# New and anxious



## BlueSmarty (Feb 18, 2022)

Hi I’m almost 50 always physically well but struggled with mental health in particular health anxiety and generalised anxiety disorder. MH is now really good but physical health letting me down. Just been diagnosed type 2 and practice nurse has put the fear of god in me. I swim for an hour at least 4 times a week in an attempt to lose a lot of weight. But it’s not working. I’m menopausal (but not many symptoms). Nurse told me my BP is high! Never been high, ever and I can feel the anxiety rising. How do I get my head round all what’s going on


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## Vonny (Feb 18, 2022)

Hi @BlueSmarty and welcome to the forum  It feels almost impossible to get your head around it at first, but it does get better, honest! When I was first diagnosed I was heartbroken because I knew I'd have to change my diet and life-style forever, which at the time seems impossible to do. Now, at 63 I feel younger and healthier than I've done for the last decade.
Did the nurse give you any advice on diet? Many of us here follow a low-carb diet, which you do actually get used to. You mention attempting to lose weight...do you know how much you want to lose?
Also, did the nurse give you your hba1c? That's the blood glucose level over the last 3 months. Mine was high at 76 and there are many people here who started in the 100s.
Sorry to ask so many questions, but it gives us all a feel of what advice you may need.
In the meantime, feel free to ask any questions....there is no such things as a silly question here. You are among friends and I'm sure there will be others along soon who understand the technicalities of diabetes better than me. 
Edited to add that your BP may be white coat syndrome and nothing worse.


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## Leadinglights (Feb 18, 2022)

Welcome many people have felt exactly like you when diagnosed and have received little sympathetic support from their GP surgery.
You may find this link useful for some basis information about managing diabetes and what you need to do to improve your situation. It encompasses many of the principles that people on here have found successful in losing weight and reducing their blood glucose.








						Freshwell Low Carb Project
					

Real Food, Low Carb, Good Health




					lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk
				



There is also the Learning Zone (orange tab at the top) which you can look at to give you a better understanding. Just do things in your own time and ask any questions that will help you.


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## BlueSmarty (Feb 18, 2022)

@Vonny ive always been overweight but was fit. Struggled with my pregnancy (15 years ago) now struggling with chronic pain for about 5 years and now always feeling hungry I’ve ballooned to now 18st 12. Have lost 5lb since Christmas but not quick enough given the exercise I’m doing. I want to lose 8 stone 
She said something about 57 think that was HbA1c.


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## BlueSmarty (Feb 18, 2022)

@Leadinglights thank you. I’ll have a look at that. I think they are referring me to a diabetic clinic. I hope they are less scary


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## Vonny (Feb 18, 2022)

BlueSmarty said:


> @Vonny ive always been overweight but was fit. Struggled with my pregnancy (15 years ago) now struggling with chronic pain for about 5 years and now always feeling hungry I’ve ballooned to now 18st 12. Have lost 5lb since Christmas but not quick enough given the exercise I’m doing. I want to lose 8 stone
> She said something about 57 think that was HbA1c.


57 isn't too bad @BlueSmarty, certainly better than mine was! I was always hungry as well, and it was cutting the carbs down which stopped that. It's a shame you have chronic pain, it must make exercise almost impossible, apart obviously from the swimming which is great exercise. I think I probably doubled my weight loss by the exercise I was doing. I still walk between 4 and 8 miles per day but I suspect that won't be possible for you.  
I see in the above post that you are being referred to a diabetic clinic...I hope they can provide you with more support than you seem to have been given at the moment. Best of luck with them.


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## trophywench (Feb 18, 2022)

Pain unfortunately is one of the things which can affect our blood glucose level - ie it usually increases it.   What's the pain about and are you getting decent help with that?


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## BlueSmarty (Feb 19, 2022)

@trophywench hi it’s generalised joint pain left foot, hip and knee, hands, right side ribs, spine and right shoulder. Terrible spasms and stiffness. They took my gallbladder out for the rib pain but didn’t make an ounce of difference. Massively raised ESR and CRP


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## trophywench (Feb 19, 2022)

Have they done a blood test for rheumatoid arthritis or other investigations and as the gall bladder wasn't causing it apparently, what pain killers are you now on? - cos clearly they aren't strong enough!


