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Help to lower HbA1c

L

Leighanne

Newbie
Messages
1
Hi all,
Had type 1 for 10 years and slowly over the past year my hba1c has crept up to 9.2, I've been told to go on the pump but I really don't want to. Did Dafne 3 years ago and try to carb count but over the past 6 months my sugar levels have been so high especially in the morning.
Please share with me your success stories or tips etc meal plans even better! if I inject more I'm starving and end up putting on weight :( I want to try for a baby next year also but need to get down to 6 hba1c help please guys :) thank you x
 
Leighanne said:
Hi all,
Had type 1 for 10 years and slowly over the past year my hba1c has crept up to 9.2, I've been told to go on the pump but I really don't want to. Did Dafne 3 years ago and try to carb count but over the past 6 months my sugar levels have been so high especially in the morning.
Please share with me your success stories or tips etc meal plans even better! if I inject more I'm starving and end up putting on weight :( I want to try for a baby next year also but need to get down to 6 hba1c help please guys :) thank you x
Click to expand...

Hi,
a pump wont be any good unless you carb count all the time.
You need to go right back to basics and test your basal to make sure this is right. then start on your carb ratio. If after trying to get your basal correct and still having problems talk to your dsn/team about a different basal and or splitting your dose if you do not already do this.
Keep a food diary with bs results and insulin given then you can see a pattern emerging which will hopefully guide you in the right direction.
Hope that helps.
 
Hi Leighanne,
The things that work for me are routine and low GI carbs. I eat the same amount of low carbs for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I record my sugar levels before and after each meal to know whether I've given myself the right amount of insulin. Plus before bed and when I wake so that I know I've given myself the right amount of long acting insulin.

Also, I exercise a lot which regulates my sugar levels and stops spurious random high levels.

Above all, you should *definitely* go and see a diabetic specialist nurse. They've always given me good advice.

Keep asking questions on here, other diabetics are a good resource. Good luck!
 
Leighanne said:
Hi all,
Had type 1 for 10 years and slowly over the past year my hba1c has crept up to 9.2, I've been told to go on the pump but I really don't want to. Did Dafne 3 years ago and try to carb count but over the past 6 months my sugar levels have been so high especially in the morning.
Please share with me your success stories or tips etc meal plans even better! if I inject more I'm starving and end up putting on weight :( I want to try for a baby next year also but need to get down to 6 hba1c help please guys :) thank you x
Click to expand...

Evening Leighanne.

If you blood glucose are consistently running high then the simple maths says you either need to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you are eating, increase the amount of insulin that you are injecting or increase the amount of physical activity that you are doing.

Can you give us some more information about how you currently manage your diabetes? The insulin you are on, the amounts that you take, the food that you eat, the exercise that you are doing?

Sucessful management of diabetes comes down to understanding your own body and your own condition.. perhaps you could also share some information on how you manage your diabetes.. how often and when do you test? do you count carbohydrate, do you keep records of what and when you eat / inject / etc...

The more information you can provide then the better recommendations we can make..

Once you have the 'formula' for managing your own diabetes you will wonder how you ever coped without it! I think everyone can achieve sub 6% HbA1c's its a lot of work and a big commitment but it is totally possible with the right help and advice.
 
Hi,

I started 2 months ago to try and lower mine and get control... I wouldnt call them radical changes but they have made a significant impact on my BG levels- I havent had my HB1C yet, my last one was 10.2, I have the diabetic tracker app on my phone and it says my average is about 7.2 in the past two months. Not sure what you currently do but I now:

- Do at least 4 blood tests a day (from having done none)
- Reduced starchy carbs, I now make my own bread when I realised what shop bought was doing to my sugars. If I have pasta or rice I load it up with veggies!
- Have one takeaway "treat" a month (Instead of weekly!)
- Walk to work (2 miles)

Not huge life altering changes but it has definitely improved my control no end. As a bit of a warning though, the above left me feeling quite rubbish, tired/headaches etc but I seem to be coming through that now!

If you can get apps on your phone "on track" is really good app for monitoring your sugars, has already taught me to increase my ratios at dinner time

Good luck :)
 
Leighanne, I definitely agree that you should carry out some basal testing before doing anything else. Why are you reluctant to go on the pump if you don't mind me asking?
 
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