 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Diabetes / March 2006Prediabetic with Question
Hello, I have been lurking here for a while and it seems a lot of you guys have pretty good advice. About a year ago a routine blood test showed my fasting bg to be 100. I lost 20 lbs, began exercising daily instead of sporadically, and they retested a few months later and the number was still 100. At the time, I was pretty freaked out because I have a really strong history of diabetes. However, my doctor had since left and the new doctor didn't seem concerned and didn't want to do an OGTT. Fast forward one year. Doctor still is unconcerned ("you're only one number off completely normal"), doesn't want to do a OGTT. I'm still a little concerned because of my family history...my father was diagnosed in his 40's and he was thin and fit. So I decided to get a meter and test myself with a big white bagel (something I would never otherwise eat). I have a Accu-chek Active which I think is not plasma-calibrated. Here are the results: fasting 97 eat bagel w/o butter or jam (68 gm carbs) 1/2 hour after eating 168 1 hour after eating 151 2 hour after eating 111 3 hour after eating 104 I am not overweight, bmi 121 and am in my mid-40's. What do those numbers mean? Should I call the doctor again? Or does this just confirm what I already know, which is that I have "pre-diabetes". I should mention that for the past year, I have been restricting my carbs to smallish amounts (maybe 20-25 gm per meal and often less than that) and almost never eat white flour, sugar, rice, or potatoes. Thanks for any guidence/opinions. :: Hello, :: [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] :: :: Thanks for any guidence/opinions. I think they mean you should continue your program of controlled carb consumption and exercise. Also, I'd quit eating bagels & jam, too. Add weight lifting (3x, full body) and some fun cardio activity like swimming and/or cycling. Have you had an A1c test, and what are your blood lipids like? No, I won't eat any more bagels or jam; I just did it to see what it would do to my bg. I do a little weight lifting and a fair amt of cardio. No A1c, since dr doesn't seem to feel there's any problem. Lipids are LDL 107, HDL 80, TRIG 83 TTL 202. Thx. While I am not a doctor, your numbers look healthy. As Roger said you can get a A!C test done to confirm. You will find that there are home test kits available for less than $30.00 Give yourself a test if the number comes out less than 5 you have nothing to worry about for now. However treating oneself as if one is having a pre-diabetes is over all a good thing at your age. I would just add that make sure you eat plenty of greens. Fruits like grape fruit and oranges are also very friendly. Keep checking your BGs two hrs after meals off and on may be once a month. Do so especially after you had a big one. All I can say is I wish I had the wisdom as you have now when I was 40! Wishing you the very best of health, Anil Thank you for the response. I do try to eat lots of greens and citrus fruits (mostly because I like them). I'll keep monitoring things every so often and let my dr know if things take a turn for the worse. I must say it has been helpful reading everybody's posts. > Thank you for the response. I do try to eat lots of greens and citrus > fruits (mostly because I like them). I'll keep monitoring things every > so often and let my dr know if things take a turn for the worse. > > I must say it has been helpful reading everybody's posts. Maybe I missed mention of it -- but do you get regular exercise? bj Stick with the advice you've been given. If you push the doctor hard enough, maybe you can get a diagnosis, and then you'll never be able to get insurance again. Jon > While I am not a doctor, your numbers look healthy. As Roger said you > can get a A!C test done to confirm. You will find that there are home [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > plenty of greens. Fruits like grape fruit and oranges are also very > friendly. Unless they aren't, which they definitely aren't for me. I've had to give them up. > Keep checking your BGs two hrs after meals off and on may be > once a month. Do so especially after you had a big one. And do it after eating an orange before deciding oranges are ok.  SignatureChris Malcolm cam@infirmatics.ed.ac.uk +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205 IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK [http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/] >>While I am not a doctor, your numbers look healthy. As Roger said you >>can get a A!C test done to confirm. You will find that there are home [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Unless they aren't, which they definitely aren't for me. I've had to > give them up. Me, too. Even a teensy portion is bad for me. >>Keep checking your BGs two hrs after meals off and on may be >>once a month. Do so especially after you had a big one. > > And do it after eating an orange before deciding oranges are ok. And don't wait two hours. Susan > I would just add that make sure you eat >> plenty of greens. Fruits like grape fruit and oranges are also very [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > >And do it after eating an orange before deciding oranges are ok. Hi Anil Oranges - all citrus - spike me fast. Check at one hour, or even 45 minutes; you may be in for a nasty surprise. Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia. d&e, metformin 2x500mg SignatureEverything in Moderation - Except Laughter. >> While I am not a doctor, your numbers look healthy. As Roger said you >> can get a A!C test done to confirm. You will find that there are home [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > And do it after eating an orange before deciding oranges are ok. I agree. I'm pre-diabetic too and grapefruit are especially bad. In fact the whole GI classification scheme seems to have little relevance to my glucose spikes as revealed by the meter. : No, I won't eat any more bagels or jam; I just did it to see what it : would do to my bg. I do a little weight lifting and a fair amt of : cardio. No A1c, since dr doesn't seem to feel there's any problem. : Lipids are LDL 107, HDL 80, TRIG 83 TTL 202. Thx. those numbers look hood to me, particularly the HDL's and triglycerides. You may wel be correct in your interpretaion that you are pre-diabetic. By followitn the program yu have lais ut for yourself, you ay well keep from becoming diabetic too! Keep it up and yu may well never get full , frank diabetes. Wendy > No, I won't eat any more bagels or