Type 2 Diagnosed Today

[Utters]

Hi all, I'm just dropping in to say hello. I'm completely new to the world of diabetes, so I'll probably have endless questions to ask.
In a nutshell, I've not been well since December and finally got diagnosed as Type 2 today. It seems that my blood sugars have been quite high over the past few months (HbA1c 98). Like me, the doctors have no idea why my levels are so high, given my age, weight, diet and overall fitness. We are still trying to find the cause (if possible) but the main thing is is that I'm now being treated with metfomin, which should slowly get me back to some kind of normal.
Thanks for reading and hope to speak to some of you soon.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome.

Can I just say that unless you have had specific C-peptide and GAD antibody tests, all you really have with an HbA1c of 98 is a diagnosis of diabetes rather than a specific Type 2 diagnosis. It is often assumed by medical professionals that you are Type 2 because you may be overweight or middle aged or have a family history of diabetes or have a poor diet but without the 2 tests mentioned above, it is just an assumption and it is still possible that you might actually be Type 1 or LADA (slow onset Type1) particularly if you don't fit the usual Type 2 profile. It happened to me 2 years ago at the age of 56 and took 4 months before I had those tests and was found to be Type1. Just something to bear in mind if your levels don't respond to treatment.
Can I ask, did you have a sudden onset of symptoms and have you lost or gained any weight recently?

The other thing I want to mention is that Metformin will have a minimal impact on your BG (Blood Glucose) levels. It is the go to drug for Type 2 treatment because it is cheap and relatively safe but it doesn't have a great impact on levels. By far the most powerful means of lowering your BG levels (short of injecting insulin) is to reduce your carbohydrate intake. That is not just sugar and sweet stuff but also starchy carbs like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and breakfast cereals. Even "healthy" food like fruit and porridge are high in carbs and will raise your BG levels to some extent and are best rationed to a small portion. Not saying you should avoid all those foods but do reduce portion size and with fruit, it is best to keep the exotic fruits like bananas and pineapple and mango etc as an occasional treat and opt for a handful of berries (which are the lowest carb fruits and pack a nutritional and flavourful punch, so a little goes a long way).

Do make sure to take the Metformin with food to minimize digestive upset as it is not unaffectionately known as "Metfartin" for nothing and wind is sometimes the least of your worries with it. 😳 I took it mid meal but still had the odd bout of nasty colic pain and urgent need for the loo, usually at the least convenient times!!

Don't suppose you have been supplied with a BG meter and test strips by your GP? Most Health Care Professionals advise against Type 2 diabetics testing their own blood unless they are on particularly strong medication which can make their BG go too low, but here on the forum we advocate the use of a meter to tailor your diet to what your body can tolerate. By testing before and then 2 hours after each meal, you will see how that meal affected your levels and be able to reduce portion size or avoid foods which cause your levels to spike too high. BG meters are relatively cheap to buy @approx £15 for the two we recommend for self funding here on the forum (the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Healthcare Tee2.... both available online) It is the ongoing purchase of test strips for them which tots up the costs and these have some of the cheapest test strips @£8 for a pot of 50 whereas some meters have test strips which are 2x or even 3x that price.

Anyway, sorry to bombard you with so much information in a first post but hope it is of some help and if you have any questions, then feel free to ask.

 

[Utters]

Hi and welcome.

Can I just say that unless you have had specific C-peptide and GAD antibody tests, all you really have with an HbA1c of 98 is a diagnosis of diabetes rather than a specific Type 2 diagnosis. It is often assumed by medical professionals that you are Type 2 because you may be overweight or middle aged or have a family history of diabetes or have a poor diet but without the 2 tests mentioned above, it is just an assumption and it is still possible that you might actually be Type 1 or LADA (slow onset Type1) particularly if you don't fit the usual Type 2 profile. It happened to me 2 years ago at the age of 56 and took 4 months before I had those tests and was found to be Type1. Just something to bear in mind if your levels don't respond to treatment.
Can I ask, did you have a sudden onset of symptoms and have you lost or gained any weight recently?

