Feeling frustrated - looking for suggestions
In April, my doctor upped my dosage of Rybelsus. Since then, I've felt *SO* much better. My eyesight has leveled out and isn't blurry. My fatigue has abated quite a bit. My food cravings have been better. Everything has just been so much better.
My diet isn't perfect by far. I have a very tight food budget and I don't cook much. But I went from having big sandwiches to eating the lunchmeat and cheese by themselves with no bread. I use an energy drink with just 2 g of carbs for my caffeine and drink water the rest of the day. Salty snacks are difficult - that's what I gravitate towards. But I've been trying to eat more carrots with hummus for the crunch. And almonds. I eat a lot of almonds. I live with my folks for health reasons (theirs and mine). My mom does the majority of the cooking. We almost always have a salad with dinner and I use vineagrettes for my salad dressing. I've also been using a smaller plate for meals in hopes of helping my portion control.
Exercising is difficult with my chronic fatigue but since the fatigue has been a bit better, I've been moving more. I realize I need to exercise more, but it's a balancing thing between exercizing enough vs not triggering excessive fatigue (like can't get out of bed fatigue).
I don't prick my fingers because I have a history of self-harm and it triggers cravings for self-harm. So I was waiting for today to see how my A1c was doing. I have an endocrinology appt next week so I got blood drawn today. I thought for sure it went down because I feel *SO* much better.
It went up. By 2 points.
I'm so frustrated. I just wanna give up. I don't understand how I can feel so much better and have it still go up. Have any of you had this happen? How did you manage to get that A1c to come down?
You must have been so disappointed,
. My heart goes out to you. There could be so many other reasons your A1C went up -- untreated anemia, liver issues, hypothyroidism, certain medications, especially opioids and long-term use of aspirin. If you really feel your diet and lifestyle changes should have helped, it might be wise to investigate other factors. You also might want to consider a clinical trial for a non-invasive blood glucose monitor. There are several technologies under development that are promising. A visit to a dietician who specializes in diabetes might also help. It's possible something in your diet that you think is healthy is driving the number up or that it is simply the timing of something in your diet. I am glad you know yourself well enough to avoid finger pricks. Your history of self-harm is a really important consideration. The fact that your symptoms are improving is a great sign. A1C does not always tell the whole story. Here is an article from one of our advocates about AIC readings that might interest you: https://type2diabetes.com/living/understanding-a1c-test-results. I hope this helps. Keep me posted if you don't mind. I will be thinking of you. - Lori (Team Member) - Thank you for the article. That helps me feel a little better. I might need to revisit the dietician. I met with one a few years ago when first diagnosed, but maybe a refresher discussion would be helpful. I'll ask my doctor next week. I hope it helps and that your numbers come down. As hard as it is, try not to beat yourself up about this. You have other considerations that you are trying juggle. It seems to me that you are doing a great job even if you need to tweak things a bit now and then. - Lori (Team Member)
Hi Valerie - Sorry for your disappointment! I can imagine the frustration you must feel! I am a pre-diabetic who is trying to stay off medications. My doc has prescribed a Continuous Glucose Monitor so that I can see my daily fluctuations and the affects of what I eat. I'm in my 4th week and have an A1C test scheduled in November. So far, the results are very promising. Hopefully I can manage my daily blood glucose such that I'll not be surprised when the A1C result comes in. If your doc and insurance can work to get you authorized, it might be a good thing to consider. Best of luck to o you. Regards, Ken. P.s. My system is a Libre 2.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with a continuous glucose monitor. It sounds like it has greatly helped you keep track of your daily fluctuations and has helped you learn more about how you react to certain foods. If you are interested in learning more about these monitors that Kenbaz mentioned, you can read more about them here: https://type2diabetes.com/living-with-t2d/types-of-continuous-glucose-monitors.
Wishing you both well, - Cody (Team Member)Thank you for the suggestion. Unfortunately, my insurance won't cover a CGM unless I'm on insulin and it hasn't gotten that bad yet thankfully.
