Confused and worried

[kari-glasgow]

Hi. I have had type 2 diabetes for 17 years. Had HA1C at 4-5 for all those years. On two meformin. My weight increased and my diabetes has gone off the scale. Now 7.8 and daily sometimes 19 after breakfast. I'm on a strict no carb now for three days. The last BS check is at 6 - great. Before it was 14/15. But when I wake up it is in the 9's. I don't understand. I didn't eat any snack and no carbs. I saw the diabetic nurse yesterday. She said I have to go see the doctor as it looks like my increased sugar is not from lifestyle ie food and exercise but is in my blood. What does that mean? I'm even more scared now.

[kari-glasgow]

By the way. I'm 53

[Bevvy]

Whilst we all are told to watch diet and exercise etc. There can still be outside influences such as genetics that affect you. Also just the aging process can have an effect.

Don't worry too much I think you have done SO well to have only 2 metformin tabs for 17 years. Sounds like meds just need a bit of tweaking.

Either that or have you an illness? Even a cold will affect blood sugars! CERTAINLY stress and worry can increase levels so do as advised and see your GP.

[kari-glasgow in reply to Bevvy]

Thank you Bevvy. I do have a cold and I also had a bad fall (on escalators) last week. Got bruises everywhere!!!

I will try to relax

Thanks again.

[Bevvy in reply to kari-glasgow]

Oh well that could well be what's creating the issue. GP should get hb1c done to check what going on. Surprised the nurse didn't ask for that to happen before you see GP.

[kari-glasgow in reply to Bevvy]

I had the Hbc1a. before the fall. It was 78

[Bevvy]

Just had a look at a conversation chart. I still work on old numbers. That really is a good hb1c result! I really don't think you have much to worry about.

Still see GP but I would be surprised if anything changes.

How long have you had your meter and/or strips? Could they be faulty?

Most gps now (under NICE guidelines) won't give strips for type 2 and relies on hb1c results.

If you still worried ask for another hb1c test in 3-4 months time.

[kari-glasgow in reply to Bevvy]

The machine and strips are new. They gave me them only last week. Thanks for your reassurance.

[LibreLlama Volunteers]

Hi Kari-glasgow, sorry to hear you are experiencing some worries about your diabetes.

It's great to see that Bevvy has helped you out with some advice. I agree with everything she has said. I have Type 1 Diabetes, but the same mechanism occurs when I am stressed or have an infection or cold. I had a throat infection last week and my blood-glucose levels were up in the 19-25 mmol range. I had to take regular corrective doses of insulin and drink lots of water to flush the glucose out of my system. I actually find that unusual high blood-glucose readings can be a great early indicator of something else going on, so they are always good to view with interest.

The other thing you mentioned was early morning highs. This is quite common, as your liver will start to release stored glucose called glucagon around 6am in order to jump start your body for the day and give you some energy. This is known as the dawn phenomenon. Sometimes it can push my sugar levels to the high teens especially if I have carbs for breakfast. Ask your nurse about this.

Your HbA1c is still fab and you've done great managing your diabetes all this time. There are a couple of other reasons your HbA1c may have gone up though. Even small amounts of weight gain or a change in BMI can put more strain on your insulin production and cellular uptake, which is why a lot of people with type 2 diabetes can reduce their medication or revert to diet controlled when they lose weight. Also type 2 diabetes is a progressive condition, especially as we get older and our pancreases produce less effective insulin. Sometimes all this needs, as Bevvy said, is a tweak of our medication.

Next time you see your diabetes nurse, make a list of all these questions and take it in with you. Sometimes it's easier to remember, especially as a lot of us get the dreaded white coat syndrome and go blank when we are sat there

Let us know how you get on.