Diabetic but with normal fasting blood tests

[mogsta22]

I just read this thread from start to finish and it was very interesting reading indeed.

I think I have had PCOS for at least 20 years now and I am still undiagnosed. I am 49 years old now. I have had high blood pressure and high cholesterol for many years and this is a known PCOS/Insulin resistance side effect. I am also about 5 stones overweight and have a lovely beard.

There definately isn't enough research done into insulin resistance, a condition I know too well. About 3 years ago I started becoming unable to stay awake during mid afternoon. Quite by accident I discoverd many months later that this was almost certainly linked to carbohydrate intake at lunchtime. I stopped eating any bread,pasta,rice or potato products and found this worked very well.

I recently had a GTT and scored 6.5 rising to 10.8. This put me as being very slightly below being a diabetic but I was referred to see the nurse at the practice for "education". She advised me to ram myself full of carbohydrates at all times of day and it got a bit heated when I started to disagree with her. I purchased a blood glucose monitor and started to monitor my own BG levels 8 times a day along with keeping a food diary of what I was eating. I qickly identified those things that give me high blood sugar and have eradicated them from my diet.

I no longer eat ceraeal or toast for breakfast, I have an egg instaed. I do not eat any bread, pasta, rice or potato at any meal. I have been reading up on low carb dieting and have changed to a low carb diet. I still feel full after meals as I compensate with more veg or salad to replace the starchy carbs. I have lost 3 kg in a little over 1 month and I have never found it hard to do. I also switched milk for soya milk.

I saw the doctor on Tuesday and was amazed by what she said. She said that the nurse was totally wrong apart from the "You will become diabetic". She said if I ate a diet containing lots of carbs then yes, I would get diabetes but that I needed to go low carb and if so would probably not. I then confessed that I had done this off my own back as I had done some research and this was what I felt was right for me and that I had at last started to move some weight. She actually congratulated me! I have also been referred to see a dietician to get more help with my new low carb diet and been referred to a gym to help with exercise. I am optimistic about the future.

A quick parting word about glucose testing. I bought a monitor quite cheaply but then found that the testing strips are very expensive. About £25 for 50 sticks at the chemist. I managed to get some cheap strips from eBAy to see me through my intial phase of testing when I get up, 1 hour and 2 hours after each meal and before going to bed at night. After testing at this level for 1 month I had a good idea of what caused my levels to change and have now reduced testing to AM and after I have eaten something different from normal. This keeps it affordable since most doctors will only prescribe the testing strips if you are an insulin dependent diabetic.

I hope that what I have written of my experiences is of help to one of you great people out there.

Jean

[jow]

Tina, I bought myself a one touch ultra kit from superdrug ( about £12) and a standard small size bottle of orginal lucozade.

I tested before drinking the bottle then every 30 mins aferwards for 2 hours.

With me - as soon as I got to the one hour mark I had readings of 12+ which then rose up to about 16 and back down to about 12 at 2 hours..thats when the finally got diagnosed.

I did this a few years back too and my readings were just over 11+ at about an hour then dropped back to very low by 2 hours. At this stage I already knew I had problems! I'd be interested to know your results, Jo

[jow]

mogsta22, you have done what I should have done years ago. Having not been taken seriously by the doctors with reading of 10+ I carried on eating carbs and killing my beta cells! Like you the first thing they did when I was diagnosed was tell me to eat carbs...

Do you mind me asking, are you on metformin too? the doctor did offer me this years ago and I wish I had taken up the offer because my body works so much better with it, part form the occasiponal side effect.

[mogsta22]

Do you mind me asking, are you on metformin too? the doctor did offer me this years ago and I wish I had taken up the offer because my body works so much better with it, part form the occasiponal side effect.

No, I have not been offered any drugs at all. The doc is still not making the connections. I am committed to giving it 6 months of diet and exercise and then will ask for an endo.

[ElleBelle]

Wow this is an interesting thread.
Maybe its an idea for me to get one of these home blood sugar test kits, can anyone suggest the best one to get thats not to pricey?

