Well - that’s a bit of a bummer - following my recent set of blood tests, I received a phone call from the surgery; in a rather too enthusiastic voice (I thought) I was told ‘you are officially diabetic......‘
‘Your previous result was 48 and your last one was 52 - I’m putting that down as steroid-induced and prescribing you 2000mg of Metformin a day’
Well - after disabusing me of the notion that Statins could’ve contributed (that’s an urban myth apparently)) - we did some horse-trading and I agreed to 500mg/day and to improve my diet and exercise regime and to see if that helps. When I asked what reduced number would constitute success, I was told 42-46, although I got the distinct impression that would be miraculous..!
Does anyone know what these magic numbers refer to and am I likely to change diet sufficiently without starving to death?
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Rokerman
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I am appalled you weren't told it was rising - so you could take avoiding action sooner.
It is one of the reasons we bang on about eating a low carb diet - removing as much as you can of the low nutritional value junk and added sugars to reduce the risks. Pred makes your liver release spikes of BS from the muscle stores of glycogen as well which doesn't help but being consistent about taking out carbs can quite well bring that Hba1c down to an acceptable level. There are several people on the forum who have managed to reduce the readings - so yah boo to the nurse (who is probably bored and short of work ...). In fact, a diabetic is told to aim for 48 so anything better than that should be greeted with enthusiasm and you don't have far to go really!
I was diagnosed type 2 and have been on a low carb high fat diet since. My hba1c has been 35 for the last year. I eat 1 slice of bread a day and that is Hilo. I eat salads and above ground veg and the only fruit I eat are berries.
I also eat lots of fish , mainly salmon. I started on gliclazide and came off it after 6 months as mu hba1c had come down so much (39)
Oo-er, probably not the preferred solution?! I haven’t gained too much weight but would probably benefit from losing a few pounds - I got into the habit of a daily walk after ‘lockdown’ but lost a bit of enthusiasm when going over the same old ground... the walking group has ceased activity since March.
Am writing this after a family picnic - they’re all going off now to get cake/ice cream - guess who’s left looking after the chairs...?🤨😩
Good for you. I respectfully dispute Thelmarina's well-meaning comment. You'll find it much easier to avoid the "small treats" if you eliminate them altogether for several weeks. Your taste buds (and gut microbiome) will adjust and you'll find you can resist overdoing the "small treats" much more easily in the future if you avoid them altogether for now. I speak from experience.
Mine was 47 in January this year, just one point off Type2 Two Diabetes, again Pred induced so l was sent on a Healthy You Diabetes Prevention Course, l only did the four weeks due to Lockdown but I lost Two Stone in 5months, l’m now sitting steady at that weight, my HB1AC was 44 in March, not repeated since.
I’ve also reduced my ALT Levels to just one point above normal so my GP & Consultant are delighted!
I can see if there’s a link to the course l was on but l’m using Diabetic Type Menus; Koala Jane has ditched Metformin with diet, l’m Low Carb, Low Sugar & l’ve never been hungry, if you want more info let me know.
Hello Mrs N - nice to hear from you! I mis-read your reply at first and thought you said ‘I’ve never been so hungry’..🤣 🤣 Interesting that Koalajane has managed to ditch Metformin I that would be my aim - one slice of bread per day tho’ - phew that could a tall ask....!
I replaced my Toast & Marmalade with a Bowl of Porridge, so that was two slices of bread out plus the Marmalade.......
I reduced my tea from a mug to a cup so it halved my sugar intake.
I now drink more coffee than tea, again reducing my sugar.
I have a coffee mid morning, no snack but I’m still full from the porridge which l have with full cream milk as l no longer take Calcium - Kidneys! But l take skim milk in tea & coffee.
Lunch varies, some examples.....
Soup with thinly sliced Cheese n Crackers.
Salad, different sorts, l don’t eat lettuce!
Waldorf, Prawn, Salsa etc all home made.
Omelette - usually with cheese, just a little.
