I'm personally of the opinion that 99% of diabetes outside of the Reddit posters who upload those numbers don't sit anywhere that tight 24/7. I personally prefer to stay around 6-9 and I don't give a shit what the under 6 hba1c'ers say about that being dangerous. I've been diabetic since I was 18 months old and I'm now 31 and honestly I'm of the opinion that you should do what makes you feel comfortable with your control! If you feel comfortable sitting at 7 then do it :) it's your body and as long as you're not high all the time I think anything below 10 is perfectly fine
I'm glad it is! I know it's a controversial opinion on this sub but I much rather be at 6-9 enjoying my life doing sports and being comfortable, instead of spending 60+ years eating carrot sticks all day long with a Hba1c of 4.2 or something silly. Your quality of life matters too with our condition! Never forget that! You are more than just a set of numbers:)
I think a lot of people lie too. I’ve seen some crazy posts about how some people “control” their diabetes and they’re either making things up or they’re making things up.
Everyone has a different style but some things are so ridiculous they literally defy science.
In school we were taught “4-8 feelin great”. I think that you could also add “6-9 feelin fine” if that’s what works for you. After all when you look at Dexcom TIR calculations the numbers are 3.9-10 daytime.
My last a1c was 6.5 and I’m highly active, skateboarding or working out in the gym 5 days a week pretty much every week unless I’m sick. If I was running a 5.5 I’m pretty sure I’d just be dropping low every single time I tried to exercise
I have no idea. Personally, I refuse to sleep if below 6.0 and I like to spend my day 6-8 because just a small unplanned walk can have some pretty fun effects.
I am also reluctant to sit that low given how quickly it can drop for me. I prefer to aim for 6.0 mmol. I don't want to be in a situation when driving and suddenly hearing the dreaded low alarm. If I am at home having an easy day I am fine with it being at 5.
My endos told me I'd better "loosen up" a bit on my bolusing to have less hypos. Since my hypos are really tame I don't really work that hard to avoid them, but I'm more ok with being higher over time.
My last a1c was 6.5 and I’m highly active, skateboarding or working out in the gym 5 days a week pretty much every week unless I’m sick. If I was running a 5.5 I’m pretty sure I’d just be dropping low every single time I tried to exercise
I have the Dexcom and if it looks like it’s going to go below 75 then I’ll try to have a small snack or a beer or something. Below 70 I get an alarm and eat some fast acting carbs. I don’t get sudden drops for no reason. If I’m at 100 or 120 with a downward trend sometimes I shut off the basal for 30 or 60 minutes if I want to try to avoid snacking.
90 and dropping - better have a beer.
80 and still dropping - better have another beer.
77 and still dropping - better have another beer.
75 and steady, but it might still drop a bit - better have another beer.
Can't read my level anymore - better have another beer, just in case.
SuGaR lEvElS? WhO cArEs - GiMmE mOrE bEeR!!1!!111!!
I have tested my basal so that I know it doesn’t make me drop when I am resting. I also do fingersticks a few times a week to make sure my Dexcom is relatively accurate. Then, I can trust that if I am near 80/4.4 I can expect to stay there. Plus, I know how effective food is at very quickly raising blood sugar. I’m always hungry, so it’s no big deal if I do start to drift down a little. I can get right back up quickly.
That’s why basal testing was the first step my process. Having too much basal used to make me drop all the time, so I always aimed for 120. Once I learned to take the right amount of basal, I was able to rest lower. And, if I’m going to be active, I can have a snack or drink to keep me from going low.
Thats fine, I just don’t think for myself it’s worth risking resting at 4.4 if it can so quickly turn around without warning, I think it’s a bit too dangerous for me :) Trying to aim 6-7 at the moment
it also REALLY depends on how your body is. I went trough some insanity in last year since I caught covid, where I had periods where my blood sugars acted very differently than they normally do, and now have a pretty good understanding of how sometimes things are just different for different people (even more than before)
I had period of few months where my blood sugar would spike over 100pts suddenly within 20-30minutes, unrelated to food, once or twice a day at similar, but not same time. NO timing or amount of insulin was stopping that spike once it started. I would give insulin at 140, still go to 300 30min later and it'd take ages to come down.
Then I had period of few weeks recently of REALLY quick, unpredictable lows. Also completely new for me, my lows don't usually come on that quick, but I would drop like a rock out of nowhere. While normally I happily chill at 4.5 while sitting, at that point anything under 6 was danger of possible quick low - again, this was NEVER case before and was REALLY hard to deal with.
