Newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and I have questions.

[DireBetes]

My GP rang me with the news a couple of days ago. I can’t see the nurse until new year, and I wonder if anyone can answer my (probably stupid) questions?

My GP has advised that a low carb diet can manage, and maybe reverse, the diabetes, so I’m reading up about this and feel tentatively positive that I could follow this sort of diet.

I’ve been started on metformin, currently on 1 tablet a day, but to build up to four over a month.

If I mainly manage to stick to a low carb diet and occasionally have a treat, like bread sauce on Christmas Day, or a birthday takeaway, will this be a big set back, or ok as long as most of the time I’m sticking to low carb? Would it be dangerous?

Can I drink alcohol?

The biggest eating and drinking time of year is one week away, I’d love to know how careful I need to be - 100%, or if I would survive 90% careful!

If there’s anything else I really should know I’d be very grateful for advice. 🙂

Hopeful bump

Being mainly careful should be enough, the occasional treat as you are proposing should be fine as long as they don’t slip into a regular habit.
I am pre-diabetic and have been sticking to a low carb diet for a few weeks now. I didn’t realise how sluggish I felt until I started feeling better. I have a blood test booked for March and hope to have a normal hba1c by then.

Mumsnet has a low carb bootcamp thread, the next is starting in January- it’s worth joining for moral support.
www.mumsnet.com/talk/low_carb_bootcamp/4699092-2023-the-first-low-carb-bootcamp-of-the-year-come-and-sign-up?page=2&reply=122336325
The rules are pretty easy to stick to which can be found here.
www.mumsnet.com/talk/low_carb_bootcamp/4656980-pre-christmas-bootcamp-2022-week-1

You could also read the Why we eat too much book and threads on here.

It's not specifically for type 2 diabetes but does advise a lowish carb, no sugar, no processed food diet and is easy to follow as it's not prescriptive and you get to eat lovely food, it's just not processed.

I think alcohol is ok with Metformin but check the advice leaflet. I've taken Metformin in the past but I don't drink alcohol so never need to check 😁Generally spirits are the lower carbs option (beer is bread in a glass) but watch out for the mixers.
An occasional higher carb food choice should be OK too.
What was your HbA1C?

Alcohol is fine with Metformin, but cutting it out is often a quick and easy way to get blood sugars down.

Mostly low carb is fine. I am definitely having roast potatoes and bread sauce for Christmas- having it every week would be more of an issue. It may cause a spike in my sugars, but it should be no more than that.

Thank you!

I rarely drink as I have some sort of intolerance to alcohol - it’s mainly over Christmas when I can tolerate small glasses of boiled mulled wine! I’m guessing that will probably be ok.

I don’t know what my HbA1C is, the nurse is going to cover everything in January.

I was pre-diabetic for a year or so before, and ignored it.

@CornedBeef451 i have that book! (I’m autistic and low carb/keto has been a special interest for years, but I’ve liked it on a scientific level and never actually put it into practice!)

I feel like the diagnosis has given me a push to do better. Occasional treats and not regular sounds doable.

Thank you so much everyone!

I know someone that did reverse their diabetes but she lost 5 stone.

I feel very motivated to do that, but I have probably double that weight to lose!

Weirdly I think I needed the diagnosis to take my health seriously.

once you have your apoointment with the diabetes nurse, discuss fast800 with her.

get a blood glucose meter & test strips.

alkohol is ok, but it can make blood glucose spike so be mindful of that.

badly controlled type2 can lead to the pancreas stopping producing insulin entirely (=type 1).

my dad had type 2 diabetes. he lost a lot of weight (was very overweight and is now s healthy bmi) and is careful with his diet and was able to stop metformin and his blood sugars are normal now.

good luck!

@DireBetes I felt the same. Knew I had to lose weight but was struggling with the motivation, when I was told my hba1c was just 1 point away from being diabetic I started low carb and have happily stuck to it!

You can go into remission but completely reversing diabetes is unlikely for most of us. Go back to eating a normal carby diet and your diabetes will return.

Were you given ER metformin? If you have gut issues it's worth asking for that form as the ordinary metformin can be diabolical.

I have occasional treats but try to stick to a low carb diet and I monitor my blood glucose relentlessly. You soon get to know what risks you can take with food. Alcohol for the most part is OK as long as you are not drinking beer and are careful what mixers you use. Fevertree's low calorie tonic is nice.

I would be careful with the mulled wine, it's very sweet.

The bread sauce should be fine as long as you're eating it with other foods, proteins and fats lower the speed the carb spikes your blood sugar, which is what you're aiming for - gentle, undulating hills and no mountains.

My advice would be to ditch the drugs! Type 2 diabetes is a result of lifestyle so you need to focus on changing that and not rely on medication to do it for you. I know someone in your position and they looked into the side effects of metformin and were horrified at the possible side effects. Completely overhauled diet and exercise and had totally reversed the diabetes within 6-8 weeks. It can be done without drugs and will be better for you long term. My mum also did this with high cholesterol as was also worried about the drugs wanted to prescribe and reversed it herself by lifestyle changes.

that is very dangerous advice.

I have the fast800 book too, but I’ve found that I can’t cope with restricting too much or calorie counting, it messes with my head and flares up anxiety and depression.
I’m confident I’ll be able to low carb as I won’t need to measure anything, just give up sugar and certain things.

I’ll avoid the wine, like I said it’s the only time of year I drink, so it’s not a problem to drop it.

I’m not going to ditch the drugs. I trust my GP and won’t be going against her advice.

I will be overhauling my diet, and hopefully that’ll help as well.

I’ve read that metformin actually helps you lose weight as well, which is a bonus!

To get your head around it all to start off with focus on a meat and 2 veg type diet incl chicken salad.

Eat a couple of chocolates from a Christmas tin and leave it at that as opposed to abstaining completely. Or tell yourself you can have one more in a few hours time so it does become a treat instead.

Drink more water when you feel the urge to eat unnecessarily

Do not ditch the drugs as you've already stated

I'd love to see all these people who 'reversed' their diabetes participate in a longitudinal study because if they are telling the truth, their solution would be the holy grail for most diabetics. Roy Lancaster seems to have helped some people who were very early on in their disease reverse it but that's not going to help most of us.

White wine or red wine is fine in moderation or perhaps mulled wine made with stevia or monkfruit instead of sugar.

What’s dangerous is expecting a drug to solve the problem that is caused by lifestyle and can easily be solved/reversed
by addressing the issues. Admittedly that can be very difficult to do but drugs are not a “magic pill “ and just relying on metformin is surely not the answer. Addressing why op has type 2 diabetes is surely the way forward?

@formulatingAresponse thank you for that.
I’m going to avoid chocolate altogether for now, as I am a binger, once I start I can’t stop! I’d far rather have a few roast potatoes than chocolate.

I can do meat and two veg!

What do you normally eat on a regular day for instance and we can start there to help you tweak your diet including portion sizes

DietDoctor from Sweden is all about low carb, there are interesting results to research, to the point where (I believe) Sweden has adopted low carb as their standard advisory diet.

@Looblou72 the op has already stated she will start low carving so is addressing the underlying issue. With time OP may be able to stop metformin on drs advice.

If you’ve read my posts you’ll see that’s not the case here.
I’ve read that metformin can help me lose weight, which can only be a good thing in terms of the diabetes itself, and for my motivation.
I have had weight issues all my life, I know why I have type 2 diabetes, and at 46, if I was able to address this alone I would have done it already.
I needed the push, I need the back up that my surgery are offering. I’m not relying totally on a wonder drug.