Hi everyone - Newly diagnosed with type 2 here. My a1c is 11.1. it went up quick from 7.1 in July. I have been overeating with sugar and carbs. I’ve started daily insulin and 500 mg of metformin. My endoctronglist (sorry for the spelling) just called and wants to see me on Monday. My liver functions and tryglicerides are high. I am freaking out and worried that I have severe liver problems. My don’t drink and not having any liver issues. Has anyone else had high liver numbers with diabetes.
Welcome to the club you never wanted to join, but this is a good place for youTu.
Kudus to your endo (no need to spell it out) for checking. Elevated triglycerides can cause issues with the liver, and we T2DMs are prone to fatty liver disease.
That’s normal, but will pass as you get more education and meds. Keep reading and posting here, there are many who experienced the same.
I was diagnosed over 55 years ago, before A1Cs were common. My first A1C in mid 1980s was 14-15, and had been treated by pediatrician and family MD. But so much has changed since then.
Find ways to cope, change some habits, and learn from many others here.
I am not a doctor and I don’t know your numbers or the extent of what is going on, but the good news is your liver can try to recover given a chance too. It’s one organ that can generate new tissue. You need to get your sugars under control and watch your diet and you will give it a chance. You might look into the herb milk thistle too.
There are tons of YouTube articles and videos on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. In all likelihood, you will have to cut down on sugar and processed foods. Mostly look for the foods you should stay away from and the foos you should eat to help improve fatty liver disease.
So sorry that you have your diagnosis. You are on the right steps here going on insulin and try not to over worry about the tests until you talk to the doctor- I know easier said than done of course.
I am not sure about the the liver function test but the triglycerides is usually easy to treat because you can either take statins if you can tolerate it, or one of those other drugs, try adjusting your diet, take fish oil and other things. And you should be tested for hypothyroidism because that can cause high cholesterol levels too.
If it is fatty liver like others said I’m sure there are treatments for that too. I’m not sure if this will be helpful at all but when one of my cats was having a lot of health issues and she had jaundice, very badly, I gave her a supplement which you can buy over-the-counter and it was a miracle- it took her out of liver failure, of course that was another issue because I don’t think it has anything to do with what is happening with you… she had congestive heart failure and she did not have fatty liver. This supplement is also used in people who are having problems with their liver. She was in liver failure at the time but this saved her life. It’s called denamarin. Sam e is the human version, you can ask your doctor about it.
When i was diagnosed over 30 years ago sure. Yeah it’s obvious by your A1C number of 11 that your overeating on sugar and carbs. You need to stop. Talk with your doctor see a nutritionist. Your liver will heal itself if you allow it to. That’s the beauty of the liver. It is probably the most amazing organ in the whole body. As for your kidneys and heart, you might want to be more careful in the future. And thoughtful too. Alcohol causes the liver problems because the liver has to metabolize it like 3 times over.
Also, maybe this will help I’m not sure. It’s kind of general advice.
Don’t exceed more than 2500 calories from all the food choices you consume daily.
Maintain regular blood glucose levels.
Make regular food choices from day to day incorporating different food options.
Stay at a healthy weight exercising regularly. Losing 5-10 pounds is the first step towards better diabetic management.
I wish you well.
Don’t panic. Livers can heal. They can cure Hep C now. My Dad got diagnosed with kidney disease years ago and we all panicked and thought he was gonna die. He has changed nothing in his behavior or diet and is still chugging along pretty well.
Its good your Doctor is looking into things. Try to hang in there. I know unexpected calls from the Doc are scary and everyone always assumes the worst.
I had the same situation last year - all my numbers were really bad last year. When I discovered I was type 2, my A1C was around 16, triglycerides over 800, cholesterol over 400, etc. My doctor was sure I was a type 1, but after all the testing, I was not.
Good news is I am ok today, and have a much, much better life than before. If you take your medication, start exercise and have a healthy diet things will be ok. They can also be ok with a combination of more or other things, but those three pretty sum up what we need to do. I also started on insulin therapy, which I maintained for 7 months. Talk to your doctor about your possibilities, but please know that it’s possible to be ok and healthy, and as others pointed out, our liver is a regenerative organ
Anxiety comes with the disease. There are higher incidences of depression in diabetics too, not sure why.
That initial diagnosis can make it worse because it feels like it’s a death sentence, and they also make it more dramatic so you will make life changes.
Altering your glucose levels will make you feel panicky at first.
Until your body gets used to normal sugars again.
There are ways to combat it, like exercising, even walking around the block will help with sugars and your mood.
Taking insulin though probably a good idea to take some glucose with you in case you go low.
It’s a whole new world, a different way of eating and different way of exercising and managing, but we all have done it here and we are still surviving.
I tell that to other T2DMs who think I am compulsive in my diet and exercise. “I just like feeling so good. I was so miserably sick when diagnosed, but I didn’t realize it until I got near normal blood glucose levels.”
Since you are on insulin there is a pretty good chance your insurance will cover a CGM. Medicare will.
Without knowing your AGP (ambulatory glucose profile) its like driving a car without a speedometer. Your A1c is telling you “average driving speed” over 30 days. You could have been doing 200mpg and 10 mph over that period. Ask your endo if you can get one. If you have to pay yourself the Libre is not that expensive.
The first thing all diabetics lose if post prandial control. You did not mention the type of insulin but I suspect it is a long acting one. The way a healthy body works is that your blood glucose should remain pretty steady when you are not eating and after eating it spikes. Since your pancreas is not working properly along with resistance which has built up your blood sugar is not coming down.
You should be able to see this with your AGP. The best way to treat the spike is with afrezza. Not many endos currently prescribe as they still say its too new but it has been on the market for 7 years. I personally would start with the AGP. You can also see what foods spike your blood sugar. Dr. Rich Bernstein has lots of books on this and a youtube university. Controlling by food historically has been the standard. Afrezza is like cheating but it also gets the liver and pancreas back in sync. You should not need the metformin with afrezza.
