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How do I know if my diabetes is "REVERSED"?

B

bandas

Member
Messages
22
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Hi All - How you doing today? I got a few questions but here is the context behind it. I apologize, if these questions are repeated and already answered. I did a lot of googling but could not find or understood the right answers.

1. A couple of weeks ago, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
2. A1C was 8.9 %.
3. Changed diet and started exercising.
4. After 2 weeks (as of yesterday), a1c is 8.4 %.
5. During this week, I tested sugar levels a couple of times :
5.1. Test 1 - before breakfast (59 mg/dl) and 2 hours after break fast (117 mg/dl).
5.1. Test 2 - before breakfast (71 mg/dl) and 2 hours after break fast (121 mg/dl).

Question:

A. May I say/assume that my diabetes is "REVERSED" based on #5?
B. If #A is not true, "only and only A1C score after 3 months" is the ultimate mean of finding if my diabetes is "REVERSED"?
C. How do I know if my Pancreas beta cells have been activated again?
D. How do I know if I am out of insulin resistance?

Thanks for your time and I appreciate if I someone answer my above questions.

Thanks
 
Your results in 5 and the drop in hba1c indicate that you are beginning to get better control over your sugars
The hba1c of 8.4% which is basically a reflection of your control over the past 2-3 months, is however, still in the uncontrolled diabetes range indicating average blood sugars of 10mmol (180mg)
There is much debate about whether diabetes can be truely reversed or whether it is a case of putting things into remission through good control achieved via diet, exercise, weight loss etc etc
 
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When you have normal levels for your blood glucose and your Hba1c then you can be pretty certain that you have only to stick to your regime to avoid the possible consequences of diabetes, but the idea of reversal is still rather problematic.
As a type 2 your pancreas has been over producing insulin, rather than failing to - so your third question doesn't really apply - and as for the last one, it is difficult to measure insulin resistance, but a two week change of lifestyle is a rather short time for that to happen.
 
Wow! Slow down a bit ..... this is a marathon, not a sprint.

The word reverse is controversial. I prefer the term controlled. To be well controlled you need to see non-diabetic levels when fasting, before and after meals, and also a few consecutive non-diabetic level HbA1c results. You also need to be able to eat some extra starchy carbs and not see a post meal rise of any significance, and be back down to base fairly quickly. And all this without medication.

Your latest HbA1c of 8.5% is still high. Have patience ....... it won't happen overnight. Also, you need to test much more frequently than before and after breakfast. What about your other meals?
 
I would say it's still high at 8.5 too but it's great that you are clearly actively doing something about your levels.

It takes time to get your levels down. Keep at it though, as you're doing great!
 
IF you can achieve non diabetic HbA1c results for a lengthy period, your GP may want to diagnose you as in remission or resolved.

My GP diagnosed me as "resolved" earlier this year, but he is clearly a moron so I have discounted his "opinion"
 
Hi bandas. Can I ask how you've changed your diet? If you can specify what you're eating in a typical day then we can maybe help you adjust it to help you achieve your goal of controlled diabetes and lower numbers.
I started by eating no more than 100g carbohydrates/day but more recently dropped to 50-70g/day. This has helped me to reduce my weight and HbA1c significantly.
 
Unfortunately just because you've been able to reduce your glucose levels to reasonable levels over a few weeks it doesn't actually prove anything other than you are on the right track to keeping your diabetes under control. You need to be able to maintain those improved levels long term, which can often be easier said than done, and as @Bluetit1802 has told you, your body will also need to be able to handle extra carbs again like a non-diabetic person can, without the need for any medication before you're in a position to make any claims regarding reversal of remission.

Robbity
 
Hi @bandas your before and after meals readings would be indicative of a reversal, however your A1c second result is outside of the desired range; but this is too close to your original test and would have some of the result of the initial A1c due to the measurements takin in a 3 month period - I think you should get another test in around 2.5 months.

