Hello. I had a blood test as I am so exhausted and tired and my GP has phoned me to say that I am prediabetic (reading 42) and to cut sugar out of my diet. I feel totally overwhelmed and gutted. I don’t eat a high sugar diet to my knowledge and am very careful what I eat being on high blood pressure medication. I just don’t know what I should be eating. I’ve googled that a low carb diet is best but would this be harmful to my blood pressure? And I don’t want to lose weight as I only weigh 7 stones anyway. I just feel so confused and panic stricken. Please can anyone advise me?
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Told I am prediabetic - advice please
- Thread starter Danne
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rebrascora
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Hi and welcome
Your exhaustion is unlikely to be due to your BG if your reading is only 42. I wonder if you might be anaemic as I believe that can cause fatigue and an elevated HbA1c reading. Do you know if your red blood cell count was checked. The HbA1c reading is a measure of the glucose molecules attached to the Haemoglobin in your blood stream. I believe if you are low on Haemoglobin, there will be more glucose stuck to each Haemoglobin molecule, so the reading will be higher.... but I may be mistaken about that as I am not a health care professional.... hopefully someone else on the forum with greater knowledge will be able to clarify that.
You certainly shouldn't need to make significant changes to your diet even if you really are pre diabetic but at 42 you are right at the bottom end of the pre diabetic range so maybe just reduce your bread/pasta/potato portion size a little and not too much fruit or fruit juice. Many of us here eat a low carb high fat diet to maintain our weight and provide the body with energy and surprisingly, this way of eating has lowered both cholesterol and blood pressure of members of the forum, but these things are all individual, so it is best to do a little research and make your own mind up about a low carb high fat diet. It is not only making sense to me but I also enjoy it and feel better for it. I no longer eat bread and only very small amounts of potato occasionally and only the odd square of dark chocolate occasionally, but plenty of eggs and cheese and salads and creamy plain yoghurt and meat and fish and leafy green veg with a good dollop of butter or cream cheese. .
I personally think this reading may be rogue and there is something else going on. Perhaps seek a second opinion from a different GP at your practice regarding the fatigue and ask about anaemia..
Your exhaustion is unlikely to be due to your BG if your reading is only 42. I wonder if you might be anaemic as I believe that can cause fatigue and an elevated HbA1c reading. Do you know if your red blood cell count was checked. The HbA1c reading is a measure of the glucose molecules attached to the Haemoglobin in your blood stream. I believe if you are low on Haemoglobin, there will be more glucose stuck to each Haemoglobin molecule, so the reading will be higher.... but I may be mistaken about that as I am not a health care professional.... hopefully someone else on the forum with greater knowledge will be able to clarify that.
You certainly shouldn't need to make significant changes to your diet even if you really are pre diabetic but at 42 you are right at the bottom end of the pre diabetic range so maybe just reduce your bread/pasta/potato portion size a little and not too much fruit or fruit juice. Many of us here eat a low carb high fat diet to maintain our weight and provide the body with energy and surprisingly, this way of eating has lowered both cholesterol and blood pressure of members of the forum, but these things are all individual, so it is best to do a little research and make your own mind up about a low carb high fat diet. It is not only making sense to me but I also enjoy it and feel better for it. I no longer eat bread and only very small amounts of potato occasionally and only the odd square of dark chocolate occasionally, but plenty of eggs and cheese and salads and creamy plain yoghurt and meat and fish and leafy green veg with a good dollop of butter or cream cheese. .
I personally think this reading may be rogue and there is something else going on. Perhaps seek a second opinion from a different GP at your practice regarding the fatigue and ask about anaemia..
Jane16
Member
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- Type 2
Hi Danne
I am really new here so cant advise but I do welcome you to the group and wish you well. It sounds like you might need to go back to that GP with all that information for further advice maybe keep a food diary so you can show them what you are eating or ask for a referral to a nutritionist?
Best wishes
Jane x
I am really new here so cant advise but I do welcome you to the group and wish you well. It sounds like you might need to go back to that GP with all that information for further advice maybe keep a food diary so you can show them what you are eating or ask for a referral to a nutritionist?
Best wishes
Jane x
Martin9
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- Type 2
Hi, sorry to hear of your new diagnosis, it’s a bit daunting to hear at first but can be brought under control usually by a few changes to diet, as @rebrascora says just limit the amount of sugars in your diet, and cut down on the starches.
Another thought on why you might be feeling so tired etc, are you on meds for your hypertension , as some of these can make people feel pretty rough according to a FB page I’m on for hypertension, maybe you need discuss with GP if your meds could be making you feel this way..
Anyway all the best
Martin.
Another thought on why you might be feeling so tired etc, are you on meds for your hypertension , as some of these can make people feel pretty rough according to a FB page I’m on for hypertension, maybe you need discuss with GP if your meds could be making you feel this way..
Anyway all the best
Martin.
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Eddy Edson
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- In remission from Type 2
Hi and welcome! It's a blow, but an HbA1c of 42 is nothing to panic about - sod-all extra risk of complications, more of a signal that it's probably worth focusing on diet a bit. Anyway, there's absolutely no reason to think you have to get it sorted right away - take yr time, research, ask questions, look to make small changes.
Agree with Barbara re investigating the anemia angle, and with Martin re talking with yr doc re BP meds. I was over-medicated for BP early on & it could really zap me. But if you need to be taking them it's super important to keep doing so.
Agree with Barbara re investigating the anemia angle, and with Martin re talking with yr doc re BP meds. I was over-medicated for BP early on & it could really zap me. But if you need to be taking them it's super important to keep doing so.
Thank you all so much. I’ve made an appointment to see the Practice nurse later in the week to see if she can advise. I’ve calmed down slightly now (!) after my initial panic and hysteria, but I do feel I need to get some questions answered at the surgery and advice given. Thank you all such a lot for helping me calm down...
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