I'm a Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetic...
Quiing
Posts: 261 Member
Hi guys.
It's taking a lot of guts for me to write this post. After losing about 80 pounds over the past 5 years to avoid getting diabetes (many relatives on both sides of my family have it), I got the lab results from my doctor the other day and she told me that I am, indeed, a type 2 diabetic. Mind you I haven't had blood tests done in 5 years (blood sugar was normal then)... it still caught up to me even after all of that hard work. I'm very sad about it.
She prescribed me two pill to help regulate blood sugar, and also told me to kick *kitten* at lowering my carbs and working out. But I'm running into problems... I'm going to ask her, but I want to get a general consensus from you guys.
When I take my medication and keep my carbs really low (around 30g a day), I feel AWFUL. Lightheadedness, nausea, etc. When I had McDonalds for breakfast and a few carby snacks (rounding to over 100g of carbs that day). I felt fine... so is it safe to say that I can only do one or the other? Would it be wise to not take the medication and just stick to going low carb to beat this disease?
Any other advice you guys can give me would be great. Thank you so much.
It's taking a lot of guts for me to write this post. After losing about 80 pounds over the past 5 years to avoid getting diabetes (many relatives on both sides of my family have it), I got the lab results from my doctor the other day and she told me that I am, indeed, a type 2 diabetic. Mind you I haven't had blood tests done in 5 years (blood sugar was normal then)... it still caught up to me even after all of that hard work. I'm very sad about it.
She prescribed me two pill to help regulate blood sugar, and also told me to kick *kitten* at lowering my carbs and working out. But I'm running into problems... I'm going to ask her, but I want to get a general consensus from you guys.
When I take my medication and keep my carbs really low (around 30g a day), I feel AWFUL. Lightheadedness, nausea, etc. When I had McDonalds for breakfast and a few carby snacks (rounding to over 100g of carbs that day). I felt fine... so is it safe to say that I can only do one or the other? Would it be wise to not take the medication and just stick to going low carb to beat this disease?
Any other advice you guys can give me would be great. Thank you so much.
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Replies
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Well first of all, great job on losing all that weight! I'm really sorry to hear you got diabetes anyway. I don't have much experience with diabetes but you can look into Plexus if you haven't already. It can help lower your sugar levels and teach your body to balance glucose levels. Message me if you have questions.
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Wow I'm sorry! It seems like you have worked very hard and it still wasn't enough. I don't know about how many carbs you should eat and you definitely should discuss with your doctor, but maybe you should look into checking your blood sugar. From what I understand too low of blood sugar is another serious risk with diabetes. Good luck. I hope you work out your diet and medication.0
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I don't have much experience with diabetes but you can look into Plexus if you haven't already.
OP, please ask your doctor before taking ANYTHING that affects your glucose level - especially from someone who confesses not to know much about diabetes. Sorry for the cynicism, but there's a lot of spam popping up today. As a newly-diagnosed diabetic, this isn't something you want to mess around in.
As for Type II, I'm sorry you were diagnosed. That certainly is a life changer. However, don't beat yourself up about it. My doctor has flat out told me that research has indicated sugar intake and weight exacerbate diabetes symptoms, and therefore make the symptoms obvious, but those two factors do not cause diabetes. It's largely genetic, not environmental, but as I said, sugar intake and weight just make it apparent. I have two parents and two grandparents (from both sides) with Type II, who spanned from morbidly obese to underweight when they were diagnosed. When I told my doctor I'm losing weight to prevent diabetes, she came right out and said it was likely, given my family history, that I would see it pop up anyway (though she did encourage me to keep doing what I'm doing to help with symptoms).
As for your blood sugar, here's my suggestion: Monitor, monitor, monitor. Check your sugar before and after meals, and during fasting until you know more about how your body operates. Once you have the general idea, you can slow down and limit your testing to meals and/or when you're feeling to high or low.
Check with your doctor about adjusting your medication. Some people can control their insulin levels with Type II using carb control, but the medication typically works to do this for you. (Type I's don't get that choice, unfortunately.) Reducing carbs and taking medication might be overdoing it. Once again though, your doctor will be able to give you a better idea if you have a ton of data from monitoring your blood sugar to present to them.
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I'm also type 2 since having gestational diabetes twice. I'm also on an oral med and a daily injection to help but our diet is KEY! I've struggled with this SAME problem!! Ask your endo or a diabetic educator to clear this up as I don't know how well to explain it. When we reduce carbs obviously our blood glucose goes down. Which is good if it's high. However if we don't get enough carbs our liver actually starts to produce glucose for us often much more than we need, not knowing our liver has done this we eat a low carb snack of 15g and our blood sugar spikes. Also wanted to mention you should ask about carb counting because I was told 3 meals a day with 3-4 carb points and 2-3 snacks a day with 1-2 carb points. Each point is 15g so if that's also where you should be then you are WAY under. Btw the liver thing is called liver-dumping. Hope this helps!! It's all so hard and complicated0
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Also plexus has been GREAT to me!!!! Levels are down by about 100. However my diet and mess have helped better. And it should be monitored close!0
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For those mentioning Plexus, my mother used to sell that stuff and I'm not interested. Thanks anyway.
