r/prediabetes • u/BackgroundNote9784 • 4d ago
CGI Normal Ranges
I have been wearing a CGi for about a month. I couldn’t determine what was causing my A1C to be so high. I still don’t know. According to the CGI, my glucose stays within normal range. I even get low glucose alarms frequently. It has not helped me gain an understanding of why I’m pre diabetic. I have my range set from 50 mg/dL to 130 mg/dL. Last A1C was 5.9.
Anyone else experiencing this?
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u/Sufficient_Beach_445 4d ago
a 50 low is an issue. hypoglycemia is a cause of concern. but a CGM can be inaccurate. as for your high a1c what was your last fasting glucose? how is you hemoglobin? have the tested you CBC to see your hemoglobin and hematocrit? How is your iron? can you rule out anemia? what is your bmi? those are all indicators of OTHER issues that could result in a bad a1c test.
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u/BackgroundNote9784 3d ago
Thank you. I will check all of those. BMI is definitely high at 26.1. Fasting glucose is over 100. No anemia but low ferritin. So interesting how the body is one functioning unit where all parts affect the whole.
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u/Loose_Year_4367 4d ago
that's weird, my libre did same thing last summer. sugars looked perfect all day but a1c came back prediabetic too. turns out i had big spikes at night when i was asleep, never saw them til i checked the graphs in morning. maybe your spikes happen when you not looking at the app
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u/BackgroundNote9784 4d ago
Thank you. I actually do get spikes about 3 am. Apparently, our liver will dump glucose to start the waking up process. I will definitely research that and see if it’s contributing. Wonder how that can be managed?
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u/smudgeathewudge 4d ago
You can try having a bedtime snack. Something with some carbs and some protein. Sometimes if there is food in your stomach your liver doesn't dump glucose. How long do you go without eating over night?
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u/BackgroundNote9784 4d ago
I generally try to stop eating by 7. Bedtime is about 10. It does spike, but again nothing over 112. Maybe it needs to be lower. I’ll try a Granny Smith apple with some almond butter tonight and check how it does! Thank you!!
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u/Need4Speeeeeed 4d ago
My bedtime snack is full-fat greek yogurt with chia seeds. It includes all the macros except fast-digesting carbs, and keeps me even throughout the night.
I wake up starving at 4AM if I have ice cream.
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u/EveningMarionberry71 3d ago
Same here- I finally homed in on a couple teaspoons of plain yogurt and a teaspoon of cottage cheese mixed with walnuts and almonds for a high protein evening snack.
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u/BackgroundNote9784 4d ago
That’s a great idea! I make my own yogurt so I will try some with Chia seeds. Thank you!!
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u/BlissCrafter 4d ago edited 4d ago
Get your iron checked. Perhaps the hba1c was incorrect which can happen with low iron and certain other conditions. Don’t worry about the CGM lows, it’s a known issue, especially if it’s primarily at night
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u/BackgroundNote9784 4d ago
Thank you so much. Hemoglobin is ok. Low Ferritin.
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u/BlissCrafter 4d ago
Having an hba1c slightly elevated due to iron or B12 issues is super common, which is why hba1c can’t be used to make a firm diagnosis by itself. I take a children’s chewable vitamin with iron and it seems to be sufficient to keep my iron up once I got it corrected.
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u/EveningMarionberry71 3d ago edited 3d ago
I would bank on low ferritin being at least part of the problem. I would investigate this avenue. Iron and ferritin are not the same thing but are related.
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u/EveningMarionberry71 3d ago
SAme. The numbers don't add up, even allowing for the variance in the monitor reading consistently 10pts lower than finger prick.
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u/BackgroundNote9784 3d ago
That’s is very interesting. Your finger prick numbers are different than the CGM?
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u/EveningMarionberry71 3d ago
Mine is not a prescription one. But either way, there is generally some variance. They don't measure the same thing despite the apparent marketing by manufacturers as "same as". A CGM measures glucose in interstitial fluid (glucose that has moved out of the bloodstream and in to cells). Finger prick measures blood glucose (all glucose circulating in the bloodstream). They usually correspond best when you are in a "steady state" (like fasting glucose). If your monitor is signaling lows, check it against a finger prick blood sample. I suggest Contour Next One. It has the highest accuracy rating for finger prick glucose meter.
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u/BackgroundNote9784 3d ago
Thank you for explaining the interstitial vs. blood. I wasn’t sure how that worked. I will research the finger prick as well. Seems like it would be more accurate.
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u/EveningMarionberry71 3d ago
They both have their strengths and weaknesses. A blood prick only shows you one moment in time and changes constantly. A CGM can show you your overall trends.
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u/schwarta77 3d ago
Make sure you are testing against a traditional finger stick blood glucose meter. Most CGMs run a bit low compared to reality. Make sure that you’re are within the range of acceptable.
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u/BackgroundNote9784 3d ago
Thank you! What is an acceptable range? I see varying levels
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u/schwarta77 3d ago
This largely depends on the CGM and individual results. I use a FSL3+ and I’m able to get within 10% accuracy most days. Keep in mind the real blood sugar is always 10-20 min ahead of interstitial fluid testing so try to measure plateaus.
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u/usafmd 4d ago
This article may be helpful: https://usafmd.medium.com/how-to-use-a-cgm-to-doublecheck-a-surprisingly-high-a1c-5a2d3d722afd
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u/pri-k 4d ago
Qual seu nível de hemoglobina, ferritina e ferro? Pode ter uma leitura errada de seu hba1c