Hi all. First of all, I don't want to offend anyone who is struggling with their cholesterol or A1Cs. I don't take it for granted what my results were. I'm very appreciative and I know how hard it is for people to get their numbers under control.
In May I was diagnosed with Type 1 and had an A1C of 12.8. I just got some blood work done and my A1C was 6.3. I have been trying to keep pretty good control of my BGs and I am probably honeymooning as well. My doctor thought that 6.3 was pretty low and even thought that maybe I should get off of MDIs and switch to oral medication?? I was a little freaked out by this, since it's taken me so long to adjust to taking insulin and getting things under control. She wants me to eat more and snack... but I'm trying to stay in a good range of BGs? I even mentioned the fact that I may be honeymooning. She wants me to get some tests done to see whether I am a Type 1 or 1.5 (LADA). I'm 27 years old. I agree with that, but I feel like I should stay on insulin until maybe I stop honeymooning instead of switching to oral medication.
Also, my cholesterol levels came back very low. I've been trying to eat lean meats, fish, as well as eggs, yogurt, etc. I lost a lot of weight and am trying to gain it back. What foods are good to get my cholesterol up? Right now all I can really think is to eat more eggs and avocados maybe?
I hope I'm not offending anyone, I'm not trying to complain about my numbers being too low, I'm just confused about these developments and what it means for me going forward. Any advice or help would be appreciated.
If you are already questioning the doc, it may be smart to look for another doc. I'm not questioning who is right or wrong, but you have to work as a team and be able to trust them with your life, literaly. I found my endo after talking to a friend that had a thyroid issue. My endo and I are a great fit. My A1c stays below 6.2. Just something to think about.
Sarah's doctors told us that type 1 diabetics can't use any sort of oral medication. She's also "honeymooning", and her last A1C was 6.8, which was a very happy number for her age. We do MDI, and even with her girly hormones starting to kick in, she stays in amazingly good control most of the time.
When I was diagnosed my a1c was 9.3 and after having good control my second a1c was 5.7. my doctor never said anything like taking oral meds, he thought it was a great improvement and that I was having really good control. the only thing he mentioned was to watch for too many lows and if I am having too many then to decrease my lantus. you should definitely have that test done to see which type you are, but going off insulin doesn't sound right, so like Jason said maybe you should look for a new doctor.
how low is "low" for your cholesterol? my total cholesterol tends to run around 115 and that's not too low. as long as your HDL is normal or higher and your LDL is normal or lower, you're doing fine.
6.3 is definitely not too low for an a1c either. there are many people on here who have a1cs in the 5s. i wouldn't worry, especially if you haven't been experiencing too many low blood sugars. if you are having problems with lows, then this would be something you need to focus on trying to improve.
t1ds cannot use oral meds. they need insulin because their bodies don't make any insulin at all (in the beginning we might produce a little, but over time all the insulin producing cells are destroyed). i'm not sure what the test is called, but there is a antibody blood test your doctor can do to test for t1. there are many diabetics who have been diagnosed older than you, so i really don't think your age is much of a factor.
if you are not satisfied with your current doctor and her suggestions make you nervous, i would seriously consider a switch to a new endo. someone you can cooperatively work with and feel comfortable talking to is very important with d care.
Although I have no medical training and tend to favor the advice of the medical field in these situations, I do find your doctor's input odd. Unless there is something specific about your situation that makes it different than most, an A1C of 6.3 is pretty ideal. What is your doctor's target range for A1C's in general? The 'normal' range at my doctor's office is considered between 4.4 and 6.4, for example.
I think the test for LADA is a valid idea - you never know. It's still early in your d-life, and misdiagnosises happen.
There are some T1s who use oral meds in addition to injections (I just learned that yesterday over on the "Unfair" thread), but I'm not aware of any that take oral meds only, so she must be convinced you're LADA.
Anyhow, I agree with the others that it's pretty odd for a doctor to be concerned about a 6.3 A1C. I tend to have A1Cs at or around that number myself, and my endo is delighted with A1Cs in that range.
