Rise in Glucose & HBA1C

#1

I’ve been eating Keto for 5 months, since December 19, 2017 and I’ve been strict. The blood test I took today showed my glucose has risen since 6 months ago, from 103 [already high] to 110. The HBA1C has risen from 39 to 43. I am very worried and cannot understand what is going on. Feedback and reassurance, please. Thanks.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #2

First thing to do is to look for hidden carbohydrate in all your food. There could be added sugar in the bacon, that doesn’t show up in the nutrition panel, because they have cleverly chosen a portion size that legallly lets them put 0 g, but it can add up. So check the ingredients list for sugar in one of its many forms. Do this for anything that has an ingredients list.

Next, try cutting out dairy. That helps some people. (If you do eat dairy, keep to heavy cream and butter, which have almost no carbohydrate; you might wish to avoid cheese and yoghurt, because they usually still have some sugar that the fermenting bacteria haven’t consumed. Whole milk contains the sugars lactose and galactose, and so it should be avoided even if other dairy is not a problem for you.)

(Raj Seth) #3

A1C 39 to 43? I don’t understand the units. Us style is < 5.7. Converting to other units multiply by 18. So 39 and 43 are too high for one, and too low for the other…
Fasting glucose 103 to 110 is well within the margin of error

(Omar) #4

I think something is wrong with the A1c test
you should test again

#5

Thank you for taking the time to answer, Paul, and for your suggestions.
All the very best,
Clara

(Alec) #6

Clara
Could you pls take a pic of your results and post them so we can see the actual report? This will help us interpret it.
Cheers
Alec

#7

Sorry, Alec, but who is “us”?

Thanks

Clara

(Alec) #8

The folks on this forum.

(Auden) #9

You asked for feedback - it’s confusing bc the A1C values you wrote don’t make sense. So it might be easier to give the feedback you requested with the right numbers.

#10

I can access the lab report on my computer but am not savvy enough to photograph them. Might I send you the exact numbers from my last three tests? Or I can print out the results and then photograph them and send them to you in the morning.

Thanks so much for taking the time.

(Steve) #11

You could install a “print to pdf” sort of printer driver on your computer - thereby you could encapsulate the results into a pdf.

Then you can either copy/paste the information into a post on here or you could export it to a jpeg/jpg and upload it.

#12

Hi Clara
the reason for the confusion is that I think you’ve been given your HbA1c result in the UK format of mmol/mol as opposed to the US format of %. This is why other forum members are asking you to post the report. Are you based in the US or UK/Europe?

I’ve attached a link to explain the HbA1c for your information. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/what-is-hba1c.html

The rise is minimal and you have no cause to be alarmed. I’m T1D and I know that protein causes increases in my BGs in the absence of carbs, so you may also be “sensitive” to too much protein in the absence of carbs . Everyone is different in their responses so don’t be concerned, and look at lowering slightly your protein as a possible fix?@ PaulL
feedback makes complete sense so do check for those hidden carbs too.

Any queries please shout :smile: Ali

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #13

If you get it all figured out, come back and tell us, so we can pass the solution on to the next one with the problem.

If you never do get it figured out, come back and tell us and yell and scream a bit. We’ve all been there.

In any case, keep calm and keto on!

#14

LOL!
Thanks for the encouragement!

#15

Dear Buffy,
What concerned me is that my glucose has been running just over 100, i.e.,
106 one time and 103 in November 2017 a year later. Having been Keto since
Dec 19, 2017, I expected a huge drop in glucose. Whether it is Brit or
American [I am in Jerusalem], I am going by the comparisons and over 100
here is into the “red zone.”
Thank you for the access to the HbA1c article.
Best wishes,
Clara

(Jennifer Kleiman) #16

Just over 100 is no cause for concern as long as your other markers of insulin resistance are good. It’s typical with long-term ketogenic dieters in fact, many of us report morning glucose the same as yours. It is due to glucose-sparing adaptations in muscle tissue to preserve glucose for the brain, since the muscles become accustomed to running on ketones.

Other markers of insulin resistance - high fasting insulin, your waist circumference being more than half your height, high fasting triglycerides, HOMA-IR, McAuley index, a Kraft assay – all offer a lot more insight into your insulin resistance status than that fasting glucose number. If your fasting glucose was >120 or a1c was out of range you’d have cause to be concerned, too.