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Any experienced advice welcome.

In a routine annual blood test ten days ago my A1c was 11 and blood sugar 269. Am told that is very high, maybe dangerously high. My regular doctor put me on 1000 mg of Metformin each morning and evening and referred me to a diabetic specialist, who is to call me to set up an appointment.

Meanwhile, I started a Mediterranean diet for several days, while researching. 36 hours ago started a mostly protein and veggie Atkins type diet. Today I feel the best that I have in ages, and my blood sugar after breakfast and a walk this morning is 132. Wazzup with that? Hope this holds up long term without other complications.

Any tips/cautions till I get in to see the diabetic doc? After all the 24 hourCampfire is the ultimate in medical (and all other) information! laugh And seriously, a lot of real life experience.

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Not a doctor but have been battling Type 2 diabetes for years and 11 is dangerous. Can damage kidneys.

Change your diet, and monitor your sugar daily for a while and learn to control it.

A specialist will guide you in the right direction.

It has gotten harder for me to control as I age.

Good luck.


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Keep doing what you’re doing (new diet), until you see them. A few weeks of slightly high blood sugar (130’s-150’s) won’t cause any real damage.

Letting it get up to 300/400/500 CAN cause some real problems, and long-term poor control (a1c at 11), certainly will.

If you’re already down in the 130’s, stay the course until you see the specialist. Don’t be surprised when they recommend that you lose 10-20 pounds, at a minimum..

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Was the 269 a fasting blood draw?

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Change to a low carb lifestyle.
Read all labels.
Stay under 50 carbs for 2 weeks then just eat meat and greens.
Your life will radically improve.


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Put the brakes on sugar and carbs especially white carbs like potatoes, white bread, rice, etc. Use artifical sweetners or drink water. This shows you are already type II diabetic probably. Be careful with pastas.

Mine was around 290 and I started using Splenda. Took about 2 weeks to get used to it. Now sugar products and sweets tastes too sweet. Meat and green vegetables as well as fruits are better than white carbs and candy. I drink mostly water at a meal now. Exercise daily, like walking, riding a bike or exercise bike about 20 minutes a day. I was about 252 lbs at 5'9" and have dropped to around 210. I really need to go down about 20-30 more lbs for my height.

Good luck. You will be surprised how full you feel eating meat and green vegetables. You can eat more and it won't hurt you.

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If it's sweet or if it's white, don't eat it. Eat green stuff and red stuff and yellow stuff and some brown stuff. Make water your beverage of choice. Exercise regularly but begin gradually if you've not been doing it already. Depending on your specifics, weight loss may be needed. You're right to be concerned. 11 is quite high. If this leads you to a more healthy lifestyle, then maybe it is a blessing in disguise. It sounds like you already got the wake up call. Best wishes. Oh yea, if you smoke, quit now.

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Can't help but just curious. I do all the wrong sh-t diet wise, but no flags are being waved with my annual physical/blood draws. Some of Cookie's buddies talk A1C all the time. My understanding is its more of an index of long-term sugar intake and blood balance. A day or so of laying off has little to no effect, so it's more difficult for one to out-fox the medical team with pre-physical short-term good behavior.

Last edited by 1minute; 03/17/23.

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A few months ago my son had about the same experience as you, even higher numbers. Went on diet and exercise and Metformin, and in just a very short time, a month or so, lowered his numbers way down. Last A1C was 6.5.

I was diagnosed a dozen years ago, but my numbers were never that high. It's your choice and your life, but I don't agree with the drastic no whites, no sugar recommendations. I am careful what I eat, but indulge in small amounts and occasionally. I've consulted dieticians, and they seem to approve. In any event, I'd consult a dietician and follow their advice. Don't let the diabetes control you.


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In addition to what's been posted regarding low carb diets, if you exercise regularly, focus more on weight lifting/resistance training than strictly cardio. My doctor suggested both to me when I was struggling with elevated A1c numbers and that helped bring it down.

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An A1c tells you your average sugar for the last 3 months. So it’s been high quite a while. Diabetic drugs make you body except insulin you pancreas makes. For some reason your body kind of rejects your own insulin.
A target for A1c for type 2 diabetics is 7.0. Which if I remember correctly is about 150 average.
This nothing to fool around with . See the specialist. Hasbeen.


