Hmmmm

[mrsjaja]

Hi All,

Haven't posted in ages. Just haven't been coping well at all, with all things Diabetes and RL in general (just othe rbroing health issues, nothing exciting)

However, had a clinic appt yesterday. HbA1C not fab 117 (think thats about 12.7?) Cholesterol at 5. BUT - and this is huge for me - had managed to lose 14.2 kgs since December (actually its from March, 'cos thats when i was last weighed at the Docs.) This is massive for me, 'cos other than losing 5 stone when i went on the Byetta initially, i havent lost anything since i went Insulin and Metformin🙄 alone 2 years ago....

...then the doc says the weight loss is worrying her, because it could only be because my levels are so high (and they are), nothing to do with the efforts i have made to follow the diet recommendations the dietician gave me when i saw her in January!

So, my question is - would i really lose weight if my levels are too high?

Also, i take my lantus in the morning, and the DSN i saw after the doc wants me to do 7 point testing for a couple of days over the weekend, as she thinks that i'm my going too low overnight, my liver is releasing glucose overnight, thats what is making me high in the mornings, as i have all my insulin in a 12 - 13 hour period during the day, and take nothing after my evening meal, and that perhaps i should have my Lantus at night. Any thoughts?

 

[Copepod]

To start with your factual point about HbA1c - using conversion page http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Professi...bA1c-values/?gclid=CIj6oLmK4bcCFQbJtAodtwYAfQ , 117 mmol/mol= 12.9% As you say, not fab; considerably higher than it should be.

But, losing 14.2kg in 6 months since December is a fast weight loss, even faster in 3 months since March. Probably too fast for sustainable wright loss.

All depends on how much part insulin resistance plays in your body. Waht changes have you made to your diet - general reduction in calorie intake or specific reduction in carbohydrate intake?

What did doctor suggest you do now with insulin doses, diet etc?

 

[Redkite]

You can lose weight if your BG levels are high all the time. What happens is that there is not enough insulin in your body to be able to make use of the glucose for energy. So the glucose stays in the bloodstream and your body has to turn to alternative sources of energy, ie. breakdown of stored fats. This is obviously not a healthy way to lose weight though.

Your doc is right, you need to do several BG tests across the day to build up a picture of how your levels are fluctuating. I'm guessing the 7 points you refer to might be one on waking, then before each meal and 2hours after each meal. A bedtime test would also be a good idea. If you think you may be running low during the night, it would be a good idea to do a BG test at 3am occasionally. If you also keep a diary of foods eaten and any exercise done, it will give you and your doc a really useful set of information to work out how much of an increase in your insulin dose you need, as well as the most suitable time of day to take your Lantus. Some people find that it's actually better to split the Lantus dose into two, morning and bedtime, but you need the data first! Good luck 🙂

 

[DeusXM]

So the glucose stays in the bloodstream and your body has to turn to alternative sources of energy, ie. breakdown of stored fats. This is obviously not a healthy way to lose weight though.

Sort of. Ideally you want your body to turn to alternative sources of energy (your body fat) if you're trying to lose weight. HOWEVER, this should not be at the expense of high blood sugar levels. The safest way to lose weight is to reduce your intake of things that cause glucose to be in your blood - the less glucose you've got in the tank going into the pipes, the more your body has to get energy from elsewhere.

But yes, 14kg in 6 months is definitely a bit on the rapid side. What are the diet recommendations you had in January and what were your blood sugars like before then?

 

[LeeLee]

If you're putting a lot of effort into improving your diet, you can take at least some of the credit for your weight loss. 🙂 It's good that your doc is following up to make sure you stay healthy.

 

[shambles]

At 2.2 lbs a kg .. and a recommended weight loss generally of 1-2 lbs a week 14 kg is perfectly acceptable in 6 months. I've lost 12 in 4 months. However I hope OP gets the BS sorted asap xx

 

[PattiEvans]

Also, i take my lantus in the morning, and the DSN i saw after the doc wants me to do 7 point testing for a couple of days over the weekend, as she thinks that i'm my going too low overnight, my liver is releasing glucose overnight, thats what is making me high in the mornings, as i have all my insulin in a 12 - 13 hour period during the day, and take nothing after my evening meal, and that perhaps i should have my Lantus at night. Any thoughts?

The alternative to you going low in the night and then rebounding with a liver dump could be that your Lantus is actually running out during the night. With lots of people it doesn't last 24 hours. Or, you're suffering from Dawn Phenomenon , which is something a lot of folks suffer from. I can stay rock steady until 6am and from then on my BGs rise steadily. The only way to find out what's going on is to test around 3 - 4 times in the night.