Prediabetes?

[AngiH]

Hi I'm new here and not sure if I even need to be.
I have been back and forward to doctors for months feeling unwell - constant headaches, dizziness, severe acid reflux, and vision changes, peeing more. I also sleep for England..and eat like its going to be taken away from me!! I've gained a stone and a half this year and my normal attempts to diet are not working.They kept saying it's nothing and probably my high blood pressure. I'm on 2 lots of BP meds and it's still high. I'm 48, 5ft 6" and weigh about 13st 8lb - I was exactly 12st last year.
Yesterday my Doctor mentioned maybe testing for diabetes just as a precaution but said she'll decide in the new year. Anyway I decided to pay privately as I work in a clinic and can have bloods done. I had the HbA1c done and it's 43. Haemoglobin is 6.1. I am aware it's just over the normal range, but would this be classed as pre diabetes. I also had a raised ESR blood last week but they said oh it's not worth worrying about...as they do!
I just want advice really as I'm sure my Doctor will say it's nothing to worry about, but everything online points to me now needing to make changes before it becomes diabetes.
Thanks for reading
Angie

 

[Member496333]

Hi and welcome!

Personally I view “prediabetes” as a compartment in which you fit if your numbers are in a certain range. The underlying cause is still insulin resistance. Diabetes is just a more advanced symptom of the same cause, which then neatly fits you into a different compartment.

So in my opinion yes, you need to act. The great news is that you’ve caught it early enough to make some changes that will prevent it getting worse or help you to put it into reverse gear. You’ve come to the right place!

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi I'm new here and not sure if I even need to be.
I have been back and forward to doctors for months feeling unwell - constant headaches, dizziness, severe acid reflux, and vision changes, peeing more. I also sleep for England..and eat like its going to be taken away from me!! I've gained a stone and a half this year and my normal attempts to diet are not working.They kept saying it's nothing and probably my high blood pressure. I'm on 2 lots of BP meds and it's still high. I'm 48, 5ft 6" and weigh about 13st 8lb - I was exactly 12st last year.
Yesterday my Doctor mentioned maybe testing for diabetes just as a precaution but said she'll decide in the new year. Anyway I decided to pay privately as I work in a clinic and can have bloods done. I had the HbA1c done and it's 43. Haemoglobin is 6.1. I am aware it's just over the normal range, but would this be classed as pre diabetes. I also had a raised ESR blood last week but they said oh it's not worth worrying about...as they do!
I just want advice really as I'm sure my Doctor will say it's nothing to worry about, but everything online points to me now needing to make changes before it becomes diabetes.
Thanks for reading
Angie

That HbA1c is just barely in the pre-diabetic range: exactly the time to take action! In all likelyhood you've become increasingly insulin-resistant over the last months/year. Your pancreas produces loads of insulin to keep your bloodsugarlevels in the normal range, but in the meantime, the large amounts of insulin make you insensitive to them. All the while, the glucose that couldn't be processed out anymore gets stored in fat cells. Boom, suddenly your weight surges, and because you don't know carbs are the problem (practically all carbs turn to glucose once ingested), the usual diet options don't work. This is why 90% of T2's are overweight, have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, high bloodpressure, etc etc. It's called Metabolic Syndrome to have all sorts of metabolic issues thrown together.

So, yes, you're pre-diabetic if those numbers are correct, and yes, you do belong here. (Thjere's a whole section on the forum for Pre, so you really have a place here. ) Because once you tip over into diabetic numbers, that's it: even if you achieve normal HbA1c numbers, you're a T2 for life, more often than not. I'm in the normal range, but if I eat something sugary/starchy I still see my levels skyrocket, alas. At this point in time you can still get this under control, before T2 properly develops.

Like I said, carbohydrates are the problem here; as almost all of them (sugars, but starches and fructose too), turn into glucose once ingested, the easiest thing to do is, cut the carbs. As it's one of the three macro-nutrients, the bacis rule of thumb is, lower one, then up the others, to prevent malnutrition/vitamin and mineral deficiencies. The other two are fat and protein, and fats, as it turns out, are not the baddies they've been made out to be. (I lost 25 kilo's eating bacon once or twice a day... Go figure). You may want to read the books by Dr. Jason Fung, and/or check www.dietdoctor.com. They're quite helpful, and the dietdoctor site has a lot of free info, you don't have to be a paying member to get anything out of it. (I never signed up and still find it invaluable).

