doctor unhappy i am in 5 club
can this be?!!? went to the doc for the a1c result and it was 5.5! i think that is wonderful and was expecting a well deserved pat on the back and a "good job". and she said this was dangerous and what was i doing eating low carb, giving me the standard low fat diet, 200 carbs a day handout. i am just so perplexed by the fact that we werent on the same page about these results! lower is better! she pointed out that the good range for diabetics is between 6.5 and 7.
mind you, i have had some lows from the honeymoon jumping all over the place but there have also been some highs. i actually expected an a1c in the 6s after a couple of weeks of postprandial highs. the best thing would be to have no highs/lows but i think this is an impoossibility.
i just really expected a "wow, youre fabulous" moment. im too big on getting the gold stars, i guess! :(
are your doctors haapy with an a1c in the mid 5s?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Zoe on -
My doctor actually complemented me for my 5.7 but I think this is unusual. Doctor's are hyper conservative when it comes to lows and they have been brainwashed to the belief that anybody who achieves that low an A1C did it at the cost of lots of lows (averaged by lots of highs). Your doctor is just plain wrong, and if you have any doubt consider his dietary advice!
Having said that, I have had two A1C's in the last year both of which were 5.7. The first one was the result of hard work and good control. The second one reflected a period during which I had some problems and had lots of highs and lots of lows. My doctor doesn't know any better (and yours would criticize both!) but I was a lot prouder of the first one. Occasional lows are a normal part of Type 1 as are occasional highs. But only you know if your 5.5 was achieved at the expense of too many. But your doctor makes that assumption out of ignorance.
Congrats on your great A1C!
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Permalink Reply by Spock on -
Hate to do this, but when A1Cs are that low, it means that you are having a LOT of low glucose readings. I got the same thing from my doctors for a couple of years.
My last was 5.5 up from 5.1. WAY too low to be healthy and happy.
I have to say that since I actually listened to them and have eased up slightly on my readings, I feel a lot better. I rarely have a reading over 150, but also do not have readings at 40 or 20. I can actually feel when I am low more accurately.
Life is better. Pressure is less. I have even removed my CGM for the last three weeks and am LOVING the freedom.
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Permalink Reply by Zoe on
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That is a general statement that I disagree with, Spock. Though many doctors believe that to be the case, and sometimes it is, there are many people on here that have achieved A1C's in the 5's through hard work, frequent testing, low carb and just having agreeable diabetes ("the luck of the draw"). My own first 5.7 was achieved with a minimum of lows and just a lot of stable numbers. Your own description of a 5.5 with "rarely a reading of 150 and also do not have readings at 40 or 20" is a great example.
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Permalink Reply by Super_sally on -
I have to disagree. Low A1cs can also be due to low variation. Ie. keeping blood sugars between 80-100 most of the time. Helps if the diabetes cooperates as well and responds to the efforts.
If one can achieve something close to non-diabetic without lows then great!
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Permalink Reply by Nell on -
My endo prints out 2 weeks from my 1 touch ultalink and looks at the highs and lows and their time of day. The A1c is the last thing he even mentions to me. He does want me to keep it below 7.4 though. He says complications start occurring at that level or above.
He would prefer I keep the bg within a more narrow range but I have never done that. Will power?
I tend to agree with Spock though, and your doc, on the dangers of a 'normal' A1c. And for me, anything below 6 would require a huge amount of time, effort, and attention. I think the lowest I have been is 6.4. On the other hand, I have not been above 7.4 more than once or twice max in several years.
How many hypos have you needed help with during the last 4 months? If none, then I don't know how to explain the 5.5. Could the lab be wrong?
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Permalink Reply by Zoe on
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Why would the lab have to be wrong if someone got a 5.5? Though it isn't possible or even desirable for everyone, many people maintain an A1C in the 5's without excessive lows. "How many hypos have you needed help with during the last 4 months?" I've never had a hypo I needed help with (which is good since I live alone!) and I got a 5.7 with a minimal amount of moderate hypos. (On my last page of numbers which is about 3 1/2 weeks worth I had 7 lows, the lowest was 51 - that's about 2 per week.)
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Permalink Reply by pancreaswanted on -
thats not a bad average for hypos! next goal: less hypos.
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Permalink Reply by jims on
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This is a curious post. I am T2 not T1 and after 30 years buggered up; finally got mess back to 6.4 from 13.3. My eyes, kidney's weight healed and off of the actos.
While it may be desireable to get ones a1c/average bg like a normal person and if you can - great.
But data I have researched and from my Doctor is as follows:
a) less peopele die in hospital and heal faster when BG is averaging 140 up. Trying to maintain the 110 numbers can be death defying.
b) Doctor's goals is to keep people alive and reduce risk. AFter all he is the ones safety officer. Once proven diabetic - risk for lows goes up along with liver malfunction. I can see why Doctor would be concerned about anybody as proven diabetic attempting to run as normal person. He does not want them dead on his watch should they cycle too low and liver is not adding glucose when BG goes sub - 70.
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Permalink Reply by pancreaswanted on
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none!! none!! i am honeymooning and i give lots of credit to that, though i have worked hard to figure out my ratios and keep myself in check! as i said honeymoon has been really up and down this past month, more or less and thats why ive had highs and lows. ive changed ratios every week for the past four weeks, sometimes with just days in between changes.
the lows i have been having always have to do with exercise and i think its because im learning how to be a "real" diabetic, out of the honeymoon at times with less counter regulatory powers..
thanks for the congrats zoe! gold stars, gold stars!
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Permalink Reply by Zoe on
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7.4 is a very high target, Nell. As Kelly describes below the AACE suggests an A1C below 6.5 and even the notoriously conservative ADA says "below 7.0" 7.4 is an average around 169 which means there are plenty of numbers higher than that. Studies show complications begin at prolonged time spent at 140 (thus the goal of 6.5, though even then you would have many numbers above that average).
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Permalink Reply by Mike on -
First off, congrats.
I've never hit the 5s...my lowest was a 6.2.
I think that for people that do not have diabetes a "6.0 or less" is considered healthy. To me, that means that I would like to have a 6.0 or less...so that I can avoid complications that come with elevated glucose levels.
I think that ZOE is right when she says that your doctor is making assumptions. With that being said, I'll hang out over here with my 7.0 a1c and worry about highs, and you should hang out with your 5.5 and worry about correcting your lows.
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Permalink Reply by pancreaswanted on
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6.2 is in the awesome range. we can meet in the middle somewhere btwn 5.5 and 7.
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