How in the world can a person control sugar levels when they constantly bounce up and down without much rhyme or reason? As of now, I carry a diagnosis of glucose intolerance. This is with an A1C of 6.2 and several fasting levels above 170 and a couple randoms as high as 232. The thing is, I can also have readings in the 50's and 60's. Sometimes I can go several days with very normal readings. I take no meds to control the sugar and haven't been given any guidance other than a script for strips to test my glucose levels 4 times a day and told to eat every 2 to 3 hours which is something I've almost always done anyhow cause I'm always hungry. I've been testing since last fall. The doc looks at the logs and says "Oh, looks like these readings are all over the place." Then we move on to the other problems.
I have a very rare thyroid disorder which took 25 years to diagnose and I will be starting specific treatment for that as soon as the special compounded medication arrives. Because of that, I have developed renal tubular acidosis (15 years, undiagnosed and untreated), stage 2 kidney disease and premature osteoporosis. I started treatment for all of these and the intercostal neuropathy that developed last spring within the last 6 months. I take atenolol for the thyroid (been on beta blockers for 17 years for it), am awaiting the dextrothyroxine to arrive, take bicarb, phosphorus, calcium and vitamin d for the kidneys, those plus I will be starting the menostar patch for the osteo and take lyrica and tylenol 4 for the neuropathy.
I'm 48. I'm far from overweight at 5'2" and 104lbs. I've always been small. There is absolutely no history of diabetes in my family. I'm quite active and get plenty of exercise. I eat large quantities for someone my size but I've always tried to eat a healthy, balanced diet.
I've got a feeling I know why I have problems with the glucose levels. Another thing to attribute to the thyroid problem. I've had glucose readings that have been just a little off for the last 17 years. But, over the last year or so, they've become consistently higher and before, I'd never see readings above 200. I've got a feeling it's become a secondary issue like all the others and it's not something that's just going to go away if we ignore it.
What I guess I wanna know is what kind of treatment options are there for something like this? Does it even merit treatment? I've read the contraindications for the various meds and most of them are out cause of allergies and the acidosis. I also wonder if they'd make the low readings even worse. Should I even be concerned since my A1C is below 7? I'm feeling kinda lost. Any advice would be welcome.
Well yes, you should be concerned. But I am not sure you should be over worried.
Is your blood sugar testing regular? Do you test like you should?
6 hours following a meal (normally morning) Considered fasting.
Just prior to eating
1 hour followind a meal
2 hours following a meal
3 hours following a meal
These are the ONLY numbers which tell a medical staff how to precede. All other numbers are mere rubbish. (Besides the A1C, that number is important!)
Hi mark, I appreciate your responding. I've been testing for a while. The gp gave me a really nice meter with all kinds of really cool functions back in august. Insurance covers the strips too! I did have to read the instructions to figure out how to do the reports though.
Morning fastings run 91-161
One hour post meals run 57-223
Two hour post meals run 61-232
Don't have many three hour ones but they range 51-191
I normally test at bedtime and they run 80-210
Bouncy, bouncy.
I've been trying to find a pattern. The only thing I can see is it stays high for a while then stays normal for a while and then back again. I don't comprehend the why's of the low readings (this meter is so cool, it asks me if I need a snack ) but catching em on the meter has explained symptoms that I've had for years. I always thought it was the thyroid hormones breaking thru the beta blockers when I felt like that. Perhaps not???
You ready to put up your dukes? I don't think readings at any other time outside of those parameters are mere rubish. Saying that's not fair to the people who land in the hospital with outrageous readings. Just cause the readings don't fall within certain time frames doesn't make a bit of difference. The problem still needs to be addressed.
But regardless, you're still a sweetheart for responding. I just get really frustrated when I don't understand something and don't know what to do about it.
Testing is, of course, very important, but you need to correlate it with other things. You need to compare exactly what you ate (and where) with those readings. You also need to add in exercise and emotions can also play a role. I know that for myself when I am depressed or angry, my sugars go up.
So you will have to take detailed notes and see what foods, what restaurants, what emotions, and what exercise affect you. Sorry to make you do more work, but there are many things at play and just recording the numbers doesn't mean anything in isolation. You need the big picture.
I just wish the gp would stop looking at the log, writing glucose intolerance in the chart and just go ahead and address the issue and give me a little guidance here. He's a really good doctor and I like him a lot and we've dealt with a lot of problems lately. But he also knows I'm going to look it up and sometimes leaves it to me to come up with a solution. He even asks me for my research papers sometimes. He's the only doctor in this isolated area and he doesn't have a whole bunch of time.
I've taken some notes, although not real detailed and not real consistently. I did see a big swing when I got a uri about 2 months ago. But I have found that I can eat a certain food one day and get a high reading and eat the same thing again and don't so there has to be something coming into play. I'm very much a creature of habit and don't change routines very often. Haven't been in a restaurant in about 20 years. We don't have any of those around here. Perhaps if I pay a little more attention, I can figure out where I'm going wrong. In all honesty, I don't really wanna have to deal with this but I know I've got to.
Had a dog with diabetes years ago. He was easy to take care of. Fed him the exact same thing every day at the exact same time, taught him to pee in a cup every morn when he got up and gave him his insulin once a day at the exact same time. I'll be darned if I wanna go that route.
) but catching em on the meter has explained symptoms that I've had for years. I always thought it was the thyroid hormones breaking thru the beta blockers when I felt like that. Perhaps not???
I just get really frustrated when I don't understand something and don't know what to do about it. 
Perhaps if I pay a little more attention, I can figure out where I'm going wrong. In all honesty, I don't really wanna have to deal with this but I know I've got to.
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