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JinnyG

Member
Messages
9
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
i am getting so very concerned about my sugar levels..diagnosed 4 years ago, lost 18lbs and kept off medication. Over the last 18 months sugar levels have gone berserk. My last two HBA1c have been 54 and now 57. I weigh 9 stone 7 lbs and follow low carb eating (around50/60 a day). I have now had my Metformin increased to 3 tablets a day plus 10mg Dapagliflozin but my levels are not reducing. What should I do?
 
Are you using a glucose meter? Have you considered going keto, less than 20g carbs per day?
 
Hello. Have they ruled out LADA in other words a lack of insulin which may have been helped by your low(ish) carb diet but has now become evident in your blood sugars?
Tools like going even lower on carb or fasting may help if you are truly type 2 (characterised by a sufficiency of insulin but an in ability to use it properly).
Or have you slipped a bit on carb counting and are actually eating more than you can tolerate?
Either way metformin will help you produce less glucose via your liver so will help but it is worth asking that question for the longer term.
Hugs to you as you are probably feeling a little miffed about this to say the least and at higher blood sugar levels may be feeling not too well.
 
Thank you so much for your response I have to admit I am very confused. I suppose because everything was fine initially and now I am facing more challenges which I don’t totally understand. My doctors answer seems to just be to up my Metformin and he says I can take a maximum of four. The reason I am so concerned is that over the last year my feet have got quite bad. The whole of the soles of my feet is now numb and at night they alternate between burning and being very cold in other words neuropathy. It did cross my mind that I could possibly have type 1 But my GP didn’t entertain this thought. I do have an appointment with the diabetic clinic, the first I have been offered, so perhaps the nurse will be able to point me in a better direction. I do test my sugar levels periodically but in the mornings I am always between 9 and 10 and I can’t remember the last time I got under eight during the day.
 
JinnyG said:
But my GP didn’t entertain this thought.
Click to expand...

Despite the increasing number of older people diagnosd with T1 or LADA, doctors tend to assume you are T2 if over a certain age. A c-peptide test (measures the amount of insulin you produce, T1s will go down very low and eventually to zero) and a GAD (measures to see if you have antibodies and are killing your insulin producing cells, but isn't positive for all T1s) would help make the differential.
 
An a1c of 57 is an average blood sugar of 9.2, so a bit low for unmedicated T1.
You need to tell the doctor about the foot numbness and ask for support.
 
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