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HBA1C of 55 but doc says no metformin?

MrsDoodle72

Member
Messages
17
Location
London S
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
exercise. But I'd better change that.
My GP told me two years ago I was prediabetic. I was always going to do that diet again (the Prof Roy Taylor 800 cal low carb) which I'm now doing... but lock down happened and now I have been tested again and told I have a HBA1C of 55 and the doctor has declared me to be type 2. But he has also said he is not going to give me any metformin 'right now' and test me again in a month. (which seems odd as HbA1c is a look back of a few months?)

The diet is my own doing not his and I know I need to lose weight but will losing 10-15kg have a realistic chance of remission? ##
I ask as in 2015 I lost 5kg and normalised myself. All they told me two years ago was 'oh you need to lose a bit of weight'. Not "if you don't you'll be diabetic girl'. I blame myself here but it's just tricky sitting at a desk all day commuting for 3 hours and I hate exercise!

Double issue as i am tachycardic at the moment and they can't find out why. I'll not be out running until that's sorted.
My GP wont' see me face to face either so doing this by phone is frustrating. Very frustrating.

Ali, 52, Surrey.
 
I was diagnosed with T2 about 6 months ago (48 mmo/l). My GP only put me on one tablet of Metformin per day. But to be honest I don’t even notice what difference it may be making.
I didn’t get diagnosed with as a pre diabetic but generally, I feel, Dr don’t emphasise it’s significant a enough. If I had my way, pre diabetics should be treated the same as diabetics and get all the support and information which diabetics get.
That aside, through a strict low carb / keto diet I gave been able to get my BG levels down to 35mmo/l and my GP is already talking about dropping my Metformin by next year.
I have started to exercise more as it is a good way of using up your glucose stores. It’s just a question of finding an activity that works for you. I went for HIIT training on an old cross trainer we had sitting in the garden for the last 10 years!!

But you can do HIIT training without equipment. The reason I chose HIIT was because it can be done in 15 minutes, so for me it took very little of my day.

I think you are right to question retesting your HBA1C so soon as it is a 3 month average. The only login that would explain it to me is that your GP is simple confirming the first results, or trying to gauge a trend, is it going up or down??
 
Hi Ali

my brother in law was diagnosed type 2 HbA1c 55, he has lost 2 stone by going low carb and going for a walk every day. He has been wearing a Libre which is predicting HbA1c of 32 He is going for the blood test shortly. I would ask for 3 months not one month to try are correct this via diet and exercise. Metformin doesn’t agree with everyone, I had terrible upset stomach’s even with the slow release version. Personally I would avoid adding medication until you have given lifestyle changes a go, I know this can be very hard but I hope this information about my brother in law will help you. He thought he wouldn’t be able to do this with a busy job and other health complications but he has, fingers crossed for you too.
 
When I was diagnosed in 2014 my HbA1c was 53. Metformin was never mentioned, and it wasn't until I found this forum that I even knew what it was. I have never been prescribed any diabetes drugs and am thankful for that.

Normally, if the HbA1c is borderline, a second test is carried out to confirm or otherwise the first. This is normally done within a week or two. I don't know why your GP has said test again in a month. Your GP is giving you the opportunity to lower your levels by diet, and this is a good thing. Be happy about it!
 

Hi many thanks and yes you have been very helpful and your brother in law's story is inspiring. I am on the Newcastle diet right now and have lost 1.6kg in my first week. I am on extante shakes and lots of vegetables 3 times a day. GP says he needs two HbA1cs to see what i am at apparently. Hopefully by 5 december I will have done enough weight loss to knock it down a bit.

This site is amazing and I have got so much information from it already. I have learned once a diabetic always a diabetic but that remission is possible if I shift the 10-15kg I need to. I should get a blood glucose monitor, and i must not eat beige food any more. That's a start after 1 day of reading!

while typing this the GP phoned and referred me to cardiology finally which is a relief so i might find out why my heart is randomly racing.
 
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Thank you. Knowledge levels are growing but I was totally in the dark on this really - so very helpful. I am going to start walking and keep on this diet. My issue is a second problem with tachycardia - i need to find out why i am getting it (got it before the diet) and get it sorted. It means i am unable to exercise and am concerned it will get worse.
 
Hi
I was diagnosed over a year and a half ago, i took part in the one million steps challenge fundraiser but more importantly i have lowered my levels to remission. So this i hope will give you some hope that you can indeed put Diabetes into remission by losing a little weight.
 
As somebody who has T2 but has always been slim, I can understand why people think that it's all about losing weight. But what they fail to see is that for 10% of type 2 diabetics (the slim ones) it 's about losing visceral fat (and it is probably also true for the other 90% too). The best way to lose that is by becoming 'fat adapted' meaning able to switch between burning carbs for energy and burning fat for energy. reducing the carbs eaten (as happens as a by product in a low calorie diet) without reducing calories gets you fat adapted without hunger and without lowering your resting Metabolic Rate.

