# Blood sugar levels ...confused!!



## Allisondoc (Jun 28, 2016)

Hi I am type 2 and have been told to take 2 slow release metafomin daily after meals and keep my levels between 6 and 10 . I am confused as my brother is also type 2 and is shocked that I am allowed to go as high as 10 as his doctors is very concerned if he goes above 7 !  (Neither of us are overweight)Looking for advice ,which is correct? Thanks


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## Martin Canty (Jun 28, 2016)

Hi Allison, I can only go by my personal goals; using a normal non-D Blood Glucose as my target. Looks like your GP has put you on a fairly typical T2 set of goals.

I look for my FBG to be between 4 & 5, accepting that it may go as high as 6.

Post meal is a different matter (for me) as I'm on a LCHF Way of Eating but I can accept anything less than 8. What you don't want to do is have spikes of more than 2-3 MMol 2 hours post meal.


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## Randall Hopkirk (Jun 29, 2016)

I'm surprised your GP is this lenient too. They normally try to get T2 diabetics to 6.5 (in old money) or lower. I'd move to your brothers surgery first and then look into reversing you diabetes with a low-carb, high-fat diet (LCHF), assuming there are no other health complications.


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## Northerner (Jun 29, 2016)

Allisondoc said:


> Hi I am type 2 and have been told to take 2 slow release metafomin daily after meals and keep my levels between 6 and 10 . I am confused as my brother is also type 2 and is shocked that I am allowed to go as high as 10 as his doctors is very concerned if he goes above 7 !  (Neither of us are overweight)Looking for advice ,which is correct? Thanks


Hi Allisondoc, welcome to the forum  How long have you been diagnosed? If recently, it may be that your doctor is setting you realistic initial targets - getting levels under good control is something that can take a while as you become familiar with how different meals affect you and tailor your diet accordingly.


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## bilbie (Jun 29, 2016)

This may help with blood testing
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php

As well as BG this may help to work out how much carb will work for you, I found when I reduced sugars and starches, I needed to replace the lost energy with some proteins and full fat
https://www.verywell.com/how-much-carbohydrate-is-right-for-you-2242035


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## HOBIE (Jun 29, 2016)

Good luck & welcome to the forum


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## pav (Jun 29, 2016)

Welcome to the forum. Unfortunately a lot of doctors and diabetic nurses consider 10.0 is ok when its not ok. The guide lines show 8.5 is the max to aim  for even then a lot of people consider 8.5 is to high as a target. Had many discussions with my GP practice as I hit the teens and paid the price for it  , some GP's don't think running that high has any bad side effects, when in fact for me it does.


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## Martin Canty (Jun 29, 2016)

Instant DX for me with a FBG of 14, my last bloodwork came back with 6.3, which indicated high (but my Dr. is very pleased with the progress, particularly as my a1c was 36.6).... He is encouraging me to continue with the control..... He didn't give me much of a lecture, just some advice. Another doctor I saw (for my Commercial Driver Medical) gave me a lecture in no uncertain terms about what the end result of constant high BG would be.



pav said:


> GP's don't think running that high has any bad side effects


I cannot see why on earth any GP would think that, the complications of diabetes are well known.... there are quite a few people in our (small) town missing limbs & with other complications because of complications caused  by constant high BG levels. Quite seriously, the higher the BG levels, the more toxic it is to us.... Simple!!!


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## pav (Jun 29, 2016)

Martin Canty said:


> I cannot see why on earth any GP would think that, the complications of diabetes are well known.... there are quite a few people in our (small) town missing limbs & with other complications because of complications caused  by constant high BG levels. Quite seriously, the higher the BG levels, the more toxic it is to us.... Simple!!!



My old GP practice most of the doctors did not have a clue about diabetes care, and it took a HCA (who knew a lot about diabetes) to give one a boot up the back side saying my levels needed to come down.

My current one since the decent DN left a good while ago has been running without an experienced DN and the doctors don't appear to understand the complications high levels can cause. One doc did listen to me and referred me to hospital for insulin control and the hospital team refused to accept me as I was below what they would accept, had a couple of run ins with them and they then wrote to the doc with suggested med changes which did not work for long and sky rocketed in levels, in the end was put back on my old meds.

At my last diabetic appointment after several years of asking to be put on insulin, the nurse threatened me with, saying i would be on insulin if can't get levels sorted out. Doh if she read the notes its what I have been asking for all this time. Due to have blood tests for other things in July so will ask them if they can slip in a HbA1c test in with the tests.


