• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

What was your fasting blood glucose? (with some chat)

ziggy_w said:
Hello all.

Caved in and turned on the heater today. It has definitely gotten colder these last few days, though things are forecasted to improve a bit towards the end of week. Also seem to have caught a slight cold, not feeling too bad, however.

Got my results yesterday and they are generally good, though the HbA1c is a bit higher than expected and up from 30 to 36 from last year, though average readings have increased by only 0.1 mmol. As you all know an HbA1c of 36 reflects average blood sugars of 6.0, even I rarely ever get up as high as 6.0, even considering peaks after eating. GP thinks this is probably due to highs during sleep. Not sure I buy into this reasoning, but will probably need to get CGM to know for sure. However, don't want to complain as results are still in the non-diabetic range.

Results also showed no problems with kidneys and cholesterol is good. Calculated the Triglyceride-Glucose-Index (an approximation of insulin resistance when there's no insulin test) and this was for the first time in the insulin-sensitive range.

Blood sugars this morning were 5.4 this morning.

Have a great week all.
Click to expand...
Keep up the good work
 
ziggy_w said:
Thanks @Goonergal for your supportive comments. I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed -- but in the end decided to go with my finger prick tests rather than HbA1c results -- especially since lab test and finger prick test for fasting blood sugars turned out to be exactly the same. So, there is really no reason to disbelieve my meter and to think that control is deteriorating.

Btw, wonderful results for the triglyceride-glucose test. Fbg for me were 80 (4.4 mmol) and trigs were 75 (0.85 mmol) leading to a result of 4.35. So almost the same as yours and @ianpspurs.
Click to expand...

Just thinking about the HbA1c. There seem to be a few people on the forum who get A1cs much higher than finger prick tests would suggest (mine are always higher but not as significantly as yours). @Bluetit1802 posted a while back about her doctor explaining 2 different lab techniques for measuring HbA1c which return big differences in results. I can’t remember the details, but hopefully she’ll see this.
 
ziggy_w said:
Wow, this is a noticeable rise. For me, last year's trigs were 1.1, now down to .85 -- I am attributing the higher trigs last year to overdoing the exercise. So, fasting might be a reasonable explanation also. Good that you found a way, which works better for you.
Click to expand...
Problem is I was already doing it and messed it up - really not pleased about trigs and quite anxious about December results it needs to be put right - wasn't too happy with .7 to start with
 
Goonergal said:
Just thinking about the HbA1c. There seem to be a few people on the forum who get A1cs much higher than finger prick tests would suggest (mine are always higher but not as significantly as yours). @Bluetit1802 posted a while back about her doctor explaining 2 different lab techniques for measuring HbA1c which return big differences in results. I can’t remember the details, but hopefully she’ll see this.
Click to expand...
I have also read that anaeamia skews results and mcv can be part of that - metformin may be implicated in this. I believe there may be an alternative test for those circumstances but I may be wrong.
 
ziggy_w said:
Thanks, @DJC3, for your kind words.

The triglyceride-glucose can approximate insulin resistance when you don't have insulin measurements. I guess this is the case for the vast majority of us since an insulin test usually isn't done.

This is a link to Ted Naiman's website with the triglyceride-glucose calculator -- you just need your fasting blood sugars and your fasting triglicerides from the test. http://www.burnfatnotsugar.com/TyGIndexCalculator.html.

Just noticed that you need these values in mg/dl since this is a U.S. website. So, here's also a link to a cholesterol converter: http://www.onlineconversion.com/cholesterol.htm and a link to a glucose converter: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/blood-sugar-converter.html.

Nothing official of course, but helpful to know.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this, really interesting and as you say most of us don’t get insulin measured.
Must be a good feeling to know you’re no longer in the insulin resistant range.
 
Goonergal said:
Just thinking about the HbA1c. There seem to be a few people on the forum who get A1cs much higher than finger prick tests would suggest (mine are always higher but not as significantly as yours). @Bluetit1802 posted a while back about her doctor explaining 2 different lab techniques for measuring HbA1c which return big differences in results. I can’t remember the details, but hopefully she’ll see this.
Click to expand...

Funny thing is that last year's result was also slightly higher than expected on finger prick tests (so similar to what you have seen) but this year it seems to be considerably more off. So, don't know what happened. It seems that lots of things change when we become fat adapted, but most tests/ranges seem to be based on people consuming a carb-based diet.
 
ziggy_w said:
Funny thing is that last year's result was also slightly higher than expected on finger prick tests, so similar to what you have seen, but this year it seems to be considerably more off. So, don't know what happened. It seems that lots of things change when we become fat adapted, but most tests/ranges seem to be based on people consuming a carb-based diet.
Click to expand...

I tend to trust my meter more. My monthly average - based on at least 7 tests a day, often more - has been steady (0.1 mmol variation) for 11 months.
 
Goonergal said:
I tend to trust my meter more. My monthly average - based on at least 7 tests a day, often more - has been steady (0.1 mmol variation) for 11 months.
Click to expand...
Problem is Drs record their tests so official records have that forever. Blood pressure, at least on my online version, has entry for home readings - obs using their eqpt - but mine have huge variation there and they are happy to take those (Mrs P was a nurse for a while and they know/accept this)
 
Last edited:
ianpspurs said:
I have also read that anaeamia skews results and mcv can be part of that - metformin may be implicated in this. I believe there may be an alternative test for those circumstances but I may be wrong.
Click to expand...