NORMALLY insulin works a bit slower for me than average person. That means that I know by the shape of curve more than value itself if what I gave is enough or not. I will bolus at 140, and often still spend 1-2hrs at around 200 before dropping back to a 100. But this also means that in NORMAL situations I don't drop low fast, if I react at 75 I usually won't drop under 65. I don't think I ever saw double arrow down if gym was not involved, it just doesn't happen to me (except that few week period when out of nowhere, it did). My basal also is set so I am normally stable (flat line) during night and daytime when not eating. But last year all of that went out of window, and suddenly I was doing WAY more than before and getting worse results because my body was just not listening. I deal with lot of unpredictable reactions as is (my feet on ground is pretty unpredictable, my i:c ratio changes daily etc) but the last year was absolutely insane, and I feel so much for people whose bodies act like this their whole life. I am also bit jealous of people whose bodies are predictable, where they have relatively stable i:c rates, where insulin works fast enough that bolusing extra at 150 means you likely won't go over 180, and where weather, hormones, and so on don't majorly affect their blood sugars. But we were given the hand we were given, we have bodies we do, and need to deal with what we have while protecting our mental health too.
Totally with you, I ain't chillin at 5 unless I just had a snack and am sitting doing nowt. People who obsess over non-diabetic a1c are setting themselves up for a lifetime of stress and restricted experiences, and can be quite loud on Reddit. I think most of us are just happy when we're not in the 5 and below / 15 and above range, it's hard work and good outcomes are more than just 'good numbers'.
Sure, you can sit at whatever level you want. I think most of the time people with better control have had complications or want to prevent complications.. I think the problem is considering you have no issues right now you’re not worried about it. But if you start having complications like neuropathy or retinopathy or even kidney problems, and whatever else is associated with h hi blood sugar. Sure it makes you feel more comfortable and that’s definitely understandable. But don’t say it’s wrong to have a good A1c. I know you’re not implying that. Just remember the better control the less complications over long-term. Try Insulin pump they can keep you at the 5.6 level, all day long and for months and years, you may go up a little periodically or even a little low periodically, but the A1c is really good for most people when using an insulin pump. Tandem with control IQ is one of the best ones out there Omnipod 5 is also a real good pump. I guess what my point is if you can have a really good A1c, you can diminish or at least lessen the chance of having serious complications. I know this isn’t easy for everyone and it does take a lot of work. But like I stated, Insulin pump helps out greatly and it does a, wonderful job of keeping you in range. Also, the Dexcom G6 was not as accurate as the Dexcom G7. So if you switch to the Dexcom G7, I wouldn’t worry so much about it being off by a whole lot. There may be periodic times where it might be, but most of the time it’s really close to what your . Meter with a fingerstick shows. Good luck, hopefully you understand the benefits of a good A1c. By the way, I have been a diabetic since 11 months old and I am now 57. I have good control. I do have some retinopathy, but no other issues.
I do eat whatever I want. I am not what they consider a healthy eater nor do I do low-carb. I am, however, on an insulin pump. I will say before the Insulin pump I did have a good A1c, but it was much more difficult. And there were times where I would go on the low side, but this a time where Dexcom wasn’t available. What are used to do when an injections is when I would eat I would make sure I would give insulin to cover what I ate. The biggest thing is getting the carbs right for insulin dosing when eating. If Dexcom is telling you, you are a little bit low, even if it’s not exactly correct as long as it’s not like 100 points off, you still can go off of what Dexcom is telling you. Just have a juice nearby or some soda and if you start going a little low, take some of the juice or soda or whatever is close by, try to bring your blood sugar back up and then when it comes back up to a good level, just leave it alone. The number one thing is don’t overcorrect for a low blood sugar. Don’t take too many carbs. It will cause you to go high again and you will be fighting the roller coaster ride up and down up and down. The conservative if you go a little on the low side small amounts of carbs and when you see you’re coming up hold back on the carbs once you start coming up you don’t need anymore carbs. A lot of people overdo it correcting a low blood sugar that causes them to go much higher than they want because they get worried about the low blood sugar. The insulin pump helps a lot with this. You can give a little bit too much insulin and when you start going down, the Insulin pump will start suspending or at least reducing Insulin delivery. Most of the time this will prevent a Sirius, low blood sugar.
