What a palava!

JanineM

Member
Messages
9
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi everyone, I'm absolutely sure there are lots of similar threads which I'm going to look through as well but just had a couple of questions.

I have (I think) been diagnosed with Diabetes

I had a routine blood test, which included one of those ones that detect sugar levels for the previous 3 months and it came back as 51 (which I understand is not all that bad?)
What I need to know is am I right in that assumption? and if so what else should the Doctor have done at that point- she basically sent me home with a leaflet about diet and told me they would repeat the test in 3 months time.

I also suffer with Multiple Sclerosis and have had Breast cancer so it's not like I'm new to all this medical 'stuff' but this to be honest is just tipping me over the edge. I'm glad to have found a great forum like this and will now try to read through the threads and see what else I can find out but would be grateful for any opinions in the mean time. Do I actually have diabetes or not?

Thank you in advance :)
Janine x
 

sally and james

Well-Known Member
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1,093
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The blood test you had is called HbA1c, you can read more about it here, http://www.diabetes.co.uk/what-is-hba1c.html
A result of 51, is, I'm afraid, in the diabetic range, but don't panic, many have started out much higher than that and have got down to non-diabetic levels with the right diet.
With any luck, one of the clever ones on this forum will be along soon with a very useful "information for new diabetics" post, which will get you started. Do look at low carb diets - this approach to eating has made life changing improvements for many and, unless you have a very up to the minute and sensible doctor, you won't have been told about this.
do ask as many questions as you need to!
Sally
 
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JanineM

Member
Messages
9
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Thank you so much for replying. I know it's not as bad as for some of you but it has really knocked me for 6 on top of everything else- and for the first time in ages I've felt like the GP was just brushing me off like it was unimportant. My husband even thinks I must be making a fuss about nothing as the Doc has more or less just fobbed me off. To be fair though I do have a lot of medical issues! :arghh:
 

jim1951

Well-Known Member
Messages
561
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Welcome Janine and sorry you have had to join us!

Yes unfortunately any reading above 48 is classed as diabetic but is controlled by diet and lifestyle changes until it reaches 59 when you are put on medication. They are the recommendations and GPs will interpret them according to the individual and their medical history. As suggested above look at low carb diets as this alone will reduce your number downwards. Go a bit easier on the potatoes, rice, bread and pasta!

jim
 
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Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi Janine and welcome.

I'm sorry you have been diagnosed (or not!) with diabetes on top of your other problems. Your levels are certainly within the diabetic range albeit not too bad. I have also had breast cancer with all of 2013 and a chunk of 2014 taken up with the treatment that entails. In fact, I blame my diabetes diagnosis entirely on this treatment. I digress.

First of all, I suggest you buy a blood glucose meter. This is an essential part of controlling this disease as you can self test to check which foods you can or can't cope with. Then you need to plan a diet that you can sustain for the rest of your life. Have a good read through these forums. You will find loads of information about how carbs = sugar, and how and why they should be restricted in addition to the usual sugary suspects.

Come back with any questions you have, and good luck.
 
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cold ethyl

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,210
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Diet only
I think that GPs are just facing a huge onslaught of diabetes and are either struggling to cope to support it or else have become so used to it that they don't appreciate the shock it is to us as individuals.
There's plenty of support on here though and lots of great advice so welcome in and stick around. I'd suggest getting a meter and self testing to see what foods affect you rather than waiting till the next review. That way you are ahead of the game. If the diet sheet advocates carbs with every meal. I'd bin it and cut out rice, pasta , spuds, bread , grains, carby veg like parsnips etc. The NHS advice by and large on diets isn't that great when it comes to diabetics so it pays to be proactive. If you are overweight losing weight will help as does exercise, though I am not sure how monile your MS allows you to be.
 
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Andy12345

Expert
Messages
6,342
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hi, welcome :)

sorry to hear about your conditions :( yes you are diabetic and will need to make some dietary changes, please don't panic but also don't take your diagnosis lightly, it will need to be controlled, the doctors seem quite happy to let people get worse until its a big problem then try to deal with it, this is just daft, so your doing exactly the right thing looking us up and together we can steer you away from any further nasty complications, some people like myself look at DB as a blessing as it made us change our ways (your ways may not need changing though) anyway, ask any questions you may have there is always someone happy to answer, cancer it seem feeds off of sugar (or so I've been reading) so reducing your sugar may potentially reduce the risk of any further problems (don't quote me on that) try to think about sugar as a carbohydrate, because thats what it is so when you think i need to cut out sugar, what your actually saying is i need to cut out (down) on carbs, there are carbs everywhere and it takes a bit of getting used to the idea that a slice of bread is a slice of sugar but it basically is, its a great idea to have a look around the forum :) best of luck!

when reading about the complications try to remember, these are in the most part avoidable, i know when i first started reading about DB thats all i saw.
 