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## Mark Parrott (Jul 1, 2016)

I find it confusing that GP's aren't worried about high BG levels.  If that is the case, what's the point of Metformin & other BG lowering pills if high BG is fine?


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## pav (Jul 1, 2016)

High BG is far from being fine, its causes so many problems as I found out over time. From my own experiences the docs know the symptoms of diabetes and get one diagnosed in most cases and that's about the end of their knowledge. After diagnosis they pass you on to the diabetic team be it in house or via the hospital. What they don't seam aware of is the damage running at high levels like above 8.5 and the teens is just as bad as someone who has levels in the 20's.

In my area the diabetic teams knowledge varies greatly from little to a top service and help, I left my previous docs as their latest DN was a dictator, she did not want to know how diabetes was affecting the individual, and was treated as a number and all the same. All the conversation was one way from her.

I moved to a practice that had one of the best DN in the area and was getting me sorted out, then she moved and the diabetic quality fell through the floor espec if like me, as so temperamental with the meds and how they work one day and not the next day and can be meds intolerant, probably a nightmare to the docs how I react to some meds.

Unless one is self driven about ones diabetes, its so easy to slip through the net, espec now as in my area you used to get calls or letters that reviews are due, now its mainly your own responsibility to make all the appointments. Think now the only one you get a appointment sent to you is the eye photography done at the hospital and in my area that has only recently been done at the hospital, up until then mine was done at the opticians.

I know of one diabetic, that was constantly running in the 20's + and as they were not self motivated in their care slipped through the net of the doctors screening. Yet at the time they had experienced no problems or felt they had no problems unlike myself who seams to be affected as soon as levels rise above 10.0. After gentle prodding they have started taking an interest at least enough to get their levels back down to more realistic  levels.


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## Lilian (Jul 1, 2016)

When I started on insulin from running high blood glucose, the nurse told me that she wanted my targets to go down gradually because if she set a low target straight away it could do damage to my eyes.


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## Northerner (Jul 2, 2016)

Lilian said:


> When I started on insulin from running high blood glucose, the nurse told me that she wanted my targets to go down gradually because if she set a low target straight away it could do damage to my eyes.


Hi @Lilian , welcome to the forum  Yes, this is advice I have heard many times - lowering levels more gradually creates less stress on the tiny blood vessels of the eyes and kidneys, so patience is definitely a virtue!


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## Rosaline (Dec 16, 2016)

Hi !  I am confused too!
I was diagnosed last April with HBA1c  level at 53, and placed into  the regime for Diabetics type 2 .  Went on the course and given all the doom and gloom of the prospects.
My first test was not a fasting test (indeed was shortly after a good breakfast), I had to ask for a fasting test  and almost amazingly got exactly the same level.
I embarked on a diet regime so by the time I came up for retest I had reduced my BMI from 26.3 to 23.4
HbA1c is now 43
Cholesterol 4.8
I have never smoked , have no symptoms ,  and all other routine tests are well within the prescribed limits .

I have a letter from the surgery which says that the above results show that I do not have diabetes  (This following an audit process) I was however invited to one of the places on the prevention program
Before I had time to absorb this sudden change in my diagnosis I received yet another letter.
This one tells me that although my results now show excellent blood glucose control  they cannot change the existing Diabetes diagnosis.

I am struggling to make sense of the results and indeed I don't know whether I am coming or going .
Can anyone help me


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## Martin Canty (Dec 16, 2016)

Hi Ros, the unfortunate fact is that you will always be Diabetic, albeit a well controlled one (congratulations).... If you relax your control your numbers will just start to rise again.


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## Rosaline (Dec 16, 2016)

Is there any possibility that the initial diagnosis could have been wrong, and if so where does that leave me ?


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## trophywench (Dec 16, 2016)

No way could they have both been wrong - absolutely nobody NON diabetic could possibly have a BG as high as your at the outset!!