jam; I just did it to see what it > would do to my bg. I do a little weight lifting and a fair amt of > cardio. No A1c, since dr doesn't seem to feel there's any problem. > Lipids are LDL 107, HDL 80, TRIG 83 TTL 202. Thx. Your meal tolerance test looks to me like it shows that you are headed towards pre-diabetes, just as you suspect, but with that 2 hour value, you would test normal on any OGTT a doctor gave you. Plus, your lipids are spectacular, especially the HDL and low triglycerides which are a good sign that your long term control is excellent. So you seem to me, at least, to be in very good shape, and if you eat in a way that keeps your post-meal blood sugars normal you can probably go on for years in excellent shape. --Jenny http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes Diabetes Info http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/newlydiagnosed.htm Get Your Blood Sugar Under Control >Hello, > [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > >Thanks for any guidence/opinions. I think you've described yourself quite accurately as "Prediabetic with Question". The time and duration of those numbers are indicative to me that you should be taking action now to slow down your progression towards frank diabetes. Your lipids, particularly that HDL, aren't bad at all and you have a very good trigs/HDL ratio. In your position I'd continue to read here regularly and keep up the exercise. I'd set up a testing routine for a while, without getting stressed about it, to learn which foods are safe, in what portion sizes, and at what time of day. From the timing of the numbers above, a test an hour after eating should be adequate to show you that. Jennifer's testing advice will give you the info you need, but you don't have to follow it religiously: http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/NewlyDiagnosed.htm I do occasionally eat all of the things you listed - but in very small portions and specific times of day:-) Cheers Alan, T2, Australia. d&e, metformin 2x500mg SignatureI have no medical qualifications beyond my own experience. Choose your advisers carefully, because experience can be an expensive teacher. Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter. Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia. d&e, metformin 2x500mg -- Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter. Yes, I guess I'll keep up the testing within limits since I have to buy the strips myself. However, they're a good investment I guess if they keep me aware of the effects of what I eat. I consider myself pretty lucky since they caught this early. Maybe I can put off having full-blown diabetes for at least a few years. If not, well, at least I'll be doing what I can to stay healthy. Thanks to everyone for the feedback. You are pretty much in the same place I am now--I'm in my 40's, not overweight, family history of diabetes in grandparents and other misc family members, and the same foods spike my BS that spike yours. The biggest difference I can see, is that my FBS is lower, 89 last time I checked, but a bagel would spike my sugar up to 180. I'm following Jennifer's newbie advice, have learned what affects my sugar adversely and pretty much avoid those foods. I walk daily and lift weight 2X week. The only thing I might mention is to be aware of sugars/carbs hidden in foods like salad dressing, etc. Michelle > Here are the results: > fasting 97 [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Thanks for any guidence/opinions. You are on just the right track, but don't be shocked if your doctor isn't interested. Most doctors don't pay attention until you cross a threshhold, and then they tell you you have a big problem. If you adjust your diet to keep your 1 hour after eating under 140 (some people would say under 120), you can postpone crossing that threshhold. Your main problem is your doctor isn't likely to write you a prescription for test strips, and they are expensive. But a little experimentation should give you a better idea how many carbs you can eat per meal without going too high. It will vary depending on exercise and stress. Gretchen Becker has a book on how to keep from progressing to diabetes. Pam t2 since Nov. 2004, diet and exercise (triathlons) Your > main problem is your doctor isn't likely to write you a prescription for > test strips, and they are expensive. Ain't that the truth. Even after diagnosis, I've found I have to periodically generate a bad test result to get taken seriously. My doctors can't get their head around the fact that my excellent numbers are the result of eating no more than 100 grams of carb a day (and rarely that.) After my last endo appointment in October where a certain amount of headshaking went on about why was I wanting to improve control, the endo wanted me to get a non-fasting blood test. I ate one four ounce low fat whole wheat date nut muffin from the local "health food" restaurant and hit the lab an hour later. Blood sugar? 201 mg/dl. It's amazing how much better service I've gotten since then, though the doctor seems convinced that my blood sugar control has "deteriorated greatly" over the past year and that I'm a "type 2 turning into a type 1" (Her remark, not mine!) In fact, with the metformin in me that 201 was about 20 mg/dl less than I was seeing almost 8 years ago with the same carb input, but if thinking I'm deteriorating is what it takes for the endo to help me normalize my blood sugars, I'll take it! > Gretchen Becker has a book on how to keep from progressing to diabetes. All her books are well worth reading! --Jenny http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes Diabetes Info http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/newlydiagnosed.htm Get Your Blood Sugar Under Control > You are on just the right track, but don't be shocked if your doctor > isn't interested. Most doctors don't pay attention until you cross a > threshhold, and then they tell you you have a big problem. Yes, I miss my old doctor. She was the one who took the time to test me and then her assistant took the time to have a long chat with me about the results. This doctor told me it was too bad my FBG wasn't 99 because then I'd be "completely normal" (her words). I'm glad it wasn't 99 because then I would have continued on, clueless, for who knows how long. > Gretchen Becker has a book on how to keep from progressing to diabetes. I read her book and found it really helpful. Her book was where I found out that restricting carbs, or at least some kinds of carbs, might be a good idea. |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.