A1C Drop in 3 Months

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 2 1/2 years ago. Doctor wanted to put me on Metformin, but I asked if I could try changing my diet first. I worked with a nutritionist and I basically cut sugar out of my diet and watched my carb intake. In six months I dropped 45 pounds and my A1C since loosing weight and changing my diet is generally between 5.8 to 6.0 managed with no drugs. I do try to get in 8,000 steps a day daily. I’m 73 years old and have had afib twice and now take Eliquis until I see the electrologist next spring. I have hit a plateau on weight and would like to lose 10 to 20 more pounds. If anyone has had success with shredding those last pounds please share.

@msileft , congratulations on your BG improvement. I’m type 1, but will share what I have read or experienced with my journey. I’ve had large drops before and it’s a big morale booster. Your diabetes care team should be able to provide guidance on their expectations for your particular situation.

One concern that my care team has always had is whether I had lows when trying to lower my numbers. Lows can be problematic for multiple reasons and I won’t go into detail about it here, but big drops in A1c can indicate incidences of hypoglycemia, so I’d keep that in mind, especially if you take insulin or meds. Do you wear a cgm or finger stick a lot? That’s important.

Also, sometimes rapid reduction in a1c can cause a temporary change in vision. That’s happened to me, but eventually my eyes adjusted.

I’ve also read reports that some people got neuropathy symptoms after a fast reduction. There’s a name for it, but I’ll have to research to find it.

I will add that even if you are able to have substantial reduction in A1c, I’ve heard that the meds that treat type II, like Ozempic can have health benefits that go beyond diabetes treatment…..like for heart and kidney health. This is in addition to aiding with weight loss, so I wouldn’t rule it out. Your team can offer input on it.

I take oral medication and I am on Mounjaro. I already have neuropathy because of ovarian cancer that I dealt with. I use the OneTouch Verio Reflect glucose monitor and that one works very well for me. Next week, I am going to see an endocrinologist so that this way I have a specialist and a care team instead of my regular GP. Thank you for your insight. I really appreciate it.

It’s great you are seeing an endocrinologist! Often they have a team to help such as certified diabetes educators and nutritionists. I share my progress with my GP and often get my labs done in his office, but still rely on my endocrinologist.

Good luck with everything. It sounds very positive.

Thank you so much and wish you continued success.

Reduce your carbs. Works like magic!

It's great to get an endocrinologist because they do additional things over a GP. For instance a manual exam of the thyroid, ultrasound of the thyroid, fine tuning of the thyroid meds, monitoring of the diabetes, knowledge of all the diabetic meds available, knowledge of the interactions of the liver with the thyroid and the diabetes. A knowledge of nutrition that involves the liver, thyroid and your diabetes.. good luck with your new doctors.

Thank you so much for the insight.

Not sure of your age, but if you ever use Medicare insurance for insulin and diabetes meds and supplies….it can be a nightmare satisfying the supply companies. Endo offices even struggle to get proper documentation to them. I can’t imagine a Primary office doing this. Mine is more complicated due to being Type 1 and using a pump, but I still think it’s rough for everyone.

I am proud of you for giving it a try and working at it. It has taken some work on my part to change my lifestyle as well. I am still trying to make things right with my body and health. Believe me it is worth it. You start to see things change and improvements in your health. I have begun to see changes in myself. I believe if I can make changes and it was difficult for me that you can too. Making small changes at first is what makes the difference because if you change things drastically it can come back at you in the worst way. I hope this helps.