Awaiting confirmation

[sweetsweetsugarblues]

Curiosity led me to check my blood glucose, in spite of few risk factors (a possibly-diagnosis of PCOS a few years ago that was never confirmed, but nothing else).

Higher-than-normal numbers every time, regardless of time of day. Quite the surprise.

I'm trying not to self-diagnose and am waiting for the results of na HbA1C. But it's tempting... at the very least it has to be pre-diabetes as fasting numbers almost always in the 6-7s. I figured it can't hurt to make some healthy diet & lifestyle changes in the interim, eh? So I started doing so a week or 2 ago. I don't expect to see a difference overnight as I understand insulin resistance takes time to fix (if indeed that's my issue).

Have already lost my excess weight last year (which I carried for less than a year, not counting pregnancy) so won't get to see if that change makes a difference. So... healthier eating (for me that means low GI/GL and portion-controlled carbs); more fibre & probiotics, daily physical activity, and stress management/relaxation. Wish me luck!

How many days does it take to get an HbA1C result back? I don't like the waiting!

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi @sweetsweetsugarblues and welcome to the forum

No it doesn't have to be pre-diabetes, lots of non-diabetics have fasting number in the 6 to 7 mmol range but don't know because they don't test.
You may have a touch of Dawn Phenomenon (or Foot On The Floor0. My fasting levels have only recently started to be less than 7 even though I improved from diabetic to pre-diabetic to non-diabetic HbA1C levels.

 

[In Response]

@ianf0ster my understanding of how a healthy pancreas works suggests that someone without diabetes would not experience the morning blood sugar ruse due to Dawn Phenomenon - their insulin would release insulin to convert the liver sugar dump to energy.
Most people get the liver dump but I thought it is only people with diabetes who notice the blood sugar rise because their pancreases don't respond fast enough (or not at all for T1).

 

[ianf0ster]

I take your point that a normal insulin response would limit the BG rise both in time and height. However all insulin responses are delayed to a certain extent. But part of my point is that even with an HbA1C in the normal range (so I would not be diagnosed as even pre-diabetic if I hadn't previously been found to be diabetic) my fasting BG isn't down at these idealised levels due to DP.

 

[sweetsweetsugarblues]

Well I suppose we'll see soon enough. Dawn phenomenon might be sufficient to explain the fasting readings earlier in the morning (although I wonder if it can explain those taken when I've checked at 12pm, having been up 6 hours and not eaten since 8pm the evening before...?). I've assumed dawn refers specifically to *early* morning here, in which case 12pm.is pushing it a bit
Certainly I've not seen much difference between those taken at 8am vs 12pm, in spite of longer fasting period by 12pm.

Unfortunately those taken later in the day (before lunch/dinner or more than 2 hours after) haven't been quite so 'ideal'. But still not high enough to indicate more than prediabetes (I have been eating *very* sensibly since the 1st one so won't have a full picture of what was happening before that).

I do hope I'm worrying unnecessarily, or have misunderstood the reference ranges.
Not that I think pre/diabetes is the end of the world, of course. It just sounds like it can be hard work to manage so I'm certainly not going to wish it upon myself. If the HbA1C confirms then so be it, I'll do what I can to improve it and count myself very lucky if I catch things 'early'.

 

[ianf0ster]

In some people, the Blood Glucose not only rises early in the morning, but stays relatively high (one person reported it still rising) until the first meal of the day whatever time that is.
In my case the highest DP I got was a reading of 8.4mmol but I may have had a cold then (infections like lack of sleep and various medications tend to raise BG). I found that a zero carb meal or snack would stop the DP and BG would then reduce with activity as you might expect (e.g. a 30 min brisk walk would reduce it by around 1 mmol).
I no longer eat in a morning (because I don't feel hungry) and I rarely bother to check my BG in the mornings, confident that it's probably better to have my liver adjust to my lifestyle than to eat when I'm not actually hungry.

 

[sno0opy]

The last several HBA1C tests i have had came back within about 2 working days. How given the current shortages of staff in the NHS that may be longer but it will be within a week of giving the blood latest.

If you have access to your digital medical record via your GP/NHS you can check under test results section and the results appear in there long before i get a call from my GP (if i get one at all).

As a note, my wife is certainly not diabetic has a HBA1C of <32 and when we went through a stage of eating the same thing and testing to see how my blood rises were coming along she quite often tested high before and after eating. But just not high enough to be diabetic.

either way you should get a response soon enough, but it never hurts to make good life style choices regardless. As note for every one but certainly for me personally my life style choices helped push me into type 2, as my life style choices have got me back out of it.

