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Do I Have Diabetes?

M

Mahalak

Newbie
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Hi I was hoping someone could give me some advice.

I have had GD 3 times and recently, in the course of testing to find the causes of certain symptoms (I have Fibromyalgia and Coeliac disease, and have lots of symptoms!), I was given a HbA1c test. The result was 51

A week after that result came through I had a GTT with a 2 hr result of 9.3 It was my understanding that the HbA1c result was enough for a diagnosis of diabetes, but the nurse at my GP practice thinks not. I have become increasingly thirsty over the last few months - at frst I thought it was a dry mouth side effect of one of my medication, but now realise that it is getting increasingly worse, and some days I can be drinking fluid constantly and still not get rid of the thirst. I'm needing the loo at lot more and particularly, need to get up 4 or 5 times a night to go to the loo. I've put on a lot of weight though, due to mobility issues from fibro, so don't have the weight loss symtom. I'm feeling increasingly more ill as time goes on, and am worried that my GP surgery might be being overly lenient on these results. Any advice would be very welcome
 
Hi @Mahalak and welcome to the forum. I don't know what GTT is. But usually after receiving an HbA1c reading which is 42 or over, a second HbA1c test is taken after 3 months to confirm that if you are pre-diabetic or diabetic.
The symptoms you describe could be due to diabetes, but also to other conditions. I suggest you make an appointment with your GP to discuss your HbA1c test result (the finger prick test is not accurate enough as it could be due to various factors) and your symptoms. And you should ask for the second HbA1c test.
 
Hi @Mahalak :)

If you had GD, do you still have a blood testing meter? If so, you could do a diary of tests during a couple of days to take to the doctor or nurse. This would give a good picture of what your blood sugar is doing.

Have you been given any follow up appointment?

Edited to add that I believe a GTT has to be above 11 to make you diabetic, but you may have impaired glucose tolerance. Do speak to someone for mor information if you anxious and feeling unwell.
 
I am seeing the nurse next week, but wanted to do some more research first. Prem, GTT is a glucose tolerance test - a fasting blood test, followed by drinking a whole lake of Lucozade, and another blood test 2 hours later. I didn't have a finger prick test for the HbA1c test - it was one of a raft of blood tests that they did.
 
OK, well according to NICE guidelines, a T2 should have a mmol/L of less than 8.5 at least 90 minutes after eating, and a T1 a mmol/L of less than 9.
It might be higher with Lucozade which is high in sugar, I don't know. But I do suggest you see your GP to discuss it and ask for the 3 month HbA1c.

Edit: I see @azure says the figure with Lucozade is 11. I agree with him though that you should speak to whoever is doing these tests (at hospital?), or with your GP.
 
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