Need Advice

[SLOM74]

ON THE nineth of this month I was diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic. MY HBA1C WAS 6.5 PERCENT OR 48. MY DOCTOR HAS NOT been supportive or all that helpful. The only thing he has done that was helpful to me was not set me off on medication right away. I am overweight and 44 YEARS OLD. I've CUT refined sugar out of my diet and curtailed carbs from my diet. The thing is that my meter which I bought on my own SHOWS my blood glucose ACTING normal. MY DOCTOR never suggested my blood glucose needed testing. I have had readings as low as 4.2 for my fasting level in the morning with the highest at 5.6. I TEST 2 hours after every meal and my highest spike was 6.8. I ATE like **** before with too much soda and sweets. Is it possible for my hba1c to be 6.5 and still be prediabetic or is it just my body responding to the diet. AM getting a new go after Christmas cause this one would nor refer me to a dietician or diabetic educator until I made another appointment and asked.

Merry Christmas to all and thank you for any help or advice you can give me.

 

[Mike d]

If it's 48, technically, that's diabetic but ONLY just

 

[SLOM74]

Thanks for the quick reply Mike. I am wondering if I should find a new gp and have a glucose tolerance test to confirm his diagnosis.

 

[Mike d]

I would ....

 

[EllieM]

Is it possible for my hba1c to be 6.5 and still be prediabetic or is it just my body responding to the diet.

Yes, to both. Some people with obscure genetics or blood conditions can have hbA1Cs which are unusually high or low compared to their actual average blood sugars, but given that you've gone from a high carb diet to a much lower one it's extremely likely that you've gone from the edge of diabetic/pre-diabetic back to non-diabetic. Unfortunately this doesn't mean that your body is any better at processing a high carb diet than it was before, it just means that your blood sugars stay normal if you restrict the carbs somewhat.

If you're intending to overindulge over Christmas anyway, I'd suggest testing to see what your blood sugars do as a response. And if you think that the hba1c is an inaccurate test for you, you could try asking for a fructosamine test instead....

Here's a link to some cases where hba1c is inaccurate
https://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/reasons-for-elevated-a1c-without-diabetes

 

[SLOM74]

THANK YOU FOR THE REPLY . THIS GIVES ME A GREAT DEAL TO THINK ABOUT.

 

[bchabfan]

ON THE nineth of this month I was diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic. MY HBA1C WAS 6.5 PERCENT OR 48. MY DOCTOR HAS NOT been supportive or all that helpful. The only thing he has done that was helpful to me was not set me off on medication right away. I am overweight and 44 YEARS OLD. I've CUT refined sugar out of my diet and curtailed carbs from my diet. The thing is that my meter which I bought on my own SHOWS my blood glucose ACTING normal. MY DOCTOR never suggested my blood glucose needed testing. I have had readings as low as 4.2 for my fasting level in the morning with the highest at 5.6. I TEST 2 hours after every meal and my highest spike was 6.8. I ATE like **** before with too much soda and sweets. Is it possible for my hba1c to be 6.5 and still be prediabetic or is it just my body responding to the diet. AM getting a new go after Christmas cause this one would nor refer me to a dietician or diabetic educator until I made another appointment and asked.

Merry Christmas to all and thank you for any help or advice you can give me.

Sounds like you are going in the right direction, remember exercise too. blood sugars are usually high in the morning first thing. a friend of mine said to have some nuts in middle of night if you wake up.

 

[zauberflote]

@SLOM74 you sound like we go to the same PCP! (Not referring you to a diabetes nurse, etc). I had an out-of-the-blue a1c of 6.5. Dr said, come back in 3 months for another a1c lab, because if it’s 6.5 twice, you have diabetes. He said he’d prescribe a meter and accessories, and send me to a diabetes nutritionist. The nice pharmacist showed me where the cheaper OTC supplies were! I went online for nutrition info, and landed here

Meanwhile, my meter+app have never shown estimated a1c to be above 6.0. I told hum that and he gave me a 3 month extension to keep working on the numbers.
I can tell you that I am not eating how his little cheat sheet proposes. I’m following hints and tips found here and having a general downward trend in numbers. Eating very well while doing so, too!

I hope you find the GP who will help you!! And Merry Christmas to you too!

 

[DCUKMod]

ON THE nineth of this month I was diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic. MY HBA1C WAS 6.5 PERCENT OR 48. MY DOCTOR HAS NOT been supportive or all that helpful. The only thing he has done that was helpful to me was not set me off on medication right away. I am overweight and 44 YEARS OLD. I've CUT refined sugar out of my diet and curtailed carbs from my diet. The thing is that my meter which I bought on my own SHOWS my blood glucose ACTING normal. MY DOCTOR never suggested my blood glucose needed testing. I have had readings as low as 4.2 for my fasting level in the morning with the highest at 5.6. I TEST 2 hours after every meal and my highest spike was 6.8. I ATE like **** before with too much soda and sweets. Is it possible for my hba1c to be 6.5 and still be prediabetic or is it just my body responding to the diet. AM getting a new go after Christmas cause this one would nor refer me to a dietician or diabetic educator until I made another appointment and asked.

Merry Christmas to all and thank you for any help or advice you can give me.

Slom, why were the bllods taken in the first place? Were you experiencing symptoms of diabetes, or was it for another reason? Did you have one test or two showing 48? Usually where numbers are borderline, the protocol would be to retest, within a short period, like a month, so confirm, or otherwise.

In the UK, NHS, the HbA1c test is considered the gold standard diagnostic tool for T2, so changing your GP, you may not find a GP willing to look at other options, and to be honest, at least you know this GP and have some sort of established relationship with him/her.

My approach, if I had been diagnosed on one test, I'd be inclined to ask for a second, before I thought about a new GP or other actions, then take it from there.

On the tests you had done at the time, did they do a random, or fastling glucose test at the same time, as a combination of both of those can lead to a diagnosis too.

 

[SLOM74]

It was in Canada and the TEST was run because I was taking this guy on as my family DOCTOR. THE TEST WAS RUN AS PART OF NORMAL SCREENING. NO THERe WAS NO FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE TAKEN. I had not been having symptoms to my knowledge. I WENT BACK FOR THE TEST RESULTS AND BAM I WAS DIABETIC. THE ONLY THING HE DID WAS SET UP ANOTHER HBA1C AGAIN IN APRIL. AS I STATED BEFORE ALL HE TOLD ME WS TO CHANGE MY DIET AND EXERCISE. I HAD TO GO BACK A SECOND TIME ON MY OWN TO SET UP A DIABETIC NURSE AND A DIETICIAN APOINTMENT. ITS HARD TO MAKE CHANGES WHEN YOU HAVE NO TOOLS TO DO SO. HE NEVER SUGGESTED A GLUCOSE METER TO TEST MY BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL OR ANYTHING. IT WAS LIKE A FAST FOOD PLACE NOT A DOCTORS OFFICE. ALSO EVERY WHERE I READ IS THAT IN ORDER TO BE CLASSIFIED AS DIABETIC THERE SHOULD BE 2 TESTS.

 

[Resurgam]

I think that the diagnostic rules vary from place to place.
I only had one test - but as it was pretty definite with the high Hba1c I was not going to argue with it.
You can get a meter and strips mail order and cheaper than most over the counter ones - even if the meter is free the test strips are an ongoing expense.
By reducing the amount of carbs you eat you can - as a type two, and if you are lucky, also lower your blood glucose levels. In my case I am about normal.