The A1C is so varied depending on what time of the month you do it etc. so it is that exact. I wouldn’t freak out too much with that number. We had several threads on this and too many people freak about about a few decimals. You should be going by your testing numbers more. The A1C can often be inaccurate average of your TRUE results. It isn’t perfect - just like our meters aren’t perfect.
I had my A1C tested today - 5.1 from 5.6. I totally expected it to be in the sixes because I have been eating more and i know I had some higher numbers than last time so I was surprised. That said, my TRUE A1C may be higher than this - it depends on how those cells die off. Put it off by a week and you could get a number difference of several decimals points.
I am glad you are checking into the possibility that you may have slow-onset Type 1 diabetes. There is actually “autoimmune gestational diabetes”–an article in the July 2007 issue of Diabetes Care indicated that autoimmune gestational diabetes (new onset Type 1 diabetes) accounts for about 10 percent of all Caucasian women diagnosed with gestational diabetes. The British Diabetes Association, Diabetes UK, states, “About five to ten percent of women with GDM develop Type 1 diabetes sometime in their life. These women have a slowly developing form of Type 1 that is ‘unmasked’ during pregnancy.” If in fact you have slow-onset Type 1, the only way to preserve beta cells is to be on intensive insulin therapy, and many people can preserve beta cells for many many years that way.
Getting C-peptide & GAD antibody tests is what’s needed. Hope you’re successful in convincing your doctor. Some people present clear for diagnosis, others don’t without testing. Far too many are misdiagnosed based on age/weight.
Metformin helps with insulin resistance, if you are T2, as the others have said. It’s not the body getting used to Metformin that leads to higher doses, but futher deterioration of the pancreas requiring higher doses & finding the dose that’s correct. The goal is having good BG by whatever means it takes. If you’re T2, pushing your pancreas harder to produce more insulin will result in problems for beta cells.
If your doc refuses the tests, do try Metformin to see if it helps any. May be process of elimination if it doesn’t work. Ask for extended release & you don’t want generic Metformin.
Why don’t you just demand copies of your labs now? Even if you have to pay for them. It might be the only way you will get any answers. It bothers me that doctors are so weird with the records now. My last doctor wanted me to pay $20 for my records - and I only saw him once! There my reports of my body - they should belong to me, not the doctors office. They just trying to make more money.
Let us know what your c-peptide is and we can tell you!
If he was a good doctor, he would explain WHY you are a Type 2 and explain the results. Mine did - than again I bugged the hell out of him by asking a zillion questions (because honeslty they aren’t going to tell you anything unless you ask!)
I must say though my numbers were higher than yours when I was DX - FSG = 205 and A1C 9.2 - I did eat a lot of carbs though but still the fasting was a lot higher than yours are. And my c-peptide was 12 which is normal - I make plenty of insulin. So I am doubting that your numbers are warrant for insulin. I really think that Metformin will be the best way to go. See if it helps you out and if not you didn’t lose anything and at least you tried it and you will know what doesn’t work.
I haw my tests done at the hospital and after a couple of weeks I call to tell them I want my test records go in and they hand me them with a smile. If the dr uses the hospital to run the tests they will give them to you!
True. This latest doctor was a small practice (and expensive too). I was able to get my records faxed for free from the doctor before that because it was a clinic but if you want them for yourself you have to pay $15!. Funny I used to work in Medical Records in a big hosptial and it was always free copies for doctors and the patient, the only ones we charged were lawyers. Might have changed though - that was over 10 years ago I worked there.
They should always be free for the patient. Why the doctors act like the records belong to them it is ridiculous? I often think they don’t want the patients to see their labs etc because they might catch the doctors on slip-ups (like we on here would do!)
lol yes I go in there everytime with a notepad full of questions but he always seems to be rushing me out of the room…I will def not care if I feel rushed at this next appt and will demand specific answers.
Wow yes I have read that 50% of women with gestational diabetes will go on to later develop type 2 and with each passing year your chances increase. I was on metformin my last 3 months of pregnancy.