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## everydayupsanddowns (Feb 21, 2022)

Welcome to the forum @BlueSmarty 

Glad to have you here. I hope that the shared experiences, suggestions, support and encouragement of the folks on the forum will help you navigate your way to living well with your diabetes. 

Really glad to hear you have got your MH in a better place, but sorry that your physical health has taken a bit of a battering recently.

Sorry you’ve not had a bit of a fierce introduction from your nurse 

Not sure why some HCPs think that approach is likely to provide encouragement and a positive engagement with your new health condition?! 

Great to hear about your level of fitness, and the amount of swimming you are doing. That’s great!

Many new members find it really helpful to keep a food diary for a week or two. Noting down everything you eat and drink, snacks, treats and all - along with a reasonable estimate of the total carb content in each meal or snack. It sounds like a bit of a faff, bit all that packet squinting, weighing and measuring will really help you identify how the carbs are distributed across your menu, and which meals or snacks are your ‘big hitters’. It might also begin to suggest some quick wins, or swaps and changes that might reduce the pressure on your metabolism.

Keep asking questions here, and let is know how things are going


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## BlueSmarty (Mar 11, 2022)

Morning all well it’s definitely every day up and down  so the ups…
I’m still swimming. Up to 52 lengths (25m pool sadly) in just under an hour and fitting in 4-5 sessions a week. I have a very ‘all or nothing’ mentality so hopefully this will remain as all! I’m finding the swim very easy and could probably do more but only get an hour session. 
Friends have commented that I’ve lost weight and changed shape which is a nice NSV! I think I’ve lost about 6lb. 
The bad ….. omg metformin    I feel nauseous, never off the loo, bloated and generally YUK. Some say it will wear off but GP said it may not. 
Lost appetite but then hungry at the flick of a switch but can’t be bothered eating, totally off food. 
I have realised how much I eat carbs. But the faff of recipes is just not doing it for me yet!  I love toast!
But ending on an up the swimming is drying out hair and skin so last night was a bit of self care…. In bed by 2130 hours face mask, hair mask and foot mask on….. a very sexy look


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## BlueSmarty (Mar 11, 2022)

trophywench said:


> Have they done a blood test for rheumatoid arthritis or other investigations and as the gall bladder wasn't causing it apparently, what pain killers are you now on? - cos clearly they aren't strong enough!


Yes ESR and CRP are through the roof and have been for about 10 years. They’ve ruled out lupus, polymyalgia, multi myeloma. I’ve asked for a muscle biopsy to check for polymyositis. 
Have seen a rheumatologist who said no sign of any rheumatism or arthritis but GP sending me back for a full report. I’ve tried naproxen, nortriptyline and now codeine (as it at least makes me feel a bit relaxed) I have a tens machine, I’ve had physio, cryotherapy and Thai massage. The massage has been better out of all of them but far too expensive. Any suggestions…….


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## goodybags (Mar 11, 2022)

trophywench said:


> Pain unfortunately is one of the things which can affect our blood glucose level - ie it usually increases it.   What's the pain about and are you getting decent help with that?


I never knew that my arthritis could affect my blood glucose levels, until I just read what you posted


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## Leadinglights (Mar 11, 2022)

BlueSmarty said:


> Morning all well it’s definitely every day up and down  so the ups…
> I’m still swimming. Up to 52 lengths (25m pool sadly) in just under an hour and fitting in 4-5 sessions a week. I have a very ‘all or nothing’ mentality so hopefully this will remain as all! I’m finding the swim very easy and could probably do more but only get an hour session.
> Friends have commented that I’ve lost weight and changed shape which is a nice NSV! I think I’ve lost about 6lb.
> The bad ….. omg metformin    I feel nauseous, never off the loo, bloated and generally YUK. Some say it will wear off but GP said it may not.
> ...


If you are not on slow release metformin then you should ask to try that as it is supposed to be kinder on the stomach.
Tackling your weigh issue and getting blood glucose better managed has to be a priority, keeping up with your swimming is really good exercise as it puts less strain on your joints. 
You can make simple low carb meals by having cooked meats, cheese, eggs and salad, coleslaw in your fridge so no real prep involved.
Cook a casserole or chilli and split into portions to put in the freezer.
A few veg cooked in a pan and blitzed up with a hand blender, quick and easy.


