Struggling

[Tannith]

I stopped with my DN knowledge and support.
I wouldn’t take it without discussing it with her and I ideally want to manage without it.

I'm glad you have DN support. Good luck with your struggle.

 

[Resurgam]

I stopped with my DN knowledge and support.
I wouldn’t take it without discussing it with her and I ideally want to manage without it.

I was at my wits end after a few weeks taking Metfomin and Atorvastatin. I would not take it again simply because of the utter misery it caused me, but others seem to take it no problem.
Your miniscule increase in hba1c seems a very slight thing to me - but I did 91 to 42 so could be considered biased. It might simply be within the normal variation anyway, and your levels are actually just the same, but another equally accurate machine was used for the test last time.

 

[Brunneria]

You have come off metformin a year ago, and your HBA1C has gone up from 38 to 40 in that year. Why not go back on it to improve your levels. The NHS told me I was "not diabetic" at HBA1C 39, but @jimlahey on here kindly pointed out that that was the equivalent of 5.7% in the old scale of HBA1C which equalled 6.52 in blood sugar. That just out of the prediabetic range and just into the actual diabetic range. I am convinced the NHS sets the bar too high.
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-t...UMF8Ya_y5DYtMv8FdcrYme6jvps1bdd8aAvdCEALw_wcB http://perinatology.com/calculators/HemoglobinA1C.htm
http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/documents/866/HbA1c converter.pdf
https://professional.diabetes.org/diapro/glucose_calc

@Tannith

Just a word of clarification.

In your post, you asked @Flamingo74 'why not go back on Metformin to improve your levels'.
This is dodgy territory, since the forum rules are clear:
Forum Rule A11. Important: Members are generally not Health Care Professionals, and those who are participate on the Forum as Members, not Health Care Professionals. Members are unable to diagnose any condition, or instruct in the alteration of medication, irrespective of personal or professional standing or experience.

In future, why not suggest that the member consults with their doc or nurse to see whether they can go back onto medication, or to discuss different treatment options? That is fully in the spirit of the forum rules.

@Flamingo74
Can I ask what your HbA1c was at the time you were prescribed the Metformin in the past?
The reason I ask is that many CCGs here in the UK have strict guidelines at which they start to prescribe blood glucose lowering medication such as Metformin to T2s. With a test result of 40, you may now be well below the level your doc is able to prescribe Metformin.

I do agree with the posters above who are suggesting that you look at total carb intake, and calculate what works for you. If you use a glucometer to test before and 2 hours after eating, you will quickly see which foods your body can cope with, and which send your blood glucose unexpectedly high.

And just one other thing - please do not get too hung up on a rise of 2 or 3 points on your HbA1c.
The tests are simply not that accurate.
In fact, we have had members post to say that they have had 2 tests taken on the same day, which show significant variance, and I believe @Bluetit1802 had two tests taken on the same day, sent to two different labs, which came back with different results. So please consider your HbA1c as 'a ballpark figure' rather than an extremely accurate one.
In your case, your results are 'late 30s to 40' and still below pre-D on both occasions.

Hope that helps.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Thanks for the tag @Brunneria

@Flamingo74 I did indeed have 2 HbA1c tests done from the same blood draw, and then each sent to a different lab. Same blood draw, different results. There was a 4 point difference between them.

 

[Norfolkmell]

I too am struggling, moving house and GP last May and I still haven’t seen a GP. My last HbA1c done by new surgery in December was 58 which I was told was satisfactory. Since then I have tried to get an actual physical appointment with a GP. I did have one telephone but I’m deaf so that didn’t work. Zoom is no good as the little I can hear doesn’t match up with what the their lips are saying and I get confused. I’ve only just got online medication access and still no access to my records. I know my control is out of control but they don’t seem to care. I try hard and usually stick to around 80g carbs a day which I usually manage I try to go lower on days that I feel good.
I’m on metformin and a carrier bag full of other medications mostly for pain relief . I’ve been type 2 for years and have lost 7 stones from diagnosis. Weight at the moment is static hence trying to go lower carbs. I’m a bit tired and depressed about it all to be honest.

 

[G0ldengirl68]

T2 no meds, recent Hba1c 40, 2 years diagnosed. One year off metformin.

I am really struggling with diabetes management and just how overwhelming it feels all the time. I know my levels are safe at 40 but they have gone up from 38 a year ago and it feels like a failure. I am so strict, I limit carbs to nothing higher that 5g per 100g. I had a two week binge at Christmas but that was it. I exercise regularly and don’t drink alcohol.

