# Hi All New to forum would really like some sound advice on my Type 2



## Graysters (Dec 18, 2008)

Hi Everyone...I was diaganosed with diabetes in May 2008, after being taken into hospital with a mild heart attack. Although I was lucky and I had no lasting damage from my heart attack, my diabetes is giving me grave concerns. I had to visit my GP after being released from hospital, as a matter of course, he put me on Glicklazide and metphormin, my levels in the hospital, varied from 28- 19. Unfortunately I found with this medication I was soon experiencing hypo's on a regular basis, so I went back to my GP who told me not to take the Gliklazide, just stay on the Metphormin three times a day. The nurse at the clinic told me that I had to lose 3 stone in weight, but with the metphormin I constantly felt hungry, and within a month I had put on 9lbs, I told the nurse she just said that I had to try a bit harder, I also told her that the metphormin was giving me real bad stomach cramps and I was having to go to the toilet all the time. So I took it up with my GP again and he said there is no other medication on the market for my condition, so I told that I am going to stop taking the medication, and I did do about a month ago
My bad stomach as stopped and I no longer go into hypo's but my sugar levels are completely all over the place anything from , yesterday they was at 19, today they are at 23,  I feel tired all the time and lousy but I can't ever seem to an appointment at my GP's , every time I seem to ring I get told there's no appointments today try again tomorrow. I really feel as though I want to get to grips with this , but don't feel I am getting the support to help. I feel I should just go back to my old ways and say sod it I'll take the risk. It is so frustrating.   Sorry for going on abit. Any advice please.......:


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## Vanessa (Dec 18, 2008)

It is not surprising you feel lousy with your blood glucose so out of control.  Your GP is right - there is nothing else that works the same way as metformin which by itself does not usually result in hypoglycaemia.  Some people do find that the stomach cramps and effects settle down after a few weeks and others find they can tolerate the slow release version of metformin better.  Metformin is not usually associated with weight gain although gliclazide is, gliclazide is also associated with hypos.

I think you should persevere with getting an appointment with your GP or even consider changing your doctor.  Without improving your control, you will increase your risk of another heart attack or the other complications of diabetes.  You might want to ask for a referral to a dietician to help review your diet as from what you say you have a significant amount of weight to lose like many of us Type 2 diabetics.  Exercise also helps reduce blood glucose but again you need proper personalised advice on how to do this given your history of a heart attack.  In many areas, there is an "exercise on prescription" scheme available via a referral from your GP that could help in this.

Practical suggestion though - how about a food diary?  You could then use the store guide on www.diabetes.co.uk to assess how well you are doing food wise whilst you build up some confidence in what you can and cannot eat.  Others have indicated additional resources elsewhere on the forum that will help you get to grips with the "joys" of diabetes and your options - my favourite is "Diabetes for Dummies"

As someone now just over a year on in managing my Type 2 diabetes, I can say in all honesty that the challenge of managing the diet, building up a tolerance to the medication's side effects (both gliclazide and metformin) and increasing my exercise has been worth it  - I feel so much better.  Even so I have days when I am so hungry I could eat the proverbial "scabby horse", preferrably with a chip butty and so it remains a constant challenge


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## boss kitty (Dec 20, 2008)

Hi Graysters,

I'm sorry to hear you're having such a bad time.  Cannot your GP's book an appointment for you in a couple of days time? rather than phoning every morning?  My GPs very busy and there's no way I could ever get an appointment the same day - so must settle for an appointment usually two or three days from when I phoned.

I think it's really important that you see a doctor, and that that doctor listens to you.  Are you under the care of a diabetes team at your local hospital? They're a better option for you because they're specialists, whereas your GP is not.. This is worth looking into.

I had a terrible reaction to metformin (prescribed by my GP), and am now taking gliclazide and injecting insulin (prescribed by the specialist).  So far so good and my levels have come right down, I've also completely cut out sugar and refined foods which helps too.  

I'm glad you say you want to get to grips with the problem, if you're willing then surely the people who are supposed to be supporting you should be wiling too.  Don't take any rubbish - demand an appointment even if it's in two or three days time and ask for a referral to see a specialist - it's your right to have proper treatment and to feel better.

All the very best Graysters and I hope you get sorted soon.
Kitty


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## TriumphRocket3 (Dec 21, 2008)

*Type 2 - getting it under control*

Hi,

Read your story and it struck a bit of a note with me.
I hadn't been to the docs for 5 years but now I'm newly diagnosed with T2, within 12 weeks. I had a level of 19-21 when first diagnosed. 
Now I'm in a 4-6.7 range, with the odd 7 when I'm a naughty boy.

