Type 2 Newbie, Patsy Ann

Status
Not open for further replies.
P

Patsy Ann

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Pronouns
She/Her
At last I am about to visit an actual diabetic nurse in our GP group of practices. Due to other health issues I take medication one of which is a biologic to keep psoriasis at bay. I really do not wish to take any more medication and would prefer to reverse the type 2 diabetes by diet and exercise.

My questions are;
a) is it possible
b) is there any support or trials that I can join.

Many thanks,

Patsy Ann
 
Welcome to the forum
How far a person can reduce their HbA1c score will depend on both how high their score is and their specific medical situation. A HbA1c of 42-47 is prediabetic, 48 or over is diabetic.
If a person is overweight they are more likely to be insulin resistant, particularly if weight is carried around the tummy

I would say the best advice is available right here on this forum
People can give more suitable advice if they know a little more of your situation. If you could share details of your HbA1c and any meds you may have been given that would be helpful.
 
Last edited:
Patsy Ann said:
At last I am about to visit an actual diabetic nurse in our GP group of practices. Due to other health issues I take medication one of which is a biologic to keep psoriasis at bay. I really do not wish to take any more medication and would prefer to reverse the type 2 diabetes by diet and exercise.

My questions are;
a) is it possible
b) is there any support or trials that I can join.

Many thanks,

Patsy Ann
Click to expand...
Hi, and welcome to the forum.

a) yes, some of us have done so but not everyone who tries is successful
b) The NHS has a Pathway to Remission Programme:-

NHS England » NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme

The NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme is a joint initiative between NHS England and Diabetes UK available to eligible people in England. This programme provides a low calorie, total diet replacement treatment for people who are living with type 2 diabetes and obesity or overweight...
www.england.nhs.uk www.england.nhs.uk

Whether you're given the option of diet & exercise, or are prescribed medication, will depend on how high your HbA1c is.
 
Patsy Ann said:
At last I am about to visit an actual diabetic nurse in our GP group of practices. Due to other health issues I take medication one of which is a biologic to keep psoriasis at bay. I really do not wish to take any more medication and would prefer to reverse the type 2 diabetes by diet and exercise.

My questions are;
a) is it possible
b) is there any support or trials that I can join.

Many thanks,

Patsy Ann
Click to expand...
Are you sure you are seeing an 'actual diabetic nurse'? Most T2s are fobbed off with the Practice Nurse. The actual DSNs( Diabetic Specialist Nurses) are reserved for Diabetes Centres and Type 1s. Most surgeries couldn't afford to employ a DSN.

Secondly it is not possible to 'reverse' Type 2 Diabetes. Once securely diagnosed you've got it for life in the present sate of knowledge. All the techniques for managing T2 are of the 'grin and bear it ' variety. Having said that, you can gain and maintain Good Control through the traditional mantra of moderating carbohydrates, lose weight and increase exercise. You have to establish a new way of life and diet that's maintainable in the long term for you.
 
Patsy Ann said:
At last I am about to visit an actual diabetic nurse in our GP group of practices. Due to other health issues I take medication one of which is a biologic to keep psoriasis at bay. I really do not wish to take any more medication and would prefer to reverse the type 2 diabetes by diet and exercise.

My questions are;
a) is it possible
b) is there any support or trials that I can join.

Many thanks,

Patsy Ann
Click to expand...
I found it really very easy.
I can only liken it to having a blocked sink in danger of overflowing - so turn off the taps. It doesn't matter if the blockage is still there, it can be worked on without drama.
The concept of eating a low carb diet is well documented, just not acknowledged and it can be ridiculed by some who ought to know better.
I found Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution useful, though it is inaccurate in places but that doesn't really matter.
I eat under 40gm of carbs a day, and just two meals, as I am not that hungry. I have to be careful about wasting food, so am glad to have a large freezer. I have eaten a lot of salad soup with mysterious meat though....
 
Patsy Ann said:
My questions are;
a) is it possible
b) is there any support or trials that I can join.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum @Patsy Ann

In T2 diabetes, the more accurate language that is used outside of newspapers and the media is generally thought to be ‘remission’ rather than ‘reverse’ or ‘cure’.