Everyone else, thank you for your advice. My doctor gave me a list of endocrinology offices to go to so I need to make that appointment... especially because she said she's not versed enough in diet & nutrition to give me proper advise with consuming carbs (other to say than no soda, no pasta, etc).0 -
Hi I was diagnosed with type two diabetes about three years ago but never took it too serious I figured if I lost a lot of weight it would go away but it is strongly on both sides of my family awesome for maybe I shouldn't think like that no more and get serious I was given a diabetic plan which i.e. more than 30 carbs a day I got it from and nutritionist minor split in breakfast lunch and dinners and snacks like I am allowed to have like I think carb exchanges a day and then certain amount of proteins a day and that if you're interested I'll tell you more details0
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Hi guys.
It's taking a lot of guts for me to write this post. After losing about 80 pounds over the past 5 years to avoid getting diabetes (many relatives on both sides of my family have it), I got the lab results from my doctor the other day and she told me that I am, indeed, a type 2 diabetic. Mind you I haven't had blood tests done in 5 years (blood sugar was normal then)... it still caught up to me even after all of that hard work. I'm very sad about it.
She prescribed me two pill to help regulate blood sugar, and also told me to kick *kitten* at lowering my carbs and working out. But I'm running into problems... I'm going to ask her, but I want to get a general consensus from you guys.
When I take my medication and keep my carbs really low (around 30g a day), I feel AWFUL. Lightheadedness, nausea, etc. When I had McDonalds for breakfast and a few carby snacks (rounding to over 100g of carbs that day). I felt fine... so is it safe to say that I can only do one or the other? Would it be wise to not take the medication and just stick to going low carb to beat this disease?
Any other advice you guys can give me would be great. Thank you so much.
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I am type 2 been 21/2 years
Some pills will lower your blood sugars so if you cut out carbs you may go too low
Look up pills you on see if they do that
Mine are not meant too but if I do exercise and forget to eat or eat late I can start to go into a hypo0 -
In a hypo I feel lightheaded and sick and general awfull0
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Add sodium! At that level of carb intake, you lose a lot of sodium in your urine. It'll make you feel like crap. Pickles, broth, salt!0
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It is not either 30 grams of carbs a day or 100 carbs a day. Maybe try in the middle for a while and stay on the medication -- at least until you get to the next dr.Hi guys.
It's taking a lot of guts for me to write this post. After losing about 80 pounds over the past 5 years to avoid getting diabetes (many relatives on both sides of my family have it), I got the lab results from my doctor the other day and she told me that I am, indeed, a type 2 diabetic. Mind you I haven't had blood tests done in 5 years (blood sugar was normal then)... it still caught up to me even after all of that hard work. I'm very sad about it.
She prescribed me two pill to help regulate blood sugar, and also told me to kick *kitten* at lowering my carbs and working out. But I'm running into problems... I'm going to ask her, but I want to get a general consensus from you guys.
When I take my medication and keep my carbs really low (around 30g a day), I feel AWFUL. Lightheadedness, nausea, etc. When I had McDonalds for breakfast and a few carby snacks (rounding to over 100g of carbs that day). I felt fine... so is it safe to say that I can only do one or the other? Would it be wise to not take the medication and just stick to going low carb to beat this disease?
Any other advice you guys can give me would be great. Thank you so much.
Do you have a monitor? Were you charting those low blood sugar readings? My understanding is that the nausea and lightheadedness is because the body is used to high blood sugars. The body can re-adjust in a good way.0 -
Its been a month for me being diagnosed. .. ive spent hours researching. .. some things were obvious but i still have tons of questions. What i learned so far is that Cinnimon helps lowering it alot... also this thing called bitter melon... thing about that is im scared to try it because supposedly it lowers it alot and can go into ketosis ..
i learned if i dont go walking or do some kind of exercise daily ill get blurry vision and i feel shakey and week
As far as too little carbs i couldnt do it either so i still eat about 150 of carbs but i exercise at least 30 min and i dont feel any symptoms.. let those carbs be good carbs.. mc d sucks make your own breakfast eat a multi grain cereal or oatmeal i know they have about 20 g of carbs but exercise and watch the rest of the day
medication if i skip i feel bad too so i just take it . I take 500 2x a day. DONT DRINK SUGAR FREE CRAP OR DIET SODA IT IS WORSE FOR YOU IN THE LONG RUN. MAKE WATER WITH MINT LEAVES AND LEMON MAKE TAZO PASSION TEA ITS YUMMY AND NO CALORIES NO SUGAR0 -
Hi guys.