The other thing I want to mention is that Metformin will have a minimal impact on your BG (Blood Glucose) levels. It is the go to drug for Type 2 treatment because it is cheap and relatively safe but it doesn't have a great impact on levels. By far the most powerful means of lowering your BG levels (short of injecting insulin) is to reduce your carbohydrate intake. That is not just sugar and sweet stuff but also starchy carbs like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and breakfast cereals. Even "healthy" food like fruit and porridge are high in carbs and will raise your BG levels to some extent and are best rationed to a small portion. Not saying you should avoid all those foods but do reduce portion size and with fruit, it is best to keep the exotic fruits like bananas and pineapple and mango etc as an occasional treat and opt for a handful of berries (which are the lowest carb fruits and pack a nutritional and flavourful punch, so a little goes a long way).

Do make sure to take the Metformin with food to minimize digestive upset as it is not unaffectionately known as "Metfartin" for nothing and wind is sometimes the least of your worries with it. 😳 I took it mid meal but still had the odd bout of nasty colic pain and urgent need for the loo, usually at the least convenient times!!

Don't suppose you have been supplied with a BG meter and test strips by your GP? Most Health Care Professionals advise against Type 2 diabetics testing their own blood unless they are on particularly strong medication which can make their BG go too low, but here on the forum we advocate the use of a meter to tailor your diet to what your body can tolerate. By testing before and then 2 hours after each meal, you will see how that meal affected your levels and be able to reduce portion size or avoid foods which cause your levels to spike too high. BG meters are relatively cheap to buy @approx £15 for the two we recommend for self funding here on the forum (the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Healthcare Tee2.... both available online) It is the ongoing purchase of test strips for them which tots up the costs and these have some of the cheapest test strips @£8 for a pot of 50 whereas some meters have test strips which are 2x or even 3x that price.

Anyway, sorry to bombard you with so much information in a first post but hope it is of some help and if you have any questions, then feel free to ask.

Hi Barbara, thanks so much for your response and good information. As a result I've already purchased a BG meter on your recommendation.

I'm 48 and I was perhaps a little overweight back in December, but only by small amount. I'm generally healthy in that I am, or was a long distance runner. So large carbs intake was always part of my diet.

I'll certainly mention the two antibody tests to my GP. I did ask her why she thought I had type 2 and her reasoning was that there were no ketone present in any of the urine samples that were tested. I initially thought that I might have Type 1, as I have lost weight over the past three months (approx 10lbs) however, I've had a lot loose stools in that period, not to mention reducing the amount that I've eaten. With regards to family history, my mum has Type 2 diabetes (14 years now).

On the metformin side of things, I've only taken one tablet and already felt its power :/

Thanks again
David

 

[ColinUK]

Hi David,

Just on the metformin issue, see how you cope with it for a week or so but if the side effects don’t settle down then tell your gp that you want to go on the slow release version.

 

[rebrascora]

I didn't have ketones either, so the absence of ketones is not necessarily diagnostic but good that your GP considered it.

Pleased you have got yourself a BG meter. It really is invaluable in being able to see how your body responds to different foods and using that information to tailor your diet to your diabetes and your tastes and lifestyle and it can be highly individual in all respects.

 

[Utters]

Hi. Welcome to the Forum. I had a similar reaction when my HbA1c result came back but as I learnt more about Type 2 diabetes I realised that what I thought was a healthy diet low in fat was actually high in carbohydrate in the form of things like rice, pasta, bread and potatoes. Even though I rarely ate sweets, chocolate, cakes or biscuits, made sure I ate an apple, banana and sometimes grapes every day as part of my 5-a-day and always chose low fat versions of everything, as well as being slim and reasonably fit, it was my body's inability to cope with my carbohydrate intake that was the issue.

