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Anxiety and prediabetes

G

gowest12

Well-Known Member
Messages
133
It’s me again and I’ve started checking blood sugars again even though my doctor and on here was recommended to leave it. But I’m sure something isn’t right my last hba1c was 3 weeks ago and came back at 35 from 42. Since then I’ve found it hard to just not check as it’s well known here I suffer anxiety and finding this really hard to accept my levels are normal range because they seem to be jumping around a lot. I was testing one whole week last week and it was looking ok but this morning I had a good fasting number 5 and then got up an hour later and still had t eaten and it was 5.9. Had some eggs and bacon and then it was 6.4 2 hours later I really thought it would be lower like it has been the other week. Why would it suddenly jump up it days like this I really want another hba1c done but I know my doctor won’t do it. Why does it rise even with no food????
 
Look up dawn phenomenon. It happens to everyone to some extent or another diabetic or not. These numbers seem fine to me.

Then reread your previous threads for all the reasons why your levels are looking normal and this is anxiety not diabetes.

And finally remember that (1) meter’s are not precise instruments a mmol can easily be allowable variation in the meter (I’ve tested the same blood drop twice on the same meter and got slightly different readings to prove this. Look at overall trends not decimal points. (2) Humans vary too. Sleep, stress, activity, illness, infection, inflammation, previous days food, weather even make it impossible to precisely compare one day to another even with the same food
 
If I said to you, that what you are concerned with, is really good and not a lot to worry about.
All your readings are good. They are in normal levels or just above.
Blood glucose levels fluctuate for many reasons including anxiety and stress, your sleep, your brain functions, with how you feel. And everything in between yesterday's readings and todays.
If you are on a two days fast, it will fluctuate within your current hba1c levels. , rising a little, falling a little. These are not spikes and sugar crashes.
Hormones will also vary your readings. So if someone annoys you, and you get a little angrier, your hormones will either raise your BG levels or lower, both slightly.
It is usually food and drink that will spike your BG levels.

Fasting BG levels can be different from day to day, again only small changes, it is the overall trend downwards that is important. I would advise the testing around meals to see how you are coping with food. Especially carbs and sugars. The under 2mmols after 2 hours rise is okay. Whereas over 2mmols is something to be wary of.

Testing is important but it shouldn't dominate your life. And if your BG levels are within or just above normal, there is nowt to worry about. You are doing great, as far as I can see.

Best wishes
 
So when you say bg rises with anxiety stress less sleep but it doesn’t actually cause a spike like with food?? I’m just confused as all week I saw great readings and today I got disheartened. Should I just forget the fasting or test??
 
Can someone clarify for me I was diagnosed with prediabetes at hba1c of 42 and was told it was prediabetic and sent on the nhs course which didn’t help. In the end I just did low carb and lowered it that way. Some people tell me that 42 is not even prediabetic my friend is at 42 and her doctor said it’s fine! I was going crazy as they made it sound like I would turn diabetic anytime soon!! I’m happy with 35 but it just makes me wonder how accurate hba1cs are. Yea was even thinking to buy a home test hba1c off Amazon! But I’m driving myself crazy I know
 
gowest12 said:
So when you say bg rises with anxiety stress less sleep but it doesn’t actually cause a spike like with food?? I’m just confused as all week I saw great readings and today I got disheartened. Should I just forget the fasting or test??
Click to expand...
Testing should be done with meals.
Small changes in BG levels (under 1 mmols) is nowt to worry about, with fasting levels. Your BG levels will alter slightly for a number of reasons (under 1mmols) is again no concern.
Pre meal and two hours after is the best way of using your monitor. And consider using a food diary to log your readings, your food, your exercise. It is a good way of tracking how you are doing, it will also help your doctor understand what is happening to you when you eat.

Best wishes
 
42, is borderline prediabetes, diabetes.
 
42 is indeed the very lowest possible number you could see for a prediabetic diagnosis. If it'd been 41, no-one would've said a thing. And your friends' doc, well... Most docs don't do anything until someone's actually diabetic already. Prediabetes often doesn't even register on their radar as it doesn't usually get medicated or treated. I'm surprised you got sent to an NHS course, actually. Nice to know your doc takes T2 seriously, but their response may have triggered more anxiety in you than was called for under the circumstances.

You went low carb and got back into the non-diabetic range. That's an excellent way to do it, and you did. If you don't trust a HbA1c, trust that: You took action, and it worked. Now breathe. You did what you could do, and it had the desired effect. Yay, you!
 
Prior to your HbA1c of 42 do you know what your level was.
42 is the LOWEST number to be prediabetic. NOT on the diabetic scale.
Did you have Covid in the months before your prediabetic diagnosis, there is a lot of evidence of people being diagnosed diabetic after Covid, and a few months later being back to normal.
Your prediabetes could be due to covid, as you ARE at normal numbers now, it could have been a blip, that just happened to get caught.
Please stop worrying that you have something that you clearly don't have.
Trust the HbA1c, it is right, and since you obviously have a doctor who's on the ball, HE will know when the time is right to test again.
 
Hi thank you. No before the diagnosis of 42 I didn’t have covid. I have no idea what my hba1c was before because I was never tested!!! I went to the doctors for something else and they took my hba1c but I assume I was never diabetic before as I was still eating loads of carbs when it was diagnosed at 42. Then I had covid in September and my hba1c was 40 then again now it’s 35 so my doctor has tested it a few times and that’s why he most definitely won’t test it again!
 
get a cgm that monitors your blood glucose 24/7 for 2 weeks libra freestyle are doing giving free samples at the moment . all you need is a smart phone and you can see your bg without pricking also the the app gives you great averages and a bg health . also it will show you in real time what different foods or anxiety is doing with your bg
 
Is it possible to get a cgm free for 2 weeks how can I get it???
 
gowest12 said:
Is it possible to get a cgm free for 2 weeks how can I get it???
Click to expand...
Look on the freestyle libre website For their free trial. Please though, because of your anxiety especially, be aware of their limitations and possible variance with meters. They are great for seeing trends and responses to things but they can read a little differently to your meter and have odd behaviour now and again. So don’t panic if you see stuff that’s unexpected. Check it out with your meter and maybe us first.
 
It is only a free trial for diabetics though, and GoWest is not diabetic.

I do agree that for people with diabetes, a FSL is a great investment, but I am worried for GoWest, who is not diabetic but seems to suffer from health anxiety, that it would just result in even more obsessing over non-existent blood sugar problems.
 
Well said
 
You have health anxiety and OCD both are illnesses that need treatment. I’ve been down the same road on google down the doctors every other day and all that happened was it just got worse! Get the anxiety under control and then reassess the diabetes at a later date
 
You have reduced your carb intake, and now have a normal Hba1c. Forget doing any testing and don't worry about it AT ALL for the time being, it's not necessary.
Concentrate solely on your anxiety, that is the MOST important thing for now.
DON'T try fighting more than one battle at a time, it's futile.
Beat the anxiety first, then look at how your blood sugars are doing, eating the way you are now i'm confident you'll find they're still low.
 
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