# New inmate on the block :~)



## The Ethical (Mar 3, 2010)

Hi all,

diagnosed type 2 December last year at the tender age of 53. I've just had my first 3 month assessment and I've managed to get my levels down to nominal!

The only downside is that something (medication, sweeteners or another unknown) is causing my IBS to flare up :~(

Anyway, it looks as if I'll be here for the duration and hopefully will make a few new friends along the way.


TE

p.s my main hobby is playing the guitar so I might bore you all with that occassionally.


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## rachelha (Mar 3, 2010)

Hi Ethical

well done on getting your levels down.  Sorry to hear your other problems are flaring up.  Ask as many questions as you want on hear.  

p.s. playing the guitar is not boring, looking forward to hearing about it.


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## Steff (Mar 3, 2010)

Hi there TE and welcome to the forum, good job on getting levels down to nominal , bore away i love playing the clarinet but no one knew till now lol.


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## rachelha (Mar 3, 2010)

Steff2010 said:


> Hi there TE and welcome to the forum, good job on getting levels down to nominal , bore away i love playing the clarinet but no one knew till now lol.



You are right Steff - I had no idea about your clarinet.  Maybe when I get a 'cello again we should start a virtual orchestra or something


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## Steff (Mar 3, 2010)

rachelha said:


> You are right Steff - I had no idea about your clarinet.  Maybe when I get a 'cello again we should start a virtual orchestra or something



Sounds good to me pmsl.


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## smile4loubie (Mar 3, 2010)

Im in for the virtual orchestra not sure what I can play - triangle perhaps lol.

Welcome TE =) Hope you enjoy this place as much as I do =)


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## sofaraway (Mar 3, 2010)

Welcome to the forum. Wondering if you are on metformin, thats seems to cause gastric problems in quite a few people so might be the culprit.



rachelha said:


> You are right Steff - I had no idea about your clarinet.  Maybe when I get a 'cello again we should start a virtual orchestra or something



Lol! I think we've done that before, Steff can you remember? Or maybe it wasn't here and I'm getting muddled


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## Steff (Mar 3, 2010)

sofaraway said:


> Welcome to the forum. Wondering if you are on metformin, thats seems to cause gastric problems in quite a few people so might be the culprit.
> 
> 
> 
> Lol! I think we've done that before, Steff can you remember? Or maybe it wasn't here and I'm getting muddled



Done what nikki? started a virtual band?


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## The Ethical (Mar 3, 2010)

sofaraway said:


> Welcome to the forum. Wondering if you are on metformin, thats seems to cause gastric problems in quite a few people so might be the culprit.


I am indeed on Metformin. I've just switched to Glucophage which is a slow release 750mg twice a day form. I'm hoping that things will improve over the next week or two.

Thanks to all for the welcome and it looks as if a virtual band/ensemble might be a possibility :~)


TE


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## falcon123 (Mar 3, 2010)

Hi and welcome! Afraid I cannot help you with the IBS but a know there are a few suffers in the forum. I used to be a dab hand on the "air guitar" until I sold it on e-Bay!


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## Tezzz (Mar 3, 2010)

The Ethical said:


> I am indeed on Metformin. I've just switched to Glucophage which is a slow release 750mg twice a day form. I'm hoping that things will improve over the next week or two.
> 
> Thanks to all for the welcome and it looks as if a virtual band/ensemble might be a possibility :~)
> 
> ...



I found it helps for me to take Metformin with food. I found taking my dose with the main meal of the day reduces the side effects. You could see what your doctor thinks about it.

You might also want to consider backing off fatty foods and high starch carbs for a bit to see what is upsetting the Metformin. Slowly reintroduce them to see what triggers the reaction and you will know what to avoid.

Hope that helps.


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## sofaraway (Mar 3, 2010)

Steff2010 said:


> Done what nikki? started a virtual band?



Yeah got it, was part of this thread http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=1965&highlight=talent


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## Steff (Mar 3, 2010)

sofaraway said:


> Yeah got it, was part of this thread http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=1965&highlight=talent



Ahh well done nikki im with you now


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## The Ethical (Mar 3, 2010)

brightontez said:


> I found it helps for me to take Metformin with food. I found taking my dose with the main meal of the day reduces the side effects. You could see what your doctor thinks about it.


My GP suggested taking mine with breakfast and evening meal so I've been following that advice. 



brightontez said:


> You might also want to consider backing off fatty foods and high starch carbs for a bit to see what is upsetting the Metformin. Slowly reintroduce them to see what triggers the reaction and you will know what to avoid.
> 
> Hope that helps.


Luckily I'm not a fatty food person but I have increased my carbohydrate intake since being diagnosed. I'll try your plan of cutting out and re-introducing. Thanks for the advice.


TE


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## PhilT (Mar 4, 2010)

Hi Ethical, welcome to the forum. 

I suffer from colitis but strangley Metformin has never caused me problems although it is well known for upsetting your stomach. Hope your IBS settles down.

Just a thought the sweetners you take could be what is causing your IBS to flare up, Sorbitol which is in a lot of 'sugar free' products and sweetners is known to aggravate IBS.


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## nickie (Mar 4, 2010)

Hi Ethical and welcome

I had a couple of bad weeks when first started taking metformin but now seems to have settled down, must be one of the lucky ones!
My daughter has been learning to play the guitar for just over a year now so  i could be coming to you with all her questions because i dont have a clue!