Cutting carbs is easy once you know how. Ditch bread, spuds, pasta, fruit (save for avocado, berries and tomatoes), cereal, rice, corn, anything starchy or sugary. Load up on meat, fish, above-ground veggies/leafy greens, cheese, butter, double cream, eggs, that sort of thing. My meals often look like this: eggs with bacon, mushrooms, cheese. Salad with a can of tuna, mayo, capers, avocado, olives. Meat or fish with cauliflower-rice (which is remarcably versatile), bacon and cheese, herbs for flavour. Snacks are extra dark chocolate, nuts, olives, cold cuts and cheese. Sounds limited maybe, but if I tell you i have no trouble ordering a burger at fast food joints, and no-one raises an eyebrow if I ask them to hold the bun, or I go to a restaurant and I ask for extra veffies or salad instead of potatoes.... It works, not a problem at all.

I'll tag @daisy1 for her wonderful info-sheet for newbies, but all in all... If you have questions, this is the place to ask. There'll often be a variety of answers, but you decide what works for you. Once you're out of the prediabetic range, try to stay that way: you'll always have to be careful with carbs, as you now know you're at risk for T2. But all in all... You'll be okay.

Good luck!
Jo

 

[AngiH]

Thank you both. I'm still quite shocked by it all and I've yet to see the doctor. I've spoken to him over the phone and he has said that although it's only just into prediabetic range, with my high BP he wants to see me and get some further tests and talk things through, as he said left alone it would almost certainly turn to T2. Will I need to check my blood levels or will I just be advised to follow this low carb diet. I'm sure this is the cause of my severe headaches that I wake up with nearly everyday. Thanks again. Angie

 

[Alison Campbell]

Hi, so glad you are here. Chances are you will not recieve either of those recommendations from your doctor unless they are up to date on the latest type 2 prevention strategies.

Mostly lower carbing and testing are discouraged but I am so glad I found this forum and followed this advice now being 5 stone lighter with mostly normal levels for the past 6/7 years. More importantly my symptoms of weight gain, lethargy and that constant hunger have improved. I've gradually reduced rather than ditched carbs to a level that works for me and my blood glucose meter. Have a good look around the forum and feel free to ask any questions you may have.

 

[Member496333]

Hi, so glad you are here. Chances are you will not recieve either of those recommendations from your doctor unless they are up to date on the latest type 2 prevention strategies.

Mostly lower carbing and testing are discouraged but I am so glad I found this forum and followed this advice now being 5 stone lighter with mostly normal levels for the past 6/7 years. More importantly my symptoms of weight gain, lethargy and that constant hunger have improved. I've gradually reduced rather than ditched carbs to a level that works for me and my blood glucose meter. Have a good look around the forum and feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Yes indeed. I would be very surprised if a doctor advised either glucose monitoring or low carbohydrate. Most actively discourage glucose monitoring. You may get silent approval of low carb but I doubt that either.

 

[daisy1]

@AngiH
Hello Angi and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to help.

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 235,000 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.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
  
  
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
  

 

[AngiH]

Thank you, lots to take in. So I'm guessing the doctor won't be much help. Will they just leave me and test again? It's just a pain waiting, when he said he wanted me in and the receptionist says "no pre-bookable appointments til next week"....

 

[alisha1104]

Hi everyone, yesterday I went to a pharmacy and got my blood glucose checked. it was 6.2 (fasted for 14 hours overnight) and therefore in the prediabetic range. My grandad and grandma both have T2 diabetes and I also overweight. I have been so worried and it wasn't a surprise that I was prediabetic, I thought I would be diabetic because since September 2018 I have had dizzy spells (doctor gave me vertigo meds but I'm not convinced it is that), over the past couple of says I have been peeing a lot, and when I am eating I get a headache and feel so tired. I go to the gym 3 times a week and in 2017 I lost 2.5 stone with slimming world, however when I joined university in September 2017 I gained all the weight and more. post-christmas and new year I have eaten healthily and I really hope I can never prediabetes so that it doesn't process to T2 diabetes. however, I am so worried as I have symptoms even though its only pre. I am so worried and have cried a lot over this. hoping people can provide me with some reassurance. thanks.

