I had my 6 month review yesterday and my HBA1c is now 4.9!!! I was stunned! The doctor told me that I’d made his day! Mind you, he said I could do with getting it slightly higher to avoid too many hypos which is a good plan I reckon.
I have to say, I’m very impressed by my diabetes team (I’m looked after by the Jenny O’Neill Diabetes Centre at Derby Royal Infirmary in the UK in case anyone’s interested!). They really take the time to listen and aren’t pushing me to move from animal to human insulin like my old diabetes nurse at my local GP’s surgery was - they just say, “if it works for you, who are we to tell you different?”. Really refreshing!
On another note, I’m taking Metformin to help me lose weight (it lets me reduce the amount of insulin I’m taking and so helps with the weight loss), but does anyone have any idea about alcohol and using this? I’ve been told I can drink in moderation on it which is fine, but with Christmas and New Year coming up I’d really like to have a proper night out!! Would I be able to stop taking it maybe a few days before I’m planning on drinking then restart it after the night out maybe? I’d be interested to hear your opinions.
Congrats! That’s a fabulous achievement. You have obviously linked up with a terrific diabetes team. I’ve made 4.9 only once in my life, and hover between 5 and 5.2 most of the time. But you are right, living at that level significantly increases the risk of hypos, and I’ve come to realize in my old age that I’m better off with glucose readings at or near 100, rather than down in the 60s and 70s. From what I am reading it is also becoming generally acknowledged that avoiding wide swings in glucose is of significant importance. My happiest days are when my CGM draws a horizontal line, parallel to my “low alarm level” (which is at 70).
Keep up the good work!
Thanks Olaf! Yes, my diabetes team are terrific - soooo much better than me going to the local GP surgery where none of them are diabetes specialists (to give you an idea of how rubbish they were, I found out that my old insulin was being discontinued by the pharmacist writing a note on my repeat prescription form, not from my diabetes “specialist” nurse at the surgery!!!)
I don’t know about stopping Metformin but I would suggest that you watch this video if you want some suggestions on alcohol: Alcohol and Diabetes Video from 1HappyDiabetic.
Sam-
Congrats on your A1C! Metformin and drinking… You have to be very careful. When you take metformin and drink alcohol you are also putting yourself at risk for lactosis acsodsis (I badgered the spelling on the second word). Becareful and drink with caution.
That is a great accomplishment. I would stay on the side of caution though. If you are having a lot of hypos you increase your chances of developing hypoglycemic unawareness. You can essentially condition your body to tolerate the lows and as a result not feel the same symptoms. That happened to me and as a result I had a car accident due to a hypo. It has taken me a while to re-establish my driving privileges. After staying out of the “basement” I have regained my glycemic awareness. My CGMS has helped me tremendously.
I don’t want to take away from your accomplishment, but an AIC of 6.0 is just as good (it wont harm you) and you don’t have potentially dangerous consequences.
Congradulations on an amazing A1c!!! Do be careful of the lows though. as far as the metformin and alcohol question, the recommendations are that women limit themselves to one alcohol serving per day and men limit to two servings per day. It is also always to be done with food. Metformin inhibits the liver from secreting so much glucose into the blood stream. One of the functions of the liver is to “rescue” you from low blood sugars by releasing glucose when it senses the blood glucose levels are low. Alcohol impairs the liver from doing that so taking metformin and drinking too much alcohol could be potentially lethal. Hope this helps. You may also talk to your doctor about it.
You want to be careful about Metformin and alcohol because you could end up having some really horrible lows. An occasional drink or two should not hurt though. I’m also taking metformin and I occasionally have a drink. The metformin prevents your liver from release stored glucose and alcohol lowers blood sugar - so the two in combination can be dangerous. I drink mixed drinks and have not had a problem - but I rarely drink these days.
