Blood Sugar Monitors

[cupotee2]

My niece [age 55] was diagnosed with T2 Diabetes 3 weeks ago.

She is now taking 3 Metformin per day. It was picked up on a routine blood test. She was feeling fine so the diagnosis came as a bit of a shock.

However since being on the medication she feels ill.....woozy head, extremely tired, anxious and depressed and nauseous.

Can anyone tell me if this is normal please. If it is what can she do about it.

Information from the surgery is rather scant.

[cupotee2]

Should have added can anyone recommend which blood sugar monitor

[mallyh]

i would ring the chemist and get his advise ,when i was diagnosed the diabetic nurse gave me a monitor x

[MallyJ]

Husband also diagnosed with type 2 .... re Metformin ..I would tell your daughter to get back to the diabetic nurse at the surgery .. I think all surgeries with more than one doctor have one.
Blood sugar monitors and the strips should be supplied by the surgery ... that is what happened to himself. She will be offered a short evening class that she should attend as it is useful.. as is the booklet that we were given. Please get her to go back and ask for all her questions to be answered.

[woofgang]

many T2 sufferers don't need to use a blood monitor, nor check every day. She should be being seen by a diabetes specialist nurse though and information SHOULDN'T be rather scant! She shouldn't be buying a monitor till her med issues are sorted out if at all. IMO she needs to go back to the doc, get referred to specialist support and flag up the med problem.

[Ken4155]

I was diagnosed in 2009 with T2 and was put on 4 Metformin per day. My doctor's clinic issued me with one of those small monitors, strips and 'sharps' which i used twice weekly to monitor my blood sugar. I was then told, by one of the nurses at the clinic, that the readings on these monitors were not particularly accurate and that i could prick each finger on any given day and get a totally different reading from each one. I no longer use the monitor and, by sensible diet and exercise, i have lost over 4 stone and only take one Metformin per day - and that is only because the doc says that it help with my heart condition.

[Ken4155]

^^
Forgot to add that i have 2 blood tests per year, every 6 months, with each alternate one being the annual review. My eyes are also tested on an annual basis just to ensure that the diabetes is not having an adverse effect on them. I have to say that my surgery were very much 'on the ball' and initiated appointments with the Podiatrist, Optician and Dietitian almost immediately the diabetes was diagnosed. If your niece's surgery is not doing this for her, i suggest she asks why not.

[Sqad]

\\\\..woozy head, extremely tired, anxious and depressed and nauseous\\\

No they are not normal.

http://www.homehealth-uk.com/medical/blood_glucose_monitor_testing.htm

Simple and easy to use.

[Sqad]

P.S

It is very confusing and a bit "dramatic" after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and it is important to test your urine daily at the start as you will be able, after a time to "guess" your blood sugar readings and then when you have settled to a regime then once weekly readings should be sufficient.

Don't go "over the top" and paranoid about Type 2 diabetes, as it is all about sensible eating.

[david small]

She might be better off if she has slow release Metformin. Rather than the usual prescription. More gentle on the system.

[douglas9401]

She should feel better in a few more weeks, once her body gets used to the drug.

[cupotee2]

Thank you everyone. I sent my niece your messages and she says thank you too.

She has spoken to the nurse from the surgery who says to drop back to 2 per day for now and to have another blood test, which she did straight away.

She says she feels better than she did so hopefully it will settle in time.

[Sqad]

Feedback much appreciated.