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HbA1c gone up - so confused

O

Ormey

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I had a HbA1c test in February, which unfortunately included my eating over Christmas and it had gone from 65 (3 months earlier) to 66. I was asked by the doctor to have another test 4 weeks later and it has gone up to 70. I'm so upset because I've tried really hard to eat properly and exercise. I don't have a problem refusing sugar anyway and I've really cut down on my carbs. I don't eat pasta, potatoes or rice and very little bread. Does anyone have any ideas what I'm doing wrong? Could a sudden reduction of carbs increase blood levels? My eating over the last 4 weeks has been excellent, I just can't believe my HbA1c has gone up by 5. I feel so disillusioned at the moment because I know I'm going to get another lecture off the doctor and I don't know where I'm going wrong. When I was first diagnosed my HbA1c was 120.
 
And very little bread says to me still too much carbs, if you ate more carbs over christmas, your insulin resistance probably got worse. A good spell at much lower carbs should help to reverse most of that.
A reduction in carbs ONLY reduces sugar levels. Carbs are the source of the sugar.
 
Hello and welcome @Ormey

That sounds really upsetting to be trying really hard to do the right thing and end up with worse results- virtual hugs from me.

First remember that the HbA1C is over 3 months so the most recent one would still have included the Christmas period. So that is some of the explanation.

Second- have you got a meter? This scenario is exactly why I recommend a meter- it is way to hard to improve your results without clear guidance as to what is causing the issue.

Third- some people find that certain types of carbs punch above their weight- that is they may be able to tolerate a level of carbs in one form but not another. For you maybe the carbs in whatever bread you eat may do that.

Fourth- the level of carbs that someone can tolerate varies significantly from person to person and most find they can tolerate more later in the day. So your actual tolerance can vary too.

So please consider getting a meter and starting to test- that will give you some more information.

In the meantime- post what meals you have been having and people may be able to make some suggestions.

Lastly- more virtual hugs from me as this must be really upsetting.
 
Welcome @Ormey
The changes you have made since diagnosis had brought your HbA1c from 120 to 63
But even at 63 you were higher than I was at diagnosis, the 63 shows you have improved your diet but are still eating/drinking too many carbs for your body to process.
The recent rise can only mean that
1/ you have introduced something into your diet that has caused the increase
2/ without realising you have allowed more carbs back in, an extra slice of bread here or there, a couple of biscuits now and then, one sausage roll won't hurt, that sort of thing. We call it carb creep
3/ because there are still too many carbs in your diet, your insulin resistance is getting worse
and your T2 is progressing just like most Dr's expect it to.
I second the request that you tell us what you are eating and drinking in a typical day. Hopefully we can make suggestions of how you can change things.
What you don't eat is having no effect on your glucose levels, it's what you do eat that needs reviewing.
 
The thing that puzzles me the most is why the doctor repeated the HbA1c test four weeks later when it is an average of 12 weeks BG although weighted towards the most recent readings. It would have been much more sensible and fair to repeat 12 weeks later to give you a chance to improve. I agree with other responses about using your meter to check what you eat and its effect on you. Good luck!
 
Probably because the hba1c whilst covering the last approximately 12 weeks is more weighted to recent weeks and in that time significant changes to diet will show the start of a change in numbers even if not the full effect. Not the typical of best timescale either in my opinion but not pointless either. It’s common to see this short period used after diagnosis to see if people are on the right track. Far better to get the person testing their meals with a meter but we all know how rarely that’s offered by the nhs nowadays
 
Usually it's because they don't rely on one hba1c for diagnosis, if for some reason the 1st test was inaccurate, maybe a mistake in the lab or the wrong sample getting tested, you could have an incorrect diagnosis.
So it's quite common for them to request a second HbA1c as confirmation. I think my second test was around three weeks after the first.
 

I had the blood test done again sooner than the 12 weeks, but I think that was just extra confirmation of the diagnosis maybe
 
Except this wasn’t first diagnosis the OP had already got their HBA1c down from 120 on first diagnosis, I suspect a bit of carb creep over Christmas was the issue but I still think the GP could have been a bit more understanding.
 
Sorry you get this result you managed to get your leaves down by so much from the start so feel proud of your self do you write down what you eat in one of the apps like mysugers or myfitness pal this could help keep you in control also can have this info to back you up if things don't improve can have this info for diabetic nurse . has your routine changed new job change of exercise or change of meal time this may have made the difference . I hope things improve got you very soon
 
One thing often not considered is that something other than food or Insulin resistance may have had an effect.
Some people are unaware that there are about 40 other things that can make blood glucose rise, but mainly in the short term. However certain things can do so over quite a long period of time if things don't go back to normal. I have experience of infection causing raised HbA1C myself.
Infection or Injury (if they last for weeks rather than days).
Lack of Sleep or Stress (again only if they last for weeks)
Medication such as Statins or Steroids ( these tend to be prescribed for long periods of time)..
 
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