Hba1c of 44mmol/, doctor has described as abnormal but expected..

[billhp49]

For several years my Hba1c was 48mmol and the surgery changed 2x40mg gliclazide for 1x10mg dapagliflosin in Oct 23. Daily prick tests showed rapid increase of sugars to 12 a day or thereabouts. Nothing was done because surgery don't believe in prick testing Type 2. I had to wait till January 24 when an Hba1c of 61 was recorded. Retinopathy urgent appointment. Got back on Gliclazide 2x40mg Feb 24 because I insisted and retinopathy started healing. Latest Hba1c is 44 mmol.
In every case my doctor describes as abnormal but expected. I am at a loss as to what that means for my health. Bill

 

[Art Of Flowers]

Sounds like your doctor is not very clued up on diabetes. You can test your blood sugars as often as you like. You don't have to only do it once a day.

Recently, I started using a Dexcom One+ CGM which measures blood sugars every 5 minutes throughout the day. I found that very useful and discovered various things I was eating are raising blood sugars by more than I expected. See https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/th...with-a-continuous-glucose-monitor-cgm.204410/. There is also a free 14 day trial of the FreeStyle Libre 2 available.

The CGM has an estimated HBA1C value called GMI, so you can keep track of that.

 

[AndBreathe]

For several years my Hba1c was 48mmol and the surgery changed 2x40mg gliclazide for 1x10mg dapagliflosin in Oct 23. Daily prick tests showed rapid increase of sugars to 12 a day or thereabouts. Nothing was done because surgery don't believe in prick testing Type 2. I had to wait till January 24 when an Hba1c of 61 was recorded. Retinopathy urgent appointment. Got back on Gliclazide 2x40mg Feb 24 because I insisted and retinopathy started healing. Latest Hba1c is 44 mmol.
In every case my doctor describes as abnormal but expected. I am at a loss as to what that means for my health. Bill

All that message means is that your blood result isn't "normal" (as in someone not living with diabetes) and the but expected part is they know about that already.

My feeling is that comment comes from some form of menu, and is therefore quite meaningless, in terms of a health indicator.

Clearly, something like "abnormal - speak with a health care professional" would suggest some form of intervention, but you haven't got that.

These day, Bill, we really do have to keep a tab on things for ourselves. It looks like your increased meds have been helpful to your blood glucose numbers. Hopefully your next eye screening could also show improvements.

If you are concerned about anything, then it's a case of speaking with your GP or nurse at your surgery. We can only make best guesses here.

 

[Melgar]

Bill, I’m sorry that your GP is being less than helpful. It is an all too familiar situation many members find themselves in. It is an infantilizing mentality when Drs and other healthcare professionals tell you not to test your blood sugars. Ignore it and test away. Go with what @AndBreathe states, test away. It’s your body not their‘s. Nobody knows what our sugars are doing like we do. And to balance out my comment, not every Dr believes T2s shouldn’t test.

 

[billhp49]

All that message means is that your blood result isn't "normal" (as in someone not living with diabetes) and the but expected part is they know about that already.

My feeling is that comment comes from some form of menu, and is therefore quite meaningless, in terms of a health indicator.

Clearly, something like "abnormal - speak with a health care professional" would suggest some form of intervention, but you haven't got that.

These day, Bill, we really do have to keep a tab on things for ourselves. It looks like your increased meds have been helpful to your blood glucose numbers. Hopefully your next eye screening could also show improvements.

If you are concerned about anything, then it's a case of speaking with your GP or nurse at your surgery. We can only make best guesses here.

Hi, my concern is there is nowhere to go. The GP is god locally, any criticism can have you removed from the practice.

My old GP retired some 5 years ago and we had a deal that as is said, it is my body and I worked with her to do all I could to improve things by testing, commenting on drugs and being aware of developments. She would agree to listen and pres ribe what was seen to work irrespective time of the popularity of faddy treatment eg now Osempic which she wouldn't have been overjoyed with. So for 20 years it worked.

 

[Outlier]

Sometimes we just have to deploy management skills. In a way, I find the challenge amusing. As long as WE look after ourselves, we can help our own health, and because any of us might need the GP or Nursie for something else at any time, it is best to keep them sweet. We don't have to actually do anything we aren't happy with, and no doubt they are under commercial pressures which affect their decision-making.

 

[Lainie71]

Hi, my concern is there is nowhere to go. The GP is god locally, any criticism can have you removed from the practice.

My old GP retired some 5 years ago and we had a deal that as is said, it is my body and I worked with her to do all I could to improve things by testing, commenting on drugs and being aware of developments. She would agree to listen and pres ribe what was seen to work irrespective time of the popularity of faddy treatment eg now Osempic which she wouldn't have been overjoyed with. So for 20 years it worked.T

Well gps are there to advise and my advice would be to stay on this forum, test and test. I just nod in agreement to my gp/dn but follow my own lead, as at some point I may need to visit the dreaded surgery. It has so far worked to a fashion.

 

[ChrisT2]

Hi my Hba1c has been 60 for the last 5 years and same as billhp49 the results have always been commented on by the surgery as "abnormal but expected" which just leads me to believe it is a scripted response as opposed to an informed one. I totally agree with the advice of previous posters that the best advice comes from these forums, it may be anecdotal at times but it is always tried and tested by the members.
I don't wish to have a go at my diabetic team as I am sure they are very busy with other stuff to take an in depth look at my personal circumstances and so generic responses will have to suffice. However the advice here is very personal and based on real life events, some outcomes good, some not so good. Keep a watchful eye out and hopefully you will find an answer in these forums and discover that it is an informative way to go.