Type 2 but very confused

[Chris010804]

Hi all, iv been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (83 and it should be under 43?)
It has sort of been a bit of shock, I’m overweight so maybe not such a shock.
What’s done me more is the nurse that did my diabetes review never said anything about diet, I haven’t had sugar in anything for years but now I’m hearing about carbs being the one?
Also since iv started the tablets (was metformin but got bad stomachs on these, in on something that begins with G?) I’m totally knackered at night, literally getting in from work and nodding off on the sofa! This never happened before, iv contacted my GP and they keep saying it will pass?
Any advice great fully received

 

[lisa haigh]

Hi all, iv been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (83 and it should be under 43?)
It has sort of been a bit of shock, I’m overweight so maybe not such a shock.
What’s done me more is the nurse that did my diabetes review never said anything about diet, I haven’t had sugar in anything for years but now I’m hearing about carbs being the one?
Also since iv started the tablets (was metformin but got bad stomachs on these, in on something that begins with G?) I’m totally knackered at night, literally getting in from work and nodding off on the sofa! This never happened before, iv contacted my GP and they keep saying it will pass?
Any advice great fully received

 

[lisa haigh]

I feel you're confusion. I am the same and not even seen a nurse yet and really confused as I don't eat sweets or chocolate or even have a sweet tooth. I too am hoping to find answers from people who know. Hang in there xx

 

[Chris010804]

I feel you're confusion. I am the same and not even seen a nurse yet and really confused as I don't eat sweets or chocolate or even have a sweet tooth. I too am hoping to find answers from people who know. Hang in there xx

c**p isn’t it, I’m not into sweets and that but the GP’s don’t tell you anything either!

 

[Martin.A]

What’s done me more is the nurse that did my diabetes review never said anything about diet, I haven’t had sugar in anything for years but now I’m hearing about carbs being the one?

That's a comment we regularly hear from people newly diagnosed but you're right, it's carbohydrates in general and not just sugar. I didn't get on with Metformin either and was glad to see the back of it but was allowed to try and manage by diet & exercise, even though my HbA1c was way higher than yours, which has proved successful so far. However, it sounds like you've been prescribed Gliclazide in place of Metformin - is that right? If so I'm surprised as it works in a completely different way.

 

[PerSpinasAdAstra]

Hi all, iv been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (83 and it should be under 43?)
It has sort of been a bit of shock, I’m overweight so maybe not such a shock.
What’s done me more is the nurse that did my diabetes review never said anything about diet, I haven’t had sugar in anything for years but now I’m hearing about carbs being the one?
Also since iv started the tablets (was metformin but got bad stomachs on these, in on something that begins with G?) I’m totally knackered at night, literally getting in from work and nodding off on the sofa! This never happened before, iv contacted my GP and they keep saying it will pass?
Any advice great fully received

Hello and welcome to the forum! 🙂

We've all been there, the shock and confusion of diagnosis is no small event. Most of us I think also received very little advice about diet from the doctors and nurses. Speaking for myself I was completely wrecked tired much of the time in the months leading up to diagnosis. It's a known symptom of Type 2 diabetes, and for me and I imagine for most people who experience that symptom it passed once I got my blood glucose levels under control. I also had digestive problems in the beginning on Metformin though that passed after a few weeks. If it persists, there is a slow-release version of the Metformin tablets that may help - maybe talk to your doctor about it if your stomach problems don't sort themselves out in time. EDIT - Apologies, I misread your post. You've been switched from Metformin to G(liclazide)?

As good places to start for information, I'd recommend these two books:
'Life Without Diabetes' by Professor Roy Taylor
'How to Reverse Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes' by Dr. David Cavan

Roy Taylor is a professor of medicine and diabetes researcher, and David Cavan is a former consultant endocrinologist - both are true diabetes experts, unlike some other authors of diabetes books I could name. Taylor's book gives a good but not overly technical explanation of how T2 diabetes happens and how significant weight loss can help matters hugely. Cavan's book is mostly about diet changes and how that can help though there is also useful information about medications and blood testing strategies among other things. Taken together the two books provide almost everything a person needs to know to get their diabetes under control quickly. You'll find pretty much all of the information you need on this forum though it takes time to sift though it all and sort fact from fiction, so I suggest the books as it may save you a lot of time and confusion.

