blood sugar high -- now what?

[davemc]

A recent pre-op blood test showed a blood sugar level of 139.  My doctor had me do the 2-hr. glucose tolerance test today.  Don't have the results yet but the blood sugar test they did initially showed a level of 140.  I know both of those put me into the category of diabetic.  Runs in the family BTW, father managed blood sugar with Glucotrol.

So what can I expect?  Is this a situation where the doctor goes straight to meds or do you first try to get the blood sugar level down with a low-carb diet?

Just curious what's ahead of me.  Obviously avoiding medicine is my goal.  Is that realistic?  

TIA for any info you can provide.

[Zoelula]

Hi davemc

That is not a very high blood sugar level at all, I'm no Doctor, but my guess is, depending on other factors, that your doctor might try you first on diet and exercise changes and see how you do.
Zoe

[danners]

I wouldn't be to worried about those blood sugar levels....those are close to perfect....i wouldn't start worrying until it at least got into the 200's....thats high enough to look into diabetes and see if u possibly have it....any good doctor would know that those r good blood sugar levels....good luck!

[WaveRider]

I agree with Zoelula that your doctor may first try diet and moderate exercise prior to prescribing medication. However, you can start now before you see your doctor. By diet it means cut out all sugary substances and foods. This includes high carb foods containing lots of sugar and milk. Moderate exercise is walking daily for 1/3 mile or so. Walking does lower your glucose levels.

Danners is incorrect to say "any good doctor would know that those r good glucose levels". Try posting on the "Ask a Doctor Forum". Bet Dr Ramsetty disagrees with Danners.

If you're between 100 and 120 you're considered pre-diabetic. Above 126 diabetic. Only a whack doctor would say your 139 or 140 is good. Tolerable perhaps, but not good.

[davemc]

Thanks to all for your feedback.

I have indeed boosted up my exercise frequency (5 days per wk. vs. 2-3) and have gone on a low-carb diet.  

Problem is what constitutes low carbs?  I see recommendations on the internet that are pretty extreme -- 20-25g of carbs a day.  That's a small bowl of cereal.  Yikes!!

Seeing that the average daily recommended carb count is 300g, I've dropped below half, targeting somewhere in the 100-130g range.

The big question is -- will that be enough?  Time (and my doctor) will tell...

Anyone have experience with low-carb diets?  Did you count carbs, or as WaveRider suggested, just cut out all the sugary stuff?  Thanks!!

[WaveRider]

About carbohydrates. I said high carbs which is incorrect. I should have said good carbs vs bad carbs. Good carbohydrate foods are those that are still in their natural state, or they are still similar to their natural state. They are foods that have not been processed or altered by people or machines.
Examples of good carbohydrate foods:

    * Fruits
    * Vegetables
    * Beans
    * Legumes
    * Nuts
    * Seeds
    * Whole grain breads
    * Whole grain cereals
    * Whole grain pastas
    * Some dairy products

We Americans have been eating excessive amounts of refined carbohydrates which have caused many of us to become insulin resistant as the body continues to wage war against repeated blood sugar spikes brought on by our poor eating habits. Most bad carbohydrate foods are usually very tasteful and are packaged for easy handling. However, they are generally considered harmful to the body because they are not easily digested and they spike an individual’s blood glucose level. Bad carbohydrate foods include candy, baked goods with refined white flour (found in all sorts of breads), white pastas, and sodas.

As far as sugar is concerned, as a diabetic I read all food packaging ingredient labels for the amount of sugar per serving. It is to my understanding that every 7 grams of sugar labeled on a package is equal to one heaping Tablespoon of refined sugar. So much of what we eat contains sugar. Being able to find a product low in sugar isn't easy for its time consuming to read each and every label for its sugar content. Its your body and your health. How much time you want to put into it to live longer is your call.

[davemc]

Thanks, WaveRider, for the info.  What you recommend is consistent with what the diabetes website says.

My confusion comes from several folks I know who are Type 2 diabetic.  One is insulin dependent, the other trying to regulate himself through diet/exercise and no meds.

Both of them are on extreme, low-carb diets, to the extent they won't eat the good carbs you list.  I could see passing up the cakes and cookies, but they won't eat brown rice, lentils, whole grain breads, and even fruit.  So they eat a lot of veggies, which is fine, but also a lot of protein and a lot of dairy products.

I think your recommendation is a good one.  Obviously eating has to be in moderation.  We Americans not only eat a lot of junk, but everything is supersized so we come to expect portions that are monstrous.

I'm curious to see if my doctor will send me to a dietitian or nutritionist, or if he'll just tell me to cut out the sugar.  More to follow.  Thanks for the SANE advice!!!!!!

[WaveRider]

You're welcome. Glad to be of help. Do some Internet research before seeing a nutritionist, not a dietitian. The latter to me is for weight challenged folks.

[davemc]

Okay -- this is odd.  Last Fri. I did a 2 hr. glucose tolerance test.  Prior to the test the lab does a simple blood sugar test using a lancet and a meter.  BS comes back at 140.  They perform the GTT with 4 blood draws (prior to glucose drink, and at 30, 60, 120 min.).

The nurse calls me today and tells me I do not have diabetes, that none of the 4 draws showed diabetes.  Yet the quick test put me firmly in the category of diabetic.  Unless the meter is badly out of whack, what would explain this?  When I questioned her about this, she said I was probably pre-diabetic and to reduce bad carbs/sugars.

No, I don't have the BS readings for the 4 draws -- my doc is not one who gives out data when a simple yes/no will do.  I will get the numbers, but this seems pretty odd.

Any idea how to explain this?  Thx.

[WaveRider]

Boy, don't you hate it when nurses give a bunch of BS because they don't have an answer or don't know how to answer your question. A simple, "I don't know but I'll find out and get back to you" would do.

Normally, you would fast 10-12 hours prior to a glucose test - the dreaded finger *****, or a blood draw. Then they proceed with the OGTT/GTT sometimes 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours and 3 hours after drinking the high glucose drink. If you didn't fast the night before, your blood sugars will be slightly elevated from the foods. The results will be a false positive.

As far as the meter, its hard to say without knowing the brand. I use a LifeScan OneTouch UltraMini. Every three months or so, I apply test fluid to a test strip to see if the readings fall between certain numbers. If it does, the meter is right on for use. The test strips themselves have a number stamped on the outside of the vile. The meter must be calibrated to this number, or, again, a false positive reading. And lastly, the test strips have an expiration date too.

The most commonly used test to see if a patient is diabetic is the HgbA1c, HbA1c, A1c (Glycosated Hemoglobin