Do A1Cs cause too much stress?
Dear TU folks,
The A1C test, in my opinion does not really say what is going on and only adds stress to an already stressful situation.
I had a lot of trouble with synthetic insulin the 80s and I measured "LO", below 1, many times a day and 40 at other times and yet my A1C was around 7-8. My doctor at the time told me it had to be lower but I knew if I tried that I would die so I ignored that educated opinion.
I am in a much better place now with 5.5 - 6.0 and don't use synthetics, but just the same I am retired and am at home most of the time, so in a safe place which allows me to safely run close to the wire.I get an A1C once a year just for fun just because I like looking at my own blood, OK, bad joke ha ha!!!
I believe kids and teens should always be higher than adults. I believe people who work or are physically very active should be higher too. As well, diabetics who live alone should be a lot higher for safety. There is a reason most people who succumb to dead in bed are kids, teens, and people who live alone. We are far from equal as the medical system seems to think we are.
Just my humble opinion and I hope to hear your opinions and take care of yourselves.
Don
PS: I never meant to infer that the test is bad, in fact it is very helpful. The problem is that some people can't seem to get the number low enough for their doctors. I have one friend who has never been below 9 but is brittle and every day is a total surprise and is always so frustrated with the A1C. At one time I was hypo-unaware and tested 15 times a day and my number was never below 7.
The A1C test, in my opinion does not really say what is going on and only adds stress to an already stressful situation.
I had a lot of trouble with synthetic insulin the 80s and I measured "LO", below 1, many times a day and 40 at other times and yet my A1C was around 7-8. My doctor at the time told me it had to be lower but I knew if I tried that I would die so I ignored that educated opinion.
I am in a much better place now with 5.5 - 6.0 and don't use synthetics, but just the same I am retired and am at home most of the time, so in a safe place which allows me to safely run close to the wire.I get an A1C once a year just for fun just because I like looking at my own blood, OK, bad joke ha ha!!!
I believe kids and teens should always be higher than adults. I believe people who work or are physically very active should be higher too. As well, diabetics who live alone should be a lot higher for safety. There is a reason most people who succumb to dead in bed are kids, teens, and people who live alone. We are far from equal as the medical system seems to think we are.
Just my humble opinion and I hope to hear your opinions and take care of yourselves.
Don
PS: I never meant to infer that the test is bad, in fact it is very helpful. The problem is that some people can't seem to get the number low enough for their doctors. I have one friend who has never been below 9 but is brittle and every day is a total surprise and is always so frustrated with the A1C. At one time I was hypo-unaware and tested 15 times a day and my number was never below 7.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Natalie ._c- on -
What your doc did was so WRONG!!! Little diabetic children deserve all the support they can get, because life is hard enough for them already. I really wish I could undo the damage! :-(
But I want to tell you you're absolutely right about getting over the guilt, and not attaching emotion to numbers. You just do the best you can, and take one day at a time, and that's all that REALLY matters. Of course, you can always be on the lookout for new information that may help you manage your diabetes, and if you have a good endo, they will cooperate with you. TuD is a treasure trove of information, so keep on reading, and talking to people!
Wishing you a long and healthy life!
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Permalink Reply by onesaint on -
I had the same deal, Bunny. "The best juv. endo in the city" would yell at me why cant you be more like XYZ. He ran the diabetic camps, support groups, etc. Boy did he despise me. For a long time I turned a lot of that inward and felt like investing in my self and my future was worthless. Its not so. Those Dr. are just really really bad people. I was fortunate enough to have the chance to curse at him years later.
Really the only thing for me thats ever made all the rubbish Dr.s, their scare tactics, and blame game become null, was getting my BGs in control (thats a recent thing too). Now, they cant say anything. My new endo said 150 carbs is a must, I showed her my results, mute argument. =^)
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Permalink Reply by SuFu, Ph.D. on -
It's the same anxiety we see throughout medicine. Men and women will literally become tachycardic after blood draws for CA125 (ovarian cancer), CEA (colon cancer), PSA (prostate cancer) and the obvious A1C. The tests are only as stressful as you allow yourself to make them be. Unlike in the cancer tests, the A1C is almost always completely under your own control. I don't see the stress in the A1C if you've been "a good diabetic." The most of the people who are anxious about their A1C are out of control or try to gain control in the week prior to the draw so that they can say they are doing things to change when in fact they are not. It's not a perfect test, but it's by far the best we have.
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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on -
I stress out about A1C despite doing ok, I was making changes to my regimen and had noted an increase in StdDev maybe 3-4 weeks before my last blood drop off and wasn't sure how that would play in the result but it worked out ok. I think at a certain point, as you are up against diminishing returns, the desire to "improve" is there but could perhaps be a downer if you miss, since you generally have to wait a while to see the next result?
I also certainly do not qualify as a "good diabetic"
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Permalink Reply by Capin101 on
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Those pictures remind me of my college years. But a drink or 2 a day is good for the heart, you just can't save them up all week and have them all on Saturday night.
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