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I'm really concerned I've been given bad advice...

DMWinter88

Member
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Everything my diet now consists of... but I'm coping.
I had to do a blood test for suspected diabetes type 2, and it came back that I did have it, but very borderline. I can't remember what the actual numbers were, but let's say if the threshold for being diabetic was 40, then I was 40.1. Only just over.

I was told this on a call with a diabetic nurse, who said that to be officially diagnosed I needed a second blood test. She said that as I was so close to pre-diabetic, I should wait a few weeks, and see if I can get myself down into a pre-diabetes level so I don't have to be officially diagnosed with it.

I thought this was fine until I posted a thread on Reddit asking a question and explaining this situation, and they were all insistent this was incorrect information that I was given, and that I should go and receive my diagnosis so I can begin treatment.

I am torn on what to do. My wife thinks I should follow the nurse's advice and really give dieting and exercise a go to see if I can get below the threshold. I kind of agreed with this, as presumably a diabetic nurse should know what she's talking about, but then I've read so much online saying she's wrong and I need to get diagnosed. My head is spinning. Please help.
 
It is normal to have a second test to confirm diabetes. If your hba1c was 40, you are not quite pre diabetic. But it is close enough to warrant another test.

Do you need to lose any weight? If you cut your carbs a bit you should push your number down.

How many of these reddit users are actually living with diabetes or are they asking dr google?
 
For many years before diagnosis I was pushed to eat a 'healthy' diet, full of carbohydrates. I put on weight - lots of it, and my activity and energy plummeted.
In my younger years I had followed a low carb diet whenever I could escape the attentions of my GPs and had always had my protests about the high carb diets derided and ignored.
If I had been left to my own devices - well I probably would not still have the 24 inch waist I had when first told to lose weight, back in the 1970s, but I would have avoided a lot of aggravation and general malaise, and have eaten according to the Atkins New Diet Revolution guidelines.
I'd say choose to work back towards normal now.
This is probably due to the lack of any helpful assistance I have had since diagnosis.
The single comment at the education sessions that eating a lunch of baked beans and potato was a good idea for diabetics was a deal breaker for me. I realised that I was on my own when it came to food choices.
In the end it is your choice, of course - but I did not delay even one hour after diagnosis before organising a total change in my diet.
 
You might be interested to read my story in this thread
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/think-im-being-thrown-out-of-the-club.182383/
I know, that even though the system doesn't regard me as diabetic that my body reacts as one. I had chips on Sunday evening and spiked to 12, definitely not normal non diabetic numbers.
You'll have have to decide for yourself which outcome you'd prefer, a diabetic in the system and supported, or one outside the system just waiting for it to get progressively worse and then to have trouble getting back in the system as no doubt they will change the criteria again.
Personally, I don't believe it ever goes away, it can be controlled or minimised but never ignored or denied, just my humble opinion
 
Second test when you are borderline is normal
Being diagnosed has lifelong ramifications and if you are able to hold it in check and not cross the threshold, then is that such a bad thing? That’s my opinion of course, but personally I’d rather not have to tell the insurance companies and be able to take advantage of my company medical scheme (any condition you know they’ll say is caused by it)

but… regardless, it’s a wake up call, if you have excess weight you could lose, and/or can consider changing your diet, lower carb has worked for many, then that’s an option

I disagree that it is waiting to get progressively worse, it can do of course, but it doesn’t have to. But it takes changes
 
I was just over the diagnostic cutoff with an A1c of 52.
My follow up 3 weeks later came back as 48, just one over the cutoff but got diagnosed as I'd all the classic symptoms.
If you were only 1 over the threshold well I fancy your result was 48.
Hit low carb, work on the weight loss & exercise also push that follow up test out a few weeks as them higher bloods can be detected going back 12 weeks.


r/diabetes is populated with a lot of long term American diabetics who love to downvote anything that mentions remission or reversal.
Any posters who preach hope have long since left that sub.
r/diabetes_T2 is better but that's getting over run now with the same downvoting brigade.

I much prefer it here where there's more knowledgeable posters & a higher level of debate.
 
All good advice, but also note that you can lose weight on low carb without ever feeling hungry, an added benefit in addition to getting blood sugar down.
 
I think the advice you were given is correct and sensible. The best approach for avoiding pre-diabetes is the same as the best approach for dealing with a new case of diabetes: low-carb, lose weight, exercise. There would be no advantage to an 'early' diagnosis unless it was something like a case of T1, or if your numbers were dangerous- which they are not.
 


If you are borderline the only "treatment" is diet and lifestyle changes. No medication. All the nurse/GP will do is monitor you. So do not worry about missing out on treatment in the form of medication, but you must go and have the second test.
 
Reddit is full of people who are unfortunately convinced they are right.

If you can avoid a formal diagnosis you should. Being diagnosed can affect things like life insurance etc - mine is still loaded even though I am in remission. Insurance companies don't understand diabetes and assume the worst.

This doesn't mean you do nothing. If you've got to the point that you are on the edge of diagnosis I would suggest you need to do something about it. The 48 level is an arbitrary figure selected because diabetic retinopathy is rare beneath that level. You may already have some symptoms - they don't start at the 48 level. I had problematic diabetic symptoms for ten years before reaching 48 - despite the symptoms I was firmly told that I wasn't diabetic.

However. Cutting the carbs you eat will reduce your blood glucose pretty quickly. You don't need a medical professional for that, and it can easily (if I can do it, it must be easy) be done without any drugs. I am currently on about 20g /day because that works for me - you will probably be different. Word of warning: you will need to recalibrate what you think is "healthy eating" - as far as T2s go it's not what the health service and media says it is.
 
Hi. Your nurse was right. The HBA1C test measures your blood sugar during the last 3 months weighted to more recent dates. You do need to leave a gap of several weeks to see any change in the HBA1C perhaps from low-carbing. The test is known to be fairly accurate so doing it again too soon will give the same result. A reading of 41 means currently you don't have diabetes but perhaps near it.
 
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