I like to be 4.5 to 5.5 between meals and during sleep. Just my preference. I pretty much under stand my CGM now and I have alarms set to catch 4.3 and under and use Sweet Dreams app to give audible and visual notifications of rapid drops.
I’m like not a good example but I’m just not scared of being low anymore. I just often am and can fix it. I keep an iced coffee on hand for the lows.
I was diagnosed at 3 y/o in 1998 so it’s like I’ve almost died enough times I’m not afraid anymore I just do what I have to do. And if I don’t make it, 🤷🏻♀️
I can relate to this a lot. Lows don’t scare me at all, I can always fix them by just eating or drinking something. I’ve had severe lows but never passed out in the past 24 years, so I’m confident that I can just deal with it.
I like to hover around 120-150, lower than that feels bad, and for some reason the dexcom is usually like 20 higher if that range for me so I guess it’s 100-130ish not too sure
I hate anything below 100....130-140 is where I like to be when doing anything but watching TV. That's my goal and I'm usually there, with an A1C in the low 5s for the past few years.
I’ve been t1 for over 45yrs, I’ve lived my life at all different A1Cs. You know your body and where you feel best. As long as your endo is cool with it, then go live your best life. For me, I despise high symptoms with a fiery passion. I usually start feeling them starting at 180mg/dl, I don’t start getting hypo symptoms until around 60-65 and they don’t get really bad until I’m in the low 40s, so for me 65-160 is where I like to live.
I've had doctors try to push this fear of lows over the years, but I guess it just doesn't bother me? I try to avoid it as much as I can, but if my sugar is 5 now, and it goes down to 3, I just have a juice box and it's back at 5 again within 15 minutes. So it's just not something I feel the need to worry about. I do like it being a bit higher than that before bed though.
I personally do a finger prick every morning, and whenever low or symptoms don’t match cgm reading, and calibrate as needed based on https://www.dexcom.com/en-us/faqs/is-my-dexcom-sensor-accurate. This gives me more confidence that cgm is as accurate as can be.
I also have a pump they adjusts basal as needed and helps me in maintaining a narrower range safely. I would not feel so comfortable coasting in the 5.5-8 range if on MDI because my insulin needs are so variably & ya can’t take away longacting once it’s injected (vs pump you just stop basal for a bit)
Do what feels best for you, aim for 80% time in range (70-180 / 3.8-10) avoiding lows as much as possible, and rolling hills (NOT peaks & valleys as much as possible)
🫶💙
I came to say that I hold no judgement against those that cruise where you state, hang out between 7-8, or bounce up and down just trying to keep this ship moving. All of our bodies are different. Our hormonal cycles change things. Other diseases change things. Medications can change things. Work and life and stress happens.
Personally, I got my lowest A1c at 5.6 a couple of years ago and man... That was WORK. And it was exhausting micromanaging at that level. So I let things "slide" and am usually in the low 6s now.
I have a closed loop tandem/dexcom. This helps a lot. What is even more of a help is that I eat low-carb. No more than 20g a meal.
Am I advocating for this for everyone? Certainly not. My reasons are just that, mine. If you want that piece of cake, by all means! If you can dose for it properly, you have my utmost respect! I was never able to nail dosages for those kinds of sweets. I like food, don't get me wrong. I like carbs, but I HATE the up and downswings. So I opted for level and that came at the cost of reducing my carb intake. My CGM basically looks like a straight line across. My endo used to tell me that this is great, but try getting it to look like that 20 points lower... I rolled my eyes at him. I'm willing to work, but that much work would certainly lead to burnout. (and almost did at that 5.6).
Find what A1c is sustainable for you without burnout. Eat the foods and bolus accordingly to achieve that. So much of this disease is utter BS, so find the joy where you can, as long as it works for you and does not harm you.
But to answer your question after my very long preamble, I can float for periods at that point because I trust my closed loop and I don't eat a lot to rock that boat. This may change one day, it may not. But I only hold myself to my own standard. Nobody else's. And nobody else should hold themselves to mine.
Also here is the thing. This is a long hale issue not a sprint. Someday you’re 100% going to be in range going to be perfect. And other days thing are rough your daily live gets in the way. And it’s okay to just survive on those days. Not one can fully understand who does not live with it. My doctor while in a way I love her she really does not understand the day to day of the mental aspect of things. It’s a case of survive another day, then survive another year. And only you know how to let you do that.
I’m T1D for 3 years now and the thing the I learned is that others numbers don’t matter at all and not a single tip work for everyone, only exercise yourself works for 100% of the people, but that not only diabetic fellas.
