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Debzx

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
At risk of diabetes
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She/Her
Hello
Thank you for allowing me to join..

So up to a month ago I was under the impression I had some form of arrhythmia it’s been going on since lock down and I take bisoloprol I also have under active thyroid and take thyroxine.
I haven’t felt myself last few weeks so been very tired and noticed that after food sometimes I’d want to sleep just absolutely no energy
Had blood done and came back high cholesterol & tested for diabetes number was 41 so sort of on the cusp.,
Shocked me and frightened me the same week I also found out it’s probably also Coronary heart disease so double whammy .,
I’m not overly weighty don’t smoke or drink though I am a stress head !
So I have a Libre monitor on my arm my levels kept dropping my Gp felt I wasn’t eating enough now thru fear so asked me to get a food diary going ..
I’ve stopped the usual junk foods tho I’m struggling either bread just having sourdough ( Jason’s)
It’s just so overwhelming and I want to give myself a chance to make change ..
Thought I’d introduce myself ..
I’m 60 busy mum nan foster carer and Musician x
 
Debzx said:
Hello
Thank you for allowing me to join..

So up to a month ago I was under the impression I had some form of arrhythmia it’s been going on since lock down and I take bisoloprol I also have under active thyroid and take thyroxine.
I haven’t felt myself last few weeks so been very tired and noticed that after food sometimes I’d want to sleep just absolutely no energy
Had blood done and came back high cholesterol & tested for diabetes number was 41 so sort of on the cusp.,
Shocked me and frightened me the same week I also found out it’s probably also Coronary heart disease so double whammy .,
I’m not overly weighty don’t smoke or drink though I am a stress head !
So I have a Libre monitor on my arm my levels kept dropping my Gp felt I wasn’t eating enough now thru fear so asked me to get a food diary going ..
I’ve stopped the usual junk foods tho I’m struggling either bread just having sourdough ( Jason’s)
It’s just so overwhelming and I want to give myself a chance to make change ..
Thought I’d introduce myself ..
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forum
I'm not sure you have too much to worry about with your blood glucose as if it is 41 mmol/mol then you are at the top end of normal, Diabetes would be anything over 47mmol/mol.
Your tiredness could be something else like low vitamin B12, have you had that checked.
The Libre is a brilliant bit of kit but only if you know its limitations and don't over react to the information it is giving you.
It is normal for blood glucose to rise and fall during the day and night in response to a number of factors mainly what you eat so what you are seeing may well be normal.
Eating a healthy diet based on meat, fish, eggs, cheese, vegetables and salads with some fruits with small portions of high carb foods but really you may not actually need to be doing anything more than cutting the junk food which would be a healthy option anyway.
What sort of levels are you seeing on the Libre, did your GP prescribe or are you self funding, It sounds as if it might be causing you more stress.
 
Many thanks for your replies
Current levels are ranging from 3s to 5s I’m funding myself atm I just wanted to feel in control peace of mind .. Gp did say I was top of normal but think if I carried on way I had then fear would be pre-then maybe 2 ..
I’m grateful of the knowledge and hopefully my numbers will come down and I can change health wise
 
Welcome to the forum @Debzx

Sorry to hear what a torrid time you’ve been having health-wise. It’s quite common to feel a bit overwhelmed and knocked sideways by one diagnosis, let alone multiple in quick succession - so be kind to yourself.

Try not to be disheartened about your diagnosis, many people on the forum later reflect that their diagnosis became a catalyst which prompted them to make positive changes towards a healthier and more active life. Perhaps changes that they had been intending to make for years. Diabetes is a serious condition, but it’s also one that can usually be managed well with a few changes and adaptations - it’s something that you can learn to live well with, and it shouldn’t stop you doing things you enjoy.

If you would like a good overview of T2 diabetes, to add to the knowledge you’ve already picked up, you might want to register for an account with the Learning Zone (the orange tab in the main menu) which is packed full of informative bite-sized modules.

