A1C is the best guide

[mg_2204]

Hello!


Blood work is in. A1C went from 6.1 to 7.5 :eek:

I was really frustrated and angry yesterday but... the A1C is the best guide to follow and in this case, whatever I'm doing is not working obviously.

It's a bit like getting bad grades in school, don't you think? But I'm not going to feel like a failure. It's just an indicator that I need to work harder... and do my homework!!! :T

By the way, I feel fine, I hit the gym 3-4 times a week and frankly I thought the doc was joking when he said 7.5. Everything else is plain wonderful, cholesterol, triglycerides, and so on.

So back to the drawing board :o

I know exactly what the problem is. Work! I don't eat lunch at all. I eat a big breakfast and then we eat supper late, between 7 and 8 pm. I'm hungry as a wolf! I don't eat junk but I eat too much I guess. Then it's bed time. Not good. Not good at all.

My work schedule is about to increase yet again and I must make some changes asap. The problem is between my ears :D I can't eat while looking after people. My appetite goes out the window. I'll drink water but that's it. Stupid, isn't it?

And it may be that I do need my meds to be increased. Diabetes is a progressive disease, like it or not.

Thanks for listening!

[Julielouise]

Hey Maria Well at least you know what went wrong and how to correct it. I am no pro, but from what I read here it's better to have even like 6 small meals, snacks thru out the day to stay at an even keel.
Skipping meals messes you up. But you know that and are going to fix it now. You will do better next time and 7.5 isn't great it's better than some huge number. Good luck, you can do it.
Hugs-Julie

[princesslinda]

Marie, sorry you didn't get the results you were expecting. I know what you mean about A1Cs....I get really anxious when I get mine drawn, just as I did in school before a big test. Don't let yourself get discouraged! Sounds as if you do most everything you should be doing....it may very well be that your diabetes is progressing and you need a medication adjustment. Hang in there!

[Dawn]

Hi Marie,

Way to take charge!!! It helps us to see what we need to do along the path. Have you noticed an increase in your daily b/s when you test? Was this the same lab you always use when you have your A1c test? I recently had a higher than normal test come back and it didn't make sense based on my readings so I had a retest (first time they did a finger stick, second time I insisted they take blood from my arm) and it came back as I would expect with what I was seeing from my meter.

So, while it sounds like you know why your numbers are higher it is good to explore all possibilities.

I too have a hard time eating when taking care of others so I can understand.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Dawn

[georgepds]

Hello!...Blood work is in. A1C went from 6.1 to 7.5 :eek: ...

Don't know if your are interested, but you can check out A1C at home. Mendoza has a review here

Check Your A1C at Home (http://mendosa.com/homeA1c.htm)

One gadget is a meter , good for 10 tests at $100,. The other way is to bring in a blood sample to a pharmacy.

HTH

--G

[shockme]

marie-sorry you didn't get the a1c you were expecting! it's good you're willing to increase your meds,if needed....trish

[Lloyd]

A1c is a bit over half the story. The rest is how closely packed or widely scattered are your readings. This is usually measured as standard deviation.

A1c is an average. If you have a reading of 50 and one of 250, they average 150, which is not too bad.

But.... the 50 is too low, this is bad

The 250 is high, this is bad too.


There is a lot of evidence that the lower your standard deviation, the better off you are, and the lower your chance of complications, totally independent of what your average is. Many bg meters, or the programs in your computer that you upload your meter to, will tell you your standard deviation (SD). Also many insulin pumps will.

Really, it is intuitive if you think about it. Don't have highs, don't have lows, and have a good average, and you are doing well.

-Lloyd

[mg_2204]

Thank you everyone for the feedback! :)

Same lab. Always. Fasted for 14 hours, as always.

Fasting sugars have always been a problem with me but sometimes I get a really good reading. Lately I haven't.

I hit quite low in the afternoon (of course! Not eating and running around like a headless chicken + going to the gym towards the end of the afternoon) - 5 mmol/L (90 mg/dL) and below. Never under 4.2 mmol/L (75 mg/dL) though!

I don't know about you guys but under 5 mmol/L I don't feel great, I don't feel like a genius, I am impatient...

Then I go home, we eat supper and I just can't stop and whoa! I hit around 12 (216 mg/dL) sometimes. Like you said Lloyd, I shouldn't have lows and highs, that's not good. I should aim for even numbers all the time.

Today : Fasting sugars 8.7 mmol/L (156 mg/dL) :eek:
Before lunch (yes! I had lunch today yay!!!!) 7.1 mmol/L (127 mg/dL)
This afternoon when I got home, around 3 pm : 5.5 mmol/L (99 mg/dL) - Felt fine :D Had a banana.

Now supper, we've got to eat supper earlier. That's another thing I must change.

The only way is down! Meaning my A1C of course!! :D

[princesslinda]

Marie, I have the same problem with eating late...I don't get home until late in the evening (usually after 8 pm). It makes it hard to eat that time of night. Usually, I just have some soup or scrambled eggs....fills me up and is blood sugar friendly. I try to eat my biggest meal at lunch.

