Hello

[SuffolkKev]

Hi. I was diagnosed a couple of weeks ago by my annual blood test with an a1c of 87. I made 2 decisions at that point: 1) invest in a libre monitor to see what effect what I was eating on my blood sugar and 2) to radically reduce my carb intake. I’m on 2 x 500 mg metformin at the moment and I have my first appointment with my diabetes nurse next week. The libre is reporting an estimated a1c of 59 now

 

[Leadinglights]

Welcome to the forum
Those look like good decisions especially reducing your carb intake, just be careful not to do it too quickly as that can cause issues with your eyes and nerves due to a sudden drop in blood glucose.
The Libre can give you some useful data as long as you understand it's limitations and you don't over react to the readings. Also having a finger prick monitor would be useful in addition to the Libre as they are not always reliable.
Metformin is usually introduced gradually 1 for a week, then 2 to allow your body to adjust.
If you are interested in going with a low carb approach the you may find this link useful. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
I would suspect the Libre estimate of HbA1C will be way off as it only has data from a short period of time not 3 months.

 

[mashedupmatt]

Hi @SuffolkKev and welcome to the forum and I'm definitely with @Leadinglights on understanding the limitations of wearing a CGM such as a Libre (that said, I wouldn't be without mine) - The Libre estimations are an indicator but are not the same as the real thing, but are usually reasonably close so it all seems to be going in the right direction - well done - hopefully the low carb approach will do the business

 

[SB2015]

Welcome to the forum @SuffolkKev
Great response to your diagnosis, and very pleased that you have found the forum. A great place to tap into the vast amount of experience on here. Any questions -just ask. Nothing is considered silly on here.

 

[HayleyR]

@SuffolkKev , a warm welcome from me too 🙂. I certainly wouldn't be without my Libre and I think you'll also find it really useful. Well done on taking action to make improvements and do keep us updated on your progress!

 

[JimmyBlue]

@SuffolkKev hello and welcome to the forum as others have said the Libre is good but needs some care in understanding the reporting. Also worth bearing in mind that there can be around 15 mins delay between your eating and the BG reporting on the sensor.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @SuffolkKev

Great to hear you’ve made such a positive start following tour diabetes diagnosis.

Some people find the Libre formula slightly underestimates their HbA1c (it’s not really possible to convert average glucose to HbA1c other than a ‘best fit’ estimate from a fairly modest sample), but it sounds like your BGs are certainly moving in the right direction. So don’t be too disappointed if your follow-up check - usually 3-6 months from the first - is higher than Libre’s estimate. Even modest improvements in HbA1c have a significant impact on risk reduction for diabetes complications.