A1c

Specialties Endocrine

Published

Why would a person still be diagnosed as a diabetic and have an A1c of 4.9?

Why would this be dangerous to a new diabetic?

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Actually, it does help explain something for me. My recent A1c was 5.4, which I thought was odd given the fact that for two months my fasting blood sugars were in the 140s-150s regularly (I've been able to bring the average down to the low 100s with dietary changes over the past six weeks or so). Maybe the A1c was simply telling me my sugars were up and down a lot; I knew I was having a lot of "crashes", although I rarely checked my BG then due to shakiness and confusion (not to mention that I usually was nowhere near a glucometer when these things occurred).

Anyway, whenever I crashed, I'd eat and drink anything I could find with sugar in it. I could consume a day's worth of calories in 10 minutes by drinking regular soda and eating half a box of candy---ANYTHING to make that out-of-control feeling go away. So I imagine my BG probably skyrocketed after that (didn't check it then, either). I'd get so thirsty and tired when it was up, although the highest reading I ever saw was 200. However, that was after a normal noon meal, not binge-eating in response to a crash, so I don't really know how high my blood glucose actually went.........it was a real rollercoaster ride, I can tell you that.

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Re:

I had a patient who had a GTT, and it was high indicating Diabetes. About 10 years earlier, was diagnosed with hypoglemia. The patient refused to take the actos that was ordered (after DX of Diabetes) because it made the patient feel 'bad'. Dizziness, tired, hungry, etc. So patient was unmedicated. Pt came in with hypoglycemia through ED, was given D50 x2, was given breakfast, and BG was still unstable 50-60's. Pt admitted with D10 continuous IV, was in for 3 days. Various tests were done checking for tumor on pancreas etc, nothing was ever found. Was taught diet for hypoglemia. I later heard pt was again diagnosed with DM. What do you make of this? Any ideas? It sure confuses me! Could this be weight related? The patient had weight fluctuations.

This patient did have elevated fasting BG a couple of times, reportedly but less than 150.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

there are other things besides diabetes that causes fluctuations in metabolism. This patient needs to see an endocrinologist, IMHO

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I know I am a bit late adding to this but I got a big mouth and I am a diabetic and I just have to put my:twocents: in . An endocrinologist will not just use a HgbA1C, they will also have patient bring in their Blood sugar machine and download their results onto computer and it will come up with a nice little graph giving the highs and lows. Here's the HgbA1C=what average glucose

HgbA1C: Average Blood Sugar for 3 months:

4--------------- 60

5--------------- 90

6 ---------------120

7 ---------------150

8 ---------------180

9--------------- 210

10------------- 240

11------------- 270

12-------------- 300

13-------------- 330

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Specializes in PNP, CDE, Integrative Pain Management.

Quick little formula for figuring BG average from A1c:

A1c - 2 x 30 = BG average

example: if A1c is 9.6%-2x30=228

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Quick little formula for figuring BG average from A1c:

A1c - 2 x 30 = BG average

example: if A1c is 9.6%-2x30=228

Thank You!!! I didn't know that. I love this site I learn something new every day.

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