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    • 23 hours, 13 minutes ago
      Patricia Dalrymple likes your comment at
      Does dietary protein affect your glucose levels?
      Try the "Atkins" diet or some other no-carb diet (e.g., Paleo minus fruits and staches) for a few days. This will allow you to measure your insulin demands based solely on non-carbohydrates (fats and proteins). Ultimately, your glucose can be affected by all three*, but eliminating one macro group at a time will let you assess how much each affects your bg levels.
    • 23 hours, 13 minutes ago
      Patricia Dalrymple likes your comment at
      Does dietary protein affect your glucose levels?
      Patricia, if you're willing to isolate your diet to a single protein for a few days you'll most likely know. It doesn't work for everyone. It did for me.
    • 23 hours, 15 minutes ago
      Patricia Dalrymple likes your comment at
      Have you ever met with a dietitian to support your diabetes management plan?
      A dietician diagnosed me as Type 1. My doctor sent me to her because I was struggling to get my glucose levels down while being treated for Type 2. By the time I met her, I had dropped from 155 to 115 over the course of a few months. She took one look at me and told my doctor to order more tests. I was on insulin about a week later. She likely saved me from DKA and may have saved my life.
    • 1 day, 3 hours ago
      TEH likes your comment at
      Have you ever met with a dietitian to support your diabetes management plan?
      A dietician diagnosed me as Type 1. My doctor sent me to her because I was struggling to get my glucose levels down while being treated for Type 2. By the time I met her, I had dropped from 155 to 115 over the course of a few months. She took one look at me and told my doctor to order more tests. I was on insulin about a week later. She likely saved me from DKA and may have saved my life.
    • 1 day, 3 hours ago
      TEH likes your comment at
      Have you ever met with a dietitian to support your diabetes management plan?
      Once. She wanted me to go to a group class and I told her I had very specific questions. After we talked, she agreed that I didn’t need to go, that I could probably teach the class. My problem isn’t with nutrition but we having the willpower to deny myself what everyone else is eating (or at least in smaller portions). Most times I am successful.
    • 1 day, 12 hours ago
      Sandra Rosborough likes your comment at
      Have you ever met with a dietitian to support your diabetes management plan?
      It was a worthless meeting. They had no idea about how carbs raise blood sugar!!! I’ve found few Endo offices that understand type 1!
    • 1 day, 23 hours ago
      Bob Durstenfeld likes your comment at
      Have you ever met with a dietitian to support your diabetes management plan?
      Once. She wanted me to go to a group class and I told her I had very specific questions. After we talked, she agreed that I didn’t need to go, that I could probably teach the class. My problem isn’t with nutrition but we having the willpower to deny myself what everyone else is eating (or at least in smaller portions). Most times I am successful.
    • 2 days, 1 hour ago
      lis be likes your comment at
      Have you ever met with a dietitian to support your diabetes management plan?
      My absolutely favorite meeting with a dietician is when a guy came up from Miami to lecture our local diabetic group. His advice? He said, to wit, "You probably shouldn't drink alcohol, but if you must, then try and make it dry champagne."
    • 2 days, 1 hour ago
      lis be likes your comment at
      Have you ever met with a dietitian to support your diabetes management plan?
      When I was diagnosed, I was simply given a diet to follow. Period. I followed it for awhile, but then I moved to the UK, and the recommended diet was different, so I used that. When I finally went onto separate injections for each meal, I made my own diet. I have been eating whole grains since about a year before my diagnosis, and have never been a fan of sugary foods. I'm glad I never had to meet with a dietician: it would have been a waste of time.
    • 2 days, 1 hour ago
      KSannie likes your comment at
      Have you ever met with a dietitian to support your diabetes management plan?
      Once. She wanted me to go to a group class and I told her I had very specific questions. After we talked, she agreed that I didn’t need to go, that I could probably teach the class. My problem isn’t with nutrition but we having the willpower to deny myself what everyone else is eating (or at least in smaller portions). Most times I am successful.
    • 2 days, 1 hour ago
      KSannie likes your comment at
      Have you ever met with a dietitian to support your diabetes management plan?
      It was a worthless meeting. They had no idea about how carbs raise blood sugar!!! I’ve found few Endo offices that understand type 1!
    • 2 days, 1 hour ago
      Lawrence S. likes your comment at
      To what extent will the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans influence your eating habits?