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As written above exercise, lose fat, build muscle, eat simple one or two ingredient foods. Eat twice a day with lots of good fat meat. Stay away from every carb you possibly can. Nothing processed. Looked to Dr Ken Berry and Dr Shawn Baker on YouTube for advice.

Your A1C will plummet
Your triglycerides will plummet
Your HDL will rise substantially
Your testosterone will elevate
Your joints will feel better
Your blood pressure will improve

It is not a diet. Make it a lifestyle.

Get off the medicine. It is not the answer to type two diabetes.

I know all this with first hand experience.

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Added: When I was diagnosed in 2011, my doctor wanted me to go on Metformin right away. I bet him I could lower my numbers by diet and exercise, and I did it. Close to 190 down to 150 in about 7 months, A1c less than 6.0 and cholesterol down too. After about six years I needed to add Metformin, so I've been taking 500 mg. I've had MSK and breathing issues so haven't been able to exercise like I used to, but I'm working on that as well.


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Originally Posted by goalie
Was the 269 a fasting blood draw?

No, test was in the middle of a normal day for me, nothing special to eat or not eat before.

I'm fortunate to have lots of deer and elk meat, plus plenty of salmon and white meat fish, and I like most veggies, especially raw. Except for a piece of wild huckleberry pie or little Trailing blackberry once or twice a month, sweets and white flour don't tempt me.

Tangent: Wife and I like tart pies, so I make mine with about 1/4 of the sugar recipes call for, and use raw demerara sugar that is not as sweet and adds a hint of molasses flavor. Rendered black bear lard for a super flakey and tasty crust!

Last edited by Okanagan; 03/17/23. Reason: afterthot
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Okanagan,
Mine was that high once upon a time. I walked out of that doc's office quite defeated. But, I knew how to fix it. I faced it & told myself that if eating foolishly got me to this point, the opposite had to be true. I began intermittent fasting, drinking 1 ounce Apple Cider Vinegar twice daily (nasty stuff), but it works to lower your Glucose by 40 points after each dose. I eventually progressed to one-meal-per-day on the Carnivore eating plan. Every day I eat some combination of beef, butter, bacon, eggs, cheese, sour cream, avocados, salt. I eat until I'm full.

I lost 65 pounds spanning 8 months in 2020. I began at 268 lbs and now hover between 200-205. I am off my diabetes meds. My A1C is now below 6. The doc's happy and so am I. I sleep better, feel better, eat better, increased energy and walk 1 mile per day.


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Cut the carbs and exercise. Walking is fine. You need to do something that elevates the heart rate for 20 minutes per day.


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The first six months after I was diagnosed as being type 2 I thought I was going to turn into baked chicken, chopped steak, and green beans. Your numbers were very high. Sounds like you are better now.
Good Luck to you!
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Isn’t it amazing how much first hand experience is being shared here?

Carbs are the devil.

Two things I’ll add:

DO focus on the kinds of fat you’re eating. Don’t solely consume processed or modified fats, and make sure to add plenty of fat from plant origins, PARTICULARLY olive oil, tree nuts (walnuts, pecans), avocados, etc. anything with substantial quantities of MCT’s. The right quality of fats are the key to long term health. Do NOT avoid fat, increase it. Wild game grass fed beef, pastured eggs and fish are also excellent.

DON’T take this as an excuse to go nuts on processed meats, and pay particular attention to avoiding significant quantities of cured meats containing sodium nitrite.


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Metformin is available in both regular and extended release pills. One of the more common side-effects of regular release Metformin for some is persistent diarrhea. The extended release (ER) version can help reduce the diarrhea occurrences a bunch.


As to sugar, it is pretty much unavoidable as it's in practically everything to some extent, especially processed foods. Read the labels and what you want to watch for besides carbs is, "added sugars", which is something you can avoid.

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Originally Posted by Salmonella
Change to a low carb lifestyle.
Read all labels.
Stay under 50 carbs for 2 weeks then just eat meat and greens.
Your life will radically improve.


This ^


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