How on earth has it gone up?!

[PerfectStorm]

I posted about 3 weeks ago saying things had gone wrong for me after a few years and I couldn’t get my numbers down. Hba1c on 8/2/21 was 52. So they repeated this on 22/2/21. In between those dates I have been eating low carb and seeing a bit of improvement in the numbers on my meter. Not as much as I would expect considering the food I am eating and the readings this sort of eating used to give me.

My hba1c has gone up to 56!! . I’m absolutely gutted and I don’t understand what is happening with my body.
For the last few years I’ve known what to do and how to control things. Now I haven’t a clue what is happening. Why on earth would my hba1c go up by 4 in two weeks when my diet has been better (lower carb) than it had been previously?

Does anyone have similar experience/insight/wisdom they could share?

I’m started metformin tomorrow as I want those numbers to come down. I’m only 41 and need to keep this body in working order. I’ve got a 7 year old son who I need to stay healthy for.

This a link to my post a couple of weeks ago (https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/th...ne-wrong-can’t-get-levels-below-10-11.179607/)

 

[EllieM]

I know T2 is most likely after GD, but have you ever had GAD or c-peptide tests?

Also, have you had COVID? (I know that can mess up people's levels for a while?)

Honestly, I wouldn't expect 3 weeks to make much difference to anyone's hba1c, given that it reflects the last 3 months readings.

 

[PerfectStorm]

Hi @EllieM. Are the GAD and C-peptide the antibody tests? They took antibody tests (I’m sure that’s what the nurse said) when I went on Monday. Those results aren’t back yet.

It’s actually an increase of 4 in 2 weeks! I know that’s a really short time for such a change in hba1c. I was actually expecting things to have maybe improved by 1 or at least stayed the same. I got a complete shock when she said 56 which was up from 52

 

[PerfectStorm]

Also forgot to say, no I’ve not had covid as far as I’m aware.

 

[ziggy_w]

Hi @EllieM. Are the GAD and C-peptide the antibody tests? They took antibody tests (I’m sure that’s what the nurse said) when I went on Monday. Those results aren’t back yet.

It’s actually an increase of 4 in 2 weeks! I know that’s a really short time for such a change in hba1c. I was actually expecting things to have maybe improved by 1 or at least stayed the same. I got a complete shock when she said 56 which was up from 52

Hi @PerfectStorm,

Hugs for the higher than expected HbA1c, I feel for you as this definitely must feel like having thrown a curve ball at you.

As you'll know the HbA1c is a three-month average. So, when you repeated it two weeks later the first two weeks were replaced by the last two weeks. So, maybe what happened is that your blood sugar readings 13 or 14 weeks ago were lower than those in the last two weeks (even though these were lower than 3 or 4 weeks ago). If this in fact is the reason, your hard work should be reflected on your next test.

 

[EllieM]

Hi @EllieM. Are the GAD and C-peptide the antibody tests? They took antibody tests (I’m sure that’s what the nurse said) when I went on Monday. Those results aren’t back yet.

It’s actually an increase of 4 in 2 weeks! I know that’s a really short time for such a change in hba1c. I was actually expecting things to have maybe improved by 1 or at least stayed the same. I got a complete shock when she said 56 which was up from 52

The GAD tests are the antibody tests. A positive result would mean that you are definitely T1 (probably slow onset LADA) but the result can be negative for some T1s. A cpeptide test measures how much insulin you produce - typically high for a T2, low for a T1. But it's a good sign that they are doing the test because a lot of LADA folk get an initial T2 diagnosis and have to get very sick before they get the correct T1 diagnosis. (Not saying you are T1 at all, just that it is a possibility when there is a sudden change in hba1c for no apparent reason.)

I agree with @ziggy_w that it may just be that your results 3 months ago were still lower than the last few weeks. If you really want to know your most recent results you could try asking for a fructosamine test (measures the last 2 or 3 weeks) but I suspect the doctors will just tell you to be wait for the next hba1c. But honestly, your meter will tell you more than your hba1c anyway.

Good luck, hopefully you will get on top of this soon. Sometimes you just have to be patient.

 

[Daphne917]

I posted about 3 weeks ago saying things had gone wrong for me after a few years and I couldn’t get my numbers down. Hba1c on 8/2/21 was 52. So they repeated this on 22/2/21. In between those dates I have been eating low carb and seeing a bit of improvement in the numbers on my meter. Not as much as I would expect considering the food I am eating and the readings this sort of eating used to give me.

My hba1c has gone up to 56!! . I’m absolutely gutted and I don’t understand what is happening with my body.
For the last few years I’ve known what to do and how to control things. Now I haven’t a clue what is happening. Why on earth would my hba1c go up by 4 in two weeks when my diet has been better (lower carb) than it had been previously?

Does anyone have similar experience/insight/wisdom they could share?

I’m started metformin tomorrow as I want those numbers to come down. I’m only 41 and need to keep this body in working order. I’ve got a 7 year old son who I need to stay healthy for.