I believe I read on this site that around 3 HbA1c's in the normal range below 42 is a consideration for reversal. I am defining reversal as halting the progression of diabetes without drugs, in the knowledge that a return to what is classified as "normal" eating (which I think is abnormal) would revert your condition.

In my opinion you will slam dunk this, but if you are taking any controlling drugs other than metformin, please see your health professional as a matter of urgency as your numbers are enviably low at this stage - congratulations.
 
Thanks badcat for your reply. That helps.
 
Thanks Resurgam. Yes. I should, probably, not have to worry about question #C. Great catch.
 
Thanks. Yes. It's a pretty long way to go. However, based on my quick research:

6. I learnt that diabetes is all about the insulin levels but NOT hba1c levels.
7. HBA1C levels may be normal for years but insulin levels (which is actually the "DIABETES") may not be.

Therefore, if I find an answer to my question#D, hba1c should be of priority #2. But, we need to keep both insulin and hba1c under observation for about 6 months at the least in order to make sure that the diabetes is "REVERSED".
 
Adding, I did not get a chance to test for other meals. Will keep posted on that side.
 
Hi Bandas
Where in the world are you? it may be worth trying to get a fasting insulin test if you can to see your background level of insulin. In the UK it is hard to get and apparently almost impossible in the NHS so I am having one privately (I'll pay for it) next week.
 
Flicey said:
I would say it's still high at 8.5 too but it's great that you are clearly actively doing something about your levels.

It takes time to get your levels down. Keep at it though, as you're doing great!
Click to expand...
Thanks. Appreciate it.
 
bandas said:
Therefore, if I find an answer to my question#D, hba1c should be of priority #2. But, we need to keep both insulin and hba1c under observation for about 6 months at the least in order to make sure that the diabetes is "REVERSED".
Click to expand...

There is a problem with keeping insulin levels under observation. How do we know how much insulin we produce and whether our levels are too high? Insulin levels are not routinely tested, at least not in the UK on the NHS. It isn't something the NHS places as a priority for Type 2s. They can be paid for privately.

EDIT. @bulkbiker beat me to it.
 
It's kind of at the forefront of my mind at the moment!
 
britishpub said:
IF you can achieve non diabetic HbA1c results for a lengthy period, your GP may want to diagnose you as in remission or resolved.

My GP diagnosed me as "resolved" earlier this year, but he is clearly a moron so I have discounted his "opinion"
Click to expand...
Ok. Got it. You are doing pretty great on your HBA1C. But I, highly, recommend do research on insulin levels (I am already on it). Make sure your insulin (sugar) and cortisol (stress) levels are good. As per the below given video by Eric (Thanks Eric), here is how diabetes should work:


Diabetes life cycle

DM#1: Certain things related to your life style, including but not limited to, the stress spikes cortisol levels - the cortisol resistance.
DM#2: Cortisol resistance spikes insulin levels - the insulin resistance.
DM#3: Insulin resistance spikes sugar levels - hba1c.

Based on this new finding, I am adding question #E - How do I know if I am out of cortisol resistance?
 
Hi Rachax - Thanks for your reply. Sure. I would love to share with you my diet plan. I am not counting the calories as I am pretty poor at it but here is what I am doing and seems like its working.

DP#1: A tiny raw papaya leaf & a raw garlic in the morning.
DP#2: About 2 hours of exercise - 1 hour walking & 1 hour yoga.
DP#3: 2 cups of Green tea, 5-10 raw cashew nuts & about 1 liter of water till 1800 hours.
DP#4: 1 cup of Swiss chard, 1 cup of lettuce, 5-10 raw cashew nuts, 2-3 tomatoes, 1 Orange.
DP#5: About 1:30 hours of walking.
DP#6: About 5-6 cashew nuts at about 2100 hours.
DP#7: Go bed at around 2300 hours.

Hope this helps. Thanks.
 
Yes Robbity. I am with you on this. Thanks.
 
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