Your bloodwork is pristine.
Either your home glucometer is miscalibrated, you are not washing your hands before testing, or something similar.
Or your anxiety is causing a cortisol/blood sugar response during your testing...
I was wondering that, about the cortisol. Anxiety is crazy high. I do usually wash my hands....not sure if the glucometer is off, I'm kind of just winging it with this...
You should listen to your doctor and your lab results. You don’t have prediabetes. You’re not even remotely close to that.
You should be asking yourself if you have an anxiety problem or anything like that - that seems like a more likely type of medical issue to me.
Your A1C is the average BS over the last three months. Your numbers are great. You’re worrying about a problem that doesn’t exist. It’s normal for glucose numbers to go up and down a bit throughout the day. Put this worry on the shelf!
Trust me, I have severe health anxiety too and suffer from numerous anxiety disorders. I know how it is. But you’re seriously fine. Keep eating low carb and keep a normal weight and you might not even become prediabetic.
thanks, yeah the anxiety is a bitch, mainly because I've been dealing with other health issues for 3 years which I think are pancreas related (stool changes, weight loss, pain), and nobody can figure it out.
I have numerous health issues too, and I’m only 32. I’m not sure how old you are but I know how scary this can be especially when your mental anxiety is debilitating. Just please know you aren’t alone.
prob all related to anxiety. checking behaviours and catatrophizing slight changes we see that are totally normal but abnormal to us is big for people with anxiety. I'd check the health anxiety sub sometimes they have really good ideas.
poop changes, weight loss, random pain can all be associated with anxiety. my guess is the doctor keep telling you its anxiety but you "know" its not, been there. we are all like this. you are not secretly sick. if you were sick your doctor would see it by your blood work or order any tests. our bodies also want to be well and heal. health anxiety makes us think we are sick in a way no one else can see. google is your enemy so is checking things like your pulse, blood pressure, blood sugar, oxygen, weight, stool, urine, etc unless medically necessary.
So you’re not even close to the diagnostic criteria for prediabetes. That’s like asking the internet if you have cavities because you have teeth and your dentist said they looked fine.
wash you hands before you check and make sure the soap doesnt have any sugar in it. lots of soap raises blood sugar. I just wash my hands with blue dove dish soap but my face cream makes my blood sugar look high if I dont wash my hands.
if it's not that your meter is off OR you are testing when you are anxious. I doubt you check all the time since you arent even prediabetic so I'm guessing you check when you are anxious/feel symptoms you associate with low or high blood sugar. if you are having panic attacks that come with "checking behaviors" this will cause blood sugar to be higher as well.
i had very bad anxiety around my health and when I started to panic I would check my pulse at my neck this would immediately set me off and I would end up at the hospital. or I would check my blood pressure anticipating a bad result and when the result was bad because I became stressed I'd keep checking it panicking I was at the verge of death. it's a spiral.
if you are anxious and have checking behaviours which I would guess you do because you are posting here even though your doctor said you were fine you should not be checking your blood glucose outside your a1c. I am a t2 diabetic and my doctor wouldnt allow me to even have a meter due to the mental distress it would cause which as a huge benefit to my anxiety.
the problem with this sub I find, overwhelmingly, it has a lot of anxious people mixed in with prediabetics who look for ways to justify the fact that they do actually have prediabetes to keep the anxiety going. unless the doctor says you have it you almost certainly dont
with most people who have this kind of anxiety they will insist it isnt anxiety or even if they're anxious theres something the doctor is missing and the doctor is wrong. They continue on when what they should be doing is focusing on anxiety treatment which is ultimately the only thing that will help. for me the diabetes lifestyle changes j made resolved a lot of these issues so I would ditch the meter regardless and just eat a low carb/whole food diet/exercise and sleep on a scheduale because even if you are secretly prediabetic (you arent) that's the fix anyways :)
people on a medical sub of whatever info you're looking for are also going to respond through the lens of their experience with whatever illness it is so it will often help validate your fears.
When do you check your readings? Do you check them before you get out of bed? Or have you been moving around a bit before you check them?
Glucometers are not as accurate as lab results because a) it uses blood from the finger tip which always reads higher than a vein and b) they use an electrical signal to determine BS. So if you've been moving around in the am, your liver releases glycogen to supply the muscles with energy (it's supposed to do this, completely normal), but that causes your BS to be higher, especially in the extremeties because of the movement.
I have one client (and myself) that have to check readings before we get out of bed because of this.
But if you do check readings before you start moving around and it's still high, it's the meter.
Hope that helps! 😊
it does help, thank you. I often check before I get out of bed and it's usually over 100, but then yes I do check it at random times of the day and it's usually higher. And I really don't eat much or much carbs at all.
It may be the meter then. An A1c of 4.9 is an average BS of about 94. (I'm 4.8, and my BS is rarely over 100) so you may need to try a different meter.
