# New here and struggling with type 2



## Davo (Mar 19, 2017)

Little bit about myself. I am 52 years old, weigh approx 13 stone, 5,9 in height and have type 2 diabetes. I take the following medication

Metformin 500mg 4 tablets a day
Sitagliptin 100mg one tablet a day
Gliclazide 80mg two tablets a day

I know everyone's situation is different. My problem with blood sugar level is that I stay high and so don't have a problem with fluctuating too much or going too low. My doctor's surgery do not give meters etc to type 2 patients so have bought a kit myself (even though this can be quite expensive). Over the last 2/3 months I have been testing myself at fairly regular times. My doctor wants me to get a reading in the region of 7-7.5. However I average around 12. (I have an appointment next month and little worried about what they might say).

I do not eat much in the way of sweet things (chocolate etc), but from what I have been reading I probably eat too many carbs (bread, rice etc). My biggest addiction is crisps, have loved them all my life and I assume these are probably bad for me!!!. As far as exercise is concerned I briskly walk about 40 minutes a day and that is probably about it. I have an exercise bike that is gathering dust so thinking about starting using that again.

Basically I need help as this is really getting me down. What can I do to regularly get my sugar levels down? Would eating low carb help - if so this would be a big change and not sure how I would cope....

Any help you are able to give would be much appreciated
David


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## James 048 (Mar 19, 2017)

Davo said:


> Little bit about myself. I am 52 years old, weigh approx 13 stone, 5,9 in height and have type 2 diabetes. I take the following medication
> 
> Metformin 500mg 4 tablets a day
> Sitagliptin 100mg one tablet a day
> ...


Hi David 
Warm welcome to the forum.


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## grovesy (Mar 19, 2017)

Welcome. 
Sometimes it is not always what you eat that affects your levels it is how much of it you eat. So it can be a case of experimenting with different foods and portions. Unfortunately there is no one size fits all.


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## Stitch147 (Mar 19, 2017)

Welcome to the forum. As you are on gliclizide you should have been given testing meter from your gp, as you can be at risk of hypos, especially if you drive.


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## Ljc (Mar 19, 2017)

Hi David. Welcome.
Some of your meds cause hypo's so they *must *provide you with a meter and enough testing strips !!! If they refuse again let us know, we will help you appeal
How on earth they expect us to manage our diabetes properly without supplying the tools for us to do so is just poor madness imo as well as being dangerous when on meds that can cause hypo's. 
I found reducing the starchy carbs , potatoe, bread, pasta, rice and white bread did help a lot. You need to find good substitutes you like, some people here have burgen (sp?) bread, Lidle high protein rolls , I have wholemeal.
Have extra veg to fill up.


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## Ljc (Mar 19, 2017)

Hi again. To give you a few ideas , have a read " what did you eat yesterday" 
https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/what-did-you-eat-yesterday.30349/page-63#post-697649


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## Lucy Honeychurch (Mar 19, 2017)

Hi and welcome, have you tried pork scratchings instead of crisps? They are carb free.


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## Steff (Mar 19, 2017)

Lucy Honeychurch said:


> Hi and welcome, have you tried pork scratchings instead of crisps? They are carb free.


Just don't have any with  loose teeth or fillings or they may not agree LOL.
welcome Davo to the forum it's good your on here asking questions knowledge is power so they say


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## Davo (Mar 25, 2017)

Thanks for the welcome and the comments


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## Ditto (Mar 25, 2017)

I think if you gave up the crisps, rice, bread and potatoes your bg would plummet but that's just my opinion as an uneducated person.


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## Ginger (Mar 26, 2017)

Hi Davo, sorry to read you are struggling.  I am quite new to diabetes, but I have thrown myself into low carb and it does seem to be helping.  I am following a low carb/high fat diet and i am really liking it.  It does seem daunting to give up those dense carbs, but to be honest the inclusion of more fat in the diet is very satisfying so it may not be as difficult as you think.  Hope you find your feet with a new diet that suits you.


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## Grannylorraine (Mar 29, 2017)

Welcome to the forum.  Sorry that you are struggling, but we are all here to support you.


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## Blue flash (Mar 30, 2017)

Im on gliclazide too and wasnt given a meter, and when told doctor I started self test, he was pretty much anti self testing for type 2 said wasnt needed.

Im hopefully seeing soon and will ask again, will feed back outcome.

I too gone low carb and find self testing best think Ive done to get idea whats happening to my body


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## Mark Parrott (Apr 2, 2017)

Blue flash said:


> Im on gliclazide too and wasnt given a meter, and when told doctor I started self test, he was pretty much anti self testing for type 2 said wasnt needed.
> 
> Im hopefully seeing soon and will ask again, will feed back outcome.
> 
> I too gone low carb and find self testing best think Ive done to get idea whats happening to my body


Your doctor needs re-training.  It is in the NICE guidelines to supply a meter if on Gliclazide.


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## Pinklizard (Apr 2, 2017)

Hi Davo, I am a newbie too and was dx about 3 weeks ago. The nurse hasn't put me on any meds yet pending some more blood test results, I have an appointment on 18th April to find out what my fate will be (I don't even know whether I have type 1 or type 2 although Nurse Doom leans towards T2. One thing I have realized, after reading lots on here, is that, like you, my carbs intake is too high: pasta, bread, rice, crackers, biscuits (they will have to go completely) as well as the amount of oil/butter I use in cooking, what I thought was the right amount turns out to be far too much! It will take time to adjust but hey that's we have to do to get better


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## Andi Johnson (Apr 3, 2017)

Davo said:


> Little bit about myself. I am 52 years old, weigh approx 13 stone, 5,9 in height and have type 2 diabetes. I take the following medication
> 
> Metformin 500mg 4 tablets a day
> Sitagliptin 100mg one tablet a day
> ...