 

[Prem51]

Welcome to the forum @alisha1104. Just as one swallow doesn't make a summer, one meter reading of 6.2 doesn't necessarily mean you are pre-diabetic. The reading can be higher due to various factors including stress, tiredness or infection, and only gives a snapshot of your blood glucose at that moment in time.
The dizzy spells, increased peeing and headaches could be due to other conditions.
The only way to know for definite is to ask your doctor for a HbA1c blood test. Explain your symptoms and your family T2 history, and your GP should refer you for testing. The HbA1c test gives an average of your bg levels over the previous 8-12 weeks.

Try not to stress before you know for sure. Even if you are diagnosed as pre-diabetic you can take action to avoid becoming fully diabetic. Many of the people on this forum have reduced their blood glucose levels by adopting a Low Carbohydrate High Fat (lchf) approach to eating. That involves avoiding or limiting starchy carbohydrates like potatoes, bread, pasta and rice. Starch carbs turn to glucose in our system so aren't good for diabetics.
The energy we would have got from carbs is replaced by eating more 'healthy fats' like oily fish, avocados, dairy products, nuts and olive oil.

Have a read round the forum to see how this works and ask any questions you want. The people on here are friendly and supportive, and you will get a lot of good advice.

 

[alisha1104]

Welcome to the forum @alisha1104. Just as one swallow doesn't make a summer, one meter reading of 6.2 doesn't necessarily mean you are pre-diabetic. The reading can be higher due to various factors including stress, tiredness or infection, and only gives a snapshot of your blood glucose at that moment in time.
The dizzy spells, increased peeing and headaches could be due to other conditions.
The only way to know for definite is to ask your doctor for a HbA1c blood test. Explain your symptoms and your family T2 history, and your GP should refer you for testing. The HbA1c test gives an average of your bg levels over the previous 8-12 weeks.

Try not to stress before you know for sure. Even if you are diagnosed as pre-diabetic you can take action to avoid becoming fully diabetic. Many of the people on this forum have reduced their blood glucose levels by adopting a Low Carbohydrate High Fat (lchf) approach to eating. That involves avoiding or limiting starchy carbohydrates like potatoes, bread, pasta and rice. Starch carbs turn to glucose in our system so aren't good for diabetics.
The energy we would have got from carbs is replaced by eating more 'healthy fats' like oily fish, avocados, dairy products, nuts and olive oil.

Have a read round the forum to see how this works and ask any questions you want. The people on here are friendly and supportive, and you will get a lot of good advice.

Hello. thank you for all of your helpful information and advice. I love carbs but my health comes first an I am so determined after this scare to not get T2 diabetes. I will call my GP later to make an appointment. is there an estimate of how long the results usually take - I know it will be different for each GP practice. when I saw my GP in November (I had bloods done in October) I asked how the results were and how my HbA1c was and he said it was perfectly fine, nowhere near the diabetic range, but obviously this could've changed by now. thanks again.

 

[Prem51]

Hi @alisha1104 If you had HbA1c test in October, your gp might well not refer you for another one so soon, especially if your results were 'perfectly fine' then. The HbA1c test measures the blood glucose levels over the previous 8-12 weeks - the time it takes for them to be replaced, so your bgs probably won't have changed much.
Do you know the test figures from October? If not you can ask your gp surgery for a printout, or for online access to your test results.
If you do get another HbA1c test the results are usually back within 5 days.

 

[zauberflote]

