Recently diagnosed type 2

[Pete226]

Hi all,

Looking for some advice as I have had almost none from my GP surgery.

Recently diagnosed type2, my H1Abc was 126, mmol test was 14.7 fasted in the morning.

4 Days later, my fasted test in the morning was a result of 9.2 (without any drugs) I then took my first dose and the result after breakfast was 13.

After going to the gym my result was 6.4, then after dinner it was 7.

How likely is this to fluctuate? I've abused my body hard over the past 5 or so years, but have been good for 2 weeks or so - very limited carbs and a lot of exercise, next to no alcohol which is a change.

Just curious as to whether I'm getting my hopes up with the positive readings so early and whether or not they fluctuate a lot...

Thanks

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi all,

Looking for some advice as I have had almost none from my GP surgery.

Recently diagnosed type2, my H1Abc was 126, mmol test was 14.7 fasted in the morning.

4 Days later, my fasted test in the morning was a result of 9.2 (without any drugs) I then took my first dose and the result after breakfast was 13.

After going to the gym my result was 6.4, then after dinner it was 7.

How likely is this to fluctuate? I've abused my body hard over the past 5 or so years, but have been good for 2 weeks or so - very limited carbs and a lot of exercise, next to no alcohol which is a change.

Just curious as to whether I'm getting my hopes up with the positive readings so early and whether or not they fluctuate a lot...

Thanks

Welcome to the forum.
A planned approach is what you need as managing your condition is a long term process not a quick fix. Your HbA1C in 3 figures indicates you are a fair way into the diabetes zone, the diagnostic threshold is 48mmol/mol. You have made a good start by reducing the carbs in your diet but quite what you need to do will depend on what medication you have been prescribed.
Strategic testing will give you better information about what foods and meals your body can tolerate. Testing first thing is the morning will give you a fasting level which over the course of weeks should start to reduce and can be used to monitor progress. Testing before you eat and 2 hours after will tell you how well you have tolerated the amount of carbohydrate in the meal if the increase after 2hours is no more than 2-3mmol/l or no more than 8-8.5mmol/l. Eventually you will be aiming at 4-7mmol/l before meals and fasting, so you have a way to go but it is early days. It is better for blood glucose levels to come down slowly as it will reduce the risk of issues with your eyes and nerves.
Depending on what medication you have been prescribed a low carb approach may be suitable and this link may give you some ideas for a planned approach https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/ It is based on the suggested no more than 130g carbs per day.
Medications don't necessarily act directly on the food you eat (unless it is insulin) so you would not see a direct effect.
It is good you are exercising as that will also help in the long run.
Would you like to share what led to your diagnosis and what medication you have been prescribed, I guess you have also been prescribed a monitor which is fantastic and many find it a valuable tool though many GP do not prescribe them unless people are on medication with the potential to cause low blood glucose.

 

[Drummer]

Hello @Pete226 welcome to the forum.
That is a fairly high HbA1c, but I started at 91 and managed to reduce down to fairly close to normal numbers quite swiftly. Being so high, though, it might be wiser not to push too hard. It can be quite a shock to reduce blood sugars too quickly and can result in alteration to eyesight and also false hypos which can make for a few wobbles.
Actually lowering alcohol intake will free up your liver to deal with the carbs/blood glucose faster, as alcohol is dealt with first.
For a plain uncomplicated type 2 reducing carbs in the diet is rather like turning the taps off when the sink is overflowing - the drain might still be blocked, but the panic is over for the time being.
I have had years of good results and am classed as in remission, but to get that without medication I eat no more than 40gm of carbs a day. I can eat more carbs from time to time as the emergency storage has been emptied to some extent, but it is very rare that I do simply because I like a steady state situation.
My usual sources of carbs are salad, stirfry, low carb vege mixes, and I avoid high carb foods such as grain, starchy veges and sweet fruit - I have berries a couple of times a month but my fruits are ones usually regarded as vegetables, cucumber, courgette, aubergine, tomato, sweet pepper.

 

[pjgtech]

Hi and welcome. As above slow and steady wins the race. Congrats on the progress so far. But, always a but isn't there!
But, we need to make changes that will be sustainable if we are to go into remission from diabetes, not just quick fixes.
Many have gone into remission, and I hope to do so myself soon, too.
This site has a wealth of knowledge with real World experience from people who have every type of diabetes.
Keep us updated on your progress. Cheers

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

How likely is this to fluctuate? I've abused my body hard over the past 5 or so years, but have been good for 2 weeks or so - very limited carbs and a lot of exercise, next to no alcohol which is a change.

Just curious as to whether I'm getting my hopes up with the positive readings so early and whether or not they fluctuate a lot...

Welcome to the forum @Pete226 sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but good to hear that you have started making some positive changes and are trying to look after yourself.

Blood glucose will vary (there are a lot of factors involved, but as you’ve identified, the carbohydrate content of meals can be a significant source of glucose in the bloodstream). In a person without diabetes, glucose levels would usually wander between 4ish and 10ish most of the time, and would only rarely stray outside that. In people with T2 diabetes the body can become resistant to insulin, and/or insulin signalling can be impaired, so finding the right portion-size of carbohydrates, and the ones your body absorbs more gradually can be a big help in evening out the glucose variation and instability.

