Hcb1 test results....

[Carbon]

My hcb1 test results last year were 56 with no further action required they said.
This year gone up to 58 nurse was saying I need more metformin but reluctant to take more as last time had chronic upset stomach.
She suggested either slow release metformin or alogliptin, think it was decided on alogliptin I'm already taking one 500mg metformin in morning & evening with 5mg atorvastatin too.
After testing recently realised my bloods do go up & down a lot... maybe metformin isn't working properly but know I can bring down blood sugars with exercise but not always possible as I work mostly evenings/afternoons.
Has anyone else been on alogliptin?
Am 56 years young doing my bike test soon so reluctant to take anything that may make me ill... thank you.

 

[catinahat]

The HbA1c test has a margin of accuracy like any other test I suppose. I think I've read somewhere that HbA1c is plus/minus 6% so your tiny 2 point rise could easily be explained by that 6% . The other thing to bear in mind is the statins, raised blood sugar and T2 are listed as possible side effects. Maybe do a little research on cholesterol, are you taking the statin because you need to or just because your Dr thinks everyone should be on them ?
The only other suggestion I've got is to take a look at your diet to see if you can cut out some carbs. Your HbA1c of 58 is not that high, a few simple changes could possibly get it down to pre/D or even non diabetic levels. Who knows you could even come of the metformin altogether.

 

[bulkbiker]

My hcb1 test results last year were 56 with no further action required they said.
This year gone up to 58 nurse was saying I need more metformin but reluctant to take more as last time had chronic upset stomach.
She suggested either slow release metformin or alogliptin, think it was decided on alogliptin I'm already taking one 500mg metformin in morning & evening with 5mg atorvastatin too.
After testing recently realised my bloods do go up & down a lot... maybe metformin isn't working properly but know I can bring down blood sugars with exercise but not always possible as I work mostly evenings/afternoons.
Has anyone else been on alogliptin?
Am 56 years young doing my bike test soon so reluctant to take anything that may make me ill... thank you.

What kind of foods are you eating?

Diet is far more powerful than medication.

Also as for statins they have been shown to raise blood sugar levels in some people so maybe ask why they think you should be taking them?

 

[Antje77]

After testing recently realised my bloods do go up & down a lot...

Usually, this happens because of eating making you go up, and your insulin slowly bringing it down again, and as you noticed, exercise helps with this.
What kind of foods do you eat? You might find you can improve your numbers by adjusting what you eat.

 

[Daphne917]

My hcb1 test results last year were 56 with no further action required they said.
This year gone up to 58 nurse was saying I need more metformin but reluctant to take more as last time had chronic upset stomach.
She suggested either slow release metformin or alogliptin, think it was decided on alogliptin I'm already taking one 500mg metformin in morning & evening with 5mg atorvastatin too.
After testing recently realised my bloods do go up & down a lot... maybe metformin isn't working properly but know I can bring down blood sugars with exercise but not always possible as I work mostly evenings/afternoons.
Has anyone else been on alogliptin?
Am 56 years young doing my bike test soon so reluctant to take anything that may make me ill... thank you.

As @bulkbiker previously said statins can raise BS levels - mine increased from 48 to 54 when I started taking them and reduced when I came off them. How long have you been on them?

 

[Carbon]

What kind of foods are you eating?

Diet is far more powerful than medication.

Also as for statins they have been shown to raise blood sugar levels in some people so maybe ask why they think you should be taking them?

My cholesterol levels are low but yes they want me on statins as they say its better to be lower when diabetic.
Mainly chicken for main meals although occasional take aways...
My bloods were lower usually as I check them, wondering if it's meds not working properly or I'm also on gasto resistant tablets too lansoprazole so may be these ?
Will speak with gp when I can about this.

 

[Carbon]

As @bulkbiker previously said statins can raise BS levels - mine increased from 48 to 54 when I started taking them and reduced when I came off them. How long have you been on them?

Been on them since 2013...

 

[HSSS]

My cholesterol levels are low but yes they want me on statins as they say its better to be lower when diabetic.
Mainly chicken for main meals although occasional take aways...
My bloods were lower usually as I check them, wondering if it's meds not working properly or I'm also on gasto resistant tablets too lansoprazole so may be these ?
Will speak with gp when I can about this.

Chicken with what? Are you carb conscious? Eg breads, pasta, rice, potatoes, cereals including oats, tropical and exotic fruits are some of the biggest culprits.

How do you test at home? Everyone’s readings go up and down all day long in response to a lot of things, food being the most drastic but sleep, exercise, illness, medications, stress can all do it too. Readings before and 2 hrs after food are a powerful way of identifying which foods are pushing your levels up. You want a rise of no more than about 2mmol after 2hrs.

Metformin is not going to cancel specific spikes caused by particular meals, it doesn’t work like that. Just slightly reduces background levels by limiting a little the glucose the liver adds to the blood.

You might want to do some research for yourself on those statins and exactly what benefit they give you, lower is not always better and it doesn’t particularly give better outcomes. Meta studies show just as many with low levels having heart issues and merely days of additional life, also women as they age have some protective effects from higher not lower levels.

 

[bulkbiker]

they want me on statins as they say its better to be lower when diabetic.

Complete nonsense in my opinion (and that of many doctors).

 

[Carbon]

Usually, this happens because of eating making you go up, and your insulin slowly bringing it down again, and as you noticed, exercise helps with this.
What kind of foods do you eat? You might find you can improve your numbers by adjusting what you eat.

