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Important Operation Pending But HbA1c Too High.

HbA1c_c1AbH

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi, last Summer I stopped taking my Gliclazide from around July until October. I restarted because I was going to the loo 3 times an hour around the clock, meaning throughout the night too.

Early January I was summoned to Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, UK, for a Pre-Operative Assessment and this I expected to be routine. They did a HbA1c test and found it to be 76 and they say I need to get it lower. I received a letter yesterday telling me it needs to be at most 69 because this is the cut off level for an operation.

I have to return to Addenbrookes Hospital a week from now to see the Diabetes specialists. How can I get my Hb1ac level down before this appointment. My Diabetes is controlled by 120mg of Gliclazide TWICE a day but judging by my HbA1c reading this looks to be too low. Although the HbA1c test result will be factoring October when I was not taking the medication at all.

Is it possible to get my HbA1c lower by next week. My blood sugar in the morning averages 5. In the afternoon it is around 9 and at 10pm about 9 again. I have Fenugreek arriving tomorrow which I plan to start, but is there other things I could be using too.

I only drink water, I have zero refined sugar in my diet, all my glucose will be from Carbs. Potato is usually with my main meal of the day.

Thank you.
 
Hi and welcome,

I imagine it is totally impossible to lower an HbA1c in a week. It is a rough estimate of your blood glucose levels over the past 2 to 3 months, so one week will make no difference I'm afraid.

It will be the carbs causing your problems, especially potatoes, bread, pasta, rice and cereals, but it sounds like you know this already. The problem you have right now is that whilst taking Gliclazide, if you suddenly reduce your carbs you could end up with a nasty hypo. The fewer carbs you eat the less insulin you need to cope with it, but Gliclazide's job is to force your pancreas to produce more insulin. More insulin and no carbs for it to deal with will give you a hypo.

I am at a loss at to what to suggest, but I wish you well and hope your op can go ahead.
 
Well - I went from 91 to 47 in 80 days without really trying, so a week could make a small difference - maybe 4 - with luck..
I did Atkins for decades, so I simply went back to eating what I ate to lose weight and did a few experiments to check. I wasn't pushing myself very hard, I expected it to take up to a year to get below 48 and didn't know if I should laugh or cry when I got the results. So I did both.
I cut out bread, potatoes, all grains including sweetcorn, ate only salads and low carb veges. I did eat berries, grapes and melon, so there was more I could have cut out.
I did not drink milk, but had cream in the one cup of coffee, salad for lunch and meat or fish for dinner, with veges.
You will need to check and check again to ensure that your medication doesn't make you go too low.
 
@Resurgam as he is used to eating a high carb diet and is on Gliclazide, he needs to check with his diabetes nurse before embarking on a low carb diet and needs to understand how it works and what it entails. He already averages 5 in the mornings.
 
Ah - well - if there is an appointment available with someone who doesn't believe that low carb will kill a strong man in days... yes - but I'm doubtful.
Doing nothing will mean no operation - so what option is there?
 
You may have to resign yourself to postponing the surgery for a bit. In your shoes I would start slowly reducing your carb levels while keeping a close eye on your blood levels because of the meds. You will have to work closely with your health care team while doing this because it is a balancing act and as bluetit has said you don't want to start having hypos. It would seem that medication alone is not working for you and you will have to modify your diet to some extent to get better results. Good luck and take care.
 
Thank you everyone for the replies and advice. The Fenugreek arrived today so I will start taking that tonight when I get home, I'm not expecting a miracle but hold out hope for it to do something. I do have problems if I go without eating like I did today until mid-morning before I had some eggs on toast. What Bluetit1802 says is being taken on board seriously, thanks for this warning. I think they might increase my dose of Gliclazide next week, they said during the Pre-Operative assessment over a month ago that it will need to be.

If the operation is postponed, the postponement will be for at least 6 months. I've waited 10 months at this point already.

I am going to try cutting out food after 7pm. I doubt my blood sugar will be lower than it already averages in the morning and really I don't want it to be, but it feels like I have to start taking risks and this is putting pressure on me.

Next week after I've seen the diabetic team at Addenbrookes Hospital I'll come back here and update you.
 
@HbA1c_c1AbH

Please come back and let us know how you go on, and if it turns out your op is postponed come back and may be we can help you properly during the next 6 months or so. Your levels are very high, and can be lowered to safer levels, even enough to reduce your medication. Good luck
 
Another useful herb is Gymnema Sylvestre - traditionally known as "sugar killer" in places like india where it is used to treat diabetes. It prevents the conversion of carbs to glucose I believe. Also affects how you taste sugar (very good for sugar addicts - as I was)
 
Didn't Nicksu say that lemon cuts the gi of everything or is the acid a problem? Is HBA1c of 69 a general guide or does it vary according to procedure? Just curious because I have an operation sometime in my near future.
 
If you aren't serious about eating fewer carbs then I don't think that you'll lower your HbA1c levels.
The Fenugreek can make hypos more likely, combined with the drugs you are already taking, and I'd have thought that it would be safer and easier to control a lower intake of carbs than to try an unknown herbal remedy.
 
I went for pre op in September was due to have my Achilles' tendon reconstructed after total rupture I discovered the following day not only was my hba1c 106 but cholesterol was 7.3 triglycerides 6.0 so with them figures the surgeon would go near me, but no one gave me time scales of when they would review, my practice nurse reviewed after 1 month but the lab wouldn't process the sample as it was too soon. So bloods repeated the beginning of January hba1c now 43 my surgeon would operate if below 60 cholesterol now 3.2 trigicerides 1.8 it's been hard and have lost 8kg but had my reconstruction one week ago now to just heal and get better
 
Well done Julie. That is an amazing turnaround. Hope you get a quick recovery
 
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