Hi all I am new to this I have just been told that my bloods were at 19 and that I need to go on insulin by the Diabetic nurse to which I refused as I think they were high due to me being very poorly with covid and also finding out I had no Vitamin D in my body . So I have agreed to go onto a drug called ozempic 0.25g to see how I get on . I have been given a device to take my bloods before and after meals and my average number is between 12-14 so down from 19 a few days ago can anyone help am I type 1 or 2 or neither it's just because I am poorly still ?
-
Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
Hi all I am new to this I have just been told that my bloods were at 19 and that I need to go on insulin by the Diabetic nurse to which I refused as I
- Thread starter DIAMONDH
- Start date
- Status
Ralph-YK
Much missed Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Welcome Diamondh.
You need to ask the HCP which type you are. There are tests.
HbA1c and finger prick tests are mesuring different things, and are used differently. They're not directly comparable.
HbA1c is an adverage over the last 3 months. Finger prick test gives your blood glucose (BG) at that moment. BG can go up and down throughout the day, and from day to day.
You need to ask the HCP which type you are. There are tests.
Was this the result of a HbA1c test? If it is, 19 is substantially hight. Well above the level that is used for diagnoses (48 and 6.5). There are two scales used for this. The old scale can be confused with a finger prick ("spot") test.
HbA1c and finger prick tests are mesuring different things, and are used differently. They're not directly comparable.
HbA1c is an adverage over the last 3 months. Finger prick test gives your blood glucose (BG) at that moment. BG can go up and down throughout the day, and from day to day.
That's still high. Was that before eating, or after? You BG is likely to go up after eating.
mine goes down after eating
Bruce Stephens
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
There are two distinct tests: testing for what your blood glucose is now, and HbA1c which measures the effect of glucose on haemoglobin, which gives an indication of what your blood glucose has been over the last 90 days (roughly).
The common tests are the first kind: most of us have test strips and machines to measure what blood glucose is right now. (And we're usually aiming for single figures, roughly.)
(It's slightly complicated because a lab can take a blood sample and measure HbA1c and blood glucose, if they want, and there are (big) machines that can measure HbA1c with a test strip and a drop of blood.)
so would you say i was type 1 or 2 ?
yes i am confused as i said i have been poorly from covid so i think i might be being mis diagnosed as i was told by a doctor that is why my bloods are probably high
Ralph-YK
Much missed Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Interesting, curious.
I was diagnosed when I had an infection in my legs, and was told it would affect the test results. I'm still down as diabetic though. I'v heard some diabetics know they've got something cause they're BG changes from their "normal". I believe other conditions may affect it to.
A blood test by itself can't determine what type you are. Yes, the Covid could be pushing you up so you need to wait until that fades so it's not part of the problem. If you are overweight then T2 is more likely. There are no specific tests for T2 but for T1 there is an antibody test. There is another test, the C-Peptide, that can help show whether you are T1 or T2 by measuring the amount of insulin you are producing. Ozempic is the brand-name for semaglutide. This is normally prescribed if you are overweight so it sounds like T2 is more likely. If you are not already having a low-carb diet that is the highest priority
brisr949
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
How long after eating are you testing to determine this?
yes but if i have a score of 19 someone on here will know if that's type 1 or 2 surely
Hi I am on ozempic as i would not agree to insulin i am on a low carb diet now because i had a score of 19 for my bloods she said i should have insulin but i was not convinced .
someone just did
two hours
rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
A finger prick test of 19 tells you nothing other than that your Blood Glucose level is too high and an HbA1c test needs to be done. An HbA1c result of 48 or more gets you a general diabetes diagnosis. If you are an overweight mature adult then it is assumed you are Type 2 but there is no specific test for Type 2. If there are other factors like sudden onset symptoms and/or not responding to oral Type 2 meds and a change of diet or if you have close relatives who are Type 1 then additional testing can be done to confirm or rule out Type 1, but that testing is more expensive and not routinely done unless there are factors which suggest you might be Type 1. Sadly many people are misdiagnosed as Type 2 when they are actually Type 1, mostly because doctors have been lead to believe that Type 1 only occurs in children and young people.
Just to be clear, needing to use insulin is not in itself an indication of Type 1 as many Type 2 diabetics also use insulin but for different reasons. Type 1 diabetics are unable to produce enough insulin to survive because their immune system has attacked the cells in the pancreas which make insulin. Type 2 diabetics are usually able to produce plenty of insulin but their bodies have become resistant to it, so they need to inject extra to get it to work properly.