 

[Ronancastled]

In my early days post remission I would see FBGs in the 6s or at least high 5s on a good day.
After about 6 months of low carb & weight loss it stepped down basically overnight into the low 5s.
At 12 months I began to see 4s & low 4s at that, it's stayed there ever since.

It took my CGM trial to show me no evidence of DP, see example below, not a bump until I ate at 12pm.

All I know on my own experience is that you can regain that lost insulin sensitivity through low carb, weight loss & moderate exercise but you need to commit to the long haul.

 

[sweetsweetsugarblues]

In my early days post remission I would see FBGs in the 6s or at least high 5s on a good day.
After about 6 months of low carb & weight loss it stepped down basically overnight into the low 5s.
At 12 months I began to see 4s & low 4s at that, it's stayed there ever since.

It took my CGM trial to show me no evidence of DP, see example below, not a bump until I ate at 12pm.

View attachment 52849

All I know on my own experience is that you can regain that lost insulin sensitivity through low carb, weight loss & moderate exercise but you need to commit to the long haul.

Thanks it's really helpful to get an idea of timescales I know it'll be different for everyone but if I'm making a few changes it will be encouraging to look forward to seeing a difference in a few months

 

[sweetsweetsugarblues]

The last several HBA1C tests i have had came back within about 2 working days. How given the current shortages of staff in the NHS that may be longer but it will be within a week of giving the blood latest.

If you have access to your digital medical record via your GP/NHS you can check under test results section and the results appear in there long before i get a call from my GP (if i get one at all).

As a note, my wife is certainly not diabetic has a HBA1C of <32 and when we went through a stage of eating the same thing and testing to see how my blood rises were coming along she quite often tested high before and after eating. But just not high enough to be diabetic.

either way you should get a response soon enough, but it never hurts to make good life style choices regardless. As note for every one but certainly for me personally my life style choices helped push me into type 2, as my life style choices have got me back out of it.

Yes I know I've been complacent with my eating over the years, especially as a person of 'healthy' weight/BMI. Even if the HbA1C comes back 'not diabetic/prediabetic' I think I'll still maintain some healthy changes in the long-term. The daily exercise has been brilliant so far and really helped me with stress/mood & general well-being. As someone with PCOS a lower glycaemic diet was probably already a healthier choice for me (I dipped in & out if it over the years), now maybe more so.

 

[finzi1966]

Dawn phenomenon can last until you’ve eaten, whenever that may be. It doesn’t necessarily just go down on its own because you skip breakfast. I find that a very small snack seems to stop it in its tracks (I usually choose a square of 85% chocolate and a cup of tea). Also as others have said, it’s often the *last* thing to improve if your blood sugars are wonky. Plus of course it’s something that’s completely out of your control. So I’d focus on testing before meals and then 2 hours after, to see how you’re handling your portion-controlled carbs. If you don’t get much or any of a rise then great, the carb figure you’ve chosen is right for you. And that’s really all, other than exercise and meds, that you can do.

 

[sweetsweetsugarblues]

Dawn phenomenon can last until you’ve eaten, whenever that may be. It doesn’t necessarily just go down on its own because you skip breakfast. I find that a very small snack seems to stop it in its tracks (I usually choose a square of 85% chocolate and a cup of tea). Also as others have said, it’s often the *last* thing to improve if your blood sugars are wonky. Plus of course it’s something that’s completely out of your control. So I’d focus on testing before meals and then 2 hours after, to see how you’re handling your portion-controlled carbs. If you don’t get much or any of a rise then great, the carb figure you’ve chosen is right for you. And that’s really all, other than exercise and meds, that you can do.

Wow isn't it bizarre?! I'd really have thought it would drop after a few hours. I wonder if that means my cortisol levels are high until I've eaten, too? If so then perhaps intermittent fasting isn't going to be for me after all, unless I have an early eating window instead of a later one perhaps. Was hoping to have 1 or 2 days per week 16hr fast, quite aside from possible diabetes it just seems healthy to try.
I do find myself feeling stressed in the morning (am working on it, a lot going on...) and thought maybe that was sending the cortisol (and therefore BG) up.

Tried reducing morning caffeine which helped (with the stress not the sugars) a bit, as does a very small amount of exercise 1st thing, but it's not always realistic with little ones around. Maybe sleep deprivation plays a part, too.

