# Newly diagnosed here too - Blood sugar 16 is that really high?



## Eviepeevie

Hi I'm new here too. I've just been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes by my GP (rubbish experience...). The diabetes nurse told me my blood sugar was 16 and that it is really high but she didn't really specify how 'bad' it is if you know what i mean. the other blood test (the one that shows 3 month average) was 11.5 which is also really high apparently. The GP did not prescribe me anything but the nurse said she should have done and got me a Metformin prescription which I am collecting tomorrow. 

She's told me to low carb but from things I've read I'm thinking of going really low carb. I hadn't really realised how rubbish I was feeling until I started listing the symptoms i've had - thirst, leg cramps, blurred vision, headaches, fatigue etc. 

Is 16 a really high blood sugar? I'm worried that the doctor is doing enough...


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## trophywench

Hiya!

Many people start off in the teens and 20s and there again, some of em are lower or higher, so don't worry about that unduly, but bearing in mind your average non-D person is between 4 and 7 mostly, there is certainly work to be done!  The blood test thingy (as opposed to the fingerprick tests) are liked to be max 6.5 for a T2.  But usually that test produces a lower figure than your fingerpricks anyway.

How do you know your body NEEDS you to cut it all out at once?  Isn't it better to be a tortoise than a hare?  

So - what do you eat now and what  do you plan to eat in future?  remember this is a marathon, not a sprint.

This is like walking up a steep hill.  If you try and race up, you'll fail halfway up.  But if you take it steady and use smaller steps than walking on the flat, you'll get there quicker AND in a fit state to enjoy the view from the summit.


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## Northerner

Hi Eviepeevie, welcome to the forum  Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, and that it wasn't handled well. But don't panic! This is a marathon not a sprint, so I would suggest not going overboard immediately and completely revamping your diet. Take a little time to understand diabetes, and what it may mean for you personally so you can take a more measured and sustainable approach to getting things under control. Your nurses's suggestion of low-carb is a good one, but as Trophywench says there is no need to immediately cut things to the bone.

A good place to start is by reading Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter which will gove you a good insight into what to expect. Also, get a copy of Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker - highly recommended by many of our members. The more you know about what you are facing, the better you will feel, because fear of the unknown is one of the major worries people who are newly-diagnosed face. In terms of diet, I would suggest looking at a low GI or GL diet (Glycaemic Index/Glycaemic Load), which is a way of selecting foods that will release energy slowly and steadily and minimise impact on your blood sugar levels. The GL Diet for Dummies is a good introduction.

Your tests of 16 and 11.5 are on the high side, but that is often the case when people are diagnosed and now you have been diagnosed and can start tackling things, those numbers will improve greatly (as a comparison, mine were 37 and 11.8  but now I am fine). And it's not all bad news (believe it or not!) - many people find that the modifications they make to their diet and activity levels lead to them feeling fitter and healthier than they have for some time - paradoxically, it can be the spur to much-improved well-being 

Were you given a blood testing kit? If not, do ask for one, as this is the best way of finding out how different meals affect you personally. People can have very different tolerances for the same things e.g. bread, pasta, so it is important to determine your own individual tolerances. Read Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S  for an understanding of how this helps.

Please ask any questions you may have, there will always be someone here who will be happy to help you out - and you are free to have a good old moan or vent amongst people who know exactly how you feel! I look forward to hearing more from you


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## LeeLee

Is weight a factor for you?  It affects my levels big-time.  I joined Slimming World and have lost 25% of my former weight in 7 months and that combined with a 500x2daily dose of Metformin has got me back in control.  SW teaches you to make better food choices for life and most of what it advocates is diabetes-friendly.


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## Copepod

Welcome Eviepeevie

In addition the the lonks others have given you, I'll try to explain a couple of things you mentioned in your original post:

The "three month average" blood test is called HbA1c - more information here:  http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to.../Glycated_haemoglobin_HbA1c_and_fructosamine/ Note that there are 2 sets of units, and laboratories are gradually changing over from % to mmol/mol - the webpage has a conversion chart & converter. 

The other one sounds like it was a blood glucose test, but it's not clear whether it was finger prick or venous blood, nor if it was random / fasting - generally, fasting levels (blood taken first thing in the morning, before eating anything, although drinking water is fine) are generally lower than random, which could be after eating, as levels are generally highest 1 - 2 hours after eating, particularly if the meal contains lots of carbohydrate. It is measured in mmol/l (in UK and many other countries, but not USA or France).


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## mcdonagh47

Eviepeevie said:


> Hi I'm new here too. I've just been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes by my GP (rubbish experience...). The diabetes nurse told me my blood sugar was 16 and that it is really high but she didn't really specify how 'bad' it is if you know what i mean. the other blood test (the one that shows 3 month average) was 11.5 which is also really high apparently. The GP did not prescribe me anything but the nurse said she should have done and got me a Metformin prescription which I am collecting



hello there,

the nurse was wrong to rush you straight on to Metformin.
both NICE Guidelines on T2 and DiABETES UK say that a new T2 should have three or six months initially on Diet and Exercise only because they have to understand the absolute necessity for diet and lifestyle changes.


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## Zuckerkranke

Eviepeevie said:


> Hi I'm new here too. I've just been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes by my GP (rubbish experience...). The diabetes nurse told me my blood sugar was 16 and that it is really high but she didn't really specify how 'bad' it is if you know what i mean. the other blood test (the one that shows 3 month average) was 11.5 which is also really high apparently. The GP did not prescribe me anything but the nurse said she should have done and got me a Metformin prescription which I am collecting tomorrow.
> 
> She's told me to low carb but from things I've read I'm thinking of going really low carb. I hadn't really realised how rubbish I was feeling until I started listing the symptoms i've had - thirst, leg cramps, blurred vision, headaches, fatigue etc.
> 
> Is 16 a really high blood sugar? I'm worried that the doctor is doing enough...



If you were diagnosed with a BG level of 16, you're more fortunate than I. A locum doctor told me, "Your blood sugar level is 25.9 and you are going straight to hospital."

My own BG levels have to be between 4 and 7 mmols in the morning and no more than 10 for the rest of the day.


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## Andy HB

Welcome to the forum. Can't add anything to what has already been said.

However, I too was put on medication immediately. I was started on gliclazide first, then moved to metformin after a couple of weeks. Luckily, I was able to come off the metformin too after three months.

I am now completely diet and exercise controlled (after changing my diet, upping my daily exercise and losing weight).

Andy


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