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HbA1c level still going up despite dieting/Metformin 1500mb p. day

M

Mermaid1

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes 3 years ago. I was put on metformin (1 500mg) tablets a day and my bloods were stable at 41 mmol/mol. Last year I got Covid and really struggled with asthma so was put on heavy duty oral steroids. My blood sugar was completely uncontrolled for 3 months regardless of what I ate and my blood sugar went up to 79 mmol/mol. After 4 months it came back down to 54. Since September I have been following a Mediterranean diet, low carb, no alcohol and have lost a stone and a half. I really thought my HbA1 blood test would be great this time round, but its now the highest it has ever been (88 mmol/mol)! I'm really worried, and I cant get a docs appointment for another 3 weeks. Has this happened to anyone else? At what point do they say you need insulin? many thanks
 
Morning @Mermaid1 and welcome to the forum.

Do you have a blood glucose meter and test strips? If not, I would acquire a meter and test regularly, especially before and after meals.

Have you made any changes to meal times and exercise since diagnosis?
Finally, (sorry, for all the questions) what medication(s), if any, apart from Metformin have been prescribed?

Congratulations on losing some weight.
 
Hi Mermaid and welcome to the forum.

First things first please take a look at the linked blog post from one of the other forum members which you may find helpful.

Can I ask what you're eating over the course of a normal day? Some foods have stuff in them that can spike your blood sugar, but don't show up on the label as carbohydrates (eg maltodextrin and some other sweetening agents).

Something I do which has really helped me is keep a food diary, so I know exactly what it is I've eaten, and how it breaks down into the individual macronutrients (Carbs, protein, fat and fibre etc). There are a number of apps out there that will help you do that. I use Carbs & Cals, but that's a subscription app, there are also free apps like Myfitnesspal which you can use instead.

Secondly, if you haven't already, it would be a good idea to get a glucose monitor, so you can keep an eye on what foods raise your blood sugar significantly. Tagging @Rachox , who has very useful info on glucose meters in the UK to save you from spending too much.

The idea is to test your blood sugar before you eat and again 2 hours after you start eating. The aim is to keep the rise in blood glucose to less than 2.

Anything higher than that and it's likely there were too many carbs in the meal for your system to cope with, and help you to identify what you can and can't have.

Hopefully that's helpful
 
Hi @Mermaid1 , thanks for the tag @Impy ,
here’s some info with links for UK meters, and to be clear I have no commercial connections with any of the companies mentioned.



HOME HEALTH have the Gluco Navii, which is a fairly new model and seems to be getting good reviews.

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-produ...ose-meter-test-strips-choose-mmol-l-or-mg-dl/



Links to the strips for future orders:

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/glucose-navii-blood-glucose-test-strips-50-strip-pack/



Then they sell the older SD Code Free, details to be found here!

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/





SPIRIT HEALTHCARE have a meter called the Tee2 + which is quite popular:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...e2-blood-glucose-meter?variant=19264017268793



The strips are to be found here:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...py-of-tee2-test-strips?variant=19264017367097



If there is a choice of units of measurement then ‘mmol/L’ are the standard units in the UK, ‘mg/dl’ in the US, other countries may vary.



Don’t forget to check the box if you have pre diabetes or diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for all meters and strips)
 
Type 2 diabetic: I'm eating 1,200 cals per day, lots of fruit/veg/nuts/fish, lean meat, no white carbs, some wholemeal carbs but very small portions. Avoid alcohol, fruit juice, don't eat low fat yoghurts etc because of increased artificial sugars. I do a daily online food diary which calculates carbs/sodium/sugar and fats- have been doing that since last September. Have lost weight- 1.4 stone which was why I was so confident my sugar levels would be better. My blood test result yesterday was 88 mmol/mol- the highest its ever been- really worried.

I did use a glucose meter when I was first diagnosed, but after 6 months i was told by the diabetic nurse I didn't need to keep testing. Also the strips for it are really expensive and weirdly despite getting free prescriptions for other medications because of diabetes the glucose strips are not free??? just did a test from a box of strips I found. Its 22, after eating 1 piece of wholemeal toast 2 hours ago???!! I have to say my body has been through the mill in the last few years. I became diabetic 6 months after being seriously ill with sepsis 4 years ago. I was also diagnosed with post sepsis M.E at the same time. 2 months later was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Before sepsis I was super fit, healthy and a "normal" weight. I have had other abnormal blood test through today, including possible CKD. I'm on rampiril, metformin and steroid inhalers at the moment. Can't get an appointment for another 3 weeks.
 
Evening @Mermaid1

Toast? Did you say toast? It's not doing you any good, you know.
Why not give the rest of the loaf away or feed it to the birds? While it's lurking in your fridge, it'll keep whispering
"Eat me, Eat me".

I'm afraid wholemeal carbs are no better than white carbs, if you're diabetic. Low carb bread is available online, but it's expensive. Personally, I take the easy route and avoid bread altogether.

We're all different, but most type 2s can't handle fruit, other than smsll portions of raspberries, strawberries, blackberries or black currants. I eat lots of above ground, green vegetables to compensate, root veggies not so much.

As @Impy says, you’ll learn most about foods by testing just before you start a meal and then two hours after the first reading. You are aiming for a second reading no more than 2 mmols/l above the first one and not higher than 8 mmol/l. If it is, there were too many carbs in the meal for you to handle.

By modifying your meals, you can reduce your readings from where they are now to healthy numbers.
 
LivingLightly said:
Evening @Mermaid1

Toast? Did you say toast? It's not doing you any good, you know.
Why not give the rest of the loaf away or feed it to the birds? While it's lurking in your fridge, it'll keep whispering
"Eat me, Eat me".
Click to expand...
Please don’t feed it to the birds!
It is not at all good for them, as it has just empty calories and no real nutrients. Plus it encourages rats annd crows into your garden.
By all means, give it away though!
 
aylalake said:
Please don’t feed it [bread] to the birds!
It is not at all good for them, as it has just empty calories and no real nutrients. Plus it encourages rats annd crows into your garden.
By all means, give it away though!
Click to expand...
Morning @aylalake. You're right of course. Bread doesn't do garden birds any favours,

Some folk feel bread is too good to throw away. If nobody in your household wants it, best solution is to donate it somewhere where it will be used.
 
But.... you have a lot going on and it could all be adding to it! I seem to remember steroids might effect bs too.
Perhaps see if there are any cancellations to get in sooner?
 
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