Type 1: What are your HbA1c test results?

[ruhruh]

13.8%

 

[Marie 2]

@ruhruh Are you newly diagnosed? That’s too high but I’m sure you know that. It’s hard at first.

 

[ruhruh]

@ruhruh Are you newly diagnosed? That’s too high but I’m sure you know that. It’s hard at first.

Hello! Yes, diagnosed last week…very overwhelmed, but hopefully I can get that number down soon!

 

[Marie 2]

@ruhruh It is very overwhelming at first, so much to learn. But it gets a lot easier and becomes old hat at some point. It’s just at the beginning you have to learn all the basics. You are also what we call probably in the Honeymoon phase where you make some insulin for a while and it helps make your blood sugars irregular. Your requirement for insulin will increase with time.

 

[countrypumpkin]

My HbA1c is currently at 6.8%, down from a high of 7.1% a couple of years ago, still trying to get it to 6.5% or below which my diabetic specialist says is a good target.

 

[MikeRatcliffe]

I have never been in the pre-diabetic range before my last test (today). 3 months ago I measured 32 mmol/mol (4%), which was fine, but today I was measured 64 mmol/mol (8%)!

I suspect that it is because 6 months ago I started taking CGRP blockers for my migraines, but that isn't a known side-affect as far as I know (CGRP is part of the migraine trigger mechanism, but is also known to help regulate blood sugar).

I'm pretty devastated that it has doubled in just 3 months though... I'm such an over achiever

I'm guessing it makes me type 2, but it is up in the type 1 range, so I'm not sure.

 

[Antje77]

Hi @MikeRatcliffe , welcome to the forum.

I'm guessing it makes me type 2, but it is up in the type 1 range, so I'm not sure.

Hba1c doesn't tell us anything about the type of diabetes we have.
As for your 64mmol/mol, this is in the diabetic range, and your hba1c having risen from 32 to 64 in only 3 months is definitely cause for concern.

Do you use a meter to test your blood glucose at home before and after meals?

 

[MikeRatcliffe]

Hi @MikeRatcliffe , welcome to the forum.

Hba1c doesn't tell us anything about the type of diabetes we have.
As for your 64mmol/mol, this is in the diabetic range, and your hba1c having risen from 32 to 64 in only 3 months is definitely cause for concern.

Do you use a meter to test your blood glucose at home before and after meals?

Yes, I do have a meter... but the strips are way out of date and I don't have the money to buy any.

My liver function is also bad. My serum alanine aminotransferase level is 78 IU/L which is higher than the 41 maximum), so that could be part of the issue.

The irony is that if I stop taking the CGRP blockers then I will be back to having terrible Hemiplegic Migraines on 95% of my days. They mimic a stroke including paralysis down my left side, blindness and inability to speak... but I recover to experience the same the next day.

I suppose I just need to be patient and wait for the NHS to prod and poke me until we know what's going on.

I think I'm just shocked at the increase in my test results.

 

[RoughcutAU]

Latest HbA1c 6.2/44 Endo was more excited then I was … I’m striving to keep 6.0 or below. Still a good number especially after December and all those Christmas goodies!

Also informed that he will no longer be at that clinic so I guess i’m getting a new Endo. Hope the next one is as good!

 

[Antje77]

Mine came back yesterday as 36, very happy with that!

 

[Nicola M]

Most recent one came back at 49, was expecting higher so a little surprised but also very happy

 

[IanG6]

What are your H test results?

Mine is 7.1mmol

Mine was 79 mmol/mol in October, and have just started Libre2 blood monitoring to try to reduce down to below 53..

 

[oldgreymare]

Mine was 45 mmol (6.3%) on 10 January. But possibly due to the contribution of too many hypos...still some work to do.

 

[RobertJ]

According to my Libre data, it's 51. It's been hovering around 50–52 since the summer and it seems that's 50 is the best I can get it without just going low all the time. The only way I think I could get into the 40s in a good way would be to adopt a low-carb diet, or at least low-carb for a big chunk of the time.

