New to Diabetes

[Angels-delight]

I am in Canada at the moment without a GP as I came over from the UK last December.

I would appreciate any help and information as I feel everyone is telling me different and make it very confusing for someone who is new to Diabetes. I have asked about the difference in blood sugar readings and someone said times it by 18 and someone else said divide by 18.

I am getting various diets to follow low carb and high fat. I do have RA/RD as well as thyroid which I take 125mg per day thyroxin for approx. 35 years. I have been told that I have steroid induced diabetes and once I can start to reduce and stop the steroids I will no longer be diabetic.

I have had various health issues and various medications, I was taking Tocilzumab infusions but had problems with the last 2 infusions with throbbing pains up my spine BP 220 and my BS dropped to 2.1

my bs in a morning is about 12.1 and increases throughout the day. My sister has been diabetic for many years and is on insulin.

My diabetes nurse sold me on my last visit never to snack, only three meals a day, but I do feel hungry in the evening and so much so I am unable to sleep.

I did go on a education day before I came over which I do feel it helped but now that my bs is 12.1 first thing and is increasing it does concern me.

I would appreciate any advise possible. I will be able to see a GP in another month.

[Angels-delight]

Thank you for your response anup, I will look into LCHF and give it a go. At the moment I am staying with family and have to eat the same food they do so it won't be easy. S

[Theziggy]

Pop into this forum and ask anything that you want to - best forum I've seen, ran by diabetics for diabetics - diabetes-support.org.uk/

[ceejayblue]

Please bear in mind that the LCHF diet isn't for everyone! If you have underlying medical conditions please seek the advice of your doctor. I am T2 on metformin and I eat low/med carb low/med fat because too much fat upsets my hiatus hernia and gallstones. I checked with my GP and he said it was best to do as I'm doing as it is obviously working because my HbA1c has dropped to 6.1 since my diagnosis 4 years ago. I watch my carbs and try (not always easy) to eat no more than 195g per day (inc snacks and treats if needed) but like to aim for 150-165g. I don't always manage it, but I try. You certainly don't need to go below 100g (in my opinion) especially as a T2 your pancreas is still able to produce some insulin.

You also need to make sure that you drink water and get regular exerise, if you are on medication take it at the right time and just remember that you need to control your diabetes and don't let it control you. One thing though, once you are a diabetic you will always be a diabetic, if you get your levels down into the normal range it only means that you are in excellent control, you could if you do not keep watching carbs the levels could creep up again. When looking at labels always look at the total carb content, the "of which sugars" figures are included in the total carb. However, if you are in Canada, I'm not sure if their labelling is the same as over here, as I know in the US they do separate out the carbs and fibre and use "net carbs" but I have no experience of this.

I would recommend the diabetes.org.uk website for lots of support and information - they have training modules on their website and also look at Xperthealth.org.uk where you can find out about training courses if you come back to the UK.

[Angels-delight]

Thank you for your excellent response, the information you gave me is very helpful.

Sue

[TRULYSPEAKING]

I don't understand unit you have indicated. In India blood glucose or blood sugar is commonly in mg/dl (milligram per decilitre of blood. In mg/dl normal sugar level is 100 i.e. 100 mg / dl of blood. Normally on an average a human body contains 5 litres of blood or 5000 cc or 50 dl. At 100 mg / dl the total amount of sugar in an average human being is 5000 mg or 5 gm which is one level tea spoon of sugar.

Those detected with diabetes should have 130 mg / dl of blood as fasting sugar and 180 mg/ dl as post perendrial (pp) sugar that is two hours after the breakfast.

In a non-diabetic person in cnsming sugar the pancreas releases a harmone called insulin which converts the sugar in a form that would be released slowly into the blood stream giving the person energy as and when needed.

In a diabetic person insulin is either not released or is blocked from entering into the blood stream. Therefore, on consuming sugar or carbohydrates the sugar goes into the blood stream which is bad, if it exceeds the accepted level of 100 mg / dl.

Thus if a diabetic person consumes one tea spoon full of sugar his blood sugar level will go up by an extra 100 mg / dl and would be recorded as such that is his fasting sugar plus 100. So if fasting is 130, it would be 230 mg/dl.

Therefore, the diabetics are advised to have smaller meals more often than larger meals three times a day. Smaller meals would release smaller amount of sugar into the blood stream, which over a period of time would get converted into energy.

The medicines perceived in the very initial stage are Amaryl - that is glenpride. However, over a period of time say after six years or so the endocrinologist puts the diabetic person on insuln.

There are two types of insulins. Glargin and Humalog.

Glargin is slow acting and its effect lasts longer - over a period of over 12 hours. However, humalog insulin is fast acting and its effect lasts from four to five hours.

The only side effect of insulin is hypoglycaemia - low sugar in the blood. This is because the insulin gets into the blood on taking the injection, whereas insulin secrets by the pancreas is on pancreas receiving the signal of sugar getting into the blood stream. The diabetics are, therefore, advised to keep candies on their person or handy. The symptoms if hypoglycaemia are suddenly feeling lifeless, fingers shaking, cold sweat, shaky legs etc. On such symptoms one must immediately take sugar, candy, chocolate, honey or any sugary mayerial.

Caution: Avdiabetic person MUST NOT do self medication. He must consult an endocrinologist for advice.

Fruits that a diabetic may take are: papaya, guava, Apple. Fruits to FR avoided: mangoes, grapes etc.

You must consult a doctor as regards the medication and DO NOT go by the advice on Internet like this .

[Angels-delight]

Thank you Smiley881, I would appreciate that as at night I am starving, so much so I am unable to sleep. I also have to take 3 Metformin and I noticed on here that most take only 2 per day. I was advised about not snacking by my diabetes nurse in the UK I have since moved to Canada and yet to see a GP and Diabetes nurse here.

Thanks again, S

[ceejayblue]

Sorry, don't agree with you. Type 2s can go into remission with exceptional control but you can always dip back into diabetic levels again if you don't keep it up. I have friends who have done it. Type 1 cannot be reversed.

[ceejayblue]

That's excellent but LCHF isn't for everyone especially if they have other health issues. Glad that it's worked for you

[ceejayblue]

I have gallstones and a hiatus hernia and had no problems for years because I eat low/med fat, high fat gives me problems.