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Carry on as normal...

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GemmaJane

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I had gestational diabetes in both pregnancy’s and managed to control it with diet. Since having my kids I have a yearly blood test, as requested by the gp. The past 4 years it’s been between 23-27. Last year it wasn’t tested due to cuts.

I’ve been feeling off all month and for some reason decided to use my brother glucose monitor to check. When I was pregnant it would always be 3.9/4 first thing before eating. I went to his house for breakfast and tested before eating and it was 16.....

So I booked in with the nurse and got a blood test. My fast blood glucose was 15.8 and hba1c was 24.

So she said to come back for another test in 4 months. She said to carry on as I am and keep an eye on things.

I wonder why the fasting number was so high. I eat a pretty good diet and exercise. If it was you, would you make changes now?
Or just wait 3 months to see the results?
 
Hi @GemmaJane , and welcome to the forums!

With 2 fasting BG's over 15 on different machines I wouldn't wait 3 months. Something strange is going on here with that low a hba1c and such high glucose levels.
Can you keep testing this weekend with a spare meter from your brother perhaps?
Should you feel nauseous or get a stomach ache, go to A+E.

Please let us know how you are in the next couple of days.
 
GemmaJane said:
I had gestational diabetes in both pregnancy’s and managed to control it with diet. Since having my kids I have a yearly blood test, as requested by the gp. The past 4 years it’s been between 23-27. Last year it wasn’t tested due to cuts.

I’ve been feeling off all month and for some reason decided to use my brother glucose monitor to check. When I was pregnant it would always be 3.9/4 first thing before eating. I went to his house for breakfast and tested before eating and it was 16.....

So I booked in with the nurse and got a blood test. My fast blood glucose was 15.8 and hba1c was 24.

So she said to come back for another test in 4 months. She said to carry on as I am and keep an eye on things.

I wonder why the fasting number was so high. I eat a pretty good diet and exercise. If it was you, would you make changes now?
Or just wait 3 months to see the results?
Click to expand...

Gemma a fasting test of 16, validated by another, is a concern. Were you otherwise well when these tests were done? Infections and stress can really cause bizarre blood glucose readings.

As has been suggested, there are reasons an H?a1c can be inaccurate, from anaemia, to certain ethnic backgrounds, to simply not being T2. An HbA1c is not considered a suitable test for T1, as it can com on extremely quickly, thus not really impacting the A1c test.

Personally, I'd be going back for a further chat and explanation for the rationale. I'd also invest in blood glucose testing kit to build up some data.

If in the meantime, you become unwell, start losing weight rapidly, need to see for England, feel very hungry or thirsty, the I'd consider trundling to A&E.

I'm not saying you have T1. how could I, and nobody else here can diagnose either, I am just trying to open your mind to other potential outcomes, so that you are aware these things can happen.

Fingers crossed.
 
GemmaJane said:
I had gestational diabetes in both pregnancy’s and managed to control it with diet. Since having my kids I have a yearly blood test, as requested by the gp. The past 4 years it’s been between 23-27. Last year it wasn’t tested due to cuts.

I’ve been feeling off all month and for some reason decided to use my brother glucose monitor to check. When I was pregnant it would always be 3.9/4 first thing before eating. I went to his house for breakfast and tested before eating and it was 16.....

So I booked in with the nurse and got a blood test. My fast blood glucose was 15.8 and hba1c was 24.

So she said to come back for another test in 4 months. She said to carry on as I am and keep an eye on things.

I wonder why the fasting number was so high. I eat a pretty good diet and exercise. If it was you, would you make changes now?
Or just wait 3 months to see the results?
Click to expand...
I'm of the opinion that the nurse was way too blasé about the matter in not referring you to more detailed medical attention, and you should insist on deeper investigation.

The nurse was absolutely right to tell you to keep an eye on things. To that end, were that my body, I'd be buying a blood sugar meter & strips of my own (ideally one that supports ketones) and testing glucose and ketones like a hawk because the A1c seems unreliable. If the glucose doesn't get below 10 within the week, I'd bring myself and the meter(s) to the A&E and report suspected new onset insulin agenetic diabetes.

I'm assuming the A1c is in mM/M? I'm not familiar with mM/M but having a depressed A1c (which it seems given that the "normal" range everyone quotes seems to be high twenties, thirties and low fourties for mM/M) where the blood sugar is really high could be indicative of weird blood disorders. High red cell turnover? Follow that up with your GP.
 
Thank You all. I ordered a testing kit from Amazon yesterday to arrive today. I'm just about to look up NICE guidelines for numbers I should be hitting.

I have been following Joe Wicks Plan for the past month, so I've been drinking 3 litres of water each day, eating lower carb, exercising 5 times a week. So I have lost weight and have been drinking/peeing more but its all been planned.

