How high is considered diabetic?
 

Hi. My Aic on 2 occasions were borderline and normal. My fasting blood sugar is ALMOST always normal. But my post prandial numbers are high. I have been experimenting my food and monitoring my blood sugar at home but it seems that my sugar goes up with every food I eat. I stopped eating rice and bread. Being a rice and bread eater, this is really difficult but I don't mind doing it. I am eating sweet potato as my substitute.

One time, with the same breakfast and quantity, my BS went down to 65 two hours after. I didn't know the first time i experienced it that the strange weird feelings were symptoms of low BS.

Last Monday, my neighbor took me to a new Vietnamese restaurant and I ate a small bowl of chicken noodle soup. After 1 hour, my BS went up to 197 (the highest recorded number, so far). On the 2nd our, it went down to 132 then 84 on the 3rd. I was surprised because it came back to normal on the 3rd hour. Normally, it takes so long before it comes back to normal range.

My endocrinologist does not seem to take me seriously because of my normal Aic.

My questions are:

1. does the blood sugar of a healthy person goes up to 197 after a heavy carb meal?
2. How long does the blood sugar of a healthy go back to normal range?
3. For case like mine, how often should I take the Aic test?

Is there anything I should do to prevent my condition to get worse? I exercise almost everyday. My parents were not diabetic, no uncles and aunties from both sides who were diabetic, except my sister who has been recently diagnosed to be pre diabetic.

Will appreciate comments.

Mary

It is when your blood sugar stays up after the 2 hr mark that is
concerning.

You should get an A1C at least yearly, and if you are worried,
every 6mos. Anything more often than 3-4 months is not accurate, because A1C only shows long term trends.

As people age their insulin response can become strange and blunted and be different from when they were younger.

Thank you so (very) much Mrs.D.

I know now that taking Aic every 3-4 months is not recommended. I think I will ask doctor at least 6 months. I remember your post before that as we aged, our insulin becomes strange but I never thought of the 2-hour mark as the "cut-off". Mine would SOMETIMES go back to normal on the 2nd hour but SOMETIMES not. It depends on the food I eat.
I will stay at home the whole day for the next 2 days to monitor my BS every hour. I have been monitoring it at least 3-4 times but I could not really see the 2-hour mark number because I do it by random.

I will let you know the result of my exercise.

Again, thanks:hug:

Mary

For pre-diabetics, normally at what time should the BS be within normal range? I know we all have different reaction to different food, but is there a "normal time frame" where a pre-diabetics or diabetics should be within normal range?

A little confused
 

Hi Mary,

I am a little confused. You are being followed by an endocrinologist? Are you taking any diabetes meds for pre-diabetes? You never did mention what your A1C's have been. Maybe you have some other threads that I have not read that cover my questions so I apologize if I am not up to speed.

My personal opinion is there is something going on to be causing such volitility to your blood sugar levels. You near 200 post prandial but also drop below 70 at times?

A1C's show the past 2 months. How long have you been tracking your blood sugar levels? How long has your endocrinologist been checking your A1C's?

You may be insulin resistant which is before you become diabetic. Some docs will put a patient on a low dose of Metformin with insulin resistance to ward off becoming diabetic. You are doing the proper things with altering your diet to reduce your carbs and getting exercise. If you are concerned and your doctor is not........ you might want to consider checking your A1C yourself every two months with a home test kit over a 6 month time frame. Bayer puts one out that is pretty accurate. The kit has two tests in it and sells for about $25. One kit would cover you for testing for 4-6 months.

I have used the kit on several occasions. I will test myself and then compare the result with the labs result. They are usually the same. It was off by one decimal once. My home test was 6.1 and the lab was 6.2 Close enough for me to trust the kit.

As long as your A1C is below the American Diabetes guideline of 7.0, most docs consider the diabetic patient to be in control. Of course, this is for a known diabetic. You certainly do not want to be in the 6.0 to 7.0 range and not be monitored closely.

I do not think your "swings" are normal unless you are doing heavy carbs.

Many here might disagree with me but I would seek an explanation for your wide range of BS levels. You may not be diabetic, but you may have some other reason for the variation. I do not know your age and that is a factor. Whether you are pre or post menopausal and if you have any gyn problems is also a factor. Even stress will cause elevated blood sugar levels.

Bottom line........ I would investigate and track your blood sugars. Just my opinion. I recently read my medical records from a few years before I was diagnosed with diabetes and had slightly elevated fasting blood sugars which were never mentioned or followed. It wasn't until I had a very high fasting blood sugar did anyone bother to mention it. My A1C was 10.2 when I was first diagnosed. They only did the A1C after a routine blood draw came back with the very high fasting blood sugar.

I would not "worry" but I do think it is worth a watchful eye if for no other reason but to ease your mind.

