Recently Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes

[Levan]

Hi Everybody, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at the end of June this year with a Hba1C reading of 54. The GP was not very helpful but suggested I make lifestyle changes to try and improve this. (They didn't suggest what changes!) Having read up about Type 2 diabetes, I switched to a low carb diet (Less than 50g per day) and this made a significant difference to my weight and I lost just shy of 11kg. I had my Hba1C rechecked on the 8th September at a Bupa health check and it had dropped to 41. I was really pleased with this and have continued to follow exactly the same diet and have also increased my exercise levels. On the 1st October I had my Hba1C level checked again via my GP and the level had increased to 45. Can anybody help me understand how much HbalC levels can vary between tests? I'm confused as to why my levels would increase over the course of a month when I have maintained the same diet etc. I know that a level if 45 isn't very high but I'm surprised it has increased. If anything I was expecting it to improve further. Many Thanks for any help or advice offered. Andy

 

[Richard'63]

Hi Levan,
It sounds like your initial reaction to your first diagnosis was absolutely brilliant.
The thing is the Hba1c is an average over about three months, and stress, diet and infection will all affect your numbers. 41 to 45 is not a huge jump. Just carry on with what you are doing, your numbers should improve

 

[OB87]

I've used private blood tests before and found that they differ to the GP ones which has disappointed me.

 

[Levan]

Hi Levan,
It sounds like your initial reaction to your first diagnosis was absolutely brilliant.
The thing is the Hba1c is an average over about three months, and stress, diet and infection will all affect your numbers. 41 to 45 is not a huge jump. Just carry on with what you are doing, your numbers should improve

Thanks ‘Richard’63

 

[Resurgam]

@Levan Your exercise regime might be pushing you to release glucose from your liver to a greater extent than before.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi Everybody, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at the end of June this year with a Hba1C reading of 54. The GP was not very helpful but suggested I make lifestyle changes to try and improve this. (They didn't suggest what changes!) Having read up about Type 2 diabetes, I switched to a low carb diet (Less than 50g per day) and this made a significant difference to my weight and I lost just shy of 11kg. I had my Hba1C rechecked on the 8th September at a Bupa health check and it had dropped to 41. I was really pleased with this and have continued to follow exactly the same diet and have also increased my exercise levels. On the 1st October I had my Hba1C level checked again via my GP and the level had increased to 45. Can anybody help me understand how much HbalC levels can vary between tests? I'm confused as to why my levels would increase over the course of a month when I have maintained the same diet etc. I know that a level if 45 isn't very high but I'm surprised it has increased. If anything I was expecting it to improve further. Many Thanks for any help or advice offered. Andy

You're off to an excellent start, well done! As for bloods going up, it's not by a lot and there is a little margin of error. Also, anything can up blood glucose, so if you had a covid or flu jab, were on steroids for a bit, feeling stressed for a while etc, were ill, or as Resurgam suggested, pushing things a bit with the exercise... When you do strenuous things, your liver'll dump glucose into your system to help out. Except in a T2, that's not exactly helpful, and bloods go up rather than you using it up properly. That's why a long walk is usually better for blood sugars than a run. Test around your activities and check whether that's the case eh.

All in all, good job!

 

[Levan]

@Levan Your exercise regime might be pushing you to release glucose from your liver to a greater extent than before.

Thanks

 

[Levan]

You're off to an excellent start, well done! As for bloods going up, it's not by a lot and there is a little margin of error. Also, anything can up blood glucose, so if you had a covid or flu jab, were on steroids for a bit, feeling stressed for a while etc, were ill, or as Resurgam suggested, pushing things a bit with the exercise... When you do strenuous things, your liver'll dump glucose into your system to help out. Except in a T2, that's not exactly helpful, and bloods go up rather than you using it up properly. That's why a long walk is usually better for blood sugars than a run. Test around your activities and check whether that's the case eh.

All in all, good job!

Thanks, I will test around my exercise to see what impact it’s having. Thanks for the advice, I had no idea exercise made your liver release glucose.

 

[MrsA2]

Thanks, I will test around my exercise to see what impact it’s having. Thanks for the advice, I had no idea exercise made your liver release glucose.

Thats a good thing, it's what the body was designed for, issuing stored energy to the muscles when they need it (I think!)

 

[Roadie2]

Thanks, I will test around my exercise to see what impact it’s having. Thanks for the advice, I had no idea exercise made your liver release glucose.

