Jump in A1c level

Also the only meds I take are levothyroxcin & Amlodopine ( the latter only for the past year). No other supplements or anything else. I tried taking Areds but quit recently because they were affecting my entire digestive system. Found out the amount of zinc in them is toxic. Waiting a couple of weeks & will start on Lutein with zeaxanthin only as recommended by my eye doctor. My primary does not believe in daily multivitamins or other supplements. I agree with him.

I'm glad to hear you are paying close attention - it will be interesting to see what your A1C does as your weight goes down.
Let me know how you progress in this effort, which will be a challenge with the holidays!
Sue

Not scheduled for blood tests until March so I have about 4 months.

Thank you for this! I have been struggling with diabetes since I was 33. In denial for a long time. I exercise regularly and overall eat well. I have been on Metformin on and off and now regularly for 5 months. Prior to it was spotty due to my denial. I had an episode with blood pressure in April. That landed me in the ER. At that point I looked seriously at my numbers. I was running in the 300s and sometimes a bit over 400. Got to a doctor, they put me on, Farziga and insulin. Numbers came down to the 200s, but we’re still high. Recently started on Jardiance. It has brought my numbers down into the 100s. Actually dropped down to 63 last week. However, it tends to hover around 150 to 200. It is very frustrating. Even more frustrating when people say, “You are too thin to be diabetic.” At this point I realize I have to adjust my diet even further, and would call myself more of a brittle diabetic. Stress reduction, and sleep improvement are two keys to this. I suffer from both of those. I am determined to overcome this!

Welcome to Mayo Connect - Don't you just hate it when people say “You are too thin to be diabetic.” - I hear that about blood pressure and cholesterol all the time, and my husband has heard it for years about his diabetes.

Please, continue your new effort to take care of yourself - untreated/undertreated diabetes can be so devastating! You will find lots of support her, maybe you would like to start a discussion about "tips for getting my blood sugar down"?
Sue

@angelacrossin94 welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. As a nearly 50 years diabetic I relate to the frustration with balancing blood sugar. In addition to your meds and insulin do you have any other treatment supports? A dietician / nutritionist can help customize your diet. Things like counseling &/or social support groups can help with stress reduction & sleep improvement. Do you have something to assist with physical activity & exercise? Do you have a source for spiritual support such as a faith based community? Working on the whole you will help improve your blood sugar because diabetes affects all of you.

@mydogsbestfriend welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I see from your post that (though you are not diabetic) you have some meds that affect a variety of systems and perhaps causing digestive problems. The levothyroxine is for thyroid, part of the endocrine system. Amlodipine is for blood pressure or cardiovascular system. Areds & Lutein are for your eyes. Have you discussed your digestive concerns with your primary (or the prescribing physician)? Maybe he can consider other alternative medications.

@gelyte I feel like I’ve seen and responded to this discussion before. If not I apologize and want to welcome you to Mayo Clinic Connect. I am nearly 50 years diabetic and watch my A1C level too. A “jump” from 5.3 to 5.8 is really not a “big change”. I assume you are using a glucometer at home. Did you know that there are now home testing devices for A1C? Ask your provider about it. It could be helpful for you.

Already discussed with my primary, he agreed that the Areds with their toxic level of zinc were the problem, as the other two meds I take have never caused digestive upsets. I started in the alternative Areds I found and have had no digestive upsets since. I am also dealing with minor ckd and fatty liver. Changing my diet and have lost 2 lbs in the last 2 weeks.

Glucometers are good for glucose testing and have used them for years. But a true game changer is a continuous glucose meter (CGM). With a CGM you look at a display (a separate display device or smartphone) and get glucose readings every 5 minutes. Now you know how the foods and drinks you consume affects blood glucose in real time. Also how long some foods can cause high glucose readings 4-6 hours have eating them. First day on a CGM I stopped having fruit juice for breakfast. And from the reports you get you have a good idea when and how food and exercise affect your levels. Also a huge resource for your doctor. It can be a life saver, especially at night, when sleeping and you may be unaware you are going low. Alarms can be set for lows and highs so you can treat them before they get out of hand. I'm 74 and type 1 since 1970. Insulin pump made the biggest improvement but with the CGM it is on a whole new level now. IMHO