Scrambled Eggs & Smoked Salmon
A Warburton’s Thin (100 calories) with whatever filling l fancy, that’s a treat.
An Apple to Follow or l eat it in the afternoon.
Coffee in the afternoon with one Amaretto Biscuit, those tiny ones......
Dinner - endless choice from Diabetic Sites.
No Pasta, an odd Roast Potato on a Sunday or a Spoonful of Rice with some meals. Max 6 Chips on a Friday with Fish.
Berries with yogurt to follow or an occasional spoonful of Haagen Dazs 🍨
We eat Fish two/three times a week, lots of Chicken with occasional lamb or a steak made into a stir fry.
Sometimes in an evening l like a snack & Joy of Joys M&S do Popcorn at less than 70calories per bag or l snack on Sweet Peppers but usually l don’t bother.
On the Course it was more about Calories & l found that suited me, l couldn’t eat a cake or a scone if you paid me & the thought of Afternoon Tea makes me feel sick 😂
I still take sugar in my tea but less than l did, l couldn’t give it up, l didn’t beat Breast Cancer to be miserable! I don’t drink Wine at the moment, one to support my liver while taking Methotrexate but it’s basically empty calories, l also drink plenty of water.
Lockdown has been good to me as we’ve not been out to eat so no temptation for a glass of wine & l’ve bought Sparking Elder Flower for Saturday, one to Celebrate the Pause in Shielding & two hopefully to Celebrate the Right Team Winning The FA Cup ❤️🏆❤️
There’s obviously other things l eat but that’s what sprung to mind.......
Second Nature is a good Website for Recipes, l haven’t joined, everyone wants you to join up, l just check the recipes out! 😉
I copied & pasted them to Word, expanded the Font Size, Printed so l’m now building up a Folder of Favourites! 😉
The Chicken Fajita Bake is Delicious & the Cajun Salmon & Salsa is so easy, light & tasty, l’m doing that for the Football tomorrow as the salmon is good hot or cold!
Salmon is done in the Oven with nothing except Cajun Spice, Sea Bass done in the Oven served with Stir Fry Veggies but when we have Traditional Fish n Chips, l usually still have Sea Bass cooked by MrT in breadcrumbs, in butter in a fry pan 🙈 but not every Friday! 🙊
Catholic’s Lapsed or not tend to eat fish on a Friday, old habits die hard! 😉
I’m lucky never been over weight - I have put on half a stone on pred, and all around my middle, which is uncomfortable so am being careful for the first time.
We’re all managing, wouldn’t say okay, but making the best of things. OH not so clever but so pleased we’re near family. Very happy on that front.
House should have been finished but for lockdown. Planning passed just waiting for a start date (6 weeks maybe). Might be finished for Christmas. In the meantime we are comfortable and want for nothing apart from Good Health and time hence.
DIL’s birthday today so a happy time. Babies being born to nieces and nephews, 3 this year.
Keep safe and well and keep up the good work. Don’t think you’ll slip, you must feel great and proud. 🌹X
My thoughts exactly... You would have a laugh at our local chippy’s anti-covid measures: a piece of translucent (not transparent) polythene tacked to the ceiling, leaving an 18inch gap at the counter - cash only payment....😂
I got mine down from 50 to 42 in 4 months by doing very low low-carbs. Start by ditching all sugar and bread. Get some 70% dark chocolate in to have on standby if you get cravings for something sweet.
Am a bit of a chocoholic if it’s put in front of me😄 But I do go for the dark stuff so that’s ok! Cutting down on bread will be trickier - a sandwich made from Hovis Seed Sensations is my weapon of choice.....😢
I was always worried about lunch as l always had a sandwich but the porridge made a huge difference so you could try halving it & have an Open Sandwich, then you could try cutting the crusts off, if you do it gradually there’s more chance you’ll succeed.
That was one of the principles they taught us on the course but low Carbs are more important for us than others who don’t take Prednisolone.
I’ll be honest Mrs N - I haven’t enjoyed porridge since I was a kid; and I think that was largely due to the dollop of Tate & Lyle’s golden syrup we dropped in and which sank out of sight of parents’ prying eyes.........
