Good HbA1C result but extreme tiredness

[Biltea]

Hi All

I was diagnosed as pre-type 2 diabetic in December 2016 with an HbA1C score of 42. I reduced my carb intake to 200 gms /day, but my score increased to 43 in November 2017. (I'm 72, retired and single).
As result of feedback on this Forum I reduced my carbs to 100 gms/day.

(No breakfast cereal, bread, rice, potatoes and sugary things, including most fruit (apart from berries daily and an apple/pear most days). I do eat lots of meat (mainly chicken), fish, eggs, avocados, nuts, above-ground vegetables, salads; some butter & cheese).

My HbA1C score when tested last week was 38.

This was good news but there is bad news too. I have slept badly for years, with consequent tiredness on waking, but this tiredness has got much worse in the past two or three months. I am now tired most of the day and even my dog is not happy - complaining she does not get enough walks!
My gp says my increased tiredness should not be caused by reducing my carb intake.
I do take anti-depressants but have not changed the dosage in the past year.
I would welcome any comments which might lead to an alleviation of my tiredness (slightly more carbs?/vitamin supplements?/etc).

Thanks - Biltea

 

[Resurgam]

I found my extreme tiredness was due to sleep apnoea preventing me falling into a deep sleep - I never dreamed for years, but I snored very loudly.
If you can record yourself - maybe an old cassette player/recorder would do the trick - try setting it when you go to bed and see if you snore or go quiet and then gasp for air - either means that you are not breathing freely.
You could try mentioning it to your doctor, but it is important to get sleep apnoea treated as it puts a strain on the heart to be stopping breathing so frequently..

 

[Bluetit1802]

I would ask your GP for some vitamin and mineral tests, and also to look at your red blood cell count to see if you may be iron deficient. This is better than taking supplements initially until you know if you need them, in my opinion. It could be Vitamin D insufficiency, or any of the others.

 

[DCUKMod]

Hi All

I was diagnosed as pre-type 2 diabetic in December 2016 with an HbA1C score of 42. I reduced my carb intake to 200 gms /day, but my score increased to 43 in November 2017. (I'm 72, retired and single).
As result of feedback on this Forum I reduced my carbs to 100 gms/day.

(No breakfast cereal, bread, rice, potatoes and sugary things, including most fruit (apart from berries daily and an apple/pear most days). I do eat lots of meat (mainly chicken), fish, eggs, avocados, nuts, above-ground vegetables, salads; some butter & cheese).

My HbA1C score when tested last week was 38.

This was good news but there is bad news too. I have slept badly for years, with consequent tiredness on waking, but this tiredness has got much worse in the past two or three months. I am now tired most of the day and even my dog is not happy - complaining she does not get enough walks!
My gp says my increased tiredness should not be caused by reducing my carb intake.
I do take anti-depressants but have not changed the dosage in the past year.
I would welcome any comments which might lead to an alleviation of my tiredness (slightly more carbs?/vitamin supplements?/etc).

Thanks - Biltea

If your GP hasn't already done so, I would be requesting he do a broad panel of blood tests, to include vitamins and thyroid function.

We are just emerging from a brutally cold, wet winter where it has been easier to stay indoors, rather than venture out too often. That all helps the Vitamin D to drop, and boy, low Vitamin D can cause fatigue. Similarly, if your thyroid is a bit sluggish a the moment, that can also cause leaden feet and eyelids.

If you are still on 100gr carb a day, and your weight is healthy and stable, it is unlikely to be a lack of carbs making you feel that way. Many have shown living energetically on significantly lower carb levels than that is very do-able, so I would be surprised if that was your root cause.

Good luck with it all.