# Help please...



## sheila (May 26, 2009)

Hi All 
Help what am i doing wrong!!
My sugar levels are between 12.4 - 16.4 first thing in the morning and before breakfast.
If like today I do a test ater lunch it is up in the 20, ( I had a quick lunch of Cooked Toms on wholemeal bread) slice of melon. then an aspirin in water.
Bedtime reading can be 20.6 - 16.4.
I try to eat all the right foods, am on metformim gligazide and rosiglitazone,
I am due to start on Insulin next week, so I suppose it is a bit late.
I just wish I knew why my readings are so high, I am on the go all day, usually try to take the dog out once a day for a walk but must admit to not having done so for the last few days. 
Feeling a bit lightheaded now, I dont know what having a hypo is like as do not think I have had one but then maybe I have and not relaised it !
confused !!!!!
Sheila


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## Northerner (May 26, 2009)

Hi Sheila, I don't know the ins and outs, but I think the fact that you are due to go on insulin explains a lot. It sounds as though your body is not producing enough insulin for the pills to help things along sufficiently. The body (liver) gives out glucose into the bloodstream, known as a 'basal' level - it does this no matter what you are eating. If there is not enough insulin in your system, or it is not being used efficiently enough, your numbers will be higher, even though you are eating doing all the right things.

Try not to worry, once you are on insulin things should improve.


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## Admin (May 26, 2009)

_Hi Sheila - I have given this post a thread of its own so you will get more response._

If you start with high blood sugars in the am - it is hard to get them down during the day - especially without insulin - you will find that moving onto insulin will help tremendously.
The only thing that will help at the mo, without medication will be temporarily reducing your carb intake.
Believe it or not tomatoes can have a big effect on bs levels in some people - and melon is a nightmare! It has an awful amount of sugar in it - despite the fact we all think it is full of water!

Also for me personally exercising with high blood sugar levels makes them go higher - anything above 7.5 and I end up in the teens - this is the same for many people on insulin (_though not all I know - everyone is different!_).

Try drinking lots of water - it can help flush out the sugars in your blood.


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## sofaraway (May 26, 2009)

I'm not hugely knowlegable about pregnancy in diabetes but I believe that with time insulin needs increase so I expect that you are unable to meet your insulin needs now and thats is why your blood sugars are so high. I think the sooner you are on insulin the better those numbers are too high.

If you feel unwell and light headed then you should test your blood sugars if it is low then you can treat it


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## Hazel (May 26, 2009)

Hello Sheila, like you I am T2

Toward the end of last year my readings were mid 20s - I felt awful

Mid February I was put onto insulin and only 2 x slow release Metformin.

readings are now down to between 4 and 7

as others have said you will begin to feel to so much better on insulin

if I can help - drop me a PM

good luck

Hazel


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## C*5_Dodger (May 26, 2009)

sheila said:


> Hi All
> Help what am i doing wrong!!
> My sugar levels are between 12.4 - 16.4 first thing in the morning and before breakfast.
> If like today I do a test ater lunch it is up in the 20, ( I had a quick lunch of Cooked Toms on wholemeal bread) slice of melon. then an aspirin in water.
> ...


Dear Shiela,

I stated in a previous post that you may like to try a low cabohydrate approach before going on insulin - did you see it? Here's a link to the page its on. If you do try it you may have to cut your medications (not the Metformin).

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=2039&page=2

Regards   Dodger


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## Vanessa (May 27, 2009)

Sheila, please bear in mind that you may be doing "nothing wrong" and that, as Northerner says, your body may no longer be producing enough insulin even with the drugs to cope with your needs.  Hazel's post shows how well she has responded to insulin although, no doubt, it took a period of adjustment to cope with the change

Fascinated by Admin's comment re watermelon and out of personal interest as I'm trying to manage my carb intake to around 130-140g per day, I had a look at what you had for lunch and assumed standard portion sizes as in my "Calorie, carb, fat bible 2008)

1 slice wholemeal toast (30g) - 10.5g carbs
Tinned tomatoes (100g) - 3.0g carbs
1 portion watermelon (250g) - 17.5g carbs

At lunchtime for me 31g carbs would usually give a rise of 3.0-3.5 mmol/l at the 2 hour post meal mark haviing taken metformin 500g and gliclazide 80mg with my meal.  At breakfast, my body seems to be more insulin resistant and the same amount of carbs would leave me with a rise of about 4.5mmol/l at the 2 hour mark unless I do some exercise about an hour after I've eaten.  Off now to do precisely that - if only Rosemary Conley could hear how often I say "Let's not" to the phrase "Let's do that again ..... "


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## Caroline (May 27, 2009)

What tablets are you on? I am on metformin and gliclizide. On the advice of the DSN I changed my routine withthe tablets and that helped bring the numbers down in the morning.

If you are going onto insulin that is a whole new ball game, and all those already on insulin are better placed to help.


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## runner (May 27, 2009)

Hi,

you're not doing anything wrong, although you might be able to adjust carbs, as some of he others have said.  The insulin should help sort it, but may take a little while to get the level right for you - what insulin system are you going on - the basal/bolus (long acting and fast-acting with meals)?

From what sofaraway says, it seems you're pregnant?  Don't know how this affects your diabetes, but it might affect what exercise you can do!

What you describe was exactly my situation before I went on to insulin, since when things are a lot better and more under my control - good luck!


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## miker147258 (May 27, 2009)

wow shelia,

you must be feeling awful, lets hope you will feel better when you change over to insulin injections, did my readings last night 10.8 then later on 10.9 and this mornig it was 12.4 ( am).  I think my body likes the high levels , its hard to judge at times what is right.  but I was shocked at your post 20.6 my god .

take care 

Miker


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## sofaraway (May 27, 2009)

runner said:


> Hi,
> 
> 
> 
> From what sofaraway says, it seems you're pregnant?  Don't know how this affects your diabetes, but it might affect what exercise you can do!



Shelia has now changed her profile so that it says type 2 it originally said gestational so thats why i assumed she was pregnant.

Have you been assessed to see if Byetta might be appropriate for you?


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## runner (May 27, 2009)

sofaraway said:


> Shelia has now changed her profile so that it says type 2 it originally said gestational so thats why i assumed she was pregnant.
> 
> Have you been assessed to see if Byetta might be appropriate for you?


Woops, sorry sheila and sofaraway if I got that bit wrong.


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