Need some Advice on Blood Tests and Sugar levels

Hi Guys just joined today.

I need some advice as I recently got told by the GP that I was pre-diabetic. He didn't give me any scores or anything and just warned me as my dad developed Type2 in his 50's that if I didn't make changes I could end up going the same way. I just turned 40.

I was surprised and shocked to say the least. I always thought my dad had kind of brought it on himself. He has always been overweight (wont even walk the length of the street) smoked and drank heavily (Vodka Coke man),, ate whatever and never done a days exercise in his life.

I on the other hand apart from a few beers at the weekend or footie considered myself fairly fit and well. I had inherited his high cholesterol and had been getting regular blood tests for that for 20yrs ,, and never a mention of sugar levels.

If I am being honest this was my first blood test since being made redundant from the RAF after 12yrs service. I was quite stressed about all that and had probably drank more often and exercised less than normal at the time. Im about 5ft 11 and was touching 13.5 stone when I was tested. What I forgot to mention to the GP was that prior to the test I had been getting over colds/virus for around 3/4 weeks and for that time had been drinking about 3 liters of lucozade a day! I m pretty sure now that might have affected the test,,although I had a go of my dads meter a week later when I was up for the footie and got a score of 9.1!! Again i am unsure of the accuracy as this was the morning after a day and night on the beer with the lads,,and I had just eaten before testing as well.

Anyway I made the changes after that,, gym 4 days a week ,swimming before work and jogging 2/3 nights a week. Up to about 12 miles now and doing a half marathon in 2 months. My weights is now about 165lbs (11.5 stone). I am on a high protein diet (including shakes), take supplements of omega 3 and cinnamon capsules to help lower BS. I also kept the beer to only once a week at most and sometimes did without

I have no idea what my scores would be. I went back to the GP and he just said the Diabetic clinic would be in touch if and when they think you need another check. I have had no follow up from them and I never had any Glucose tests either off them after the first test.

The thing is I have just received medical paperwork so I can go back to the forces doing security with the Army. I answered NO to the question are you Diabetic? but I am unsure what there stance will be on pre-diabetes and if I even still am? I have to take this paperwork back to the GP next week and if he says he has to put that on the form I intend to ask for a second opinion and re-test first. The thing is the timing couldn't be worse,,,after all the efforts I had put in since January,,for the last 3 weeks I have been having more beer again with the World Cup being on every night. I had thought what the hell it only comes around every 4yrs and I have no hols planned this summer so why not.

I only got the Army email today and hadn't been expecting it for months. So question is how long should I leave it now before I can get an accurate re-test. The GP told me before that these blood tests measure you over a course of a month or so. Is that right? I only have 21 days to get the paperwork back to them. I also heard that exercise has an immediate affect on BS levels,,so was thinking of getting the test in the morning right after swimming.

Any advice you guys can give will be much appreciated,,,as you can probably tell I am fairly new to the whole thing.

cheers for the fast replies,,, jim hope yer right but I am unsure if pre-diabetes is considered in itself a condition, i might be taking a chance by not asking the doc (esp if my levels are now in normal range) but then again by asking it puts it in his mind that it may be relevant ???

I am going around to the surgery after lunch to pick up a prescription for my daughter so will ask for print out and see what they did in January,,,come to think of it,,although I fasted (as that's what i was used to doing with cholesterol ) they never asked me to.

Aye I will be kind of glad when the world cup is over lol,, still kept up the exercise tho,, for eg night before last i knew i was having 5/6 cans of fosters,, so went out for a quick 4 mile run prior,, felt less guilty but made me fall asleep right after the game lol

I have changed my diet since, and apart from the beers during the world cup I have virtually no carbs at all. I changed from white rice (not easy as my wife is Filipino and cooks it with just about every meal) to brown, regular pasta also to brown,, i never eat any kind of bread (wasn't hard as gives me indigestion anyway),no potato unless sweet potato,, eat more nuts , fish, chicken muesli or porridge for breakfast,, plus about 80g to 120g of protein from shakes daily. I also drink about 2-3 L of water a day. I managed to lose 2 stone in the first 2 months,, I have now sort of leveled out as I don't want to be too skinny hence the shakes etc as I am trying to buildup muscle now at the gym.

I got the print out you guys suggested.

In December my score was 43mmol so basically just in the pre diabetes range. The test was a HbA1c as you guys also thought.

Kind of leaves me now wondering,,, could those 3/4 weeks prior to the test of drinking all that lucozade have pushed me into the range?
And now 8 months on and almost 2-3 stone lighter am I more likely to be back in normal? Can 3 or 4 weeks of a few beers at night make that much difference so long as I maintained the diet and exercise as I have done the rest of the time ?

Think it might be best to just say nothing ,, if i do the GP is more than likely going to suggest the same test that will be pointless as my last couple of weeks might spoil it,and if they do look at the test result I am only just in the Pre D range anyway and its just one test from hundreds I have had even whilst in the RAF. But then if I say nothing and it blocks my entry it will be even more hard to take if my next test is perfectly normal later on.

yeh cheers Jim ,, i have no problem with not telling the Army as I dont see the point of telling them something I might get later on. Its wither my own GP tells them I'm concerned with ,, if he thinks its relevant enough to put in his report. Hopefully not ,, and you would like to think that they might give the benefit of the doubt and at least retest me when my score was so borderline before saying No,,, time will tell i guess.

I totally agree about having to keep an eye on my diet etc from now on,, since all this tho I have actually quite got into the whole gym and healthy eating etc.

The only time I stray is when i go home for the footie,, as a season ticket holder the pub before/after the match just isn't something I can avoid (nor want to tbh),, and ye cant really walk into a Glasgow football bar as a dude and ask for tomato juice or light beer lol

The clue is in my username jim lol,,, Rangers mate

Well done Brightside that's some achievement and gives us all hope of what can be done. I hope there is a way you can still have a drink now and then , but yeh you couldn't have been drinking anything worse ,, redbull would be up there along with WKD and draught mixers as the most sugar full drinks you could probably get.

Have to admit it isn't something I know too much on as I'm sure if you asked a GP whats the best booze for me to drink they would probably say none. I have read so many conflicting things online I don't know whats the best options.

I heard that alcohol actually lowers blood sugar and diabetics need to combine drink with a carb snack? But thats just whilst actually drinking so its maybe the excess weight long term from it that raises it up? I also read that piilsner lager or pale lagers have almost no immediate affect ,, again no idea if that true either.

My problem is I can't avoid it when I go to the football as I meet my mates in the bar before and after the match. I dont think the rangers pub even sells light beer but I would be afraid to ask tbh lol . Reading online there is loads of low carb beers etc,,but they just dont seem to be available here in UK pubs. I try to avoid spirits as my dad and grandfather both had problems there ( dad a bottle a vodka a day and granfather x2 bottles of whisky by time he passed away) ,, which is why I stuck to lager,, spirits would also be to quick leading to drinking even more units on a day/evening out. So dont want to replace one problem with another lol.

Be interested if anyone has any recommendations on what drinks have the least affect on BS. I only get to the football about once or twice a month and I dont really want to give up going,,besides you have to have something to look forward to.

Bluetit1802 said:

The best alcoholic drink as regards blood sugars is red wine. Would you lose your street cred with that?

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Unless it was Buckfast wine then probably lol,, joking aside I cant drink red wine it repeats on me and gives me terrible heartburn/indigestion. Never drink red or white wine ever. Not so much bothered about street cred just genuinely don't no what else to try,, I have drank the same thing all my adult life. I am willing to try something else tho.