HbA1c and insulin

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hotchop

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Type 2
Afternoooon everyone.

well my blood result is in 6.9 down from 8.8 at diagnosis in january!:D

I am confused though....is this is down to the insulin i started in April because I have been in proper denial for a while, as the circle of berevement goes!

My eating has been atrocious, I have put on weight, my choloestrol is a horific 7.9

Naturally, my bloods are all over the place and the 6.9 is not a reflection of what my meter tells me........

.......... i feel a fraud.........😱
 
Hi
Any reduction is a good sign, but as you mention you need to be more controlled on eating etc, keep trying we all know its difficult - but worthwhile
 
Just re read that and it maybe didn't come across as meant. I meant to be positive, apologies if it didn't read right:confused:
 
hahahaha its ok.... I took it as a slap hand which is what I need
 
Hi Hotchop, the insulin will, of course, been helping you to keep your levels lower despite your less than perfect diet 😉 It will also have been helping that weight gain. When we don't have enough insulin, the sugar will spill out into the urine, but if there is enough insulin to process all the sugar in the blood, and there is no immediate need for it, it will be stored as body fat.

Try not to be too hard on yourself, it is still early days. My first post diagnosis HbA1c was similar, but due to some big fluctuations from high to low. However, you will learn to 'fine tune' things so that you can keep your levels within range much more of the time. Does your meter have some software you can use? This can be very helpful in giving you an overall picture of trends and areas to pay special attention to.

Be pleased about the improvement! Use this as an opportunity to attack things anew, and really go for it. The cholesterol must be causing concern - have a look in the recommended books section, there are a coup[le of books there that will help explain things and may highlight areas that you can improve on:

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=4096

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=8248
 
Hotchop,
Thats really good, well done!! Thing about the meter averages are they are only averages of the times we've tested, so much depends on that. I'm assuming most of your testing will be post prandial, therefore catching peaks? One way or the other, you're BG levels are vastly improved on your diagnosis level. That's a great achievement.
You have given me hope however - I had my first blood test today since starting insulin. Am expecting the HbA1c to be the same or worse, but I suppose it might not be!!🙂
Gloria
 
Sorry to ressurect an old thread but as its a similar query thought it would be ok.

I dont understand whats happening.....

I adjust my insulin whenever there is a pattern emerging.. usually every 3 days..

my waking varies from 7.0 - 11.0 and I adjust accordingly though I have never been able to decrease it.

I am aiming for a 6.0 waking

My job means that I a have to be flexible with mealtimes.. I sometimes eat at 5pm and sometimes around 8 pm and the pattern is that I have to increase dose whenever ive eaten late.

This is out of my control and Im not sure if I even need to be increasing dose when I eat late ( which is probably 4 times out of 7)

I feel like my insulin doses cover my late eating pattern and maybe not a true refection of whats happening... if that makes sense!

any ideas gratefully received..
 
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Are you just on levemir or are you on a bolus insulin aswell that you are adjusting? If on levemir alone it's not usually reccommended that you adjust it in relation to one off blood glucose readings.
 
Yup, i know, thats why I said .....when there is a pattern emerging, usually 3 days, I will adjust insulin dose. 😉

Im on Levemir only
 
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Hi, hotchop. It looks like early days for you. How much Levemir are you on? Are you monitoring your food in relation to the readings? I find I'm only just settling down and am now at a point that I feel I can up my dosage on a daily basis. If I feel I've got a high reading in the morning and work out what caused it from the night before then I may increase my injection by 5 units (unless I'm going out in the car!).
The fact you've given up the fags is the best thing you can do and you shouldn't be too hard on yourself in terms of fasting targets.

I split my dose after the first month, I find it makes control better, but you should consult your GP or whoever is looking after you. I would have thought that 7 was a realistic target at this stage and 6 is being a bit harsh.
I presume you are doing all the right things like regularly testing and eating the right things. Be aware, I sometimes fancy a packet of crisps in bed, apart from the crumbs I seem to end up with the same reading in the morning as I went to bed with.

This web site gives you a good handle on things: http://medweb.bham.ac.uk/easdec/prevention/lantusnotes.htm
 
I know that its eating later in the evening that is keeping me high fasting.. although I may not be eating anything wrong, im still higher than I want to be.

On that first morning after a dose increase, I drop to about 6, which is amazing.. and then I work late and eat later, putting me on course for another 3days of highs before a dose adjust brings me down again... and so the cycle continues.

I follow that medweb to the letter lol.. i have the chart for altering doses in my diary which is how I know how to adjust safely... its even saved as a fav on my blackberry.

im on 44 units now, injected every morning.
 
When you do the adjust do you repeat that everyday or put it back up?
Have you tried reducing your late meal?

Sorry if I'm sounding stupid, but you seem to be doing well.
I would only decrease the dose if I dropped below 5 (because of driving)

When you are 6 in the morning what do you get midday and pre-evening meal?
 
Morning!

When I adjust, thats it then, its not going back down. last 3 days for instance... wed.. 11.6 thurs...9.9 fri... 8.8 my insulin goes up 2 units to 44...

i know im going to be around the 7 tomorrow as im on a normal tea time and my insulin has been increased this morning but then sun mon and tues will be late food so insulin will be up again to 46

my meals are not foods that i normally associate with high bg... last night it was fish and a few chips...but it was normal time.

when i test "normal" in the morning, im usually pretty similar pre food, through the day.. so the levemir is working in the background
 
I would consider splitting your dose and doing an evening one (12hrs after the morning one). This is common with Levemir as it only lasts about 18hrs and not the full 24. I split mine when I was on 38 units in the morning and swapped to 20 in the morning to 18 at night, but it wasn't until I got to 40 am and 28 pm that I got into the fasting 6 range.
 
Morning! Im on day 3 of splitting Levemir and have achieved 6.9, 6.5 and 5.6!

I feel so much better.

If I needed to adjust dose, which one would I do??
 
Vicsetter said:
I would consider splitting your dose and doing an evening one (12hrs after the morning one). This is common with Levemir as it only lasts about 18hrs and not the full 24. I split mine when I was on 38 units in the morning and swapped to 20 in the morning to 18 at night, but it wasn't until I got to 40 am and 28 pm that I got into the fasting 6 range.
Click to expand...

I decided to try splitting my dose to every 12 hours.

I am on my 3rd week now and I have not yet had a waking bg of more than 6.0! (apart from the 1st cpl of days)

The lowest has been 4.3 and I so felt it eeekkk

My insulin requirements have also dropped.. im now on 18/18 split when I was on a 22/24 split!

:D:D:D
 
nice to hear from you hotchop and with such a positive update


well done
 
yup, feeling great and positive!............ and nothing to do with the sun!

WHERE IS OUR SUMMER?? lol
 
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