More information needed

[Finne]

Hi,
i've just joined. In May i think I had a second high HbA1c apparently although the first one has not appeared on a set of tests from December last year : it's 65 mmol/mol This is pretty high isn't it? A phone call was made for me at a time I couldn't make and that was that - it's really hard to even get to speak to anyone. I've gone on a fairly dramatic low carb diet but i don't feel particularly well - but that might have nothing to do with diabetes - I'm tired even in the morning and achy. i think the last thing said was that they would retest in 3 or 6 months - but should I even bother if I won'tt get any treatment. And what treatments are there and what are the side effects?

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi Finne welcome to the forum.
Your HbA1C at 65 does put you in the diabetic zone but certainly not as high a many people are on diagnosis. As you missed your appointment you don't know what they might have suggested but it would not be unreasonable for them to give you the opportunity to bring your levels down by changes in lifestyle for 3-6 months if they feel people have motivation to make changes.
Clearly you have made some adjustment by going on a low carb diet. The symptoms you are experiencing could be something referred to a Keto flu which is the body adjusting to lower blood glucose levels than it had become accustomed to. it is often recommended that people reduce their carbs more gradually to avoid those potential symptoms and vision issues which some people can get.
What sort of amount of carbs are you having.
Of course your symptoms may well not be related to the diabetes as such so worth speaking to your GP to get other things checked out like B12 and to rule out anaemia which could also cause tiredness.

 

[Finne]

It's not keto flu I've been doing it too long and it's what i was experiencing before and after changing my diet. I didn't "miss" my appointment - they just arranged one i couldn't make without asking me beforehand. I guess I'm not worth anything so they are not going to bother.

 

[Leadinglights]

It's not keto flu I've been doing it too long and it's what i was experiencing before and after changing my diet. I didn't "miss" my appointment - they just arranged one i couldn't make without asking me beforehand. I guess I'm not worth anything so they are not going to bother.

Sorry I didn't mean to imply you had deliberately missed the appointment, but it is worth being proactive in following up things with your G P especially with a condition which is so fickle and changeable and you are getting unpleasant symptoms.

 

[Drummer]

But you might not need any treatment.
A low carb diet took me from 91 to 41 in 6 months - job done!
The NHS is in severe difficulties now - my surgery is in a crazy situation with no staff available, but my diet seems to be keeping me going. I am one of the few people who has not put on weight during lockdown.
Things will probably sort themselves out eventually, but in the mean time, testing your blood glucose with a cheap to run meter and fine tuning what you eat to avoid spikes will probably see you through these strange times.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Finne

Sorry to hear you sounding so down, and sorry about your diagnosis. You definitely are worth a great deal, and you deserve to be as happy and healthy as it is possible for you to be.

It is a very tricky time to get seen at the GPs at the moment, and the healthcare system is under a huge amount of pressure. It’s unfortunate that you have been caught up in this, and been left feeling a bit let down and cut adrift.

65mmol/L is well into the diabetes zone, but we have had many members who started much higher, 100+, who have managed to successfully manage their diabetes, and learn to liver well alongside it.

While waiting for a follow up appointment (that you can make this time!) it might be helpful to be able to check your own BG levels at home - so that you can see whether any of the unpleasant symptoms you are feeling might be related to fluctuations in glucose levels. The most affordable meters members here have found are the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Tee2 - which both have test strips at around £8 for 50.

Keep asking questions, and keep sharing how you feel with us. Folks here will instinctively ‘get it’, and know how tough it can be to face these challenges every day.