Hi all. I've had type 2.for many years and had treatment for about 15 years. My levels were very high and so I went on a low carb eating plan which has reduced it to an average of 8 (old money.. Lol) in just under 3 months. If I continue, will the effect be accumulative or will I stay around 8? I do get confused! When I first ate for diabetes, carbs were our friends, now they are an enemy it seems! Any advice? I just need to know if I need to go further with this eating plan or of it will continue to reduce.
-
Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
-
Learn more about joining the Diabetes UK Support Forum team here: https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/volunteering-opportunities-why-dont-you-join-us.112862/
Reducing sugar level
- Thread starter Jojoann
- Start date
- Status
Hi. It's difficult to judge but if you have low carbs together with fats and proteins I would expect your BS and weight to balance out. If your level of carbs is very low then you might need to increase it a bit if your weight continues to go down too far. Carbs were never our friends but the 'experts' didn't understand that. Before the 2nd World War I gather keeping the carbs down with diabetes was the accepted treatment.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Welcome to the forum @Jojoann
Well done of your HbA1c reduction so far!
Have you been aiming for a particular amount of carbs each day?
Hope your BG levels continue to gradually improve - don’t stress too much about trying to reduce your levels too quickly, it can be gentler on the fine blood vessels in the eyes and nerve endings to allow your levels to coast down fairly gently over a reasonable amount of time.
Keep going! Hopefully your levels will stabilise and continue to fall over the coming months.
Well done of your HbA1c reduction so far!
Have you been aiming for a particular amount of carbs each day?
Hope your BG levels continue to gradually improve - don’t stress too much about trying to reduce your levels too quickly, it can be gentler on the fine blood vessels in the eyes and nerve endings to allow your levels to coast down fairly gently over a reasonable amount of time.
Keep going! Hopefully your levels will stabilise and continue to fall over the coming months.
Thankyou. Yes I'm on meds. Pretty much the same as I've had for years. I was tried on some new drug but I only took them for 6 weeks as they made me quite poorly, plus I have thyroid cysts and it increased the chance of thyroid cancer. I will keep on eating sensibly and see what happens. I can't really decrease carbs much lower or I'd just be eating grass! . Fortunately I don't have a sweet tooth nor like fatty food. I am about 7lbs ( I'm 10stone 11) overweight. I'm happy to loose this slowly. Don't want to go much lighter though although I know the medical professionals wouldn't mind if I was 8 stone, seems one can't be too light. Thankyou for your replies and advice.
SB2015
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Welcome to the forum @Jojoann
You have a plan that is working for you, as shown by your reduction in HbA1c. Well done.
a sustainable steady approach seems to work for many people, and as Mike said the gradual reduction will be better for your small blood vessels.
Keep us updated on your progress.
You have a plan that is working for you, as shown by your reduction in HbA1c. Well done.
a sustainable steady approach seems to work for many people, and as Mike said the gradual reduction will be better for your small blood vessels.
Keep us updated on your progress.
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
A general guide is no more than 130g carbs per day including drinks and snacks if you have them, so what you are proposing seems reasonable but you will only know if that is too high by testing before you eat and after 2 hours and if the increase is no more than 2-3mmol/l then you are likely OK.
Many people are more sensitive to carbs in the morning so tent to have a lower carb breakfast. But testing will tell you what you can have as well as what it is wisest to avoid or not have as much of.
Last edited:
Lucyr
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Generally if you keep doing what you’re doing, and your latest a1c was a few months since you started doing it, then you’ll continue getting the same results.
Low carb is not recommended on empagliflozin so the official advice would be increase carbs and increase medication but it’s your choice.
Low carb is not recommended on empagliflozin so the official advice would be increase carbs and increase medication but it’s your choice.
It's my diabetic lead who told me to reduce carbs. I am trying to avoid bolus insulin for as long as possible, or at least need less if I have to have it. As to the level of carbs I need, there was no guidance apart from on here! I did ask her but it was very generic.
