Following routine tests my reading is 52 - I was confusing this with 5.2 - I now realise there must be 2 different formulas! Having read about all the common (horrible) side effects associated with meds and, for more obvious reasons, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to avoid drugs when I finally get to see the nurse 2 weeks from now. Is a reading of 52 likely to mean I have no choice at this stage to take meds? Any experience would mean so much as I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed.
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Hi - Just Diagnosed
- Thread starter Freelife
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Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Welcome to the forum
The 52mmol/mol will be the result of an HbA1C test which is used to diagnose diabetes, the threshold is anything over 47mmol/mol so you are only a little way into the zone so it should be VERY possible to get it down by making some dietary changes and getting more exercise if you can. This is in basic terms the average blood glucose over the previous 3 months.
Don't confuse this result with a finger prick test which is in mmol/l and is a moment in time and will reflect your blood glucose level just then, it will vary throughout the day due to lots of factors mainly the food and drink you have. The normal range people aim for is 4-7mmol/l fasting and before meals and no more than 8-8.5mmol/l 2 hours after eating. More than than at the 2 hour point indicates your meal is too carbohydrate heavy.
Have a look at this link for a good explanation and some ideas for modifying your diet
Freshwell Low Carb Project - Home
lowcarbfreshwell.com
Keeping a food diary of everything you eat and drink with an estimate of the carbs will help you see how far you are from that and how much change you need to make.
Docb
Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi @Freelife and welcome to the forum. My first message for you is not to take to heart the sort of stuff you read in the popular media and on the interweb. They all have a tendency to take the extremes and present them as the norm - its the way you get clicks and readers. As John Humphries said.... in journalism you first simplify and then exaggerate if you want to be listened to.
Take the medications....
the first port of call is something called metformin. Most people tolerate it quite happily and it can be effective. It can cause tummy upsets and for those that it does, it is an obvious side effect, and stopping taking it is the simple and effective solution. If you need medication and metformin does not suit, there are plenty of others to try.
The numbers...
the 52 you have been given will be the result of an HbA1c blood test. It tells you something about the way your blood glucose has been behaving over the last few months. If it is 48 or over then you get a diabetes diagnosis. What you need to get your brain round is that 48 is not some sort of cliff edge. It is the point at which maybe some effort should be made to reduce it to make sure that it does not go much higher. If it were 152 (and we have members who have been there) then it is a very different matter - you would be hauled off to A&E pronto to be sorted. An HbA1c of 52 is nothing to panic about (mines around 50 and I am quite happy with that) but it is worth looking at how you can at least stop it rising and even reduce it.
The 5.2 you have seen is result of a finger prick test and is an instantaneous view of your blood glucose level. It is related to your HbA1c but you cannot convert one to the other. For normal people it varies through the day from around a minimum of 4 to a maximum of 8 or 9 and occasional double figures depending on time of day and what you have eaten and when you ate it. It is a useful tool if you are going to look at diet changes because you get good feed back very quickly.
I hope that helps to put some sort of perspective on things. Read around the forum and you will get ideas from the lived experience of our members. A far better source of information than the journalists. Above all just ask questions - somebody will around in no time with ideas.
Take the medications....
the first port of call is something called metformin. Most people tolerate it quite happily and it can be effective. It can cause tummy upsets and for those that it does, it is an obvious side effect, and stopping taking it is the simple and effective solution. If you need medication and metformin does not suit, there are plenty of others to try.
The numbers...
the 52 you have been given will be the result of an HbA1c blood test. It tells you something about the way your blood glucose has been behaving over the last few months. If it is 48 or over then you get a diabetes diagnosis. What you need to get your brain round is that 48 is not some sort of cliff edge. It is the point at which maybe some effort should be made to reduce it to make sure that it does not go much higher. If it were 152 (and we have members who have been there) then it is a very different matter - you would be hauled off to A&E pronto to be sorted. An HbA1c of 52 is nothing to panic about (mines around 50 and I am quite happy with that) but it is worth looking at how you can at least stop it rising and even reduce it.
The 5.2 you have seen is result of a finger prick test and is an instantaneous view of your blood glucose level. It is related to your HbA1c but you cannot convert one to the other. For normal people it varies through the day from around a minimum of 4 to a maximum of 8 or 9 and occasional double figures depending on time of day and what you have eaten and when you ate it. It is a useful tool if you are going to look at diet changes because you get good feed back very quickly.
I hope that helps to put some sort of perspective on things. Read around the forum and you will get ideas from the lived experience of our members. A far better source of information than the journalists. Above all just ask questions - somebody will around in no time with ideas.
Martin.A
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
With an HbA1c of 52 your DN might, if you're lucky, encourage you to try and turn things around through lifestyle changes before prescribing medication - diet, being more active and (if needed) losing some weight. Some have done so from an HbA1c considerably higher than yours. That doesn't always happen, so if it isn't offered you might want to bring that up.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Hope you have found some reassurance in the replies you’ve had from forum members @Freelife
It’s quite common to feel overwhelmed with a diagnosis of diabetes. Especially if this was just picked up following a routine blood check, and you weren’t aware that there was anything wrong.
Diabetes is a serious condition, but it’s also one that can usually be managed well with a few changes and adaptations - it’s something that you can learn to live well with, and it shouldn’t stop you doing things you enjoy. Try not to be disheartened about your diagnosis, many people on the forum later reflect that their diagnosis became a catalyst which prompted them to make positive changes towards a healthier and more active life. Perhaps changes that they had been intending to make for years.
When it comes to managing your diabetes, it’s best to make changes to your menu and activity levels gradually - partly because they need to be sustainable long term, but also because very rapid and sudden changes to blood glucose levels are harder on the fine blood vessels, and changing things more gently will give your body time to adapt.
Good luck with whatever strategies you decide to employ, and as others have said, don’t worry if part of the best option for you might be addition of one or other forms of medication. There are various different types, and taking meds shouldn’t be seen as any kind of ‘failure’. Some bodies just need a bit of a helping hand 🙂
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