Treatment options question

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

Muffin24

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Pronouns
She/Her
Hi, just joined so sorry if this a daft question. I was told I have type 2 two years ago. I haven't been offered any treatment, other than being told to eat less sugar and carbs, and my blood sugar levels when I check at home are always in double figures. My Hb1ac was 55 last time they checked. When I asked if I needed treatment the GP just replied to say all the drugs are really expensive and not necessary. I am confused and feel unwell most of the time. I am starting to think I need to see a different GP. Should I be on some form of treatment and if so what? I am not losing weight ( I need to I know) and finding cutting sugar and carbs difficult. Feeling as though I could do better but don't ever have any energy.
Thank you in advance for any assistance you can provide.
 
When was that last HbA1C done @Muffin24 ? 55 isn’t horribly high, but if it was done a long time ago, perhaps it’s higher now? You say you’re testing at home - are you testing at random times or implementing a testing schedule, eg before meals and two hours after meals?

Yes, if you’re overweight, losing weight will help, as will improving your diet. Exercise should also help. What do you eat in an average day?
 
Hi, it was a couple of months ago. I am not testing at regular times, just when I feel really poorly. It is always high. I eat lots of protein and veg (yesterday was breakfast of greek yogurt and berries, lunch of chicken salad then salmon and broccoli for tea) and low ISH carbs, then let myself down later and eat chocolate when I feel really tired or sad. It is such a comfort food I find very hard to give up. I swim almost everyday and dog walk for half an hour or so. My weight only goes up. I try without any success and it gets harder everyday. I want to keep going and do better, I just have so little energy to do it.
 
Muffin24 said:
I haven't been offered any treatment, other than being told to eat less sugar and carbs, and my blood sugar levels when I check at home are always in double figures.
Click to expand...
Cutting sugar and carbs is the first line of treatment. It sounds like they’re giving you time to try lifestyle changes before moving to medication. Are there changes you could make? Or would you be more comfortable staying with current diet and adding medication? It’s ok if you’d rather go that route but you may need to be more specific with your medical team.
 
Muffin24 said:
Feeling as though I could do better but don't ever have any energy.
Click to expand...
Sorry you are feeling this way.
High BG can make me feel very sluggish and lacking in energy. Anything you can do to lower your BG may help you feel better and give you the energy to do more.
 
Muffin24 said:
Hi, just joined so sorry if this a daft question. I was told I have type 2 two years ago. I haven't been offered any treatment, other than being told to eat less sugar and carbs, and my blood sugar levels when I check at home are always in double figures. My Hb1ac was 55 last time they checked. When I asked if I needed treatment the GP just replied to say all the drugs are really expensive and not necessary. I am confused and feel unwell most of the time. I am starting to think I need to see a different GP. Should I be on some form of treatment and if so what? I am not losing weight ( I need to I know) and finding cutting sugar and carbs difficult. Feeling as though I could do better but don't ever have any energy.
Thank you in advance for any assistance you can provide.
Click to expand...
Hello @Muffin24. Welcome to the Forum. First of all there are no such things as "daft" questions with Diabetes. It is an unpredictable disease that can affect people in so many different ways and can need different ways of managing it to suit any one person.

It would help forum members to answer and offer their thoughts about what you might find helpful if you clarified when was your last HbA1c test that showed you as 55 mmol/L? If that was 2 years ago you really need an up to date HbA1c to provide a comparison. There are a range of options that you might consider, even before starting medications, but how you have been doing these last 24 months is pretty essential to be aware of.

You comment that you know you ought to lose some weight and that is very important, since excess weight can conceal visceral fat that can impair your pancreatic functions. Note that being overweight is by no means the only cause of diabetes and we have members here who are Thin Outside and Fat Inside (TOFI), but excess weight usually doesn't help.
 
Sorry, others have got here before me; I'll step back.
 
Thank you all. I am sorry if I sound a bit pathetic. Deep down I know the chocolate is not giving me energy it is taking it away. I just want to regain some control in my life. I feel as though my health is only going to decline and I can't seem to do anything to stop it even though I am trying. Apologies, and thank you everyone that replied. I appreciate it. I think I am having a down day and lack of sleep over the last few weeks is starting to impact on me more than before.
 