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Have I missed that you are taking insulin given that you have just mentioned bolus insulin in which case the low carb issue takes a different complexion.
As you say getting guidance on what is a suitable amount of carbs when taking empagliflozin is sketchy but I have seen it mentioned that it is OK in consultation with a diabetic dietician.
Inka
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
So are you on basal insulin now then? The dietary advice can often be different according to what exact medication you’re on - which is why I asked earlier in this thread. It wasn’t nosiness or general conversation. It really can make a difference, which is why it’s important to know before giving advice 🙂
Dragonheart
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
As @Lucyr says that particular type of medication might be ok on a moderate to lowish level of carbs (eg 130g a day) but for significantly lower levels the risk of a euglycemic dka increase a bit. (High ketones etc but without the very high blood glucose dka usually has so easier to miss)
So theres a couple of choices here to my mind
1. Keep/increase to around 130g carbs alongside the emplagflozin and see if that gives you the results you need. If it doesn’t then you will progress onto more medication (and if insulin is being discussed I’m assuming it wasn’t enough at your previous level of carbs, but that may have been a lot higher than 130g?)
2. Keep/reduce the carbs low enough to achieve good levels, whatever that might mean for you, but ditch the emplagflozin/replace it with something that doesn’t carry this eDKA risk (talk to your nurse first). You have a good chance of avoiding insulin, a good chance of being able to reduce medications a fair amount/need milder ones or maybe even get off medication entirely if you find your sweet spot and can maintain that low level of carbs instead.
And I’ve now just read you may be on basal insulin….in which case a reduction in carbs will affect how much of this is still required and how much may become excessive. It doesn’t mean the reduction is a bad idea in itself, just that you have to take care that the medication is adjusted and monitored more closely alongside that reduction. There are medical guidances for professionals to help with medication reduction in low carb diets that don’t involve increasing carbs. eg https://bjgp.org/content/69/684/360
So theres a couple of choices here to my mind
1. Keep/increase to around 130g carbs alongside the emplagflozin and see if that gives you the results you need. If it doesn’t then you will progress onto more medication (and if insulin is being discussed I’m assuming it wasn’t enough at your previous level of carbs, but that may have been a lot higher than 130g?)
2. Keep/reduce the carbs low enough to achieve good levels, whatever that might mean for you, but ditch the emplagflozin/replace it with something that doesn’t carry this eDKA risk (talk to your nurse first). You have a good chance of avoiding insulin, a good chance of being able to reduce medications a fair amount/need milder ones or maybe even get off medication entirely if you find your sweet spot and can maintain that low level of carbs instead.
And I’ve now just read you may be on basal insulin….in which case a reduction in carbs will affect how much of this is still required and how much may become excessive. It doesn’t mean the reduction is a bad idea in itself, just that you have to take care that the medication is adjusted and monitored more closely alongside that reduction. There are medical guidances for professionals to help with medication reduction in low carb diets that don’t involve increasing carbs. eg https://bjgp.org/content/69/684/360
Turnbullissimo
Member
Sadly many organisations still insist on promoting 'healthy' carbohydrates. If you want to keep improving ditch them - yes including wholegrains. Ive completely reversed T2 doing this since January.
Shows how we are all different, I know there’s concerns re t2 and using insulin and keto diet very low carb diet, DUk had a article on the main site about it.
I follow low GI so whole grain and wholefoods diet and reversed into remission for a long time until my pancreatitis hit and no change I make now works and waiting for surgeons opinion on way forward.
Thanks for the replies. No, I'm not on insulin but it has been discussed. In fact some weeks ago I had an alarming call saying my sugars had got too high and so I've made a huge effort and in 9 weeks reduced to 8. I'm having another test in 3 months to see what happens. Yesterday I did a random test at home and..... It was 4.6!!!!! I have not been that low for prob 30years! I realise things fluctuate but I'll take that for now! ❤️
I realise that🙂. Thank you ❤
- Status