I do still eat cereal in the mornings & find sandwiches easy for lunch too... although I choose lowest sugar content cereal I can find currently on bran flakes & have brown bread.
Recently got rivita to try instead of bread for its lower carb content, any ideas on books I could get or would you suggest keto diet ?
May give statins a miss... see how my bloods react ?
I do test before & after meals too... sometimes have to force myself to eat something as my hours in work are right when I would usually eat... Friday start at 12 finish at 9pm. Thanks for your advice.

 

[Carbon]

Complete nonsense in my opinion (and that of many doctors).

Might give them a miss for a while & see if blood sugars go down.
Thanks for your advice.

 

[Carbon]

Chicken with what? Are you carb conscious? Eg breads, pasta, rice, potatoes, cereals including oats, tropical and exotic fruits are some of the biggest culprits.

How do you test at home? Everyone’s readings go up and down all day long in response to a lot of things, food being the most drastic but sleep, exercise, illness, medications, stress can all do it too. Readings before and 2 hrs after food are a powerful way of identifying which foods are pushing your levels up. You want a rise of no more than about 2mmol after 2hrs.

Metformin is not going to cancel specific spikes caused by particular meals, it doesn’t work like that. Just slightly reduces background levels by limiting a little the glucose the liver adds to the blood.

You might want to do some research for yourself on those statins and exactly what benefit they give you, lower is not always better and it doesn’t particularly give better outcomes. Meta studies show just as many with low levels having heart issues and merely days of additional life, also women as they age have some protective effects from higher not lower levels.

I'm not really that carb conscious... find sandwiches for lunch easy because of work shifts I do... but recently bought rivita as it seems lower carbs ?
Try to avoid potatoes & chips, also fruits... but they are different sugars aren't they more easily absorbed?
Thanks for your advice, any recommendations for books or diets I could try please ?

 

[zerocarbisbest]

I'm not really that carb conscious... find sandwiches for lunch easy because of work shifts I do... but recently bought rivita as it seems lower carbs ?
Try to avoid potatoes & chips, also fruits... but they are different sugars aren't they more easily absorbed?
Thanks for your advice, any recommendations for books or diets I could try please ?

lower body insulin secretion via diet, that may do wonders. check videos from Dr. Robert Lustig, Dr. Pradip Jamnadas.

Althou not "real doctors", Dr Sten Eckberg and Eric Berg have amazing info.

You can find them on Youtube.

 

[HSSS]

I'm not really that carb conscious... find sandwiches for lunch easy because of work shifts I do... but recently bought rivita as it seems lower carbs ?
Try to avoid potatoes & chips, also fruits... but they are different sugars aren't they more easily absorbed?
Thanks for your advice, any recommendations for books or diets I could try please ?

All carbs turn to glucose during digestion. The speed at which they do might vary but it still happens. Sandwiches might be easy but they aren’t doing you any favours at all. The majority of us in here do some form of low carb eating. Because it works. How low varies but it can be anything from just avoiding the obvious for a fortunate few, most of us minimising to under a 100g a day to full on keto at less than 30g of carbs a day or less and even a few carnivores eating barely any carbs. If you look at the links in red at the bottom of this message there are lots of links to diets, recipes and information in those posts.

 

[catinahat]

currently on bran flakes & have brown bread.

Bran flakes have pretty much the same amount of carbs as any other cereals and your body can't see the colour of your bread, it only notices the carbs.

 

[Antje77]

I do still eat cereal in the mornings & find sandwiches easy for lunch too

So that's what makes you rise.

would you suggest keto diet ?

There is a lot of room between going keto and what you eat now. Nothing wrong with keto, but you might find it's enough to reduce your carbs a bit. The important thing is finding a way of eating you actually like, or it will be hard to stick to it.
Do you really love your bran flakes or do you eat them because it's convenient?

What about testing before eating and two hours later, that will tell you a lot about how your body handled that particular meal. Aiming for a rise of no more than 2 mmol/l is a good start.

 

[Carbon]

So that's what makes you rise.

There is a lot of room between going keto and what you eat now. Nothing wrong with keto, but you might find it's enough to reduce your carbs a bit. The important thing is finding a way of eating you actually like, or it will be hard to stick to it.
Do you really love your bran flakes or do you eat them because it's convenient?

What about testing before eating and two hours later, that will tell you a lot about how your body handled that particular meal. Aiming for a rise of no more than 2 mmol/l is a good start.

Thank you all good advice, I started this morning with two rivita with pumpkin seeds & some emmental cheese... will try & see how it works for me.... although stressed out this week as looking after my Mum who has alzhiemers & vascular dementia

 

[Carbon]

Bran flakes have pretty much the same amount of carbs as any other cereals and your body can't see the colour of your bread, it only notices the carbs.

Thank you

 

[Carbon]

All carbs turn to glucose during digestion. The speed at which they do might vary but it still happens. Sandwiches might be easy but they aren’t doing you any favours at all. The majority of us in here do some form of low carb eating. Because it works. How low varies but it can be anything from just avoiding the obvious for a fortunate few, most of us minimising to under a 100g a day to full on keto at less than 30g of carbs a day or less and even a few carnivores eating barely any carbs. If you look at the links in red at the bottom of this message there are lots of links to diets, recipes and information in those posts.

Thanks for your info, I will try to change my diet.... stress may not be helping me this week though.
If I can I want to stay on metformin ditch new tablets.... eventually no meds at all... stopped my statins so will see how that affects my bs.

 

[OB87]

I'm not really that carb conscious... find sandwiches for lunch easy because of work shifts I do... but recently bought rivita as it seems lower carbs ?
Try to avoid potatoes & chips, also fruits... but they are different sugars aren't they more easily absorbed?
Thanks for your advice, any recommendations for books or diets I could try please ?

You can get low carb bread and wraps. I love the carbzone wraps. Only 4g of carbs and make a quick lunch