Total not net. You can go to his website and sign up for his monthly blogcast. It’s the last wednesday of the month. But with thanksgiving I haven’t heard yet about this months. You can email questions tho it’s not real time if you don’t get it in soon enough it will have to wait till next time lots of good info!
You need a copy of your c-peptide. Remember this number needs to be evaluated along with your fasting glucose number.
Forget about your family history for now. Deal with your situation - your labs, your physical appearance, do you have any autoimmune conditions,your age.
Things to look at on your labs:
your lipid panel. How high is your triglycerides?
your blood pressure - is it normal?
Those two questions along with where your c-peptide is may give you a clue about IF you have insulin resistance.
When I took metformin I took it along with meals by breaking up a regular one in pieces - then taking a piece with my meal. You can NOT do this with extended. My problem has been going up when I eat.
It worked somewhat then I went off of it and my GP let me go on Levemir (background insulin - not a perfect solution but it’s been my best so far). I don’t have a high fasting. That is normal for me, I don’t have insulin resistance (I’ve have insulin levels during the oral glucose tolerance test done). I do have other autoimmune conditions but I am negative for antibodies for T1. I’m listed as T2. My brother is more classic T2. I take the Levemir 2 units in the am and 2 in the afternoon - none for nighttime.
Guess what I am saying is you need to figure out you. My system won’t work for many/most people.
Your labs & if you need to get more labs will tell the truth Heck, I had a specialist tell me my iron stores couldn’t be low but she tested them only to find out they are in the basement. Speculation will only get ya so far.
I am 23 years old. My cholesterol is perfect it’s actually low and my good cholesterol is very high. My blood pressure is low, about 90-100/60 and yes I do have an autoimmune disease- Hashimotos Hypothyroid.
How do you like being on insulin?? Do you have a lot of hypos? Haven’t thought about some of the things you have said…thanks!
I think I’ll take another bet you are not classic T2. Ok, I would stand out in a thunderstorm holding a lighting rod doing the ‘Singing in the Rain’ dance.
Ok, maybe not that extreme but you fit the LADA profile much more than T2.
Second day on insulin - this April (I started with only one unit in the am). Heaven is the only word I can use. I felt like me again. I metered everything and slowly worked up to 4 total units a day. My A1c was 5.6 (think that was it) before starting with a FBS around 90. Sounds like no need for insulin but when I would ‘break’ on food I was going in 250+ (not greater than 300). I’m a bouncer - meaning I still have insulin but my system doesn’t have first phase response and then it over reacts causing me to bounce up and down with my glucose after eating. This can happen regardless of type for early onset.
Me: BMI 22. BP 110/70 but can be 90/60. Celiac, early onset Psoriasis, thyroid has been out of whack but going gluten free it’s behaving much better now.
Endo said no to the insulin because I don’t have antibodies for T1 - all her T2’s she likes to get off of insulin and she loves things like Junivia (however that is spelled). I didn’t care for the concept of making my system pump out more insulin with the OGTT showed that IR wasn’t my issue. Even if it was, it seems contrary to what makes sense for me. Metformin is the only other solution in my mind. I didn’t want to take more of it since I did have a bad reaction when first diagnosed. (my profile states more)
Back to insulin - hypos really are not an issue for me. Only once did I feel shaky and that was entirely my fault. I was talking to a friend and knew it was coming on and should have done something. I did end up excusing myself and get something to eat. I always carry something with me - it’s not a big deal but on the safe side. I’ve spoken to a friend of mine who knows diabetes much better (Jenny Ruhl, bloodsugar101.com) and I think she might be right… what I am doing is a stop gap. Eventually this won’t work anymore and I’ll go to insulin after meals. Doing what I am doing doesn’t allow you to ‘eat up’ so to speak. But I finally could eat!! Same game but it got me back to a better position.
See a specialist and you may consider NOT telling them any family history at first. That hole is hard to dig out of - once they hear T2 in the family they no longer look for the needle in the haystack
I think you mean regular Metformin and Extended release Metformin. Metformin I believe is the “generic” name for the drug. It comes in two forms:reg and extended.