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## trophywench (Mar 11, 2022)

I think scientifically it is the inflammation causing the pain which increases the BG, probably a lot more of a technical explanation would be forthcoming from someone who is medically trained, but for me, pain = increased BG is enough!

Pain, stress (good or bad, so eg kids getting over excited about going to see Frozen can do it!) and trauma.


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## BlueSmarty (Mar 11, 2022)

goodybags said:


> I never knew that my arthritis could affect my blood glucose levels, until I just read what you posted





Leadinglights said:


> If you are not on slow release metformin then you should ask to try that as it is supposed to be kinder on the stomach.
> Tackling your weigh issue and getting blood glucose better managed has to be a priority, keeping up with your swimming is really good exercise as it puts less strain on your joints.
> You can make simple low carb meals by having cooked meats, cheese, eggs and salad, coleslaw in your fridge so no real prep involved.
> Cook a casserole or chilli and split into portions to put in the freezer.
> A few veg cooked in a pan and blitzed up with a hand blender, quick and easy.


Thank you. I will defo give your suggestions a try.


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## BlueSmarty (Mar 11, 2022)

E


goodybags said:


> I never knew that my arthritis could affect my blood glucose levels, until I just read what you posted


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## BlueSmarty (Mar 11, 2022)

Every day is a school day


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## trophywench (Mar 12, 2022)

Well it is always possible if you are literally in constant pain at exactly the same level - that all your insulin doses will be based on that level anyway - cos it's 'normal' IYSWIM - whereas when you aren't in constant pain it's only when you surprisingly get pain for whatever reason that occurs, that the body shows it by the BG increasing.  I don't think anyone without diabetes and therefore testing the BG, would have the slightest idea that happens as when a non diabetic body detects increased BG it simply chucks out the extra insulin needed as a matter of course.


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## Mrs Mimoo (Mar 12, 2022)

BlueSmarty said:


> @Vonny ive always been overweight but was fit. Struggled with my pregnancy (15 years ago) now struggling with chronic pain for about 5 years and now always feeling hungry I’ve ballooned to now 18st 12. Have lost 5lb since Christmas but not quick enough given the exercise I’m doing. I want to lose 8 stone
> She said something about 57 think that was HbA1c.


I am 52 and have been overweight for 25 years; have chronic migraine, and now a heart condition to add to the fun.... My diagnosis, HBa1C of 55, in November 21 put the fear of God into me and I have done low carb and restricted calories ever since. Have now lost over 10kg and now aim to lose another 5. I feel so much better. I do it using the newcastle diet (see diabetes uk for details) and with exante shakes as meal replacement followed by cutting out all carby beige food - pasta, bread, cakes, rice, pastry biscuits all the bad stuff. Instead i'm eating a burger with salad and some cheese, slimpasta with pasta sauce and veg, fish with veg and steak and chips, chips made of celeriac... curry with cauliflower rice not rice.... stir fry with nice meat and veg, but no rice or noodles, instead slimnoodles made of konjak. I am a person who eats lots of food (and likes their food) so I have made the move to eat lots and lots of green veg (and bright veg) insted of carbs. Snacks include: a baby bel, a square of dark chocolate, a few nuts, some ham.

The diet did work for me, my HbA1c fell to 49 after 6 weeks. I do minimal exercise at the moment but at least 9-10,000 steps a day. I'm now on two modified release metformins and they have not harmed my tummy.  Good luck. x


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## BlueSmarty (Sep 15, 2022)

Evening all. This doesn’t seem to  getting any better or easier. Worrying about it and then remembered that you were all here to get support from. 
Now on 2000 PR metformin. Not as much abdo pain but still there and the other side effects most definitely still there . I’ve bought a little blood glucose reader and the morning readings are anywhere between 8-11.5. 
I’m still swimming, still not losing weight, peri menopausal and still have so much joint pain. 
Had routine bloods and using done yesterday and seem GP tomorrow….. anything you advice i could ask him?  New GP btw who apparently is hot on diabetes and says treatment needs to be vigorous and going to prescribe diet tablets too


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## ianf0ster (Sep 15, 2022)

Hi @BlueSmarty Did you try low carb way of eating, or were you just trying to lose weight through exercise?

