Hello,
I had been doing finger prick tests for 3 weeks or so and often had a high result. I went to the docs with symptoms of various things and mentioned the finger prick test results. The doc focused on my back issues and also sent me for the Hba1c test. Yesterday I got a message from the doctor to say my sugar level is 'just over the diabetic level' so I should book a repeat test in 4 weeks when he may consider treatment. I checked the result on the NHS site and it's 50.
My worry is that I have not actually spoken to anyone at all about diabetes. What should I be doing between now and 4 weeks time? I feel **** so not sure I actually want to wait 4 weeks before any sort of doctor's advice. Is it normal to have to wait? Have I got diabetes?
Sorry I think I'm rambling but I'm worried and a bit confused.
Any thoughts and advice welcome.
The "official" blood glucose level at which T2 diabetes will usually be diagnosed is >48mmol/mol. There are a couple of other ways to diagnose but they are less common. 48mmol/mol is some way above the "normal" range for blood glucose in people without diabetes. For these people, the range is roughly 36-41mmol/mol with most people clustered around 38. So from the point of view of the doctor you're just above the level at which they have to record the diagnosis, but from the point of view of the patient, your blood glucose is a long way above normal and may have been that way for some time.
I was diagnosed in December 2019 with a BG of 50, confirmed by a followup test a month or so later. I was surprised (to say the least) to discover that my blood glucose had gone out of normal range around 2009, according to my GP records. No-one had ever told me, and the increasing number of painful and distressing diabetic symptoms I'd been having since that time now had an explanation - I'd suspected diabetes, but I'd been firmly told more than once that I
was not diabetic.
The good news is that I was back in normal BG range (36) within four months by April 2020, and the symptoms etc went at the same time. T2 is not curable, but my experience and the experience of many others shows that it is manageable, with diet, and/or with medication. Diet on its own worked and works for me and I have never taken any diabetic medication. The diet route is essentially cutting out the foods that contribute to raised blood glucose levels - these are sugars and starches, usually referred to as carbohydrates. Once digested, they turn to glucose, and if your body can't handle the glucose produced you have a problem, because excess glucose damages blood vessels and nerves, and causes the familar symptoms.
One thing to bear in mind is that we all seem to react slightly differently to the same foods etc, and it's worth finding out how you react, rather than assuming that you'll react like someone else. So I'd recommend getting a glucose meter and using it systematically to work out what foods do your blood glucose levels. This will give you information about the food your system can handle, as well as the food that it can't. They key thing is how quickly your system gets you back to normal BG levels - so you test before eating as a baseline, and then two hours later, by which time your system should have got your BG level roughly back to where you started.
And I'd strongly recommend that you have a look at reducing the amount of carb you're eating - I found that I needed to cut out cereals, root veg including potato, bread, fruit, sugars, rice, pasta, etc. You may be able to manage a higher level of carb - it's impossible to predict.
Best of luck. This forum is a tremendous resource and asking questions is encouraged.