How long for levels to drop on low carb diet?

[LauraW]

hello all,

Firstly thanks for all the great advice on the boards - I was diagnosed with diabetes in July and I have been reading lots of good posts to help me.

I have been on a low carb diet for a month now and I think my levels are looking pretty good, but my testing has noted I rarely seem to go below 6.

I wondered if anyone else had experienced this and whether further progress is slow after a point? TIA.

(I am also to be tested as a potential LADA as I don’t quite fit the typical type 2 profile - so not sure if that has anything to do with it)

 

[rebrascora]

Hi
It is good that they are running further tests to ensure the correct diagnosis. So often Type 2 is assumed and no further tests done. It is also fantastic that you have got your BG readings down into the 6s, especially as I see from your into post that your diagnostic HbA1c was in the 90s and you have done so without medication!! Have you increased your exercise as well as reduced your carbs and have you lost weight or were you already a slim build diabetic? Those things can impact your insulin resistance if that is in fact your problem... ie genuine Type 2 .... but if you are in fact LADA, you may find that those readings creep back up over time despite keeping your carb intake very low. I would just be extremely pleased to be getting 6s at this early stage (especially without the use of medication) and you should be incredibly proud of yourself for such an achievement.

 

[Docb]

Took a month for me to get from the high teens to averaging sixes through changing to a low carb diet. At the same time, I reduced the "panic" levels of medication down to minimal metformin and gliclazide. When looking at levels you have got to think about variability through the day - it happens whether you have got D or not. Although I was averaging 6 point something or other, I had readings over 9 and readings under 5 and learned to look on them as part of the package and nothing to worry about.

 

[LauraW]

Hi
It is good that they are running further tests to ensure the correct diagnosis. So often Type 2 is assumed and no further tests done. It is also fantastic that you have got your BG readings down into the 6s, especially as I see from your into post that your diagnostic HbA1c was in the 90s and you have done so without medication!! Have you increased your exercise as well as reduced your carbs and have you lost weight or were you already a slim build diabetic? Those things can impact your insulin resistance if that is in fact your problem... ie genuine Type 2 .... but if you are in fact LADA, you may find that those readings creep back up over time despite keeping your carb intake very low. I would just be extremely pleased to be getting 6s at this early stage (especially without the use of medication) and you should be incredibly proud of yourself for such an achievement.

Thank you, Barbara - I am very pleased, the DN was as well! I will be interested to see the numbers in my next check up in November.

I am 2 stone overweight (and I lost about half a stone on this new diet and I am more active for sure) but DN didn’t think I was that bad, so said I should check just in case. She said my case seemed borderline... (because of age and weight).

I have very significantly cut the carbs, I estimated I was eating 250g (!) a day and now I am around 50-80. I have noticed on the rare occasion I get to 5 something, I feel tired and sometimes get a headache (body not used to it I suppose?)

 

[LauraW]

Took a month for me to get from the high teens to averaging sixes through changing to a low carb diet. At the same time, I reduced the "panic" levels of medication down to minimal metformin and gliclazide. When looking at levels you have got to think about variability through the day - it happens whether you have got D or not. Although I was averaging 6 point something or other, I had readings over 9 and readings under 5 and learned to look on them as part of the package and nothing to worry about.

Thanks Docb, that is a good point, I seem to range from 6-8.5 at the moment and I have had some interesting results (10 and then 15min later 8?? ). I have noticed though the numbers dramatically dropped at first, but have been slowly slowly going down and I wondered if that was a sign of a trend or just that I’ve reached my equilibrium?

I’m new to this, so have no idea!

 

[Docb]

The drop was pretty dramatic for me at first but it settled down to vary between 5 and 9 with the odd excursion into double figures if I ate something a bit carby. Are you any good with computers? If so, putting the data into a spreadsheet and plotting some graphs will give you a picture of what is going on.