My brother became Type 1 diabetic as a 25 year old, although I don't think it is genetic. This is the reason I used his kit to test as I wasn't feeling myself, especially the past week. I can't explain it but I just feel hungover but I don't drink.

I will just track everything on ap app for the next week and if I continue to get these number I will do as you suggested and get to see a GP at out of hours or A&E.
 
GemmaJane said:
Thank You all. I ordered a testing kit from Amazon yesterday to arrive today. I'm just about to look up NICE guidelines for numbers I should be hitting.

I have been following Joe Wicks Plan for the past month, so I've been drinking 3 litres of water each day, eating lower carb, exercising 5 times a week. So I have lost weight and have been drinking/peeing more but its all been planned.

My brother became Type 1 diabetic as a 25 year old, although I don't think it is genetic. This is the reason I used his kit to test as I wasn't feeling myself, especially the past week. I can't explain it but I just feel hungover but I don't drink.

I will just track everything on ap app for the next week and if I continue to get these number I will do as you suggested and get to see a GP at out of hours or A&E.
Click to expand...
Can you explain what you mean by a testing kit?
 
GemmaJane said:
lower carb, exercising 5 times a week. So I have lost weight and have been drinking/peeing more but its all been planned
Click to expand...

Hi Gemma, just one comment from me, prior to diagnosis, I too was drinking more and peeing more. I thought the peeing was down to the drinking but actually it was the other way round. IF this is anything to do with diabetes then the body may be trying to get rid of the high glucose levels and if it can't do it with insulin it will try and do it via peeing. The body tries to pee out the excess glucose (when its levels are high), that dehydrates the body and so you get incredibly thirsty and drink more. Now this may sound gross but try a tiny taste of your urine, mine tasted very sweet, ie a saccharine taste. That, together with losing weight may be signs that NEED to be looked at sooner rather than later. x
 
KK123 said:
Hi Gemma, just one comment from me, prior to diagnosis, I too was drinking more and peeing more. I thought the peeing was down to the drinking but actually it was the other way round. IF this is anything to do with diabetes then the body may be trying to get rid of the high glucose levels and if it can't do it with insulin it will try and do it via peeing. The body tries to pee out the excess glucose (when its levels are high), that dehydrates the body and so you get incredibly thirsty and drink more. Now this may sound gross but try a tiny taste of your urine, mine tasted very sweet, ie a saccharine taste. That, together with losing weight may be signs that NEED to be looked at sooner rather than later. x
Click to expand...
Thank You. I’ve always been terrible for drinking water, it was a New Years resolution to up the water intake. So would you recommend a few days drinking less water, to see if I still pee as frequently?
 
I’m getting the impression from you guys.....I should make an appointment and get seen again?

Should I get online now and book to see a Dr next week?
 
Last night I had ‘chicken, broccoli, half a baked potato, green beans, carrots’ followed by a greek yogurt & blueberries at 6pm

Then 8pm a cup of tea with skimmed milk, along with 2 tangerines.

I woke to a fasting reading of 14.8

I can’t test again until get my Amazon order today.
 
Type 1 does have a higher incidence within those who have close family members with it as far as I’m aware.

Over 14 the next day is just too high. The potatoes and tangerines would have raised me last night but not to that point the next day ! Please do test a lot and make another appointment go armed with the readings and get it checked again. If you become unwell in the meantime a and e. It might all be a false alarm but not worth the risk really is it?
 
No one here can diagnose so please book an apt and get checked out @GemmaJane let us know how it goes.
 
GemmaJane said:
Thank You. I’ve always been terrible for drinking water, it was a New Years resolution to up the water intake. So would you recommend a few days drinking less water, to see if I still pee as frequently?
Click to expand...

Hi Gemma, no, definitely not, that might make you dehydrated. I really do think you need to see your GP as an emergency appointment, not a routine one. As already mentioned, none of us can give you medical advice but if I were you I would be down that Drs first thing Monday (and sooner if you start to get even higher glucose levels or feel unwell). x
 
Booked to see Gp Tuesday. I’ll ring in the morning but doubt i’ll get a same day appointment with the dr, as by the time I’ve dropped kids at school they have all gone.

I could probably get in with the nurse tomorrow but it was the nurse that told me to monitor for 3 months before another test.

But Tuesday morning I’m booked in, so we will see the response I get.
 
If the hba1c is inaccurate then you could ask the doctor to do a fructosamine test.

Does your meter test ketones? If it is T1 (not saying it is but it does become slightly more likely if you have a T1 brother) then ketones are a potential issue. If your GP won't give you a testing kit then you can buy urine testing strips from the chemist - not desperately accurate but they will tell you if you have high ketones, which is the point you ring 111 or go to the hospital. What are your non fasting readings like?

Make sure you tell the doctor you have a T1 brother - with GD he will probably assume T2 as a potential cause of the high morning reading but your family history adds T1 as a possibility.

Good luck.
 
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