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Am I beating myself up for no reason or should I be concerned?

A

Agada

Active Member
Hi All

I'm a 39 year old male and in March of 2019 I went to my GP for something not diabetes related which actually turned out fine, however they found that I had a hba1c of 73!! So I was given metformin to take, some diabetes leaflets etc and told that I was type 2 and to come back in 3 months for a check up.

To cut a long story short I didn't take the metformin or any drugs and tried to reduce the number with diet and exercise, I was overweight and not as active as I should have been, I was also addicted to Nicotine lozenges full of Aspartame eating a whole pack a day for 10 years!! (I hear over-consumption of sweeteners can raise insulin levels somewhat despite no blood glucose response). so I think a combination of all this led me to getting insulin resistance and high blood glucose.

I made changes and lost weight and hit a kind of maintenance weight in September 2019 from 17st down to 14st 5lbs which is normal for my stature around 14-15% body fat. My hba1c results over time have been as follows:

Mar 2019 hba1c: 73 (NHS test)
Jun 2019 hba1c: 43 (NHS test)
Aug 2019 hba1c: 37.39 (Private medichecks test)
Nov 2019 hba1c: 38 (NHS test)
Feb 2020 hba1c: 34.96 (Private medichecks test)
Nov 2020 hba1c: 37 (NHS test received today)

So since June 2019, my hba1c has been in a normal range which I'm obviously very pleased about as the changes worked, however over time I've not really changed my diet and have actually got leaner and got stronger, in fact over the last 2 months I've actually lost more body fat and about half a stone now weighing 13st 11lbs just through a new weight training schedule alone, so what I'm actually confused about is this.......how come my hba1c has gone UP from Feb when I haven't changed much diet wise and am in even better shape now? Or is it actually irrelevant and I shouldn't be concerned as its a normal fluctuation that doesn't indicate anything? Its freaked me out and made me wonder if I'm doing something wrong and going back towards the diabetic range, or if its something to do with the 2 measurement systems that perhaps Medichecks use (for the private test in Feb) and the NHS use?

Sorry for the long message but if anyone has experience or knowledge here then that would be great. Thank you.
 
Agada said:
Or is it actually irrelevant and I shouldn't be concerned as its a normal fluctuation that doesn't indicate anything?
Click to expand...

This! A two point difference, particularly when different labs have been used is essentially a maintain in my book.

Well done you - sounds like you're doing a fine job.
 
@Agada wow you really have done a great job! Well done. I was interested in your being addicted to nicotine lozenges. This happened to me too when I used them to help me give up smoking. Even after I finally managed to stop eating them I became addicted to polo mints. Fortunately for the last couple of years I have been free of cigarettes, lozenges and polos.
 
I gave up smoking 30 years ago, but more recently and while in a stressful job felt that I needed a comforting addiction, so took to using vape-things rather than hit the booze.

Since retiring, my whisky intake has increased, but as the liver-function tests are all ok, consider my addictions to be within acceptable limits. Pity about the delicious white crusty bread I used to make, though. Delicious, crusty, buttery and fresh...

Still, my HbA1c result came back on Friday - 42, down from 96 in June. In the intervening period, I would get excited about occasional, wholly unexplained spikes in my daily tests (up from an average of about 6.8 to 11), but apparently these are nothing to get upset about - nobody's explained them, though.
 
Things (apart from carbs) which can raise your Blood Glucose include:
1. Medications (especially statins and Steroids)
2. Lack of sleep
3. Stress
4. Illness/infection
 
To lower your Hba1c you need to lower your blood glucose levels, and most people find a direct link between what they eat and their BG levels, particularly if they are type two.
Eating fewer carbs will normally result in lower levels very quickly.
 
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