Geordie_P

Well-Known Member
Messages
849
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi everyone:
I had a blood test with the doctor about a month ago that said my fasting bg was 13.2, so I had type two diabetes.
I went back 2 weeks later (having cut out carbs, alcohol and sugar) to discuss the results, and the doctor gave me a finger prick test which said I was 5.8. He said I should keep doing whatever I'm doing, and go back for another test in another two months.

Now, I'm assuming I just have type 2 now, and changing my lifestyle accordingly, but if I had only gone in for the second test, I suppose I would have been diagnosed as non-diabetic.
Is there any chance I could still be pre-diabetic?
Could I have upset the first fasting reading by eating too much the night before?
Could my worryingly high triglycerides be muddying the waters? (32.7- doc said the worst he'd ever seen: I had no idea!)

I'd appreciate any advice or experience you have to share
 

GrantGam

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,603
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi everyone:
I had a blood test with the doctor about a month ago that said my fasting bg was 13.2, so I had type two diabetes.
I went back 2 weeks later (having cut out carbs, alcohol and sugar) to discuss the results, and the doctor gave me a finger prick test which said I was 5.8. He said I should keep doing whatever I'm doing, and go back for another test in another two months.

Now, I'm assuming I just have type 2 now, and changing my lifestyle accordingly, but if I had only gone in for the second test, I suppose I would have been diagnosed as non-diabetic.
Is there any chance I could still be pre-diabetic?
Could I have upset the first fasting reading by eating too much the night before?
Could my worryingly high triglycerides be muddying the waters? (32.7- doc said the worst he'd ever seen: I had no idea!)

I'd appreciate any advice or experience you have to share
It's unlikely you're pre-diabetic, due to your fasting BG being so high BEFORE making sensible adjustments to your diet. If you had made no adjustments to your diet/lifestyle (still indulging too much of the bad stuff) and had a fasting BG of 6.1mmol/L to 6.9 mmol/L; then it could be assumed that you're pre-diabetic. Yours was more than double the median average for pre-diabetes; at 13.2mmol/L fasting.

Here's a guide to the ranges and respective diagnosis' thresholds, etc:

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html

It looks like what you're doing is working out for you:) Keep up the good work!

Regards,
Grant
 
Last edited:

bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,575
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Did you just have a finger prick test both times?
Most people are diagnosed with an HbA1c test which shows the average levels of your blood sugars over the past 2-3 months and is considered by the medics a better indicator of whether you have diabetes or not. When they measured your trigs had you fasted beforehand? From what I have gathered it is quite important to have done so before the test.
 

pleinster

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,631
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
ignorance
Hi, I am no doctor...but I would have thought yours would have said you MAY be diabetic or that that one 13.2 mmols reading indicates diabetes (Type 2) and that an HbA1c test (ie. which is more accurate, testing the average over the preceding 3 months). My initial reading on diagnosis of "new onset diabetes" (after steroid treatment post transplant) was over 20mmols. I was only classed as a Type 2 months later. You say you have cut out carbs...all of them???? I got my level down to more normal levels by cutting down to less than 50g of carbs a day...no cereal, no bread, no spuds...that worked. I will always be diabetic..but so long as I keep the carbs down..I'm fine. I would, if I were you, keep to what you're doing as advised (allow yourself a wee slip here and there) and maybe consider buying a self-testing meter and strips (some are under £15) and test before and 2 hours after eating (particularly new foods) and you'll see what's pushing things up (if at all)...or wait and see what your HbA1c test is and decide then. Above all - don't be worrying about what might be and recognise that if you are indeed Type 2, you can definitely control it. Well done with all the diet changes. Btw - nothing wrong in a small whisky. I have a bottle of nice beer with my dinner every day, and some type 2s have no problems with wine. Good luck. Don't hesitate to ask anything. I have tagged the amazing @daisy1, who will be along with some very, very useful info. Paul
 
Last edited by a moderator:

AndBreathe

Master
Retired Moderator
Messages
11,339
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi everyone:
I had a blood test with the doctor about a month ago that said my fasting bg was 13.2, so I had type two diabetes.
I went back 2 weeks later (having cut out carbs, alcohol and sugar) to discuss the results, and the doctor gave me a finger prick test which said I was 5.8. He said I should keep doing whatever I'm doing, and go back for another test in another two months.

