I had gestational diabetes while pregnant, and was on insulin, and hated it. I have other diabetes symptoms but I didn't realise until I saw a friend at Christmas who is a pharmacologist and she said I should get tested. I completely freaked and got out my old bg machine and it was 11.2. So I freaked again and went on a very low carb diet the next day. 8 weeks later I got tested (couldn't go before and honestly was quite scared to). A1c came back 33, which is good, and fasting after 16 hrs came back 7.9 which is not diabetic, right? So I start eating carbs again, almost immediately start to feel like death. I look at the machine again and it's 7-10 each morning. So now I dare not eat carbs! And I am out of strips, but feel like I'm going a bit mad, so how does the monitor go so high but I get tested at hospital as under 8 so not diabetic? I don't test now because I don't think it's good for me. Plus I have about 6 strips left. Sorry I am just after reassurance that I haven't lost my marbles
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- Thread starter FatGoth
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HSSS
Expert
Blood diagnosis levels https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html in the uk at least. Are you uk?
What did your dr have to say about the fasting level?
Although your hb1ac is fine it seems your more recent numbers aren’t so great. I would assume the 8 weeks of very low carb immediately before your test significantly contributed to your good average and the recent carb eating is why the daily figures have shot back up.
Why would testing not be good for you? How else are you to know what’s happening? I think you’ve proved quite conclusively the effect diet has on your numbers. And it makes you feel better.
What did your dr have to say about the fasting level?
Although your hb1ac is fine it seems your more recent numbers aren’t so great. I would assume the 8 weeks of very low carb immediately before your test significantly contributed to your good average and the recent carb eating is why the daily figures have shot back up.
Why would testing not be good for you? How else are you to know what’s happening? I think you’ve proved quite conclusively the effect diet has on your numbers. And it makes you feel better.
HSSS
Expert
You’re stressed not knowing too by the sounds of things! Perhaps it’s the not know what to do about it that causes the stress or the fear of going back to insulin or complications. That is quite avoidable for many type 2 if it’s managed another way and the earlier the better.
Not sure how much you know but I’ll add in a load of links for you to take a look at that cover most of the basics to help you understand and come to some choices. Also this forum is just part of a much larger website with loads of info. Scroll to the top of the page and top left is “home” click that and explore here too.
Can I suggest you take a good look at low carb high fat methods of eating (keto is just a version of this). It helps many of us lose significant amounts of weight, if desired, keep our numbers down and for some even eliminate medications and achieve remission and reduce or improve complications. Try clicking these links for more detailed explanations that are well worth readings
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/jokalsbeek.401801/ for info including low carb made simple
And https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/success-stories-and-testimonials.43/ to show it really works
and https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today.75781/ for food ideas
also https://www.dietdoctor.com/ for more food ideas and general info of carb content of foods. Lots of other websites for recipes out there too. Just use the term low carb or keto with whatever you fancy.
Also it’s very important to be able to check for yourself what’s happening so you can make the necessary adjustments day to day and meal by meal rather than wait 3,6 or even 12 months and then have no idea what had what effect. Getting a blood glucose meter is the only way to do this (no matter what contradictory advice you may have heard - it’s usually budget based rather than anything more scientific). Please ask if you want any guidance on this.
IMPORTANT for other readers perhaps: if you lower your carbs then any glucose lowering meds may need to be adjusted accordingly to make sure you aren’t taking more than your new diet requires. It can cause a hypo if you have more gliclazide or insulin etc (this is not relevant for metformin on its own) than your new carb intake requires. Keep a close eye on your numbers and ideally do this with your dr. Please don’t be put off by an ill informed out dated rubbishing of low carb diets or being told you should eat carbs to match meds, it should be the other way around.
Not sure how much you know but I’ll add in a load of links for you to take a look at that cover most of the basics to help you understand and come to some choices. Also this forum is just part of a much larger website with loads of info. Scroll to the top of the page and top left is “home” click that and explore here too.
Can I suggest you take a good look at low carb high fat methods of eating (keto is just a version of this). It helps many of us lose significant amounts of weight, if desired, keep our numbers down and for some even eliminate medications and achieve remission and reduce or improve complications. Try clicking these links for more detailed explanations that are well worth readings
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/jokalsbeek.401801/ for info including low carb made simple
And https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/success-stories-and-testimonials.43/ to show it really works
and https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today.75781/ for food ideas
also https://www.dietdoctor.com/ for more food ideas and general info of carb content of foods. Lots of other websites for recipes out there too. Just use the term low carb or keto with whatever you fancy.