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## vince13 (Mar 4, 2010)

Hi TE, I'm a similar age to you and have had IBS for about 12 years.  It flared up badly (you know what I mean !) when I started taking the ordinary Metformin on diabetes diagnosis some 18 months ago but the slow release version has made a great difference and it's all calmed down again now.

Good luck with your own progress - you seem to have done very well so far.

The virtual band is something I will just have to sit and listen to I'm afraid as I have no talent at all in that direction although I love music.


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## Peter C (Mar 4, 2010)

The Ethical said:


> My GP suggested taking mine with breakfast and evening meal so I've been following that advice.
> 
> 
> Luckily I'm not a fatty food person but I have increased my carbohydrate intake since being diagnosed.



Ouch ! Better read Maggie Davey's Open Letter to newly Dxed T2s in our LINKs section.


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## The Ethical (Mar 4, 2010)

PhilT said:


> Hi Ethical, welcome to the forum.
> 
> I suffer from colitis but strangley Metformin has never caused me problems although it is well known for upsetting your stomach. Hope your IBS settles down.
> 
> Just a thought the sweetners you take could be what is causing your IBS to flare up, Sorbitol which is in a lot of 'sugar free' products and sweetners is known to aggravate IBS.


It's difficult to be sure what's causing the problem or if it's just a coincidental bad patch :~(

I'm aware of problems with Sorbitol and Aspartame but nowadays that accounts for the majority of the artificial sweetener market so I 'm hoping that this problem will be short-lived and I can get on with my life without any further hoops to jump through ;~(


TE


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## The Ethical (Mar 4, 2010)

vince13 said:


> Hi TE, I'm a similar age to you and have had IBS for about 12 years.  It flared up badly (you know what I mean !) when I started taking the ordinary Metformin on diabetes diagnosis some 18 months ago but the slow release version has made a great difference and it's all calmed down again now.


Thanks Vince that gives me hope for the future. 

I've suffered with IBS for over 25 years now with things gradually worsening with the years but I've really had a sharp increase in both severity and length off attacks since being diagnosed.



vince13 said:


> Good luck with your own progress - you seem to have done very well so far.
> 
> The virtual band is something I will just have to sit and listen to I'm afraid as I have no talent at all in that direction although I love music.


The Diabetes seems like a walk in the park compared to the IBS at the moment but I guess I'm used to watching my diet and exercise - although exercise is problematic just now :~) 

As for musical talent... sometimes love is enough.


TE


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## The Ethical (Mar 4, 2010)

nickie said:


> Hi Ethical and welcome
> 
> I had a couple of bad weeks when first started taking metformin but now seems to have settled down, must be one of the lucky ones!


It does seem a common problem but I'm hoping to put it behind me (sic) soon.




nickie said:


> My daughter has been learning to play the guitar for just over a year now so  i could be coming to you with all her questions because i dont have a clue!



Ah, the dangerous age. I've been learning for forty years, on and off, and have reached the point where I realise that I know nothing :~)

Questions aren't a problem and I never tire of talking about music and guitars (just ask my wife) :~)


TE


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## The Ethical (Mar 4, 2010)

Peter C said:


> Ouch ! Better read Maggie Davey's Open Letter to newly Dxed T2s in our LINKs section.



Thanks for the heads up. 

This seems to be in direct contradiction to the advice given by my GP and DSN. I guess I'll have to investigate further.


TE


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## Peter C (Mar 4, 2010)

The Ethical said:


> Thanks for the heads up.
> 
> This seems to be in direct contradiction to the advice given by my GP and DSN. I guess I'll have to investigate further.
> 
> ...



Hello again,
Hi there,
So its back to basics then.
the foods you are in a titanic struggle with are starchy carbohydrates ( potatoes, cereal, flour, bread, rice, pasta - and probably fruit ). A Fact of Life they might not have made clear to you .

read these three links below ... and read them again...
 Jennifer's Smart Advice ( thought by some to be the best advice a T2 is ever going to get )
http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/new.php

An Australian T2 Guru points the way ...
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/20...ew-adjust.html

Wallycorker's thread about his petition, he is petitioning 10 Downing Street to think about changing the advice you have been given ,....
http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=1622


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## vince13 (Mar 4, 2010)

The Ethical said:


> Thanks Vince that gives me hope for the future.
> 
> I've suffered with IBS for over 25 years now with things gradually worsening with the years but I've really had a sharp increase in both severity and length off attacks since being diagnosed.
> 
> ...




Hi again Ethical,  I've been on codeine phosphate for the IBS and it certainly works for me.  Have you tried this ?  I know they don't like putting you on it as it can lead to being "addicted" to it - OK, so I am, but it stops the runs for me.  If I leave off one dose, the next day I'm rolling in pain and running to the loo and that was before the dreaded Diabetes came along so I can't blame the Metformin for that (TMI, sorry !).  They did all the uncomfortable/undignified tests for anything else causing it and they all came back negative - thank goodness.

As for love sometimes being enough - I agree !  but I'll still happily be in the virtual band audience.

Best wishes,


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## The Ethical (Mar 4, 2010)

Thanks for the links Peter I'll go through them tonight.

Vince, I use Codeine Phosphate as my last resort. I've probably had more over the last 3 months than in the previous 9 :~)


TE


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