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Hba1c

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Scarlet free

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Good afternoon
Been a type 2 diabetic for about 5 years with low figures normally between 7 and 10 on average .

Have not felt well for past month so decided to test myself last sunday at which in the morning the figure was 24.8 .

Since then up to to today have an average score of 18.

Had an hb1ac yesterday and reading was 90.

Obviously this is high and have an appointment with my diabetic nurse next week

What treatment will see recommend do you think.

I am on metformin at the moment

4 number per day

2 morning and 2 night

Thank you

Derrick Rowlands
 
Hi Derrick,
Sorry to hear that your HbA1C has gone so high. Personally I wouldn't consider finger prick BG test readings of between 7 and 10 to be low. Experts disagree, but I take the cautious view that any spikes above 7.8 may be enough to cause complications ( retinopathy, neuropathy) and I prefer not to risk those.

Are you just relying on Metformin to keep your BG low?

Many of us use a Low Carb 'Way Of Eating' - i.e. cut down on and count all carbs - don't bother about the calories and 'eat to your BG meter'. For several of us this was enough to be able to come off all diabetes medications within few months, though for others it may take 1 to 2yrs for that.

Having said that, there are other things than Carbs which can raise Blood Glucose, including:
Infection
Injury
Stress
Lack of Sleep
Medication (including Statins and Steroids)
Lack of Exercise
Vigorous Exercise (but only in the short term - so would not affect an HbA1C).
 
Without a drastic review of your diet, its could be likely additional medication will be recommended......

insulin being the last resort I would imagine.....

the recent illness could be contributing to the recent highs......would you say you've been feeling off in the last 90 days?
 
 
I agree with @ianf0ster and @novorapidboi26 the readings between 7 and 10 are not that low and if you don't take some action you will need more medication.

The good news is that you have a choice- if you are okay with the prospect of more medication then that is available if you would like to try changing your diet to bring your levels down there are a lot of people and resources on this site to help.

For me the possibilities of the complications from diabetes scares me so I keep my levels as low as possible. even getting a 7 stresses me out. I can't imagine a 10 anymore.

Good luck in making the best decisions for you.
 
Hi @Scarlet free ,

....That's..... Not low. Anything above 8,5 causes damage to arteries, organs etc... So you really, really want to tackle this. Odds are you will be given more medication, as metformin doesn't do anything about the food you eat. it just tells your liver not to dump so much sugar in the morning. Might make you feel less hungry too, but that's about it. So odds are they'll put you on something like gliclazide or something similar. If you don't want more medication, you do have another option: changign your diet. https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html have a quick read there, see if it resonates with you, and go from there to the wondrous worlds of diabetes.co.uk (not .org!), dietdoctor and Dr. Jason Fung's book, the Diabetes Code. If you persuade your doc to let you try the diet option first, ask them to work with you and have another HbA1c done to see if there's improvement (and there will be if you do this right), you could well avoid more meds. Heck, you could be seeing non diabetic numbers in a week or two. Maybe sooner.

Good luck!
Jo
 

sad to say, but the others are right.

anyhting over 8 CAN impact on us dramatically over many years.

there are TWO conveyor belts at DX.

and we ALL choose ONE or the OTHER

ONE that the vast majority step on to, whisks them away to Eatwell / Move more, plus a touch of metformin,
if docs thinks it's too early to go full insulin

AND THAT has been proven over countless years., to then lead to the conveyor belt ending abruptly,
but that's OK,,they KNOW your on you way..

So they just move you over, to the Insulin conveyor belt,

On this belt the mantra is still the same, take the Meds and Eatwell and Move more, (they never get tired of that one.. )
but by now many can't..so just eat more / inject more instead..

THEN they get sicker so docs UP the Meds even more..and now they eat more and inject MUCH More...
and then they get moved onto the .."You need medical treatment, stat.. cos you got Complication" conveyor belt.

but don't worry, it's all sorted well ahead of schedule from the moment you get on the conveyor belt number one.
THAT predicts your safe arrival at a hospital at some point in the future, so don't worry... your in safe hands,
they KNOW what they are doing.

ME ?

I think i'm worth MORE then that...much more.

and i think MANY on here feel the same,
so WE test..and THEN we test some more, and ONLY when WE Are happy that we feel comfortable on a day to day basis EATING the foods that affect us LESS, do WE feel safe,

So yeah it's a nuisance, yeah it can cost..BUT we KNOW TODAY..not in 3 months time..

But hey, we all choose what we do in life, and weigh up what risks/costs are acceptable and whats risks/costs aren't

and the TRUTH...as much as we all SAY we care, it doesn't matter to me or anyone else
if anyone who is DX'd tests or not.
It won't affect MY life, NOR your doctors or your HCP, and any DN..they can hand out bad advice all day long and still go back home to their families healthy and looking forward to a bright future

the ONLY person it DOES affects is the individual concerned and their immediate family.

advice is freely given on here, it's not obligatory to take it.

You being on here shows to me you care about YOU, so you too can take note, as i did, and with that knowledge decide for yourself what decision YOU should make re testing.

good luck moving on and finding a way that works, i hope you test,
i think we are ALL worth it.

but either way ..good luck
 
I've had 4 doctors now tell me I am nuts for not jumping on the metformin bandwagon because all they hear is the last A1C I had (9.8%) which happened to be when I was clueless I had diabetes. Yes, I know that is extreme, but in 3 months so far my tester/app is telling me that my diet change and uptick in excercise has gotten me to 6.3% and that is including the first bunch of weeks where blood sugar was still high as I was shifting my diet. My last 30 days if I stick to it will likely have me at 5.4% or less. I will get the results of my latest A1C next week. All I know is that I will not succumb to giving up an just taking meds as the solution, it has to only be because I have tried all natural methods first and reach a point where I can't do any better on my own.
 

Agree...Winning viewpoint.
Proves the power of NO.

(Though for clarity I still take the metformin.
It helps and has other benefits, so I believe)
 
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