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For those who are in remission/reversed their diabetes- how long have you been in remission for

M

Mollyc1995

Well-Known Member
Messages
133
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
how long have you been in remission for? Has it been harder than you thought to maintain normal blood glucose levels?

Has your diet slightly changed since going into remission (are you more strict with your diet or can be a tiny bit flexible)
 
This is a bit of a loaded question. What parameters are you working with?
 
Guzzler said:
This is a bit of a loaded question. What parameters are you working with?
Click to expand...

What do you mean?

I’m asking this question because I’m interested in how many people that are in remission and how long they’ve been that way....how is that a problem?
 
My HbA1c has been in the 20s for over 3 years but I don’t think in terms of remission/reversal.

My diet hasn’t changed hugely, neither stricter nor less strict.
 
Mollyc1995 said:
What do you mean?

I’m asking this question because I’m interested in how many people that are in remission and how long they’ve been that way....how is that a problem?
Click to expand...

It is not a problem. I am asking you for your definition of remission, there is remission according to Taylor and remission according to Virta etc. I personally have set my own parameters as Taylor's are a tad 'generous' in my opinion. So, what criteria have you set as a goal before you can say to yourself 'Yes, I am now in remission'?
 
britishpub said:
My HbA1c has been in the 20s for over 3 years but I don’t think in terms of remission/reversal.

My diet hasn’t changed hugely, neither stricter nor less strict.
Click to expand...

Wow 20s is really good! And do you eat a specific diet like low carb, Keto etc ?
 

Oh my apologies I didn’t understand what you meant by parameters, sorry....from what I’ve looked at remission would be 41mmol and lower (5.9 %)
 
My GP has coded my medical records as Diabetes Resolved and dated this from June 2014. I don't agree with him, but he considers diabetes is no longer present once the HbA1c drops under 48 without the aid of medication and isn't about to change his mind.

I consider myself to be in remission/very well controlled but only for as long as I continue on my low carb/normal protein/high fat way of eating. I am fully aware that I am still at risk of diabetes despite having normal levels, no dawn phenomenon to speak of and having lost 33% of my weight 4 and half years ago and still maintaining it. There is no cure as yet.
 
Mollyc1995 said:
Oh my apologies I didn’t understand what you meant by parameters, sorry....from what I’ve looked at remission would be 41mmol and lower (5.9 %)
Click to expand...
I see, and would you consider that your first non Diabetic number would signal remission or would you say for example a year of non Diabetic numbers until remission? This is what I am getting at, because dietary approaches are a fairly new phenomena wrt remission there are no hard and fast rules.
 
Since Jan 2016 when I had an HbA1c of 36 mmol/m all subsequent HbA1cs have been below 30 mmol/m.
Eat virtually no carbs ... the last 9 months mainly carnivore. Recently classified as in remission by DN at the surgery although even she admitted it was " bit past due".
 

I would t say the first number means remission personally maybe after another a1c in the normal range or even a year...I know some people have a different idea of numbers that mean remission
 
I have had HbA1cs in the mid 30s since Sept ‘17 which was 4 months after diagnosis. I have ‘in remission’ on my avatar here with the qualification of the Oxford dictionary definition of remission being “a temporary diminution of the severity of disease or pain”. However to do this I keep to under 50g carbs per day and take a modest dose of Metformin. I rarely if ever stray from my way of eating. I personally prefer the term ‘well controlled’ but that option isn’t available on this forum.
 
Jim Lahey said:
I think all that matters is can you live a happy and normal life with no symptoms and no feelings of deprivation or burnout. Everything else is just numbers and opinions.
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I 100% agree there, to me it’s important I do get down to non- diabetic levels and maintain it, but as long as I’m healthy and don’t get any health conditions I will be fine
 
This is one definition of remission from these people
https://www.diabetesremission.org/about
https://www.diabetesremission.org/our-task


Definition of Diabetes Remission”
Following international standards [1,2] a person goes into diabetes remission when the following conditions are fulfilled:

  1. Had a diagnosis of diabetes
  2. Fasting Serum Glucose (FSG) is less than 100 mg/ml (5.6mmol/l)
  3. HbA1c is less than 6.0% (42mmol/dL)
  4. There is no active hypoglycemic therapy (either pharmacological or surgical)

We define three levels of remission:
  • Initial. When the conditions are fulfilled for three months
  • Complete. When the conditions are fulfilled for one year
  • Operational cure. When the conditions are fulfilled for five years or mor
References:
1. Buse JB, Caprio S, Cefalu WT, Ceriello A, Del Prato S, Inzucchi SE, et al. How do we define cure of diabetes? Diabetes Care. 2009 Nov;32(11):2133–5.
2. World Health Organization (WHO). Global Report on Diabetes 2016 [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2016. Available from: http://www.who.int/diabetes/global-report/en/
 
I gave myself the benefit of the doubt as the last test was done whilst I was suffering from an abscess under a tooth and the dentist was treating the wrong tooth despite all the lack of progress.
My diet changed from the moment I was diagnosed, and it is not greatly different now, two and a half years later, so pre and post remission it is the same.
I was following a 'cholesterol lowering' diet for almost two years before diagnosis, which was high carb and low fat and it did not change my cholesterol for the better.
 

This sounds contradictory, which I'm sure it isn't meant to. You changed your diet the moment you were diagnosed, but pre and post diets were the same?????
 
I have not been officially recognised as in remission by my GP practice however my Hba1c has been 40 or under since Aug 2014 so fits the criteria in @Bluetit1802s post above. I eat approx 100g carbs per day.
 
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