I believe that the people who have been very ill with Covid-19 sustain damage to their organs due to the immune response to the virus, so I wonder if it can actually trigger Type 1 diabetes in someone with no genetic history of it.
Is there any particular reason why you refused to use insulin? I know I was resistant at first because I really wanted to control my diabetes through diet but unfortunately that was not possible much as I tried. Personally I think I would rather use insulin than Ozempic from some of the threads here on the forum about it, particularly if you don't need to lose a significant amount of weight, but I have no personal experience of it and as with anything you are always more likely to remember negative reviews. What is it about insulin use which concerns you?
Just to be clear, needing to use insulin is not in itself an indication of Type 1 as many Type 2 diabetics also use insulin but for different reasons. Type 1 diabetics are unable to produce enough insulin to survive because their immune system has attacked the cells in the pancreas which make insulin. Type 2 diabetics are usually able to produce plenty of insulin but their bodies have become resistant to it, so they need to inject extra to get it to work properly.
I believe that the people who have been very ill with Covid-19 sustain damage to their organs due to the immune response to the virus, so I wonder if it can actually trigger Type 1 diabetes in someone with no genetic history of it.
Is there any particular reason why you refused to use insulin? I know I was resistant at first because I really wanted to control my diabetes through diet but unfortunately that was not possible much as I tried. Personally I think I would rather use insulin than Ozempic from some of the threads here on the forum about it, particularly if you don't need to lose a significant amount of weight, but I have no personal experience of it and as with anything you are always more likely to remember negative reviews. What is it about insulin use which concerns you?
Inka
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
No - both Type 1s and Type 2s could have a blood sugar of 19 at diagnosis.
If you want a definitive answer to your type, you’ll need specific blood tests - a blood test for C Peptide and a blood test to look for the auto-immune antibodies associated with Type 1.
It’s possible your GP could give you an educated guess based on your circumstances. Eg what’s your BMI? Is there Type 2 diabetes in your family? Are there auto-immune conditions in your family? etc, etc. But if there’s any doubt, you’ll need the two tests I mentioned above.
Ralph-YK
Much missed Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I'm afraid, with the numbers you've given us, there's a very good chance you're diabetic at least. *Is the 19 an HbA1c*? This is important for advice.
Since you've been told you're diabetic, and adviced to use insulin, I'm going to assume you've had a HbA1c, and is way above the level for diagnoses. Which 19 would be.
If you don't know, then you need to contact your GP practice and get them to tell you.
It isn't possible for anyone to do that.
[Edited]
Since you've been told you're diabetic, and adviced to use insulin, I'm going to assume you've had a HbA1c, and is way above the level for diagnoses. Which 19 would be.
If you don't know, then you need to contact your GP practice and get them to tell you.
Why?
No!
It isn't possible for anyone to do that.
[Edited]
Last edited:
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
We don't even know what the 19 is, so if anyone were to say it was one type or another it would simply be a random guess.
When diagnosed my blood glucose was 17.1 mmol/l - which is what an ordianry blood glucose tester would show for a finger prick test. It was reported along with my Hba1c of 91 as it was tested at the hospital lab.
When I ate a low carb diet my BG level dropped, my Hba1c level fell, I felt much better after a while, certainly by 6 months - but the original test could have been down to various forms of diabetes.
To differentiate them tests for other things need to be done.
If you eat a low carb diet and your daily test levels fall rapidly then it might indicate that Type one is less likely - but it would not entirely eliminate the possibility. Even the doctors sometimes guess and get it wrong and so far from what information you can give - you might as well toss a coin as demand a diagnosis.
When diagnosed my blood glucose was 17.1 mmol/l - which is what an ordianry blood glucose tester would show for a finger prick test. It was reported along with my Hba1c of 91 as it was tested at the hospital lab.
When I ate a low carb diet my BG level dropped, my Hba1c level fell, I felt much better after a while, certainly by 6 months - but the original test could have been down to various forms of diabetes.
To differentiate them tests for other things need to be done.
If you eat a low carb diet and your daily test levels fall rapidly then it might indicate that Type one is less likely - but it would not entirely eliminate the possibility. Even the doctors sometimes guess and get it wrong and so far from what information you can give - you might as well toss a coin as demand a diagnosis.
- Status