Recently Diagnosed as Prediabetes. Need Help!

Hello everyone this is my first post here honestly i don’t even know where to begin so please forgive my boring post.
Some stuff about me:

19 yrs old male
104 kilograms
174 cm

Well what got me to get tested for diabetes is quite funny i think. all started with my first time having a sexual intercourse last october when i was 18. I had a hard time maintaining my erection. But i thought it was something psychological so i didn’t mind it at all. But after 3 more unsuccessfull attempts (january, april, august respectively) i realized that something was not right and decided to get a diabetes test because i was around 110 kilograms at that time and i immediately suspected diabetes.

At 02.sept.15 i recieved my blood test results and was diagnosed with pre-diabetes. Here are the results;

Insulin resistance : 4.43
Insulin (when hungry) ; 21.1
Glucose : 84 mg/dl

Doctor said the normal level for insulin resistance should be below 2.7 and perscribed me with a medicine called Glucophage . She recommended losing some weight by exercise and diet. To be honest’ i completely ignored the exercise part but I used this medicine along with a healthy diet and lost 7 kilograms. After around 2 months i finished all the glucophage pills i had by early november ( took 2 pills per day) and i didn’t use it for two weeks. After two weeks i got tested again to see if i made any progress and apparently it only got worse.

After losing 7 kilograms and using glucophage for 2 months i have

5.73 insulin resistance
24,41 insulin (when hungry)
94 mgdl glucose
And 5,54 HBA1C (dont know what this is)

These results are from 21.11.15

Note that the results above are tested after 2 weeks of no glucophage.

So yeah…ive lost all my hope. Ive read it online that i can reverse prediabetes but so far my efforts have all failed/made it even worse. My questions are;

1-What am i doing wrong? How can my insulin resistance greatly increase despite taking meds and losing weight?

2- can these levels of sugar cause erectile dysfunction? Its not a full dysfunction but im like 80 percent hard of what i used to be. And i lose that during sex.(sorry if this is out of topic)

3- in january 2015 a large vein appeared on my penis and it’s been there ever since, could this mean that the veins are damaged by prediabetes? (this is probably out of topic aswell but im really desperate you guys)

And most importantly, can i actually reverse this or its just a myth? I mean after 2 months of diet and meds and losing weight i just feel completely desperate right now and this already ruined my relationship with 2 girls. Some people say these sugar levels are too low to cause erectile dysfunction but online sites say prediabetes can cause ed.

What is going on with me people? I feel like im losing my mind. Im scared of my prediabetes developing into type 2 and i want to do something about it before its too late.

Please forgive my use of language as im not a native speaker.
Thank you for taking your time.

Oh, my. There is a lot to cover here. I’m going to take your questions somewhat out of order. I know others will have a lot to say, also.

First, in the interest of full disclosure, I must say that I don’t believe in the label “pre-diabetes”. As far as I am concerned, there is no such thing. Either the body can maintain normal blood sugar without assistance, or it can’t. Being a “little bit” diabetic is like being a “little bit” pregnant. Either you are, or you aren’t.

The HbA1c test (usually referred to simply as “A1c”) is one of the most important diagnostic tests we have. It indicates what your average blood glucose level has been for the past 90 days or so. As such, it is more meaningful than a single point-in-time measurement since that can fluctuate constantly throughout the day. Your A1c reading is higher than normal, but not severely so. Many people reading this would be pleased to have a number that low. So your diabetes does appear mild, up to now. As time goes by, however, it will take work and attention on your part to keep it that way.

Sexual dysfunction is one of the possible complications of diabetes, though it is not the most common one. Especially for a case as mild as yours is right now, diabetes is only one of many possible causes. You should have your doctor look into this; it could be due to something completely unconnected with diabetes.

You should also get tested to determine what type of diabetes you have. Given the numbers you quoted, it is most likely to be Type 2. But “likely” is not proof. Your doctor should run the tests to find out. You need to know exactly what you are dealing with before you can make the right choices to manage it successfully.

