Hi everyone,I just had my A1C checked today,I’ve been on a pump for two weeks and it went down from 8.5 to 8.1 in two weeks!.and no cheating(hypos).
and I’ve noticed that the first time I was diagnosed.My A1C was 15 at initial diagnoses. 8.7 a month later.and 2 months after that it was 7.1 ,my lowest ever.never gotten past 8 after that.
It’s quite mind boggling,I know the whole red-cells-three-months-lifespan fact.I’m guessing that if I have three tests in three months,they give the average for the last 3 months as in :
[(first month A1c)+(second month A1c )]/2 .give or take.
so I was just wondering,how fast-and how much-does your A1C drop\rise?
Since some red blood cells die before 3 months and are replaced, A1C is not a true average of the last 3 months but is skewed toward you latest blood sugar levels. Thus if your daily readings are improving your A1C may improve faster than expected.
I’ve seen it jump > a point but that was also when I was getting maybe 2 tests/ year and also making very significant changes to my insulin regimen 1) with no medical guidance 2) no book, as it was before I learned about John Walsh and Gary Scheiner and 3) no message boards as it was before I did that. I had been ranging like 5.8-6.2 after I’d started seeing a GP after taking maybe 5 or 8 years off of really seeing the doctor at all (long story…thank you Walgreens though!) and then my A1C jumped to 7.7 as I cut my insulin back (along with eating less, not diabulemia by any means but not really the direction I wanted to go…) and started working out 5-6 nights/ week and running my BG up to 180-200 before hand to anticipate the drops. The doc was concerned as was I but, when I asked for a pump (which the GP had faithfully asked me about every time for several years…), he sent me off to an endo and I switched to pumping and things really fell into place for me.
Because of the “general” nature of the A1C test, I don’t think there’s a huge value to frequent A1Cs although my current doc has requested a 3 month f/u one with no doctor visit required unless it’s way out of whack. Did you just get a pump though? If you got a pump because you are looking to improve your numbers, it would be one way to keep track of your progress but your pump should tell you AVG bg and compile Standard Deviation numbers, both of which will allow you to perceive something close to what your A1C would be, if expressed differently?
2 tests a year,I do it every month,but now I see why,I always drop\rise quickly,in a very unexpected pattern,as in the time before the last,I thought I was doing pretty well but in one month it shot from 8.1 to 8.5 .no apparent reason.
very funny,the comment about diabulimia,I’d have never guessed if you were.you seem like a pretty straight diabetic to me .I know we’d never change my insulin regimen based on A1C,but it’s a nice way to show off ;d .
and how would my pump tell me the numbers,I haven’t had the CGMS yet,until then,I need something to back my fingerstick readings.Good idea though,I’ve never thought of CGMS readings averaged out and compare it to an A1C!.
thank you “AcidRock”-what a catchy name :D-,I always do enjoy reading your feedback.
I change my insulin all the time but not usually b/c of A1C, more b/c of bg fluctuations or diet changes. I just tossed the DB out there as it may appear “less insulin, worse BG, losing weight, eeek!” But it was really a plan that has worked very nicely in the long run. You don’t get many points here “showing off” as you will just rouse the “A1C suxx” posse. I was anything but “straight” when I was younger but used insulin like something you’d have bought in the parking lot at a Grateful Dead concert for a l o n g time.
AVG bg is available through “utilities” on yr pump. If you can get the carelink setup, that will compile the numbers into a bunch of reports that can help you see where you can make adjustments, for example if you are running up after lunch every day (and carb counting is good, etc.) I would adjust my carb/insulin ratio a click?
I down load my fingerstick readings to my computer and use software from my meter manufacturer to figure averages and standard deviations. I then use a website to convert my average to an A1C. Since I test fairly frequently this A1c estimate is usually very close.
good for you!,my average on my meter is 148.which is in A1C numbers is around 6 ,my actual A1C is 8.2,I think there might me highs right after a meal that’s causing the problem.
Hey…that’s great news! The A1C is weighted towards the last 30 days, as others mentioned, meaning they count more towards the A1C. I always avoid January appts for that reason, ha ha.
.I know we’d never change my insulin regimen based on A1C,but it’s a nice way to show off ;d .