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hbc1a of 9, how bad is this?

H

HLW

Well-Known Member
Messages
723
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I recently had a blood test and my Hbc1a was 9, I was wondering how bad this is? I know it's far too high, and I have been feeling very tired recently and I was thinking is it due to having high blood sugar.
I've been diagnosed diabetic for about 2 years. When I first started treatment my Hbc1a went down to 5.4, but since last christmas it's been rising (dispite my having lost weight, eating better, and getting more exercise :( ). I'm now on the maximum dose of Glucophage, 4 x 500mg metformin and I'm worried about what will happen long term as I'm only 24.
 
HbA1c of 9% is rather high. Below 6.5 is now considered ideal. You say you are eating better and that 4 x500 Metformin is maximum. Firstly, there ae some people on 3X 850 Metformin, which is more. secondly, just what are you eating? and how much of it? and if you are so young, are you a type 2, which does respond the Metformin, or a type 1, which might do initially, but soon does not.
You need to get those questions answered.
In the meantime you might try cutting down very severely on carbohydrates. It won't hurt you and might help. What I'm saying is No bread or baked goods, no sugar or anything whose name ends in~ose other than sucrolose( Splenda, which isn't sugar any more) Minimal pasta or rice or potaotes or other roots Only tiny portions of "healthy whole grains" or other cereals One spoonful would be a maximum portion. Eat meat, fish, cheese, eggs, green vegetables and a little fruit. Read the panels on ready foods and avoid anything with high numbers for carbohydrates. Don't worry about fats, they won't urt you. If that doesn't make you feel better, they will put you on insulin. that's OK if it's what you want. Watch out for doctors and nurses telling you not to eat low carb. they will tell you it isn't safe and that you will be missing some essential nutrients. Rubbish! there's nothing essential in carbs. you can get energy from fats and proteins.
 
Ah ok it says on the leaflet 4 x 500 is max for glucophage, the dose can be higher if it's normal metformin?
Re: type 1 or type 2, when I got home from uni and re-registered with my doctor at home, when I went to see him and mentioned I'd been diagnosed he immediatly said something along the lines of 'really? are you sure? go away and come back this afternoon when I've read your notes', when I went back he said he was sure it was type 2 because of the way it had responded to metformin. Is it worth going back and asking about it again? Is there a test to show which it is?
Re: eating, I avoid anything with added sugar in (everything has when you look out for it, breakfast cerals, ready meals, even things like fruit soothes sometimes have it added! - incedently I avoid drinking fruit juice because it's very sweet, I don't know if this is a good idea or not.). I avoid things like white bread, white pasta etc, but I do eat granay and wholemeal bread, durum wheat pasta. I don't eat meat or fish.
My diet could improve, and I am overweight, but it's a bit off putting that with having already lost weight and eating better my diabetes has got worse!
 
Well it's been rising the last three blood tests I've had, so I assume it's not going suddenly go back down.
I don't have any means of self-testing my blood. I've been prescribed urine test stips by one doctor, but another told me they were inacurate so not to bother with them. So I'm really not sure wether to use them or not.
 
Hi HLW,
According to the practitioner guidelines the maximum dose of Glucophage is 2gm per day. The maximum dose of metformin is 3gm per day.

If you are on Glucophage SR then you are already on the maximum dose.
 
I'm not a medic, just a biologist and Ithink that any young person diagnosed diabetic needs to be checked to see if it's type 1 or 2. Your response to metformin isn't a diagnostic, because type 1s often have a "honeymoon" period, where tthry still make insulin. Metformin might have an effect there. I don't know enough, but just makes sense. As the honeymoon comes to an end, the effect would wear off. Although they write a lot about it in the papers, type 2s in their early 20s are still comparatively rare. LADA may present as type 2. You do need to know.
Nevertheless, a low carb diet wouldn't hurt any of them.
 
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