Hi I’ve posted a few times before regarding my anxiety with my prediabetes diagnosis. I managed to get my hba-c down from 42 to 35 in about 6 months. Now recently I’ve been checking my fasting numbers again and they have all been within the normal range apart from this morning and I’m freaked out again! I was in bed longer so it clearly was about 15 hours without food and my fasting was 6.5!!!!! And my previous night meal was a very low carb meal like usual so I don’t know why the sudden jump this morning??? It’s been around 5 most times or abit above. So does this mean I’m now diabetic or prediabetic again? I’m assuming people with normal hba1cs don’t see such high numbers??? Now I’m scared again I had just got happy with my morning numbers now I’m back to square one and I don’t think my doctor will do another hba1c as my last one was in February and he said a year! And then when I got up I had a very low carb breakfast of eggs and bacon and after 2 hours it was 6.9!!! This has really got me thinking I’ve gone back to prediabetes if not diabetes!
Re: high morning numbers
- Thread starter gowest12
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No you haven't.
You never were pre-diabetic let alone diabetic.
All your readings were and are normal. 6.5 is neither high nor strange, it's probably just your liver adding a bit of glucose as you hadn't eaten. It could be a mild infection that you're not otherwise aware of. But it's not a high reading anyway.
As you've been told in the past, the 15% acceptable error in your meter means that there is no practical difference between the 6.5 and the 6.9 readings.
So why are you testing? You have said before it feeds your anxiety.
But I was prediabetic at 42? I was told it was prediabetes and sent on this online nhs course. I just started retesting and was quite pleased with my numbers then this morning was quite surprised that it was a lot higher. Do people with normal hba1cs have readings like this sometimes i just thought diabetics and prediabetics did. So is 42 still borderline????
42 is smack on the line. There is even some tolerance within the Hba1c test, so you may have been 41 or 43. The only way to confirm, is with a follow up test later on. Your follow up was 35, so the diagnosis was never confirmed. You came very close, but swerved it by adjusting your diet.
Your morning level due to meter tolerance, was in the range 5.5 to 7.4, a one off. Unfortunately your liver does not dump a precise amount of Glucose, to hit a target. So sometimes it's too much, and your system balances it out (normal). Sometimes it's not enough, so your system tells you it's hungry and time to eat (normal).
You do not have a problem, stop worrying.
Your morning level due to meter tolerance, was in the range 5.5 to 7.4, a one off. Unfortunately your liver does not dump a precise amount of Glucose, to hit a target. So sometimes it's too much, and your system balances it out (normal). Sometimes it's not enough, so your system tells you it's hungry and time to eat (normal).
You do not have a problem, stop worrying.
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42 is normal in the UK. Something like 95% of non-diabetic people have an HbA1c in the 38-42 range - I have posted a graph (again) that illustrates that very well.
However the fingerprick test just shows a snapshot, unlike the A1c which tells you much more about average levels over time. People's blood glucose, diabetic or non-diabetic, varies all the time. It's a normal thing.
Most people on here are diabetics and test, or have tested, regularly, usually around food. I don't test much at all these days other than a few confirmatory tests every so often. Testing is frankly a bore but necessary, sometimes.
Most people who aren't diabetics don't test at all. And why should they? Their blood glucose levels are properly controlled by their body's own regulatory systems. I've allowed non-diabetic people to use my testing kit and they generally test higher (error included) than me, because I artificially limit my blood glucose - in my case by restricting carbs - because, like other T2s, we are insulin resistant and our systems don't do it for us.
So you, as a non-diabetic, are testing and seeing normal blood glucose changes. And panicking about being normal.
However the fingerprick test just shows a snapshot, unlike the A1c which tells you much more about average levels over time. People's blood glucose, diabetic or non-diabetic, varies all the time. It's a normal thing.
Most people on here are diabetics and test, or have tested, regularly, usually around food. I don't test much at all these days other than a few confirmatory tests every so often. Testing is frankly a bore but necessary, sometimes.
