Hba1C test booked this week - should I cancel?

84green

Well-Known Member
Messages
207
Watch your BS levels - my hba1c went up 6 points from 48 to 54 when I started taking statins. Came off them due to other side effects and hba1c now at non-diabetic levels

Thank you. I will and have read some of the concerns regarding statins causing raised BS and various side effects. For now, I am persuaded that in my situation they may benefit me although, in general, I think they are greatly over prescribed.

my last HbA1c in Feb was 56. Since then I have followed the Newcastle Diet and now LC and my daily numbers have mostly been in the 5’s with the occasional low 6. So I’m hopeful my next HbA1C will be lower.

This evening I had 5.3 before a filling dinner of chicken, aubergine topped with cheese. Two hours later it was 6.2.

have a few aches and pains that may be statin side effects But not sure.
 

Max68

Well-Known Member
Messages
751
Watch your BS levels - my hba1c went up 6 points from 48 to 54 when I started taking statins. Came off them due to other side effects and hba1c now at non-diabetic levels

That's really interesting. I've been hovering around 48/49 for a few years and then it went up to 58 in December. Bad six months so so probably fell off the wagon a bit, although ironically that six months was the most active I have been for a while.. However I have been on Pravastatin for quite some time along with several other meds including Amlodipine. Would be an interesting chat with the GP but I don't think now is the time!!!!
 

Daphne917

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,320
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
That's really interesting. I've been hovering around 48/49 for a few years and then it went up to 58 in December. Bad six months so so probably fell off the wagon a bit, although ironically that six months was the most active I have been for a while.. However I have been on Pravastatin for quite some time along with several other meds including Amlodipine. Would be an interesting chat with the GP but I don't think now is the time!!!!
I was taking Pravastatin which, as well as increasing my hba1c, caused dizzy spells and sleep disturbance. I came off them with my GPs’ consent and he has now annotated my notes with ‘statin intolerant’ as we don’t want the same thing to happen again.
 

midiman

Active Member
Messages
27
I have a 3 monthly a1C test booked in 5 days. My inclination is to cancel this as its not essential, involves going to medical practice, and it looks like there is going to be a big increase in Covid-19 infections in London, where I live.

Some background - I was diagnosed 9 months ago with a very high Hba1C (117) but since then seem to have managed to get things well under control with LCHF diet, metformin and weight loss. At my last test three months ago my Hba1C was 38 mmol/mol, but this week's test would only be my third post diagnosis test so all 3 of the tests I have had in the past year have had really different results. I have kept more or less to my diet regime and I am hoping things have not changed too much (e.g. my weight is at almost the same as last test). I am 64 years old.

My feeling is going to a doctor's surgery in central London at this time and having a blood sample taken is just a risk not worth taking. Does anyone feel differently?

Hi, Svg, I am was diagnosed 3 months ago with a high Hba1C of around the same as yours. I am new to all of this and they put me straight on Metaformin.

I need to get a Hba1C test done and the only place I can go to is the Hospital on the outskirts of London. I am worried about going there right now but I need to keep on top of my type 2 condition.

You story sounds great, I have just tried to start a low carb diet and I want to be under 20g per day.

What is the the LCHF diet? Does is stand for low carb high fat and where can I find more about it?

Thanks
 

HSSS

Expert
Messages
7,465
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi, Svg, I am was diagnosed 3 months ago with a high Hba1C of around the same as yours. I am new to all of this and they put me straight on Metaformin.

I need to get a Hba1C test done and the only place I can go to is the Hospital on the outskirts of London. I am worried about going there right now but I need to keep on top of my type 2 condition.

You story sounds great, I have just tried to start a low carb diet and I want to be under 20g per day.

What is the the LCHF diet? Does is stand for low carb high fat and where can I find more about it?

Thanks
Yes low carb high fat. My signature has some links and explanations and they in turn have more links. Happy reading.
It is possible to get private by post hb1ac done. Eg medichecks or several others- I’ve not used them myself but others have.
 

svgittins

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi, Svg, I am was diagnosed 3 months ago with a high Hba1C of around the same as yours. I am new to all of this and they put me straight on Metaformin.

I need to get a Hba1C test done and the only place I can go to is the Hospital on the outskirts of London. I am worried about going there right now but I need to keep on top of my type 2 condition.

You story sounds great, I have just tried to start a low carb diet and I want to be under 20g per day.

What is the the LCHF diet? Does is stand for low carb high fat and where can I find more about it?

Thanks
@midiman @HSSS has provided a good answer to your question on what is a LCHF diet. I can reiterate in my case it seems to have been greatly successful. You learn a lot on these forums. It seems to me ones chances of success vary a lot but I have had good results, possibly as I am pretty sure I was not diabetic for too long before my diagnosis. In my case in my first 3 months I mostly followed NHS guidelines (eating "healthy" carbs but eliminating sugar, potatoes, rice and bread) and I lost a ton of weight but did not get my HbA1c down as much as hoped, so went truely low carb at that point which achieved the desired result. Lately I have not been so rigorous with the carbs but its still usually under 50 g / day.