Great to hear you have a BG meter. This can be a real help in adjusting your menu to be as flexible and BG-friendly as possible, without being unsustainably restrictive.

Good luck, and let us know how things go 🙂

 

[Pete226]

Many thanks for the replies and suggestions!

I've been put in Gliclazide. I'm 37 years old kind of active but sit at a desk most of the time.

I went to the doctors because I usually crash on a weekend after golf, and need a nap. I thought this was because of the alcohol. Also noticed for 6 months my feet have been hurting at night.

Played golf today after a 9.2 reading fasted this morning, on day 2 of the drug.

I think I had my first hypo coming on as I was struggling to catch my breath and started shaking in my arms and legs. This was during playing golf today. I quickly had some jelly babies and was OK after 20/30 minutes.

I'm wondering why I need the drug if I can change the readings myself within a week, and on the second day of taking the drug it has this adverse effect?

Kind regards
Pete

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome from me too.

Are you saying you played golf on an empty stomach or after breakfast? Did you take the Gliclazide at breakfast time?

Did you not take your test kit with you to check your levels when you felt unwell? Exercise has a habit of making you more sensitive to insulin, be that injected insulin or home produced and the gliclazide stimulates your pancreas to produce more insulin, so if you played golf on an empty stomach or perhaps having had a low carb breakfast having taken Gliclazide then that will very likely cause a hypo. Testing when you feel wobbly is helpful so that you can see if you are actually hypo or just a false low, where your body has got used to levels being high, so a normal reading like 5mmols can make you feel hypo even though it is perfectly fine. A fast drop from a high reading will also make you feel more hypo.

When you are taking medication which increases insulin levels in the body, you have to think more carefully about what you eat and when you exercise, relative to when that insulin is active.

 

[Leadinglights]

Many thanks for the replies and suggestions!

I've been put in Gliclazide. I'm 37 years old kind of active but sit at a desk most of the time.

I went to the doctors because I usually crash on a weekend after golf, and need a nap. I thought this was because of the alcohol. Also noticed for 6 months my feet have been hurting at night.

Played golf today after a 9.2 reading fasted this morning, on day 2 of the drug.

I think I had my first hypo coming on as I was struggling to catch my breath and started shaking in my arms and legs. This was during playing golf today. I quickly had some jelly babies and was OK after 20/30 minutes.

I'm wondering why I need the drug if I can change the readings myself within a week, and on the second day of taking the drug it has this adverse effect?

Kind regards
Pete

With that medication you do need to eat some carbs as that is how the medication works by encouraging the pancreas to produce more insulin so it you do not eat enough carbs then you may certainly feel as if you have hypo symptoms. However when blood glucose starts to come down then people can feel wobbly because their body had become used to high glucose level so need to adjust, testing when that happens may reveal that it is not particularly low.
Also the symptoms of high blood glucose can be similar to low so it is always a good idea to test.
You may be able to do it on your own by dietary changes but I would think the GP was following NICE guidelines although gliclazide is not normally the first medication prescribed, people are usually stated with metformin. If you are unhappy with the current medication then speak to your GP.
When are you taking the gliclazide and what is the dose.

 

[silver minion]

Many thanks for the replies and suggestions!

I've been put in Gliclazide. I'm 37 years old kind of active but sit at a desk most of the time.

I went to the doctors because I usually crash on a weekend after golf, and need a nap. I thought this was because of the alcohol. Also noticed for 6 months my feet have been hurting at night.

Played golf today after a 9.2 reading fasted this morning, on day 2 of the drug.

I think I had my first hypo coming on as I was struggling to catch my breath and started shaking in my arms and legs. This was during playing golf today. I quickly had some jelly babies and was OK after 20/30 minutes.

I'm wondering why I need the drug if I can change the readings myself within a week, and on the second day of taking the drug it has this adverse effect?

Kind regards
Pete

Hi Pete and welcome to the forum. I am also on gliclazide as well as metformin as my HbA1c was in 3 figures when diagnosed.
It is good to hear that you have reduced your carb intake and increasing exercise. These will play a big part in managing your diabetes but take a bit of time to take effect. Meanwhile the medication helps you utilise the insulin you produce more efficiently.

As others have mentioned it is kinder on your body to set a steady pace. I dropped my carb levels too quickly when prescribed gliclazide and felt quite rough for a few weeks. Blurry vision and symptoms of neuropathy in my feet. You likely experienced a false hypo at the golf course. Your body has become used to very high blood glucose levels so even a moderate drop can make you feel light headed and shaky.
. I had a few of those in the first 6 months. I upped my carbs a bit so the swings from high to low during the day were less extreme. I still managed to reduce my HbA1c and generally feel much better.
When checking your blood glucose between HbA1c reviews, set a regular routine and look at longer term trends rather than individual readings. However it is important to check if you think you are having a hypo, particularly if you are driving.