The wait is over!

[Stitch147]

Just had a look online and my blood results are now in.
Latest HbA1c is 49, slightly up since 6 months ago when it was 45.
So what will happen now?
I already know the answer...... bugger all (putting it politely!)
It already has "no further action needed" on my files.
I know if I try and make an appointment to go and see one of the diabetic team I will just get fobbed off and not listened to and end up getting upset and frustrated, again.
Its frustrating to keep waking up in the 9's, and getting the occasional high level for no apparent reason and not getting listened too. Its also frustrating that the weight doesn't seem to want to budge that I put back on once I started on gliclizide. I'm tempted to stop taking it and see if it brings my weight back down but don't want to risk my BG levels going any higher.
I'm just getting really frustrated with it all now as no matter what I do or try nothing seems to change.

 

[Ralph-YK]

I'm sorry Stitch. I don't recall if it's come up. Are you under the hospital or your GP?

 

[Stitch147]

I'm sorry Stitch. I don't recall if it's come up. Are you under the hospital or your GP?

GP, I pushed for a hospital referral and finally had one last year, went for 1 appointment and they referred me back to the GP with advise on what steps he should take!

 

[Northerner]

I am sorry to hear this Stitch I feel so frustrated on your behalf and don't know what to suggest. When you had the Libre, what sort of pattern did that show? Were you rising through the night, or on waking? Do you now test as soon as you wake? As you say, there seems little likelihood that the GP will offer any solutions, or sympathy it seems

It's a great HbA1c, but it clearly doesn't show the whole picture.

 

[Stitch147]

I am sorry to hear this Stitch I feel so frustrated on your behalf and don't know what to suggest. When you had the Libre, what sort of pattern did that show? Were you rising through the night, or on waking? Do you now test as soon as you wake? As you say, there seems little likelihood that the GP will offer any solutions, or sympathy it seems

It's a great HbA1c, but it clearly doesn't show the whole picture.

Thanks Northerner, its just so frustrating as all they ever look at is my HbA1c result and nothing else. I'll have to look at my libre graphs when I get home and see how they looked over night. I've got in the habit of taking my meter to bed and testing as soon as I wake up. I'm getting another libre sensor for when I get back from my holiday so that I've got it for when I do the Moonwalk in May. I am tempted to see if they are willing to swap me from glicazide onto something like Victoza to see if it will help me with my weight loss again as that gets me down sometimes. I was so pleased when I lost 7 stone and then frustrated when half of that went back on after starting on gliclazide.

 

[Mark T]

When do you take the glic? If it's with your evening meal I would imagine there is a chance of sending you low overnight as glic has quite a long duration. Because glic has a long duration it's also most likely to make you have munchies and thus put on weight.

Have you considered a Meglitinide? This isn't as effective as the glic, but has a shorter duration.

 

[Stitch147]

I take it in the morning before breakfast. I'll have a look at the other one you mentioned @Mark T

 

[HOBIE]

GP, I pushed for a hospital referral and finally had one last year, went for 1 appointment and they referred me back to the GP with advise on what steps he should take!

Hosp is best. I always walk to hosp because I do not like paying for the carpark. Good luck Stitch 🙂

 

[Amigo]

Would you be up for a private consult with an endocrinologist Stitch? I know it’s been mooted before but can’t remember what happened.
Sometimes the NHS just doesn’t do the business and this is a classic example.

You must be pig sick and frustrated with it!

 

[Davein]

Just had a look online and my blood results are now in.
Latest HbA1c is 49, slightly up since 6 months ago when it was 45.
So what will happen now?
I already know the answer...... bugger all (putting it politely!)
It already has "no further action needed" on my files.
I know if I try and make an appointment to go and see one of the diabetic team I will just get fobbed off and not listened to and end up getting upset and frustrated, again.
Its frustrating to keep waking up in the 9's, and getting the occasional high level for no apparent reason and not getting listened too. Its also frustrating that the weight doesn't seem to want to budge that I put back on once I started on gliclizide. I'm tempted to stop taking it and see if it brings my weight back down but don't want to risk my BG levels going any higher.
I'm just getting really frustrated with it all now as no matter what I do or try nothing seems to change.