Good luck, and keep asking your own questions on the forum too 🙂
 
Debzx said:
Many thanks for your replies
Current levels are ranging from 3s to 5s I’m funding myself atm I just wanted to feel in control peace of mind .. Gp did say I was top of normal but think if I carried on way I had then fear would be pre-then maybe 2 ..
I’m grateful of the knowledge and hopefully my numbers will come down and I can change health wise
Click to expand...
Those numbers do sound quite low so I'm not sure it would be wise to try to reduce them any further.
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
Welcome to the forum @Debzx

Sorry to hear what a torrid time you’ve been having health-wise. It’s quite common to feel a bit overwhelmed and knocked sideways by one diagnosis, let alone multiple in quick succession - so be kind to yourself.

Try not to be disheartened about your diagnosis, many people on the forum later reflect that their diagnosis became a catalyst which prompted them to make positive changes towards a healthier and more active life. Perhaps changes that they had been intending to make for years. Diabetes is a serious condition, but it’s also one that can usually be managed well with a few changes and adaptations - it’s something that you can learn to live well with, and it shouldn’t stop you doing things you enjoy.

If you would like a good overview of T2 diabetes, to add to the knowledge you’ve already picked up, you might want to register for an account with the Learning Zone (the orange tab in the main menu) which is packed full of informative bite-sized modules.

Good luck, and keep asking your own questions on the forum too 🙂
Click to expand...
I know everyone can benefit from making healthier food choices but the OP says her HbA1Cis 41 so not even prediabetic and seeing readings 3-5mmol/l from the Libre.
 
To be honest I think it’s more likely to be low blood sugar and when I read the symptoms if hypoglycaemia I feel I have a few
 
Debzx said:
To be honest I think it’s more likely to be low blood sugar and when I read the symptoms if hypoglycaemia I feel I have a few
Click to expand...
That certainly sounds possible as some people would start to feel wobbly when their levels are below 5.
Perhaps you should try eating a bit more.
What sort of meals are you having.
 
Vegetables with fishcake
Sourdough avocado egg
Omelette with little cheese
Full fat yogurt and fruit
All bran ( every other day )
 
Debzx said:
Vegetables with fishcake
Sourdough avocado egg
Omelette with little cheese
Full fat yogurt and fruit
All bran ( every other day )
Click to expand...
That all sounds pretty good but you may just need to eat a bit more, do you eat meat ?
It is certainly more low carb than people with a Type 2 diagnosis would be having where a starting point would be about 130g carbs per day.
Some meal suggestions in this link based on that which may give you some ideas that would help. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
 
Yes I eat chicken turkey also bacon occasionally
I was looking at the Freshwell 4 week plan going to give it a go I think and I’ll also look into my B12
 
Debzx said:
Yes I eat chicken turkey also bacon occasionally
I was looking at the Freshwell 4 week plan going to give it a go I think and I’ll also look into my B12
Click to expand...
I found that approach made sense but of course I was just over the diagnostic threshold, I didn't follow the plans as such just the principals with meat, fish, eggs, veg, salads, fruit like berries, avoided low fat and only have one carby veg at any one meal, don't have rice or normal pasta but have edamame bean or black bean pasta, very occasional potatoes but am fine with bread in small amounts.
I determined what I could tolerate by finger prick testing before eating and after 2 hours and kept to below 2 mmol/l increase or below 8 after 2 hours, this is now my new normal way of eating and my HbA1C is below 40 where it has been for 3 years now.
 
There’s me in a panic when my level went up to 6 I take meds that reduce my heart rate so I’m wondering if it’s also slowed my blood numbers ( I could be clutching at straws here lol
Just trying to find answers think my Gp is a bit ‘well your number was on the high side’ tut have to wait for further bloods in 3 months
 
Debzx said:
There’s me in a panic when my level went up to 6 I take meds that reduce my heart rate so I’m wondering if it’s also slowed my blood numbers ( I could be clutching at straws here lol
Just trying to find answers think my Gp is a bit ‘well your number was on the high side’ tut have to wait for further bloods in 3 months
Click to expand...
I think it was pretty irresponsible to imply there was a problem when your HbA1C was normal. below 42 is normal 42-47 is prediabetic or at risk and over 47mmol/mol is diabetic.
The accepted finger prick blood glucose for non diabetic is 4-5.9mmol/l pre meal and under 7.8 after 90mins but once diagnosed as Type 2 it is 4-7 before meals and under 8.5 mmol/l 2 hours post meal.
One issue with the Libre is that it is not accurate at low or high levels and people are always advised to check with a finger prick test if levels are low in hypo range of below 4 before treating.
 
