OK so I am not totally sure how to word this or what the story is as of yet but, here goes…
I was diagnosed about 2 and a half years ago and my A1c's have been creeping in the wrong direction for a few different reasons. I went from 10+ at diagnosis to 5.4 in 3 months and had moved over the next year to the 6's where my A1c settled. Then I had a bad batch of novolog pens and my A1c went over 7 which started my concern. Although I knew that it was a bad batch of pens and once they cycled out and the rest were exchanged with Novo Nordisk all would be fine. This last A1c test was in August and I hit 8+ and I said OK lets get back to basics. What was I doing then when I was in the 5's that I am not doing now. The only thing that changes was I had stopped taking my general multi vitamin and a fish oil supplement. Sounds stupid right??? Since I started doing that again all my numbers have fallen in a much better range and none have gone into the 300's with one exception (bad sushi day too much shrimp tempura and other deep fried rolls... my bad). I have always tested 4-5 times a day and counted my carbs carefully. Stayed right on top of my sliding scale and always kept my insulin cool. I exercise 3 times a week for the most part. Even started changing my lancets every time I test. That lead to the onetouch lancing device to be replaced twice in the last 6 months but, thats a whole different story. I dont know my last A1c since August is just yet but, because of the anomalies in my numbers and my good habits as my endo has said something else is weird here and he ordered me to have a week with a Dexcom. I am not sure that there is a need now oddly enough...... Go Figure.....
Has anyone else had this type of a weird experience???
I haven’t experienced supplements having an effect.
With LADA, things change frequently.
Better to test more than 4-5 times daily to know what’s going on & to log your readings & doses. You should test first thing in the morning, before meals, 2 hours after meals & before bed & before & during strenuous exercise. And of course, if you feel low or high.
Are you dosing insulin to meals & know your insulin:carb ratio? You mentioned sliding scale, which is not the way to do it. Do you also know how to correct highs, known as ISF (insulin sensitivity factor)?
You don’t need to change the lancet every time you test. Most of us go months without changing it. Waste of time & money.
Right now I am allotted testing 4-5 times a day. Right now I test before meals and at bedtime. I also have a correction factor for highs. I have acquired a few extra meters with strips to test when things dont feel right or when I exercise and have had lows in the middle of a routine at the gym. I take 2-5-5 novolog pre meal and 20 lantus at bed time. I am 1-10 carb ration with a sliding scale for 1 unit for every 40 over 120 and for highs I follow anything over 300 I follow my 1 unit for every 40 over 120…
Please speak with your endo about changing your strip prescription to 10x daily. You don’t know what’s going on without being able to test before & after meals & in the morning. With a CGMS you’re going to have to test frequently to calibrate the Dexcom as well.
Sure had miultiple A1C’s come back showing I was a-symptomatic, ie that I was not (according solely by the lab numbers) a diabetic any longer -ROFLMAO-.
Did absolutely nothing different but it happened anyway a bunch of times.
Doctors want to know everything… fish oil, Omega-3’s (?) and vitamins could well help the blood chemistry. Only problem how do you tell their quality… they’re just like bottled water. Is it better or worse than what you eat normally, what you can get out of your tap? What’s actually in them might be important…
Wish your endo had you on a real dosing regiment. Sorry. I’d find another endo who understands that someone on insulin has to test more than 4-5x day. Crazy that he wants you to try a Dexcom, but doesn’t give you the strips you need.
So, you start out taking a set amount & then add to it based on carbs & your pre-meal reading? Rather odd way to do this. People correct for pre-meal highs, as necessary, but base insulin on what they’re eating. He’s got you on some strange combo of sliding scale & carb counting.
Without being able to test after meals you have no idea if you’re doding correctly & your endo should know this & not be surprised that something “weird” is going on.
I agree with Gerri and you should be testing more than 4-5 times a day. You aren’t testing after meals to know what is going on. Sliding scales are from the dark ages - you should be dosing based on the number of carbs that you actually eat, not a fixed amount.
I am now on a carb counting regiment of 1 unit for every 10 carbs with a correction scale for anything over 300 1 unit for every 40 over 120. My numbers have been much better!!!