 

[Marie 2]

@RobertJ For my two cents of thought, ignore this if you want! That's not a horrible A1c, but it probably could be better. I am a firm believer in you don't have to low carb. I don't. I had spaghetti, garlic bread yesterday and never went above 7.8.

I expect you could make a few changes and get that number a little lower. I find timing of my prebolus is the key to what my numbers do and for how long. I usually don't spike too much because of timing. But if you do spike it's not for that long at least. So you might experiment with your timing some. Because if you don't stay as high for as long it will help your numbers a lot. I usually like to do half, a half hour before, sometimes it's 20 minutes, sometimes it's 75%. It does depend on what I am eating. For example the spaghetti for me, because it was quite a higher carb meal and mostly lower fat, I did 75% 20 minutes before and it worked great. I know someone else that preboluses 10 minutes before with only 30% because she is more sensitive. (She high carbs/low fat) It takes a little experimenting to start to refine what we individually need as we can all vary.

If you don't have a CGM, I would get one. It is one of the most helpful tools with controlling your BG levels.

 

[RobertJ]

Hi @Marie 2 no need for the caveat. I know it could be better.

I think over the 20 years I've had diabetes I've made heavy weather of it. I didn't have enough of an attitude of learning from failures and adapting. I think it was also drummed into me in the early days that being low was so terrible that being "a bit high" was a price well worth paying for not going low.

I have also had quite a lot of experiences this year where I inject, say, 20 minutes in advance and avoid a spike, only to go low shortly after the meal in question. One thing I've very rarely done it given as little as 50% in advance of a meal, so maybe that would really improve things.

I met someone yesterday who is 28 and has only had type 1 for a year and he said his A1c was 45. I felt very inadequate. Mine has never been in the 40s and according to my NHS records, never below 53. It's only via Libre data that I've seen numbers as low as 51.

I do worry that having an A1c of 53-57 over 20 years has done so much damage that even to have better control summer 2022 onwards (when I got it down to 51 most of the time) will not be enough to save me from all the horrible complications.

 

[Marie 2]

@RobertJ First, you can't worry about what past damage was done. That's easier said than done I know, it doesn't mean you can't think about it, but really we can only change things going forward. Just think about what you can do from now on. There are people doing great that have had Type 1 for 50-60 years that used to have to pee on a stick to determine how much insulin to take.

I love the 50% (or75%) as a prebolus because it allows me to adjust the second dose to what I actually ate. That way if I eat more or less I can adjust that 2nd dose easily. It also allows some insulin floating around a little longer which helps with the slower digesting food.

I know one time I was having a bear for a few days controlling my bg levels and getting really frustrated. My husband said to me, don't worry you'll figure it out, you always do. Not what I wanted to hear, but it worked and shook me out of my funk. And I did figure it out! You aren't that far off from being in the 40's. Baby steps will get you there and better.

 

[Antje77]

I do worry that having an A1c of 53-57 over 20 years has done so much damage that even to have better control summer 2022 onwards (when I got it down to 51 most of the time) will not be enough to save me from all the horrible complications.

As far as I understand (and I may be wrong), complications don't tend to get worse if your numbers improve.
So if you don't have complications now, why would you expect to have done irrepairable harm?
53-57 is high enough to cause complications for some, but it's also a lot lower than many diabetics have had for decades without getting any serious complications.

@EllieM is one of those who did without home glucose testing or hba1c's because they weren't invented yet and is still doing well.

 

[Jollymon]

4.8. Same as last time.

 

[RobertJ]

As far as I understand (and I may be wrong), complications don't tend to get worse if your numbers improve.
So if you don't have complications now, why would you expect to have done irrepairable harm?
53-57 is high enough to cause complications for some, but it's also a lot lower than many diabetics have had for decades without getting any serious complications.

@EllieM is one of those who did without home glucose testing or hba1c's because they weren't invented yet and is still doing well.

I do already have background retinopathy but that's it so far.