I think you are worrying yourself needlessly about diabetes. You are not diabetic. An HbA1c of 41 is in the normal range and even if you were up at 48, you would be extremely unlikely to have symptoms at that level. You also have no need to worry about hypos. Diabetes causes high Blood Glucose (BG) not low. It is only an overdose of diabetes medication like insulin or Gliclazide which causes hypos, so since you are not on any meds for diabetes and indeed not diabetic, then you are not at risk of hypos. The only possible cause of hypos without medication is excessive and prolonged exercise like long distance cycling or Reactive HypoGlycaemia (RH), but if you had that, your levels would be going sky high after meals and then coming crashing back down, due to a delayed insulin response and then releasing too much too late.

Libre typically reads lower than BG for many people. Generally for me it is about 1mmol lower than a finger prick, but some sensors have been as much as 2mmols lower than actual BG. It can also read higher for some people, but in your case, when you are not on any meds, then it is likely reading lower to give you readings in the 3s. It will also give false low readings if you lie on it in your sleep, which we refer to as compression lows and if the sensor has been caught on something like clothing or door frames etc and the filament is disturbed, even if you push it back down and tape it down and it can also happen during application if the applicator snags on the sensor as you lift it off.

I appreciate that you say you are possibly feeling hypo signs but these can be caused by other things. Much as I love Libre and rely on the info it gives me to adjust my insulin doses, you really have to be able to double check it with finger pricks to verify it's results before you worry about any particular data it gives you.

GPs generally have very little knowledge or understanding of sensors and the data they provide, so your GP will not know half of the limitation of them or be able to interpret the info they provide with any useful advice. If your levels are not going higher than 6mmols according to Libre and your HbA1c is 41, then you are clearly not diabetic and you need to look elsewhere for the cause of your symptoms.
 
rebrascora said:
Libre typically reads lower than BG for many people
Click to expand...
Although you later say "it can also read higher for some people", your statement suggests more people find it runs lower. Where do you get the evidence of this?
I find it misleading, especially as it is based upon comparison with finger prick meters that are subject to the same 15% inaccuracy standard. If you find Libre "always" runs low for you, I would suggest checking the accuracy of your finger prick meter.
 
Debzx said:
To be honest I think it’s more likely to be low blood sugar and when I read the symptoms if hypoglycaemia I feel I have a few.
Click to expand...

HbA1c has its limitations - see this post.

Your GP may be right about diet. Make sure you are getting enough protein! I've found 1-1.6 g/kg body weight per day is about. I record what I eat on Cronometer (generous free version) to track my nutrients.

As well as Freshwell, you may find this article about what to eat helpful.

Good luck.
 
helli said:
Although you later say "it can also read higher for some people", your statement suggests more people find it runs lower. Where do you get the evidence of this?
I find it misleading, especially as it is based upon comparison with finger prick meters that are subject to the same 15% inaccuracy standard. If you find Libre "always" runs low for you, I would suggest checking the accuracy of your finger prick meter.
Click to expand...

I have read of other people having a similar experience to me with Libre reading lower but you are right that I have no way to gauge whether that is representative of general usage.

As far as I am aware, there is no way of checking accuracy of BG meters. I know you can use control solution which I used to do regularly and never has any tests amiss but the range is again within that 15% error margin and 1mmol difference easily falls within that range too. I have 2x Caresens meters and both read higher than Libre, plus the Libre predicted HbA1c is consistently lower than my actual HbA1c, which perhaps suggests that it may be reading lower than my actual levels.
 
Thank you all for your replies!!
I think I’m seeing / feeling a pattern of my bloods lowering during episodes of SVEs I use Kardia monitoring wonder if these episodes are the reason my bloods where iffy??
 
Leadinglights said:
I know everyone can benefit from making healthier food choices but the OP says her HbA1Cis 41 so not even prediabetic and seeing readings 3-5mmol/l from the Libre.
Click to expand...

Thanks @Leadinglights - I’d missed that detail, and thought the diagnosis had happened with the t2 label.

I’ll tweak your profile @Debzx to clarify that you are ‘at risk’ rather than currently diagnosed 🙂
 
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