Diabetes Community

Yes, it is quite high. Your fasting should be below 100 and 2 hours after a meal it should be less than 140. You need to speak to your doctor and work out what needs to be done.

Best of luck.

Cora

First of all, welcome!!!

Denise, I agree with Cora, especially if like you say, you're strict with your diet and are doing exercise. I'm on medicine and diet alone, too, but when I do have too many carbs at one time, my blood sugar will rise to 200 in a heartbeat.

When you say you're strict, does that mean you keep your meals smaller, OR your carb levels are around 35-40 for a meal? If not, try to keep them at those levels and see what happens.

Definitely make an appt. with your doctor right away, though, and talk to him/her about this. Have you thought of getting an A1C to see what your average for three months has been this time? That might be a starting point. Again, if you are being really strict, you might have to go on medicine.

Another question I have for you. Did you talk to a dietitian or work with someone who knows a lot about how to keep your blood sugar levels lower? I had no idea that some things would raise my blood sugar levels, and had to work on this for years to get my levels in control. The thing is this though. Everyone here is different in their diabetes. Some have lost their pancreatic function, or it has lessened over the years, so what works for one person, doesn't work for someone else.

I have also found that when I drink diet drinks, with artificial sugar, I crave food more. It actually makes it worse for me, especially diet Coke and diet Snapple. I also found cokes are bad for bone health, too, so only have those on occasions at parties. I mostly drink water, and some decaf coffee.

So check with your doctor, and at home, really go over what you eat during the day, which you probably have done already, to make sure there aren't too many carbs at once that you're eating.(You can go to Calorie King. Com to get carb levels. They also have books for this. I used to think having fruit was good for me, but find I can only tolerate a small apple, a slice of melons, or a few berries. Other things send up my blood sugar numbers. Good luck, and let us know how you're doing.

Hi,

An average glucose of 253 mg/dl is equal to a hemoglobin A1c of 10.4%; this is well above the goal of less than 7% for most individuals. A word of caution about goal numbers; individuals should talk with their health care providers (HCP) about what their individual goals should be. For example, many HCPs will set a fasting goal of <120 mg/dl for individuals who might be harmed by glucose control that is too tight, for example an elderly person at risk for falls.

It is important that you realize that no matter how careful you are about your diet and no matter how much you exercise, it is the NATURAL PROGRESSION of diabetes to eventually need medications and for most people, to eventually need insulin as one of those medications, even for those with type 2. The more one is able to control their glucose and weight within in a normal or near-normal range, the longer one may be able to put off adding medications, but in your case, it would appear that you are ready for some additional tools in your kit to help you control your glucose. I'd suggest that you make an appointment with your HCP to discuss your glucose trends and how medication might help you to attain an A1c at goal.

Kind regards, Laurie

Laurie, I didn't realize that this is the natural progression of diabetes. I watched my Type II mom(who got diabetes at 40) start with insulin, go to medicine, then to diet alone,(from a 20 to a size 12), and back in her older years insulin again, so this gets confusing for me. She was GREAT with walking every single day of her life. I thought if we kept our blood sugar levels down, our pancreatic function would maintain. If I'm hearing you correctly, as we age, it gets worse? What about if we ate so strictly, like some people on here do? Will they also have that progression or is it individual?

I have read verbatim the second paragraph in your post in the ADA website, in books, etc. The same places that put a low carb diet on the unacceptable list until just last year. Given the proclivity for organizations to be behind the times, I will be adamantly ignoring their negativism until the day I die. Now, if for some reason in the future I am unable to keep my numbers down and need to go on meds or insulin, so be it. I will continue the way I am, and hopefully thumb my nose at the attitude on my last day on earth.

I do hear the people I work with tell diabetics that it is a progressive disease...and for most people I believe it is. Most type 2 diabetics will eventually have beta cell functionality decline or even fail, and will need more and/or different meds to control blood sugar. Those who take more control of their diabetes and make the lifestyle changes tend to stave off the declination or slow it down enough as to not need a large change in medications during their lifetime.

As one person I work with puts it, every diabetic will eventually need insulin, whether its 5 years or 100. Some people dont reach that point because they fail before their pancreas. (Meaning, their diabetes is in control enough that they die of old age before their pancreas fails.)

My diabetes had been extra wierd........

I was threatened with shots at age 14, but I got better and avoided them. Again when I was 22 ub the Navy it happened again, and recovered again. When I was 34 I ended up hospitalized for diabetes. A couple years later I ended up on insulin,

Right now my diabetes is better easier t manage, and I use less insulin despite weight modest gain.....

PIGeon holes are for PIGeons...........lol

Gomer

I know of a guy near here home, he has been T2 since 50. He is 85 still going strong, bikes and mountain climbs. No meds!

More than likely he is a case of he will fail before his pancreas.

Denise, as Laurie suggested, call your HCP. Do you keep strict counts of your carbohydrate intake daily? Were you given an "allowance" per meal, such as 35 grams or 45 grams? Some of us are extremely insulin resistant or their pancreas puts out little to no insulin.

You should get your blood sugars under control sooner rather than later.

Yours are running high and you don't want that to keep happening.

I was told to journal every morsel of food and drink I put in my mouth. I was also to take my BS b/4 meals and two hours after. This way the doctor and dietician could see if foods were raising and keeping my blood sugar higher than where it should be.

Wish you luck on your journey.

Thanks so much for the response. Yes, I have worked with a dietitian and diet and exercised. I keep my diet in order. It's just not working anymore. My blood sugar has been as high as 345. It just gets better and better. I see the Dr tomorrow and she is putting me on medication. My A1C was about a 6.5 sense the last time I took it. I changed doctors a few weeks ago sense my last one doesn't take my diabetes serious. The one I have now is on it. I have tachycardia, I think that's how you say it. I'm not sure. Anyway thanks to all that replied. I really appreciated the input.

Denise

Denise, be sure to keep us updated on how the medicine is helping you, and stick around! I know people helped me when I first came on here, too.

I saw the Dr. and my sugar level was 372 that morning. She put me on Metformin..500mg. I've been taking it sense I saw her which is 2 or three days now. My blood sugar is still high. It's ranging around 345 per reading. How long does it takes before the medicine works, if it's going to work? If my blood sugar doesn't come down in a little while, she is going to put me on something else or up my dosage. Thanks for everyone that participated in this discussion. I appreciate it.

Denise, thanks for updating us. How long does the doctor want you to wait? I would think she would want to get your levels down right away. Can you call the doctor's office and tell them you're still high?