I’m coming up on my second week since diagnosis and my numbers are staying steady in the mid to high 200s with a couple of results in the high 100s.
I’m on 500mg of Metformin twice daily.
Your blood sugars won’t come down until you stop eating the carbohydrates that push those blood sugars up or get your doctor to put you on enough meal-time insulin to counteract them.
Carbs raise blood sugar. It’s that simple.
I’ve gotten these high numbers when I’ve eaten a meal of nothing but protein. And I’ve gotten the lower numbers when I’ve eaten meals with carbs.
The other day I was at 190 before dinner and two hours later I was at 194 and the meal contained carbs.
I’m new to this too and wondered the same thing. I’m a month in to taking metformin and 5 days into taking Byetta. I saw the drop start to happen with the metformin, diet, and walking a week ago (from just below 200 to the 140s). Then since the Byetta (with metformin, diet and walking) I’m seeing an even better drop hitting my all time low of 121. But the carbs and walking seem to be the real key here. The meds help for sure and I’m really seeing the results with the byetta but cut out those carbs and get moving! You will see results. Not only are my BG numbers down but I’ve lost 5 pounds. It is a good situation all around.
The exercise is just about impossible for me as I’m disabled and in chronic pain. I’m having to rely on diet and meds to lower my numbers.
I’ve got to go to the dr. for a follow-up on Friday. I’m thinking about talking to her about Byetta then.
Mandy,
If you are getting blood sugars that high when you cut out carbs, you need to talk to your doctor about insulin. Your blood sugars are much too high. Even the ultra-conservative ADA says blood sugars should be under 180. Most endocrinologists say under 140.
Byetta might be worth a try, but if you don’t see dramatic change within a month or so, don’t keep using it and allowing your blood sugars to stay very high. I see people reporting that they are doing just that , under the confused belief that Byetta somehow is restoring beta cells. Beta cells die when blood sugars approach 200, and no drug will regrow them in those conditions. The drug company is pursuing a campaign of misinformation to make doctors think that Byetta regrows beta cells. In fact, the only thing that will regrow beta cells is getting rid of “glucose toxicity” the poisoning effect of very high blood sugars.
So if you aren’t getting under 140 at 2 hours with Byetta, demand that your doctor put you on as much insulin as it takes–basal and bolus, and get it right.
I am 3 months into this, and up until 2 weeks ago, my sugars were into the 200 and even some 300’s. I had cut out most of my carbs, and was eating only good foods. Like salad every single meal. So I was quite discouraged. I was on metformin as well as lantas, and humlin r. Then i went to an endo, and he changed my meds and put me on januvia, lantas, and symlin. Now my sugars average about 150 a day. I am suppose to get them to 110, so I have a bit to go, but i have an amazing amount of energy, and I actually feel good. So don’t give up. All it takes is a little time and patience.
There are so many things that your body converts to sugar that you may not recognize as typical carbohydrates. I found identifying the culprit the most difficult thing. If you find the numbers in the 200s, there is definitely a cause.
- check the meter, the strip code, and ask a non-diabetic to try out the meter
- write down everything and in detail of what you eat. No detail is too small. Post it here on tudiabetes or look it up in a book to find their carbohydrate value.
When I was first diagnosed, the nurse at the hospital told me that I could eat all the fruits I want! Ha! one orange put me in the 200s.
Mandy…caffeine causes my BS to rise. Do you drink coffee/tea/sodas? (NO!!! I have not given them up…I am still struggling with some high #'s as well, but if I had to give up my legal drug, I’d probably give up hope…I just dose my insulin accordingly. Good luck.
i wished we could eat all the fruit we want! that is one of the hardest things to give up! well that and chocolate
I don’t like bananas to start with. Diagnosis just gave me a wicked excuse to stop eating them. I miss watermelon, grapes, and mango though.
Daena…I eat all those things and think that I am eating so healthfully. I just dose accordingly, but after reading what so many of you say, I guess I am going to have to start eating in a more disciplined fashion…denying myself things I want…so hard. I have been aiming to have my #'s in the normal range 2 hours after eating. If I’ve bothered to check, and they’re not, I correct. I have seen after meal spikes that are too high. Putting this in writing, shows me how bad, for lack of another word (maybe, in denial,) I’ve been. Wow.
I’m taking oral medication and so I am extra careful with food because I can’t correct a high by bolusing. There are many other fruits that I enjoy though, so I don’t necessarily miss out.
Elaine, If you love fruit but want to keep your BG in control, have you tried upping your insulin a bit and testing at one hour to see how high you go? I really don’t mind giving up donuts and cake but feel that fruit is a healthy, low-fat dessert. So I do extra insulin, weigh the fruit and have just a small amount , test at an hour and have some more if I am going low. I am now taking 4-5 units of insulin rather than 2-3 so I can eat fruit. But I have done a lot of experimentation to make sure I can keep my BG between 80 and 120 at all times, including the 2 hours after meals. I also add a small amount of mango, grapes or apple to my salads as a treat.
The big thing is don’t give up. Also if you’re not happy with your numbers, talk to your doctor and ask him/her if there isn’t something else that you can do. Give your meds a while to do what it should do and if your still not happy talk to
him/her. Also ask your doctor about diabeters training. It’s a great class to take and it will give you some ideas on how
to work with carbs and exercise and the different oral meds and types of insulin. Check it out.
If you like dark chocolate, it is actually very low in carbs. The darker the chocolate (the higher cocoa %), the lower the carbs. And the good thing is that dark chocolate is actually good for your heart! So I’m currently enjoying Lindt “Excellence” Extra Dark (85% cocoa) – 4 squares (about 40g) in a serving = 8 carbs, including 3 fiber. I eat a square most evenings as a late evening snack.
Really dark chocolate is definitely something you have to get used to… and stay away from Hershey’s, it’s crap.
Libby, your routine seems to make a lot of sense and if asked, that is what I would say I try to do. I cheat with sweets occasionally, but fruit seems like it should be a healthy everyday part of one’s diet. I have had some scary lows, like most of us, so I think I am scared to aggressively dose as high as I might. I also am bad about checking in an hour…I get busy. I am going to start an active new job and I will really have to be careful. I guess not eat carbs, so not dose while I am working? (And of course, always have sugar near by.) I start feeling low in the 70’s so a BS reading of 80 scares me. Your input is encourageing me to do better. Thanks.
oh girl, you said the magic word, CHOCOLATE!!! That is my weakness, esp during certain times of the month. I am not a fan of dark chocolate, but if means I can have it a bit more, I just might have to try it. Thanks!
I have been struggling with type 2 for about a year now, just about everything I eat spikes my BS, I started on glucafage then metformin then actos now januvia, I excersise 4 days a week and need to get diet under control, i have many reading in the mid two hundreds, my doctor didnt make things seem that urgent, after researching on the internet I am scared to death…
I allow myself one square of Ghiradelli 72% chocolate each day at lunchtime. I break it into teeny tiny bits and nibble each bit or even let it melt in my mouth. The 10 minutes I spend eating that chocolate are the highlight of my meal.