With regard to the HbA1c test I was disappointed but understanding at not being able to have my 3 month scheduled test at my surgery. Looking around I found a commercial organisation called LetsGetChecked.com which provides a service including a blood sample collection kit for £39. I tried this out earlier this week and was gratified to see the labs I had to send the sample to ("The Doctors Laboratory") are members of a large scale medical diagnostics operation in central London which is in partnership with 2 NHS trusts (Royal Free and UCL). Anyhow the home blood collection was a bit gruesome (you had to collect rather a lot using a pin prick device. I was glad I take regular samples so knew which fingers were the most "productive"), but I was impressed with the processing - I mailed off the sample just after taking it, early this Monday morning and I got my results Tuesday afternoon. The result was what I expected/hoped (5.7% which is 39 mmol/mol, just 1 point above my previous result. For some reason they use the old DCCT units). I have since emailed the result to my medical practice explaining what I had done. My regular practice nurse has just called me up to discuss the results. I noticed she accepted the result as likely being accurate but has not updated my medical record with this reading, though she did put in my reported current body weight. Anyhow it seems to me, if you can afford it, this home testing method is well worth doing as an adequate substitute for this non-essential test. The price is not outrageous and the result I got was consistent with what I was expecting. Obviously its a commercial organisation and the blood collection method is not at all the same as one taken by a medical practitioner in a controlled environment, but I probably will do this again in 3 months if we are still in lockdown.

I don't think I said earlier, but I am currently taking metformin - 500 mg bd (when I was diagnosed 9 months ago I was put onto 850 mg bd. This was reduced after my tests 3 months ago). My nurse advised today to continue this for the next 3 months and then to halve the dose if my HbA1c is sustained.
 
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84green

Well-Known Member
Messages
207
Hi, Svg, I am was diagnosed 3 months ago with a high Hba1C of around the same as yours. I am new to all of this and they put me straight on Metaformin.

I need to get a Hba1C test done and the only place I can go to is the Hospital on the outskirts of London. I am worried about going there right now but I need to keep on top of my type 2 condition.

You story sounds great, I have just tried to start a low carb diet and I want to be under 20g per day.

What is the the LCHF diet? Does is stand for low carb high fat and where can I find more about it?

Thanks

I used a company called Thriva for my liver and lipids blood test two weeks ago. Got the results the day after I posted the sample back. Results were in line with my previous nhs tests so, whilst there may be some difference in methodologies, it appears accurate.

Sent results to my cardiologist and GP who were happy. Will be using them again for my HbA1C test next week.

Good luck
 
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84green

Well-Known Member
Messages
207
@midiman @HSSS has provided a good answer to your question on what is a LCHF diet. I can reiterate in my case it seems to have been greatly successful. You learn a lot on these forums. It seems to me ones chances of success vary a lot but I have had good results, possibly as I am pretty sure I was not diabetic for too long before my diagnosis. In my case in my first 3 months I mostly followed NHS guidelines (eating "healthy" carbs but eliminating sugar, potatoes, rice and bread) and I lost a ton of weight but did not get my HbA1c down as much as hoped, so went truely low carb at that point which achieved the desired result. Lately I have not been so rigorous with the carbs but its still usually under 50 g / day.

With regard to the HbA1c test I was disappointed but understanding at not being able to have my 3 month scheduled test at my surgery. Looking around I found a commercial organisation called LetsGetChecked.com which provides a service including a blood sample collection kit for £39. I tried this out earlier this week and was gratified to see the labs I had to send the sample to ("The Doctors Laboratory") are members of a large scale medical diagnostics operation in central London which is in partnership with 2 NHS trusts (Royal Free and UCL). Anyhow the home blood collection was a bit gruesome (you had to collect rather a lot using a pin prick device. I was glad I take regular samples so knew which fingers were the most "productive"), but I was impressed with the processing - I mailed off the sample just after taking it, early this Monday morning and I got my results Tuesday afternoon. The result was what I expected/hoped (5.7% which is 39 mmol/mol, just 1 point above my previous result. For some reason they use the old DCCT units). I have since emailed the result to my medical practice explaining what I had done. My regular practice nurse has just called me up to discuss the results. I noticed she accepted the result as likely being accurate but has not updated my medical record with this reading, though she did put in my reported current body weight. Anyhow it seems to me, if you can afford it, this home testing method is well worth doing as an adequate substitute for this non-essential test. The price is not outrageous and the result I got was consistent with what I was expecting. Obviously its a commercial organisation and the blood collection method is not at all the same as one taken by a medical practitioner in a controlled environment, but I probably will do this again in 3 months if we are still in lockdown.

I don't think I said earlier, but I am currently taking metformin - 500 mg bd (when I was diagnosed 9 months ago I was put onto 850 mg bd. This was reduced after my tests 3 months ago). My nurse advised today to continue this for the next 3 months and then to halve the dose if my HbA1c is sustained.

Noticed that my surgery have added my private test results to my record.