Finally–and this is very important–there is no way to “reverse” diabetes. Period. Full stop. The world is full of salesmen who will tell you that there is. It just isn’t true. There are ways–very effective ways–to keep it under control so that you can live a normal life just like anyone else. But “reverse”? No. For at least half a century, we have been told that “a cure is only 5 years away”. it hasn’t happened yet.

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Thank you for your helpful reply sir i appreciate it. I see there is no going back to the way it was before.May i ask what are those effective ways to at least delay the effects of diabetes? Im under glucophage and a fairly strict diet but those only made it worse so far. I want to be in control but im making things worse… Can someone advice me with few tips? And isn’t it medically impossible for diabetes to advance if you are losing weight and using metformin? I suspect my blood results are off.

I am diagnosed as Type 2 by the way, with current symptomps being slight ED and blurry eyes(long distance)

I agree w @David_dns. You might want to think about asking for the antibody tests to rule out that you don’t have LADA, which is type1 diagnosed as an adult. @Melitta explains what these tests are here

and please check your blood yourself at home and keep a diary of the results.

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I am not familiar with the situation where you live, but here it is very common for people to be incorrectly diagnosed as Type 2 when they are really Type 1. The difference matters very much because the proper treatments are different. That’s why it is so important to have a correct diagnosis.

The reason this happens is that traditionally, Type 1 was usually seen in children and Type 2 in adults. So, many (probably most) doctors are conditioned to assume that when an adult presents symptoms of diabetes, they must be Type 2. However, in the diabetes epidemic that exists in today’s world, those guidelines just do not work any longer. We are seeing Type 2 earlier and earlier in childhood, and Type 1 at almost any age. So a confirmed diagnosis is critically important.

Glucophage is a drug that stimulates the pancreas to produce extra insulin. It is only used to treat Type 2; it is basically useless for Type 1. The fact that your test results have apparently gotten worse since starting it is one reason why your diagnosis needs to be confirmed.

A definitive diagnosis for Type 1 is made by testing the blood for certain antibodies that are specific to Type 1. If the antibodies are present, you have Type 1. If they are not, you almost certainly do not. But without the tests, you’re just guessing. Treatment should not be based on guesswork.

Diabetes can be very well controlled with the knowledge and treatments that are available now. The situation is dramatically better than it was even 15 or 20 years ago, and progress is being made constantly. The basic formula involves diet, exercise, and medication; but the exact combination that works best will vary from individual to individual. Each case is specific and each person’s physiology reacts differently.

A good place to begin learning is right here at TuDiabetes. Ask specific questions about what people eat, how they exercise, how their doctors are treating them, etc., etc. We in this community are here for one purpose: to help each other. Every type of diabetes is represented here, and almost any conceivable combination of symptoms. Browse the different categories in this forum and ask questions. People will respond, I guarantee. By learning what has worked for others with cases similar to yours, you can start to develop lifestyle and treatment strategies that are effective for you. It’s mostly done by trial and error, I’m afraid. :wink:

You might want to drop in to the chat room occasionally, too. Sometimes what we need most is not a specific discussion about treatments, but simply to make contact with someone else who is dealing with the same things we are and understands what it is like.

There are also some very good books available that can give you much valuable information. This is a good one to start with: Think Like A Pancreas by Gary Scheiner. Gary is a Certified Diabetes Educator and extremely knowledgeable. He also does a live interview here on TuDiabetes every other month. Although he is himself Type 1, he works with all types of patients and the book is full of information that is relevant to all types.

We’re glad you found us–you’ve come to the right place! Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing.

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Thanks for the heads up people! I will be getting a new blood test done this saturday to see if im actually type 2 or type 1 with a new doctor. I will post back the results as soon as i get them. Did a little research about type 1 aswell and guess it has less problems compared to type 2 so i might aswell get lucky on this one :smile: one last thing though, could these levels cause eye blur at distance? i forgot to mention that my eyes got a little blurry at mid-long distances since june of 14.