Try this ... (I'm NOT a clinician, just someone who wants to live to see his kids get married) : 

1. Get INFO : I'm a biker and always been bit of a "rage against the system" sort of person. I like being in control of myself and hence wanted to understand what the GP was doing. The info about is contradictory and confusing so I went to the most reliable source : the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). They have a really long but good Type 2 diabetes guidance paper which the GPs are supposed to use anyways. Be warned, don't read when depressed as you get the full-on-diabetes-kills-u-if-not-sorted story. It will however motivate u and allow a good chat with the doc.

2. Carbs : couldn't sort out who was right in the "no carbs" argument, so I started on a low carb regime which involves basically no potatoes, no white bread and only a small amount of brown rice or brown pasta. It worked for me and allowed me to eat without guilt, loose weight and not feel hungry. So now I read every lable for fat (kcals), sugar and carbs. I also low for hese low GI things.

3. Waistline : sorry mate its gotta come down. I find weighting myself depressing at the moment so I'm measuring my waist - abdominal fat causes this thing so I recon measuring my waist is a good way - I've lost 6 inches in 12 weeks - no bull - no bloody trousers either . Gotta do it or ur going seeing the big man early  (Well thats if riding my bike doesn't get me first)

4. Excercise : Walking kills the blood sugars - so I walk every other day. Bought some good wellies and socks and just walk. Now the other thing I read is that new muscle helps reverse this thing in so far as :
> increasing muscle means u burn more sugar "at rest" ...good!
> I think (?) new muscle is less insulin intolerant or summat like that
So I am pumping the iron twice a week - not done this since I was a lad... be careful about sprains. It is working tho.

5. Food : U don't need to be hungry, just don't eat cr*p. Eating good quality food means I've been lucky with Metaformin and have avoided a lot of the gripes and side effects. I eat low sugar Alpen at B'fast and fish (tins of tuna, sardine, salmon or mackrel) at dinner with ryeveta or Oat bicuits, and a portion of tomatoes/cucumber. I also eat olives, brown bread with seeds etc. For my main meal I just swap a big plate of veg for potatoes, and have lean meat, scrambled egges/bacon etc.

6. Doctors : mmmm, mine's a good one and u need to get a good one. We have this sort of agreement, it goes something like this - the doc doesn't lecture me or moan unless I stop improving. The key thing is love your eyes - I like riding my bike so I need to keep my eyes ok. Retinal screening is quick, and the nurses look cute ...  

Keep the chin up mate, u can beat this thing. Direct all your anger and badness at beating it and ... You could have something really dire like the Big C - our problem can be fixed.

L&R.


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## elaine (Dec 22, 2008)

hi grayster, i had similar with a dr so i changed them. diff probs with this one lol. anyway, i just posted about byetta which my specialist is putting me on on christmas eve - maybe its an option as its only for t2. apparently it makes the weight come off while reducing hba1c. i rebelled really hard against my big d, but i have a motivating factor to help me on the straight and narrow and that may be the key. motivation. demand to see dr and specialist or get a new one and really, best of luck. i truly know what you are going through as my glucose control is extremely poor. last hba1c 8.7. good luck xx


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## KateF (Dec 27, 2008)

My husband is also on metformin and had terrible cramps if he had the metformin before eating, or when he hadn't eaten enough food.  I wondered if this might also be your problem too?

I think after time you can take them with slightly less food, but he now always has them at the end of his meal.  He discussed this with the pharmacist as the GP was not very helpful and has worked out that some quantities of food (for example sandwiches or beans on toast) is OK for one metformin but not two. 

Hope this helps, good luck 
________
Cloudy trichomes


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## andrea62 (Jan 4, 2009)

Hi there... am new to this forum - found the site while looking for some info on diabetes having been diagnosed last year... I seem to be going round in circles....I was basically tested for something else and they said my blood sugar was too high so tested me for diabetes and then told me I had type 2...in the space of like 20 mins I was told I had to lose weight - surprise surprise, had to exercise more and control my diet.  A sheet was shoved into my hand of what to avoid and then I was prescribed Glucophage tablets and that was it.
I tried my best to lose weight and managed to get down from 125kgs to 104kgs but have not been able to get an appointment at the dr since then... continously full no matter what day I try... I bought a monitor (Accucheck) which the pharmacy said was the best and they basically said as long as the range is not more than 120 I am fine.. I dunno how to go about anything and dont know how to control or handle this...How do I know if what I am doing is right when i cannot even get an appointment with the dr....
Anyone else have the same frustrations???? I live in the Middle East by the way but could find no sites this end so joined the UK one .....


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