What are you experiences of type 2 diabetes treatment?

[FacingUp]

My DF was diagnosed in October, he’s on metformin and has cut most sugary foods from his diet.
A recent eye test has detected bleeding behind his eye and he’s suffering sharp shooting pains all over his body.
I’m very concerned that his blood sugars are still high and causing neuropathy and the eye bleeds, I spoke to his GP on Friday and she revealed he hasn’t had his blood sugars checked since October! (Is that normal?) she says he’s not entitled to a blood glucose monitor on the NHS but finally relented when I pointed out how concerned I was about his health, he’s pale and lethargic and just seems unwell.
He’s coming over today so I can help him get the monitor set up as the GP just left it at reception for collection so no one has actually shown him how to use it.
He’s also recovering from a recent stroke so I am doubly concerned for him at the moment, feel absolutely sick with worry any advice please?

My DH was diagnosed a year ago. He's on metformin and has made changes to diet & exercise which have reduced his levels. We also went on a really informative course about carbohydrates run by our local health service. Their guidance was between 25 - 40 grams of carbohydrates per meal, and that carbs eaten with fats were less likely to cause sugar spikes.

I am pre diabetic and as soon as i found out I bought a monitor. I have since lost 11kgs following a low carb moderate fat/protein way of eating and I stick to less than 30g of carbs a day as I do not want to use drugs to control it. Please research keto and type 2 diabetes. The diabetic nurse i saw tried to get me to eat over 150g of carbs a day, doh, thats what got me here!!!! My blood glucose levels are in normal range now, it took about 3 months of low carb eating to get them down. I was stressed to death about it, but I feel better now I am in control. Please have a look at Dr Ken Berry on youtube, very interesting stuff and I credit him for stopping this horrible disease in its tracks.

There was a very brave gp last year who said type 2 diabetes shouldn’t be treated at all as it’s so reversible.

There used to be a forum on diabetes uk where people were trying low carb diets and getting amazing results but official nhs guidelines are still diets made up of complex carbs.

I think some of the Northern European countries recently changed their guidelines to low carb.

Is he able to cook himself healthy meals now he’s had a stroke?.

What sort of 'diet' is he on? Is he really sticking to it.
Blood Test pre meal?
Type 1 for 45 years, all my life here.
Cutting down on white carbs, potato's, bread, pasta, sweets and chocolate, will help.

Thanks all, Dads here now so I’ll pop back later and reply to people individually.
He still looks unwell, very pale and fall asleep in the chair which isn’t like him at all

How horrible to call another poster a dick and tell them to fuck off for misreading something.

I had looked up some other advice for you to help but don’t deal with offensive people so I’m off as well.

And she had apologised!

I can understand your concerns op, that does sound bad that
his eye bleeds aren't being investigated more thoroughly.

I've been type2 for a few years - levels always going up and down
but since last year low carb has been my turning point.

Hi,recently diagnosed and waiting to see the diabetic nurse
Regarding carbs is whole wheat pasta/rice ok in moderation?

Hi. My best advice to you is get your dad on a ketogenic diet.
The blood glucose testing kit, get your dad to test immediately before eating, and 2 hours after eating.
Exercise and drinking lots of water is good. Artificial sweeteners can still spike blood sugar levels so you need to watch those too X

Pasta, rice, potatoes, bread, porridge oats, bananas, all need to go.

whatsthe when the family have rice I mix it with cauliflower rice for my portion to lower the carb (about 1 third rice to 2 thirds cauliflower rice). You can buy it frozen in portion sizes to microwave, or make your own and freeze it. Basmati rice is the lowest GI, I don't think there's all that much difference between brown and white.

I have a small amount of pasta (like two dessert spoons, or 10 pieces of penne) with a protein/green veg meal when the rest of the family are having pasta. I wouldn't eat a pasta meal, like spaghetti bolognese or carbonara, as that's far too much carb no matter what type of pasta it is. If you cook and chill pasta then some of the carb molecules lengthen (or something, I forget the exact science) and become insoluble fibre, which means that the carb content is lowered. You can also reheat it after it has been cooked/chilled and it will still have a lower carb content. Even then I don't have very much of it.

It's fairly standard for type II diabetics to not monitor blood sugars at home now. HbA1c will give an indication of gycaemic control over the last 3 months.

It takes a long while for microvascular changes to occur so any eye/neuropathic problems have probably been brewing for a while before he was diagnosed. Now he's on treatment this should slow down any progression (but won't reverse the damage already done).

I have been type 2 diabetic for 20 years. It runs in my dad's family. I don't test often unless asked to by drs. I started out diet control but that didn't last long. Then I had Metformin which I still take. I have had additional meds which have varied. I currently take Metformin, Dapagliflozin and inject insulin. I also take Simvastatin and aspirin until recently when Dr said I don't need the aspirin. I have no neuropathy as far as I know and my eyes are good. My practice encourages home testing and have given me a new monitor. The test strips were on my repeat prescription but aren't now. I can ask if I want some. I am due my annual check up now which is never useful after Xmas! I am recovering from a really bad virus and have lost 4lbs. Ask me anything you want OP. I wish your dad well.

Cauliflowersqueeze it was the shitty tone of her posts that pissed me off but off you pop love, it really doesn’t bother me.

Doesn't he have a diabetes nurse to advise him on how to use the monitor? It's actually not hard to use though once you've done it a few times.

Has he been to see the GP with his tiredness and pallor - sounds more like anaemia or some other kind of deficiency to me than diabetes complications?

Reading through there seems to be a mix of type 2 people who have monitors and some who don’t, my MIL has always been provided with them despite being type 2 and initially tested every day until she was able to get her sugars under control, she now just tests if she’s feeling unwell.
As I said previously she’s a recently retired nurse and is of the opinion that my dad should have a monitor but if it’s also normal to not have one then he probably won’t use it forever, he’ll hopefully find it helpful to monitor for a short period while he’s trying to get it all under control and while these worrying symptoms are persisting.
We tried to get him set up today with it but we kept getting error codes so looks like it might take a while to work it out, he’s asked me to call his diabetic nurse on Monday for advice about it.
Thank you for the helpful input most of you have given, it’s a very worrying time for us all given that he’s just come through a stroke and now diabetes has been discovered on top of that.
Some of you asked if Dad is overweight; he was slightly but has lost a lot since October and diet wise he’s eating more veg and almost no processed foods (he may have a zero sugar fizzy drink now and then) I think he’s still having his usual amount of carbs though so that’s something he can cut back on aswell, he’s eating a handful of grapes and two satsumas a day, does anyone know if that’s too much?

JudasPrudy
He does, he last saw her end of November and she told him to come back in 6 months but the described symptoms have started in the last week, DF has asked me to call get on Monday to see if she can help with the monitor.

And yes he’s seen the GP who ordered a blood test in relation to his new symptoms, were waiting for the results.

Be better if he could change the fruit to an apple and blueberries, frozen are quite nice.

MissTook thanks I’ll suggest that to him.

I'd recommend listening to the first episode of the 2 keto dudes podcast. It's hosted by 2 guys that reversed their type 2 diabetes. I'm sure future episodes go on to talk about glucose metres.

I strongly suggest following Patrick Holford diet. My DF and a friend have reversed their diabetics by following it