Hi all,
I’ve just had a call from my diabetic nurse to confirm that I am T2 diabetic. Gulp. I’m well versed on everything I need to know, and have lost 1 and a half stone since NY, loosely following the BSD. I intend to now follow it implicitly. Anyway, I’m already on Amlodopine for high BP, which has come down significantly, but now I am being prescribed Metformin, initially 1 tablet a day, then 2 after a week. What should I do ?, take the medication, or just really go for it with the BSD ?. I’m so committed to returning my BS to normal levels, and really don’t want a lifetime of medication.
BTW, I’m a fella 48 years old. As I said, I’ve lost a bit already, but want to lose another 3 stone. I’m actually feeling really positive (weirdly), the diabetic nurse is fully behind the Newcastle study, so I’ve got a positive there.
I would so appreciate your comments regarding Metformin, I’m worried about the side effects.
Thank you so much.

Hi Seadog,
Well done for taking such a great approach to your diagnosis and health. It’s hard to comment on whether the Metformin is a good idea for you without more information about things such as your blood sugar levels. I would absolutely buy yourself a blood sugar testing kit and start there – if you can keep your blood sugars under control with your diet alone that is clearly the best option but if you need to take the Metformin to help get it back under control while your system re-sets with a new eating plan (and exercise ?) then that is better than a lifetime of complications from the diabetes which are so often under-estimated. I’m sure your diabetic nurse would be happy to work with you to try and achieve your goal of not needing medication (and ideally reversing your diabetes) but you may need the meds in the short to medium term. Get testing those blood sugars – initially quite a few times a day so you can see the pattern and then you will be able to reduce to less frequent tests.

In terms of Metformin, make sure you don’t have any scans with contrast dye while you’re on it!

Best of luck.

Hi Seadog
One of my first posts on this forum was asking for people’s views on whether I should take Metformin or just focus on the BSD diet. So, I thought setting out my experience might be helpful.
I was diagnosed with T2 Diabetes at the beginning of August 2017. My HbA1c was 106 (nearly 12%). The advice from my GP was I should go straight onto Metformin (starting with 1 tablet and building up to 4 a day). I was given an appointment with the practice nurse for a couple of weeks later for her to give me my Metformin prescription. However, in the 2 weeks before I saw the practice nurse I’d started on the BSD and started monitoring my bgls. I could see they were beginning to drop. So, although I picked up the Metformin prescription I decided to delay taking them for a further 2 weeks (I figured the GP had felt it was OK to delay my getting the prescription for 2 weeks so it should be OK for me to delay taking them for 2 weeks).
By the end of that first month on BSD my bgls had dropped quite a bit. 1 or 2 people who had Type II on here suggested I push on with the diet only. Ultimately, it was my decision, but my gut instinct was the same, so I never took the Metformin. By my first follow-up Hba1c test in November my Hba1c result was 35 (approx. 5.5%) so back in the normal range. So, it worked for me just following the BSD.
What I would add though is that I was absolutely rigorous in following the BSD throughout. I stuck to the 800 cals and below 20g carbs every single day for the 4 months between my diagnostic Hba1c and my first follow-up Hba1c.
The reason I was reluctant to take Metformin is that my history of taking medications is not great (i.e. if there are side effects to be had I usually get them). I know from reading around that not everybody experiences problems with Metformin, that side effects can settle down after a couple of weeks, or if you switch to the slow-release version of Metformin. One person on another forum who was diagnosed at the same time as me, decided to take the Metformin (slow-release), experienced very few side-effects and got her blood sugars back into normal range by following a low carb diet.

Good luck with your decision. Do let us know how you get on.
Marie

Hi,
Thank you so much for sharing your own experiences and advice. My HbA1c was tested three weeks ago and was 85, I had it tested two days ago again, and it came back as 77, so a small reduction there which is encouraging. I am so reluctant to take Metformin, I HATE taking any medication, so much so, that will spur me on through this new WOE. As I mentioned previously, I am already on Amlodopine for high BP, that seems to be coming under control now thankfully.
The diabetic nurse was OK, she is behind the Newcastle diet, but still really pushing the ‘Eatwell plate’, so a complete contradiction there ! I have all the information I need to get going properly now. I have had a hell of a shock being told I’m Type 2, I’ve got two wonderful girls, and I want them to grow up with a healthy dad, not someone who may be a shadow of my current self.
I have a review with the diabetic nurse in 3 months, so that’s enough time to probably reach my goal weight, or close to it. I’ve lost about 10Kg since NY, so a good start. I’m going to be very prescriptive in my approach, using MFP and keeping Carbs below 20-30g. This should see very quick results in my BP readings. I have a monitor, so I’ll start using that to keep an idea of my results.
Rightly or wrongly, I haven’t shared this with my wife, we have a fantastic relationship, but I just want to deal with this, not worry her sick about me. Enough is enough, I AM NOT BEING A TYPE 2 DIABETIC, it’s an early diagnosis so I am going to beat this and go back into normal ranges. I got myself into this, I will get myself out.
Exercise wise, I love brisk walking and HIIT, I am doing the Isle of Wight walking challenge which is 65 miles continuous walking, in May. I did a 30 mile training walk on Sunday, 58,000 steps !, so looking good there. I am also trying to do a daily HIIT session as Michael suggests.
So. I went to the chemist yesterday and picked up the Metformin tablets, they are in my work bag, but I am going to ignore them and get the hell on with the rest of my (normal BS) life !, I’m going to leave them there to taunt me and serve as a reminder of what may come if I don’t take action.
I feel like I’ve poured my heart out there, I feel a lot better for it !!

Hi Seadog, good for you in finding this diet plan so soon after your diagnosis. You say you have lost some weight so are used to watching what you eat so you should be an ideal candidate for really doing this and sticking with it. About the Metformin, it is not a very effective medication in getting BG back on track but it is the start on the track to a medicated lifestyle. If you are determined enough you can probably do without, especially as you have already seen an improvement in your Hba1C and you are doing this with the knowledge of your diabetic nurse. I’m sure she will be thrilled with your progress.
One thing though, please tell your wife about the T2 diagnosis. You can play it down but, and especially as you are on this diet, there is always the risk that you could suffer from hypoglycaemia and have a black out and she would be none the wiser. Diabetes, or high Blood Glucose, in the long term is dangerous for the body in many ways like heart disease, kidney disease, vision problems etc all of which you can avoid. But in the short term the main worry should be too low blood glucose and you need to keep a careful eye on that, as Deejaysee says, keep testing. If you find you are going too low like under 4.0 (70’s) then eat something BSD friendly like Greek yog, prunes, ham, chicken to bring your levels back up. Your wife needs to know what to expect it things go wrong and they can for no apparent reason like stress, infection, over exercising, under eating etc and she needs to know what to do about it. I can recommend a book in the Dummies range called Diabetes for Dummies which explains things in simple terms. Even if you ‘reverse’ this diagnosis you will always have to be careful with your diet.