It's no secret that for the vast majority neither calorie restriction nor exercise can both reduce weight and keep it off in the long term. Exercise makes you hungry and calorie restriction leads to a lower resting metabolic rate which means the more weight is lost the fewer calories the body uses (so feels cold, sluggish, tired) and makes it hard not to regain the weight.
However for around 50% of people low carb (eating to your Blood Glucose meter) reduces Blood Glucose, weight, blood pressure, inflammation and improves mental health  over the longer term. Although this hasn't yet been confirmed for tests lasting longer that around 10yrs. 

Hormonal fluctuations associated with menopause is said to make all of this much harder to handle - even low carb can't address hormonal problems!


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## everydayupsanddowns (Sep 15, 2022)

Lovely to hear from you again @BlueSmarty 

Great to hear that your abdominal pain has settled down a little, and that you are still keeping active with the swimming. 

Hope the appointment goes well tomorrow. There are several new-ish medications that have some successes with encouraging weight loss in some people.

Great to hear that you’ve dusted off your BG meter too. Have you ever tried a test, review, adjust approach to tweaking your menu?

Many members use before-and-2hr-after-eating BG checks aiming for a rise of 2-3mmol/L or lower at the 2hr mark and then adjust meals which give a bigger rise.

Anyway - let us know what is suggested tomorrow


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## Drummer (Sep 15, 2022)

I saw 'telling an overweight person to just lose weight is like telling a drowning person to just start to swim' which I can really sympathise with.
For me diabetes had nothing to do with lifestyle or being overweight, everything due to eating a 'healthy' diet high in carbohydrate. Nothing to do with processed foods, as I was not eating processed foods - other than home made bread.
I dropped all the high carb foods, went back to eating a very Atkins diet and was no longer diabetic in 6 months.
I think that some HCPs get a bee in their bonnet about a symptom of type 2 and can't see that the main cause is high blood glucose from a high intake of carbs - because, of course, everyone knows how healthy they are.


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## Leadinglights (Sep 15, 2022)

Drummer said:


> I saw 'telling an overweight person to just lose weight is like telling a drowning person to just start to swim' which I can really sympathise with.
> For me diabetes had nothing to do with lifestyle or being overweight, everything due to eating a 'healthy' diet high in carbohydrate. Nothing to do with processed foods, as I was not eating processed foods - other than home made bread.
> I dropped all the high carb foods, went back to eating a very Atkins diet and was no longer diabetic in 6 months.
> I think that some HCPs get a bee in their bonnet about a symptom of type 2 and can't see that the main cause is high blood glucose from a high intake of carbs - because, of course, everyone knows how healthy they are.


Even the latest New Scientist is saying 'randomised trials of different diet approaches have found that aiming for a low carbohydrate and high fat diet is as good as a low- fat diet for losing weight and keeping it off and doesn't cause heart attacks either.


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## Drummer (Sep 15, 2022)

Leadinglights said:


> Even the latest New Scientist is saying 'randomised trials of different diet approaches have found that aiming for a low carbohydrate and high fat diet is as good as a low- fat diet for losing weight and keeping it off and doesn't cause heart attacks either.


I was put on low fat diets at regualr intervals for 40 years and every ounce of weightloss was an effort.
I went back to Atkins every time I could get away with it and my weight reduced as though by magic.


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## BlueSmarty (Sep 29, 2022)

levels have gone down from 57 to 50 since I posted on here, weight is very up and down though. Still swimming, still in chronic pain and still not losing weight. GP has now prescribed semaglutide . Has anyone else had success with them?


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## everydayupsanddowns (Sep 29, 2022)

We have had a few members on Senaglutide / Ozempic / Wegovy, which dies seem to help with weight loss. 

There are a few previous threads with others experiences, concerns and questions here



			https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/search/151026/?q=semaglutide&o=date
		


and 



			https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/search/151027/?q=ozempic&o=date
		


Good to hear your HbA1c is coming down. Well done!


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