Thanks everyone!

That is possible. My diagnosis originally came about because my vision was blurring and I could not understand why. However, my blood sugar was much much higher than yours is now. But as mentioned, everyone’s body behaves differently.

One point has not been made that I think offers you some hope, @glitter148. A landmark diabetes study, known as the Diabetes Complications and Control Trial, or simply DCCT, back in the 1990’s showed that improved control makes it possible to arrest and possibly even reverse symptoms of secondary diabetes complications. I have witnessed reversal of some secondary diabetes symptoms first-hand.

Bottom-line, the sooner you can restore your blood glucose levels to a more normal state, the better you’ll feel. Have hope, this is not a pipe-dream.

Do everything you can do get a definitive diagnosis. Sometimes doctors can let their ego and hubris get in the way. Persistence is your best friend. I highly recommend that you review Mellita’s info; she has this territory down cold.

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Terry makes a very important point: there is a major distinction between reversing symptoms, and reversing diabetes itself. When blood sugar is well controlled, symptoms and complications can indeed often be reversed.

Hi -

I was diagnosed as Type 1 at age 57 and while I had other symptoms as well, both ED and blurry vision were on the list. If you actually have Type 1, your immediate situation can go down hill very quickly. In my case, I had a fasting blood glucose of 140 in November. Six weeks later, I tested at 425. Perhaps even more to the point, the prior year I had an A1c test which must have been the result of complaining about vague symptoms. The result was an A1c of 5.4 on which my doctor noted “no diabetes”. Primary care physicians are notoriously poor at dealing with unusual cases of diabetes. I would try to see an endocrinologist if you can get an appointment - especially if you continue to have problems with your vision or you’re positive for antibodies.

Good Luck,

Maurie

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Just for reference–

A1c values for normal, non diabetic, non obese, non pregnant individuals tend to cluster in the mid to high fours (4.5, 4.6, etc.). A value in the mid fives indicates that something is wrong.

For what it’s worth, from the lab that does A1c:

When using Hemoglobin A1c as a diagnostic tool for the
detection of diabetes the interpretive guidelines recommended
by the American Diabetes Association are as follows:
Hemoglobin A1c of 5.7 - 6.4%: increased risk of diabetes
Hemoglobin A1c of >=6.5%: diagnostic for diabetes
In the absence of unequivocal hyperglycemia, the diagnosis
of diabetes based on a Hemoglobin A1c level should be
confirmed by repeat testing.
Diabetes Care, Volume 33, Supplement 1, January 2010,
pages S11-S13.

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(1)
An insulin value of 21 to 24 uIu/mL when hungry is HIGH. His pancreas is producing a LOT of insulin.
The Insulin resistance number in his first test = 4.43 is known as the “HOMA-IR” number.

where
"HOMA-IR" = BG * Insulin / 405
(fasting test)

A non-insulin-resistant person will show HOMA-IR <1.5

A normal value of fasting insulin for a healthy person is 5 uIu/mL
A typical value 1 hour after a meal with moderate (50g) carbs is >30.

His pancreas is producing a LOT of insulin. This is NOT the hallmark of type 1.
HE HAS INSULIN RESISTANCE.

(2)
He says he ate a “Healthy Diet”. If this “Healthy Diet” included a lot of carbs and “healthy grains”, then it was a CRAPPY DIET. I’m sorry there are no two ways about it.

The Diabetic and Dietetics industry advice for the past several decades’, to eat “healthy grains” and >200g carbs a day for people with diabetes is borderline criminal.

The amount of carbs a person can tolerate varies widely; even among healthy people. It depends on genetics, epigenetics, exercise levels, etc.

The only way for the original poster to find out how much his body can tolerate is to use a blood sugar meter. The right way is to measure one hour and 2 hours after meals. The reading at 1 hour should be <140 and at 2 hours should be <120. If he exceeds this he had too many carbs.

