hemoglobin test

[nawchem]

I took a test that is supposed to tell you're glucose levels for several months. I'm trying to figure out the name of the test so I can do a search.

If it helps my result was 5.5, which the dr. said was possibly in the hypoglycemic range.
thanks

[Lisa N]

It's called a glycosolated hemoglobin test, or HgbA1C and 5.5 works out to an average blood sugar of 99 which isn't exactly hypoglycemic unless he's assuming that your average is that low because your blood sugars are swinging both high and low (remember this is an average of your blood sugars over the past 12 weeks or so) which they probably aren't doing on low carb.
My last A1C came out to 5.3 and my doctor was thrilled. :D

[nawchem]

thanks! You answered my question so well I don't need to do the search.

Congratulations on the 5.3 :D

[c6h6o3]

Dr. Bernstein would call 5.5% "mildly elevated". No way is it hypoglycemic. My last HbA1c was 4.5%, which my doctor called a "typical non-diabetic" reading.

Here's what Dr. B. has to say about it.

http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/drbernstein/ask.shtml

Jim

[nawchem]

Thank you for posting Jim. Now I'm quite confused. I took a nonfasting blood test and got 224 and sugar in my urine, I was at the urgent care, I kept running low on potassium because I'm thirsty all the time.

My fasting is always around 80. I took the glucose test and I stayed at 180 for several hours. My dr. said the test I just took was a 7 for diabetes- do different labs have different numbers or is it standardized?

If I eat quite a bit of sugar I break out in a sweat a few hours later and my heart races. When I do atkins (20-30carbs) I don't make it past day 3. Everynight my heart beats erratically and I feel really tired, but it all goes away if I eat a bit more carbs per day.

I've been going through this for 6 months-would I be out of line asking to see a blood sugar expert type of dr?

[Lisa N]

would I be out of line asking to see a blood sugar expert type of dr?

I'd say a visit to an endocrinologist, a doctor who specializes in hormone disorders such as diabetes, would be a very good idea. Your non-fasting blood glucose of 224 is definitely abnormal as is your blood glucose remaining at 180 for several hours following a glucose tolerance test. You may not have full-blown diabetes just yet as your fasting blood glucose readings are still in the normal range, but you're certainly heading in that direction.


When I do atkins (20-30carbs) I don't make it past day 3. Everynight my heart beats erratically and I feel really tired, but it all goes away if I eat a bit more carbs per day.

Your body may not be able to take the shock of dropping from your normal carb intake to one that low. It might work better if you were to decrease them more slowly such as dropping to 45 grams a day or so for a week (like The Schwarzbein Principle) and then dropping to 40, then 35, etc...and see how your body tolerates that if you're not losing weight at 45 grams. You may never need to go below 30 grams (I don't) and you may be able to lose weight on more than 30 grams.

[nawchem]

thanks I have been desperate for some direction and super enthused to get to lowcarb.

[c6h6o3]

Do any of you people in CA know of a low carb enlightened physician in NawChem's area? I think we should start an Active Low Carber registry of doctors grouped by region (or even by city). It's bad enough that we have to fight the ADA. To be at odds with your own physician makes it all just about impossible.

Jim