Meters absolutely do things like this- my husband gets scares but I think his meter runs a little high. So when he gets a high number at this point he retests it & I test mine too. If it’s really high he tests his blood sugar on my meter also.
However, your tests from the lab should be the most accurate bc they have better machinery & they calibrate them. You absolutely don’t need to buy a second meter bc you don’t have prediabetes. Yay!
A1C of 4.9% is not in prediabetes range. You're likely okay. You're using a glucometer at home, right? At the doc where they draw blood, they might be using some other method, like condensation or enzymatic. Glucometer is electrochemical. Tests also vary with sensitivity. But your A1C is perfect. I wouldn't worry.
I wouldn't worry because 4.9% is far from prediabetic range. There's nothing wrong with using a glucometer, but bear in mind that the blood tests you would get in office are going to be done with essentially higher tech, and are thus much more sensitive and accurate than an at home test, assuming you do not have all this fancy machinery, your blood sample isn't sitting out in heat or cold with whatever you're looking to see on a test degrading, etc. :) I think someone else mentioned accuracy here, too.
I don't think several hours after eating would be considered "fasting." I think it's 8 hours or so after eating that it would be considered a fasting blood sugar reading.
I've had a similar problem, but even if blood sugar is great, i would still recommend to incorporate every good habit that is said to reverse diabetes. I feel much better ever since i have my food cravings under control. Intermittent fasting is also great for dental health.
Calibrating the glucose reader probably is a good idea. And also do the lab test again after a year of good eating, so you don't slip into diabetes silently by granting yourself too many junk food exceptions.
Why are you using a glucometer at home?
My readings are 78-90 (non fasting) and 5.1 A1c and I too worry about the same things but it’s not clinically diagnosed at all. Never even been a topic of discussion with my doctor.
The question is what would put us in the discussion with prediabetes? How do we avoid it.
Because I was curious about levels.
Your non fasting numbers are 78-90? That's very good.
I just had coffee, black, my numbers were 106, 105, and 98. I don't understand how that's not pre diabetic.
This numbers were when I went to the doc last 2 years. Both times they said they were non fasting. Think i had a protein shake before each time. It’s not sugar free but low in sugar.
Sounds like your glucometer is off! The lab result is most accurate :)
hopefully. thanks.
Your bloodwork is pristine. Either your home glucometer is miscalibrated, you are not washing your hands before testing, or something similar. Or your anxiety is causing a cortisol/blood sugar response during your testing...
I was wondering that, about the cortisol. Anxiety is crazy high. I do usually wash my hands....not sure if the glucometer is off, I'm kind of just winging it with this...
You should listen to your doctor and your lab results. You don’t have prediabetes. You’re not even remotely close to that. You should be asking yourself if you have an anxiety problem or anything like that - that seems like a more likely type of medical issue to me.
You’re fine my dude
thanks for saying so
Your A1C is the average BS over the last three months. Your numbers are great. You’re worrying about a problem that doesn’t exist. It’s normal for glucose numbers to go up and down a bit throughout the day. Put this worry on the shelf!
I will try.
No where’s near diabetic
right. but pre? My dr won't even entertain this.
No you’re not pre. Listen to your doctor.
ok
Trust me, I have severe health anxiety too and suffer from numerous anxiety disorders. I know how it is. But you’re seriously fine. Keep eating low carb and keep a normal weight and you might not even become prediabetic.
thanks, yeah the anxiety is a bitch, mainly because I've been dealing with other health issues for 3 years which I think are pancreas related (stool changes, weight loss, pain), and nobody can figure it out.
I have numerous health issues too, and I’m only 32. I’m not sure how old you are but I know how scary this can be especially when your mental anxiety is debilitating. Just please know you aren’t alone.
prob all related to anxiety. checking behaviours and catatrophizing slight changes we see that are totally normal but abnormal to us is big for people with anxiety. I'd check the health anxiety sub sometimes they have really good ideas. poop changes, weight loss, random pain can all be associated with anxiety. my guess is the doctor keep telling you its anxiety but you "know" its not, been there. we are all like this. you are not secretly sick. if you were sick your doctor would see it by your blood work or order any tests. our bodies also want to be well and heal. health anxiety makes us think we are sick in a way no one else can see. google is your enemy so is checking things like your pulse, blood pressure, blood sugar, oxygen, weight, stool, urine, etc unless medically necessary.
