Still confused 2 high fasting blood tests but hbAc1 40

[Bethsmum]

Hi

I'm still confused , after being at the doctors and having 2 separate fasting blood glucose tests at 6.3 and 6.4, then hbAc1 test was 40, so doctor said I was ok!
But been testing at home and before my evening meal I get very shaky and feel terrible, testing my blood sugar and it's 4.0, if that's normal blood glucose for someone with out diabetes then why do I feel so ill when my blood sugar gets to 4.0 ?

Can anyone help, I'm off back to the doctors this week.

Thank you

 

[ButtterflyLady]

An HbA1c of 40 is at the very top end of the "normal" range, and I would imagine if you ate a regular high carb diet you would probably develop prediabetes eventually.

The HbA1c test is not as definitive as some people, including some doctors, think. FBG is actually more reliable, in some ways.

Keep pestering your doctor. Something is definitely out of kilter with your blood sugars.

 

[Patricia21]

My husband has tested at 42HbA1c and he has been told he is not diabetic,saying that he has been on a low carb diet since Febuary because he wants to lose two stone,His bood test was three weeks ago.He is eating the same as me and I am diabetic with a HbA1c of 44 dropped from 58 a year ago,so I am also confused. and sorry I cant help you.

 

[Bluetit1802]

An HbA1c of 40 is at the very top end of the "normal" range, and I would imagine if you ate a regular high carb diet you would probably develop prediabetes eventually.

The HbA1c test is not as definitive as some people, including some doctors, think. FBG is actually more reliable, in some ways.

Keep pestering your doctor. Something is definitely out of kilter with your blood sugars.

I take issue with your statement that the FBG test is more reliable than the HbA1c. There may be issues with the HbA1c for some people, but far more issues with the FBG test. So much relies on the timing, any liver dumps, restless night, stress, even a bad dream. In the UK many Practices have discarded the FBG test (mine has) for diagnosed diabetics because of the outside influences over which we have little control. For diagnosed diabetics we only get the HbA1c on our reviews. The FBG test is still done for routine tests for non diagnosed diabetics. If that is above 7, then an HbA1c will follow.

@Bethsmum what are your 2 hour post meal levels like?

 

[Bluetit1802]

My husband has tested at 42HbA1c and he has been told he is not diabetic,saying that he has been on a low carb diet since Febuary because he wants to lose two stone,His bood test was three weeks ago.He is eating the same as me and I am diabetic with a HbA1c of 44 dropped from 58 a year ago,so I am also confused. and sorry I cant help you.

Non diabetic is 41 and under.
Pre-diabetic is 42 to 47
Diabetic is 48 and above.

 

[Bethsmum]

If I eat carbs with dinner I get 8.9 after 2 hours
If I don't have any carbs I get 7.5 2 hours after eating.

I just didn't think that if for a normal person blood glucose is around 4.0 why would I feel so terrible at 4.0 ?

 

[ButtterflyLady]

I take issue with your statement that the FBG test is more reliable than the HbA1c. There may be issues with the HbA1c for some people, but far more issues with the FBG test. So much relies on the timing, any liver dumps, restless night, stress, even a bad dream. In the UK many Practices have discarded the FBG test (mine has) for diagnosed diabetics because of the outside influences over which we have little control. For diagnosed diabetics we only get the HbA1c on our reviews. The FBG test is still done for routine tests for non diagnosed diabetics. If that is above 7, then an HbA1c will follow.

@Bethsmum what are your 2 hour post meal levels like?

Actually I qualified my statement with the words "in some ways", and I meant conditions like MODY diabetes, where the HbA1c can hide the diagnosis, and FBG is a more reliable indicator.

My practice has discarded the FBG test too, and the HbA1c is better for most people. But it can miss MODY, so the FBG can be useful.

 

[ButtterflyLady]

If I eat carbs with dinner I get 8.9 after 2 hours
If I don't have any carbs I get 7.5 2 hours after eating.

I just didn't think that if for a normal person blood glucose is around 4.0 why would I feel so terrible at 4.0 ?

You probably feel bad at 4.0 because your BGs are running a bit high. If you can get your BGs down a bit, you should feel better at 4.0.

I would say that at an HbA1c of 40, you are literally borderline prediabetic. If I were you I would start following the dietary advice given to prediabetics at this forum, so that you don't become prediabetic.

 

[Bethsmum]

I think maybe my hbA1c might have been affected as I'd been on a very low carb diet for 2 months prior to having the test, I lost 8 pound in weight.

I am going to go back to strict low carbs now

 

[Bethsmum]

Actually I qualified my statement with the words "in some ways", and I meant conditions like MODY diabetes, where the HbA1c can hide the diagnosis, and FBG is a more reliable indicator.

My practice has discarded the FBG test too, and the HbA1c is better for most people. But it can miss MODY, so the FBG can be useful.

What is MODY please?

 

[ButtterflyLady]

What is MODY please?

Mature Onset Diabetes of the Young

http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-inf...aturity-onset-diabetes-young/Pages/index.aspx