# HBbA1C Result



## Billychick (Aug 7, 2018)

Hi All, not posted in a while.  Well I finally plucked up the courage to get my HbA1c blood test done (after 6 months of diagnosis).  Just had a call from the Dr - its dropped from 91 to 61 and they are so pleased with me.  I was so nervous when they called and I am still not taking the full 2000 mg of Metformin, am seeing the GP next week for the medication review. Hope you don't mind me sharing this news with you, I am just so glad xx


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## Eddy Edson (Aug 7, 2018)

Congrats! I went from 89 at diagnosis to 57 a few months later a few months later, so pretty much the same.

You'll went to take it lower, but for the moment at least one major medical group thinks you're doing OK. The American College of Physicians came out with controversial new guidance in March recommending a 53 - 64 range (7% - 8%) for most people. https://www.empr.com/news/hba1c-tar...es-association-acp-guidelines/article/749912/

Anyway, that's the little encouragement I gave myself after my 57 / 7.4%.

Side effects putting you off going to 2000 on the Metformin? Have you tried the slow release version?  As far as I can work out, a full Met dose might bring you down by another say 10 points - but my doctor was never very clear on that & I think it's yet another D-thing which varies a lot between different people.


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## Northerner (Aug 7, 2018)

Billychick said:


> Hi All, not posted in a while.  Well I finally plucked up the courage to get my HbA1c blood test done (after 6 months of diagnosis).  Just had a call from the Dr - its dropped from 91 to 61 and they are so pleased with me.  I was so nervous when they called and I am still not taking the full 2000 mg of Metformin, am seeing the GP next week for the medication review. Hope you don't mind me sharing this news with you, I am just so glad xx


Great news Billychick  A good progression in the right direction


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## Martin9 (Aug 7, 2018)

Hi @Billychick , you doing well, try losing weight  and dropping carbs..xx


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## CathyB (Aug 7, 2018)

Well done Billychick, nice work


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## Billychick (Aug 8, 2018)

Thank you all for your kind words.  @ Eddy, I am on slow release Metformin - but they initially played havoc with me, so slowly slowly increasing them.  I will speak to the Dr next week re upping them, but part of me is scared that I will go back to the "bad tummy days" xx


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## Eddy Edson (Aug 8, 2018)

Billychick said:


> Thank you all for your kind words.  @ Eddy, I am on slow release Metformin - but they initially played havoc with me, so slowly slowly increasing them.  I will speak to the Dr next week re upping them, but part of me is scared that I will go back to the "bad tummy days" xx



Good luck - hope yr bod has adjusted itself now.


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## Ljc (Aug 8, 2018)

That is great news, you’ve obviously worked very hard to achieve such good results.


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## Sharron1 (Aug 10, 2018)

Very new to all this and all those meds everyone is talking about... Realise  there is little option but hey...


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## trophywench (Aug 10, 2018)

@Sharron1 - all which meds?  Only metformin being discussed here.  Just because thousands of meds exist and some people are on a lot of different ones because they happen to have other health issues as well - does not mean every person with diabetes will need to also take shedloads of things.

As diagnosed diabetics, we automatically get asked to have all sorts of health checks we'd never even heard of before and hence should our bodies have other little probs - the medics find out about them before we're even aware something else is struggling.  However there's so much we can do ourselves without drugs, like diet exercise and general lifestyle - there are still many T2s of all sorts of ages and duration - who don't need any drugs at all!


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## Sharron1 (Aug 10, 2018)

Many thanks. I think I am over thinking and starting to panic a little. Will stop and go out for a walk.


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## SB2015 (Aug 12, 2018)

Billychick said:


> Hi All, not posted in a while.  Well I finally plucked up the courage to get my HbA1c blood test done (after 6 months of diagnosis).  Just had a call from the Dr - its dropped from 91 to 61 and they are so pleased with me.  I was so nervous when they called and I am still not taking the full 2000 mg of Metformin, am seeing the GP next week for the medication review. Hope you don't mind me sharing this news with you, I am just so glad xx



Well done Billy.  This is great place for you to share this, as we know just how hard you will have worked to achieve such an improvement.


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## Billychick (Aug 28, 2018)

Hi All

I have a question - hope you can help. I had a medication review last week and my GP has kept me on 3 x 500 mg Metformin and has given me Sitagliptin (50mg) to take with the morning Metformin - which sees to working well.  I know that if you are on Glipizide you can get a test machine and all the trimmings on prescription  - it is the same for Sitagliptin?  Many thanks in advance.