Type 2 management revolves around diet, exercise, weight loss (if needed) and medication. Metformin helps the insulin you produce work better but won't bring your levels down on its own.

Martin

Hi Martin, thanks for the welcome. Your old diet sounded very similar to the one I used to have.

I'm really struggling with portion sizes at the minute and feeling a little frustrated at not knowing how my body is reacting to what I'm putting in it. The GP measured my BG at 18 today and that's with me following a strict low carb, low sugar diet for the past week. I know that it won't come down overnight and I'll have to be patient.

Today I had porridge with semi skimmed milk, some raspberries and blueberries for breakfast (small portion). At lunch I had an advacado (1/2) and chicken sandwich and for tea tonight I've had a brown basmati rice, chicken and mushroom recipe off the diabetes website. I didn't finish all of that as I'm terrified of overdoing every. It's leaving me all very hungry.

Thanks,
David

 

[Utters]

Hi David,

Just on the metformin issue, see how you cope with it for a week or so but if the side effects don’t settle down then tell your gp that you want to go on the slow release version.

Great, thank you Colin, I will do. I'm just starting on one tablet per day for this week, but my gp wants me on 3 per day in the coming weeks.
But the slow release tablet already sounds like a better option.

 

[Utters]

I didn't have ketones either, so the absence of ketones is not necessarily diagnostic but good that your GP considered it.

Pleased you have got yourself a BG meter. It really is invaluable in being able to see how your body responds to different foods and using that information to tailor your diet to your diabetes and your tastes and lifestyle and it can be highly individual in all respects.

Ok, that's interesting with regards to the ketones.
Looking forward to getting the BG meter. It can't come soon enough!

Thanks again 🙂

 

[Leadinglights]

You may be one of those people who can't tolerate high carb foods like porridge and rice so the sooner your monitor arrives the better so you can start testing the effect they have on your blood glucose levels by testing before you eat and after 2 hours. There is plenty of information on a testing regime which should enable you to make some better choices.

 

[Utters]

You may be one of those people who can't tolerate high carb foods like porridge and rice so the sooner your monitor arrives the better so you can start testing the effect they have on your blood glucose levels by testing before you eat and after 2 hours. There is plenty of information on a testing regime which should enable you to make some better choices.

I'll be sad if that's the case, but if I need to give up things to feel better, then I'm all for it.

 

[Cherrelle DUK]

Hi Utters, welcome to the forum.

I know it's frustrating not knowing what's going on but hopefully your monitor will arrive soon. It can be really useful for the first week to keep a food diary and test before you eat in the morning and 2 hours after meals then you can get an idea of what impact your diet is having on your BG levels.

You'll get the hang of it, keep reaching out and have a read through the forum as there's a wealth of info about.

 

[trophywench]

Now then young man - you should have picked the chicken and mushrooms out of the rice and finished them!

Just think about the carbs in that menu ..... carbs in the porridge oats, carbs in the milk (less fat in the milk = higher carb content) carbs in the bread in the sandwich, carbs in the rice.

You still need calories mate - enough to prevent you feeling starving - and there are a lot more calories in fats and proteins by weight than there are in starchy carbs. The only thing our bodies have any trouble dealing with (in the main) are the carbs.

Let's think - eg chop, spuds and veg. Decent size chop, one or two bits (or whole if they're little) less than usual of spud, at least 2 different other veg.

 

[Utters]

Hi Utters, welcome to the forum.

I know it's frustrating not knowing what's going on but hopefully your monitor will arrive soon. It can be really useful for the first week to keep a food diary and test before you eat in the morning and 2 hours after meals then you can get an idea of what impact your diet is having on your BG levels.

You'll get the hang of it, keep reaching out and have a read through the forum as there's a wealth of info about.

Hi Cherrelle, thank you. I'll definitely be having a good look through the forum today.

 

[Utters]

Now then young man - you should have picked the chicken and mushrooms out of the rice and finished them!

