Wild ride, not sure where to go from here.

[BigWelsh]

Hi Everyone! I was recently told im T2. My Doctors apparently knew for around a year but only told me a couple of months ago.
I was put on Metformin and Jardiance (not together but separately) Was taken off Metformin as it caused bad issues with my non ulcerative colitis and was moved over to Jardiance but was taken off that due to it causing severe balanitis.
My diabetic nurse decided to give up on medication (as the last 2 caused me issues) and refer me to a specialist which I am now having to wait for an appointment, but a trip to out of hours doctors for a different reason ended up with me being prescribed Edicil MR (gliclazide), these I believe are slow release to reduce the side effects. But, of course, im having pretty bad stomach issues due to underlying issues already with my stomach.

Medication for me, seems to be a hit and miss thing with any that I take, and well, with T2 medication they have all been a "miss".

I'm also stuck on foods I can eat because my diabetic nurse wont see me until I have seen a specialist which im waiting for.
I know the "go to thing" is usually vegetables but well, I cant eat them. Not for lack of want, but high in fibre food mess pretty bad with my non ulcerative colitis and other veg that I "can" eat, I dont like the taste of, sure I could force myself, but ill end up being nauseated.

The foods I can eat are things like red meat, white meat, white rice, pasta, potatoes, eggs, cheese etc.. some of which are ok for my T2 but mostly not due to high fat content or high starch content. (cant eat whole grain rice or pasta as they are high in fibre)

So I feel like im in a catch 22 situation... I either eat and make my non ulcerative colitis feel better, which in turn makes things worse for my diabetes or I eat to make my diabetes better / manageable and suffer with my non ulcerative colitis.


I just don't know where to turn to get some advice and was suggested this forum by a friend.

 

[snowball12]

Hi, I am in a similar situation. I have IBS ( D ) and can't eat veg, most fruits or anything high fibre. I can however tolerate Metformin Prolonged release. So I am lucky in that way. Our diets are very similar. I need to lose a stone in weight but it's not happening. My GP likes remission numbers. Not going to happen I'm afraid. I worry about it a lot. Can you eat porridge, oatcakes etc? I discovered I can eat gluten free versions of these. Not much help I know but wanted you too know you are not alone. Perhaps you can be referred to a Dietician?

 

[PerSpinasAdAstra]

Hi @BigWelsh

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis and unfortunate mix of circumstances. It does sound like you're between a rock and a hard place in some ways, as non-starchy vegetables are indeed the 'go to thing' as you put it, usually.

Were you told your HbA1c results, and if so do you mind sharing? That may give people an idea of what might possibly be achievable.

In the short term there's nothing at all wrong with eating meat, eggs and cheese as it relates to diabetes. The issue with such foods, principally red meat and dairy, is saturated fat (and cholesterol). They won't do your diabetes any harm.

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi Everyone! I was recently told im T2. My Doctors apparently knew for around a year but only told me a couple of months ago.
I was put on Metformin and Jardiance (not together but separately) Was taken off Metformin as it caused bad issues with my non ulcerative colitis and was moved over to Jardiance but was taken off that due to it causing severe balanitis.
My diabetic nurse decided to give up on medication (as the last 2 caused me issues) and refer me to a specialist which I am now having to wait for an appointment, but a trip to out of hours doctors for a different reason ended up with me being prescribed Edicil MR (gliclazide), these I believe are slow release to reduce the side effects. But, of course, im having pretty bad stomach issues due to underlying issues already with my stomach.

Medication for me, seems to be a hit and miss thing with any that I take, and well, with T2 medication they have all been a "miss".

I'm also stuck on foods I can eat because my diabetic nurse wont see me until I have seen a specialist which im waiting for.
I know the "go to thing" is usually vegetables but well, I cant eat them. Not for lack of want, but high in fibre food mess pretty bad with my non ulcerative colitis and other veg that I "can" eat, I dont like the taste of, sure I could force myself, but ill end up being nauseated.

The foods I can eat are things like red meat, white meat, white rice, pasta, potatoes, eggs, cheese etc.. some of which are ok for my T2 but mostly not due to high fat content or high starch content. (cant eat whole grain rice or pasta as they are high in fibre)

So I feel like im in a catch 22 situation... I either eat and make my non ulcerative colitis feel better, which in turn makes things worse for my diabetes or I eat to make my diabetes better / manageable and suffer with my non ulcerative colitis.