Most people who aren't diabetics don't test at all. And why should they? Their blood glucose levels are properly controlled by their body's own regulatory systems. I've allowed non-diabetic people to use my testing kit and they generally test higher (error included) than me, because I artificially limit my blood glucose - in my case by restricting carbs - because, like other T2s, we are insulin resistant and our systems don't do it for us.
So you, as a non-diabetic, are testing and seeing normal blood glucose changes. And panicking about being normal.
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I didn’t realise 42 was still considered normal I thought it was prediabetes. But I just want to clarify I was diagnosed with hba1c November 2021 at 42 six months later was retested and hadn’t changed my diet at all really just gave up snacks and my hba1c was 42 and my doctor said it was fine he’s happy with that but it was when I searched online that I should be doing very low carb and checking my blood sugar as I’m clearly insulin resistant as I have high blood pressure also and on medication for that which controls it quite well but I kept reading high blood pressure means insulin resistance so I thought I would start testing and go as low carb as possible but still eating beans and lentils those kind of carbs and 3 months later my doctor checked it was 38 so I was quite happy with that and added some more carbs but next one was 40 and then after another 6 months of low carb it was 35 the most recent one so it didn’t go straight from 42 to 35 it has bounced around abit. Do you know if this is true that high blood pressure is always linked to diabetes and insulin resistance??? My mum and dad both had high blood pressure too so it could be genetic I guess. And you said people who are non diabetic who have used your tester have higher readings than you? I didn’t realise that I thought they should have lower numbers. I know I tested again this morning and maybe shouldn’t have but I saw 5.7 fasting this morning and when I got up and then before I had my very low carb breakfast it had gone up to 6.2. I just don’t understand why though if last few weeks have been good why the sudden change? I do find this hard to understand
Can I ask i know i shoudnt have but I tested my blood sugar just before lunch and it was 6.5!!!! Surely that’s diabetic? I had a very low carb breakfast so it shoudnt be so high before lunch I don’t know what to do but I’m so sure my hba1c was wrong because I would be seeing better numbers. I understand the monitors are not that accurate but why is this suddenly happening if before my numbers were fine??? Before lunch it often was 5.0-5.5 I don’t understand this
Robbity
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If you constantly worry over your numbers, then you're likely to be raising them due to this rather than necessarily by what you're actually eating. And one finger prick test result is just a snapshot of your glucose level at that moment of time - it's NOT in any way an indication of diabetes.
(I'm ancient, somewhat overweight and currently inactive, and I've been T2 for over nine years but have kept my glucose levels/HbA1c results at mainly high normal-lower pre-diabetic levels for most of that time by eating a fairly low carb/ketogenic style diet, but I'll still sometimes see results in the 6.5-7.5 range - and rarely a bit higher. These tend to be generally my morning fasting figures, but many of them are also caused by issues other than carby foods, such health or stress and AFAIK this is quite normal.)
(I'm ancient, somewhat overweight and currently inactive, and I've been T2 for over nine years but have kept my glucose levels/HbA1c results at mainly high normal-lower pre-diabetic levels for most of that time by eating a fairly low carb/ketogenic style diet, but I'll still sometimes see results in the 6.5-7.5 range - and rarely a bit higher. These tend to be generally my morning fasting figures, but many of them are also caused by issues other than carby foods, such health or stress and AFAIK this is quite normal.)
You need to learn to relax about diabetes and get yourself informed - it sounds like you haven't been given enough information.
If you have one reading out of kilter, that's OK. You should only worry if that continues for 3 days or so.
What I don't understand is why you are monitoring you glucose levels so closely if you're pre-diabetic - daily measurements are only needed if you're getting insulin treatment. Otherwise occasion testing would be suggested - if you feel ill but don't know why would be a good reason or if you regularly binge.
I would suggest putting your glucometer in a locked drawer and forget about if for a while.