Perhaps it's just too easy for people to think it possible, despite the studies by Dr David Unwin, Freshwell and Virta.
 
I just add my story as a caution.
Nhs standards say they normally need 2 diabetic HBa1c tests to formally diagnose diabetes.
I had one, Then covid happened and I couldn't get get second test for ages. I went low carb, lost weight and reduced bg to remission levels BUT by the time I got my second test they wouldn't formally diagnose me so I am being denied vision checks, annual checks and routine bloods.
My meter clearly shows me as diabetic when I eat carbs, so I know I am
If you want to be supported and stay in the system I recommend starting slowly with lchf until you have been formally diagnosed.
Type 2 takes years to develop and a life time to manage. A slower start to ensure formal diagnosis and on going support and tests would have beenmy preferred option had I known.
 

You were exactly the same as I was on diagnosis. I was lucky in that I had a repeat HbA1c a week or two later and was much the same but had done very little in the meantime to help myself, so I was diagnosed T2. At my next test 3 months later my HbA1c was 46 and has since dropped. I am still in the loop and receive the normal T2 checks.
 

Unfortunately I am BMI 34 so i am working on the premise that I am too fat and am going to change that with the Newcastle Uni diet and a change ijn lifestyle..... but you make some really good points on metabolic rate and changing what you eat.
 
MrsA2 said:
I just add my story as a caution.
Nhs standards say they normally need 2 diabetic HBa1c tests to formally diagnose diabetes.
I had one.
Click to expand...
And I only ever had one hba1c at 55mmol. One test is allowable if you have symptoms. My only symptom was general fatigue but I also had low ferretin, vit d and b12 so it could have been any or all of them. I’d also had several surgeries including thyroid surgery and a lot of stress back to back just before so I wasn’t convinced and asked for a second. I got given a fasting blood glucose that time and failed that too by a similar margin. After a period of denial and later acceptance I realise it was correct. Real proper low carb/keto and weight loss (no medication) has never gotten me below 40mmol at best and usually 42/43 since. A non diabetic would have gone lower I believe.
 
If you are doing a VLC diet such as ND, then you should not be using any diabetic medication that can lower blood glucose. The ND is supposed to be done under medical supervision, and going it alone is not advised. Are you using the shakes?

The doctor is following the guidelines for the ND intervention even though he has not prescribed it per se.

The ND diets should not be used if your BMI at the start is less than 30 (diabetic) or 35 (non diabetic/ prediabetic) according to the DIRECT Protocol which provided the evidence to support the diet in the GP care setting.
 

BMI is 34 and I'm nearly 100kg (omg) so need to lose quite a bit. I'm using shakes and eating three portions of veg a day as advised. If I feel wobbly I have a few slices of ham or few spoons of a full fat greek yoghurt. drinking more water and banned caffeine. Loss in week 1 is 1.8kg. I told the GP and she was fine with it. (although she wont' see me face to face...)

I feel ok. A bit tired. but i felt tired before. I did this before in 2015 and gave up after 5kg loss which normalised my pre diabetic self. I need to lose more this time.
 
Sounds OK. Shakes makes things easier, and covers the essential nutrients. I was just being cautious
 
While the newcastle diet will help with short term weight loss it isn't a longer term solution. Have you considered doing low carb instead as that can be very successful, doesn't leave you hungry and can be maintained indefinitely. Lots of us have got into remission on low carb.
 
Calorie restricted diets can work short term, a low carbohydrate diet can be used both short and long term. You have been consuming more carbohydrates than your body can cope with so you will need to maintain carbohydrates below that threshold if you want to put and keep diabetes in remission. If you return to eating the things you did before the problems will return

I suggest after you finish the calorie restricted diet you are currently on you switch straight to a low carbohydrate diet. Carbs are addictive and people can struggle to drop them ... and keep away from them. Try to avoid refined carbs and sugar sweetened drinks.

Having a blood glucose meter will help you work out which foods you can tolerate and which you should avoid in future.

The HbA1c gives a sort of average blood glucose over the last 3 months but more recent blood glucose has a greater impact. Although they are typically done between 3 and 12 months apart that does not need to apply at initial diagnosis. Think of the next HbA1c as early feedback on how you are getting on

Keep up the good work and hope you get the other health issues sorted soon
 

Hello! thanks for tips. when I get rid of 10-15kg (christmas?) I am going to reintroduce a low GI regime. I have clearly been poisoning myself with beige food, and too large portions for a while. I really so very much appreicate the wisdom on here as getting 000000 from the GP

weight update: now lost 5.2kg. Feeling ok. Eating some salmon for tea and lots of dark green cabbage.....
 

Hello, I did low carb in 2015 for about a year and it was amazing. I just fell out of doing it because I live with a plump Geordie who cooks lots of pasta. I will draw a line under that from now on - Konjak pasta only. I actually prefer low carb, it makes me feel better. I have lots of recipes. I need a maintenance diet after this shake thing is over!!
 
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