When I got my first blood test at the onset of PMR, A1c was at 6.2%, which is pretty high for me. Never had issue before. Over next 6-9 months or so, I gradually increased my exercise only ( same diet with NO restriction to carbs,sweets or fun stuff), my A1c has dropped to 5.9 and following year it settled to 5.8%. So it is possible to bring sugar to normal even with PMR and steroids, but I do exercise a lot.
It will be 5 years in December. My A1c is down to 5.8 or so now. It is funny, my wife just brought me a usual afternoon snack - coffee and walnuts that she glazed with honey and cover with soy powder and some waffles.
The point is that if you change diet and add exercise (if you can, of course), you will bring sugar under control much faster, because either of those methods work.
Thanks, I try to stay fit in spite of PMR. I could lose a few pounds, but can't because my wife is an excellent cook and I love indulging in all kind of food too much.
BTW A1c & HbA1c are used interchangeably to describe the same test that measures the amount of blood sugar (glucose) attached to hemoglobin. It is in the title of the first link that PMRPro posted above
Nick, Sorry, l may have misunderstood the difference between Hb1Ac & 1Ac as the 1Ac is given in % & the Numbers are similar to a Blood Sugar Level you can test yourself. I have only had an HbA1c which is based on the Average over three months, l wasn’t actually aware of the A1c Test.
From the Article
“An HbA1c test shows what the average amount of glucose attached to hemoglobin has been over the past three months. It's a three-month average because that's typically how long a red blood cell lives.“
“Your A1C test result is given in percentages. The higher the percentage, the higher your blood sugar levels have been:
•A normal A1C level is below 5.7 percent
•Prediabetes is between 5.7 to 6.4 percent. Having prediabetes is a risk factor for getting type 2 diabetes. People with prediabetes may need retests every year.
•Type 2 diabetes is above 6.5 percent
•If you have diabetes, you should have the A1C test at least twice a year. The A1C goal for many people with diabetes is below 7. It may be different for you. Ask what your goal should be. If your A1C result is too high, you may need to change your diabetes care plan.”
Love to Japan, we are busy working on our Japanese Style Garden at the moment & hoping one day to return.....
I can see that it can be confusing. It is my understanding that it is the very same test that the results are reported in two different ways, either in mmol/mol or in percent. Here is the copy of the table from last link ( same PMRPro post) that should clear the confusion..
HbA1c mmol/mol %
Normal Below 42 mmol/mol Below 6.0%
Prediabetes 42 to 47 mmol/mol 6.0% to 6.4%
Diabetes 48 mmol/mol or over 6.5% or over
If you ever have an opportunity, Kyoto has wonderful collection of Japanese gardens. While I lived in California, I also tried to build stone garden. They are wonderful and usually low maintenance.
I thought my GP was going to do a little dance when l got to 45mg 💃🏻
I take it your in the U.K. Michael Mosley has got a new TV Series starting next week, l’ll get you details as l’ve put it on Reminder, it’s called ‘How to lose a Stone after Lockdown’ or something like that 😉 he’s very much into Low Carb & Boris has sent me a link for The NHS Weight Loss App available on Google & the App Store.....
yes, I was very active before PMR ( ex-triathlete ), so now I do 80-90 min mountain biking 2-3 times a week. I used to swim for an hour ( `2.5Km laps), but that is not possible now with corona. My usual regiment was 2x biking session and one swim session a week just to maintain fitness.
That's an impressive fitness level - not one I could ever aspire to..! With that in mind, can I ask how PMR initially impacted you? did it come out of nowhere - did you have any inkling as to what might have brought it on?
It came pretty rapidly over several weeks. I was in a middle of training prep for next season , so it was blamed at first to over-training. By the time I was diagnosed, I could not get out of bed on my own, that is how bad it was.
Reason for PMR is unknown. Some say that infection, or stress or even some sort of virus can drive immune system over the edge, but no single common reason was identified.