Billychick x


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## Martin9 (Aug 28, 2018)

Billychick said:


> Hi All
> 
> I have a question - hope you can help. I had a medication review last week and my GP has kept me on 3 x 500 mg Metformin and has given me Sitagliptin (50mg) to take with the morning Metformin - which sees to working well.  I know that if you are on Glipizide you can get a test machine and all the trimmings on prescription  - it is the same for Sitagliptin?  Many thanks in advance.
> 
> Billychick x


As far as I’m aware Sitagliptin like Metformin doesn’t cause hypoglycaemic states, either on its own or used in conjunction with Metformin.
Metformin works by decreasing glucose (sugar) production in the liver and decreasing absorption of glucose by the intestines. Sitagliptin works by regulating the levels of insulin your body produces after eating.
However Glicazide works in different ways and can cause hypoglycaemic states.

However you could still try to make a case for a machine with your GP, I hope you have one already as if you don’t might well be the reason for needing another medication added.

Are you following a LCHF diet as is generally advised on this forum, it worked for me, but perhaps not for others as we are all different.

Anyway hope the medication changes help bring your BG levels under control
Kind Regards
M.


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## trisha53 (Aug 28, 2018)

Billychick said:


> Hi All, not posted in a while.  Well I finally plucked up the courage to get my HbA1c blood test done (after 6 months of diagnosis).  Just had a call from the Dr - its dropped from 91 to 61 and they are so pleased with me.  I was so nervous when they called and I am still not taking the full 2000 mg of Metformin, am seeing the GP next week for the medication review. Hope you don't mind me sharing this news with you, I am just so glad xx


Well done Billychick.


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## Amigo (Aug 28, 2018)

A very good drop! Well done!


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## Diabetes UK (Aug 30, 2018)

Billychick said:


> Hi All
> 
> I have a question - hope you can help. I had a medication review last week and my GP has kept me on 3 x 500 mg Metformin and has given me Sitagliptin (50mg) to take with the morning Metformin - which sees to working well.  I know that if you are on Glipizide you can get a test machine and all the trimmings on prescription  - it is the same for Sitagliptin?  Many thanks in advance.
> 
> Billychick x



Hi Billychick, really great to hear your news and thank you for sharing 

As @Martin9 has rightly said, the way gliptins (like Sitagliptin) work,  means that it does not carry risk of hypoglycemia _unless_ taken in combination with a Sulphonylureas , so with Metformin, the risk is not a concern.

However, whether you should be prescribed a BG monitor is something that should be considered in terms of whether it will be clinically beneficial to you and not just based on whether you have a risk of hypoglycemia. Therefore, as Martin has said, it is still worth having a conversation with your healthcare team and putting a case forward. 

Feel free to take a look at the support pack we have about accessing BG monitors and strips on prescription: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/how_we_...cks/availability-of-blood-glucose-test-strips


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## Cowgirl_232 (Aug 30, 2018)

Billychick said:


> Hi All, not posted in a while.  Well I finally plucked up the courage to get my HbA1c blood test done (after 6 months of diagnosis).  Just had a call from the Dr - its dropped from 91 to 61 and they are so pleased with me.  I was so nervous when they called and I am still not taking the full 2000 mg of Metformin, am seeing the GP next week for the medication review. Hope you don't mind me sharing this news with you, I am just so glad xx




Thats so amazing! Mines currently at 136 !


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## Drummer (Aug 30, 2018)

For the lucky type twos a low carb diet means normal numbers with no medication.
Its not me that's wrong it is the modern diet.


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## Martin9 (Aug 30, 2018)

I’ve got normal numbers with low carb and Metformin and almost 2 stone weight loss @Drummer and indeed it is the modern diet that we are encouraged to eat, that sets up the problem for us.
I hope perhaps in the future to try no meds, but for now fairly happy to take Metformin to keep BG s within the normal range...


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## Billychick (Nov 12, 2018)

Morning All - hope you can help. I am starting a Keto Diet today and wondered if anyone had any good/bad results on this.  Any info would be very much appreciated.


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## Sharron1 (Nov 12, 2018)

Billychick said:


> Hi All, not posted in a while.  Well I finally plucked up the courage to get my HbA1c blood test done (after 6 months of diagnosis).  Just had a call from the Dr - its dropped from 91 to 61 and they are so pleased with me.  I was so nervous when they called and I am still not taking the full 2000 mg of Metformin, am seeing the GP next week for the medication review. Hope you don't mind me sharing this news with you, I am just so glad xx


Congrats you must be delighted. Carry on with the good work!


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## SkinnyLiz (Nov 12, 2018)

You must have worked hard to make it drop so far.  Whatever you are doing its working


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