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Have I reversed my Diabetes?

 
I went on a 24 hour alternate fasting diet about a year ago .To reduce my very high blood sugar and heal my dozens of weeping none healing ulcers on my legs below the knees plus i cut out the gangrene on my big right toe end .My feet were totally numb at this time.I could have driven needles and spikes in my feet and i would not have felt a thing.I had all sorts of complications coming in thick and fast.I sacked the so-called doctor.Alls he was interested in was browbeating me into taking statins.Apart from all the possible side effects.I read that taking statins can cause the onset of type 2 diabetes by 60/70%.She got really stroppy when i refused to take them and threatened not to treat me at all.So i told her i would sort my own diabetes problems out which i have done without a so-called medic in sight.As i have mentioned in previous e-mails i am retired and 73 years old.I found that once reaching 65 years old the treatment goes right down the pan.Yes sure they can check your blood pressure test your blood but i can do that myself..But for anything else like replacing a badly worn out left hip jointthey don't want to know.I had to to go to A&E on my own accord The Doctors at this malpractive don't do sending you for Xrays or prescribe stronger pain killers.The A&E doctor told me i had very bad arthritis in my left hip ,all the joint was badly erroded.No wonder i was in so much pain.That was in 2012
Anyway on a brighter note ,after 12 months I am still totally free of diabetes.all my many complications have cleared up.Some were very frightening indeed.I'm not on any special diet I can eat what i like with no adverse effects.I do keep an eye on my blood sugar now and again . Seeing my kidneys were starting to fail,My legs especially my left thigh swelled up with fluid .I test my pee often with Urine test sticks. i can test test for blood sugar with these. i know they are not as accurate as doing a blood test they are a good guide.My kidneys have recovered a lot .No more swelling no more blood , much less protein showing on the test stick.I am now cured of diabetes but the doctors will beg to differ.I feel like a new man regardless of being elderly.My advice is avoid the medics when possible.I have found they are bad news. there are no doubt good GPs to treat the old people but where?
 
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rom35 said:
Congratulation for this. According to number you are "non-diabetic" near the limit (42).

But beware diabetes is not curable at this time, so the return to diet full of carbs will get you right back over 42.
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I am a type one diabetic. Occasionally my HB A1 C reaches very low levels. This doesn’t mean I am not a type one diabetic anymore it just means I am a type one diabetic with very low HB A1 C. Low HB A1 C doesn’t mean you are cured, it just means you have a low HbA1c.
 

Congrats on the improvements. You've had a hard run, but there is no cure for diabetes. It is always there. You can control it, keep levels in normal range and avoid complications and or limit their impact, but there is no cure. There is however, good management of it. Do you know what your HBA1c is? It can act, I find, as a target to either aim to lower or maintain.

It can be hard at times to find a gp who has a decent amount of knowledge about diabetes, but they are out there. Maybe ask friends or neighbors if they can recommend one if you are not happy with who you have? Just a thought.
 

You are classed as a diabetic with well controlled blood sugar levels. Although you are in the non-diabetic range the diabetes symptoms will come marching back over the hill as soon as you let go of the controls that got you to the normal range. Like yourself, my HbA1C is in the normal range these days too but I know that if I have pavlova and ice cream for dessert each night it will be through the roof in no time.
Glenn
 
Agreed. T1D is totally different as T2D.
 
My sister was diabetic. She was about 8 stone over weight. She had a gastric bypass and lost her diabetes almost over night! She can currently eat anything without her BS spiking. I was diagnosed on 8th December and have lost 34lbs since. Reduced my hba1c from 62 to 42 but if I have a high carb meal (rare) my BS spikes. I class myself as a controlled diabetic but live in hope of reversing it. I have a very healthy bmi now. The diagnosis was a blessing in disguise. My whole lifestyle has changed for the better. I know that even if I don't manage to reverse it I will never go back to my old ways massive thanks to this website and all the extremely helpful people giving up their valuable time to help.
 
rom35 said:
Congratulation for this. According to number you are "non-diabetic" near the limit (42).

But beware diabetes is not curable at this time, so the return to diet full of carbs will get you right back over 42.
Click to expand...

I started with A1C of 110 six months ago, and the latest figure was 42.

I felt pleased with myself although I have great doubt that I will be able to sustain this number. But my doctor encouraged me to go for 39 in another 3 months. I think this is madness.
 

Welcome to the Forum @klsar1. I notice this is your first posting so I’ll tag in @daisy1 for a welcome post. Don’t be daunted about getting your HbA1c down further from 42 to 39, it is quite possible in 3 months. My second test after diagnosis was 45 and at the next test I got it down to 36. How have you got it down so far? I used low carb eating, self monitoring and Metformin.
 
I agree with rom35, at this time TD2 is not curable having a lower, more 'normal' HbA1c means that you are controlling the condition, that alone is well worth the effort.

Keep up the good work.
 