This a link to my post a couple of weeks ago (https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/after-4-years-it’s-all-gone-wrong-can’t-get-levels-below-10-11.179607/)

@PerfectStorm are you taking statins?

 

[Ronancastled]

In between those dates I have been eating low carb and seeing a bit of improvement in the numbers on my meter. Not as much as I would expect considering the food I am eating and the readings this sort of eating used to give me.

If your readings are correct your postpriandials are improving, so the rises are going undetected.
Do you test anytime other than 2hours after eating ?
How are your FBG readings in comparison to 3 weeks ago ?
Do you test 3 & 4 hours after eating to confim a return to baseline ?

Sounds to me that you could benefit from a CGM to fully understand your levels.

 

[PerfectStorm]

Hi @PerfectStorm,

Hugs for the higher than expected HbA1c, I feel for you as this definitely must feel like having thrown a curve ball at you.

As you'll know the HbA1c is a three-month average. So, when you repeated it two weeks later the first two weeks were replaced by the last two weeks. So, maybe what happened is that your blood sugar readings 13 or 14 weeks ago were lower than those in the last two weeks (even though these were lower than 3 or 4 weeks ago). If this in fact is the reason, your hard work should be reflected on your next test.

It’s possible but would be strange, knowing what my diet has been like this last two weeks compared with pre-Christmas. But I guess that doesn’t mean my body was reacting in the same way.

Also my readings this last two weeks have not been so ridiculously high that they could have been so much lower in November to have made a difference or 4 on Hba1c in 2 weeks.

Although I guess they must have been different. ‍
Very strange

 

[PerfectStorm]

@PerfectStorm are you taking statins?

No, not taking statins

 

[PerfectStorm]

If your readings are correct your postpriandials are improving, so the rises are going undetected.
Do you test anytime other than 2hours after eating ?
How are your FBG readings in comparison to 3 weeks ago ?
Do you test 3 & 4 hours after eating to confim a return to baseline ?

Sounds to me that you could benefit from a CGM to fully understand your levels.

I bought the freestyle libre yesterday to do some CGM for a fortnight to try to work out what is happening. May extend to a month but will see. It’s v expensive!

My fasting readings had been a bit lower than the previous couple of weeks. They had been 10/11 despite starting low carb again, and were a little lower in the following couple of weeks.

I am baffled. Hopefully the CGM will give some answers about what is going on. How to resolve it will be the next question!!

 

[Ronancastled]

Hitting 10/11 on fasting is worrying.
I notice on your sig you had a BMI of 28.8 then dropped to 25 & normalised your HbA1c back in 2015 just post diagnosis.
I've no other real data to go on but have you gained weight since then or reduced activity ?
Were there meds you were on which you are no longer taking ?

There's a mystery here

 

[PerfectStorm]

Hitting 10/11 on fasting is worrying.
I notice on your sig you had a BMI of 28.8 then dropped to 25 & normalised your HbA1c back in 2015 just post diagnosis.
I've no other real data to go on but have you gained weight since then or reduced activity ?
Were there meds you were on which you are no longer taking ?

There's a mystery here

Hi. I have updated my signature as it did leave somewhat of a blank for the last 5 years!

Basically maintained 39-44 since 2015. BMI generally 26.

BMI currently 28.
I wonder how much of the issue is weight gain. Seems a huge difference in results though for relatively moderate weight gain

No medication at all for last few years.

Prescribed metformin on Thursday but seem to have had a reaction so stopped (I have another post about that)

 

[Ronancastled]

I wonder how much of the issue is weight gain. Seems a huge difference in results though for relatively moderate weight gain

I see you did the Newcastle Diet so obviously a believer in Prof Taylor.
Taylor surmised there was a tipping point of visceral fat build up where your personal fat threshold was passed.
Those in the Direct Trial lost remission through the accumulation of just a few kg more than the successful group.
Might be something in it.

 

[PerfectStorm]

I see you did the Newcastle Diet so obviously a believer in Prof Taylor.
Taylor surmised there was a tipping point of visceral fat build up where your personal fat threshold was passed.
Those in the Direct Trial lost remission through the accumulation of just a few kg more than the successful group.
Might be something in it.

When I think about it, my weight is currently only 6 lb less than it was in 2015 before I did the ND so maybe I have passed my fat threshold for when resistance and ineffective pancreas kicks in.

I started yesterday trying to get my weight back down - I’ve wanted to lose weight again for appearance reasons but now my motivation is to sort these blood sugar levels out!
Probably going to do a form of ND, aiming for VLC but probably with real food but maybe the odd shake. Yesterday was tough on 735 calories and I felt pretty grumpy! It will get easier though snd I need to up my water and maybe some bovril.

I’ve had a CGM on for a couple of days now and it explains why my hba1c is so high. My levels are running between 8-10 most of the time. They finally dropped to 6.8 for a bit when I was 5.5 hours post lunch and felt like I could eat the dog!

Weirdly they suddenly dropped to 3.5 overnight so my body obviously gave me a quick hit of glucose so they shot back up.