Hi Rokerman, my Hba1c blood sugar level at its highest was 45, classed at increased risk of diabetes. Advised me to go on a pre diabetic course which I did, dropped my weight down through small changes in eating and walking more, three months later level was 42. Still that now in last bloods ten months later. Others on here have also managed to drop their levels too. I'm still mindful of how much sugar I have as ideally I would like it to drop further. But it can be done, so don't give up hope!
Thank you very much - that’s encouraging! I did get into the habit of 5mile walks but our walking group has suspended activity - previously, individual members would do a ‘recce’ and organise the walk on the day. That gave you the impetus to do it regularly - not the odd stroll we do during lockdown....
Hi there are some really good recipes and suggested lists of foods to avoid in the Low Carb KickStarter Book that you can purchase from the Low Carb Program - you don't have to sign up. It isn't a case of starving but substituting and making some alterations to what you eat. You can still eat cakes but make them with almond flour and sugar substitutes. So far I have found it relatively easy to switch over. Hope things get better for you.
Hello Heron - how are you? The last I heard, you were having a stressful relocation - all good now? I’m determined to adjust the diet and everybody’s suggestions have been most welcome. I think that cutting down on things is usually problematic so cutting sugar out is the answer. I stopped having sugar in tea & coffee and stopped smoking (decades ago) - full stop. Fewer is out - not one more Mars bar.....!🤨
I'm good thanks and now settled. Lock down and shielding has been easier living in the countryside as can get out for dog walks. Gardening has been a godsend, lots to do to keep me occupied. Missing having friends to stay and going out for lunches and to galleries etc, but needs must. I felt so much better after the first few days on the low carb diet, more alert and more energy. Still dose reducing slowly (now on 18.5 mg pd) but getting there, living in the moment and learning to take each day as it comes.
Maybe I am one whom PMRpro is referring to. I have had GCA (and sometimes PMR) for 7 years. People on here have recommended books which I read and try to follow. I have read books on what to eat by Dr. Wahl and Dr. Gundry (like the Plant Paradox. Dr. James Fund wrote the Diabetes Code. Lift some weights at least 3 times a week. I am 71 and not an exciting athlete. I have dumbbells which I exercise with, and I do some squats and lift my legs in things like a taekwondo air kick and I "step up" on stuff. Hold on to stuff when you exercise. I don't do much. I don't exercise beautifully or well. But even so, it's a game changer. Try to go hours between meals. If you finish dinner at 6:00 PM and then eat in the morning at 8:00 AM this is a fast. Fasting is good. BUT BE CAREFUL WITH THE DIABETES DRUGs. You don't want your glucose reading to go down too low when you combine the anti-diabetic eating with the drug. Basically don't eat fruit or high carb foods. Eat protein and vegetables. Beware of high carbohydrate vegetables which you may find are actually fruit. Forget grains even flour. So no bread, pasta. No rice or potatoes. Measure your glucose often especially when you are trying to figure this out. Wait 2 hours after you eat to measure it. If it's high do aerobic exercise for about 30 minutes. The experts recommend 45 minutes. The reading will go down temporarily. Try to lose 10% of your body weight if you are not thin. My glucose rises for 6 hours after I take Prednisone. It used to rise about 60 points no matter what I ate. Now I only take 3.5 mg. Pred. and do/did this other stuff and it does not rise as much. But it rises. After 6 hours it also falls. So I try to keep it very much under control, generally, so that it's OK for most hours of the day. Therefore, the average measurement by the blood test is normal. But when you take large doses of Prednisone, like 60, 40, 30, 20 mg.s I'm not sure how much you can control the resulting diabetes. Also there are different reasons for even type II diabetes. Maybe mine was easier to fix than some other types. I suspect that I have plenty of Islet cells and that they have insulin. There are some types of even type II diabetes which are caused by problems with these cells. But if you can eat like this and exercise like this and lose a little weight it just may work. It does for most people. I know that all this is a terrible pain in the neck. I have been shocked for years about this crazy disease and Prednisone. Good luck.
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