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First post diagnosis hb1ac test

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gavinearly

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Hi folks, new to forum and looking for some perspectives and experiences following first test of hb1ac post diagnosis.

Diagnosed as type 2 in Dec-24 with hb1ac of 89. Put on 3x Metformin per day and advised to make lifestyle changes. Have managed to get weight down in this time from 105kg to just under 90kg through diet and exercise. BMI now just over 25.

Was retested last Friday and hb1ac now at 49. Doc has advised to continue on meds.

Haven’t had a chance to discuss it and so not sure if this is a good reduction in timeframe or not? Assumed the Metformin would bring it right down, but didn’t really know what to expect and was wondering what sort of improvements others had seen between diagnosis and first re test.

I probably have another few kilos to shift as well.

Any thoughts or experiences very much appreciated.
 
That is an excellent reduction so many congratulations. Your lifestyle changes will have far more impact than the metformin, so it is important to maintain the weight loss and continue with whatever dietary changes you made before finding a sustainable maintenance diet/lifestyle when you achieve your weight goal. If your next HbA1c is below 48 then you might want to consider discussing reducing the metformin but that is a personal decision.

Anyway, a big WELL DONE on a great result and weight loss! You have every reason to be proud of yourself. Keep up the good work!
 
Hi and welcome, congrats on the progress so far.
My initial HbA1c diagnosis was over 100 and I have got it down over a period of a couple of years, mainly with diet, eg: low carb. General advice is to avoid really fast changes, as it can apparently affect the eyes (eg: lens can change shape).
So slow and steady seems to be the way to go, plus, bear in mind that any changes you make now, really need to be sustainable for the future, otherwise your BG levels will rise again.
Check out the learning zone on this website and also the lowcarbfreshwell website and the sugarfreelondoner website for some very good info and recipes for most T2's to follow.
Remember its generally all carbs we need to watch, not just sugars, and watch out for fruit and veg, as some of those (despite being pushed as the healthy option) can be high carbs, eg: below ground root veg and bananas and exotic fruits, etc.
Keep us updated with your progress, cheers.
 
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gavinearly said:
Hi folks, new to forum and looking for some perspectives and experiences following first test of hb1ac post diagnosis.

Diagnosed as type 2 in Dec-24 with hb1ac of 89. Put on 3x Metformin per day and advised to make lifestyle changes. Have managed to get weight down in this time from 105kg to just under 90kg through diet and exercise. BMI now just over 25.

Was retested last Friday and hb1ac now at 49. Doc has advised to continue on meds.

Haven’t had a chance to discuss it and so not sure if this is a good reduction in timeframe or not? Assumed the Metformin would bring it right down, but didn’t really know what to expect and was wondering what sort of improvements others had seen between diagnosis and first re test.

I probably have another few kilos to shift as well.

Any thoughts or experiences very much appreciated.
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Welcome to the forum
That is a fantastic result with a reduction from what was quite a high level to just 2 mmol/mol over the diagnostic threshold so really well done. The combination of the metformin and diet but probably mostly diet will have done the job.
Carrying on with what you have been doing should reduce it further and then as long as you keep on with the dietary changes then the medication may be able to be reduced.
 
gavinearly said:
Haven’t had a chance to discuss it and so not sure if this is a good reduction in timeframe or not? Assumed the Metformin would bring it right down, but didn’t really know what to expect and was wondering what sort of improvements others had seen between diagnosis and first re test.
Click to expand...
That's a great result, well done. My HbA1c was 114 at diagnosis and prescribed Metformin, and through shedding some weight, adopting a low-carb diet and being more active I got it down to 56 at my next test 3 months later.
 
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@gavinearly I think you've done very well. I'm retired. In June I was asked to make an appointment as my cholestral had crept up. I discovered my regular blood sample wasn't tested for diabetes. I asked for a test and at end of

June was 69. I moderated my diet and on second confirmatory test was 64. From end of August I was put on metformin increasing to 4 tablets but a few days later it was reduced to 2 and I had an SGLT2 added. My reading then was 58 ( mid sept) I've had various hurdles including a cataract op but my test in December was 44. I saw the DN today and was surprised when she said I could reduce medication with the warning my bg would increase but my numbers are good.

There are a significant number of members who have reduced in a similar time frame as you. It requires commitment.

You obviously will want the number to go into the prediabetes phase and eventually not diabetic which is referred to as remission.

you are likely to reduce your metformin but unless you have side effects it is supposed to help with lowering your bg. If you want to reduce it maybe take one less but I'd check if there is any plan. I would expect you to have another hba1c in three months and at that stage to be in the normal range.i
 
murf said:
Good to hear,what changes did you make to your diet,like to know what you were or wernt eating if possible
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Thanks. Just really cut out the carbs or swapped for wholegrain alternatives in limited portions. Low fat. No chocolate or crisps, minimal alcohol and trying to go to the gym 5 days a week for an hour. Bought a few diabetic cookbooks/ used online resources to do a lot of batch cooking to remove temptation for takeaways or easy outs in the evening when don't fancy cooking from scratch. Also found bags of frozen veg a good way of filling plate and not massively inconvenient to prepare.
 
Thanks,yes i am doing the same except the gym as in a psyical job but doing walking more when i can trying to be good n hoping my level comes down next blood test.
 
Well done, that’s excellent progress.
Metformin at that dose can bring it down by around 11+, so most of that is your own work.

It’s biggest benefit is to fasting glucose, with a small effect on post meal glucose.
 
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