I just don't know where to turn to get some advice and was suggested this forum by a friend.

My Other half was told he had to have a low fibre/residue diet when he had a Crohn's flare up and there was quite a variation depending on where you looked as to what constituted low fibre.
Veg should be well cooked, so things like carrot, broccoli and cauliflower no stalk, butternut squash, courgette were deemed fine.
How do you cope with soups as many veg can be made into soups which are low carb.
Yoghurt, sugarfree jelly with cream.
meat, fish, eggs, cheese are all ok as low carb.
The charity Guts.UK website has some good food information.

 

[Dragonheart]

The foods I can eat are things like red meat, white meat, white rice, pasta, potatoes, eggs, cheese etc.. some of which are ok for my T2 but mostly not due to high fat content or high starch content. (cant eat whole grain rice or pasta as they are high in fibre)

I don’t have your other considerations but many type 2 eat low carb food, which doesn’t have to be high fibre. So from your list I’d eat the meats eggs and cheese. Are there any other non starchy veg you can tolerate eg green ones and cabbage, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, peppers ? Salad? What about nuts & seeds etc? Fish? Things like avocado and berries?

If you are eating naturally occurring fats such as in meat and dairy those and the proteins replace the carbs (that raise your glucose) and keep you full. Eventually low carb becomes keto and animal based keto becomes carnivore - if you choose to. All of which are used to manage type 2 successfully by various people. So you have choices.

I know the world has been obsessed with low fat everything but most people eating low carb find their cholesterol and weight improves rather than deteriorates. (The carbs are doing cardi vascular damage far more than the fats are). More and more medical authorities are recognising the benefits of full fat dairy now too.

This organisation here supports low carb as does the nhs (it prescribes a low carb program in some areas) and the American diabetes organisation. Many drs are fully on board with lower carb eating (which means more good fats and proteins). The freshwell app is by uk nhs drs and Dr David Unwin is a nhs GP leading the way internationally.

 

[BigWelsh]

Can you eat porridge, oatcakes etc? I discovered I can eat gluten free versions of these. Not much help I know but wanted you too know you are not alone. Perhaps you can be referred to a Dietician?

I can eat oatcakes and porridge to an extent, not on a continuous basis though as it upsets my stomach

Were you told your HbA1c results, and if so do you mind sharing? That may give people an idea of what might possibly be achievable.

Honestly I'm not sure.. I've only seen my diabetic nurse 3 times and the only time she mentioned anything numeric wise to my bloods kinda confused me and she didnt really explain it all to well, all she really said was "oh your type 2 diabetic and your bloods are really high at 81". I have no idea what this means. I do a finger prick machine test and the results vary from 9 - 21 depending on what I eat and when I do them.

How do you cope with soups as many veg can be made into soups which are low carb.
Yoghurt, sugarfree jelly with cream.

Some soups im ok with, like tomato soup and minestrone, but veg im really not good with, I can tolerate garden peas but thats about it

Are there any other non starchy veg you can tolerate eg green ones and cabbage, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, peppers ? Salad? What about nuts & seeds etc? Fish? Things like avocado and berries?

Honestly, not a lot. I can eat mushrooms, onions, (sometimes tomatoes), berries. Fish im ok with. Stuff like nuts, peppers, seeds, cabbage etc really mess with my stomach.


I've had issues in the past with a lot of medication, apparently im one of those "unlucky people" that suffers most side effects with meds. So my main worry is that ill have to find a way to manage this through diet, which as you can see, is quite... well, awkward.

 

[Dragonheart]

I can eat oatcakes and porridge to an extent, not on a continuous basis though as it upsets my stomach

Oats and porridge are likely to raise glucose a lot. Check on your meter. Test before them and 2 hrs later. If the rise is more than 2mmol (what a non diabetic plus a bit of leeway would see) it means you aren’t coping with them well. Have less or avoid them as needed.

Honestly I'm not sure.. I've only seen my diabetic nurse 3 times and the only time she mentioned anything numeric wise to my bloods kinda confused me and she didnt really explain it all to well, all she really said was "oh your type 2 diabetic and your bloods are really high at 81". I have no idea what this means. I do a finger prick machine test and the results vary from 9 - 21 depending on what I eat and when I do them.