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JanineM

Member
Messages
9
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Thank you all so much. I did already get myself a monitor but have just now realised that the text strips are going to cost me a fortune! I am a bit of a health campaigner though (for Breast cancer) so will have to see what I can do about that, if anything ;) x
 
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JanineM

Member
Messages
9
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi Janine and welcome.

I'm sorry you have been diagnosed (or not!) with diabetes on top of your other problems. Your levels are certainly within the diabetic range albeit not too bad. I have also had breast cancer with all of 2013 and a chunk of 2014 taken up with the treatment that entails. In fact, I blame my diabetes diagnosis entirely on this treatment. I digress.

First of all, I suggest you buy a blood glucose meter. This is an essential part of controlling this disease as you can self test to check which foods you can or can't cope with. Then you need to plan a diet that you can sustain for the rest of your life. Have a good read through these forums. You will find loads of information about how carbs = sugar, and how and why they should be restricted in addition to the usual sugary suspects.

Come back with any questions you have, and good luck.

I think I read somewhere that Diabetes can be triggered by Chemo. It wouldn't shock me!

Janine x
 
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Mandy p

Member
Messages
17
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi Janine
I have been diagnosed today too...HbA1c. The news tells me that there were another 698 of us today alone. Probably like me you are upset and confused about advice. The doctor has given me 3 months to get this figure down and advised me o exercise more ,increasing my muscle mass especially quads, and to stop eating carbs. However most websites seem to be advising eating some carbs...just not white ones. I would like to know how many carbs I should be eating if at all ? Three also seems to be confusing advice about fat.....help! I really want to avoid medication...is it possible for me to become a non diabetic again? Or is this it? Mandy
 

Mandy p

Member
Messages
17
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi Janine
I have been diagnosed today too...HbA1c. The news tells me that there were another 698 of us today alone. Probably like me you are upset and confused about advice. The doctor has given me 3 months to get this figure down and advised me o exercise more ,increasing my muscle mass especially quads, and to stop eating carbs. However most websites seem to be advising eating some carbs...just not white ones. I would like to know how many carbs I should be eating if at all ? Three also seems to be confusing advice about fat.....help! I really want to avoid medication...is it possible for me to become a non diabetic again? Or is this it? Mandy
Ps my HbA1c is 49
 

sally and james

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1,093
Type of diabetes
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jim1951

Well-Known Member
Messages
561
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Ps my HbA1c is 49
Mandy

48 is the level at which you get labelled. But you are so borderline you could probably reverse this. You need to look at the LCHF section of this site for some ideas.

Also think about getting a meter to see which foods you can tolerate better.

jim
 
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JanineM

Member
Messages
9
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi again everyone :)

Have really taken the bull by the horns since my original posting and started low carbing and have lost 7lbs already. Bought a monitor and consequently have learnt a lot about what I can and can't eat, so feeling really positive.... until yesterday when my Doc informed me that one HBa1c result of 51 is not enough to diagnose me with Diabetes. They will test me again in October to see what's happening. I just wondered what you all thought of this?

My thoughts are that I'm glad I've started taking control and that now the next HBa1c will show better BG. If she's correct & they 'can't diagnose on 1 test' (& I hadn't come on here for some amazing advice) I would have had another 3 months of raised BG levels & subsequently possible complications surely!?

I don't know if I'm being very clear lol but just wondered what you all thought

Janine x
 
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sanguine

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3,340
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Hi Janine, welcome (and Mandy).

Janine what you're doing is the right thing, no question. Doesn't really matter if the GP is unsure of 51 being a confirmation of diabetes, it's certainly in the range (though near the lower margin). If you keep up the low carbing by October you will be well back in the prediabetic or even normal HbA1c range - nip it in the bud now, and as you are finding out there are other benefits in getting your BGs down.
 
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Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I got 2 HbA1c tests 12 days apart for my diagnosis, coupled with a fasting glucose test.

Well done on the weight loss Janine, that is excellent.

What sort of readings are you getting with your meter?
 
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JanineM

Member
Messages
9
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I got 2 HbA1c tests 12 days apart for my diagnosis, coupled with a fasting glucose test.

Well done on the weight loss Janine, that is excellent.

What sort of readings are you getting with your meter?
Before breakfast about 5.5 then later on (usually now I'll only do another at bedtime) between 5.8 & 7. One day it got up to 11.8 before I started the diet. ;)
 
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daisy1

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Hi Janine and Mandy and welcome to the forum :)

As mentioned above, here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will help, as you have already seen.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 100,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
 
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Brunneria

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
21,889
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
One thing worth remembering for when your doc next runs tests, is that low carbing will affect the results of blood tests.

Both fasting BG and hba1c results are lower when low carbing - which is excellent news, of course! But if you move back to eating carbs there is no guarantee that your BG won't rise again...

Also, low carbing actually causes raised results in an oral glucose tolerance test (often used to diagnose diabetes). So if your doctor schedules one of these tests, you need to eat 150g (approx) of carbs a day for several days before the test, so that your body re-learns it's insulin response.