Also it’s very important to be able to check for yourself what’s happening so you can make the necessary adjustments day to day and meal by meal rather than wait 3,6 or even 12 months and then have no idea what had what effect. Getting a blood glucose meter is the only way to do this (no matter what contradictory advice you may have heard - it’s usually budget based rather than anything more scientific). Please ask if you want any guidance on this.
IMPORTANT for other readers perhaps: if you lower your carbs then any glucose lowering meds may need to be adjusted accordingly to make sure you aren’t taking more than your new diet requires. It can cause a hypo if you have more gliclazide or insulin etc (this is not relevant for metformin on its own) than your new carb intake requires. Keep a close eye on your numbers and ideally do this with your dr. Please don’t be put off by an ill informed out dated rubbishing of low carb diets or being told you should eat carbs to match meds, it should be the other way around.
Thank you. Don't want to sound awful but I really don't want to be diabetic. I really hate anything medical and the gestational diabetes was one of the reasons I don't want any more children. So I have read the first link do you suppose it is possible that the Dr is confusing the ranges so 7.9 is diabetic according to the website? I can't get more strips though unless I am diagnosed as a diabetic? Sorry to ramble, this is very frustrating. Thank you for the support and maybe it will go down- I have lost 31 lb in 8 weeks.
Hi, sorry you are stressed about this. It is an unpleasant experience for us all, I am afraid.
HSSS has given you the diagnostic levels, so you can see that you seem to have been above and below those levels, depending on what you eat. Obviously, we can’t diagnose, but I speculate that you may be occupying the grey area that I seem to - basically you can slide up and down over the D diagnostic threshold depending on what we do. And eat. Ideally, you would get a proper, in depth assessment, but with an HbA1c of 33 no doc is going to believe you are ‘flirting’ with T2, so you may need to deal with this informally. Fortunately you can get a tremendous amount of support here on the forum.
Gestational and type 2 behave differently. But I understand that women who have GD often go on to develop T2, so you are not alone.
But the differences between the two types mean that while you needed insulin with GD, you may be able to manage with dietary control and/or oral meds with T2.
You have already discovered how powerful low carb eating is in controlling T2, but (as you have also discovered) the dietary change needs to be ongoing. Carbs will send blood glucose up again if you go back to eating them.
HSSS has given you the diagnostic levels, so you can see that you seem to have been above and below those levels, depending on what you eat. Obviously, we can’t diagnose, but I speculate that you may be occupying the grey area that I seem to - basically you can slide up and down over the D diagnostic threshold depending on what we do. And eat. Ideally, you would get a proper, in depth assessment, but with an HbA1c of 33 no doc is going to believe you are ‘flirting’ with T2, so you may need to deal with this informally. Fortunately you can get a tremendous amount of support here on the forum.
Gestational and type 2 behave differently. But I understand that women who have GD often go on to develop T2, so you are not alone.
But the differences between the two types mean that while you needed insulin with GD, you may be able to manage with dietary control and/or oral meds with T2.
You have already discovered how powerful low carb eating is in controlling T2, but (as you have also discovered) the dietary change needs to be ongoing. Carbs will send blood glucose up again if you go back to eating them.
HSSS
Expert
It’s not awful to say that. None of us want to be diabetic though. It does get easier once you get to grips with it. Some of us are grateful that we had a wake up call and are now mor ehealthy than we’ve been in years as a direct result. Your health is what it is though with or without a label. And ignoring it won’t help. It will only go down if you help it to go down. Weight loss will help but probably, alone, not keep it down.
Yes I do think the dr made a mistake regarding the fasting level being non diabetic, probably swayed by the contradictory hb1ac and went with that as the overal diagnosis.
As a type two not on meds you’d be unlikely to get a meter anyway sadly due to financial reasons, possibly hidden in a Miriad of excuses.
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Were the test strips you used still in date? Just because that might explain high readings while a1c was non-diabetic?
Not trying to give you false hope, just thinking of discrepancies.
Not trying to give you false hope, just thinking of discrepancies.
Bluetit1802
Legend
Yes, it seems your doctor was confused or mistaken. A fasting level of 7 or more is indicative of diabetes, but on its own isn't a diagnosis. You need another HbA1c test for that. The 7.8 your GP mentioned is a level that people see after eating, not fasting. I suggest you ask him for another HbA1c.
It is unlikely you will be given a meter and strips by the doctor. These are reserved for people on insulin or certain other drugs likely to cause a hypo. The vast majority of we type 2s have to self fund. Sad, but true.
It is unlikely you will be given a meter and strips by the doctor. These are reserved for people on insulin or certain other drugs likely to cause a hypo. The vast majority of we type 2s have to self fund. Sad, but true.