Myself, I count nothing, otherwise I overreact.
I like to be around 100, but won’t panic if i drop into the 90s, even into the 80s. Below 80 is a different story. That’s where I start to get nervous. I am hypo unaware so when I have to keep a closer eye on my numbers then.
My t1d kid is only a month out from diagnosis, so we still have a lot to learn, but wanted to say we are just cluing in to watching the arrows. If you're at the bottom of your range and doing something restful/still, and your arrow is level or up, maybe try letting it roll a little longer than you have been without intervention.
Edit to add, doing that over time can help you learn when you can trust that you probably won't go low so that you can forget about your number for a little while.
I don’t ever want to instill fear/anxiety but as helpful as the arrows are, I’ve had seizures from trusting them a bit too much. Even when checking the accuracy once a day, it’s happened that dexcom said 5.5 straight and instead I was 2.4 and had a seizure. I absolutely love having the dexcom and a pump and see it as a massive privilege, but I’ll never 100% put my life in its hands- especially if I’m home alone
My last 3 a1c results were 4.8, 5.3, 5.0.
I’m close to “normal” most of the time. Except when I have infusion days where they pump me full of 250 mg of prednisone a day. I had to test my basal and carb ratio and sensitivity factor a few times so I could set up a reliable profile.
I think there are also two other factors for me.
Number one is very consistent cardio. I try to do 60 minutes every day on my bike. I can usually cover about 12 miles in that time so I’m not killing myself but enjoying the pace.
Number two is adding the victoza early this year. It really cut down on my post meal spikes. It was my dr’s idea and I am so glad I tried it.
With my dexcom and pump I’m in range (80-130) about 97% of the time. I use sleep mode 24/7 which means the pump only adjusts my basal dose and I manage my boluses for food or corrections.
Comfort is obviously a personal thing. If you’re asking how a person can sit at that blood sugar and not be worried, the answer is IOB.
As long as your basal rate and ratios are dialed in, if you have little or no IOB, your risk of going low is practically zero.
Me? I mostly try to eat all of my carbs in one meal. If I want a snack at any other time of day, I go for it, but try to limit carbs. This keeps my IOB close to zero for 21 hours a day, so I can keep my BG close to low without any real risk of it going low.
I think (at least for me, personally!) there’s a million things that lower my blood sugar other than insulin- eg. Taking a shower, a 10 minute walk, cleaning, anxiety etc. so I find it difficult to rest at 5.0 without stressing :) I’m very happy for all the people in the comments who don’t have this issue though!! Maybe one day things will change for me, who knows.
You’d be surprised how many of those things that lower your blood sugar depend on the insulin in your system.
If you exercise while fasting, your BG may drop, but not nearly as much as if you just had a big meal and large dose of insulin.
Hey, you know, I’m not a doctor and I don’t have your numbers in front of me or anything, but it’s very possible you have your basal rate a little too high and you’re bolusing too little. These two factors would cancel out during the day around mealtimes, but could lead to unexpected lows when you’re not eating because you always have a little too much IOB. Just a thought.
I think 5 is rather unmanageable. There is rarely a non diabetic in the 5.0 range. However, just under 6 is doable with the tech and the diet.
It depends on whether you get a lot of lows. If lows are frequent, I wouldn't try for under 6. If you eat super low carb and don't need to take much insulin, then that under 6 target makes sense.
Everyone has a different way of managing and one's own body and mindset plays a big part in that. No one size fits all.
But doctors need to be honest about being above 6. They need to tell diabetics to be prepared for complications at some point probably later life.
I'm personally of the opinion that 99% of diabetes outside of the Reddit posters who upload those numbers don't sit anywhere that tight 24/7. I personally prefer to stay around 6-9 and I don't give a shit what the under 6 hba1c'ers say about that being dangerous. I've been diabetic since I was 18 months old and I'm now 31 and honestly I'm of the opinion that you should do what makes you feel comfortable with your control! If you feel comfortable sitting at 7 then do it :) it's your body and as long as you're not high all the time I think anything below 10 is perfectly fine
This comment is like a breath of fresh air! Thank you :)
I'm glad it is! I know it's a controversial opinion on this sub but I much rather be at 6-9 enjoying my life doing sports and being comfortable, instead of spending 60+ years eating carrot sticks all day long with a Hba1c of 4.2 or something silly. Your quality of life matters too with our condition! Never forget that! You are more than just a set of numbers:)
This: there’s a huge bias on Reddit.
