Hi everyone. i was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a month ago my Hb1Ac was 77. I was wondering why so many people are straight on to meds and have a blood glucose meter to check their bloods. I am not on any meds and have not been told to check my glucose levels. i was just told to control it with diet alone . I'm Really unsure how to do this and if what im doing is enough to lower my levels. I haven't even spoke to a docotor, i got my diagnosis over the phone from the nurse and was told she would see me in 6 months time.
-
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/
type 2 daibetes
- Thread starter jane58
- Start date
- Status
trophywench
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi @jane58 - I've always thought it's batty not instantly providing a blood glucose meter and prescribing the strips for it because without testing the blood glucose - how are you ever going to know whether what you just ate was OK, and a good meal to repeat, or not? Thing is though - they just do not have enough time to actually teach newly diagnosed Type 2 patients how to use a meter to their best advantage. Unless you use a meter for a reason and learn from whatever results it gives you - there is very little point - if any - of testing.
We can explain how to do this - as many times as you need, whatever time of the night or day including weekends and most bank holidays - GP surgeries can't. What we cannot do is provide you with a meter, or the test strips for it - but we can recommend the cheapest, reliable ones people on here have found. So - are you prepared to spend some of your own money in an effort to help yourself?
We can explain how to do this - as many times as you need, whatever time of the night or day including weekends and most bank holidays - GP surgeries can't. What we cannot do is provide you with a meter, or the test strips for it - but we can recommend the cheapest, reliable ones people on here have found. So - are you prepared to spend some of your own money in an effort to help yourself?
janw
Much Missed Member.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi and welcome.
Unfortunately it is rare for T2s to be given a blood glucose monitor unless they are on insulin or meds that could incur hypos. We are usually "discouraged" from using the meters, which is why the majority of us buy our own and self-fund the extra test strips and lancets,
To be honest, there is no real way we can test to see which carbs cause us spikes unless we use a monitor - plus we can watch our numbers reduce too, which shows we are on the right path. In short it puts US in control of our health, our diabetes and a new lifestyle.
If you check out the main site's Learning Zone (link at top of page, clickable), and check out the section on T2, it will give you further info. Word of warning, the recipes on there are for all diabetics and can be too high carb for those of us T2s not on insulin or meds, we need to check the carbs! It is best to have 130g or less of carbs per day, but please reduce these slowly otherwise it can create other issues - one meal at a time - ie breakfasts or lunches first. This will also help you lose any weight you have need to. We can have full fat rather than low fat, cream is lower carb than milk, there are plenty of substitutes for the carb heavy foodstuffs. If you are still unsure, please do ask 🙂
Unfortunately it is rare for T2s to be given a blood glucose monitor unless they are on insulin or meds that could incur hypos. We are usually "discouraged" from using the meters, which is why the majority of us buy our own and self-fund the extra test strips and lancets,
To be honest, there is no real way we can test to see which carbs cause us spikes unless we use a monitor - plus we can watch our numbers reduce too, which shows we are on the right path. In short it puts US in control of our health, our diabetes and a new lifestyle.
If you check out the main site's Learning Zone (link at top of page, clickable), and check out the section on T2, it will give you further info. Word of warning, the recipes on there are for all diabetics and can be too high carb for those of us T2s not on insulin or meds, we need to check the carbs! It is best to have 130g or less of carbs per day, but please reduce these slowly otherwise it can create other issues - one meal at a time - ie breakfasts or lunches first. This will also help you lose any weight you have need to. We can have full fat rather than low fat, cream is lower carb than milk, there are plenty of substitutes for the carb heavy foodstuffs. If you are still unsure, please do ask 🙂
Windy
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi Jane, I'm sorry to hear about the lack of support you've got so far with your diabetes diagnosis.
I was diagnosed in October and my HbA1c was 80 and I was put on 2 x 500mg of metformin a day, so I've no idea why some people get put straight onto medication and some don't.
I bought myself a blood glucose monitor (a gluco navii) and check in the morning and if I'm eating a meal I've not had before to see what it does to my blood glucose levels to try and steer myself away from food that isn't so good for me. I can recommend getting one if you can afford it.
Have you been offered to go on a diabetes course by your nurse or been told that a referral has been made for eye screening or other things?
I can recommend as a starting point, to sign up for the Learning Zone (at the top of the page) so you can run through some of the courses and learn a bit more about it.
As for food, it's obvious stuff like sweets and cakes that put up your blood glucose, but also less obvious stuff like bread, potatoes, parsnips, rice etc, that are mostly carbohydrates. You don't need to cut them out of your diet completely, but be mindful that your plate needs to be less carby than before. Some people (including me) follow a low carb diet, of less than 130g of carbs a day, and some don't. You need to find out what works for you, and the BG meter is an excellent tool to find out what works if you can get one. There's a book section on the forum if you want to get a book on diet or about diabetes generally. I can recommend the Professor Roy Taylor books on diabetes if you can buy a copy.
I know it's all a bit new and confusing at first (at least it was for me), so ask questions and look at the forums. It's a friendly place and we're happy to answer.
Sarah
I was diagnosed in October and my HbA1c was 80 and I was put on 2 x 500mg of metformin a day, so I've no idea why some people get put straight onto medication and some don't.
I bought myself a blood glucose monitor (a gluco navii) and check in the morning and if I'm eating a meal I've not had before to see what it does to my blood glucose levels to try and steer myself away from food that isn't so good for me. I can recommend getting one if you can afford it.
Have you been offered to go on a diabetes course by your nurse or been told that a referral has been made for eye screening or other things?
I can recommend as a starting point, to sign up for the Learning Zone (at the top of the page) so you can run through some of the courses and learn a bit more about it.