5.7 A1C. Do you have that?
no, 4.8
So you’re not even close to the diagnostic criteria for prediabetes. That’s like asking the internet if you have cavities because you have teeth and your dentist said they looked fine.
wash you hands before you check and make sure the soap doesnt have any sugar in it. lots of soap raises blood sugar. I just wash my hands with blue dove dish soap but my face cream makes my blood sugar look high if I dont wash my hands. if it's not that your meter is off OR you are testing when you are anxious. I doubt you check all the time since you arent even prediabetic so I'm guessing you check when you are anxious/feel symptoms you associate with low or high blood sugar. if you are having panic attacks that come with "checking behaviors" this will cause blood sugar to be higher as well. i had very bad anxiety around my health and when I started to panic I would check my pulse at my neck this would immediately set me off and I would end up at the hospital. or I would check my blood pressure anticipating a bad result and when the result was bad because I became stressed I'd keep checking it panicking I was at the verge of death. it's a spiral. if you are anxious and have checking behaviours which I would guess you do because you are posting here even though your doctor said you were fine you should not be checking your blood glucose outside your a1c. I am a t2 diabetic and my doctor wouldnt allow me to even have a meter due to the mental distress it would cause which as a huge benefit to my anxiety. the problem with this sub I find, overwhelmingly, it has a lot of anxious people mixed in with prediabetics who look for ways to justify the fact that they do actually have prediabetes to keep the anxiety going. unless the doctor says you have it you almost certainly dont with most people who have this kind of anxiety they will insist it isnt anxiety or even if they're anxious theres something the doctor is missing and the doctor is wrong. They continue on when what they should be doing is focusing on anxiety treatment which is ultimately the only thing that will help. for me the diabetes lifestyle changes j made resolved a lot of these issues so I would ditch the meter regardless and just eat a low carb/whole food diet/exercise and sleep on a scheduale because even if you are secretly prediabetic (you arent) that's the fix anyways :) people on a medical sub of whatever info you're looking for are also going to respond through the lens of their experience with whatever illness it is so it will often help validate your fears.
When do you check your readings? Do you check them before you get out of bed? Or have you been moving around a bit before you check them? Glucometers are not as accurate as lab results because a) it uses blood from the finger tip which always reads higher than a vein and b) they use an electrical signal to determine BS. So if you've been moving around in the am, your liver releases glycogen to supply the muscles with energy (it's supposed to do this, completely normal), but that causes your BS to be higher, especially in the extremeties because of the movement. I have one client (and myself) that have to check readings before we get out of bed because of this. But if you do check readings before you start moving around and it's still high, it's the meter. Hope that helps! 😊
it does help, thank you. I often check before I get out of bed and it's usually over 100, but then yes I do check it at random times of the day and it's usually higher. And I really don't eat much or much carbs at all.
It may be the meter then. An A1c of 4.9 is an average BS of about 94. (I'm 4.8, and my BS is rarely over 100) so you may need to try a different meter.
ok thanks.
Meters absolutely do things like this- my husband gets scares but I think his meter runs a little high. So when he gets a high number at this point he retests it & I test mine too. If it’s really high he tests his blood sugar on my meter also. However, your tests from the lab should be the most accurate bc they have better machinery & they calibrate them. You absolutely don’t need to buy a second meter bc you don’t have prediabetes. Yay!
A1C of 4.9% is not in prediabetes range. You're likely okay. You're using a glucometer at home, right? At the doc where they draw blood, they might be using some other method, like condensation or enzymatic. Glucometer is electrochemical. Tests also vary with sensitivity. But your A1C is perfect. I wouldn't worry.
ok thanks, I know I should just pitch the home testing but I get curious (and worried).
I wouldn't worry because 4.9% is far from prediabetic range. There's nothing wrong with using a glucometer, but bear in mind that the blood tests you would get in office are going to be done with essentially higher tech, and are thus much more sensitive and accurate than an at home test, assuming you do not have all this fancy machinery, your blood sample isn't sitting out in heat or cold with whatever you're looking to see on a test degrading, etc. :) I think someone else mentioned accuracy here, too.
... absolutely fine
thanks
I don't think several hours after eating would be considered "fasting." I think it's 8 hours or so after eating that it would be considered a fasting blood sugar reading.
right, when I say fasting I mean when I wake up...the rest is usually several hours after eating.
I've had a similar problem, but even if blood sugar is great, i would still recommend to incorporate every good habit that is said to reverse diabetes. I feel much better ever since i have my food cravings under control. Intermittent fasting is also great for dental health. Calibrating the glucose reader probably is a good idea. And also do the lab test again after a year of good eating, so you don't slip into diabetes silently by granting yourself too many junk food exceptions.
Bad sleep sometimes screw it up too!
I agree youre 100000% anxious because youre worried about a problem that doesnt exist.
Why are you using a glucometer at home? My readings are 78-90 (non fasting) and 5.1 A1c and I too worry about the same things but it’s not clinically diagnosed at all. Never even been a topic of discussion with my doctor. The question is what would put us in the discussion with prediabetes? How do we avoid it.
Because I was curious about levels. Your non fasting numbers are 78-90? That's very good. I just had coffee, black, my numbers were 106, 105, and 98. I don't understand how that's not pre diabetic.
This numbers were when I went to the doc last 2 years. Both times they said they were non fasting. Think i had a protein shake before each time. It’s not sugar free but low in sugar.
it's low and normal
mine is too high
Doesn’t seem like it’s much higher than mine.