Hopeless,
Thank you for your reply.

I am seeing an endocrinologist primarily because of my thyroid problems. However, I found accidentally that my FBS is high but not high enough to be concerned about it (though it never happened to me before). Anyway, during my subsequent bloodworks, I saw that my FBS was getting really --though it was non fasting. I never had such high numbers even at non fasting. So, I mentioned this to my endoc, he gave me the Aic test in December, result was normal. Even the Aic was normal, I started monitoring my sugar at home since March randomly and It was when i got a record high of 197. In April, i had another Aic, the result was normal high (i couldnt find the report for now). between April and now, I had 4x of BG that came crashing to as low as 65. This crash ALWAYS HAPPEN IN THE MORNING AT LEAST 2 HOURS AFTER BREAKFAST. the crash has no trend, same food, same quantity and same activity. My major problem is the 2hr post prandial, it goes down very slowly.

I have no meds as I have not been officially diagnosed. I am post menopausal at 52y.o.

Took too long
 

I just finished a lengthy reply and took too long doing it and it disappeared.
I may try to re-create it. Maybe outside of the forum and then paste it in since I am so slow. Look for my reply soon.

Hopeless

Hi Mary,

If your blood sugar swings are a fluke every now and then I would not be concerned but if you repeatedly go high and low, that is NOT normal. I am basing that opinion on information I have received from physicians and from a lot of research I have done.

It may not be diabetes, but it does appear that there is some metabolic issue or another reason for the swings. Since repeated highs can affect nerves, blood vessels and body systems, I would keep track of your levels. Doctors see a lot worse but you do not want to be over looked just because your situation is not BAD at this time. If left undetected and untreated, it could put you at risk for problems down the road and then it will be “noticed”.

My prior lost post was much better than this one is turning out to be so I apologize.

I was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 56 and had an A1C of 10.2 at that time. For several years prior to that, I had elevated blood sugars on routine lab tests but was not informed of them by my physician. I feel that I was entitled to know even if he did not feel it was significant.

I won’t go into all the drama and details but I changed doctors and began seeing my current endocrinologist. I see him every 90 days.

I would suggest that you continue monitoring your blood sugar levels with your meter and also use the Bayer at home A1C test kit every 8-12 weeks. I would also keep a log to show your endocrinologist on your next visit. My A1C’s are considered “good” or “controlled” for being diabetic but they do not show the fluctuations, only the average for the prior 2 months.

I keep a loose leaf binder on my kitchen counter with a daily log sheet. I record my fasting blood sugar first thing every morning. I record everything and anything that goes into my mouth and the time of day, including medications. I test at least two additional times a day unless I am above 200 or below 65. If those situations arise, I do additional testing to see if they are moving in the proper direction. I will also do additional testing if I am symptomatic.

My fasting blood sugars usually hoover around 100 but have occasions of fasting blood sugar of 156 for no apparent reason. My post prandial sugar levels range from 180 to 300 on medications. My lows are usually in the 50's and 60's and happen several hours after eating or during the night. I am glad I usually wake up and can take action with a low of 50 and dropping. The point here is that my A1C is OK for a diabetic because it averages the highs and lows. It does not show the wide swings that are so hard on my body. That is also why my doctor wants to know what my highs and lows were and the frequency each 90 days, not just the A1C he gets every 90 days from the lab. Sometimes he adds medications or changes them to see if we can level things out.

I am extremely compliant with my diet. I keep my carbs below 15 grams. I can eat the exact same thing and portion size and have a very different blood sugar reaction so I do understand what you are going through. I can eat a small piece of baked fish and a spoon of steamed broccoli and have a post prandial blood sugar above 200. There is nothing, absolutely nothing on the fish or broc..... no salt, butter, sauce, etc. Absolutely plain. The only beverages I drink is water and coffee. I cut out milk for several years and never did drink soda or anything alcoholic. I have since put milk back in my diet but limit it. Rice is totally taboo. That will shoot me sky high, even one teaspoon.

I really wish I had not lost my prior post. It was much better and not so rambling.

A low dose of Metformin might help level out your blood sugars. Metformin will not make you go low but will help to lower the post prandial highs. Of course, that would depend on the reason your blood sugar is volatile. I think a good log will go a long way in getting some answers from your endocrinologist. I do think further investigation is warranted in your situation.

Hopeless

Hi Mary,

I am sorry I seem to have repeated myself a lot with my last two posts but I actually wrote it outside of Neuro to be sure I had enough time. Please forgive my repetition. Too much blood sugar on the brain. (Smile)

Wishing you levelized BS, that is blood sugars, not bull blank.

OK, my very short response.

65 not terribly low
197 not terribly high

Normal ??? NO

Diabetic? Not necessarily.

Should you worry? NO

Should you monitor? YES