Don't panic! There's a lot to learn but getting your blood glucose well under control quickly is very achievable and worthwhile. Wishing you the very best of luck! 🙂

 

[harbottle]

Hi all, iv been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (83 and it should be under 43?)
It has sort of been a bit of shock, I’m overweight so maybe not such a shock.
What’s done me more is the nurse that did my diabetes review never said anything about diet, I haven’t had sugar in anything for years but now I’m hearing about carbs being the one?
Also since iv started the tablets (was metformin but got bad stomachs on these, in on something that begins with G?) I’m totally knackered at night, literally getting in from work and nodding off on the sofa! This never happened before, iv contacted my GP and they keep saying it will pass?
Any advice great fully received

The fatigue is likely from high blood sugar. Mine was 83 and I was the same. I sometimes used to go home as I was falling asleep at my desk.

I was overweight, so I went on a low carb/calorie diet for 3 months, felt great after 2 weeks and then got hba1c down to the 30s in 3 months while losing around 3 stone.

(I am currently off the Metformin so we can see what happens!)

 

[Chris010804]

Thank you for the replies, appreciated
So what do you have instead of carbs?
From what I’ve read bread, potatoes, pasta and rice are all out?
A bacon butty without the butty just isn’t the same lol

 

[harbottle]

Thank you for the replies, appreciated
So what do you have instead of carbs?
From what I’ve read bread, potatoes, pasta and rice are all out?
A bacon butty without the butty just isn’t the same lol

I eat potato in modest amounts without any problem - and I still have oats.
I just avoid bread, although you can get low carb bread - I did have some low carb bread with bacon, but it was disgusting, so I don't bother. I occasionally have a small piece of sourdough.

I mainly eat vegetables instead of the bulk carbs (Cauliflower rice instead of real rice.)

 

[Chris010804]

Something I’ll have to look into, I’m not mad keen on veg plus, as my misses would say, iv got enough wind as it is lol

At least I’m learning and understanding it a bit more now

 

[Leadinglights]

Something I’ll have to look into, I’m not mad keen on veg plus, as my misses would say, iv got enough wind as it is lol

At least I’m learning and understanding it a bit more now

It is more likely the carbs causing the wind as they convert to glucose which provides the nutrients for your gut bacteria to metabolise and when they do they produce gas and acid.
There are low carb substitutes you can make butternut squash, swede, cauliflower, celeriac, courgette, are all lower carb and can be swapped for potatoes, rice and pasta.
Have a look at this link for some good information and some menu plans and recipes for a low carb approach. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
Low carb is suggested as being no more than 130g per day, it is not NO carbs but you would be wise initially to err at around 130g per day because of the gliclazide which encourages the pancreas to produce more insulin and as such you need some carbs for it to work safely.
You should have been prescribed a blood glucose monitor and strips to make sure your blood glucose does not drop too low especially if you drive.

 

[PerSpinasAdAstra]

Thank you for the replies, appreciated
So what do you have instead of carbs?
From what I’ve read bread, potatoes, pasta and rice are all out?
A bacon butty without the butty just isn’t the same lol

First off I'd advise caution if you have been prescribed gliclazide. That medication forces your pancreas to produce insulin all day, regardless of how much you've eaten. That can cause a 'hypo' - hypoglycaemia - or low blood sugar, if you haven't eaten enough carbs for the insulin to work on. A hypo can be dangerous. If you're on that medication making drastic changes to your diet without having a blood glucose monitor on hand and knowing how to use it is not a good idea, particularly if the dose is high. That said - reducing your portions of bread, potatoes, pasta and rice (and eliminating junk food - biscuits, cake, chocolate, sugary drinks including fruit juice, crisps etc.) is a great first step.