Now, I'm assuming I just have type 2 now, and changing my lifestyle accordingly, but if I had only gone in for the second test, I suppose I would have been diagnosed as non-diabetic.
Is there any chance I could still be pre-diabetic?
Could I have upset the first fasting reading by eating too much the night before?
Could my worryingly high triglycerides be muddying the waters? (32.7- doc said the worst he'd ever seen: I had no idea!)

I'd appreciate any advice or experience you have to share

Hello there. I'm assuming the test you had that came back at 13.2 was venous blood, from your arm, rather than a finger prick test too?

Although eating a lot the night before could impact your blood test, I doubt very, very much it could to shoot you up to 13.2, and to be perfectly frank, there's not a lot that can be done to prove or disprove it. Your questioning is very common at diagnosis.

It sounds like you had a few blood tests done at the same time as your fasting glucose. Do you have a print out of the results perchance? If you do, is there a test called HbA1c or Haemoglobin A 1 c level on the list? That would also be informative. When I was diagnosed, my first set of bloods was a full range, then I had another test, which was my HbA1c about a week later.

Commenting on your Triglycerides, many, many diabetics at diagnosis have elevated triglycerides. The triglyceride score seems to be influenced by carbohydrates, rather then fats, as we might assume. Were you eating lots of carbs before you made your changes?

If when you had your finger prick test done it was 5.8 it does sound like you're doing extraordinarily well. My bloods didn't come down so much so quickly, so you obviously are doing something right.

It is possible to make good progress with T2 diabetes. When I was diagnosed, almost exactly 3 years ago, my fasting score was 15.6, and like you I was utterly astonished. I had not had any signs or symptoms. Anyway, but 4 months later my follow up tests were all non-diabetic ranges, and I have stayed that way. In fact I was removed from the Diabetes Register once I'd had a few non-diabetic results. Those results were HbA1c tests which give an average of the bloods over the previous couple of months, rather than a fasting level or finger prick test.

Good luck with it all.
 

AndBreathe

Master
Retired Moderator
Messages
11,339
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi, I am no doctor...but I would have thought yours would have said you MAY be diabetic or that that one 13.2 mmols reading indicates diabetes (Type 2) and that an HbA1c test (ie. which is more accurate, testing the average over the preceding 3 months). My initial reading on diagnosis of "new onset diabetes" (after steroid treatment post transplant) was over 20mmols. I was only classed as a Type 2 months later. You say you have cut out carbs...all of them???? I got my level down to more normal levels by cutting down to less than 50g of carbs a day...no cereal, no bread, no spuds...that worked. I will always be diabetic..but so long as I keep the carbs down..I'm fine. I would, if I were you, keep to what you're doing as advised (allow yourself a wee slip here and there) and maybe consider buying a self-testing meter and strips (some are under £15) and test before and 2 hours after eating (particularly new foods) and you'll see what's pushing things up (if at all)...or wait and see what your HbA1c test is and decide then. Above all - don't be worrying about what might be and recognise that if you are indeed Type 2, you can definitely control it. Well done with all the diet changes. Btw - nothing wrong in a small whisky. I have a bottle of nice beer with my dinner every day, and some type 2s have no problems with wine. Good luck. Don't hesitate to ask anything. I have tagged the amazing @daisy1, who will be along with some very, very useful info. Paul


As I understand it any random, single venous blood over 11.1 can be used to diagnose diabetes. I was diagnosed for a single fasting test, although I had a follow-up HbA1c, after few days, as a benchmark for future testing.
 
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daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@Geordie_P

Hello again Geordie. I have already posted you the basic information on your other thread, but I have been tagged so am putting it also onto this thread so it is complete.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 210,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
 

Liam1955

Master
Messages
10,964
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Anti-Gay People, Self Centre People, Two Faced People and Bad Language.