Just think about the carbs in that menu ..... carbs in the porridge oats, carbs in the milk (less fat in the milk = higher carb content) carbs in the bread in the sandwich, carbs in the rice.

You still need calories mate - enough to prevent you feeling starving - and there are a lot more calories in fats and proteins by weight than there are in starchy carbs. The only thing our bodies have any trouble dealing with (in the main) are the carbs.

Let's think - eg chop, spuds and veg. Decent size chop, one or two bits (or whole if they're little) less than usual of spud, at least 2 different other veg.

Hi Jenny, funnily enough I did manage to pick out those bits, so at least I got that bit right 🙂

I totally get what you're saying on the carbs side of things with my menu. I thought that as long I didn't go over the recommended daily amount (somewhere between 260g and 300g) then I would be ok? I'm learning a lot on here, which is great and I thank you all.

So should I just be eating fruit for breakfast? Salads for lunch and meat and veg for tea? Chops and veg will be on the menu for tea tonight, but I was trying to avoid spuds due to their high carbs/sugar content. If I do have them, how many should I have ? Just one? On the veg side, I've seen that cabbage and broccoli are two of the best to have, but I'm guessing that most are OK.

Thanks,
David

 

[ColinUK]

Hi Jenny, funnily enough I did manage to pick out those bits, so at least I got that bit right 🙂

I totally get what you're saying on the carbs side of things with my menu. I thought that as long I didn't go over the recommended daily amount (somewhere between 260g and 300g) then I would be ok? I'm learning a lot on here, which is great and I thank you all.

So should I just be eating fruit for breakfast? Salads for lunch and meat and veg for tea? Chops and veg will be on the menu for tea tonight, but I was trying to avoid spuds due to their high carbs/sugar content. If I do have them, how many should I have ? Just one? On the veg side, I've seen that cabbage and broccoli are two of the best to have, but I'm guessing that most are OK.

Thanks,
David

Fruit is often not something we can tolerate well at all. Generally the juicier the fruit the worse the impact on BG can be.
Can’t remember if you’re getting a blood glucose monitor but using one will really help you identify those foods which really cause you to spike.

 

[Utters]

Fruit is often not something we can tolerate well at all. Generally the juicier the fruit the worse the impact on BG can be.
Can’t remember if you’re getting a blood glucose monitor but using one will really help you identify those foods which really cause you to spike.

I read that strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are ok though? Or does it depend on the person?

Yes, I've got a BG monitor on order.

 

[EllsBells]

Hi Martin, thanks for the welcome. Your old diet sounded very similar to the one I used to have.

I'm really struggling with portion sizes at the minute and feeling a little frustrated at not knowing how my body is reacting to what I'm putting in it. The GP measured my BG at 18 today and that's with me following a strict low carb, low sugar diet for the past week. I know that it won't come down overnight and I'll have to be patient.

Today I had porridge with semi skimmed milk, some raspberries and blueberries for breakfast (small portion). At lunch I had an advacado (1/2) and chicken sandwich and for tea tonight I've had a brown basmati rice, chicken and mushroom recipe off the diabetes website. I didn't finish all of that as I'm terrified of overdoing every. It's leaving me all very hungry.

Thanks,
David

It's very individual - some people are able to tolerate a good number of carbs, others may be under 60g a day and some are even lower. It will also vary as to which foods you're sensitive to. Once you're testing, you can experiment and find your tolerances.

 

[Utters]

I have a question, if we're able not able to reduce BG by diet and medication does that all point to type 1? Or can people with type 1 still reduce BG through diet?

 

[Utters]

It's very individual - some people are able to tolerate a good number of carbs, others may be under 60g a day and some are even lower. It will also vary as to which foods you're sensitive to. Once you're testing, you can experiment and find your tolerances.

Yes I guess so. It's just going to be a matter of trial and error. Thank you.

 

[EllsBells]

Yes I guess so. It's just going to be a matter of trial and error. Thank you.

Have fun - you'll find a few surprises!