I have yet to de diagnosed so sorry for my ignorance

[stevespoc]

My latest fasting blood test for sugars was

11.7

Is this high ...

I get the shakes when I don't have sugar, I sweat, I faint - and I am always so tired it is unreal

Can anyone advise me ...

Thanks

Steve

[joe1050]

Steve: If you are talking about your A1C is 11.7 than this is very high. I am in USA so I have my A1C Checked every 3 months. I have a hard time getting this number down myself (Currently at 8.1) we need to be in the 6-7 range. Also, if you are getting the shakes and sweat,feel faint....this is signs of LOW BLOOD SUGAR and not HIGH. You need to stay in contact with your doctor to be sure you are not Hypoglycemic rather that Diabetic. When my sugar drops I get the same reactions. Drink orange juice or get and use Glucose tablets to raise your sugar. Hope this helps. I been a diabetic for 30 years.

[Hidden]

You must be referring your sugar level in millimoles,I presume.In that case it is quite high.Please open the link below.You will see plenty of valuable information.

webmd.com/diabetes/blood-gl....

Also, I am a diabetic for about 20 years with reasonable control.I am giving some general suggestions.Hope they will be useful to you.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder which is a result of the pancreatic gland in

our body either produces little or no insulin or the body has developed resistance to insulin. In both cases,the body cells do not receive the glucose needed for production of energy because insulin is essential for glucose to enter the cells. This results in the blood sugar levels to increase beyond acceptable levels,though your body cells are starved for glucose. This condition is very bad for our well being and over long term may result in severe complications.

Controlling blood sugar levels is a tough job but it is not impossible if you realize that everything is in your own hands. This is so,because though you may get good advise from doctors and dieticians,it is ultimately Y O U that will have to take all the necessary steps to successfully control diabetes. I am giving certain general suggestions based on my personal experience which you may consider and adopt based on your personal choice.

Diet plays a very important role in managing diabetes. You should reduce intake of foods that are rich in carbohydrates like sweets, rice,wheat,other grains ,potato,beet and other root vegetables rich in starch. You should eat more of vegetables,sprouts,greens and salads that give you lot of fiber,vitamins and minerals. Each meal you take should be smaller but you may have 5 or 6 meals instead 3 meals a day.

Exercise is very important to control diabetes. Daily brisk walking or jogging for at least 40 to 60 minutes is ideal. Such exercise will consume lots of energy and sugar levels come down accordingly.

Mental stress aggravates diabetes. Lead a stress free life by adopting relaxation techniques like music meditation,yoga and breathing exercises.

Consult a diabetologist and get prescribed for medication if necessary and comply with the doctor's advise scrupulously.

Please remember that the most important person in managing your diabetes is Y O U.

[bella1999]

11.7 is high but if your blood sugars run higher than this at times then the shaking you feel could be as a result of you feeling a drop in your level. 11.7 is your average but if you eat sweets or drink sugary drinks then your blood sugar could rise significantly but then drop significantly too. Try to eat regularly and a well balanced and healthy diet until you are diagnosed. Once you are diagnosed you will be shown how to count carbs and avoid highs and lows. It will also depend on the type of diabetes you are diagnosed with as to what treatment you receive but obviously this will help regulate your levels too. Good luck!

[stevespoc]

Thanks for the tips .... the bit I don't understand is my consultant now tells me to carry a bar of chocolate around with me .... and eat it if I need to .... does this make sense?

Steve

[bella1999]

Yes if you are feeling low but the fat in chocolate stops the sugars being absorbed quickly. I carry lucozade and drink about 100 mls or coke would do. Also fruit pastilles about 7 I think or glucose sweets. All these work much faster but you should also eat something like toast or cereal as well otherwise you will find your blood sugars drop quickly again. The sweets and lucozade just treat a low immediately but you need slow releasing carbs as well to keep your level steady. There are education courses you can get referred to to teach you all this. Ask your consultant about them. You can also get a hypo stop kit with items in it like glucose gel and sweets to help stop a low. Ask your diabetes specialist nurse or your GP. He may be able to prescribe something. Don't worry you'll get used to it. Just do your best with it because I didn't for a long time and I'm paying for it now. Listen to your diabetes team. They are there to help.

[sue32]

Hi Steve! Yes, 11.7 is rather high. It seems your pancreas may not be working as well as it should. My BM's can vary between 3.9 and 10! And nobody's perfect! My last HbA1c was 7, which I'm quite happy with, and so is my GP nurse and my consultant. My GP told me that they very rarely see any T2 diabetic with a level under 7, so I was quite chuffed!!

Diet has a part to play in controlling BMs. I eat a low carb diet, as I don't move around much due to other illnesses, and I have found this is the best diet for me.

Chocolate will not raise your blood sugar due to the amount of fat in it. I carry glucose tablets around with me at all times.

If you are shaking that can be the sign of a hypo, but I can't understand why, if your BM is 11. The tiredness can be caused by a high blood glucose level. Before I was diagnosed my level was 16, my legs were like lead, I got a lot of boils and felt generally awful. Once I was diagnosed and given tablets I was OK. As I said, nobody's perfect and, yes, I do 'cheat' sometimes, but I always make sure I behave soon after.

I think you should see your GP or diabetologist and tell him everything you have said here. They should be able to put you right.

Good luck

Sue XXX