Type 2 Hypers

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AlisonM

AlisonM

Much missed Moderator
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1.5 LADA
It occurs to me to wonder what, if anything, a non insulin dependant Type 2 like me can do to treat a hyper? Or do we just have to wait it out? How do you deal with it?
 
drink fluids and excercise if your not too high...and mainly try and suss out caused it xxx good luck xx (In my non medical opinion)
 
Ha perfect thread for me im suffering a fair few lately 1 about an hour ago actually, I drink loads of fluids look in my food diary suss out what caused it and then work from there.
 
Can you still get hypers post diagnosis/diet change? That's scary to think - I'm eating like a rabbit and could still have high blood glucose? I really wish my blood monitor would come.
 
Aren't they only available on prescription though?
 
Dunno about the exercise, i think you just have to drink lots (like everybody says) and hope it goes away. If it doesn't go away either talk to your doctor or NHS Direct.
 
I was never told to do anything but drink, drink ,drink
 
The way my original doctor explained it to me is that sulphonylureas trick your pancreas into producing more insulin, which only hastens the day when the poor thing packs up from exhaustion and we need insulin injections to replace the function it no longer performs. They can cause hypos and are self-defeating in the long run. It would be so good if there was a way to bring our blood sugar down quickly without the long term nasty side effects. Something we could take only when we're high.
 
AlisonM said:
The way my original doctor explained it to me is that sulphonylureas trick your pancreas into producing more insulin, which only hastens the day when the poor thing packs up from exhaustion and we need insulin injections to replace the function it no longer performs. They can cause hypos and are self-defeating in the long run. It would be so good if there was a way to bring our blood sugar down quickly without the long term nasty side effects. Something we could take only when we're high.
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What medication are you on ? You could keep your diet roughly the same and walk up through the quantity and quality of meds until you have control.
You could change your diet - halve the portion of carbs you had in a meal that sent you high the next time you have it. And try again. Your meter will dictate portion sizes of carbs.
Go out for a two mile walk if you are in the teens bgs. Bernstein suggests a two mile walk a day ( or equivalent) plus dumbells on alternate days is the minimum sort of exercise regime for a T2. He has little old lady patients in their seventies pumping dumbells.
You could also test for your peak/spike. After a good pre-meal number, have a sandwich with two slices of bread and test your bgs every 15 mins up to 2 hours ( first one 15 mins after starting eating). This Should tell you when you peak. ( Most T2s peak between 45 and 75 mins after eating. Once you know when your peak is, do your exercise at that point to blunt it.

The usual treatment algorhythm for T2 diabetes is ...
...D&E ( very few T2s can sucessfully control it with just this)
...D&E plus metformin
...D&e plus metformin plus a sulf e.g Gliclazide ( and don't listen to urban myths about them wearing out your pancreas)
...D&E plus metformin plus a sulf plus a TZD ( the sulf might be dropped)
...D&E plus metformin plus byetta
...D&E plus metformin plus an introductory insulin regime ( e.g. single dose of lantus at bedtime or a mix twice a day ( e.g Humalog Mix 25)
...D&E plus metformin plus a true physiological insulin regime ( basal/bolus)

Note metformin is a "wonder drug" that has great heart protection properties as well as helping with bgs.
In my view, having been at it for 17 years, most T2s in this country are several steps behind where they should be on that algorhythm. Many t2s are struggling not to go on insulin - which is a totally wrong-headed view, insulin ( when they are finally allowed to go on it ) makes T2 control straightforward.

But if you are hyper a lot of the time use your meter to regulate your carb portions, get a suitable exercise programme and get the medication regime working effectively for you.
 
It does seem funny to me that I was on metformin for PCOS in the past, but they wont prescribe it for my diabetes as they say I could hold it off with diet and exercise for years.

But then I'm just in a bad mood because if I was on metformin I might be able to get away with one of those biscuits that are screaming to me from the kitchen. :D

Diet and exercise sucks (but I'm sticking with it).
 
AlisonM said:
It occurs to me to wonder what, if anything, a non insulin dependant Type 2 like me can do to treat a hyper? Or do we just have to wait it out? How do you deal with it?
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Hi Alison,

Some good advice from Peter already.

I'm a non-insulin dependendent Type 2 myself . I was diagnosed over nine years ago and I'm on diet and metformin tablets - I do a little walking occasionally usually a couple of miles or so and very occasionally as far as three or four miles - but other than that I do very little exercise - I really should try to do a lot more.

I have normalised my blood glucose levels over the last sixteen months. I feel - and am doing - just fine! These days, I no longer go above about 7 but in any case, I never ever used to go above 11 so it depends what you mean by an hyper.

The main lesson that I had to learn was to eat much less starchy carbohydrate - i.e. cereals, bread, potatoes, pasta and rice etc. Doing that usually leads to a big improvement in blood glucose levels - and quickly too.

It took me eight years to come to learn that lesson after I arrived at these diabetes forums. I wish that I'd learnt the lesson earlier.

Quite amazingly, up to that point the healthcare professionals had all been telling to eat even more starchy carbohydrate. For the life of me, I can't understand why many of them do just that it's a crazy message that they give out.

Best wishes - John
 
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