Stitch
I felt I was getting nowhere with a GP so I wrote a long note describing what a good patient I'd been always took my meds, never missed an appointment, tried to eat the best food not the rubbish and always tried to keep my bg levels within range and as a result felt the best I had done in years. Then I wrote a but. But lately my (in your case morning) bg levels are far higher than they should be and it is stressing me out. All I ask is that you try and find a solution. If that means adjusting or altering my meds then so be it I really appreciate what enormous help you've given me in the past.I, unlike many patients, try my hardest to understand and control my diabetes and just need that extra bit of help from you.
I presented it to her at my next appointment and she went through every aspect and changed my meds for the better.
If everything else fails try putting it in writing how you feel.
It's your health that really matters and anything is worth a go

 

[Amigo]

Stitch
I felt I was getting nowhere with a GP so I wrote a long note describing what a good patient I'd been always took my meds, never missed an appointment, tried to eat the best food not the rubbish and always tried to keep my bg levels within range and as a result felt the best I had done in years. Then I wrote a but. But lately my (in your case morning) bg levels are far higher than they should be and it is stressing me out. All I ask is that you try and find a solution. If that means adjusting or altering my meds then so be it I really appreciate what enormous help you've given me in the past.I, unlike many patients, try my hardest to understand and control my diabetes and just need that extra bit of help from you.
I presented it to her at my next appointment and she went through every aspect and changed my meds for the better.
If everything else fails try putting it in writing how you feel.
It's your health that really matters and anything is worth a go

It’s a good idea Dave but in the case of Stitch’s GP’s, I wonder if they’re out of their depth in knowing how to deal with this.

 

[Stitch147]

Thanks for the tip @Davein , unfortunately the way the appointment system now works at my gp surgery it will be a telephone appointment then it is up to the gp to decide if a face to face appointment is needed. They look at my HbA1c and say keep doing what I'm doing as that's OK and will probably not give me an appointment. I have spoken to them in the past about how I feel and it just gets ignored.

 

[Amigo]

Thanks for the tip @Davein , unfortunately the way the appointment system now works at my gp surgery it will be a telephone appointment then it is up to the gp to decide if a face to face appointment is needed. They look at my HbA1c and say keep doing what I'm doing as that's OK and will probably not give me an appointment. I have spoken to them in the past about how I feel and it just gets ignored.

A classic and perfect example of why daily testing reveals a much more accurate picture than the Hba1c Stitch. But that doesn’t help you. Consult a specialist privately. I’m having to for the ‘other condition’.

Stitch, can I be cheeky and ask you what your average bg level is, say over 7 or 14 days?

 

[Davein]

Thanks for the tip @Davein , unfortunately the way the appointment system now works at my gp surgery it will be a telephone appointment then it is up to the gp to decide if a face to face appointment is needed. They look at my HbA1c and say keep doing what I'm doing as that's OK and will probably not give me an appointment. I have spoken to them in the past about how I feel and it just gets ignored.

So Plan B then. Write it as a letter and send it directly (addressed to) your GP.
Say yes to that one as I haven't thought of Plan C.....yet🙂
For the price of a stamp..🙂

 

[Ralph-YK]

I dropped my letters off directly at the practice, to reception.

 

[Mark T]

I think last time I had an issue like that my next statement was "perhaps I should be discussing this with the practise manager". Although my problem was the reception staff being a pain about booking appointments and blocking, rather then the GPs themselves. Although to be fair to reception, the real problem was the practise changed its policies but didn't actually tell anyone.

Your 49 is actually still within what NICE says is acceptable limits unfortunately. So you can't hit them with that either.

 

[Stitch147]

A classic and perfect example of why daily testing reveals a much more accurate picture than the Hba1c Stitch. But that doesn’t help you. Consult a specialist privately. I’m having to for the ‘other condition’.

Stitch, can I be cheeky and ask you what your average bg level is, say over 7 or 14 days?

Hi amigo. It might be worth looking into. My averages over 7 and 14 days are 9.2 and 9.6.

 

[Amigo]

Hi amigo. It might be worth looking into. My averages over 7 and 14 days are 9.2 and 9.6.

Yes it could be worth looking into Stitch especially living where you do and having access to some of the best. Someone to listen to your fears and acknowledge the issues because it’s badly missing at the moment.

The reason I asked about your averages is I was wondering if these 9’s persist overnight or could be dawn phenomenon. An average 9 would give about a 56 Hba1c (but obviously depends when and how often you’re testing). It does look however that you’re not consistently at this level overnight. Have you ever treated during the night?
Hope you can get the right kind of help soon because whilst I don’t know your daytime levels, it looks like there’s a key period in the day/night that needs addressing using the right medication to do it.

I don’t blame you settling for as little as some of the medics do. My GP said it would be ok if I stayed at 52! 🙄

 

[Stitch147]

Thanks @Amigo , I've never had to treat at all during the night (i tend to sleep right through most nights) I've only ever had one true hypo below 4 and that was ages ago. I reduced the amount of testing due to knowing what foods do what to me. I might test more for the next week or so just to see what happens. I've been tested to anemia and that's been ruled out.

 

[Stitch147]

It might also be time to invest in another libre sensor.