I was hoping that my annual Hba1c would be more stable and allow me to experiment a bit more with foods and be a bit less strict but I feel scared to try now.

I know I am still outside of the pre diabetes range but I feel consumed by thinking about diabetes all the time and it’s impacting on my mental health. I don’t feel I have had any support with the emotional impact of T2, I won’t get an appointment with my diabetes nurse because my levels are stable but I am struggling now more than ever. I have actually only ever seen her once. I did the NHS course and the message was ‘if you have two biscuits with your cuppa, reduce it to one’ - that mentality won’t work for me.

I lost three stone when I was diagnosed but put on a stone after coming off metformin and just can’t lose it. Everything just feels so hard. I am
struggling to keep on track and not just have a massive binge.

Has anyone been through similar and got any words of wisdom? Sorry to moan, I do realise
I am in a more stable position than some x

I can relate to the fear thing for sure. I am down to below 30g of carbs a day, no meds, exercise, and test, test, test. For me, it's about the Covid thing for one, and the other is just I am OCD (self diagnosed anyway). The bottom line is fear and I am working on that so I can have less anxiety and start experimenting a little more with my foods. I'm in the US so my numbers are either in mg/dl or mmol/l if I try converting them. Mine have actually been within the supposed "safe zone" which is <140 after meals, and <100 for fasting. I struggle to get them perfect and can't do it, and I hope I quit trying.

I was reading @Andydragon and want to try and add in a few more carbs at least, have more choices that way. I do know there are people here that truly understand, and I've found a lot of priceless advice. My doctor never even recommended B vitamins, or D3, I found that out myself. Reading and weeding, and finding what is right for each of us individually is a task, but I see others succeeding so I just try to follow what they did, and are doing.

I'm glad you are here Btw, I was just diagnosed recently, first labs showing a 7.0 were explained on 1/20. I was never told I was already pre-diabetic which burns me, but maybe wouldn't have made a difference,

 

[VashtiB]

Hello and welcome

I agree with the advice to look at your daily carb intake. I also look at the intake for every meal. While I am ultra low carb I also want to be careful of having a meal that is slightly higher carb than usual- this all depends on my pre meal level- If I am particularly low I might have a gram or two more than 'usual'.

The other comment I agree with is it has to work and be sustainable for you- we are all so different- me I'm an all or nothing type person so very low carb works best for mw. Others can do moderation (I'm a bit envious of that tbh) so an have more carbs. What is the same for all type 2s is that we need to work out the amount of carbs our body can tolerate and then work from there.

However, many many people have found that going lower carb becomes a bot easier once you have worked out what food your body can tolerate.

Good luck!

 

[DanW13]

Thanks for the tag @Brunneria

@Flamingo74 I did indeed have 2 HbA1c tests done from the same blood draw, and then each sent to a different lab. Same blood draw, different results. There was a 4 point difference between them.

Hi Bluetit,

Hope you don’t mind a follow up question, as Brunnerial directed me to this thread after I got a surprisingly high Hba1c result yesterday of 40 (surprised as up almost 10% since Oct last year -37, despite unchanged diet & 3 separate Libre sensors between Oct & March all indicating Hba1c between 33-35

What did that equate to in terms of % difference between the two? Asking as obviously not much difference between an Hba1c of 80 vs. 76, more meaningful if it’s say 40 vs. 36 (in terms of % accuracy)?

Thanks
Dan

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi Bluetit,

Hope you don’t mind a follow up question, as Brunnerial directed me to this thread after I got a surprisingly high Hba1c result yesterday of 40 (surprised as up almost 10% since Oct last year -37, despite unchanged diet & 3 separate Libre sensors between Oct & March all indicating Hba1c between 33-35

What did that equate to in terms of % difference between the two? Asking as obviously not much difference between an Hba1c of 80 vs. 76, more meaningful if it’s say 40 vs. 36 (in terms of % accuracy)?

Thanks
Dan

It was 40 and 44. I'm no good on percentages. This was of concern to my GP as was I normal or was I pre-diabetic.

 

[DanW13]

It was 40 and 44. I'm no good on percentages. This was of concern to my GP as was I normal or was I pre-diabetic.

Thanks Bluetit, it’s about 10% so that’s a pretty big difference, so on that basis I could in theory be anywhere between 36-44 .