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Very confused - borderline

Hi Pammy, nip it in the bud before you get the rest. Exercise by walking, get a meter and test before eating and 2 hours after. Reduce carbs, by that I mean bread, and any flour stuff like cakes, and sauces made with the roux method. Rice , pasta potatoes etc. Eat more healthy fats such as avocado, olive oil and nuts. In other words don't fear the fat but don't overdo the carbs.
 
Hi Pammy.
1) Don't panic. It's ok.
2) Assuming you've had a blood test (HbA1c) it must be around 47, yes?
3) Hang on while I tag @daisy1 to give you her guide to managing your prediabetes, or diabetes, whichever it is.
4) Don't panic. Welcome to the club.
 
@Pammy_60

Hello Pammy and welcome to the forum :) Whether you turn out to be diabetic, pre-diabetic, or not diabetic, here is the information we give to new members which will be useful to you anyway. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

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 over 150,000 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

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

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 bloodglucose 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.
 
There are people on this site who will give you first class advice on prediabetes.

I was diagnosed last October and my blood sugar is now 'normal' after reading around as much as possible and following the low carb/high fat diet (or way of life from now on, I should say!).

Please don't be scared. Believe me, you have certainly found the best possible website to nip this in the bud.

Good luck!
 
The info from daisy1 is good stuff for me it made a big difference but remember everybody's body is different so you will have to get to know your own body.
With diabetes knowledge of the condition, what you are eating and how your body reacts to each type of food make a huge difference.
 
Hi Pammy. I've had similar results from blood test, and like you feel confused (and a little scared!) But now on a completely different diet from my usual, pretty much based on the advice from daisy1. Also doing 30 minutes fast walking each day. Be interesting to see how future blood glucose levels look.
What I will say is this site is excellent and dispels most of the rumours around being diabetic. Browse around and you will feel much more positive.
John.
 
Hi and welcome
First thing is don't panic
2nd don't worry
3rd and most of all do NOT BE AFRAID
none of it helps and there is no need . Diabetes is manageable, we live with it , it dose not manage us . Cut down on the carbs and sugar to start with try to self monitor to find what foods do to you and what you are ok with , you will soon pick it up. Have a good look around and if your not sure ask ,no question is silly so keep asking and we will try to help
Keep well stay safe JJ
 
Am prediabetic. My fasting was 101 and post prandial was 163.what should I do.
 
Suryaj852 said:
My age is just 31 years.Worried.can I live with diabetics for 30/40 yeras from now?
Click to expand...
Yes, if you make changes and don't let your condition progress to diabetes. I was diagnosed in my 30s, and am now in my 40s looking forward to many years of good health.
 
CatLadyNZ said:
Yes, if you make changes and don't let your condition progress to diabetes. I was diagnosed in my 30s, and am now in my 40s looking forward to many years of good health.
Click to expand...
That's good to hear.Could u please tell me the age when u were diagnosed and reading at that time?do we need to start medication for pre diabetes.Sorry for asking tooo many questions.
 
Unfortunately once you have diabetes you have it for life but its not a life sentence. With diet and lifestyle changes it can in a lot of cases be put into remission. When you are diagnosed as pre diabetic its your bodys wake up call. If you pay attention to your body and make some changes now you may never become diabetic, ignore it and you most probably will. My father has been pre diabetic for years and I was diagnosed in Feb '14 with an Hb of 100. My Hb is now 34 which is non diabetic but my father and now my brother both have pre diabetes so that shows the difference between someone who makes the necessary diet and lifestyle changes and someone who doesnt.
 
Suryaj852 said:
That's good to hear.Could u please tell me the age when u were diagnosed and reading at that time?do we need to start medication for pre diabetes.Sorry for asking tooo many questions.
Click to expand...
If you scroll up to post #4 above, you will find some information for beginners. Prediabetics do not usually start medication for it. I suggest you find out what your HbA1c result was, make some dietary changes, and in 3 months get it tested again. If it is a lower result, then you are doing the right things. If you get it below 42, that is the non-prediabetic range.
 
CatLadyNZ said:
If you scroll up to post #4 above, you will find some information for beginners. Prediabetics do not usually start medication for it. I suggest you find out what your HbA1c result was, make some dietary changes, and in 3 months get it tested again. If it is a lower result, then you are doing the right things. If you get it below 42, that is the non-prediabetic range.
Click to expand...
Thanks alot
 
Day before yesterday my fasting glucose reading is 101,post prandial is 163(lab tests).but today my fasting is 87 and post prandial is 117.(when tested with meter at home).Now I checked before bed time it is 143(2 hours after dinner).still am I pre diabetic.can any one throw some light on it.please.
 
Suryaj852 said:
Day before yesterday my fasting glucose reading is 101,post prandial is 163(lab tests).but today my fasting is 87 and post prandial is 117.(when tested with meter at home).Now I checked before bed time it is 143(2 hours after dinner).still am I pre diabetic.can any one throw some light on it.please.
Click to expand...
According to the page below, if your fasting blood glucose is between 110 and 126, you have prediabetes. Your 101 is below this level, but either your lab uses a lower level for diagnosis, or you were diagnosed on your post prandial figure below. The 87 is normal, ie not prediabetic, but only lab results are considered accurate for diagnostic purposes.

Was the 163 post prandial figure arrived at via a glucose tolerance test, where you drank a small bottle of glucose liquid then got a blood test 2 hours later? If so, then it also means you are prediabetic because the 2 hr result was between 140 and 200.

101 to 163 means you start out at the high end of normal, but your body isn't very good at using glucose, so your blood level shot up.

With your home testing, you might need a few more days results to get a clearer picture. Test as soon as you wake up, and then before a meal and 2 hrs after a meal. It is important to test before and after because you need to see how much you went up by. Is it a brand new meter and test strips? Keep the lid on the bottle of test strips when not in use. Wash your hands before testing, as traces of sugar can make the result inaccurate.

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/pre-diabetes-tests.html

You may find it easier to read our posts about blood glucose levels if you use this converter:
http://www.unit-conversion.info/blood-sugar.html

The numbers you are quoting are in the mg/dl units (Milligrams of glucose per decilitre of blood).
Most people here use the mmol/l units (Millimoles per litre).
 
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