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Pre-diabetic

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trudy1505

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Hi, I was wondering if someone could give me an answer, my practice nurse has just phoned me and said my blood level is 46 and it’s 48 for diabetes. She’s made me an appointment to see my GP a week today, but I wanted to know if the doctor would put me on metformin even though my blood test isn’t 48? I’m not in the best of health so I thought rather than trying to exercise and diet etc (which I can’t really due to having breathing problems) whether the doctor might just start me on metformin anyway? Or does my blood level actually HAVE to be 48?

Thank you in advance for any replies x
 
A lot of people will tell you that diet is the overiding factor and so is a key solution. You can see from the stats in my signature below that my condition was picked up with a “49” and the solution for me has been a dietary one. I must say it works well. I have tried to avoid medication for diabetes management and have managed to do that.
 
Listlad said:
A lot of people will tell you that diet is the overiding factor and so is a key solution. You can see from the stats in my signature below that my condition was picked up with a “49” and the solution for me has been a dietary one. I must say it works well. I have tried to avoid medication for diabetes management and have managed to do that.
Click to expand...
 
I saw fantastic improvement in my numbers with diet and Metformin. I, too, cannot excercise so my choice was a complete change in diet with almost immediate results. Metformin is a good drug but it is not known for its immediate effects with regard to blood glucose levels, it works by curbing the amount of glucose that the liver splurges. May I ask if you use a glucometer at home? This useful gizmo will help you learn how to adjust your diet for best effects so I would advise you get one.
 
Same here diet, the only extra exercise was a 15 to 20 min walk in the evening weather permitting so hardly beyond even the most restricted individuals.
 
Hi and welcome
I'll tag in @daisy1 for the intro as to the dietary changes that have helped so many of us avoid medication for t2 completely.
 
I also can't exercise (due to arthritis in various joints) so i also control my diabetes with diet alone. A rather nice side affect of low carbing is that its cleared up a few minor but irritating other ailments that i used to have.
 
Some GPs prescribe Metformin to pre-diabetics but normally they don't. It is the first line drug, and in my opinion best kept until it really is needed, which may never happen. The more drugs we have as a preventative, the less choice we have in the future if things progress. My surgery does not normally prescribe it with an HbA1c of 53 or more. We are given 3 months to try diet and weight loss (if appropriate). My HbA1c was 53. Medication was never even mentioned, and thankfully never has been since, so far.

I would imagine your doctor will order a second HbA1c to confirm the first. That is what usually happens when people are borderline.
 
@trudy1505 If your GP does suggest metformin you can say you want to try reducing your HBa1c by diet. I was 49 at diagnosis but reduced my bg by diet and exercise. But the diet is more important than exercise.
My last HbA1c last October was 46 but the gp didn't think I needed metformin as he said my condition was 'well controlled'.
 
trudy1505 said:
I’m not in the best of health so I thought rather than trying to exercise and diet etc (which I can’t really due to having breathing problems) whether the doctor might just start me on metformin anyway? Or does my blood level actually HAVE to be 48?
Click to expand...
It's possible they'd like you to start metformin and it's possible they'd like you to try diet first. In both cases it is what you want that should weigh heaviest, especially because both are good choices :)
Good luck!
 
@trudy1505
Hello and welcome to the Forum :) Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it interesting and helpful.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 147,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
 
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