@alisha1104 welcome! You’re in the right place I think you actually have an advantage by knowing that your mother and grandmother are T2.
That said, regarding the physician who reassured you, it’s been my experience that doctors, especially male ones, tend to brush young people off. So coming here was one of the best things you could do! We will not brush you off.
Don’t discount the huge stress of university as a cause for crazy bad symptoms. Including high BG. So going back to GP, getting that HbA1c lab, making nice with the doctor, and working on lowering stress are all in order.
I am American, female, and over 65, with a family history of type two, so when my blood results came back at 6.5, which is a diabetic reading, my primary care he told me he would prescribe a glucose meter and a visit to a diabetes educator. It turns out the store brand glucose meters are approximately 90% cheaper than the prescription one would have been. And the visit to the diabetes educator never materialized.
He’d given me a cheat sheet for diabetics to use as a diet guide. It turns out, if I had followed it, I would definitely be diabetic by now! I think doctors in the United States are all too happy to manage the disease with medication, perhaps because it’s been their experience that so many patients are resistant to changing their diets.
Anyway, to continue this long story, I went on the interwebs, and found this forum. I started using my meter more than once a day, cutting back on all of my favorite carbs which really were perfectly healthy to a perfectly healthy person (quinoa, oatmeal, a piece of whole grain spelt bread here and there, and all those delicious carrots beets onions winter squash corn that I looooved), went cold turkey on all the things that had chocolate in them, none of which were healthy for anyone, and found my sugar and carb cravings fading after a week or two.
As you interact with people here, you will find us very supportive! I bet if you went to the diabetes discussion section of this forum, and started a thread that had the words “young adult” or the like in it, you might pull out people your own age who are having similar life experiences to you.
We’re always here!
Edit to add even more foods I used to eat...

 

[mireico]

Hello,
My name is Johnny and I'm 36 yrs old male in the Midwest part of USA. Last week, I received a call from my doctor after my blood test and my HbA1c level was at 5.9, and this considered as pre-diabetes according to the doctor's office. Then I looked at We came from the Asian culture, which rice are our main consumption in our traditional family. my family trees, majority of them were diabetics and high blood pressure, even my mother is currently is a T2 diabetic. I was panic, "I'm only 36 years old, and I just can't have this happening to me already". With that thought in mind, I can't have this happen to me so I'm going to do everything I can to make sure I won't and never cross that line into T2. They scheduled me to see a dietitian and diabetes education in the next few weeks. But I already took action upon myself try to change my diet and eating style right after I got the message. I cut all my rice intake, and here are a short breakdown of what I got so far, please chime in with any suggestion and feedback. Any help will be very appreciated.

Breakfast:
1/2 cup of whole grain cereal (Fiber One brand)
2 sausages links
2 bacon strips

Lunch:
1 chicken thigh/breast
1 slice of whole grain bread
1 boil egg
mixed salad

Dinner
1 chicken/beef steak
1 salmon/ham/canned meat
mixed salad w/ avocado and other vegies

 

[Prem51]

Welcome to the forum @mireico. Well done on taking action now to avoid becoming diabetic. I wish I had. I am older than you, but from a similar background - my parents were from India and my mother was Type 2 diabetic.
Most of the T2s on here have found that adopting a Low Carbohydrate High Fat (lchf) approach to eating has lowered our blood glucose levels. This means avoiding or lowering intake of starchy carbohydrates like rice, bread, potatoes and pasta. Starchy carbs turn to glucose in our bodies so aren't good for T2 diabetics. Have a read round the threads to see how this works and ask any questions you want.

The examples of what you eat in a day now sounds good, but the whole grain cereal would be quite high carbohydrate - all cereals are. The wholegrain bread would probably be high carb too, but one slice might be ok, I usually have 2 slices of wholemeal bread daily which amounts to 30 gms of carbs.

The only way to find out how much different foods are affecting your blood glucose levels is to get a blood glucose meter and test your bg before eating, then 2 hours later.

 

[Guzzler]

@mireico Hello and welcome to the forum. Prem has given you great advice on tweaking your diet (well done on tackling the PreD head on). Might I add that getting yourself a glucometer so that you can learn what foods affect you as an individual with regards to carbohydrates?

Have a wander around the forum and ask as many questions as you like.

