new w/ a question~A1C results

[eliza0104]

Hi, I'm new here with a question, first a little background,
I'm 34 yrs old, was told in college I have hypogyclemia (did GTT) My maternal grandmother and paternal grandfather both have diabetes. I recently went to the doctor for headaches and constant thirst symptoms. FBS (done 2.5 hours after I woke up, if that matters) was 88. Doctor did an A1C and results are 6.4%, so slightly elevated. I was told to go on a diabetic diet and exercise and come back in 6 months. I am getting a monitor from the doctor and told to check my FBS and 1-2 hours after any meal (just once a day) My question is this considered pre-diabetes? Should I check my BS after every meal and 1 or 2 hours after? Also, if only checking once a day after a meal, which meal? I was just dx with Medullary Sponge Kidney disease, so want to err on the side of caution in regards to diabetes. I don't need any complications, esp. on my kidneys. I have an endocrinologist anyway, b/c I have hypothyroidism, so plan on asking her some ?? when I see her in two weeks. Thanks for your help!

[sumi]

Hi Eliza,
In answer to your testing question: Is the cost of test strips a concern? If not, keep a food journal and test before and 2 hours after first bite of each meal. This will give you information on what foods your body can handle (everyone is different). If cost is a concern, try testing around breakfast one day, lunch the next, supper the next and so on. Your goals should be about 80 to 110 before a meal and under 140 2 hours after. Remember to keep a record to show to your doctors. This will give them a good starting point for treatment, and will impress them with your diligence. Your fasting number is great, but your A1C isn't. If you look on the right hand side of the screen, you will see under diabetesforums, the word converters. According to the converter, your average bg level is 150 which is too high. Many people do have higher than expected A1C's, it is not always accurate, but is probably why your doctor has you monitoring. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

[foxl]

Welcome!

We had a recent discussion about whether there is such a thing as pre-D. Most seemed to think it is a bad idea.

I personally think either you have a problem with glucose metabolism, or you do not.

Get a meter and eat to it. Learn what works for you.

And read a ton here!

[eliza0104]

Susan~the cost of test strips is not an issue. I will do every meal before and two hours after.

[GayleM]

Yup, test yourself and take control - your monitor is the only thing that really shows what's going on.

2 hours after a meal testing may not tell you what you need to know. What is your peak? That's what tells you if what you are eating is okay for your body's ability to manage the BG effect. For a few days test right before each meal, then 45 minutes, 1 hour and 90 minutes. You'll see a pattern reveal itself and when you reach your peak. That's the best time to test yourself after meals going forward because you want to eat foods that will keep you within 30-40 points of your before meal peak. I was shocked when I saw how high I was going, even though my 2 hr. numbers were really good.

[eliza0104]

Yup, test yourself and take control - your monitor is the only thing that really shows what's going on.

2 hours after a meal testing may not tell you what you need to know. What is your peak? That's what tells you if what you are eating is okay for your body's ability to manage the BG effect. For a few days test right before each meal, then 45 minutes, 1 hour and 90 minutes. You'll see a pattern reveal itself and when you reach your peak. That's the best time to test yourself after meals going forward because you want to eat foods that will keep you within 30-40 points of your before meal peak. I was shocked when I saw how high I was going, even though my 2 hr. numbers were really good.

Thanks Gayle. Should I do this after every meal? Or just one meal for a few days.

[GayleM]

Thanks Gayle. Should I do this after every meal? Or just one meal for a few days.

A couple days should do it. Test on the left hand only one day, right hand the next day as often one hand will consitently read a bit higher than the other. Most people I've read about peak at about an hour. I peak at 45 minutes. Everyone is different so there's no right or wrong answer. And it's kind of fascinating seeing how your body handles it!

And although it sounds like a lot of "sticks," it isn't bad at all and the effort is worth it. :)

Take care!

[princesslinda]

I'd suggest you test quite often until you get a good idea of how various foods affect you. I kept a journal when first diagnosed, writing down everything I ate and the corresponding 2 hr blood sugars. Before too long, I had a good-sized list of "safe" foods and eating became less stressful.

Now (nearly 3 years post-diagnosis), I test a fasting, before and after a different meal each day and a random test at some point each day. If I get a higher reading than I expect, i'll test again to make sure its coming down as it should. I also test with any new food.

[GayleM]

I'd suggest you test quite often until you get a good idea of how various foods affect you. I kept a journal when first diagnosed, writing down everything I ate and the corresponding 2 hr blood sugars. Before too long, I had a good-sized list of "safe" foods and eating became less stressful.

Now (nearly 3 years post-diagnosis), I test a fasting, before and after a different meal each day and a random test at some point each day. If I get a higher reading than I expect, i'll test again to make sure its coming down as it should. I also test with any new food.

