Old Diabetic

[johnoo]

Was deemed to be type 2 some years ago.
Hba1C has ranged from 80 when diagnosed then moving down to 42.
I'm on tablets Metformin 4@500mg/Alogliptin 1 @ 25mg/Gliclazide 2 @ 80mg.
Take BS results 4 times a day every 3 days.
Am not over weight/used to exercise but Covid has canned my main sport, Table Tennis.
Just gone for 6 month blood test & think Hba1C will be about 70, bit concerned.
Any ideas on how i can correct?

 

[trophywench]

Right - so on test days when do you do those tests and what do you learn from them?

 

[johnoo]

On test days I test before B/fast & then 2 hours after & then again before Supper & 2 hours after.
What do i learn:-
1 The trend of results, & as stated recently they have deteriorated.
2 The fact that the morning result, fasting, is generally high, Sugar dump!
Forgot to state has just been given medication for COPD, could be causing some of the problem?

 

[Northerner]

Forgot to state has just been given medication for COPD, could be causing some of the problem?

Does it contain steroids? If so, that can have an impact on your levels. If you've been exercising less then that will have made your body less sensitive to the insulin it is producing - if you can find an alternative to your chosen form of recreation it will help 🙂

As for your before breakfast test - do you test immediately on waking or after you have got up? I know that, personally, my levels can leap up by 3 mmol/l just from raising my head off the pillow! 😱 If you can test before getting out of bed then it will give a better replection of how your levels have been overnight, before you get thet, erm, 'helpful' boost of energy from your liver! 🙂

 

[johnoo]

Don't think it contains Steroids, it's tiotropium.
Ref. exercise, think all of us are finding problems & weather does not help.
On testing, I take the first test about 15 minutes after getting up just before B/Fast. The fact is that is the starting point for the day & it makes it harder to get reduction.

 

[trophywench]

Thing is though, @johnoo that anything whatever we get wrong with us which causes inflammation - and recognise it or not, COPD does, cos the inside of your lungs are irritated by the immoveable crud in there so that = inflammation - inevitably causes our BG to increase.

Just by way of illustration and I know I have type 1 diabetes and you don't, but this will tell you how much inflammation affects BG. Couple of years ago I tripped up and fell over and broke my flippin kneecap so it had to be all skewered and kept together with a smooth wire entanglement until it healed. My insulin requirements increased by 3x virtually for 12 months and only got back down again properly once I'd had the hardware removed cos by that time, it was irritating the innards of my knee! At no time was I actually ill, and I healed great. It is only because I have Type 1 and could keep testing, that I know any of this. I'd heard it in theory, that's all!

 

[SB2015]

Welcome to the forum @johnoo
Sorry to hear about the difficulties you are having with your levels.

I am another one who has an increase in levels as soon as I get out of bed. The impact of ‘Dawn Phenomonon’ or ‘Feet on The Floor’. I need to deal with it before I get up knowing that I will rise so I take account of that in my insulin dose. Certainly testing before you rise will help you know what has happened overnight. A second test just before you eat breakfast will give you an idea of the impact of whatever’s out choose to eat.

As others have said medication and pain can both impact your levels. The only thing that you have control over to reduce the levels as a T2 is the input of carbs. Do you know how many carbs you eat at each meal? If you can calculate that then it gives you the chance to make swaps and/or reduce portion sizes to bring that down to a level your pancreas along with the meds can manage.

I hope that helps.

 

[johnoo]

That is very interesting, & I think that's a part of my current problem.
It's been a bad year, health wise, for so many people, me included.
I don't know how many carbs. I have at each meal, & to be frank, I don't think I'm the type of person who could calculate/use the information.
Most of our meals are home cooking, but I know bread & Cereals impact my BS Greatly so i stay away from them.
Breakfast is generally Bacon/Mushrooms/ etc alternating with Kippers + eggs.
Lunch is generally a meat/fish salad, changing sometimes to Cheese on Rye biscuits.
Supper is Steak or a stew, or white fish with desert being berry type fruit. Yes I do like a few squares of chocolate.
No I only have one beer a week + a lot of red wine.
I don't think the wife & I could change our diet greatly.
Just think a change of medication could help.
I'm 77 so want to enjoy life!
Will post after I get results on 6th January, just hope they are max. 70 for Hba1C

 

[johnoo]

Well got my 6 monthly result now, Hba1C is 65, up from 56.
Thought it would be about 70, so perhaps slightly good news.
But how to get back to the 50's with lockdown?
Used to play Table Tennis at a good standard 3 time a week, that is now canned!
I go for a 2 mile walk most days.
Don't think my diet could change much & like most of us slightly stressed due to Covid.
Happy days!!

 

[grovesy]

I have adjusted my diet several times over the years, maybe some slight tweaks might help.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Glad to hear that your HbA1c was a little lower than you had feared.

Shame about your table tennis being kyboshed by covid, but the walking will certainly be helping. There are a number of online exercise resources which might give you some other options, and Diabetes UK are currently recruiting for ‘live well, move more’ which might be able to support you

Live Well Move More

Would you like to be one of the first people to try Diabetes UK’s new service? We know that moving more can really help people to manage their diabetes, and we will be helping people to making it part of their day-to-day. If you’re struggling with being active then one of our Helpline Advisors...

forum.diabetes.org.uk

Hope you can make some small tweaks to your diet and activity to bring down your BG levels. Many members post ideas of their daily menu and meals on this thread if that helps

What did you eat yesterday?

Yesterday - a bits and pieces day because I was working on perfecting a keto recipe for croissants. So I had thin slices of keto bread and butter and cheese slices and ham slices with hot sauce and gherkins during the day and had four small pots of no sugar jelly in total. I conquered the keto...

forum.diabetes.org.uk

 

[johnoo]

Thanks for replies.
I did not get e mails to say that replies were waiting to be viewed.
I use Thunderbird as a E mail viewer but have also looked direct onto BT Mail, & still no mails.
But is a Hba1C of 65, too bad?

 

[Ditto]

I'm not sure @johnoo I think the ideal is 48.

 

[Docb]

Hi @johnoo. When it comes to HbA1c, under 42 is considered perfectly normal and over 48 gets you a diagnosis of diabetes. Between 42 and 48 gets you a diagnosis of being "at risk of diabetes" and a recommendation that you work to get it down to below 42.

So, an HbA1c of 68 is above the diagnosis level and leaves you with a bit of a risk that you will get complications in the longer term if it stays there. Look at it as a big amber warning flag!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Thanks for replies.
I did not get e mails to say that replies were waiting to be viewed.
I use Thunderbird as a E mail viewer but have also looked direct onto BT Mail, & still no mails.
But is a Hba1C of 65, too bad?

Sorry @johnoo there was a slight glitch in the forum software and email notifications were temporarily not being sent.

They should be being sent again now 🙂