Hi David my name is Andi I'm 49 years old and was shocked to be told I had type2 diabetes about 3 years ago. After months of messing about with meds we finally started trying different injectable.  Ended up on metformin and humulin m3 which I inject twice daily. I am in chronic pain due to 6 lots of surgery on my spine and have to take a cocktail of drugs including opiates and other strong painkillers. To top it off i have high blood pressure which spikes and is sometimes so erratic that I can read 225/115 and that's as high as we go. This affects my blood readings and it's like cat and mouse. I also suffer with acute depression and all of this doesn't help my diabetes. In the 3 years I have known I was diabetic I feel like I know very little about my diabetes. I am overweight and can't mobilise although I do try to move to my fullest capacity and try to be proactive. I've never joined a forum before but am frightened by how little I know and was hoping maybe someone could help me as I feel that I can't control this. Many thanks in advance
Andi johnson


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## Ditto (Apr 3, 2017)

Andi go to the library, there's tons of books to read up on D. I'm spoilt for choice every week.  Also you learn loads once you're on this forum, these are the experts not that lot at the surgery!


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## Andi Johnson (Apr 3, 2017)

Ditto said:


> Andi go to the library, there's tons of books to read up on D. I'm spoilt for choice every week.  Also you learn loads once you're on this forum, these are the experts not that lot at the surgery!


Thank u "ditto". My GP is fab but appts are only short so I am under care of diabetic  team at surgery but they seemed more interested in getting diagnosis for my legs which they did and I am eternally grateful to them for that. But there the trail goes cold. I guess I need to ask the right questions about the whys and wherefores and what this and that means. I have been referred to the bariatric surgeon as I am quite  buxom wrench and if I could shift some weight it would have a snowball effect on my other problems and I may find my diabetes settles. Am undergoing the 6month psychology necessary before you see surgeon so watch this space. Thanks for taking the time to come to my aid x


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## grovesy (Apr 3, 2017)

Andi Johnson said:


> Thank u "ditto". My GP is fab but appts are only short so I am under care of diabetic  team at surgery but they seemed more interested in getting diagnosis for my legs which they did and I am eternally grateful to them for that. But there the trail goes cold. I guess I need to ask the right questions about the whys and wherefores and what this and that means. I have been referred to the bariatric surgeon as I am quite  buxom wrench and if I could shift some weight it would have a snowball effect on my other problems and I may find my diabetes settles. Am undergoing the 6month psychology necessary before you see surgeon so watch this space. Thanks for taking the time to come to my aid x


Welcome.


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## Steve/Ch (Apr 3, 2017)

Hi David, my names Steve, i have been diabetic for about 15 yrs now and have always struggled with my sugar levels as i have a sweet tooth, i started on metformin, then they put me on rosiglitizone and then gliclizide, i now take all three but my levels still average between 8-12, wish i had some *willpower.*


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## Ditto (Apr 3, 2017)

> I have been referred to the bariatric surgeon as I am quite buxom wrench and if I could shift some weight it would have a snowball effect on my other problems and I may find my diabetes settles. Am undergoing the 6month psychology necessary before you see surgeon so watch this space.


Me too.  I have it in my head to get rid of the weight before the end of the course so I won't have to have surgery. Fat chance. I'm still pigging out. I've also had to do the 'detour' and have extra sessions due to my binge eating. I'm supposed to be not counting carbs or calories and just having 3 meals a day, entirely what I fancy but with portion control. If it was that easy I'd have done it long ago. They just don't seem to get it. I'm an _addict! _I have a session tomorrow. I shall probably tell lies and say I was fine.


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## Davo (Apr 7, 2017)

Thanks for all your comments and welcome also to Andi. I had my yearly checkup this morning, so just got to wait for the results. I know they are not going to be good so am determined to start doing something about it. Willpower I think has to be the key. Over the past week I have been scouring this site (looking not posting) and for me it definitely seems that eating less carbs is the way to go. I have found myself eating what the rest of family have - potatoes, rice, bread etc. Now I have to think about myself. I have bought a book with many low carb recipes and intend to try as many as possible over the coming months.
The family will support me, maybe not eating the same as me but giving me encouragement and reminding me to keep off the toast etc. Will see how it goes. One of my biggest problems is that I eat when I first get up so I can take my tablets and that is at 3.30. Obviously I don't want to eat anything large so it's thinking what to eat. At the moment I have some Greek yogurt and and apple mixed together. Not sure how low carb that is...


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## grovesy (Apr 7, 2017)

Good luck.


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## Mark Parrott (Apr 7, 2017)

For breakfast I often have Greek yoghurt & berries & mixed seeds.  Low carb & the seeds give it some texture.


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## Davo (Apr 7, 2017)

Thanks Mark. Are berries better than an apple? I like the idea of some seeds as well. What type do you use?


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## Mark Parrott (Apr 7, 2017)

Tesco sell a mixed seeds pack.  It's really nice.  Berries (strawberries, blackcurrants, redcurrents) are lower sugar than apples, so are fine for us lot.


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