      Pretty sure most of us type 1's have spent a ton of time and research developing personal guidelines for our bodies and insulin response. Trial, error, start again. test. Thinking about the high carb pyramid they gave me in the hospital when first diagnosed in 1980... and my youth not understanding why i had so many sugar swings. Food guidance from the government has always seemed driven by lobbyists and politicians...
    • 2 days, 1 hour ago
      Lawrence S. likes your comment at
      To what extent will the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans influence your eating habits?
      Not at all. I'm 86 and what got me here is what I'm still doing. Also, I have heart disease and will not increase my use of beef fat or butter.
    • 2 days, 1 hour ago
      Lawrence S. likes your comment at
      To what extent will the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans influence your eating habits?
      Amanda Barras -- The marketplace of ideas, almost as much of a cul de sac as the tribal alleys of true believers, there are plenty of shortcomings to keto and Bernstein diets. Google almost any "Critcism of X diet" and a plethora of articles will appear. Same goes for all the current protein-push policies that are in vogue.
    • 2 days, 1 hour ago
      Lawrence S. likes your comment at
      To what extent will the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans influence your eating habits?
      While I appreciate the pyramid needed some adjustment, going to a meat and fat pushing diet (my perception) is just as bad. Plus I don’t trust people that ignore the science and common sense needed just because they happen to be currently in charge.
    • 2 days, 2 hours ago
      Lawrence S. likes your comment at
      Does dietary protein affect your glucose levels?
      Said I’m not sure. I mostly have some protein with every meal. How would I know for sure that protein is the impact and not some other of the 100s of factors that affect BG?
    • 2 days, 2 hours ago
      Lawrence S. likes your comment at
      Have you ever met with a dietitian to support your diabetes management plan?
      Once when 1st diagnosed
    • 2 days, 2 hours ago
      Lawrence S. likes your comment at
      Have you ever met with a dietitian to support your diabetes management plan?
      A dietician diagnosed me as Type 1. My doctor sent me to her because I was struggling to get my glucose levels down while being treated for Type 2. By the time I met her, I had dropped from 155 to 115 over the course of a few months. She took one look at me and told my doctor to order more tests. I was on insulin about a week later. She likely saved me from DKA and may have saved my life.
    • 2 days, 2 hours ago
      Ahh Life likes your comment at
      Have you ever met with a dietitian to support your diabetes management plan?
      A dietician diagnosed me as Type 1. My doctor sent me to her because I was struggling to get my glucose levels down while being treated for Type 2. By the time I met her, I had dropped from 155 to 115 over the course of a few months. She took one look at me and told my doctor to order more tests. I was on insulin about a week later. She likely saved me from DKA and may have saved my life.
    • 2 days, 2 hours ago
      Lawrence S. likes your comment at
      Have you ever met with a dietitian to support your diabetes management plan?
      When I was younger I used to see a dietitian with every T1D appointment, but that was like 20-30 years ago
    • 2 days, 2 hours ago
      Lawrence S. likes your comment at
      Have you ever met with a dietitian to support your diabetes management plan?
      One appointment shortly after I was diagnosed but none since then.
    • 2 days, 16 hours ago
      lis be likes your comment at
      Does dietary protein affect your glucose levels?
      So, I ordinarily would answer "never" to this question. I can go on a no carb diet for days and need no bolus insulin whatsoever (I still must take a basal dose). For example, I can eat eggs, bacon, and other "breakfast" meats for breakfast, I can eat a cheeseburger (lettuce wrap bun) for lunch and even eat a 16oz steak for dinner and not need a single unit of bolus insulin. That said, protein drinks and protein bars are a different story. Even a small amount of carbs mixed in (say about 6-8g) will drive my glucose up slightly. Because this increase is significantly larger than the carbs would induce alone, obviously, the protein does cause some increase.
    • 2 days, 22 hours ago
      Deborah Wright likes your comment at
      Does dietary protein affect your glucose levels?
      It has a minor Impact but it happens every time.
    • 2 days, 22 hours ago
      Deborah Wright likes your comment at
      Does dietary protein affect your glucose levels?
      For me always - it may take hours, but it will eventually go up.
    • 2 days, 22 hours ago
      Deborah Wright likes your comment at
      Does dietary protein affect your glucose levels?
      Said I’m not sure. I mostly have some protein with every meal. How would I know for sure that protein is the impact and not some other of the 100s of factors that affect BG?
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    If you use a CGM, how did your A1c change in the first 6 months of use?

