First HbA1c after diagnosis 1 month ago

[Catherine4188]

Hello, I just wanted to share that I was diagnosed 32 days ago with type 1 diabetes, my HbA1c was 104.

Today I had a new test done and it was down to 70. I'm really happy with this. However my doctor told me that to conceive I need this to be below 48 and generally once you get down to the 50s it can be hard.

Does anyone have advise or experience to share about how their hbA1c reacted in the first 3 months after diagnosis and what happened after 1 month.

Thanks for any input. X

 

[Ann1982]

I have been diabetic for a lot of years but last September my hba1c was 60. It's now down to 42 by following the LCHF diet. It seems to work

 

[Brunneria]

I suspect that your doc is being unnecessarily pessimistic. And I think you are doing AMAZINGLY!!!

The HbA1c is a rough average of blood glucose readings over the last 2-3 months, although it is (heavily) weighted towards the last few weeks. So if you have dropped from 104 to 70 in a single month, then your recent blood glucose reading have been good. Very good.

By the time you have kept this up for the whole 2-3 months, your result will be a lot less than 70, although I won't speculate just how low.

Have you got a home meter so you can check out your individual readings before and after food?

 

[Catherine4188]

I suspect that your doc is being unnecessarily pessimistic. And I think you are doing AMAZINGLY!!!

The HbA1c is a rough average of blood glucose readings over the last 2-3 months, although it is (heavily) weighted towards the last few weeks. So if you have dropped from 104 to 70 in a single month, then your recent blood glucose reading have been good. Very good.

By the time you have kept this up for the whole 2-3 months, your result will be a lot less than 70, although I won't speculate just how low.

Have you got a home meter so you can check out your individual readings before and after food?

Hello,

Yes I have an accu check expert, it is great. My readings are mostly under 6 whether this is before a meal or 2 hours after. My only reading that seems higher is my morning reading which is hovering around the 7 mark. I feel like I have a good grasp on things for now but I know I'm honeymooning so it might change.

Thanks for the lovely response, it's making me feel upbeat. X

 

[Brunneria]

Excellent!

Well, hopefully this chart will make you feel even better.

The bottom of the arc is our blood glucose readings on our home meters.
The top of the arc is how those numbers translate into HbA1c.
Don't assume that your snapshot blood glucose readings show the whole story (you will be higher at times and lower at others), but you can see that IF you have an average reading of around 6-7mmol, then that translates to an HbA1c that could be under 42.

Pretty good going, eh?

Just be careful not to have too big expectations. My HbA1c is always a bit higher than my home blood tests suggest it will be, because there are a few other factors (personal rate of glycation, etc.) which can affect the results too...

 

[Catherine4188]

Excellent!

Well, hopefully this chart will make you feel even better.

View attachment 22128

The bottom of the arc is our blood glucose readings on our home meters.
The top of the arc is how those numbers translate into HbA1c.
Don't assume that your snapshot blood glucose readings show the whole story (you will be higher at times and lower at others), but you can see that IF you have an average reading of around 6-7mmol, then that translates to an HbA1c that could be under 42.

Pretty good going, eh?

Just be careful not to have too big expectations. My HbA1c is always a bit higher than my home blood tests suggest it will be, because there are a few other factors (personal rate of glycation, etc.) which can affect the results too...

Brilliant! Thank you so much for this! Xx

 

[miahara]

You are doing brilliantly!!
I was diagnosed in December 2015 and my BG made a fairly rapid dive due to medication and dietary change as advised by local DSN and NHS "Eat Well Plate". It levelled off over the summer but after reading about LCHF diet I really reduced carb intake in October and my BG has continued to make a slow and steady further reduction.
I've added a graph showing my BG levels. They were very much higher to start with but I didn't start recording until about 8 weeks after diagnosis, but it does show the inital sharp decline.

 

[Resurgam]

I know that I am in a totally different situation, but in 80 days I dropped from 91 to 47 - and that wasn't trying really hard.
I had expected to take a year to get down to the 50s - particularly after I stopped taking all medication. I had even increased the carbs a bit after feeling a bit wobbly and noticing that my numbers were really down from what they had been.
If you are carb counting and adjusting your insulin to follow what you eat and your meter readings, then the only negative might be the risk of hypos as you go down to lower levels of blood glucose - but from what other type 1s have reported happening for them, eating lower carbs tends to minimise the oscillation in levels.

 

[azure]

Hello, I just wanted to share that I was diagnosed 32 days ago with type 1 diabetes, my HbA1c was 104.

Today I had a new test done and it was down to 70. I'm really happy with this. However my doctor told me that to conceive I need this to be below 48 and generally once you get down to the 50s it can be hard.

Does anyone have advise or experience to share about how their hbA1c reacted in the first 3 months after diagnosis and what happened after 1 month.

Thanks for any input. X

That's a great improvement! I'd also add that it's sensible to get your BS down gradually

The month's you invest in getting to know Type 1 now will pay dividends when you start trying to conceive. All your knowledge will help you so much, so focus on that as you gradually get your HbA1C down

Yes, tight control is important when trying to conceive and during pregnancy, and stopping as many out of range results as possible means a lot of testing and attention to basal rates and bolus ratios, as well as correction doses, but it is perfectly ok. Please don't let the doctor's comments put you off.

You're doing great and there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to get down to an appropriate level to start trying to conceive.

 

[Jen92']

You are doing great, well done you !

I was diagnosed around 8 months ago, hba1c of 106 when I was diagnosed it went down to 70 after just over a month and then I got them down to 44 on my next test. That took about 6 months. Can't really give any advice apart from keep testing and trying to stay within your ranges.
I have to say I was super excited getting it down to 44 however was totally disheartened when my doctor dismissed it and suggested that I must be having multiple hypos as I couldn't possibly have managed to get good control quickly.
The look on his face when he seen my meter readings with only 1 hypo of 3.9 since diagnosis was priceless lol.
Anyway keep at it your doing great !!