# hi hubbie with type 2 and moody



## ianswife (Sep 24, 2009)

Hi 

I just found this site and hope to be able to find some helpful advice and support. My OH was diagnosed with type 2 at the start of this year and was put onto metformin. He lost 3 stone and was looking and feeling pretty good, but a couple of months ago he went back to the GP for a check again and was told that his blood sugars are continiung to rise and the metformin is not getting his levels under control ( he started with a fasting level of 9 and it was up to 13) the GP has put him onto another tablet, the name of which I forget, but its meant to bring these levels down but the side effect is weight gain! he has put on a stone in the last two months since starting this and is forever tired and moody I think he should go back to the GP because this seems to be making him worse and we do not know what effects its having on his blood sugar as we do not have a testing kit - I understand that they are no longer given out ( I had gestational diabeties 5 years ago and I had to test 2 hours after eating) I also think he is getting depressed with it, I have lost a lot of weight this year since we made changes together but he is now gaining weight. He doesn't seem to want to accept his condition and often chooses to snack on high sugar foods when he gets shaky. I am not sure if he should have these at all. He said the nurse said he would get the shakes more with these tablets as a side effect of his blood sugar coming down, as his body is so used to running at high sugar levels? I think maybe a banana would be better, but am I wrong should it be a sugary snack if he has the shakes? To be honest the GP he sees is useless and patrionising. i suppose I could book him to see a different doctor to talk about these problems. I am just thinking out loud really. Sorry  I am very tired and he went to bed 2 hours ago (9pm) which is just not right, and he was in a foul mood all evening. my step daughter said that mood swings go with diabeties which is what got me thinking and I found this site. so sorry to go on. Hope someone out there can offer a bit of advice. Thanks


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## Steff (Sep 24, 2009)

hi there ianswife and welcome to the site im so pleased you have found us , hopefully from now on being a member of this forum will help as it does so many others, the mood swings sure are a sign of diabetes our sugar levels are all over the shop uusually meaning so are our moods, even the men amongst us are moody lol , its good to hear he lost the 3 stone but im sorry to hear the metformin did not work for him, it is a total shock and very hard to adapt to but eventually it has to be fit into our everyday lives.

right the side of shakes etc etc im not to sure if thats hyper or hypo becasue i shake with a hyper and have never experieced a hypo so someone else will have to answer that for you .If you feel the doc is not helping or you feel she is the way you say it might be worth either looking elsewhere in your area or having a quiet word,the deniel and the unacceptance of his condition is very common in us all, why should i be diabetic? what did i do wrong ? etc etc , it is a fact we have to get used to it ignoring diabetes is just not an option , does he have a care team outside of GP?? does he have a DSN which is diebetes specialist nurse? im sure it must be so hard for you and your stepdaughter but anytime things are getting to you come on here if you can and we will be here for you xxxxx


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## AlisonM (Sep 24, 2009)

Good grief. I'm a newbie and my doctor handed me a testing kit immediately. I've also been warned that one of the side effects of Gliclazide could be weight gain, is that his other medication? A different doctor is a good idea and perhaps your man could also find a support group near you. Get him to join up here too, this is a great place for support.


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## am64 (Sep 24, 2009)

Hi iains wife
Good start you have found this forum now, it must be hard  for you aswell, this forum i am sure will help you both, but for tonight let him sleep and try and sleep yourself,  tomorrow get him to browse the forum and it will help... this time last week i spent 4 days in tears or sleeping, i couldnt even communicate with those i love, but it passes and there is support by ordinary diabetic diagonised people who are more than willing to offer support on this network 
XX


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## insulinaddict09 (Sep 25, 2009)

What are the symptoms of hypoglycemia?

Hypoglycemia causes symptoms such as

hunger
shakiness
nervousness
sweating
dizziness or light-headedness
sleepiness
confusion
difficulty speaking
anxiety
weakness
Hypoglycemia can also happen during sleep. Some signs of hypoglycemia during sleep include

crying out or having nightmares
finding pajamas or sheets damp from perspiration
feeling tired, irritable, or confused after waking up


What causes hypoglycemia in people with diabetes?

Diabetes Medications

Hypoglycemia can occur as a side effect of some diabetes medications, including insulin and oral diabetes medications?pills?that increase insulin production, such as

chlorpropamide (Diabinese)
glimepiride (Amaryl)
glipizide (Glucotrol, Glucotrol XL)
glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase, Micronase)
nateglinide (Starlix)
repaglinide (Prandin)
sitagliptin (Januvia)
tolazamide
tolbutamide
Certain combination pills can also cause hypoglycemia, including

glipizide + metformin (Metaglip)
glyburide + metformin (Glucovance)
pioglitazone + glimepiride (Duetact)
rosiglitazone + glimepiride (Avandaryl)
sitagliptin + metformin (Janumet)

Other types of diabetes pills, when taken alone, do not cause hypoglycemia. Examples of these medications are

acarbose (Precose)
metformin (Glucophage)
miglitol (Glyset)
pioglitazone (Actos)
rosiglitazone (Avandia)
However, taking these pills along with other diabetes medications?insulin, pills that increase insulin production, or both?increases the risk of hypoglycemia.