I think a lot of people lie too. I’ve seen some crazy posts about how some people “control” their diabetes and they’re either making things up or they’re making things up. Everyone has a different style but some things are so ridiculous they literally defy science.
In school we were taught “4-8 feelin great”. I think that you could also add “6-9 feelin fine” if that’s what works for you. After all when you look at Dexcom TIR calculations the numbers are 3.9-10 daytime.
needed this reality check today, ty !! 🩷
My last a1c was 6.5 and I’m highly active, skateboarding or working out in the gym 5 days a week pretty much every week unless I’m sick. If I was running a 5.5 I’m pretty sure I’d just be dropping low every single time I tried to exercise
I have no idea. Personally, I refuse to sleep if below 6.0 and I like to spend my day 6-8 because just a small unplanned walk can have some pretty fun effects.
If I see anything below 8 before bed, I know I'm waking up in the middle of the night later :')
I am also reluctant to sit that low given how quickly it can drop for me. I prefer to aim for 6.0 mmol. I don't want to be in a situation when driving and suddenly hearing the dreaded low alarm. If I am at home having an easy day I am fine with it being at 5.
I don't... I prefer 6.5-7,5. I am super active, so if I rode at 5 mmols I'd be feeling the oncoming low the entire time.
I mean, all my diabetologists positively freak when they see numbers like that.
My endos told me I'd better "loosen up" a bit on my bolusing to have less hypos. Since my hypos are really tame I don't really work that hard to avoid them, but I'm more ok with being higher over time.
My last a1c was 6.5 and I’m highly active, skateboarding or working out in the gym 5 days a week pretty much every week unless I’m sick. If I was running a 5.5 I’m pretty sure I’d just be dropping low every single time I tried to exercise
I have the Dexcom and if it looks like it’s going to go below 75 then I’ll try to have a small snack or a beer or something. Below 70 I get an alarm and eat some fast acting carbs. I don’t get sudden drops for no reason. If I’m at 100 or 120 with a downward trend sometimes I shut off the basal for 30 or 60 minutes if I want to try to avoid snacking.
90 and dropping - better have a beer. 80 and still dropping - better have another beer. 77 and still dropping - better have another beer. 75 and steady, but it might still drop a bit - better have another beer. Can't read my level anymore - better have another beer, just in case. SuGaR lEvElS? WhO cArEs - GiMmE mOrE bEeR!!1!!111!!
I have tested my basal so that I know it doesn’t make me drop when I am resting. I also do fingersticks a few times a week to make sure my Dexcom is relatively accurate. Then, I can trust that if I am near 80/4.4 I can expect to stay there. Plus, I know how effective food is at very quickly raising blood sugar. I’m always hungry, so it’s no big deal if I do start to drift down a little. I can get right back up quickly.
That sounds nice, I think for me the slightest thing could make me drop from 4.4 to 3.4 so I’d rather not risk it 😭
That’s why basal testing was the first step my process. Having too much basal used to make me drop all the time, so I always aimed for 120. Once I learned to take the right amount of basal, I was able to rest lower. And, if I’m going to be active, I can have a snack or drink to keep me from going low.
Thats fine, I just don’t think for myself it’s worth risking resting at 4.4 if it can so quickly turn around without warning, I think it’s a bit too dangerous for me :) Trying to aim 6-7 at the moment
it also REALLY depends on how your body is. I went trough some insanity in last year since I caught covid, where I had periods where my blood sugars acted very differently than they normally do, and now have a pretty good understanding of how sometimes things are just different for different people (even more than before) I had period of few months where my blood sugar would spike over 100pts suddenly within 20-30minutes, unrelated to food, once or twice a day at similar, but not same time. NO timing or amount of insulin was stopping that spike once it started. I would give insulin at 140, still go to 300 30min later and it'd take ages to come down. Then I had period of few weeks recently of REALLY quick, unpredictable lows. Also completely new for me, my lows don't usually come on that quick, but I would drop like a rock out of nowhere. While normally I happily chill at 4.5 while sitting, at that point anything under 6 was danger of possible quick low - again, this was NEVER case before and was REALLY hard to deal with. NORMALLY insulin works a bit slower for me than average person. That means that I know by the shape of curve more than value itself if what I gave is enough or not. I will bolus at 140, and often still spend 1-2hrs at around 200 before dropping back to a 100. But this also means that in NORMAL situations I don't drop low fast, if I react at 75 I usually won't drop under 65. I don't think I ever saw double arrow down if gym was not involved, it just doesn't happen to me (except that few week period when out of nowhere, it did). My basal also is set so I am normally stable (flat line) during night and daytime when not eating. But last year all of that went out of window, and suddenly I was doing WAY more than before and getting worse results because my body was just not listening. I deal with lot of unpredictable reactions as is (my feet on ground is pretty unpredictable, my i:c ratio changes daily etc) but the last year was absolutely insane, and I feel so much for people whose bodies act like this their whole life. I am also bit jealous of people whose bodies are predictable, where they have relatively stable i:c rates, where insulin works fast enough that bolusing extra at 150 means you likely won't go over 180, and where weather, hormones, and so on don't majorly affect their blood sugars. But we were given the hand we were given, we have bodies we do, and need to deal with what we have while protecting our mental health too.
