Reversed back to diabetic. Any advice or experiences?

[Shocked116]

I was originally diagnosed as diabetic in 2013 with an A1c of 53. I worked really hard at controlling it through exercise and diet and in 2015 I came off the Metformin that have been prescribed and in 2018 my A1c was in the 30s. I was told by the nurse that I was no longer considered diabetic. I kept on having the eye checkups but was turned away from having A1c checks from 2020 onwards because I was told there was no reagent and I wasn’t a priority. I carried on trying to be sensible with the exercise and eating so I probably ate too many carbs-not a huge amount though. Today I have had blood results returned With an A1c of 116.

I am terrified. Can I turn this round? I have had no symptoms whatsoever and feel better than I have done in years.

 

[mojo37]

Start testing your blood glucose and see if your sugars are high and the go from there . I too had no obvious symptoms and still haven't . Remember you have achieved a non diabetic state and can do it again .

 

[Shocked116]

Start testing your blood glucose and see if your sugars are high and the go from there . I too had no obvious symptoms and still haven't . Remember you have achieved a non diabetic state and can do it again .

Thanks! I really need any kind of encouragement at the moment.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

I was originally diagnosed as diabetic in 2013 with an A1c of 53. I worked really hard at controlling it through exercise and diet and in 2015 I came off the Metformin that have been prescribed and in 2018 my A1c was in the 30s. I was told by the nurse that I was no longer considered diabetic. I kept on having the eye checkups but was turned away from having A1c checks from 2020 onwards because I was told there was no reagent and I wasn’t a priority. I carried on trying to be sensible with the exercise and eating so I probably ate too many carbs-not a huge amount though. Today I have had blood results returned With an A1c of 116.

I am terrified. Can I turn this round? I have had no symptoms whatsoever and feel better than I have done in years.

Nothing to stop you going at it full-tilt again, right? @mojo37 's right, you did it before, you can do it again. Cut the carbs, test your heart out. Don't give up before you've even started, you've got this!

 

[Shocked116]

Thanks! I needed to hear that. I’m feeling stupid because I took my eye off the ball and assumed everything was alright. I should never have stopped testing.

 

[KennyA]

And this time you don't need to worry about whether you can do it. You've proved you can already.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Thanks! I needed to hear that. I’m feeling stupid because I took my eye off the ball and assumed everything was alright. I should never have stopped testing.

You, and how many others? It's called "carb-creep" for a reason. If it wasn't something that happened to a lot of people, carbs creeping back into their diet, then there wouldn't be a name for the thing.

So that means you're far, far from alone in this!

 

[Guilty]

I'm sure you can get it back under control again!

I had my A1c down to normal range and then it shot back up to 100. It didn't come as a big surprise to me though because I'd piled all the weight back on again

Back under control now and off the meds

 

[Grant_Vicat]

Thanks! I needed to hear that. I’m feeling stupid because I took my eye off the ball and assumed everything was alright. I should never have stopped testing.

You're clearly not stupid. You were led to believe it had gone. Then, having discovered this was not the case, you resorted to support. That's a sign of intelligence surely?!

 

[Shocked116]

Thanks everyone. Im feeling a lot better and having faith in my own ability to turn this around.

 

[Barba_Rossa]

You’re definitely not alone. My HbA1c when diagnosed in 2019 was 114. I got it down to 26 with low carb and exercise. The GP was delighted and took it off my record. No check ups, no eye or foot tests, no accountability or wake up calls for me!

Then came lockdown, the return of bad habits, comfort eating and carbs galore. My HBa1C was 98 last month when I finally went back to the doctor after months of knowing I needed to do something. A random finger prick at the time had me at 16.5.

Three weeks back on low carb I’m averaging readings of 5-6 through the day and feel much more in control. I know there is some work to do on the mental side about sustaining this and not slipping again but for now I’m fully focused.

I wish you the very best of luck and have full confidence you can turn it round again. Don’t beat yourself up for the set back. I did that for days and just worked myself into a stressed state that’s no good for anything.

 

[Shocked116]

Thank you for sharing this. It makes a world of difference to hear someone’s lived experience.

 

[HSSS]

Sadly once you are diabetic you may have it under control but it never really goes away. It hides in the background waiting to reappear. That’s why it’s called remission not cure. And quite frankly these drs/nurses that take you off the register and stop doing at least the annual checks are wrong to do so. Im not sure if it’s to save money or because they think it’s doing you a favour (it’s not). As far as I was aware the only official reason to do so is if they believe you were originally misdiagnosed. As others above have said it’s not unusual for it to resurface if we take our eyes off the ball. You are not alone by a long mile and this time round you know what to do and that you can do it.

 

[Shocked116]

Thanks to all who've answered this thread. I am feeling much more positive and encouraged.

 

[VashtiB]

Hello @Shocked116

I am so glad you are feeling more positive. It's one of the reasons I feel so passionately about the forum. I have found so much help and support here.

Like everyone above me I agree that you know you can do this and the results may help you keep focused for a while.

Good luck and welcome