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Possibly diabetic

L

Luisa71

Newbie
Messages
2
Hi All - I had a blood test result last week and my HBA1C was 49 mmol/mol. I know what this puts me just over the border into diabetic. My doctor said to repeat the test - initially she said in a month but then after further discussion we agreed to test in 3 months. I will discuss this properly with her then but I got the impression that even though I have a reading in the diabetic range, I might not be diagnosed as such unless the 2nd result confirms it. Does that sound about right? I know that even if people are able to get their diabetes in remission, they are still technically classed as diabetic but not sure if that would be the case here after one test result.

My doctor was really optimistic that I'll be able to reduce the figure with dietary changes, and I've made lots of changes to address it (10 pounds down already in a little less than 2 weeks).

It just occurred to me though - should I be home testing in the meantime to get a sense of whether I'm heading in the right direction? I've read about people doing daily glucose tests. Should I be doing that now? Is it pin prick tests? And that's not the same as HBA1C is it? The Dr hasn't discussed anything like this with me yet as she said that the path of treatment etc will depend on my next reading.

Thanks all
 
@Luisa71 welcome.
Firstly it is usual to have two tests just to make sure that there wasn't a glitch with the first one.

Secondly, a finger prick test is very useful to tell you how you are doing on a day to day basis.
It sounds as though you are already doing well with your diet, but finger prick testing helps you to fine tune what your body likes and what drives your Blood Glucose (BG) too high.

Finger prick is a "right here, right now" test and doesn't tell you what your BG is when you aren't testing.
HbA1c is an estimate of your AVERAGE BG over the last 3 months with more emphasis on the last few weeks. This is usually the basis for diagnosis.

If your next HbA1c is within the normal range than you have had a wake up call and made changes which have worked.
However you will also have had a warning that if you revert to what you were doing, eating, weighing before you made the changes then you may go into the diabetic range again.

Good to find out early!
 
https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/can-i-reverse-prediabetes#:~:text=A.,meet the threshold for diabetes.
Can I reverse prediabetes?
Ask the doctors
Published: November, 2019
Q. My doctor recently told me I have prediabetes. Is this condition reversible?

A. Yes, it is possible to reverse prediabetes.
 
Thank you. Yes, that's great - I'd read (and my Dr explained) that it's possible to reverse. It had just occurred to me that I wasn't sure whether I was classed as having diabetes now having had a test which is over the "border". But that makes sense, that it would only be confirmed after a 2nd test. The Dr did say that I'd need a 2nd test, but I wasn't sure about how it was categorised. Hopefully I'll be able to bring the figures down.

I'll look into home testing in the meantime. It's not something I've read up on at all yet but might be worth a go.

One thing I've discovered in my reading is that gestational diabetes (which I had 11 years ago) has a 50% chance of leading to Type 2 diabetes. I probably should have known that before now!

In any event, this has definitely been a wake up call and there is no time like the present to make these changes.
 
Hello and welcome,

Yes gestational diabetes can increase your chances- I had gestational diabetes.

My suggestion is to get a meter. I feel it is very important to know what foods your body can tolerate. I am a type 2 diabetic not on any medication other than metformin and have put my HbA1c into the normal range within 3 months from diagnosis. I have also lost over 30 kg in less than a year from diagnosis. Despite this I remain a diabetic and am not able to tolerate any 'normal' levels of carbs. I went very low carb, didn't count calories and still lost weight. If I eat a higher level of carb s (NOT calories) I start to put on weight.

I have done low calorie before and that has leas to me being a diabetic. Low carb means my blood sugars are all in the normal range.

Read the link below and hopefully that will give a lot of useful information in a user friendly style.
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/the-nutritional-thingy.2330/

Good luck and welcome.
 
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