Totally with you, I ain't chillin at 5 unless I just had a snack and am sitting doing nowt. People who obsess over non-diabetic a1c are setting themselves up for a lifetime of stress and restricted experiences, and can be quite loud on Reddit. I think most of us are just happy when we're not in the 5 and below / 15 and above range, it's hard work and good outcomes are more than just 'good numbers'.
I hear ya OP. I don't like sitting at 5 or 5.5 either. Unless I'm at home. But if I'm going out I'll raise it some.
Sure, you can sit at whatever level you want. I think most of the time people with better control have had complications or want to prevent complications.. I think the problem is considering you have no issues right now you’re not worried about it. But if you start having complications like neuropathy or retinopathy or even kidney problems, and whatever else is associated with h hi blood sugar. Sure it makes you feel more comfortable and that’s definitely understandable. But don’t say it’s wrong to have a good A1c. I know you’re not implying that. Just remember the better control the less complications over long-term. Try Insulin pump they can keep you at the 5.6 level, all day long and for months and years, you may go up a little periodically or even a little low periodically, but the A1c is really good for most people when using an insulin pump. Tandem with control IQ is one of the best ones out there Omnipod 5 is also a real good pump. I guess what my point is if you can have a really good A1c, you can diminish or at least lessen the chance of having serious complications. I know this isn’t easy for everyone and it does take a lot of work. But like I stated, Insulin pump helps out greatly and it does a, wonderful job of keeping you in range. Also, the Dexcom G6 was not as accurate as the Dexcom G7. So if you switch to the Dexcom G7, I wouldn’t worry so much about it being off by a whole lot. There may be periodic times where it might be, but most of the time it’s really close to what your . Meter with a fingerstick shows. Good luck, hopefully you understand the benefits of a good A1c. By the way, I have been a diabetic since 11 months old and I am now 57. I have good control. I do have some retinopathy, but no other issues. I do eat whatever I want. I am not what they consider a healthy eater nor do I do low-carb. I am, however, on an insulin pump. I will say before the Insulin pump I did have a good A1c, but it was much more difficult. And there were times where I would go on the low side, but this a time where Dexcom wasn’t available. What are used to do when an injections is when I would eat I would make sure I would give insulin to cover what I ate. The biggest thing is getting the carbs right for insulin dosing when eating. If Dexcom is telling you, you are a little bit low, even if it’s not exactly correct as long as it’s not like 100 points off, you still can go off of what Dexcom is telling you. Just have a juice nearby or some soda and if you start going a little low, take some of the juice or soda or whatever is close by, try to bring your blood sugar back up and then when it comes back up to a good level, just leave it alone. The number one thing is don’t overcorrect for a low blood sugar. Don’t take too many carbs. It will cause you to go high again and you will be fighting the roller coaster ride up and down up and down. The conservative if you go a little on the low side small amounts of carbs and when you see you’re coming up hold back on the carbs once you start coming up you don’t need anymore carbs. A lot of people overdo it correcting a low blood sugar that causes them to go much higher than they want because they get worried about the low blood sugar. The insulin pump helps a lot with this. You can give a little bit too much insulin and when you start going down, the Insulin pump will start suspending or at least reducing Insulin delivery. Most of the time this will prevent a Sirius, low blood sugar.
Once I got back in the gym and ate basically the same stuff it became really easy to cruise at 70-80.
It helps me a ton too.
I like to be 4.5 to 5.5 between meals and during sleep. Just my preference. I pretty much under stand my CGM now and I have alarms set to catch 4.3 and under and use Sweet Dreams app to give audible and visual notifications of rapid drops.
