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HbA1c blood test
- Thread starter rolypoly58
- Start Date
A shortcut is to multiply mmol/l by 18 (so 10mmol/l = 180mg/dl
My feeble brain can't cope with that 'on the hoof' so i do an approx mental conversion of x20.
It gives lovely round numbers
TooManyCrisps
Well-Known Member
Hi
Well, I bought a meter, it arrived yesterday and I have tried it out when I got home from work (4 hours after eating lunch) and reading was 4.7. Tested 3 hours after dinner (complicated evening meant I couldn't test at 1 and 2 hours) and it was 5.3.
Tested when I woke up and it had risen to 6.7, even though I hadn't eaten for 12 hours.
Tested again at 10am after 2 cups of black coffee but no food. And it has gone up to 7.3!!!
Tested just before lunch and it had dropped to 6.5 but that's still high, isn't it? I don't understand how it keeps going up even though I haven't eaten for hours.
I'll be able to test at 1 and 2 hours aftrrnoon lunch today, and after dinner this evening. But I'm feeling very despondent after feeling quite happy about the readings last night. I'm desperate to get my HBA1C down from initial reading of 97, but won't be able to with these readings, will I? I have been on a low carb diet since Jan 01 (diagnosed on New Years Eve) and have lost 10lbs so far.
Does anyone know why my reading was higher this morning after no food than it was yeserday when I'd eaten?
Well, I bought a meter, it arrived yesterday and I have tried it out when I got home from work (4 hours after eating lunch) and reading was 4.7. Tested 3 hours after dinner (complicated evening meant I couldn't test at 1 and 2 hours) and it was 5.3.
Tested when I woke up and it had risen to 6.7, even though I hadn't eaten for 12 hours.
Tested again at 10am after 2 cups of black coffee but no food. And it has gone up to 7.3!!!
Tested just before lunch and it had dropped to 6.5 but that's still high, isn't it? I don't understand how it keeps going up even though I haven't eaten for hours.
I'll be able to test at 1 and 2 hours aftrrnoon lunch today, and after dinner this evening. But I'm feeling very despondent after feeling quite happy about the readings last night. I'm desperate to get my HBA1C down from initial reading of 97, but won't be able to with these readings, will I? I have been on a low carb diet since Jan 01 (diagnosed on New Years Eve) and have lost 10lbs so far.
Does anyone know why my reading was higher this morning after no food than it was yeserday when I'd eaten?
britishpub
Well-Known Member
When you don't eat for a long period of time i.e. overnight your Liver will release some or all of its stored Glucose into your bloodstream.
Called a Liver Dump or Dawn Phenomenon, or PIA depending on your out look.
Hiitsme
Well-Known Member
@TooManyCrisps Your readings so far are quite good Mine were a lot higher when I started testing. The morning readings can be high as the body tries to give you some energy to get going so at this stage just record but don't worry.
The important thing is to see what different meals do so test before and 2 hours after. Write it all down and what you have eaten.
The important thing is to see what different meals do so test before and 2 hours after. Write it all down and what you have eaten.
Sirmione
Well-Known Member
Those are quite good readings, morning readings tend to be higher than the night before we call it the "dawn effect".
Morning readings take a while to come down even for those of us (I am not one) who are able to keep very very tight control of diet. A vital part of the control of blood glucose with diet is eating regularly , extended intervals between meals can cause large unexpected fluctuations in blood glucose numbers.
Also remember that the meters we use are far from 100% accurate.
Morning readings take a while to come down even for those of us (I am not one) who are able to keep very very tight control of diet. A vital part of the control of blood glucose with diet is eating regularly , extended intervals between meals can cause large unexpected fluctuations in blood glucose numbers.
Also remember that the meters we use are far from 100% accurate.
TooManyCrisps
Well-Known Member
Thank you all, that is reassuring. I tested 1 hour after lunch todsy and it was 6.6, 2 hours after lunch it was 5.7. So it's lower after I eat than when I've not eaten for 12 hours? Very confusing!