Excellent advice!!!

[DannyK]

GayleM...

T1 or T2 ? How long? Just wondering.....

[GayleM]

GayleM...

T1 or T2 ? How long? Just wondering.....

T2 - sorry, I must've missed posting that!

[eliza0104]

Interesting about using left hand one day and right the next.

Does anyone suggest testing after each meal or just after one meal (at 45m, 1 hr, 90 min)?

My doctor's nurse said one fasting a day and one 2 hr's after one meal. I'm going to ask my endo, next week (I see her for hypothyroidism anyway)

[cyberus]

T2 - sorry, I must've missed posting that!

(for both Gayle and Eliza)

There is a place in the user control panel to set your diabetes type, saves time later :)

Also setting your location (just state/country is fine if you have worries) will help for people wanting to point out places to buy things, restaurants that are diabetic friendly and so on.

Another helpful thing is to put some of your medical info in your signature so people trying to help have something to base advice on.

[cyberus]

Another thing to look out for is if you happen to be trying something like Dreamfields pasta or other things advertised as "low GI" or "diabetic friendly" is you may want to test at the 3 and 4 hour point, some of these products have a tendency to produce a late spike in some people

[eliza0104]

Updated my siggy and type:)

[GayleM]

Thanks, Cyberus! Done! :)

[Real4]

I was told to go on a diabetic diet

People have satisfactory addressed the testing question. But I wonder if your doctor explained what he(she) meant by a "diabetic diet." What most dietitians and the officials voices say is a "diabetic diet" is assured to give you high blood glucose levels. They will recommend a diet in which you get most of you calories from carbs. Carbs ARE sugar.

So what do you understand a diabetic diet to be?

[foxl]

People have satisfactory addressed the testing question. But I wonder if your doctor explained what he(she) meant by a "diabetic diet." What most dietitians and the officials voices say is a "diabetic diet" is assured to give you high blood glucose levels. They will recommend a diet in which you get most of you calories from carbs. Carbs ARE sugar.

So what do you understand a diabetic diet to be?

good question ... especially when a non-D told me when I found out I had it, "THE diet sucks." Errr ... which one diet would that BE?

[eliza0104]

People have satisfactory addressed the testing question. But I wonder if your doctor explained what he(she) meant by a "diabetic diet." What most dietitians and the officials voices say is a "diabetic diet" is assured to give you high blood glucose levels. They will recommend a diet in which you get most of you calories from carbs. Carbs ARE sugar.

So what do you understand a diabetic diet to be?

I got a handout from them with the Diabetes Food Pyramid. Inside is a breakdown of how many carb in a serving of a specific food and how big a serving is. There is a chart w/ different calories per day and how many servings of each food is allowed. For example: if I'm doing 1800 calories a day, the chart says I can have 7 starches (15 gram carb servings).

The tricky part is figuring out how many calories I need a day and going from there. I see my endo in a week and a half (for my thyroid) and am going to ask more specific questions.

[princesslinda]

I was given a similar diet when first diagnosed. By testing, I soon found out that I could not have the numbers I needed eating as many carbs as the diet allowed. That's why testing is so important. It's the only way to know how you're responding to what you eat.

I've been watching my carbs for awhile now, but recently realized i'd become more complacent about watching the amount of calories and fat i've been eating, which caused my weight loss to stall out...it's all about balance, and finding what works for you. Also, you'll get even better results if you can find time for daily exercise.

[eliza0104]

For a few days test right before each meal, then 45 minutes, 1 hour and 90 minutes. You'll see a pattern reveal itself and when you reach your peak. That's the best time to test yourself after meals going forward because you want to eat foods that will keep you within 30-40 points of your before meal peak. I was shocked when I saw how high I was going, even though my 2 hr. numbers were really good.


so my BS before dinner was 87, 45 minutes later it's 157. Thinking my peak is around 45 minutes b/c typically by 2 hours after my meal starts it's back down to where it was prior to the meal. This morning, at 2 hours past it was 84 but I was very shaky and lightheaded.

[foxl]

so my BS before dinner was 87, 45 minutes later it's 157. Thinking my peak is around 45 minutes b/c typically by 2 hours after my meal starts it's back down to where it was prior to the meal. This morning, at 2 hours past it was 84 but I was very shaky and lightheaded.


I read an interesting rule of thumb today in a pamphlet that came with my new UltraMini meter: If your blood sugar goes up by 50 points 2 hours after eating, you need to cut back on carbs.

I just always try to keep mine under 120 if I am being tight, or for special occasions 140.

When it goes down too quickly, or from too high a peak, it can make you feel dizzy or shaky, even though 84 is normal and not too low. Those are called "false hypos," and once you get more control, they do go away. Icky feeling, huh?