The 81 would be your hba1c. It reflects the overall levels your red blood cells have been exposed to over the last 12 weeks or so. A healthy person would probably be in the 30’s. At 42 you are called prediabetic. At 48 you are diagnosed diabetic. This test is usually done by a blood draw and analysed at a lab. Your nurse should be setting goals for what you should aim for. As we age or if we have other conditions sometimes that goal is eased. Otherwise aiming for as close as normal as we can is usually the idea.

The 9-21 on your machine is blood glucose. It shows what your glucose (sugar) levels are right at that moment. Ideally we want to be under 6 before eating and under 8 two hrs later as goals. As we age drs can be more generous in goals. It also depends on what medications for diabetes we take if those are a little higher to avoid hypos. The gliclizide can cause hypos if you take an amount that is based on eating a lot of carbs and then you for whatever reason don’t eat them. You should have been told about hypos when it was prescribed and told what to do to spot them and deal with them. If you regularly want to eat fewer carbs then the dose will need adjusting downwards to avoid this

Some soups im ok with, like tomato soup and minestrone, but veg im really not good with, I can tolerate garden peas but thats about it



Honestly, not a lot. I can eat mushrooms, onions, (sometimes tomatoes), berries. Fish im ok with. Stuff like nuts, peppers, seeds, cabbage etc really mess with my stomach.


I've had issues in the past with a lot of medication, apparently im one of those "unlucky people" that suffers most side effects with meds. So my main worry is that ill have to find a way to manage this through diet, which as you can see, is quite... well, awkward.

I sympathise, it sounds difficult. In your shoes I’d focus on the meats, fish, dairy, eggs and any non starchy veg I could cope with. A bit of creativity and willingness to try things that might look odd without the carbs can take you a long way.

 

[grovesy]

You might just have to adjust your potion to a size that suits you.

 

[Dragonheart]

So are you saying that if you can't eat non starchy veg and salad you can't control your Diabetes??? I personally getting pretty despondent. I will have to stop coming on this site. I am not expecting remission just control.

No I’m not saying that. And I’m really not sure why you think I was. I was listing as many of the things you can or are willing to eat that won’t raise glucose levels to base your choices around.

I’m saying reducing the carbs you eat is the best way to control your T2 for most of us whilst minimising progression and ever increasing medication. That may mean no increases in medication and staying in a holding pattern or it may mean less or no medication and normal blood glucose levels or anywhere in between. If you don’t want or can’t eat certain things then don’t. You could even look into the carnivore diet which involves neither veg nor salad but is a pretty drastic choice not too many would make even if it suits them well medically

Remission is just the very good end of the spectrum of control. It is not a cure as we have to maintain whatever control we use in order to keep it.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I've had issues in the past with a lot of medication, apparently im one of those "unlucky people" that suffers most side effects with meds. So my main worry is that ill have to find a way to manage this through diet, which as you can see, is quite... well, awkward.

Sorry to hear you are having such a difficult time balancing the tricky requirements of your non-ulcerative colitis and BG-friendly foods. So many of the go-to suggestions seem to be a trigger for your digestive upset

For potato-replacement how do you get on with things like swede or celeriac? Some members find a 50:50 mix is a helpful way to reduce the carb ‘hit’ of regular spuds while their tastes adjust.

Did you say how you get on with cauliflower? That’s pretty low-fibre, and light in taste - members here use it grated and barely steamed as an acceptable rice substitute (it’s only really there to carry the flavour of the sauce, after all!). It also does well mashed with butter and cream cheese for extra flavour.

Good luck with your ongoing attempts to find a medication that works for you. There are lots of classes and types available. I wonder if perhaps insulin might help you, if it’s harder to use some of the more usual carb-lowering tricks because of your colitis?

 

[Sarahp]

In a very similar position with multiple gut conditions meaning eating low carb is very difficult for me plus I can’t eat meat or fish or cheese so really struggle to feel full for any length of time.
Have you seen a dietitian yet? I am slowly working on a fibre introduction plan that mine gave me and am slowly loosing weight again now and have new blood tests booked in for next month to see if there’s any improvement.

 

[JITR]

@BigWelsh Reading thro' the above, why not write down a list of what you can eat (with max portions where appropriate) and take it from there? May help dietitians too. They may find a list of the no-nos useful too.