On weekends, when i'm not working late, we have supper around 6 and my fastings are much better the next morning (even if I have some low-carb ice cream for a snack later in the evening). Stupid blood sugars!:mad:

[jugie]

just looking at the thread i'm he same at the doctors alwaysbetween 5 or 6 when he takesmy blood tests which he says is good along with everything else but he wants to jump in my body if its all right its a constant battle all day trying to get the energy i get up at 5 o'clock to take metformin alon with my flakes back to bed up at 6 i feel a lot better then take another 3 metformin at 12 at lunch 4 years of this now does it ever get better princesslinda i have tried b12 you told me working well thanks sorry to go on

[mg_2204]

Supper was on the table at 6 pm tonight. I had the impression of eating in the middle of the afternoon...

I can't wait to see how my fasting sugars will be tomorrow. But Rome wasn't built in a day as the saying goes...

The kids eat lunch at school so supper is our biggest meal of the day.

[mg_2204]

Not running high tonight. BG after supper : 5.9 mmol/L (106 mg/dL) :)

Did 30 mins on my bike. I guess that helped too. Drum roll for tomorrow morning...

[BlueSky]

.... Today : Fasting sugars 8.7 mmol/L (156 mg/dL) :eek:
Before lunch (yes! I had lunch today yay!!!!) 7.1 mmol/L (127 mg/dL)
This afternoon when I got home, around 3 pm : 5.5 mmol/L (99 mg/dL) - Felt fine :D Had a banana. ....
An HBA1c of 7.5% equates to an average blood glucose of 10.6mmol/l. Does this look right to you, based on your meter readings?

[mg_2204]

An HBA1c of 7.5% equates to an average blood glucose of 10.6mmol/l. Does this look right to you, based on your meter readings?

I get low readings in the afternoon... but very high readings before bed time and fasting sugars. The A1C must be right. It can't be wrong now, can it??! I can trust it is right? :confused:

[BlueSky]

I have never had a bad HBA1c test result. But it is possible. If you think the test result stacks up and you are aware of very high numbers during the night, dealing with them is going to be the only way to improve your control.

[mg_2204]

If you think the test result stacks up and you are aware of very high numbers during the night, dealing with them is going to be the only way to improve your control.

Control during the day I have no problem with.

It gets tricky after supper and for fasting sugars. I have a bad case of DP too. But going without food most of the day, I end up soooo hungry in the evening it's unbelievable.

[BlueSky]

Control during the day I have no problem with.

It gets tricky after supper and for fasting sugars. I have a bad case of DP too. But going without food most of the day, I end up soooo hungry in the evening it's unbelievable.
I know just what you mean. I also have a very strong DP. The problem with not eating much for breakfast is that we tend get hungry later in the day. And the problem with eating a big breakfast is that we are the most sensitive to carbs in the morning (the tail end of te DP). So my solution is to have a breakfast containing lots of calories but very little carb. I have 3 eggs with lots of cheese, mushrooms and onions for breakfast, and it has only a small effect on my BG. But it satisfies my hunger and I don't feel the need to snack for the rest of the day. I normally have some carb at lunchtime (fruit). A modest low-carb meal satisfies me in the evening.

I found that taking metformin before bed helped bring the morning numbers down. A few units of NPH insulin before going to bed would also have the desired effect.

[mg_2204]

with eating a big breakfast is that we are the most sensitive to carbs in the morning (the tail end of te DP).

You know... I've never thought about that. In my mind, DP stops when I'm up.

I try to have the biggest part of my carbs at breakfast because I know all too well that if I have pasta, bread, rice, whatever at supper time I'll be high as a kite until the next day.

Well too late for this morning, I've had my breakfast already. I'll keep in mind what you just suggested for tomorrow. I can't wait to try!

Fasting sugars this morning : 7.7 mmol/L (138 mg/dL). I've had better. I've had worse! Often.

[jvetter18]

It looks like your fasting numbers are the ones getting your a1c messed up. If your running near that 138 # on average, then that's a good chunk of the day where your BGs are "elevated". DP! Ugh!! Med adjustment might be the answer, unfortunately. Unless you can find a way to sleep and excercise at the same time....

[mg_2204]

Med adjustment might be the answer, unfortunately.

I'm wondering if my meds can be increased just at supper time. I'm on 500mg twice a day at the moment. Perhaps the doc could up my meds at supper time? I don't know! I really never thought about all of these things, A1C has been really good for a long while now.

[mg_2204]

From Monday to this morning, the average fasting sugars is... 7.9 mmol/L (142 mg/dL). Not good. :mad: This is where the hard work needs to be done.

Average during the day this week was : 6.1 mmol/L (109 mg/dL).

[jerryn]

Yeah.. my numbers were excellent too, until I started my new job. ... I gotta find a way to balance it all you.