Increased A1C

[Ol_Dopey_Me]

I'm wondering if thyroid issues could be causing me to "appear" to be on the cusp of diabetes.
I was having bouts of hypoglycemia that was extremely obvious, but until I had a glucose tollerance test was completely unaware that I was also having hyperglycemic episodes as well.  I was diagnosed as "prediabetic" in October.  My A1C was a consistent 5.9 until last week when it was 6.3.  I have worked very hard at monitoring what I eat and the quantities that I eat.  I've totally changed my choices in high calorie foods, opting for low fat, low sugar substitutes.  I've given up a lot of foods that I really like for fear that there would just be no middle of the road with them for me.  So you can imagine my surprise at the spike in my A1C.  Even more scarey though is the way my TSH level has been fluctuating for more than a year and a half now.  In January, it was 3.65.  Last week it was 32.65.  My current does of medication for my thyroid is .125 mcg which I am now taking 2 of every other day and 1 on days in between.  Coincidentally enough, my blood sugar readings the past couple of days have been fantastic.  Mostly 70's, 80's and 90's.  Nothing that would support an A1C level of 6.3.
My question.....Could something going on with my thyroid cause me to "appear" to be diabetic?
For background history, both my parents were adult onset diabetics, my mother brittle.  My mother also had a portion of her thyroid removed because of a diagnosis of Graves Disease.  I myself have been on thyroid replacement therapy for more than 20 years.  My sister (1 year older than I) has been on the same dose of thyroid .025 mcg since she began taking it.  I began with .025 and have had increases and decreases in mcg's through out my history with this medication.
Any help with this would be extremely appreciated.
Thank you.

[Zoelula]

Okay, a couple things. Just to give you my own background: I too suffer from Graves disease and was hyperthyroid until they killed my thyroid with radiation and I started Synthroid replacement in 1994. I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes in 2007 and in April finally confirmed I had been misdiagnosed and was actually Type 1.5/LADA.

What I have seen is that diabetes definitely affects thyroid as it has with you. I was stable on the same dose Synthroid for many years until I was diagnosed with diabetes at which point my thyroid level became erratic and my dose has been changed several times to stay stable.

Could something be going on with your thyroid that causes you to "appear" to be diabetic? Sorry, but I doubt that. It appears as if your diabetes is progressing which is, unfortunately the nature of the beast. Some people are able to maintain their glucose for a period of time with diet and exercise alone and it sounds as if you have done well at that which deserves kudos! However, it might be time for you to start oral meds if you are having rising numbers despite diet and exercise.

The second thing I would suggest is that you get two tests: c-peptide and GAD65. The first one tests the amount of insulin your pancreas is producing. The second test determines if you have diabetic antibodies. The reason for these tests is to determine if you are Type I or Type II. Many doctors automatically diagnose all people who are over a certain age Type II and if you have any extra weight that confirms it for them. 15% of Type II's are actually Type 1.5/LADA. Your doctor might be reluctant to do this test as it is not yet sanctioned by the ADA. But one of the symptoms of Type 1.5 is having another autoimmune disease (such as thyroid). GAD 65 is definitive as Type 2's don't have antibodies; it is not an autoimmune disease. I'm not saying this is true in your case, I don't know, but it is something important to check.

[Ol_Dopey_Me]

Thanks for responding to my post Zoelula.  Currently, I'm taking 500 mg of Metformin for my blood sugar.  Right now I'm basically stalking my blood glucose levels, testing at various times to see when I have increases.  My experience lately has been to test just before my meals and 2 hours post (some times it's hard to be precise while I'm working) and if I'm very careful and very restrictive about what I eat, my 2 hour posts are pretty good.  I'm concentrating now on what happens at night.  I'm finding that my bg has been higher in the mornings than it's been at my 2 hr post.  To get to the bottom of what is happening, I've become a bit obsessive.  If I wake up during the night, I check.  If I wake up twice, I check twice.  I'm fighting with everything I've got to avoid the diagnosis of diabetes.  I'll restrict my diet as much as I need to (within sensible limits) to meet my goal. (My father had renal failure and amputations as a result of his diabetes) If I do become diabetic, it won't be because I threw my hands up in the air and said "Oh well."
I have an appointment to see an Endocrinologist (it takes forever to get an appointment--and I have pull) so until then, I will document everything I put in my mouth.
Thanks again for your input.

[Zoelula]

Just one more thing. You are doing everything possible to control your blood sugar and have made lots of great changes. If you do progress to diabetes please don't look upon it as a failure. Also I'm sure it's scary to have seen your father's experience. My guess is your father did not do the things you are doing to manage his diabetes. They also didn't know the things they know now about diabetes management. If you do become diabetic you can manage your diabetes to prevent the complications your father suffered from.