Is this HBA1C reading possible????

AnnM99

Well-Known Member
Messages
87
Hi all,
I wanted to share my good news with you all to hopefully encourage and motivate all Type 2s.
I was diagnosed June 2021 with a HBA1C of 86 and was told not to bother changing anything and just take Gliclazide.
I refused.
6 weeks of diet changes and exercise - HBA1C of 60. I was then encouraged to take Metformin and put on 2000mg.
Retest beginning of October - HBA1C of 42! Was told to stay on 2000mg.
I refused.
Decided to take 1000 mg and see what happens.
Fast forward 16 weeks later. Today's new result - 39!!!
I was shocked to say the least as I expected it to go up with halving the Metformin, not go down.
However, unfortunately my cholesterol has gone up. Not sure what to do about this. Any similar stories?
I hope this story gives us all hope that we can improve things. I've just go to focus on the cholesterol now and maintaining by HBA1C.
x
 
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Sugarbaby123

Active Member
Messages
29
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I’m in a similar boat, on Metformin 500mg twice a day. Going good with low carb diet, blood sugars mostly 7 to 8 but cholesterol now up.
 
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bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi all,
I wanted to share my good news with you all to hopefully encourage and motivate all Type 2s.
I was diagnosed June 2021 with a HBA1C of 86 and was told not to bother changing anything and just take Gliclazide.
I refused.
6 weeks of diet changes and exercise - HBA1C of 60. I was then encouraged to take Metformin and put on 2000mg.
Retest beginning of October - HBA1C of 42! Was told to stay on 2000mg.
I refused.
Decided to take 1000 mg and see what happens.
Fast forward 16 weeks later. Today's new result - 39!!!
I was shocked to say the least as I expected it to go up with halving the Metformin, not go down.
However, unfortunately my cholesterol has gone up. Not sure what to do about this. Any similar stories?
I hope this story gives us all hope that we can improve things. I've just go to focus on the cholesterol now and maintaining by HBA1C.
x

Ignore the cholesterol.

Did you have a full lipid panel, had you fasted 12-14 hours water only before the bloods were taken?



Many congrats on the great HbA1c !
 

bulkbiker

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19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Oh no, you too!
Not sure where I've gone wrong as LDL up and no advice at all.
Figures can go all over the place especially when losing weight.
It's likely not the big problem you think it is.. cholesterol like blood glucose can be extremely dynamic.
We'd die without it.
 
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AnnM99

Well-Known Member
Messages
87
Ignore the cholesterol.

Did you have a full lipid panel, had you fasted 12-14 hours water only before the bloods were taken?
Oh, no ... Wasn't told to fast.
I saw my results online.
Included tryglicerides and other stuff.


Many congrats on the great HbA1c !
 

bulkbiker

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19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only

If you didn't fast beforehand then the results are pretty meaningless..
Ignore and certainly don't take unnecessary meds for it.
 
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AnnM99

Well-Known Member
Messages
87
Thank you. I was so anxious about my result and gasped when I saw that it had reduced on half meds. Noone has called me. I just read the results on line.
Noone mentioned fasting .... I'm confused. Was I supposed to fast for cholesterol tests?????? Had 3 tests now and never fasted.
It included tryglicerides, HDL and LDL etc but I don't understand it tbh.
 

bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Thank you. I was so anxious about my result and gasped when I saw that it had reduced on half meds. Noone has called me. I just read the results on line.
Noone mentioned fasting .... I'm confused. Was I supposed to fast for cholesterol tests?????? Had 3 tests now and never fasted.
It included tryglicerides, HDL and LDL etc but I don't understand it tbh.

Cholesterol can be very dynamic and in the short term can be impacted by what we eat.
If you haven't fasted then the results can be very misleading.
I always fast before any cholesterol tests for 12-14 hours.

The poor connection between "cholesterol" and heart attacks is pretty flaky once you start to delve down into it.
For older women a high cholestrol level is associated with fewer heart attacks so...

Theres a huge volume of talks and videos as well as article in this thread

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/cholesterol-and-statins.156985/
 

Oldvatr

Expert
Messages
8,470
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Fasting is needed still. My last two blood tests were aborted because my blood was 'milky' from the choline that my gut was generating to shift diertary fat to the liver for processing into LDL and VLDL. Dietary fat is like crude oil - not very useful until it is refined. The LDL and HDL are like the local petrol station supplying petrol and much lower down in the food chain. The lab refused to process the samples and i have just given another set of [unfasted] bloods. They have not come back yet after 2 weels, so seems that too was a waste of time. I expect the surgery to ring me again to rinse and repeat.

Congrats on your HbA1c.
 
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