Type 2 Diabetes

[Sue and Rick]

Has it only just been approved? I thought it had been available for a couple of years in the UK, it has been about 4-5 years in france for insulin dependent diabetics

Yes the beginning of July according to my diabetic nurse

 

[Aireworth]

I think the timing may vary according to health authority. I'm pretty sure its been available for a couple of years here in West Yorkshire.

 

[Sue and Rick]

I think the timing may vary according to health authority. I'm pretty sure its been available for a couple of years here in West Yorkshire.

In in West Yorkshire, just what I was told.

 

[Wack]

I was diagnosed with type two 3 months ago , from the first blood test to the second it dropped through changing diet since then I've reduced my carbs intake considerably , lost 11kg so far

Very little bread , no pasta and I've started buying this from costco to replace potatoes , don't know if it's available elsewhere

 

[scally]

All incorrect...C1 is a restricted lorry licence


View attachment 636986

That's as written , but the reality as in my case was, when on metformim no problem with licence when I changed to insulin injections I would have to have regular medical assessments before renewal would be autherised

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[Aireworth]

In in West Yorkshire, just what I was told.

It looks like the more sophisticated Freestyle Libre 3 was first made available via NHS recently (end of March this year). Freestyle Libre 2 was available on NHS from November 2020 and I believe Freestyle Libre 1 was available prior to that. I remember because the first availability via the NHS lead to a shortage of supply and restricted availability for quite a few months.

 

[joe and sue]

You don't have to notify DVLA for type 2 diabetes.

Unless you are on Insulin, that is the deciding factor. I have been Type 2 for over 25 yeatrs, and unfortunately over time the diet and medication cannot cope and insulin is the only way to keep it under control.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news

 

[sedge]

Unless you are on Insulin, that is the deciding factor. I have been Type 2 for over 25 yeatrs, and unfortunately over time the diet and medication cannot cope and insulin is the only way to keep it under control.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news

Well the diet view in the past was carbohydrates at every single meal combined with lower fat now the dietary advice -which works, cos the first version didn't - is to restrict carb to 130g a day and actually going lower than that won't harm you. However - don't cut it down suddenly by a huge amount or things like small veins in your eyes and small nerves like in your toes and fingertips - can suffer and probably will. So, do it gradually please. There's no need to go for mega low fat everything either unless you need to for another health condition or have masses of weight to lose, cos the calories in high fat anything are also huge. Also even if you decide to live on lettuce or cucumber - you'll still never reduce carbs to nil cos both of them do still contain some carbohydrate though you'd have to consume half a ton of them to approach what's in a large bag of chips.

My advice for what it's worth - get onto the Diabetes UK website (ie our Charity, not the 'co.uk' one which isn't the charity at all) - join their Forum and also sign up to the 'Learning Zone' and plod through the Type 2 modules on there.

Admittedly I don't have Type 2 Diabetes - I've had Type 1 for 50 years next month and the only diabetic complication I've ever had so far was fast growing cataracts, so I had both of them removed a few years ago. I could well have had cataracts anyway without the D, who knows, but they just progress quicker for people with any kind of Diabetes, cos they just do.

There's a treatment triad for both of the main types of D - Diet, medication if needed and exercise. The exercise doesn't need to be violent or need a gym - walking, doing housework, gardening, swimming, skipping, dancing - anything you happen to fancy doing more of whatever it is, is always better than nothing at all!

 

[sedge]

Oh PS - the latest Guideline is that Libre can be prescribed to T1 no problem (but doesn't entirely replace fingerprick testing particularly where you need it to calculate insulin doses or if you don't agree with it - cos it isn't so reliable when the BG is lower, it frequently reckons I'm below 4 so I test and I'm really above 5) and also to T2 where this would be beneficial. However since it is a Guideline and not The Law - individual CCGs will take their own time deciding what they're going to fund, as they always do whatever new thing comes out for any medical condition.

 

[Aireworth]

However - don't cut it down suddenly by a huge amount or things like small veins in your eyes and small nerves like in your toes and fingertips - can suffer and probably will.

I've never heard of that. Can you give some sort of reference?