You really are better off, accepting that, since being on the 'D List' entitles you to have all of the checks that are done for us - which can either spot other potential health concerns or find them quickly enough to actually do something about any of them before it's too late for medical science to help us.  They only do a lot of the tests about once a year, take a maximum of a couple of hours of our time and so are a brilliant safety net.  Retinal screening, for instance - definitely once a year - and a totally different test to an ordinary eyesight test at a normal opthalmologists - plus of course on the D List, in the UK we can have free annual 'normal' eyesight tests too.  Another brilliant safety net - my cataracts were spotted at the ordinary eyesight test, years before I ever had a problem myself with them.  The optician was the one who also instigated my referral to the hospital to have then operated on when it became necessary - and cataracts can happen to anyone  whether D or not - BUT unfortunately having D makes us all a LOT more susceptible to cataracts, and them to grow quicker to the 'needs operating' stage, than for folk without D.  It matters not how fantastic our control is, as far as they are concerned.  Similarly - another common thing - a frozen shoulder.  We aren't more susceptible to these - but if we do happen to get one - instead of taking 6 months to get better - if you also happen to have D - they always take longer - in most cases up to 18 months instead of 6.

See what I mean?


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## Manda1 (Dec 17, 2016)

When I was first diagnosed my target was highest level 10 this was just a temporary  target until my levels came under control and to be honest it felt that ten was OK as I was getting 15 and 17 at the time. Now we are three months on and with medication and diet I usually run at between 4.5 and 7.5 after eating, occasionally 9.2 when have been naughty !


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## Grogg1 (Dec 17, 2016)

I was dx a month ago and was told 10 was a target for next three months.  I was very high (15) but I aimed for 4-6 fasting and below 8 after eating. I've achieved these targets within 2 weeks.  I had a good eye test at optician last week where they photographed eyes etc and was told my eyes look healthy.   I am following low carb diet.  I forgot my metforim last night and still woke on 5.3 so am happy I'm controlling with my diet


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## Rosaline (Dec 17, 2016)

My problem is with the surgery.
Practice Nurses and even the GP with a special interest in Diabetes  all seem unable to answer my questions.
(Then the first blood test was non fasting  so plainly the result will have been skewed.)
Just get a pat on the hand ,, "you are doing well , keep up the good work"
I would rather understand !


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## grovesy (Dec 17, 2016)

Have you had an appointment to discuss with your surgery?


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## pav (Dec 17, 2016)

Rosaline said:


> My problem is with the surgery.
> Practice Nurses and even the GP with a special interest in Diabetes  all seem unable to answer my questions.
> (Then the first blood test was non fasting  so plainly the result will have been skewed.)
> Just get a pat on the hand ,, "you are doing well , keep up the good work"
> I would rather understand !



Unfortunately your not alone with this situation, around me there is def a lack of understanding and any one capable of thinking we are individuals and needed to be treated as such. They think because we have the same illness it every one responds the same way to it


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## trophywench (Dec 17, 2016)

So this was an HbA1c test, or a fingerprick test, or were they sending off a vial of blood merely to get a BG result, ie the same result they could have done themselves with a fingerprick, or what was it?  I don't understand why you'd want it to be 'fasting' for any of those?

It can't possibly by any stretch of the imagination, affect your HbA1c whether it's fasting or after you'd just eaten half a ton of doughnuts.  This test doesn't measure your BG right now, it measures how much glucose has stuck to your red blood cells over the last 10-12 weeks - this can't be affected by your BG right this minute - only what is has been over the past couple of months.

The ONLY blood test you're ever likely to have in companionship with diabetes would be a fasting Lipids tests, so they can measure the HDL and the Trigs properly.  They never measure the LDL anyway,  that's always calculated from the HDL and Trigs figures, so they need to be correctly measured so all the numbers can be relied on.


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## Ditto (Dec 18, 2016)

Welcome to the forum Allison. I shan't add anything else, I'm still learning.


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## SB2015 (Dec 26, 2016)

So what questions do you have.  Perhaps people on here can help you.


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## Ralph-YK (Dec 26, 2016)

I've never had targets. A GP at my old practice & Practice Nurse straight out said I didn't need any. The nurse get anoyed when I tried to get her to do an Action Plan and targets.
I'm on metformin only.


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## Maz2 (Jan 1, 2017)

Rosaline said:


> Is there any possibility that the initial diagnosis could have been wrong, and if so where does that leave me ?


Hi Rosaline.  it won't be wrong.  53 is diabetic.  My Father-in-Law's next door neighbour was diabetic, she has lost about 2 stone in weight and her tests have now gone back to normal. She asked her GP if she was now "not diabetic." He told her she could never be told "not diabetic" once she had been diabetic and they continue to check her.

I was deemed "high risk" last year and sent on a Diabetes Prevention Programme. I asked the Facilitator if they would still check me out if my hba1c should return to normal levels.  She said she thought they probably would because once in "impaired glucose tolerance" they are unlikely to let it go.


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