But he doesn’t even need to do the above. He just needs to cut WAY back on the carbs.
Here is some advice I’ve given to several friends who have used it successfully

  1. cut out all sugary drinks including fruit juice
  2. cut out all pastries
  3. cut out all processed and junk food including breakfast cereals (ugh)
  4. cut out all wheat sources (bread, pasta)
  5. cut out most sweet fruit - only acceptable fruit are berries, avocados, sour fruit, and green bananas
  6. switch to stevia drops or xylitol (if tolerated) to sweeten coffee/tea or fresh lemonade
  7. only starchy sources should be potatoes, other tubers, white rice, in small amounts - only half a cup, for 2 meals a day (that’s 30-50g starchy carbs per meal)
  8. have a large zero-carb breakfast (initially… later you can shrink your zero-carb breakfast)
  9. Eat an early dinner with no late-night calories at all - this is important to get a 12 hour overnight fast … it helps your insulin resistance by way of your circadian clock
  10. EAT MORE FAT so you can go 4-6 hours between meals … animal fat, avocados, olive and coconut oil. Coconut oil is especially good because it tends to reduce hunger, and is converted by the body into fuel for the brain, which reduces sugar cravings.
  11. Avoid using industrially processed seed oils aka “vegetable oil” for cooking, and don’t eat fried food in restaurants because they use this toxic crap. Use lard or avocado oil for frying, real butter at low temperature for sauteeing veggies
  12. Eat a lot of veggies… btw squash is a reasonable substitute for potatoes
  13. If you need snacks, eat nuts that aren’t cooked in crap oil e.g. canola (check the labels), but NOT peanuts (which are a legume), and 80% chocolate. An even better “snack” if you can tolerate it, is 2 tbsp coconut oil. It kills hunger pangs.
  14. other legumes (beans, lentils) are OK for some people in moderate amounts and IF properly soaked before cooking
  15. take in some prebiotics (raw potato powder, green bananas in a smoothie, cooked or raw onions) and other high prebiotic foods (artichokes, asparagus, beets)… if you do the raw potato powder (“Bob’s Red Mill Potato Starch”), increase SLOWLY til 3 tbsp/day in cold water, as tolerated.
  16. Supplement with L-Glutamine powder like some bodybuilders do. It reduces sugar cravings.
  17. Don’t skimp on Glucophage (Metformin). Ask your doctor to let you increase dosage slowly up to the max, and back off if you get GI symptoms. The best form of Metformin is “delayed release” (which is even better than “extended release”, if you can get it.
  18. There are other nutrients which help insulin resistance, if he’s lacking in them. The good news is if he eats a lot of grains and cuts them out and eats more nutrient dense foods and vegetables instead, he will get them
  19. Nutrient dense foods include liver, shellfish, and oily/fatty fish

The first objective is to get his body used to burning fat for fuel. It’s a “reset” for his metabolism. The signs are:

  • loss of sugar and starch craving
  • 70%-75% chocolate seems pleasantly sweet instead of just bitter, and is nice as dessert
  • reduced hunger
  • ability to go >4 hours between meals with zero calories in between.
  • fasting insulin is <7
  • the fat will begin melting off with no effort

BEFORE he gets to this state, heavy exercise is NOT recommended because it will increase carb cravings. AFTER he reaches this state then heavy exercise is HIGHLY recommended (weight training, and short “high intensity interval” cardio.) No need to even watch the scale or count calories.

If the OP has the discipline, I would recommend a KETOGENIC (zero starch, moderate protein, high fat) diet for a few months, to “reset” his metabolism very quickly. (Ketogenic diets are showing to have potential harm if done for more than several months)

The good news for the OP is that Insulin Resistance is very manageable and mostly reversible. Especially that he’s at the stage where his morning glucose is still low, and his pancreas is still capable of putting out a lot of insulin. And he will feel a lot better. He just needs to WANT to feel better and have the discipline to change his habits. After his habits change, and he feels better, he will not want to go back. That’s been my experience.

GOOD LUCK

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