Hello ,
Recently diagnosed T2 also with HBP . I’ve just had a week of readings done and have been on 2 medications this last week. I’ve got so much I need to learn and hopeful this medication will only be used short term . I’m currently on metformin and glicizade . My readings were in the hyper bracket between 22 and 16 my goal is to get down to 4.9. Already eat a mainly med diet so looking forward to discovering a lot more about these hidden sugars .

So my only symptom at the moment is very blurred vision and extreme fatigue. I do get terrible abdo cramps but understand it’s from the meds . Week one begins tomorrow Monday !, onwards and upwards to zero meds 🤞

Hi Gmax, welcome to the site. If you follow the very low carb rules you will soon find you wont need the meds. Thats where your hidden sugars are. Also in processed, canned, packaged foods. Main culprit would be breakfast cereals quickly followed by bread, rice, pasta and potatoes. It is an easy diet to follow, especially as you are used to Med diet, you just have to find a replacement for the carbs. And I dont mean swapping brown anything (bread, rice, pasta) for things, brown is just as bad for you. Take a look at thedietdoctor.com and look for visuals of high carb foods along with low or lower carb alternatives. You will soon get to love cauliflower rice and courgetti spaghetti.

If you dont follow then you will soon find yourself taking more and more meds. Like me who ended up on insulin in quite a short time. Just as you want to be meds free I am just reaching point where I will be insulin free. Good luck with your journey.

Hi Gmax and welcome to the forum. You’ve come to the right place. The BSD works.

I used the original Blood Sugar Diet to put my T2 into remission and my HbA1c numbers have been in the normal range for over 5 years. I’m not sure if we work to the same numbers in the UK as you do in Australia so can’t compare, but certainly my HbA1c was high and the BSD still worked so I’m sure it will for you too.
I experienced blurred vision when I first started the BSD. I think quite a few people do. But it does generally sort itself out. (If I can find the link to the explanation I was given an optometrist for blurred vision I’ll post it later).

I didn’t take meds but others on here have experience of being on (and coming off) Metformin.
One thing I have read from others on UK diabetes sites is that you do need to be careful taking glicizade while on a carb-reducing type diet as it can cause hypos so this needs to be monitored. You may want to check this out with your doctor if you haven’t already. (Under the Resources section at the top of the page MM has got some info for professionals which I think has info about BSD and medication).
There are many great resources that we can point you to. Any questions, just ask. We’re all very supportive of each other.
Best wishes
Jennie xx

The information on glicizide is in the linked pdf on the information for professionals page xx

Jennie is right about the glicazide. It is the one that can cause a big crash in your BG while on this diet. You should maybe speak to your medical practitioner about maybe stopping this medication while on a v.l. carb diet. Explain what you are doing and hope they know about low carbing. If not then be careful to learn about the symptoms of a hypo and always have something to eat if you feel yourself fading. Unfortunately the symptoms are similar to what you are already having like blurred vision and fatigue but also watch out for sweating, numbing of the fingers or lips. Dont hesitate to eat something if you feel at all unwell. However, it doesnt have to be something sweet – some protein will help like ham, cheese, chicken. My go to is a plain greek yoghurt with a couple of prunes for the sweetness. Always remember that your health and wellbeing are the most important things here, even if it means not following the diet and having a small snack.

Hi GMax
I couldn’t find the link to the document about blurred vision I mentioned above, but I’ve just found an earlier post I sent to someone with the same issue.
“I experienced blurry vision when I was first diagnosed, started the BSD and went low carb. From being on diabetes websites, I know this is not uncommon among people with Type II diabetes doing low carb.
The explanation I’ve read in a few places is that the lenses of our eyes alter shape depending on our blood sugar level and our brains help to adapt to that state. When we go low carb and our blood sugar levels alter (reduce), the lens also alters. This can affect our vision for a period. Basically, its our brains and eyes adjusting to the new state of play. It does stabilise after a few weeks – mine did.
I know it’s pretty standard advice to not change your glasses prescription until after your blood sugar levels have stabilised for a period at the lower level; I was told by my retinopathist to wait three months ”

Hope this helps
Jennie xx

Hi Gmax, Jennie has given you a clear explanation of the blurred vision. It is one of the signs you have type 2 and is nothing to do with going low carb at the start of a diabetic diagnosis. However, you also get blurred vision as one of the symptoms your BG is getting too low as I said in my earlier post and that could be because low carb and low calories are pushing you into a v.l. BG. Just know the signs and symptoms – a great book is in the Dummies range called Diabetes for Dummies. It tells you everything you need to know about the condition in simple language. The abdo cramps are possibly the Metformin. I had to stop mine due to constantly being on the toilet.