To be honest it’s all the Facebook groups I’m in telling me that even though now I’m back into normal level I still need to test. I was diagnosed with hba1c of 42 and got it down to 35 but they say I still need to test as my A1C could be normal but my fasting will tell me if things are getting worse?? They are mainly American groups not sure if they do things differently. I was told 42 was just in the prediabetes zone and my doctor wasn’t concerned at all and said no need for testing but then i bought myself a kit and started testing as everywhere was telling me to test fasting then before and after meals and I have to admit it’s actually ruining my life! It had become an obsession. Today I’ve locked away my monitor and will not test anymore i haven’t today and I feel better alreaady.
JoKalsbeek
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So, first thing to do: ditch the facebook groups. I joined one for my husband's Long Covid, and while I found some useful information there, the bulk of it came down to faith healers, crystals and just-take-vitamin-d, rather than actual, medical possibilities. Generally it's just a load of hysterical people who feed into one another's fears and bludgeon others with dogma's that make no sense, so extricate yourself and ditch that anxiety inducing component.
Your fasting blood sugars aren't exactly high, especially considering your state of mind. If you wake up after nightmares, if you woke during the night for a pee or because the neighbour's dog barked, all of that can raise blood sugars. In anyone, not just diabetics. If you're anxious, that can raise blood glucose.
So basically, while I'm normally all for testing, step away from that meter for now. Just go to your GP every half year or year and get a HbA1c done. Take action then if need be, but for now, for your sanity, relax.... Keep low carbing, but stop beating yourself up over numbers that are still in the normal range. Sometimes self-care is NOT testing.
Hugs,
Jo
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No it's not diabetic or remotely close. In all honesty Facebook groups (or other social media) on diabetes are no place to be getting advice. This is doubled if you talk to people from the US who use completely different measurements and you cannot read across the numbers. If you say "6.5" to most Americans they will naturally assume you mean 6.5%, which you don't. You have been told this more than once already.
Another thing you have been told several times is that the fingerprick and the HbA1c test different things. The A1c is by far the most informative for diagnostic purposes.
If you are anxious (as you appear to be) and are fretting about testing that is likely to trigger your liver to dump glucose, leading to higher readings (still not diabetic). You are not and have never been diabetic, and I would say you've not even been out of normal range - not one single reading. The answer for you is to stop testing and stop worrying.
Thank you for this I’m also in the middle of perimenopause which I read can also raise blood sugars and cause more anxiety! I’ve locked away the monitor now won’t be using it !!!
Can I just ask when my hba1c was 42 wasn’t that prediabetic??? I’m so confused as apt of the forums I was on and have now left as it was getting too much would say 42 is equal to A1C of 6 which is well into prediabetes???? Or is the Uk 42 something totally different??
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No it wasn't.
In the UK "normal" blood glucose levels are defined as 38-42. Normal means that almost all non-diabetic people when tested show A1c readings somewhere between 38 and 42 inclusive. Some (a small proportion) of non-diabetic people clearly therefore have blood glucose readings that are both higher and lower as indicated by the graph from the Lifelines Dutch study (attached again).
Other countries use different measures and both the UK and other countries change definitions from time to time. The current US standard according to the CDC website (which I think has recently changed) seems to be that beneath 5.7% is "normal". They also will diagnose diabetes at a reading of 6.5% which I think is a little lower than the equivalent in the UK.
As 6% is equivalent to 42mmol/mol this may have led some people to think that the UK's standard has changed - it hasn't. All tests have an acceptable error and I don't know what the acceptable error for the HbA1c test is in the USA - it may be the same or higher than in the UK. In any event I would be surprised if the test was sensitive enough to distinguish reliably between 5.7% and 6%.
In the UK the acceptable error is a maximum of 10%, 95% of the time, which is why no single test should be used for diagnosis. This does not mean that the test is always 10% out, just that it might be. It's an important reason for not getting fixated on testing.
While parts of some forums in the US can be sometimes useful, my opinion is that the difference in the healthcare systems, the different measurements used, the different public health requirements, the differing patient expectations etc make it unwise to rely on anything you're told or read. It's also unfortunate that many forum contributors based in the US seem to sometimes be unaware that other countries are not the same as the USA.