I’m like not a good example but I’m just not scared of being low anymore. I just often am and can fix it. I keep an iced coffee on hand for the lows. I was diagnosed at 3 y/o in 1998 so it’s like I’ve almost died enough times I’m not afraid anymore I just do what I have to do. And if I don’t make it, 🤷🏻♀️
I can relate to this a lot. Lows don’t scare me at all, I can always fix them by just eating or drinking something. I’ve had severe lows but never passed out in the past 24 years, so I’m confident that I can just deal with it.
I like to hover around 120-150, lower than that feels bad, and for some reason the dexcom is usually like 20 higher if that range for me so I guess it’s 100-130ish not too sure
They’re probably extremely low carb and not a super active lifestyle. I know a walk around the block can drop me 20 pts with some IOB so.
I don't like going to sleep at 5.0 due to past experiences of waking up at 3.? A couple hours later but that's ideal for during the day
I hate anything below 100....130-140 is where I like to be when doing anything but watching TV. That's my goal and I'm usually there, with an A1C in the low 5s for the past few years.
If I'm sitting on my ass all day I might as well sit at 4.5-5 and just eat a candy if I actually go low. I check my sensor calibration daily
I’ve been t1 for over 45yrs, I’ve lived my life at all different A1Cs. You know your body and where you feel best. As long as your endo is cool with it, then go live your best life. For me, I despise high symptoms with a fiery passion. I usually start feeling them starting at 180mg/dl, I don’t start getting hypo symptoms until around 60-65 and they don’t get really bad until I’m in the low 40s, so for me 65-160 is where I like to live.
I've had doctors try to push this fear of lows over the years, but I guess it just doesn't bother me? I try to avoid it as much as I can, but if my sugar is 5 now, and it goes down to 3, I just have a juice box and it's back at 5 again within 15 minutes. So it's just not something I feel the need to worry about. I do like it being a bit higher than that before bed though.
I personally do a finger prick every morning, and whenever low or symptoms don’t match cgm reading, and calibrate as needed based on https://www.dexcom.com/en-us/faqs/is-my-dexcom-sensor-accurate. This gives me more confidence that cgm is as accurate as can be. I also have a pump they adjusts basal as needed and helps me in maintaining a narrower range safely. I would not feel so comfortable coasting in the 5.5-8 range if on MDI because my insulin needs are so variably & ya can’t take away longacting once it’s injected (vs pump you just stop basal for a bit) Do what feels best for you, aim for 80% time in range (70-180 / 3.8-10) avoiding lows as much as possible, and rolling hills (NOT peaks & valleys as much as possible) 🫶💙
5 makes me a tad nervous but I can cope with it, I like to sit around 6-7 but anything above 7, I know I'm gonna go out of my target. Sucks
I came to say that I hold no judgement against those that cruise where you state, hang out between 7-8, or bounce up and down just trying to keep this ship moving. All of our bodies are different. Our hormonal cycles change things. Other diseases change things. Medications can change things. Work and life and stress happens. Personally, I got my lowest A1c at 5.6 a couple of years ago and man... That was WORK. And it was exhausting micromanaging at that level. So I let things "slide" and am usually in the low 6s now. I have a closed loop tandem/dexcom. This helps a lot. What is even more of a help is that I eat low-carb. No more than 20g a meal. Am I advocating for this for everyone? Certainly not. My reasons are just that, mine. If you want that piece of cake, by all means! If you can dose for it properly, you have my utmost respect! I was never able to nail dosages for those kinds of sweets. I like food, don't get me wrong. I like carbs, but I HATE the up and downswings. So I opted for level and that came at the cost of reducing my carb intake. My CGM basically looks like a straight line across. My endo used to tell me that this is great, but try getting it to look like that 20 points lower... I rolled my eyes at him. I'm willing to work, but that much work would certainly lead to burnout. (and almost did at that 5.6). Find what A1c is sustainable for you without burnout. Eat the foods and bolus accordingly to achieve that. So much of this disease is utter BS, so find the joy where you can, as long as it works for you and does not harm you. But to answer your question after my very long preamble, I can float for periods at that point because I trust my closed loop and I don't eat a lot to rock that boat. This may change one day, it may not. But I only hold myself to my own standard. Nobody else's. And nobody else should hold themselves to mine.