Hi @ianpspurs,

Sorry to see you be stressed about your trig results -- 0.6 mmol is a tremendously impressive number, though.

Yes, as far as I know there is a fructosamine test that isn't based on red blood cells as the HbA1c is. In terms of anaemia -- if anything, my problem might be closer to the opposite end of the continuum -- at least in the past my haemotocrit count seems at the upper limit of normal. Not sure, though, if and how this would impact HbA1c. Unfortunately I am pretty confident though, that my health insurance wouldn't pay for a fructosamine test.

Alternatively, I might get a cgm system to see what happens with blood sugars during the night with blood -- as GP suggested that high blood sugars during sleep are my problem (though not convinced myself that this is the explanation). Tbh though, I am not sure I am ready to pay out for the investment. Also afraid I might just enjoy having so much information at my hands too much (and then regret not being able to afford this all the time). An alternative might be to sacrifice a night's proper sleep and set my alarm clock every hour or every half hour to take finger prick tests to see what is going on.
 
ziggy_w said:
An alternative might be to sacrifice a night's proper sleep and set my alarm clock every hour or every half hour to take finger prick tests to see what is going on.
Click to expand...

Gosh the stress of doing that would likely raise your bgs anyway!
 
ziggy_w said:
Hi @ianpspurs,

Sorry to see you be stressed about your trig results -- 0.6 mmol is a tremendously impressive number, though.

Yes, as far as I know there is a fructosamine test that isn't based on red blood cells as the HbA1c is. In terms of anaemia -- if anything, my problem might be closer to the opposite end of the continuum -- at least in the past my haemotocrit count seems at the upper limit of normal. Not sure, though, if and how this would impact HbA1c. Unfortunately I am pretty confident though, that my health insurance wouldn't pay for a fructosamine test.

Alternatively, I might get a cgm system to see what happens with blood sugars during the night with blood -- as GP suggested that high blood sugars during sleep are my problem (though not convinced myself that this is the explanation). Tbh though, I am not sure I am ready to pay out for the investment. Also afraid I might just enjoy having so much information at my hands too much (and then regret not being able to afford this all the time). An alternative might be to sacrifice a night's proper sleep and set my alarm clock every hour or every half hour to take finger prick tests to see what is going on.
Click to expand...
Thanks @ziggy_w Not exactly stressed but far less blaze re the whole cholesterol issue than some. I want bg and that to work and if trying to lower bg messes with trigs I don't want that.
 
ianpspurs said:
Thanks @ziggy_w Not exactly stressed but far less blaze re the whole cholesterol issue than some. I want bg and that to work and if trying to lower bg messes with trigs I don't want that.
Click to expand...

Yes, I agree lowering blood sugar while raising trigs is probably not a good idea.

Problem for me is that I feel some type of control over blood sugars but not over trigs. In this respect, I can only hope that by doing the right things not only blood sugars but also trigs will be positively impacted. Btw, at diagnosis trigs were around 3 mmol (though don't know if it was fasting, it's all kind of a blur right now) -- so compared to this, anything is an improvement.
 
ziggy_w said:
Yes, I agree lowering blood sugar while raising trigs is probably not a good idea.

Problem for me is that I feel some type of control over blood sugars but not over trigs. In this respect, I can only hope that by doing the right things not only blood sugars but also trigs will be positively impacted. Btw, at diagnosis trigs were around 3 mmol (though don't know if it was fasting, it's all kind of a blur right now) -- so compared to this, anything is an improvement.
Click to expand...
You are definitely doing it right and your results prove this. I lost my way by going away from what was working and feel I am having to to work way too hard to claw back lost ground. Not weight or bg but the overall well being.
 
DJC3 said:
Gosh the stress of doing that would likely raise your bgs anyway!
Click to expand...

Hi @DJC3,

Yes, I agree, it would be very stressful. The next day will be wasted for sure. In the end, it might still be worth investigating -- if for nothing else to rule out a night-time rise in blood sugars. Also can't be much worse than having a 24-hour blood pressure monitor, which wakes you up every half hour -- which I had to go through twice and was still expected to work the next day.
 
ianpspurs said:
You are definitely doing it right and your results prove this. I lost my way by going away from what was working and feel I am having to to work way too hard to claw back lost ground. Not weight or bg but the overall well being.
Click to expand...

I feel for you, @ianpspurs. You are going through a rough patch right now. Hope things will get better for you soon. Thinking of you and keeping my fingers crossed.
 
ziggy_w said:
I feel for you, @ianpspurs. You are going through a rough patch right now. Hope things will get better for you soon. Thinking of you and keeping my fingers crossed.
Click to expand...
Wouldn't say rough - many members would take my numbers and problems. I mostly feel very silly for not sticking to my guns and frustrated at not being able to reboot properly. Also really dislike onset of autumn and winter - all those clothes :arghh::arghh::arghh:
 
Last edited:
ianpspurs said:
Wouldn't say rough - many members would take my numbers and problems. I mostly feel very silly for not sticking to my guns and frustrated and not being able to reboot properly. Also really dislike onset of autumn and winter - all those clothes :arghh::arghh::arghh:
Click to expand...

Yes, I agree your blood glucose numbers are still great -- rough was meant to refer to your frustration while attempting to find your equilibrium again.

As to fall and winter -- it's been the summer of the century here and I am not looking forward to the next five months. The worst thing for me is the lack of light and sun.
 
Back
Top