I'm a 36 year old female. 5ft and 116lbs. I had tests in September for diabetes due to fatigue (turns out my thyroid is subclinical hypothyroid). My hba1c was 38. In December I was unwell with stress, my son was being bullied and was suicidal. Life was hell taking care of my son crippled by panic attacks and depression. I ended up bed bound with fatigue and stress at one point. My gp ran a huge list of bloods, one being my hba1c and cholesterol. Hba1c was 40. Total cholesterol 6.9. HDL 1.6. LDL 3.9 and Triglycerides 3.0.
I didn't fast and my bloods were taken straight after a meal at 1.30 pm. I've read triglycerides would be high and I should have fasted.
My gp wasn't concerned at all he said just eat lower fat to lower my cholesterol. Now my concern is this. Is my hba1c something to worry about? My fear is it could now be higher as it went up by 2 in 3 months. Everytime i feel tired or have a dry mouth I worry if i am diabetic. It's triggered anxiety in me terribly having all these bloods being a little off.
My gp said my hba1c is normal and they will just test it annually so not to be anxious. He said my cholesterol is up but that at my age I've low risk so at this point it's just annual bloods to check it. He said at 40 I am not at risk and no need to make any changes. I worry as I am a vegetarian so my diet is full of good carbs.
I've cut out all biscuits since december test that showed my hba1c was 40. I eat a square or 2 of dark choc ever other day. I never ate bad before but I'd have a biscuit a day and maybe oven chips, cheese, coconut milk, coconut oil eggs. Now I've cut out eggs. I rarely eat dairy as I was told to cut down on it and go half fat dairy but that's loaded with sugar. No butter or coconut oil. I drink a plant sterol drink daily.
Everyone is welcome here and all have varying concerns. I think you have been pressured into the normal flawed advice that eating fat will kill you. And therein lies the rub, for by doing so you will have to consume more carbohydrate. The people who manufacture low fat yoghurt for example know exactly what their motive is, and it's not your health.
Go back to the diet of your grandparents who didn't fear butter, cheese or eggs. Do fear anything in a cardboard box wrapped in plastic.
Oh, and if your health advisor looks like they could use a fun run...
Everything I eat is cooked from scratch so no processed rubbish at all.
It has certainly made me a little anxious. My GP did say 40 is a normal HBA1C so no need to worry.
I was worried because I follow a vegetarian/vegan diet and so don't eat the usual high fats you'd' eat on a low carb, high fat diet. I was concerned the higher carbs would be a problem with my HBA1C but my GP didn't seem to think so.
There is nothing wrong with your blood reports,so no need to worry as your Gp has said to you. All your problems may be due to hypothyroidism.let gp take care of it.perhaps over anxiety may be another cause. May be it is also linked with your thyroid hypo function.
Thank you. Yes the thyroid has been an issue since last summer, and I am to be treated soon he has told me.
It has certainly made me a little anxious. My GP did say 40 is a normal HBA1C so no need to worry.
I was worried because I follow a vegetarian/vegan diet and so don't eat the usual high fats you'd' eat on a low carb, high fat diet. I was concerned the higher carbs would be a problem with my HBA1C but my GP didn't seem to think so.
B12 is only found in animal products so if you are following a vegan/vegetarian diet that puts you at high risk of gradually developng a B12 deficiency.
This is a link to the symptoms of B12 deficiency just in case other things (anxiety is a sypmtom, along with fatigue) ring a bell.
The test for B12 - serum B12 isn't one that GPs generally think to do - they are often totally unaware of the range of symptoms and likely to dismiss it out of hand unless there is anaemia present - though this isn't among the first symptoms to appear for a significant number of people. Generally the cause is an absorption problem but lack of B12 in diet is another potential cause.
The test is also a difficult one to interpret - another fact that GPs tend to be unaware of.
I have had my B12 tested last summer and it was 212, I supplemented and it's now nearer 500. I continue to supplement 2000ug a day.
My ferritin has been low for over 10 years, my GP referred me to the hospital but they were not concerned and put it down to my heavy periods which I no longer have yet my ferritin is still only 34 with supplementing.
My GP said I did not have perenicious anaemia, something to do with my cells being normal size and no other form of anaemia.
yes sounds like you are getting the usual responses with B12 deficiency ... it isn't well understood by the medics at all.
If you are taking 2mg of B12 a day and your levels have only got up to 500 then that suggest that you have an absorption problem - I'd expect it to be astronomic on that dose (which is several hundred times RDA).
The tests for PA (generally IFA or PCA) are notoriously unreliable - at best 50% accurate so a negative doesn't mean that you don't have PA. However, PA isn't the only cause of an absorption problem. others include
a) lowering of stomach acidity levels as you get older ... this often gets compounded as the symptoms of low stomach acidity are often mistaken for high stomach acidity - gets treated with anti-acids that make the situation worse.
b) gastric surgery affecting the ileum
c) a whole raft of drug interactions including NSAIDs, anti-convulsive medications, PPIs used to treat heartburn and metformin used to treat type 2 diabetes (and a few other conditions).
Really recommend that you join the PAS forum - link above - if you haven't done so already.
one good thing about B12 is that you can't overdose on it.
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