My advice for what it's worth - get onto the Diabetes UK website (ie our Charity, not the 'co.uk' one which isn't the charity at all) - join their Forum and also sign up to the 'Learning Zone' and plod through the Type 2 modules on there.

The trouble with diabetes.org.uk is that they are behind the curve. Certainly they were still promoting a diet based on complex carbs and low fat a couple of years ago when it had been obvious for a long time that didn't work for most people with type 2. I'm sure there's a lot of good info there on the forums and elsewhere but when I did use it I felt it was stuck in the past. A bit too wedded to an out of date "official line".

Admittedly I don't have Type 2 Diabetes - I've had Type 1 for 50 years

And, with respect, that's one of the problems with these discussions here and elsewhere. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are substantially different diseases. Type 1 is a disease of insulin underproduction, Type 2 is (largely) a disease of insulin resistance and insulin overproduction. I know that's a gross simplification but substantially correct. They have different causes and different cures. Discussing them in tandem tends to lead to confusion IMO.

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[Rob Turner]

The freestyle libre has just been approved by nice for free supply to type1diabetics on the nhs. Makes my life easier as I have to test every 2 hours when driving. Sometimes 8-10 times a day including meal times. My finger tips were getting sore after 18 years of testing.

That was good news for us. My wife had been self funding for a couple of years at £100 a month.

 

[Rob Turner]

Has it only just been approved? I thought it had been available for a couple of years in the UK, it has been about 4-5 years in france for insulin dependent diabetics

Yes, my wife is on her second prescription so about a month.

 

[Widge]

I've never heard of that. Can you give some sort of reference?

The trouble with diabetes.org.uk is that they are behind the curve. Certainly they were still promoting a diet based on complex carbs and low fat a couple of years ago when it had been obvious for a long time that didn't work for most people with type 2. I'm sure there's a lot of good info there on the forums and elsewhere but when I did use it I felt it was stuck in the past. A bit too wedded to an out of date "official line".

And, with respect, that's one of the problems with these discussions here and elsewhere. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are substantially different diseases. Type 1 is a disease of insulin underproduction, Type 2 is (largely) a disease of insulin resistance and insulin overproduction. I know that's a gross simplification but substantially correct. They have different causes and different cures. Discussing them in tandem tends to lead to confusion IMO.

And that is before you start including MODI and LADA and all the other more rare variations of diabetes.

 

[Widge]

I was diagnosed with type two 3 months ago , from the first blood test to the second it dropped through changing diet since then I've reduced my carbs intake considerably , lost 11kg so far

Very little bread , no pasta and I've started buying this from costco to replace potatoes , don't know if it's available elsewhere
View attachment 637701
View attachment 637700

Cauliflower rice is good, although we buy Cauliflowers when they are cheap grate them and put them in the freezer.

The other rice replacement that seems to work well for my wife is bulgar wheat, unlike couscous it is cooked during the manufacturing process therefore probably benifits from the double cooking, obviously not as low carbs as cauliflower but massively better than white rice.

 

[sedge]

Aireworth - I have only been on internet forums for the last nearly 20 years and there have been shedloads of new-ishly diagnosed T2s reporting these - temporary! - side effects on those forums over the years - I wasn't on the older internet Newsgroups (eg Alt Support Diabetes) since we didn't have a dial up modem to begin with. Anyway - eg people who launched into the Newcastle diet without getting proper advice first or reading all about it properly before they did. DUK funded Roy Taylor's research and in return all his proceeds from sales of his book, he donates to DUK. It can and does, work.

I was on Diabetes Insight, a founder member of DSF and a member of the DUK forum since then. I was absolutely infuriated when dot co dot uk started up and had the utter cheek to use Diabetes UK's Logo for their forum. Anyway I got banned from there for speaking my mind about something or another and I'm still banned since I still have the same email address and therefore couldn't contact Admin there if I wanted to. I haven't missed them yet anyway.

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[fifthwheel]

Most people can reverse type 2 diabetes, You Tube have videos on this. John.

How can I post small links instead of taking up the whole screen like this? john.

