Whats uncontrolled diabetes look like

[hefty]

Hi as the heading says how do i tell if my diabetes is uncontrolled or probably more importantly has been uncontrolled for a while and undiagnosed. im freshly diagnosed type 2 not on meds and very unsure, my HbA1c was 50 a month ago and was prediabetic for a couple of years (that i know of). have been overweight most of my life and have MH issues, been reading this forum a lot and some of the things discussed i relate too having had pain in my feet and headaches through blurry vision etc, thirsty all the time and needing the loo on and off for years. But not a great fan of doctors and waiting rooms i havent spent much time there as you just carry on with things.
Apologies for poor grammer and spelling I am dyslexic only diagnosed at 50 so went through life thinking and been told i was thick
Thank you for this brilliant forum and the opportunity to ask daft questions

 

[gail2]

hi @hefty i identify with what you have posted a lot hun you are not alone. No questions are to daft to small or to silly just post away
Welcome to the forum
gail

 

[rebrascora]

I would say that there is nothing to worry about as regards uncontrolled diabetes. An HbA1c of 50 is only just over the diabetes threshold and puts you at low risk of complications developing long term although doing what you can to reduce that further is always a good idea. The fact that you were previously tested and in the prediabetic range, means that you hadn't been over the diagnosis threshold for very long. To me uncontrolled diabetes is where people have an HbA1c that is significantly higher (70+) for many years as that is when the risks of complications developing are increased significantly.
You are obviously no where near that level and you would not have unknowing gone that high and then come down without treatment, so I don't believe you have any cause for concern provided you manage your diabetes well now and don't ignore it. Obviously losing weight if you need to and doing more exercise will benefit your general health and it is particularly important to stimulate the blood flow to your feet by walking or doing seated leg exercises if you are not able to walk, as that blood flow is what will keep them healthy along with keeping your diabetes well managed.

The above is my personal take on it.

If it helps to compare, my HbA1c was 114 at diagnosis (so more than double yours) and took just over a year to get down to about 53 and I am now able to maintain it between 45 and 51 and as a Type 1 this is considered very good management and I fully expect I will live to a ripe old age with minimal impact on my health from my diabetes, provided that I can maintain this level of good management.

 

[Lucyr]

The level of hba1c you had when you were prediabetic is what diabetics would aim for as an excellent level of control. Yes it’s gone up a bit now but not much, only just above 48 to 50. So you don’t have anything to worry about at the moment, but if you can get it down a bit again that will just reduce the risk that bit more again

 

[goodybags]

Hi @hefty like others I would say don’t worry your HbA1c isn’t uncontrollably high
although obviously now as it’s tipped over 48 your now classified as in the Diabetic range
Previously you were advised you were Pre-Diabetic so you were obviously aware

If you wanted to reduce your Hba1c slightly
it might only take a few lifestyle or Dietary changes, and you might well return to being Pre or Diabetic in Remission even

I never used to be a great fan of Doctors & Consultants waiting rooms either
and used to actually avoid them
like many others my HbA1c was previously more than double what yours currently is

Like yourself @heftyni I was recently told I’m Dyslexic
all those years ago, teachers at school told me I’m stupid & thick, it was a customer of mine who pointed out I might be Dyslexic when I was completing an application for her (about 2years ago) she actually thought I might be both dyslexic and also have dyscalculia

anyway back to the subject you posted about
what kind of diet are you following and are you getting any excercise ?

 

[helli]

I would say that there is nothing to worry about as regards uncontrolled diabetes. An HbA1c of 50 is only just over the diabetes threshold and puts you at low risk of complications developing long term although doing what you can to reduce that further is always a good idea. The fact that you were previously tested and in the prediabetic range, means that you hadn't been over the diagnosis threshold for very long. To me uncontrolled diabetes is where people have an HbA1c that is significantly higher (70+) for many years as that is when the risks of complications developing are increased significantly.

I am not 100% in agreement.
Like you, I have no medical training so our opinion is just that: opinion, not fact.
The reason I disagree is a sample of one so I appreciate it could be an outlier.
A friend of mine has been pre-diabetic for over a decade but never passed the diabetes HbA1C threshold. He is otherwise a fit chap in his early 60s who does a lot of exercise, is not overweight and watches what he eats. However, he has not been able to reduce his “base” BG level. No matter his diet, his BG peaks little but goes no lower than 6.5 according to 6 weeks testing with Libres (and double checking with finger pricks).
He experiences constant pins and needles in his feet which, after multiple tests has been diagnosed as diabetic neuropathy.
In other words, damage CAN be done at pre-diabetic HbA1C levels. I do not know how rare this is and whether it is due to the length of time in the ore-diabetic range.
I also do not want to scare anyone - sure the risk is lower at pre-diabetic levels but it is not “nothing to worry about”. I do notwant to leave the impression you need to have a HbA1C over 70 to develop long term complications only that the risk is higher

I do want to emphasise that I am not an expert and, like you, have no medical training.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @hefty

Sorry to hear your HbA1c has tickled over into the diabetes range.

Hopefully you can make some tweaks and changes to your menu and levels of activity, and see your HbA1c reduce, which should lower your risk of developing any diabetes-related nasties further down the line?

Sounds like it might be worth getting the pains in your feet and legs investigated. These may not be diabetes related, other things like plantar fasciitis and vitamin deficiency can give rise to pain and altered sensations in feet and legs - but if they are related to your glucose levels it would be helpful for you to know that sooner rather than later, as it may affect your strategies going forward, and the targets you set yourself 🙂