I have tried to be very good about the dieting and low carb approach. I am now going to record everything I eat and drink and try and test as much as possible - timings for that will not always be easy as I'm quite often in meetings an hour after lunch. But I need to understand what's happening in my body.
I have tried to be very good about the dieting and low carb approach. I am now going to record everything I eat and drink and try and test as much as possible - timings for that will not always be easy as I'm quite often in meetings an hour after lunch. But I need to understand what's happening in my body.
Hiitsme
Well-Known Member
@TooManyCrisps Those readings are very good. 6.5 before - 1 hour 6.2 - 2 hours 5.7. What ever you ate has worked for you. I find it hard to understand how you had an HbA1c of 97 very recently. It took me 3 months from an HbA1c of 95 to get anywhere like the figures you are quoting so well done and keep on with monitoring.
TooManyCrisps
Well-Known Member
Hi Hiitme
I had a random blood sugar test as part of a well woman check, and it came back as 18, so i was then given an HBA1C test which came back as 97. That result was on New Years Eve and spurred me into action. I've not eaten bread, pasta, potatoes or rice since, have almost cut out dairy and not touched fruit juice. I'm now 10 lbs lighter but need to lose another stone really. I am desperate to avoid meds if possible. I do work out every evening as well, but that's been the case for several years.
This site has been so useful, and I appreciate everyone's comments.
I had a random blood sugar test as part of a well woman check, and it came back as 18, so i was then given an HBA1C test which came back as 97. That result was on New Years Eve and spurred me into action. I've not eaten bread, pasta, potatoes or rice since, have almost cut out dairy and not touched fruit juice. I'm now 10 lbs lighter but need to lose another stone really. I am desperate to avoid meds if possible. I do work out every evening as well, but that's been the case for several years.
This site has been so useful, and I appreciate everyone's comments.
Sirmione
Well-Known Member
Some dairy particularly milk and soft cheese may or may not be a problem it depends on how your body reacts only if your body breaks down the complex sugar Lactose into simple sugars that enters your blood stream will it raise your blood glucose.
Other dairy products such as hard cheese, butter and cream should have no direct effect on blood sugar.
Other dairy products such as hard cheese, butter and cream should have no direct effect on blood sugar.
Hiitsme
Well-Known Member
@TooManyCrisps
You are doing really well and things seem to be working for you. I had a fasting blood test that came back at 18 when I was told I had diabetes. I started by doing as I was told high carbs and low fat - wasn't working. Having a really bad reaction to Metformin I requested to try without meds and was given 3 months. I did find this site and also read up on Newcastle diet and reversing diabetes. I was so fortunate as I was given a meter and told to test. I haven't completely cut out bread, potatoes etc. Using my meter I have found I can eat Lidl rolls and Livlife bread in small quantities. I did cut out bread for a while. I can also manage a very small amount of potatoes, 50 grams, which is one very small one. For the first few months I weighed and recorded everything. I counted both calories and carbs. Any foods that spiked my sugar levels - rising over 2 points after 2 hours I tried to avoid. By limiting my calories to 500 less than what I was burning and avoiding carbs that spiked me I lost over 2 stone and that seemed to really help with getting my blood sugars down. Many people here only look at carbs and that seems to work for them. My BMI is now just under 20 so I needed to stop losing weight which is when I found Lidl rolls and Livlife bread. The Lidl rolls are very high in calories so helpful to me now but probably wouldn't have been good when I was trying to lose weight. I do have to be very careful with fruit, I can manage blueberries and strawberries in small quantities. 2 segments of grapefruit spiked me up 5 points so I haven't repeated that. I do feel that we are all different and can manage different foods which is why I have found it so useful to be able to test. We can give you suggestions on what has worked for us but I do feel that by testing you will find what works for you. I also found walking helped me but notice you already do a work out each evening so that should also help. My blood sugars also react to stress, pain, lack of sleep etc so sometimes outside things can give unexpected results. I've been diagnosed almost a year but I am still learning.
All the best - I'm sure with your attitude you will get to grips with this. Do continue to ask questions.
