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Can you have a normal a1c/fasting BG level and still have diabetic problems?

F

FelkaKate

Member
Sorry if this is a silly question - my bloods came back normal - a1c of 29 mmol and fasting glucose of 4.2. I've been getting symptoms all in the last 2 months or so which seem consistent with diabetes - a toe sore that isn't healing, tingling, numbness and stinging in my legs, yeast infection for the first time, needing to wee in the night. Can a glucose tolerance test still show diabetes with those sort of numbers or is that impossible? I'll discuss with the doctor but not got an appointment for a while. I don't want to bark up the wrong tree but also don't want to miss something - have quite a lot of health anxiety generally. Thanks
 
Yes. I have hbA1C 38 and fasting blood sugar 5.4mmol/L, but still always measure high blood sugar values two hours after after eating the following troublemakers:
white rice: 11-14mmol,
potatoes 10-12mmol/L
white bread 9-11mmol/L
pasta 8-10mmol/L
 
Do you eat a particular way? Avoiding carbs? If you eat them normally then I’d think it’s unlikely.

However some members have good hb1ac and fasting because they don’t eat carbs which as type2 they have issues dealing with. However should they eat them and the problem is still there and they will react accordingly. (I guess the difference is between potentially cured at least for now with no reactions and perfectly managed with one).
 
There are quite a number of conditions, as is mine, where normal hba1c levels and fasting levels are normal, but when certain hormones response is out of balance causes diabetes like symptoms.
Your symptoms are not asymptomatic with diabetes especially.
Only the tests necessary for diagnosis can give you the answers you are looking for.
There are no silly questions about your health.
 
It could be something totally unrelated to glucose. The root cause could be a circulatory problem of some sort or it could be idiopathic (which is medical for "don't have a clue why you have this problem")
 
Thanks all, really helpful to get a few ideas and experiences. I will discuss with the doctor. Confusingly, one said my foot pulse was strong but couldn't suggest why the sore wasn't healing.

I have a mixed diet at the moment - been trying to follow vaguely Mediterranean but with random other stuff thrown in. Not really carb heavy the last few weeks but also not avoiding too much. I've got a home glucose monitor so I'm tempted to make a syrup of 75g of sugar and do my own glucose tolerance test. Is it only the result after 2hrs that matters? What if it spikes up to 10 or 11 after 50mins and then comes down to 7 or similar after 2hrs?
 
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I'm sure those with more experience will chime in soon to say something about your insulin levels being important and something that starts rising for a decade before your blood sugar goes out of whack.

Around 15:11 this doctor (Paul Mason) shows a chart to explain. The whole video is worth a watch though if you have time. I found it most enlightening.
 
About two years ago I noticed I had several diabetes symptoms (including toe peripheral neuropathy), so bought a meter and tested after meals for about 8 weeks. I very quickly discovered the troublemaker foods and remeasured these a couple of times to verify.

I then saw my GP who said I absolutely did not have diabetes because my hbA1c value was good (in the thirties) and the diabetic nurse who was there on that day also said so.

The hbA1C is an average of the blood sugar in the body three months just before the test. I had the troubling foods only a few times during this period, but not enough to make an impact on the three month average. The hbA1C test diagnoses diabetes, not the absence of diabetes.
 
Thanks for the video - will take a look. I must say this is all a massive learning curve either way!
 
Thanks for sharing - it's good to hear from those who (may have) been in a similar situation. Because my diet hasn't been quite so limited until the last couple of weeks and a1c is under 30, I'm wondering if it's still unlikely. Guess a test is the only way to know for sure. Glad you stuck with investigating and got to the bottom of it. Do you mind me asking if your toe/foot symptoms got any worse once you got blood sugar under control?
 
I decided to look after myself after my encounter with the GP and immediately decided to ban rice, potatoes, bread, pasta, biscuits, sweets and many products containing white flour. I had the problem foods rice, potatoes etc about once a month to check and the blood sugars were as bad as before every time.

My toe numbness problems have greatly improved, but are still present.

I actually noticed the numbness in my toes 4-5 years ago, but was not troubled and ignored it. I also did not notice increased number of visits to the bathroom. These are diabetes symptoms, but I did not know then.
 
FYI sugar is only 50% glucose. To do a representative OGTT you need a glucose solution.
 
Glad the numbness has improved - must be good to know you're improving the symptoms. Gives me hope whatever my problem is too!
 
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