I use an indoor rower and I changed from 25 mins hard to 40 mins gentle
Same cals burned but now bg goes down not up
You learn a lot on this forum
Thanks to all contributions for the advice

 

[magsmch]

Hi everyone.
I too am new to the forum and recently diagnosed with type 2 in July this year. After a long spell of not being too well in myself at all,but not getting to the route of the problem. I guess covid didn't help with not being able to see a GP.
It began with a wound in my leg that wouldn't heal despite copious amounts of antibiotics,creams,lotions and potions.
Finally I was admitted to hospital and put on an IV fluid drip for 3 days.It was here it was discovered I had type 2.
I cant thank the staff enough,they were amazing,but like many, I now seem to be left to my own devices.
My HbaLc was 58, I am booked in with my local surgery next week for my first check since being diagnosed.
where do I go from here? I have no idea. I still suffer from terrible pain in both my legs,and redness similar to cellulitis,but its not.
Still getting to grip with trying to manage my diet,I read somewhere that it was said to avoid eggs and red meat is this right?

 

[Resurgam]

Hi everyone.
My HbaLc was 58, I am booked in with my local surgery next week for my first check since being diagnosed.
where do I go from here? I have no idea. I still suffer from terrible pain in both my legs,and redness similar to cellulitis,but its not.
Still getting to grip with trying to manage my diet,I read somewhere that it was said to avoid eggs and red meat is this right?

Well - a type two diabetic can't cope with carbohydrates, so telling us to avoid eggs and red meat - protein and fat - I can feel a lifted eyebrow coming on - it is not logical.
you might like to mention ginko biloba at your appointment next week.
It is a circulation booster known of for centuries and I got some after I developed swollen legs and feet ten days after the AZ jab - and only a week later I got a couple of bites from a nasty insect - I suspect a Blandford fly, and even after two lots of antibiotics one of my toes was very red and swollen, and my lower legs and feet were really worrying me. Thankfully all is well now - though the end joint of the toe is fused the rest of me is better than ever. If there are no contra indications it might help you too.
You might also look at your carb intake, as cutting down on foods high in starch and sugar can make a huge difference to blood glucose levels, and it still leaves a lot you can eat - particularly as a Hba1c of 58 is not terribly high.
I manage my diabetes by diet alone and started off with a Hba1c of 91.

 

[KennyA]

Hi everyone.
I too am new to the forum and recently diagnosed with type 2 in July this year. After a long spell of not being too well in myself at all,but not getting to the route of the problem. I guess covid didn't help with not being able to see a GP.
It began with a wound in my leg that wouldn't heal despite copious amounts of antibiotics,creams,lotions and potions.
Finally I was admitted to hospital and put on an IV fluid drip for 3 days.It was here it was discovered I had type 2.
I cant thank the staff enough,they were amazing,but like many, I now seem to be left to my own devices.
My HbaLc was 58, I am booked in with my local surgery next week for my first check since being diagnosed.
where do I go from here? I have no idea. I still suffer from terrible pain in both my legs,and redness similar to cellulitis,but its not.
Still getting to grip with trying to manage my diet,I read somewhere that it was said to avoid eggs and red meat is this right?

Red legs, yes, still have them but not as red as they were. I had thought mine were linked to oedema, but that's gone and the redness hasn't. Never had any pain associated with that. I also had weeping skin, blistering, bruising, cuts not healing - all at non-diabetic BG levels. All now gone.

If I avoided eggs and red meat I would have precious little to eat. Unfortunately a lot of advice is misguided and most is based on the so-called "Eatwell" plate which is carb-heavy. This is the diet that gave me diabetes. As Type 2s, we cannot handle carbs so (in my opinion) they are best avoided, and at least strictly limited. I limit myself to around 20g/day and it turned my T2 around in less than four months. Your 58 level is not that high and others have brought levels down very quickly from much higher starting points.

Best of luck. This might perhaps help - https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/six-things.2884/#comment-3207

 

[magsmch]

Well - a type two diabetic can't cope with carbohydrates, so telling us to avoid eggs and red meat - protein and fat - I can feel a lifted eyebrow coming on - it is not logical.
you might like to mention ginko biloba at your appointment next week.
It is a circulation booster known of for centuries and I got some after I developed swollen legs and feet ten days after the AZ jab - and only a week later I got a couple of bites from a nasty insect - I suspect a Blandford fly, and even after two lots of antibiotics one of my toes was very red and swollen, and my lower legs and feet were really worrying me. Thankfully all is well now - though the end joint of the toe is fused the rest of me is better than ever. If there are no contra indications it might help you too.
You might also look at your carb intake, as cutting down on foods high in starch and sugar can make a huge difference to blood glucose levels, and it still leaves a lot you can eat - particularly as a Hba1c of 58 is not terribly high.
I manage my diabetes by diet alone and started off with a Hba1c of 91.

thanks for the advice.I certainly will do.you struck a nerve with me too as my big toe on my left foot is also very red and swollen,and it feels like blisters under the skin on my legs.I suffer from nephropathy in my feet as a result of rheumatoid arthritis and it can be very painful at times.
I certainly will speak to my nurse tomorrow when getting bloods done and ask about ginko bilboa to help with the problems in my legs.
Yes the eggs thing worried me a bit,I was advised by one specialist for my arthritis, because of the vitamin D present, to eat lots of eggs and then I read about type 2 to avoid eggs!
thank you.