Muffin24 said:
Hi, it was a couple of months ago. I am not testing at regular times, just when I feel really poorly. It is always high. I eat lots of protein and veg (yesterday was breakfast of greek yogurt and berries, lunch of chicken salad then salmon and broccoli for tea) and low ISH carbs, then let myself down later and eat chocolate when I feel really tired or sad. It is such a comfort food I find very hard to give up. I swim almost everyday and dog walk for half an hour or so. My weight only goes up. I try without any success and it gets harder everyday. I want to keep going and do better, I just have so little energy to do it.
Click to expand...

@Muffin24 It’s good that you’re active - that’s a great start. You mention your salmon and broccoli and then say “low-ish carbs”. Do you have carbs with your meals in addition to what you’ve listed, eg bread with your chicken salad, potatoes with your salmon, etc?

Regarding the chocolate: I’m a massive chocolate fan too. I find having small amounts every day or so works. I’m not sure I could ever give it up completely! So, could you allow yourself a small chocolate treat every day or so? Sometimes when we make foods forbidden, it just makes us want them more.
 
Yes, I try to have less carbs than the rest of the family. They are all super sporty and slim and eat bucketfuls of pasta. Their meals are mostly carbs .. it is difficult being the odd one out that needs something different. I was also super slim growing up and could eat anything and stay slim. Then it all changed. I have other medical conditions that make some things more of a challenge and have had major surgery and some minor surgery as well. It just feels a bit like wack a mole, if you know what I mean. Now I am being tested for heart issues. It feels never ending. I will keep fighting. Some days just feel a bit harder than others. Thank you again for your time
 
@Muffin24 Something odd going on with what your G.P. told you as the normally prescribed medication is Metformin, which costs very little.
Chocolate is not high carb, but the ordinary bars are low in chocolate, loaded with sugar. Nuts are a better option. I buy a high cocoa chocolate, melt it and use it to glue together flaked almonds on a base of desiccated coconut in tiny silicon moulds made for confectionary. At Christmas I make some with a single rum soaked raisin or sliver of glacé cherry on top of the coconut, hidden by the nuts as a surprise.
I am concerned by your low carb menu not reducing your HbA1c out of diabetic numbers. Maybe an evaluation of exactly how many carbs you eat each day will throw more light on the situation.
 
That sounds lovely, chocolate is something I don't think I can totally give up. I am trying to eat less. I am always surrounded by pasta, bread, potatoes etc and trying not to eat it when everyone else does. They will make me a cheese sandwich or something like that thinking they are being helpful and are upset when I try and take out the bread and am left with a little lump of cheese for lunch. I don't think my family really understand this at all. I have tried to explain it to them without success.
When I cook for them and for me I try to make it lower in carbs but they complain as they are all doing loads of sports and need the energy. I can advocate for others just not so good at doing this for myself.

I thought I would be put on Metformin but the GP didn't even mention it. He just said they were all really expensive and he didn't want to prescribe them. At that time my HbA1c was at 48 I think. It is definitely going in the wrong direction. I managed to get it down to 44 and then a few months later it went straight back up. When I was doing well I was eating lots of eggs, but I am not a fan of them so went to yogurt for breakfast instead. I am not dealing with well at the moment. Thank you though for your time
 
It sounds as if you are making good effort with making changes and the important thing is that you find an approach which is enjoyable otherwise it will not be sustainable, it really has to become a new way of eating for life.
If you want chocolate then dark chocolate is by far the best but only a small piece not a whole bar. But incorporating that into your daily carb allowance is OK.
Have a look at this link as it is a low carb approach based on real food so may fit in better with family meals. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
Many have found this a successful way of reducing blood glucose and losing weight if needed.
Testing with a home monitor before you eat and after 2 hours will identify meals which are too high in carbs for you to tolerate, if the increase is more than 2-3mmol/l then it is too carb heavy.
If you are having big increases from a low carb meal say only 30-40g carbs then you may need help from medication.
Keeping a food diary with the amount of carbs and some before and after meal readings would provide evidence for your GP and maybe help with food choices.
 
Thank you. I think I need to get better at recording and weighing food. It is all a bit haphazard and I think I often 'forget' I am diabetic if I am in a rush or there is limited food choice or I am stressed. I am excellent at making up excuses for my poor judgement and then also eat the wrong foods to deal with the guilt... It is a a ridiculous ride to be on. When I am on holiday and not working it is so much better. Stress is so awful at the moment. Constant deadlines and demands. What I am eating is always last place, when it should be a priority. Today, this post and all of you answers have really helped me face this. I know I can't keep going this way. My body is trying to tell me something and I need my brain to listen and act as it should rather than sticking my head in the sand. Thank you again. I don't know how to tag people so hopefully you will see this.
 