For a long time T2 was thought to be inevitably progressive, but more recent research has shown that it is possible to hold it steady, without the need for medication, in a number of ways.

Primarily these are weight loss - especially in the abdomen, to clear visceral fat,

and/or

Reducing carbohydrates in the menu, so that the metabolism can process them without raising blood glucose levels too high.

The NHS has rolled out the Path to Remission and Soup and Shake approaches which you may find helpful?
 
Burylancs said:
Secondly it is not possible to 'reverse' Type 2 Diabetes. Once securely diagnosed you've got it for life in the present sate of knowledge. All the techniques for managing T2 are of the 'grin and bear it ' variety. Having said that, you can gain and maintain Good Control through the traditional mantra of moderating carbohydrates, lose weight and increase exercise. You have to establish a new way of life and diet that's maintainable in the long term for you.
Click to expand...
It certainly is possible in many cases to reverse a fatty liver which is part and parcel of over 90% T2D prediabetic diagnosed today. Treatment is by diet, not medication.
 
JITR said:
It certainly is possible in many cases to reverse a fatty liver which is part and parcel of over 90% T2D prediabetic diagnosed today. Treatment is by diet, not medication.
Click to expand...
NHS on fatty liver disease ...

'If detected and managed at an early stage, it's possible to stop NAFLD getting worse and reduce the amount of fat in your liver.'

No mention of 'reversing' it.
 
The liver is the one organ most likely to repair, and depending on the severity, fatty liver can be reversed.

"There are several stages of NAFLD. Having one stage does not mean you will definitely develop the next one. Treating NAFLD with a healthy diet, physical activity and weight loss can slow or even reverse your NAFLD especially if it is at an earlier stage.
The amount of scarring (fibrosis) in your liver is the main sign of how advanced your NAFLD is. Go to the section about fibrosis tests and scores.
  • Fatty liver (fibrosis stage 0): There is a build-up of fat in your liver but it has not been damaged and there is no scarring. At this point, NAFLD can be fully reversed.
  • NASH with mild fibrosis (Non-alcohol related steatohepatitis) (fibrosis stage 0 or 1): Fat (steato means related to fat) is causing inflammation and damage in your liver (hepatitis). There is no or very little scarring. Healthy living can undo the damage and reverse your NAFLD.
  • NASH with moderate fibrosis (fibrosis stage 2): Inflammation and damage have caused some scarring. Your liver is probably still working well and the damage can mostly be repaired.
  • NASH with advanced fibrosis (fibrosis stage 3): There is a lot of scarring. At this stage it is very important to stop further damage and scarring so your NAFLD doesn’t get worse. And it is still possible to repair some damage.
  • Cirrhosis (fibrosis stage 4): There is so much scarring it changes the shape of your liver. Your liver can keep working and even repair some damage at this point. But if too much of it becomes scarred, your liver may not be able to carry out its job properly."
 
Also see this from 2021

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A patient guideline - PMC

This patient guideline is intended for all patients at risk of or living with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD is the most frequent chronic liver disease worldwide and comes with a high disease burden. Yet, there is a lot of ...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

"When your liver is damaged, it tries to repair itself by creating new, healthy tissue. If the damaging process continues, the liver’s ability to create enough healthy tissue and clean-up the damage may be exhausted. As a consequence, scar tissue will develop and can accumulate. This scarring is called fibrosis. Some (but not all) patients with NASH will develop fibrosis over time called progressive fibrosis."

"The terminology might appear confusing because of the different abbreviations used. To summarise, NAFLD is the overarching term, incorporating both NAFL and NASH, with a risk of increasing fibrosis and ultimately cirrhosis. You can have NAFL at one time, then develop NASH but later go back to NAFL, depending on how the disease evolves and how well the risk factors are managed. Thus, NAFLD is dynamic and its activity (i.e. the extent of damage to liver cells and inflammation) can fluctuate over time ".
NAFLD weight.png
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top