 

[alisha1104]

@alisha1104 welcome! You’re in the right place I think you actually have an advantage by knowing that your mother and grandmother are T2.
That said, regarding the physician who reassured you, it’s been my experience that doctors, especially male ones, tend to brush young people off. So coming here was one of the best things you could do! We will not brush you off.
Don’t discount the huge stress of university as a cause for crazy bad symptoms. Including high BG. So going back to GP, getting that HbA1c lab, making nice with the doctor, and working on lowering stress are all in order.
I am American, female, and over 65, with a family history of type two, so when my blood results came back at 6.5, which is a diabetic reading, my primary care he told me he would prescribe a glucose meter and a visit to a diabetes educator. It turns out the store brand glucose meters are approximately 90% cheaper than the prescription one would have been. And the visit to the diabetes educator never materialized.
He’d given me a cheat sheet for diabetics to use as a diet guide. It turns out, if I had followed it, I would definitely be diabetic by now! I think doctors in the United States are all too happy to manage the disease with medication, perhaps because it’s been their experience that so many patients are resistant to changing their diets.
Anyway, to continue this long story, I went on the interwebs, and found this forum. I started using my meter more than once a day, cutting back on all of my favorite carbs which really were perfectly healthy to a perfectly healthy person (quinoa, oatmeal, a piece of whole grain spelt bread here and there, and all those delicious carrots beets onions winter squash corn that I looooved), went cold turkey on all the things that had chocolate in them, none of which were healthy for anyone, and found my sugar and carb cravings fading after a week or two.
As you interact with people here, you will find us very supportive! I bet if you went to the diabetes discussion section of this forum, and started a thread that had the words “young adult” or the like in it, you might pull out people your own age who are having similar life experiences to you.
We’re always here!
Edit to add even more foods I used to eat...

Thats brilliant, thank you so much. such good information and reassurance, I really appreciate it

 

[alisha1104]

Hi @alisha1104 If you had HbA1c test in October, your gp might well not refer you for another one so soon, especially if your results were 'perfectly fine' then. The HbA1c test measures the blood glucose levels over the previous 8-12 weeks - the time it takes for them to be replaced, so your bgs probably won't have changed much.
Do you know the test figures from October? If not you can ask your gp surgery for a printout, or for online access to your test results.
If you do get another HbA1c test the results are usually back within 5 days.

Hello, had my doctors appointment yesterday at about 4.15pm. last time I had eaten was about 1pm so she did a random blood glucose test. at the pharmacy on Tuesday when I had fasted for 14 hours, it was 6.2mmol/l. yesterday at the doctors it was 4.1mmo/l! I was so shocked and she obviously said there's nothing to worry about. In September, my HbA1c was 31mmol/mol (blood results said: good = 48-55, fair = 60-75, too high 87 - 108) so way below normal range. the symptoms I explained and she said I could be getting headaches and feeling dizzy when I am eating because too much blood is going to my stomach rather than my brain which often happens with low BP, however my BP is fine). the symptoms still bother me but I guess it is something I will have to deal with, and in 4 weeks time I am going to go back to pharmacy to get my blood glucose tested. a lot less worrying now - maybe that will sort these headaches, tiredness and dizziness out.

 

[mireico]

@Prem51 and @Guzzler Thank you so much for the advice and support. So what I understood from you guys were that everyone's body different how we react to certain food that might affect the sugar glucose level after we eat. And the only way to know is to get a meter to measure: first before meal and 2 hours after meal and monitor the differences.
So then for example if my glucose level did not show much of difference after a certain type of starchy consumption, is it safe to conclude that it's ok for me to continue with that particular product in moderation?
And how is this diet compared to keto diet? Is it very similar with different goals?
Also is there any way to check for notification on the replies here, I poked around but still can't figure out how to check for notification when i get a reply from my post. (Sorry I'm new on here).

 

[zauberflote]

Hello, had my doctors appointment yesterday at about 4.15pm. last time I had eaten was about 1pm so she did a random blood glucose test. at the pharmacy on Tuesday when I had fasted for 14 hours, it was 6.2mmol/l. yesterday at the doctors it was 4.1mmo/l! I was so shocked and she obviously said there's nothing to worry about. In September, my HbA1c was 31mmol/mol (blood results said: good = 48-55, fair = 60-75, too high 87 - 108) so way below normal range. the symptoms I explained and she said I could be getting headaches and feeling dizzy when I am eating because too much blood is going to my stomach rather than my brain which often happens with low BP, however my BP is fine). the symptoms still bother me but I guess it is something I will have to deal with, and in 4 weeks time I am going to go back to pharmacy to get my blood glucose tested. a lot less worrying now - maybe that will sort these headaches, tiredness and dizziness out.

Alisha, I’m glad the worrying is going away! Sounds like you are on a good path