped drinking Lucozade and cut out crisps from my diet at the beginning of the year.

I do attend a couple exercise classes a week, but my job is stressful and I work long hours as an NHS administrator, so time is limited.

My GP surgery hasn't provided any advice and guidance to date, although the Pharmacist will be contacting me tomorrow because I'm don't want to start the prescribed Metformin tablets at the moment because of the side effects. I am hoping dietary changes will be enough to manage this.

 

[Nessalb]

As long as it is not anything more 'interesting' than plain ordinary type 2 then being controlled by diet is possible.
I have been back in the normal range for 5 years now except for one annual test, but as I wasn't told about it at the time, only a year later once all was back to normal once more I don't know how long I had higher blood glucose, or even if I had any - Hba1c can be affected if the red blood cells are not being recycled at the normal rate. I have had Covid 5 times but it doesn't seem to hit me all that hard. I get weird alterations in sense of taste and smell though.

Thank you for getting back to me with advice. I was diagnosed with Diabetes type 2 in April after being in the Pre-diabetic range, (HbA1c of 42) when I was ill last September.

My energy levels were extremely low following my illness and recovery was slow, and then I went down with Covid for a second time at Christmas, which again hit me hard.

To be honest I think I am still in shock about this diagnosis and as my HbA1c level was 49 in April, I'm hoping that I don't need to take medication, although my GP has prescribed Metformin.

 

[Leadinglights]

Thank you for getting back to me with advice. I was diagnosed with Diabetes type 2 in April after being in the Pre-diabetic range, (HbA1c of 42) when I was ill last September.

My energy levels were extremely low following my illness and recovery was slow, and then I went down with Covid for a second time at Christmas, which again hit me hard.

To be honest I think I am still in shock about this diagnosis and as my HbA1c level was 49 in April, I'm hoping that I don't need to take medication, although my GP has prescribed Metformin.

There is no reason that with an HbA1C of 49 only just over the diagnostic threshold that some dietary changes shouldn't be sufficient without metformin, indeed I am disappointed that your GP hasn't suggested a 3 month period of lifestyle changes before considering the medication.
If you are interested in following a low carb approach then this link may help with some ideas. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/ I followed the principals in the link and reduced my Hba1C from 50mmol/mol to 42 in 3 months and now down to 39 2 years on by maintaining that as my new way of eating.
There are also some other approaches outlined on the main DUK site.