Three weeks and my levels are off the chart still

[edee-b]

I was diagnosed three weeks ago when I went to get a truck driving permit. Type 2. I have been taking 1000 mg metformin twice a day and 10 mg glipizide twice a day. The BEST reading I've had is 160. Usually well over 200 and sometimes over 300. I travel and will go back to my doctor in 6 weeks.
I will be using this site to really monitor my diet. I just today started to go heavy on protiens. I had been eating lots of legumes and whole grains. I have so much to learn and I know I can make changes I need to make. I am also 80 pounds overweight. I have had physicals every year and this is the first time I had any BG issues. I'm on it dog gone it!

[jps]

I've never used Metformin, but many people here have posted that you it usually takes several weeks to kick in.

I'd really suggest reading all you can on this site. Take the time out and really contemplate how you want to attack this. Common wide-held beliefs are not always the right way.

You should keep a log of the foods you eat and test your glucose two hours after eating. That will give you the answer to whether you can tolerate a certain food or not. Let your meter guide you down the path. It will take some time to whittle down your allowable foods, but when you finally get there, you'll find two things hold true. You'll feel better and you'll quickly learn that you don't have to starve and there are still a variety of delicious foods you can eat.

Just because one T2 can tolerate a food, say strawberries for example, doesn't mean YOU can tolerate it. The converse is true. You may be able to eat apples without it budging your sugars while it sends 70% of T2's sky high. That's why frequent testing and logging of foods is critical to living with diabetes.

Good luck on your journey.

[Josselyn]

Great attitude. With determination like yours, you'll soon have this under control.

You don't need to go heavy on proteins. You need to tread more lightly with simple carbohydrates. IMO, let go of the white stuff for sure: sugar, flour, rice, pasta, rolls, bread etc. Portion size matters. Even whole grain items can/will drive up BG; you'll need to test before and 1-2 hours after your first bite to see what spikes you. You'll see the acronym "YMMV" here a lot when describing personal experiences...it means "your mileage may vary"...and it often does.

It took 5-6 weeks to begin to see results with Metformin. It doesn't do much without you supplying the diet/exercise component.

Welcome aboard, edee-b. You've found a wonderfully informative place to help you begin this new phase in your life. Looking forward to reading more of your posts.

BTW, I've just read jps's posting to you. You were just given some great advice...

[yannah]

good advice. met needs your help. true.

and just because its whole grain does not mean you can eat it.

test before eating and test 2 hours after. eat by the meter.

[princesslinda]

Welcome to the forums! I'll second what the others have said about "eating to your meter." Testing 2 hrs after your first bite will show you how different foods affect blood sugar and help you make smarter food choices.

Metformin works by helping your body better use the insulin you're already making. It can take a few weeks to see best results, and it works most effectively when used in combination with diet and regular exercise.

Avoiding white foods (rice, potatoes, bread and pasta) will help as well.

Since you're on the road a lot, keep a cooler packed with healthy foods so you won't be as tempted by convenience foods. Keep plenty of nuts, cheese, veggies w/ranch dressing, s/f jello, meats that can be rolled up into lettuce leaves or low-carb tortillas and salads. Pork rinds are great for when you want the crunch of chips.

Hope you post often, there's a lot to learn here.

[edee-b]

Thanks for all the info and support. This morning fasting was 211 after a 30 min walk and a 30 min bike ride. I'm gonna test all week after anything I do. I really appreciate these threads. I read them for hours. Blessings to ya'll !

[foxl]

As my discharging endo said, "Enjoy the roller coaster ride down."

I still think it was dietary changes more than the Met that stabilized me.

[genie86333]

Thanks for all the info and support. This morning fasting was 211 after a 30 min walk and a 30 min bike ride. I'm gonna test all week after anything I do. I really appreciate these threads. I read them for hours. Blessings to ya'll !

Remember, that *may* not be an accurate fasting as even just getting out of bed can raise your blood sugar - sometimes exercise will lower your blood sugar, but some times it will raise it. So you *may* want to check beforehand as well.

Welcome to the forum, by the way!

[jer.lawrence]

Welcome to the forums and good luck to you! I have no advice to add that hasn't already been said here. :)