 

[missmollie]

Reading most of the comments posted people are unsure on whether they need to inform the DVLA if diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. After talking to the DVLA I can confirm you do not need to notify if you are driving a vehicle 3500kg or below however, YOU DO NEED TO NOTIFY THEM IF YOU DRIVE ANYTHING OVER 3500kg. This is because the C1 entitlement on your licence is classed as an LGV licence even though you got it by Grandfather rights and you didn't take a LGV test.
Remember ignorance is no defence if something goes wrong.

 

[DumfriesDik]

Good info there missmollie, thank you.

 

[BriannYe]

Good info there missmollie, thank you.

Likewise thank you

 

[joe and sue]

Reading most of the comments posted people are unsure on whether they need to inform the DVLA if diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. After talking to the DVLA I can confirm you do not need to notify if you are driving a vehicle 3500kg or below however, YOU DO NEED TO NOTIFY THEM IF YOU DRIVE ANYTHING OVER 3500kg. This is because the C1 entitlement on your licence is classed as an LGV licence even though you got it by Grandfather rights and you didn't take a LGV test.
Remember ignorance is no defence if something goes wrong.

Sorry to be pedantic, but the criteria is not Type 2 Diabetes, it is if you take insulin, then you have to inform them and your insurance company,
Joe

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[bobnick]

Sorry to be pedantic, but the criteria is not Type 2 Diabetes, it is if you take insulin, then you have to inform them and your insurance company,
Joe

Pardon my ignorance but i was under the impression you only needed to take insulin if you were type 1
I am type 2 controlled with medication and diet/exercise.

 

[joe and sue]

Pardon my ignorance but i was under the impression you only needed to take insulin if you were type 1
I am type 2 controlled with medication and diet/exercise.

Type 2 can be insulin dependent too especially after nearly 30 years , my tablets /diet just did not work as well any more, so got put onto insulin,

 

[Prospector]

Me too.

 

[slowcoach65]

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/795538/inf188x2-information-for-drivers-with-diabetes-treated-by-non-insulin.pdf

 

[dazandandrea]

Wife was diagnosed type 2 a few years ago and after very little help or advice from doctors or " specialist" diabetic nurses at our local practice, she ended up being told to go onto insulin.
It was only after foing our own research that she followed a diet plan and managed to come off insulin and reduce her medication.
She still gets very dodgy advice from the nurses regarding fat and carbs now. As a result shes basicaly doing it herself and doing a good job.

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[Aireworth]

In some ways for type 2 diabetics insulin is the "easy way out" - for the medics, at least. Its also the hormone of fat storage, so if you're on it, it will be increasing difficult to loose weight, and being overweight is the root initial cause of type 2 diabetes, mostly. As I understand it it will be the needed treatment of last resort in some cases, but I'm certainly going to avoid it (for as long as possible, hopefully forever).
And is still surprises me how far behind the curve the approach of many in the NHS still is.

 

[Verteuil Man]

I was diagnosed as pre diabetic 3 years ago. My HbA1c was 43. 18 months ago the NHS gave North Staffordshire health region funding for type 2 diabetics and pre diabetics. There were 3 types of courses which lasted 9 months. I did the online one which can be done whilst you are on the move. As has been said before it is based on diet, many low carbon but no counting calories. Milk is full fat, lashings of butter and cream. They are good fats that stop you snacking. There is a huge selection of recipes with the course and you have a mentor to help you out. No spuds or bread. Drink at least 2 litres of water a day. Cut down on booze.
I lost 7.5kg and my HbA1c level is now 38.
My be worth asking your doctor or chemist if they have info on courses.

 

[missmollie]

Great news for me, just had confirmation from DVLA that I can keep my C1 and LGV entitlement, start planning my September trip to Europe now. Not bad service from DVLA just over 3 weeks to get a decision from when I first notified them.

 

[Clipgate]

Any change is reportable please note:

Diabetes and driving

You may need to tell DVLA if you have diabetes, depending on the treatment you're getting

www.gov.uk

 

[Just smiffy]

Forgive me if this sounds like a silly question but for me it’s not…

So, if you had a naughty weekend and stuffed a fair bit of chocolate and ice cream and happened to have a blood test (yearly test for blood pressure) later in the week might it come back saying your sugars are a little high..???

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