In addition, use of the following injectable medications can cause hypoglycemia:

Pramlintide (Symlin), which is used along with insulin
Exenatide (Byetta), which can cause hypoglycemia when used in combination with chlorpropamide, glimepiride, glipizide, glyburide, tolazamide, and tolbutamide



Prompt Treatment for Hypoglycemia

When people think their blood glucose is too low, they should check the blood glucose level of a blood sample using a meter. If the level is below 70 mg/dL, one of these quick-fix foods should be consumed right away to raise blood glucose:

3 or 4 glucose tablets
1 serving of glucose gel?the amount equal to 15 grams of carbohydrate
1/2 cup, or 4 ounces, of any fruit juice
1/2 cup, or 4 ounces, of a regular?not diet?soft drink
1 cup, or 8 ounces, of milk
5 or 6 pieces of hard candy
1 tablespoon of sugar or honey


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## Northerner (Sep 25, 2009)

Hi Ianswife, welcome to the forum It certainly sounds as though your husband's blood sugars may be contributing to his moods, and in those circumstances it makes it even harder to feel positive and motivated. But he must try and escape this vicious circle. I'm guessing that the metformin was not reducing his levels sufficiently, and this is why he was prescribed extra medication. What may now be happening is that his sugars are coming down to a more reasonable - but not dangerously low - level. His body will have come to regard high sugars as 'normal', and as they start to reduce it will take a little time to get used to the 'new normal', producing the symptoms of shakes and sweating, racing heart etc. If he then has a large amount of sugary food this will then most likely push him the other way, and his levels will climb too high. 

It is a balancing act. Once the lower levels are more normal for him, the symptoms will go and he won't feel the need to eat. Meanwhile, he should just eat a very small amount of a sugary snack - a couple of jelly babies maybe. This will alleviate the symptoms, but not push him too high.

I'd really advise that you get a meter, so that you can check when he feels off colour to see what his levels are. You may need to invest in the meter and a box of test strips first so that you can persuade your doctor that he wants to take an active role in monitoring his condition. Hopefully, he will also feel more 'in control' rather than subject to whatever diabetes decides to throw at him - at the moment he probably feels pretty powerless.

I hope this helps. Please do keep in touch with us and ask anything you are unsure of. If you can persuade him to join also, that would be great - many people have siad joining here is the best thing they have done for their diabetes!


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## HelenP (Sep 25, 2009)

Hi Ianswife, so sorry to hear that your husband (and you!!) are 'suffering' with teh diabetes.  Fraid I can't help you with any of the problems, I'm still learning all about this disease myself, but I just wanted to say that I noticed in my local branch of Lloyds Chemist yesterday that there was a BG meter for under ?8 - it was this one

http://www.lifescan.co.uk/OurProducts/Meter/OneTouchUltraEasy.aspx

They usually come with everything you need included, and I'm sure you could get subsequent strips and stuff on prescription.  It's bound to be helpful for your hubby to know what his BG levels are doing following various foods.

xx


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## ianswife (Sep 26, 2009)

Thank you all for your advice. I still have the meter I was given when I had diabties in pregnancy. So I will go to the pharmacy and buy some more testing strips. We have had a chat and he is going to make an appointment to see the Gp again as these new tablets are almost at the end of the course prescribed and not on repeat. He can then talk to the Dr about testing again and these mood swings. Its helpful to know he can eat a little sugary food when he does get these shakes and he did say that the nurse said he would react as you said northerner, as his body is so used to running at high levels. Feeling a bit more positive about it all, but will spend a bit more time looking on the main site for info and reading the boards on here. Thank you to everyone who took the time to answer a stranger!


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## Steff (Sep 26, 2009)

good morning ianswife im pleased you feel abit more positive now , you will find this place invaluble to you and browsing around will help you as things others have had problems with im sure you can relate to x


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## HelenP (Sep 26, 2009)

ianswife said:


> I will go to the pharmacy and buy some more testing strips.



Depending on the make of your meter, you could try looking on eBay for the strips, they'll be cheaper than buying from pharmacy.  That's if you can't get them on prescription, of course.

Hope he gets on okay at the Dr.'s

xx


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## am64 (Sep 26, 2009)

HelenP said:


> Depending on the make of your meter, you could try looking on eBay for the strips, they'll be cheaper than buying from pharmacy.  That's if you can't get them on prescription, of course.
> 
> Hope he gets on okay at the Dr.'s
> 
> xx



I realise now how lucky i am, I got given all my kit from the GP and have no problem getting strips whenevr i want on presciption , i couldnt beleive that after being diagnoised people are being left high and dry with no testing kit!
criminal


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## wallycorker (Sep 27, 2009)

Hi ianswife,

Medications alone will not sort out your husband's Type 2 condition for him. The best way to get his blood glucose levels under control is through diet. In particular, by cutting out the sugar but also by reducing the amount of starchy carbohydrate that he is eating - i.e. cereals, bread, potatoes, rice, pasta etc.

Best wishes - John


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