Muffin24 said:
Thank you. I think I need to get better at recording and weighing food. It is all a bit haphazard and I think I often 'forget' I am diabetic if I am in a rush or there is limited food choice or I am stressed. I am excellent at making up excuses for my poor judgement and then also eat the wrong foods to deal with the guilt... It is a a ridiculous ride to be on. When I am on holiday and not working it is so much better. Stress is so awful at the moment. Constant deadlines and demands. What I am eating is always last place, when it should be a priority. Today, this post and all of you answers have really helped me face this. I know I can't keep going this way. My body is trying to tell me something and I need my brain to listen and act as it should rather than sticking my head in the sand. Thank you again. I don't know how to tag people so hopefully you will see this.
Click to expand...
Most people get alerted to the thread they have posted in with the little bell at the top. but to tag somebody specifically you just put an @ in front of their 'name'
 
Muffin24 said:
Thank you. I think I need to get better at recording and weighing food. It is all a bit haphazard and I think I often 'forget' I am diabetic if I am in a rush or there is limited food choice or I am stressed. I am excellent at making up excuses for my poor judgement and then also eat the wrong foods to deal with the guilt... It is a a ridiculous ride to be on. When I am on holiday and not working it is so much better. Stress is so awful at the moment. Constant deadlines and demands. What I am eating is always last place, when it should be a priority. Today, this post and all of you answers have really helped me face this. I know I can't keep going this way. My body is trying to tell me something and I need my brain to listen and act as it should rather than sticking my head in the sand. Thank you again. I don't know how to tag people so hopefully you will see this.
Click to expand...
You will probably find that the lowering of blood glucose and getting nourishment from high quality protein foods will enable you to cope with stress a lot better.
I suggest always having the makings of a salad - coleslaw, boiled eggs, grated cheese, pre-cut greenstuff, cucumber, beetroot, celery, so that you can make lunch easily rather than needing to accept a sandwich. I do, once in a while have a sandwich, but it is from bread I make with low carb ingredients, and several inches thick with all the things wrapped up in lettuce leaves to hold them together.
Your family seem to think that energy comes from carbs - it doesn't, it mostly comes from fat, or from stores of glycogen in the liver and muscles. I can easily go out all day after eating breakfast and enjoy the day to the full whilst others are going off looking for food or opening up packed lunches.
 
Thank you @Drummer
You sound very experienced with this. Please can you let me know what you would recommend for a good breakfast? Quite often my 'healthy' greek yoghurt and blueberries become slightly less good for me when granola and honey fall accidentally into the bowl...
 
Muffin24 said:
Thank you @Drummer
You sound very experienced with this. Please can you let me know what you would recommend for a good breakfast? Quite often my 'healthy' greek yoghurt and blueberries become slightly less good for me when granola and honey fall accidentally into the bowl...
Click to expand...
Blueberries are something people go for but other berries are lower carb, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, or fruit like gooseberries, redcurrants are lower.
There are some lower carb granolas, Keto Hana, very nice but expensive. Lucy mentioned a M&S one which was very low carb and cheaper. I would steer clear of honey, full fat Greek yoghurt doesn't really need any.
Other breakfast options, eggs, bacon, mushrooms, avocado, tomatoes, with 1 small slice toast.
 
Thank you. The rest of the family all have sugary cereal and toast with jam or Nutella.... I wish I could convince them that these are poor choices... The thing is they are quick and convenient and that is why they buy them and eat them. I wish I could go back to my teenage self and understand how dangerous these food are long term.
 
Muffin24 said:
Thank you. The rest of the family all have sugary cereal and toast with jam or Nutella.... I wish I could convince them that these are poor choices... The thing is they are quick and convenient and that is why they buy them and eat them. I wish I could go back to my teenage self and understand how dangerous these food are long term.
Click to expand...
These are not necessarily poor choices if you do not have diabetes which I assume is the case for your family.
I appreciate how frustrating it can be that they sit with you and eat something that is not good for you but that does not mean it is bad for them.
Think of it like an allergy. If you have an allergy to coffee would that mean no one else can drink it because you find the smell so inviting.
And you did not get diabetes because you made poor choice for breakfast - it is much more complex than that.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top