We are all different in the severity of our diabetes and our response to particular foods, so people with Type 2 on the forum may eat quite differently. Many of us use a blood glucose meter to test just before eating and 2 hours later, looking for a rise of no more than 2 (ideally) or 3 (at a stretch) mmol/L on the meter 2 hours after eating. This is an indication of how well your body has processed the amount of carbs you've eaten in that meal. This helps to figure out what you should and shouldn't be eating right now. It's worth noting that significant weight loss can improve things to the point that you might have more freedom down the road with what you can eat while keeping below a 2 mmol/L rise.

In my case:
- For breakfast I eat a 3-egg omelette with peppers in it followed by a small piece of fruit, or full fat Greek yogurt with blueberries and milled seeds sprinkled on top for some crunch, again with a small piece of fruit - a fun-size apple of the kind you'd put in a child's lunchbox, or a clementine/satsuma size orange for example. I generally avoid anything with lots of carbs for breakfast, like bread, and I don't feast on fruit.
- For lunch I'd typically eat a pre-prepared salad (e.g. 3-bean salad in a plastic tub from Tesco) with tuna. Or I'd have soup with a turkey sandwich made with low-carb bread.
- For dinner I still eat potatoes though I stick with no more than 3 small baby potatoes. I've swapped normal pasta for edamame pasta, which is made with green soya beans I believe, and is much lower in carbs. Fairly tasty with plenty of olive oil on it. I've swapped normal rice for cauliflower rice, which is just shredded cauliflower. It soaks up the sauce in a stir fry or curry for example, so it tastes like the sauce and you can fool yourself into thinking it's rice. It's convenient - you can get it in single-portion microwave bags - it's very low carb and great for losing weight.

Don't panic though - nothing you ate yesterday will do you much harm today. It's all about making changes that you can live happily with in the long term. Finishing whatever you have in the freezer or the cupboard won't kill you.. just don't have a carb feast 😉

 

[Lucyr]

Can you check the name of the tablet that begins with G? It will be on the box. Some of the advice about cutting out carbs is going to be inappropriate if you’re newly on gliclazide as you’d need to gradually reduce. Your posts talk about cutting out carbs which could be dangerous depending what medication your on.

 

[Chris010804]

Sorry I’m totally wrong, the tablet I’m taking is dapagliflozin 10mg

I’m not going to go mad, just start to think about what I’m eating and make changes slowly

Doctors haven’t given me a test machine but there cheap enough to buy myself just to keep and eye on it if needed

 

[Lucyr]

Sorry I’m totally wrong, the tablet I’m taking is dapagliflozin 10mg

I’m not going to go mad, just start to think about what I’m eating and make changes slowly

It’s important to reduce carbs slowly and not reduce them too far as too low carb isn’t advised on this medication because of the DKA risk. It is fairly rare but for safety you should read the symptoms of DKA (the leaflet in the box should tell you what to look for) and seek medical attention if you get the symptoms.

 

[PerSpinasAdAstra]

Sorry I’m totally wrong, the tablet I’m taking is dapagliflozin 10mg

I’m not going to go mad, just start to think about what I’m eating and make changes slowly

Doctors haven’t given me a test machine but there cheap enough to buy myself just to keep and eye on it if needed

As @Lucyr says - dapagliflozin should be used with caution if you go very very low on carbs, though the risk is associated with extremely low carb diets like the keto diet. Moderately low carb diets should be fine.

With the meters the cost of the test strips can add up quickly with the meters that have the more expensive strips. The Gluco Navii, Spirit Tee2, or Contour Blue are some meters I've seen mentioned that reportedly have cheap test strips.

 

[Leadinglights]

It is important to drink plenty of fluids with that medication as it is encouraging your kidneys to excrete excess glucose via urine so it is easy to become dehydrated. Watch out for UTIs as well.

 

[Chris010804]

Thank you all

Does explain why I’m always at the toilet, but I am drinking a lot more now too

 

[Leadinglights]

Thank you all

Does explain why I’m always at the toilet, but I am drinking a lot more now too

Being thirsty is a symptom of high blood glucose as the kidneys are working hard to get rid of excess glucose.
Hopefully the meds and dietary changes will help soon.

 

[Chris010804]

The fresh well app is really good, gives clear advice and it’s given me a much better idea of food to eat
Think it’s the getting your head round the idea that cheesy eggs and bacon are better for breakfast than toast lol