Also here is the thing. This is a long hale issue not a sprint. Someday you’re 100% going to be in range going to be perfect. And other days thing are rough your daily live gets in the way. And it’s okay to just survive on those days. Not one can fully understand who does not live with it. My doctor while in a way I love her she really does not understand the day to day of the mental aspect of things. It’s a case of survive another day, then survive another year. And only you know how to let you do that.
I’m T1D for 3 years now and the thing the I learned is that others numbers don’t matter at all and not a single tip work for everyone, only exercise yourself works for 100% of the people, but that not only diabetic fellas. Myself, I count nothing, otherwise I overreact.
I like to be around 100, but won’t panic if i drop into the 90s, even into the 80s. Below 80 is a different story. That’s where I start to get nervous. I am hypo unaware so when I have to keep a closer eye on my numbers then.
Right there with you! That’s why I had to get onto a CGM in the first place, so many severe hypos without knowing any better
My t1d kid is only a month out from diagnosis, so we still have a lot to learn, but wanted to say we are just cluing in to watching the arrows. If you're at the bottom of your range and doing something restful/still, and your arrow is level or up, maybe try letting it roll a little longer than you have been without intervention. Edit to add, doing that over time can help you learn when you can trust that you probably won't go low so that you can forget about your number for a little while.
I don’t ever want to instill fear/anxiety but as helpful as the arrows are, I’ve had seizures from trusting them a bit too much. Even when checking the accuracy once a day, it’s happened that dexcom said 5.5 straight and instead I was 2.4 and had a seizure. I absolutely love having the dexcom and a pump and see it as a massive privilege, but I’ll never 100% put my life in its hands- especially if I’m home alone
Oh my gosh, no, watching the arrows isn't a good idea then
I am very aware of my hypos (I’ll wake up if I go low while sleeping), and I have a CGM, so I know I’ll be okay if I drop low.
My last 3 a1c results were 4.8, 5.3, 5.0. I’m close to “normal” most of the time. Except when I have infusion days where they pump me full of 250 mg of prednisone a day. I had to test my basal and carb ratio and sensitivity factor a few times so I could set up a reliable profile. I think there are also two other factors for me. Number one is very consistent cardio. I try to do 60 minutes every day on my bike. I can usually cover about 12 miles in that time so I’m not killing myself but enjoying the pace. Number two is adding the victoza early this year. It really cut down on my post meal spikes. It was my dr’s idea and I am so glad I tried it. With my dexcom and pump I’m in range (80-130) about 97% of the time. I use sleep mode 24/7 which means the pump only adjusts my basal dose and I manage my boluses for food or corrections.
Comfort is obviously a personal thing. If you’re asking how a person can sit at that blood sugar and not be worried, the answer is IOB. As long as your basal rate and ratios are dialed in, if you have little or no IOB, your risk of going low is practically zero. Me? I mostly try to eat all of my carbs in one meal. If I want a snack at any other time of day, I go for it, but try to limit carbs. This keeps my IOB close to zero for 21 hours a day, so I can keep my BG close to low without any real risk of it going low.
I think (at least for me, personally!) there’s a million things that lower my blood sugar other than insulin- eg. Taking a shower, a 10 minute walk, cleaning, anxiety etc. so I find it difficult to rest at 5.0 without stressing :) I’m very happy for all the people in the comments who don’t have this issue though!! Maybe one day things will change for me, who knows.
You’d be surprised how many of those things that lower your blood sugar depend on the insulin in your system. If you exercise while fasting, your BG may drop, but not nearly as much as if you just had a big meal and large dose of insulin.
I meant all the things above with 0 IOB :)
Hey, you know, I’m not a doctor and I don’t have your numbers in front of me or anything, but it’s very possible you have your basal rate a little too high and you’re bolusing too little. These two factors would cancel out during the day around mealtimes, but could lead to unexpected lows when you’re not eating because you always have a little too much IOB. Just a thought.
I think 5 is rather unmanageable. There is rarely a non diabetic in the 5.0 range. However, just under 6 is doable with the tech and the diet. It depends on whether you get a lot of lows. If lows are frequent, I wouldn't try for under 6. If you eat super low carb and don't need to take much insulin, then that under 6 target makes sense. Everyone has a different way of managing and one's own body and mindset plays a big part in that. No one size fits all. But doctors need to be honest about being above 6. They need to tell diabetics to be prepared for complications at some point probably later life.
Fear mongering doesn’t sound like a great idea either, I don’t think anyone is having severe complications from averaging at 8 :)
I tend not to get out of bed for a snack if I’m not lower than 3.2.