Underactive and Diabetes: Have been strugglng... - Thyroid UK

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Underactive and Diabetes

decembersignup profile image
12 Replies

Have been strugglng with slightly underactive for about a year, taking thyroxine and sometimes feeling fine . Then I got other new symptoms but was told that it was just one of those things that goes with thyroid. But I dont just believe whatever a doctor or nurse tells me and researched. My research pointed to how it was another problem, probably connected, maybe adrenal glands.  I pushed and had a urine test, now am told to see a diabetic doctor, so presumably thats what the second problem is. Am going to take cinammon to help me. Am already adjusting diet to help with heart and other things. The diet I have researched for diabtes 2 seems very much like my new diet anyway - less protein, less meat, less fat, less dairy, more veg and fruit, less salt and sugar etc. Perhaps a healthy diet is a healthy diet. I started to eat a handful of walnuts a few weeks ago and hey guess what, that is also recommended for diabetes 2, though I was taking it to help myheart and help prevent dementia, which two people in my family got,. Has anyne else got a connection with underactive thyroid AND diabetes 2 and how are you getting on if so? 

At first I was shocked and upset now I try to tell myself that if I exercise more and lose weight and eat right I can reverse it, which is not possible with thyroid.  Would be great to be able to go out again properly where now I cough and wheeze and can barely walk to the end of the road without someone with me and problems.

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decembersignup
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12 Replies
Arab profile image
Arab

Hello decembersignup,

Dr Michael Mosely has written a book called The 8Week Blood Sugar Diet, specifically for pre diabetic and newly diagnosed diabetics, and with testimonies of people who have reversed their blood sugar problems. There appears to be a lot of good scientific evidence behind this.

Well worth a read, but you would need to check with your GP that it would be OK for you to follow. 

Arab. 🙂

decembersignup profile image
decembersignup in reply toArab

Thanks for the info. But cannot see the point in checking with doctor if I can change the foods I eat, the doctor knows nothing about diet and nutrition or preventative health care at all.  I have improved my blood pressure a great deal through my research and diet, if he had had his way he would just give me medication that makes me feel grotty.

Marz profile image
Marz in reply todecembersignup

Maybe Arab was being cautious and not wanting to pass on advice that could harm you.  We are all being very careful these days .....

decembersignup profile image
decembersignup in reply toMarz

YES I had worked that out But if your current diet is causing you problems it cannot be harmful to change to a healthier one and would ask someone who is qualified in those or research it yourself or both.  I am in the UK where doctors know diddly squat about diet so why ask for their opinion? The best I would get is that they would make an appointment for me to go 30 mins to talk to a dietician who knows about vitamins andminerals. AND if I were stupid enough to spend a day getting there and back to talk to them tghey would tell me which foods are rich in this or that vitamin andmineral, things I already know and can lookup online far quicker without spending money and time on travelling or taking time off of work.

Marz profile image
Marz in reply todecembersignup

thediabetessummit.com/

Maybe you would find this forthcoming summit helpful ..... no travelling and its FREE !

decembersignup profile image
decembersignup

many thanks

Treepie profile image
Treepie in reply todecembersignup

Hypo in 2014, September that year told not diabetic although i was close to the cusp.then December 2015 diabetic.Three months on ,back to where i was in September 2014. What did i do different over he past three months.

Stopped eating moreish Morrisons best scones,all cakes/ biscuits, stopped all fruit yoghurts with sugar of up to 18% , checked sugar/ carbohydrate of which sugars.....on packaged products e.g muesli.Stopped packaged pizza and  curry.Reduced honey ,a favourite food, to very little.

Had already been  eating well ( apart from developing sweet tooth in 2015) with very little packaged foods, meat mainly from local farmer and cheaper veg from local market.

Did not try to cut fat ,in fact ate more plus lots of cheese.

Also added black seed oil ( cumin) to morning porrige .Not very pleasant and not sure whether it contributed but many claims for it.

Tried to walk 3 miles every day .

decembersignup profile image
decembersignup in reply toTreepie

Interesting you ate more cheese when they often say cut fat, but cheese is also protein, I love cheese but have cut it down al ot because of the risk of dementia.  I dont have a sweet tooth at all and rarely have sweet things.

Treepie profile image
Treepie in reply todecembersignup

Its an oddity,or maybe not ,that there are two diametrically opposed views of the right diet for diabetes: the official NHS approach high carb and low fat or low carb and high fat.I have gone for the latter.Some Israeli research mentioned in the Mail indicated that the latter might be preferable for over 50's.

I was not aware of a link between cheese and dementia. Forgot to mention dumping marg for butter.

decembersignup profile image
decembersignup in reply toTreepie

My grandmother and mother have dementia so I decided to do my best to avoid it. I get fed up with people who dont exercise or take care of themselves saynig they only got ill because of bad luck - and if a person excersieses and eats the right things they are only healthy because of good luck. Cheese is one of the worst things for dementia which is a shame as I love it . A lot of things on that diet are the same thoughn, lots of whole grains, pulses, beans etc no sugar etc.

faith63 profile image
faith63

anewdayanewme.com/dr-mark-h...

read his info on diabetes and reversing autoimmune and inflammation..i am doing this stuff to heal myself.

brummigal profile image
brummigal

I have underactive thyroid and type II diabetes.  The GP sent me on a course called xpert its a 6 week course but Sooooo worth while for diabetes, puts it all in perspective.  I am taking 500mg metformin and 150mg throxine and all seems to be under control my HBA1c was 41 but started at 56 so its coming down.  I dont do asmuch excersise as I should but try to eat as healty as i can (not always easy) the nurse said it I can get my HBa1c down in the 30's they would consider taking me of the metformin making me "non diabetic" so im working towards that... there is light at the end of the tunnel but definately go on the xpert for diabetes you will be suprised what is high in sugar and what is not.... its not as simple as you think!

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