It's taking a lot of guts for me to write this post. After losing about 80 pounds over the past 5 years to avoid getting diabetes (many relatives on both sides of my family have it), I got the lab results from my doctor the other day and she told me that I am, indeed, a type 2 diabetic. Mind you I haven't had blood tests done in 5 years (blood sugar was normal then)... it still caught up to me even after all of that hard work. I'm very sad about it.
She prescribed me two pill to help regulate blood sugar, and also told me to kick *kitten* at lowering my carbs and working out. But I'm running into problems... I'm going to ask her, but I want to get a general consensus from you guys.
When I take my medication and keep my carbs really low (around 30g a day), I feel AWFUL. Lightheadedness, nausea, etc. When I had McDonalds for breakfast and a few carby snacks (rounding to over 100g of carbs that day). I felt fine... so is it safe to say that I can only do one or the other? Would it be wise to not take the medication and just stick to going low carb to beat this disease?
Any other advice you guys can give me would be great. Thank you so much.
PLEASE
do not stop taking and/or change the dose without discussing with your doctor!!! If you don't eat enough, you are going to experience low blood sugars(giving you those symptoms). Check with your doctor and tell him/her that you are eating less etc.. Doctor may make changes, just don't mess around with them on your own or by somebody else's suggestions.
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Who told you to eat 30g carbs per day?? Any time you adjust your eating habits you must contact your doctor unless they told you to do it. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at the age of 30. I am now 55. When I first started I was just on pills. Over the years it progressed to insulin and no pills. I always thought I could get away with cheating here and there and just recently came to the conclusion that I was killing myself. In December I promised my Diabetic Educator that I wouldn't cheat anymore. She told me to eat between 30-45g of carbs PER MEAL. Snacks couldn't be over 15g carbs and 200 calories. When I started I weighed 418 lbs. Since December 16th I've lost at least 51 pounds. I have a long way to go but take it one day at a time. I've never heard of 30g of carbs per day. That's going to make the medication go after carbs that aren't even there. Discuss it with your doctor or see a Diabetic Educator. Good luck!0
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I was diagnosed with type II back in 2009 by my doctor and he had me follow a Atkins-light ver. of it's diet along with taking various medications. A total of 5 different pills, not all were diabetes related, along with an injection. Even though I was HUGE at the time, 6'3 and about 20-25 lbs shy of hitting 500, he didn't place much emphasis on calories but more on carbs. It's been a few years but I think he had me at 175-200g a day. My doctor restricted me on white carbs. No white rice or white bread, limit my fruit intake and no soda pop. He also emphasized that the carbs I did consume be of the complex variety. Whole grains, wheat, veggies, that sort of thing. It's been a few years since this all happened and thankfully after much weight loss and exercising, I have been med and diabetes free for nearly 4 years now. The only habit diet wise I've kept from when I started is the soda pop thing. I went cold turkey when I began and haven't had any since. The first week or so I had bad headaches, but they dissipated and I no longer even crave it. Doesn't mean I can slack off either though, if I go back to my old habits my doctor says I can easily become diabetic again. I stay active and I focus more on my macros and calorie intake overall now.
I skimmed over most of the posts and I agree with the majority. Talk to your doctor about how you feel. It's very important not to make any changes to your medications without talking to your doctor first. It was a bit of a trial and error for me when I began. I was checking in with him regularly once a month and there was 1 med my doctor switched out because of leg cramps and a couple others he lowered/raised the dosage for me depending on how I reacted.
Exercise is a very important. Find something you enjoy and stick to it. I do tons of things now but when I started all I did was walk. Easy, low impact, virtually idiot-proof. I quickly learned the value of shoes. I did my research and discovered running shoes. I wasn't running in them at first but having a pair of comfortable shoes to walk in made a world of difference for me. I would walk a minimum of 45-60 mins every day and moved on to harder stuff as I improved fitness wise and lost weight.
Good luck with everything! Remember, what works for one person doesn't necessarily mean it will work for you too. Everyone's different, find what works for you.0 -
You should not keep your carbs very low, you should keep your carbs around 40-50 per meal. Check here:
http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/understanding-carbohydrates/carbohydrate-counting.html
If you browse the site, there are lots of tips on how make diabetes-friendly meal plans, until you can talkto your dr again.0 -
Thanks, everyone. All of your information, advice and support is helping me. I'm making an appointment with my doctor and with an endocrinologist this week to talk about my issues with the medication and to get more information on what I should do based on my situation. Thank you all again!
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Hi OP. I'm not sure if anyone mentioned this, but pair your carbs with a protein. They will break down more slowly and probably lessen the crash that you're describing.
Monitor yourself closely so that you can negotiate what's best for you with your doctor.
Best!0
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