TooManyCrisps
Well-Known Member
Thanks, hiitsme, that's really useful and encouraging. I am now starting to record my bg and everything i eat so I can see any correlations. Ive only had the meter 36 hours, but so far my highest reading is 7.6 (2 hours after dinner) and the lowest is 4.7 (late afternoon, when i got home from work).
I work full time, in annofgice where biscuits are always around, and at home have (thin, active, hungry!) Husband and two teenagers, so there are temptations around me but so far I haven't succumbed! It would be good to find out if I can eat some things, like the occasional slice of toast, but I think what I'll do is test and record for the next two or three weeks before starting to reintroduce carb based food. My next hba1c is due in April and I need to demonstrate a definite drop in level if I'm to avoid the Metformin/meds route.
It's difficult for me to work in extra exercise, as I am often in meetings, in my car, or behind my desk immediately after eating lunch, but there will be some days when I could go for a brisk 15 minute walk after lunch, so maybe I should aim to do that. I will have to remember to take flat shoes to walk in though!! I do go to 8 gym classes a week.
Hiitsme
Well-Known Member
Hi @TooManyCrisps
You are doing really well and have a great attitude to really get on top of this. Everything you're doing will help. Your readings are all in the normal range (non diabetic) so try and keep that up. You are probably doing enough exercise but if you do get a high reading after a meal, I've found a short walk will often bring that reading down. I would agree with you to keep doing what you are doing for a couple of weeks if you can before trying out anything like bread. We all make mistakes but then that's how we learn so don't worry just come back and ask questions.
Clivethedrive
Well-Known Member
Hiitsme
Well-Known Member
Great control well done
@Clivethedrive
Your levels are amazing every day in the fasting reading thread, mine are always so much higher but I am still working on them. I still cannot understand how I had an HbA1c of 33 (last August) when sometimes during the previous 3 months I had spiked to 9 or even 10, once after a meal. The locum who I saw just said I couldn't have been high for very long and that wasn't unusual even for a non-diabetic. Now I am mostly back to my pre meal levels by 2 hours after a meal, sometimes lower. This is still very much a work in progress for me. You are an inspiration but I don't think I could do all the exercise that you do. I just stick to walking.
Clivethedrive
Well-Known Member
Hi,Hiitsme,your doing very well,initially, my bs was high for am fasting,as Dr richard bernstein points out in his book Diabetes solution 4 th edition, as long as you have excess glucose stored in your liver,it is the bodies natural function to give it out am,so the " dawn phenomenon is not such a bad thing...just your body expelling stoed glucose..in our case the excess,so as and when your bs settles am then you know your liver will be " normal=ish) .clive
kevster1009
Newbie
Something here confuses me with the two different charts:
The first one similar to a speedo in this thread shows my 7.5 of 59 HbA1C as in the green turning to yellow. the second tabular one show it as in the Red. Anyone have any views on this?
My HbA1C of 7.5 or 59 when I was diagnosed in October according to my doctor isn't that bad.any views on this folks? Next one due end of this month.
The first one similar to a speedo in this thread shows my 7.5 of 59 HbA1C as in the green turning to yellow. the second tabular one show it as in the Red. Anyone have any views on this?
My HbA1C of 7.5 or 59 when I was diagnosed in October according to my doctor isn't that bad.any views on this folks? Next one due end of this month.
Prem51
Expert
Hi @Kevster and welcome to the forum!
I think both graphs are just visual aids to give you a relative impression of where you are.
The NHS definitions of diabetes (which can be different in other countries) are HbA1c of below 42 is non-diabetic (normal), 42-47 is pre-diabetic, and 48 or above is diabetic.
So 59 is diabetic, but not that high.
Clivethedrive
Well-Known Member
Hi Kevster, you may like to look at what Dr Richard Bernstein book Diabetes Solution 4 th edition, very interesting and sobering
Tng1971
Member
I've just got back from the doctors with my blood tesst results. when i explained my overnight sugars were averaging between 10 and 12 he said that was ok. Previously he had said should be below 10. He then looked at my HB1A1C and saw my level had gone from 51 to 71. So off to the pharmacy to get new prescription. Good news is my cholestral and BP are in a good place.