What a puzzle it all is. Still waiting for my results but proceeding as if confirmed, just to be on safe side.

 

[Lainie71]

Wow isn't it bizarre?! I'd really have thought it would drop after a few hours. I wonder if that means my cortisol levels are high until I've eaten, too? If so then perhaps intermittent fasting isn't going to be for me after all, unless I have an early eating window instead of a later one perhaps. Was hoping to have 1 or 2 days per week 16hr fast, quite aside from possible diabetes it just seems healthy to try.
I do find myself feeling stressed in the morning (am working on it, a lot going on...) and thought maybe that was sending the cortisol (and therefore BG) up.

Tried reducing morning caffeine which helped (with the stress not the sugars) a bit, as does a very small amount of exercise 1st thing, but it's not always realistic with little ones around. Maybe sleep deprivation plays a part, too.

What a puzzle it all is. Still waiting for my results but proceeding as if confirmed, just to be on safe side.

It all plays a part stress/anxiety is a big trigger for me as well as lack of sleep. We all get there in the end, I am still trying to get there

 

[Outlier]

"There" is never as far off as we think when we first start. And we have all experienced what you are finding now. Once we begin to see results it brings the staying power we thought we might nor have, and we are all here to support you.

 

[coby]

"There" is never as far off as we think when we first start. And we have all experienced what you are finding now. Once we begin to see results it brings the staying power we thought we might nor have, and we are all here to support you.

I absolutely agree with this @Outlier

 

[NicoleC1971]

Curiosity led me to check my blood glucose, in spite of few risk factors (a possibly-diagnosis of PCOS a few years ago that was never confirmed, but nothing else).

Higher-than-normal numbers every time, regardless of time of day. Quite the surprise.

I'm trying not to self-diagnose and am waiting for the results of na HbA1C. But it's tempting... at the very least it has to be pre-diabetes as fasting numbers almost always in the 6-7s. I figured it can't hurt to make some healthy diet & lifestyle changes in the interim, eh? So I started doing so a week or 2 ago. I don't expect to see a difference overnight as I understand insulin resistance takes time to fix (if indeed that's my issue).

Have already lost my excess weight last year (which I carried for less than a year, not counting pregnancy) so won't get to see if that change makes a difference. So... healthier eating (for me that means low GI/GL and portion-controlled carbs); more fibre & probiotics, daily physical activity, and stress management/relaxation. Wish me luck!

How many days does it take to get an HbA1C result back? I don't like the waiting!

I don't what your numbers will be but you've lost weight and taken some excellent measures to reduce the insulin and glucose in your body. I would not bother testing too much especially if you get a normal number on the hba1c. As others have said it can be a normal response to overnight fasting to get a little spike upon waking up - it is if it stays higher for longer that you should make changes.
If you were to get the pre D diagnosis, I'd get hold of a FreeStyle LIBre trial pack (it is an arm patch that you wear continuously for 2 weeks and scan with phone ) via Abbott) to see what happens when you eat e.g. does your blood sugar elevate AND remain high after 2-4 hours? It gives you a very visual idea of what is going on and would let you know if your low GI and other efforts are working.

 

[finzi1966]

It is weird about DP, isn’t it? And what’s more, for me at least (and I think many others) it gets a hundred times worse if I exercise! So quite frustrating because there’s literally nothing I can do. BUT I have found that it is getting better, as time goes on and my other figures are improving. Its still most definitely higher in the morning than at any other time of day, but its a bit better than it was.

 

[sweetsweetsugarblues]

Well, I got my results and things are not as I feared. Definitely below pre-diabetic range, which was a big surprise. And similar to a result 2 years ago.

I do wonder if my weight loss efforts in recent months (I significantly reduced intake of refined carbs) is reflected, and perhaps I would have seen a higher number a few months ago when things were different (10kg heaver, life events/stresses and different lifestyle).

I'm relieved, I do suspect a degree of underlying insulin resistance (otherwise my numbers just don't make sense, ~35 fingerpricks over 3 weeks and only 4 under 6mmol/L (more commonly in 7s and 8s, and never fewer than 2hrs after food). But i feel fortunate, if there is an issue, to have had the opportunity to address it early

So I'll keep at some of the changes I've made, and perhaps test my HbA1C privately once per year just to keep an eye on things. But no more fretting, it doesn't do me any good.

Thanks for all the answers and support, I think I'll leave this forum be until/unless I'm more in need of it in future. But I've learned a lot! Thanks and all the best to you all.