If you want to raise your cholesterol, you're going to have to eat more junk, lol. Fish in particular actually reduces LDL levels significantly (since I've started eating fish, almonds, and broccoli almost every day, my LDL has crashed from 160 down to 58 in two years!). While I wouldn't recommend cutting out the healthy stuff like fish, you'll want to up your saturated fat intake, which is a better way of going about it than awful trans fats since satfats raise both HDL and LDL (trans mostly just raises the bad). Unsaturated fats of the poly and mono variety (like the kind found in fish, avocados, nuts, and even potato chips cooked in sunflower oil) can raise your HDL somewhat (the good cholesterol), but HDL is nearly always lower than LDL, so again, aim for the satfats in beef, eggs, whole milk, chocolate, coconut oil, pork, bacon, butter, lard, McDonald's grease, cake, pie...the stuff most people like too much. ;)
I just want to agree with everyone. When I was dx'ed my a1c was 13.8 and my last was 5.7. My Dr.'s think it's great and I quote "That's in the normal range!!" 6.3 sounds good to me. LOL Oh, I am on MDI, Lantus and Novolog.
I'd give anything to have an A1C of 6.3. It is ridiculous to worry about low cholesterol - probably the test was faulty. I'd retake a test before I'd change my diet. Maybe be if you stay on insulin, your honeymoon won't end. If it ain't broken, then why fix it?
If you want to raise your cholesterol, you're going to have to eat more junk, lol. Fish in particular actually reduces LDL levels significantly (since I've started eating fish, almonds, and broccoli almost every day, my LDL has crashed from 160 down to 58 in two years!). While I wouldn't recommend cutting out the healthy stuff like fish, you'll want to up your saturated fat intake, which is a better way of going about it than awful trans fats since satfats raise both HDL and LDL (trans mostly just raises the bad). Unsaturated fats of the poly and mono variety (like the kind found in fish, avocados, nuts, and even potato chips cooked in sunflower oil) can raise your HDL somewhat (the good cholesterol), but HDL is nearly always lower than LDL, so again, aim for the satfats in beef, eggs, whole milk, chocolate, coconut oil, pork, bacon, butter, lard, McDonald's grease, cake, pie...the stuff most people like too much. ;)
[/quote]
DON'T DO THIS! (sorry khendra)
If you raise your HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), your total cholesterol will still go up (because this part of total cholesterol). Raising your LDL is a really silly idea because that will only cause harm, not do any good. You can raise your HDL through exercise and eating omega-3 fatty acids (sometimes seen as DHA, EPA, or plant stanol/sterols). Omega-3s are found in large quantities in fish (salmon, tuna), but you can also get them through flax seed, chia seed, olive oil, some nuts, and other sources. Go about it in the healthy way! You do NOT have to eat junk to raise your cholesterol and I also don't recommend raising your cholesterol, the lower the better. Our bodies make cholestrol from fat-mediated hormones and Vitamin D so we don't have to consume cholesterol in our diets. Low cholesterol = good.
Well, I didn't mean in large quantities. There is still a certain minimum doctors want LDL to be at, though, because very low cholesterol (including LDL) can cause problems as well.
Perhaps it would have helped to find out what the OP's specific HDL and LDL numbers were. LDL can be as low as 50 without compromising health. If his LDL is something like 50-70 (which some might find low comparatively speaking), he needn't worry.
Thanks for all the quick responses, it's much appreciated. I'm glad to hear that my 6.3 isn't such a cause for concern as my doctor would have me believe. The problem I have is that right now I am on a County Health Program and am being bounced around with doctors. So sometimes I try to listen to what they're saying, but also am trying to figure it out on my own and with your guys help, of course. I don't have access to an endocrinologist yet, but when I get a job and on group insurance that'll be the first thing I try to set up. I may see what options are available to me to have my antibodies tested.
As far as my cholesterol, I was very much below the normal levels, which is why my doctor got worried. I'll probably continue to eat almonds, eggs, maybe some more avocado. I also read that a drink or two of beer or wine is helpful to maintain good cholesterol levels. Any advice on how to drink... I read that you should eat crackers and cheese with wine, or nuts with low-carb beer? I'm not trying to drink a whole lot, just one or two possibly.
1-2 drinks a night is ideal. I can't stand the taste of most wine myself, so I usually choose beer or vodka. Vodka is very low cal and low carb and mixes well with lots of drinks, so it's the most ideal for type 1, I'd think. Just be sure to keep the ounces correct. 1.5 oz. of vodka is equivalent to 5 oz. of wine and 12 oz. of beer.
As for what to eat with them, normally it's best to follow a dinner with a beverage, but if you choose to have one before bed with a snack, then nuts seem like a good choice. My dad has a scoop of peanut butter with his wine before bed and has a pretty good overall cholesterol ratio (although his triglycerides are still too high because he overdoes food portions throughout the day; my triglycerides have always been in the optimal range). I tend to have nuts with my beer.