# Having trouble keeping sugar levels down :(



## mickellwife (Aug 16, 2013)

Hi, i used to struggle with my breakfast and lunch time sugars but now i have them under control, i'm having problems keeping my dinner time sugars normal. it used to be the other way around. 

I'm on 4 Metformin after my dinner. I'm scared to go on insulin and don't know what i can try.

If i eat chicken breast, cod fillet or salmon fillet with brown rice and veggies, then my sugar is normal but i'm getting fed up of these same meals.

I was ok eating Shepherds pie but lately i have to go back for more when i know i shouldnt and that sends me over.

Any advice would be grateful x


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## LeeLee (Aug 16, 2013)

Try using mashed cauliflower instead of spud on your shepherd's pie, and serve with a plateful of veg.  Yum... that's what I had for my tea tonight.


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## mickellwife (Aug 16, 2013)

But i still have to have carbs with every meal x


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## LeeLee (Aug 16, 2013)

Who told you that?  Did they give you a reason?  I regularly have an ultra-low or no-carb meal without ill effect, in fact it helps with control big-time.  I'm also on metformin only.


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## Mark T (Aug 16, 2013)

Carbless meals are fine - unless you are on a drug or insulin which may be actively lowering your blood sugar and would make you go hypo unless you ate some.

Try new potatoes instead of mash.  Mash is already broken up so you absorb the carbs quicker.


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## pav (Aug 16, 2013)

Mark T said:


> Carbless meals are fine - unless you are on a drug or insulin which may be actively lowering your blood sugar and would make you go hypo unless you ate some.
> 
> Try new potatoes instead of mash.  Mash is already broken up so you absorb the carbs quicker.



I learnt that the hard way. I am on meds that lower sugar levels and had a carb free meal, and my BS level dropped quicker than I thought it was, and ended up with a mild hypo

Its a balancing act of what meds you are on, not getting the carbs to high or low. With tablets you can't adjust the amount taken to compensate for a high carb or low carb meal.


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## LeeLee (Aug 16, 2013)

I understood your first post to mean you're on metformin only.  If that's not the case and you're taking something else to lower your BG, you probably do need to have some carbs as the others have pointed out.


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## Redkite (Aug 16, 2013)

I thought pregnant women do need to include carbs in their diet.  Best to get advice from your consultant before cutting out any food groups


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## Cleo (Aug 17, 2013)

Hi mickellwife
If you are pregnant which I presume you are then yes you def need to eat a healthy balanced diet which includes some carbs.  I am a type 1 and the first person to admit that I don't know anything about how type 2 medications work, but if I was chronically having high readings after dinner I'd up my insulin to carb to ratio (I.e i would take more insulin for the amount of carbs eaten).  do you have a diabetic nurse you can talk to to get some advice.? 
Your growing baby needs a wide range of minerals and nutrients which you can only get from a balanced diet so please don't cut anything out before talking to a health care professional, if you we're dieting then it would be different ....
Good luck


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## Twitchy (Aug 17, 2013)

*Are you pregnant or just trying to conceive?*

The NHS choices website says you should not take metformin whilst pregnant (or ideally at all if ttc) - you really need to see a doc asap. Re insulin, if you can't control things tightly enough by reducing carbs, it's the only way in pregnancy - but honestly, the needles are TINY & you'll probably not even feel them. Far, far better a bit of unpleasantness for you than any damage to baby after all... (sorry to be blunt). If you are preg, please see a doc today...If it was me, I wouldn't wait until monday. (not trying to scare you, just thinking that way you can get sorted & put your mind at rest & not fret all weekend).


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## mickellwife (Aug 17, 2013)

It was my diabetic consultant and my diabetic midwife who put me on metformin. they said if i cut out carbs, i will start releasing ketones which is dangerous. new potatoes send my sugar even higher


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## Mark T (Aug 17, 2013)

mickellwife said:


> It was my diabetic consultant and my diabetic midwife who put me on metformin. they said if i cut out carbs, i will start releasing ketones which is dangerous. new potatoes send my sugar even higher


That doesn't sound quite right - ketones are usually only considered dangerous in the absence of insulin.  Although I'm not a medical Dr and pregnancy does seem to change a few of the usual assumed things.

Ketones are generally produced when your body is breaking down fat instead of carbs.  So when you are trying to loose weight it's actually a good thing.


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## LeeLee (Aug 17, 2013)

It's also probably worth noting that cutting out spuds will not totally eliminate carbs from your diet - there are some carbs in vegetables, just significantly lower levels than potatoes.


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## Lauraaik (Aug 17, 2013)

Metformin is standardly used in pregnancy. 

My consultant will put me on it also, however my sugars are stable. (Hopefully they stay stable for the next 10 weeks) 

And yes you still need a portion of carbs. But I've been told to fill up on meat and veggies and a small amount of carbs with each meal. 

It's hard during pregnancy, I had terrible sickness and struggled to eat in the beginning. Now I have terrible heartburn and need to eat small and often snacking during the day.


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## Twitchy (Aug 17, 2013)

That's really weird - as I said before NHS choices website definitely says metformin should not be used in pregnancy...


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## Lauraaik (Aug 17, 2013)

Most medications are labelled not to be used in pregnancy. Because ethically the drug companies cannot test on pregnant women. They won't say it's 100% safe, however they can't say that about every drug on the market.


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