As for food, it's obvious stuff like sweets and cakes that put up your blood glucose, but also less obvious stuff like bread, potatoes, parsnips, rice etc, that are mostly carbohydrates. You don't need to cut them out of your diet completely, but be mindful that your plate needs to be less carby than before. Some people (including me) follow a low carb diet, of less than 130g of carbs a day, and some don't. You need to find out what works for you, and the BG meter is an excellent tool to find out what works if you can get one. There's a book section on the forum if you want to get a book on diet or about diabetes generally. I can recommend the Professor Roy Taylor books on diabetes if you can buy a copy.
I know it's all a bit new and confusing at first (at least it was for me), so ask questions and look at the forums. It's a friendly place and we're happy to answer.
Sarah
Eddy Edson
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Not being prescribed meds with an HbA1c of 77 seems really odd - actually, just wrong.
Unless there's something unusual going on, IMO you should have been prescribed Metformin, the usual first-line T2D med. It's supposed to be used in conjunction with lifestyle changes - diet, exercise - but to start with & perhaps for the long term, it usually helps to have some medication assistance.
I'd really question your doctor/nurse about this.
(Ignore people's horror stories about side effects - most people get maybe a little bit of stomach upset for a few days, at worst.)
As for BG meter, in the UK you'll probably have to fund that for yourself.
harbottle
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
That's odd, I was 83 and started straight on Metformin. Reading through the NICE guidelines there doesn't appear to any sort of threshold about when to start drugs or just allow the patient to try diet. I would have thought 77, which is reasonably high, would warrant drugs to try to get it down by at least 1% using Metformin. What do I know, though, I am not a Doctor. (Actually, I am, not a medical one, which confuses the surgery whenever they call me!)
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
If you mean a blood glucose monitor for home testing then you can order on line as they are cheaper than at the pharmacy. The GlucoNavil is inexpensive and has the cheapest test strips. You only get a few strips and lancets in the kit so should buy more at the outset Monitor about £10 and strips £13 for 100 when I last looked on Amazon. You do not need to pay VAT.
Thank you so much for your reply. I am going to phone the diabetic nurse back this week as a few people have said the same as you about how strange it is that i am not on any meds. can you recomend the best BG meter to buy please and where from. Jane🙂
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
If you mean a blood glucose monitor for home testing then you can order on line as they are cheaper than at the pharmacy. The GlucoNavil is inexpensive and has the cheapest test strips. You only get a few strips and lancets in the kit so should buy more at the outset Monitor about £10 and strips £13 for 100 when I last looked on Amazon. You do not need to pay VAT.
It is a bit of a muddle my diagnosis was 74 and straight on metformin (twice daily). A bit of an upset stomach for a couple of weeks, not too bad and silly me I thought it was due to my new diet and absolutely nothing to do with Metformin!! Only by reading this forum did I realise that it could be a side effect of Metformin. Advised by GP not to test. Forget that, immediately purchased a BG meter and all the relevant paraphernalia. Best thing I did. I kept a food diary and keep my carb intake to 100-120 daily. Now I only test when I eat new foods. It sounds like lots of stuff to do, but it all falls into place and gets easier.
Not all that strange. The 2009 Diabetes Uk Professional Conference recommended that newly diagnosed T2s should have a 3 to 6 months intro of Diet and Exercise In order to appreciate the absolute necessity of diet and lifestyle changes. The joke is of course that there is/was no specific plan of D&E. The traditional advice for new T2s is to lose weight, moderate carbohydrates and increase exercise and activity. The unofficial advice found on support groups is to get a meter and ‘Test,test,test’ and ‘Eat to your meter.’
Your offhand treatment by your surgery is also all too typical for T2s, the 2 in Type 2 Diabetes all too often stands for 2nd class citizen in Britain’s NHS.
Hi I am most defnitely willing to fund a meter myself. so like you said i know what meals i can and can't have. what kind of meter do you reccomend?
trophywench
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
I recommend the Gluco Navii for the same reason that others do.
I haven't had to fund one myself since 1970 something!
I haven't had to fund one myself since 1970 something!
janw
Much Missed Member.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Yes the best glucose monitor at this time, cost wise, is the GlucoNavii. It is available from Amazon or their own site https://homehealth-uk.com/ - if you buy from them direct, it comes with a discount for future purchases of test strips, lancets, computer lead, control fluid. TBH I was only buying smaller amounts of the test strips from Amazon, but this last time I ordered 250 strips using the discount, which worked out cheaper in the long run PLUS I got my order in 2 days whereas Amazon takes 10 days - and both use Royal Mail - go figure! It really is swings and roundabouts depending on how many strips you need. I no longer test as much, but it is surprising how fast I can still get through that pot of 50.
Best of luck.
PS your choice to have meds or not, so try diet and lifestyle for a while, see how it goes, can always get meds later if need be. I chose not to have them, but my count wasn't too high and it came down quite nicely....now waiting for next appointment to come through!
Best of luck.
PS your choice to have meds or not, so try diet and lifestyle for a while, see how it goes, can always get meds later if need be. I chose not to have them, but my count wasn't too high and it came down quite nicely....now waiting for next appointment to come through!
Annette&Bert
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I have the GlucoNavii which I like, but in 2016 when I was first diagnosed my nurse gave me a Braun Omnitest 3 kit. I have used borh kits, but found recently that Braun have discontinued the Omnitest 3 and Omnitest 5 kits from the UK market at the end of 2021. So I have reordered the test strips for the GlucoNavii from Amazon.
I am on only one medication Metformin SR x 2000mg with evening meal.
I am on only one medication Metformin SR x 2000mg with evening meal.
- Status