I was doing quite well at eating low gi and cutting down on carbs, however since being on cilest and my skin getting better Ive sort of gone back to my old ways as certain foods dont aggrivate my acne like they used to.
However Ive noticed Ive been feeling very sleepy after breakfast and lunch to the point where I really struggle to keep my eyes open so I think I need to start eating better again, though I do find this very difficult and expensive.

If I can do my own sort of testing maybe I'll have something new to go back to my gp with.

[mogsta22]

Wow this is an interesting thread.
Maybe its an idea for me to get one of these home blood sugar test kits, can anyone suggest the best one to get thats not to pricey?

I got a One touch Ultra. Available at chemists and also on eBAy and online chemists. The monitor will come with a starter pack of 10 strips but these are of minimal use to you as you really do need to test 8 times per day at first along with a food diary of exactly what you eat and how you feel. The strips are very,very expensive - this is why the monitor itself is so cheap - £25 for a pack of 50 strips. Keep a close eye on eBay. Lots of strips available there for various meters. I usually pay around £10 for 50. After tresting and experimenting with your food for one month you will have a good idea what causes your blood glucose levels to rise. I like my first test before eating or drinking to be less than 6. One hour after food I like it to be less than 8 and two hours after food I like it to be less than 6.5. Anything over 10 is not a good score!

I was doing quite well at eating low gi and cutting down on carbs, however since being on cilest and my skin getting better Ive sort of gone back to my old ways as certain foods dont aggrivate my acne like they used to.
However Ive noticed Ive been feeling very sleepy after breakfast and lunch to the point where I really struggle to keep my eyes open so I think I need to start eating better again, though I do find this very difficult and expensive.

If I can do my own sort of testing maybe I'll have something new to go back to my gp with.

You definately need a food diary. What do you eat for breakfast is it cereal? Cereal send my BG over 12. What do you eat at lunch? I found that bread or potato or just about anything with a lot of sugar or carb gave me exactly the symptoms you describe. Eggs are not expensive. I have one egg scrambled or boiled for breakfast. For lunch I have salad, lettuce tomato and red onion plus some canned fish. One can lasts me for 2 days. Tuna is pretty cheap and a bag of lettuce leaves plus 6 tomatoes and a red onion only costs a couple of pounds and lasts all week. A bottle of low carb dressing lasts 2 weeks or make your own with olive oil and vinegar with a few dried mixed herbs in it. For my evening meal I have meat or fish with lots of veg. Aldi do some excellent frozen fish at ridiculous prices. I was telling my GP about the packs of 5 frozen Sea Bass for £5 and she couldn't wait to go and get some for herself. We go every 6 to 8 weeks just to get the goodies they have there.

Another forum I found at the same time as this one is http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-forum/

I was very scared about my Insulin Resistance progressing to Diabetes and found the forum there to be great for getting dietary support for low carb dieters. There is a lot of very good advice there from people who have been there and done it all.

Please, ask me any questions you have as I feel like a new woman at the moment. Finally losing weight after 20 years of trying, have more energy, less depressed and in control of my own body for once.

Jean

[hs2395]

have got another g.p have not had a letter yet from endo, still waiting, however....

I had a GTT when I was pregnant, and nearly passed out, i went all grey and had a funny turn, due to this they never got my bloods which they were meant to take an hour afterwards.

I have got myself an accu check compact plus bg kit - it is fab, and loads of online stuff, if your mtr gets old they will replace it, you can send off for fre batteries ect as well. Feeling really tired and lethargic today but just took bg and 4.8 so not too bad, but shattered.

Maybe the new doc will put me bck on the metformin straight away ??

Oh and I have pain for 3 weeks right side again, im gonna blow out soon. been rushed to hospital several times before when cysts bursts.

[hs2395]

I got mine from boots, however what I did was to check which strips they sold as well.

it is cartridge strips so no loading ect, and it is about £5-6 for 17 however they had them at half price the other week at 3.00 so stocked up !


Im worried about doing the lucozade test at home as last time i had one i nearly passed out, might have to do it on a w/e and get someone to sit with me