Hello I am sure i have cured my diabetes my blood sugar levels are normal i'm not on any special diet.I have a sweet tooth.I like eating trifles and tescos fruit and nut bars etc but not every day.I tested to see if my panceas was working ok .I performed my own sugar test.I had lots of sweet stuff.I tested my blood sugar after it had peaked .My Free Style gave reading of 17.8 mml. I then tested with my hospital grade Accutrend GC test meter .It gave a reading of 12.8 mml of blood glucose.I tested ove a period of 2 hours.At the end of 2 hours my B G reading on my free style was 9.2 mml and on my more accurate Accutrend was 7 mml .I tested a further 30 minutes with my Accutrend meter.My blood sugar had dropped to 6 mml.As i have mentioned before I am now totally free from diabetes All the many worrying and frightening complications have cleared up.I was taking 100mg of Atenolol beta-blocker drug daily for 25 years I weaned myself off them..I think coming off Atenolol and reducing my weight by over 3 st. has cured my diabetes.I have no doubt if i started taking Atenolol again and put the weight i lost back on again.It may return.Few years ago the doctor said i am going to put you on another pill for your blood pressure.It was a water pill.Later on after taking this pill and Atenolol I had a routine blood test etc .A week or so later i received a letter from the hospital informing me ,that my blood sugar was high end of normal and it could i be caused by the water pill I stopped taking it . i went to the doctors with a pee sample .He tested it and said it was clear of sugar .My blood sugar had returned to normal.I have managed to keep my weight down I weigh 11 st 4 lbs from 13 st 10 lbs.I have lost all my belly fat.I don't want to be rude but i can now see my private parts without looking in mirror before it shatters lol.
 
david1241 said:
It gave a reading of 12.8 mml of blood glucose.I tested ove a period of 2 hours.At the end of 2 hours my B G reading on my free style was 9.2 mml and on my more accurate Accutrend was 7 mml .I tested a further 30 minutes with my Accutrend meter.
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So you did not pass the "OGTT" test. For real non-diabets the spike will not go over 7.7 and after two hours it must be under 5.6. BG in any time over 11 means diabetes. Sorry - you only have not so "strong" diabetes, but you have it. Be glad that with relatively high carb diet you can still be inside 3.9 to 7.7 limit (thus like non-diabetes).

david1241 said:
He tested it and said it was clear of sugar
Click to expand...
The sugar will be in the urine if BG goes over 11. Try it one hour after taking 75g of glucose. "It gave a reading of 12.8 mml"

If you stop control of your diet it will be worse, please please think about that:
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/16422495.php
 
@GeminiMum

Hello GeminiMum and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

  • Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why

  • Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
 

I think you need to read up on OGTT and specifically how to interpret the results.

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/oral-glucose-tolerance-test.html
 
rom35 said:
this is from medic university scripts:
https://www.wikiskripta.eu/images/d/da/OGTT.png
blue one is non diabetic. see the numbers.

real non-diabetic will never ever go over 7.7. But as we are older, this limit is going up but not over 9.
Click to expand...

Sorry @rom35
But your unreferenced graph’s information does not match the following:

From the Mayo Clinic (using American criteria)
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/glucose-tolerance-test/about/pac-20394296

Type 2 diabetes
If you're being tested for type 2 diabetes, two hours after drinking the glucose solution:

  • A normal blood glucose level is lower than 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L).
  • A blood glucose level between 140 and 199 mg/dL (7.8 and 11 mmol/L) is considered impaired glucose tolerance, or prediabetes. If you have prediabetes, you're at risk of eventually developing type 2 diabetes. You're also at risk of developing heart disease, even if you don't develop diabetes.
  • A blood glucose level of 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or higher may indicate diabetes.

And from the UK National Health Service, listed here on the diabetes.co.uk website
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/oral-glucose-tolerance-test.html

What should the OGTT results be?
People without diabetes
  • Fasting value (before test): under 6 mmol/L
  • At 2 hours: under 7.8 mmol/L
People with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)
  • Fasting value (before test): 6.0 to 7.0 mmol/L
  • At 2 hours: 7.9 to 11.0 mmol/L
Diabetic levels
  • Fasting value (before test): over 7.0 mmol/L
  • At 2 hours: over 11.0 mmol/L
 
its the same, only limits are broader to make a decision (to be sure).

normal < 7.8 - non diabetes will never ever go over this, even after drinking 75g of glucose and sitting without move

<11 pre diabetes - but will not cross over

> over 11 any time of OGTT - diabetes

after two hours: here is the difference - but real non diabetes will be under 5.7 again: see http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/16422495.php

but anyway - we started (better I started) discussion which leads nowhere. Main question is: did @david1241 reverted the diabetes to non-diabetic state? Can he eat what he wants?
I only want him to be very careful with that - I want him to ask doc for OGTT - to save him from progress...
 
rom35 said:
normal < 7.8 - non diabetes will never ever go over this, even after drinking 75g of glucose and sitting without move
Click to expand...

I disagree.
I am familiar with the www.bloodsugar101.com website (phlaunt), but I think you are confusing the different levels of glucose dysregulation, and different stages of prediabetes, with an actual diagnosis of diabetes.

UK and US glucose tolerance tests do not test blood glucose between the beginning and end of the 2 hr test duration.
For the purpose of the test, it is irrelevant what happens during that period.
The test is designed to measure whether blood glucose returns to its start level within the test duration.
It does not measure what you claim.

I agree with you that healthy blood glucose stays low and steady with 75g of glucose in a drink.
I agree with you that higher numbers may indicate glucose intolerance.
However, higher levels of blood glucose during the GGT do not get diagnosed as diabetic if the blood glucose is measured below 11mmol/l at 2hours.

It is very misleading to declare that people are diabetic if their blood glucose rises above 7.8mmol/l at any time.
 
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