HELP!!! A1C Help

What did the physician recommend? That is where you really should be asking this question where its a DOT-Medical issue

A healthy diet and exercise will help his A1C levels. Cut out desserts and try sticking to healthy carbs such as those found in fruits, veggies, and whole grain breads. Good luck!

The DOT physician offered no help at all. They originally told him that his regular level needed to be under 200 which it is at 162. Of course he knows that needs to get to 100 but he has made great progress there. Just not sure how to deal with the A1C. They only told him about that number when he got there today to try to get his card back.

But did he ask the physician?

Im not trying to be a pain but, because your post is a medical related situation - and doubly more so, one regarding state and federal situations of holding a DOT card, you really need to send your husband back to that physician, or his personal primary care physician...

No one here knows your husband's entire medical record or health history, family history, etc.... its actually rather dangerous to be asking for medical related advice on a website that does not have actual physicians working for MFP to help answer these questions...

I am going to have him go back and talk with his physcian. I need to get him to calm down.

Why the hell didnt they refer him to a registered dietician? Or a Diabetic counselor? I know that for DOT-regulations they will nit pick a driver until it makes them scream bloody murder sometimes but the fact they didnt educate him OR refer him to a dietetic specialist, well... to be honest, scares the crap out of me....

I took my A1C from 7.1 (diabetic) to 5.7 (non diabetic) in 3 months by working with a Registered Dietician who specialises in diabetes care. I've been at this since 1 June and I've lost 46 pounds so far and with my last set of blood work I'm off all my meds, not just the ones for diabetes. Type 2 is reversible but it does take effort. I recommend your husband log his daily intake here, make an appointment with a RD (your local Diabetes Assoc can refer you, as should your doctor) and take the food diary with him. He needs to eat 15-45 grams of carbs with every meal to keep his glucose levels even, and he should be testing before every meal. His glucose readings should be between 70 and 130, and the ideal is under 100. Mine average in the low 80's now even though I no longer need to test before each meal. I switched everything out to whole grain, I only use cane sugar when I bake, use stevia otherwise, and I've upped the water intake immensely. I don't work out as much as some on here due to rather severe osteoarthritis in my knees and hips, but I do bike when the weather allows and use an elliptical. I'll have to watch for the rest of my life so I don't go back to being diabetic, but the health benefits are worth the effort. Feel free to add me as a friend.

Sorry but those readings may have worked for you, but the OP is discussing about her husband...... What he really needs to do is to have this discussed with his physician and RD about what is right for him, his circumstances, his medical situations because you are you, and he is he....

While it is very true the he and I are different, the 15-45 grams of carbs( 1-3 units) per meal comes directly from the National Diabetes Association guidelines, so I made the suggestion as a 'rule of thumb' so to speak. A RD will, of course, tailor his eating plan for him, just as mine did for me.

I have been a Type 1 diabetic for 22 years (since I was 10) and here's what I've found really helps me and may help your husband;

First and foremost, I get my heart rate up every day possible. The more often I can sustain my heart rate in some form of exercise at the high end of my target range (for me, the low 160's), the less insulin I require and my body is much more efficient, meaning my blood sugar is much better.

Second, work with a dietician. They can help your husband develop a meal plan and figure out what foods to avoid in order to maintain better control. You should probably go along too, if you cook meals for him. There are some really great diabetes cook books available out there - check out amazon.com.

Third, check your blood sugar often! You can't correct if you don't know that your sugar is high or low. Knowledge is the key to success.

Finally, if he's insulin dependent and not using an insulin pump, I would encourage him to check with his doctor to see if that would be a good option for him. My insulin pump helped me get my A1C's in the mid 5's. Before using my pump, I was in the high 7's.

Hope this helps Best of luck to you and your husband. Everyday is a different journey with this disease!

Can you get a referral to a Registered Dietitian? He/she should be able to help him with an individualized meal plan and a plan for when he is back on the road. The key is to keep his blood sugar in a good range by portioning his carbohydrates throughout the day - and make healthy choices for those carbohydrates. Good luck!

If his A1C is too high to get his CDL, then he most definitely needs to see his primary care physician and a dietician. You've received some good advice but he needs to be under the care of a doctor.

I have Type 1 diabetes, so no matter what lifestyle changes I make or how much weight I manage to lose, my diabetes is not reversible. However, with help from an RD and an endocrinologist, I was able to drop my A1c from the 12s to the 6s.

Honestly, the proper medical assessment and advice is critical. And, even when I was really committed to the process, my A1c didn't drop overnight; so, once your DH gets adequate medical advice (I can't believe they didn't send him to a RD at the least), he'll likely need encouragement and support to sustain the changes he needs to make, because it will take a little bit to see the results, and it's easy to get discouraged and just give up too soon.

Best of luck to him as he works toward better health!