    Home > LC Polls > If you use a CGM, how did your A1c change in the first 6 months of use?
    Previous

    How many people do you know in person (not online) who have T1D?

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    Do you currently have any smartphone apps that you use to look up the carbohydrates in various foods? Share your favorites in the comments!

    Sarah Howard

    Sarah Howard has worked in the diabetes research field ever since she was diagnosed with T1D while in college in May 2013. Since then, she has worked for various diabetes organizations, focusing on research, advocacy, and community-building efforts for people with T1D and their loved ones. Sarah is currently the Senior Marketing Manager at T1D Exchange.

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    31 Comments

    1. Britni

      I don’t remember what happened to my A1c in the first 6 months, but it probably went up as I was having frequent low blood sugars (45 low glucose events in 30 days) when I first started wearing my CGM.

      1
      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    2. Janice B

      My A1C did not change but I spent more time in range

      1
      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    3. Ahh Life

      A1c did not change. Standard deviation dropped from 90 to 45. All this in 2006 with the Minimed Harpoon, aptly named for the size of the insertion needle.

      4 years ago Log in to Reply
      1. AnitaS

        Hahahaha………
        I like your sense of humor.

        1
        4 years ago Log in to Reply
    4. Carolann Hunt

      Looping brought it down even more

      1
      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    5. paulinams28

      I feel that something that compromises the CGM’s blood glucose reading accuracy is the insertion step. Not sure if its the design or what, but in my experience I have lost many sensor tapes (guardian sensor 3/medtronic) because of puncturing capillaries. And at times I have to calibrate up to 4-5 times a day, which makes you think if the sensor is actually doing its job.

      1
      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    6. Mary Dexter

      My A1C did not change; it has been below 7 since I was correctly diagnosed and given insulin. The biggest change was that my husband was able to sleep at night.

      2
      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    7. Kristine Warmecke

      When I was made to get my first CGM, in July 2007, I wasn’t given a chose on which one I wanted, it was just Medtronic’s. It was a pain and inaccurate, so much that I stopped wearing it because of all the issues with it.

      2
      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    8. Bonatay

      I thought I would never be in the 8s. After CGM use I made it into the 7s.

      2
      4 years ago Log in to Reply
      1. Wanacure

        Hey, Bonatay, you can get into normal range with a CGM. Exercise, go to low carb diet. IF I CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT. Eat veggies like spinach and Brussels sprouts at every meal. Eat nuts and seeds every meal. Include non-sugared peanut butter, almond butter. Get protein from sardines and wild-caught canned or smoked salmon. Add avocados and olive oil to your diet. Eggs, cheese, unsweetened yoghurt or kefir are good for you. Two ounces sweet potatoes, “yams” or canned pumpkin taste good, add fiber. Two tablespoons flax meal per day. I Tb wheat germ & 1 Tb yeast at breakfast and again at dinner. Don’t forget 4 Tb tomato sauce every day. For polyphenols have at least 1 cup Green Tea (decaf available). Save your kidneys by carrying a water bottle in your backpack. Yeah, it’s hard to kick carb addiction.

        4 years ago Log in to Reply
    9. Lawrence S.

      I don’t recall my A1c’s changing when I first started on a CGM system. I usually ran between 5.5 and 6.0. However, since I’ve been on the Control IQ system with Dexcom G6 and Tandem, may A1c has consistently run at 6.1

      1
      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    10. George Lovelace

      In 2009 I started on the Dexcom System 7+ and don’t remember much change in A1c but it did bring down the anxiety over Hypo events. Now the G6 with Tandem CIQ I have eliminated almost All Hypos

      2
      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    11. Amanda Barras

      Pre-pump on 8 shots a day I was at 7.2 with hard work. Adding a pump dropped to 6.8, adding CGM dropped to 6.3.

      4
      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    12. Carol Meares

      My A1c did not change so much but I am guessing that my time in range and standard deviation changed a lot. I had many lows and and highs but my A1c overall was good. Now I have less lows and highs maintaining much more even management of my diabetes. CGM is a glorious addition to my life. I could not live without it.

      4
      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    13. Joan McGinnis

      It was 2008 and I have no idea but under 7 now and I am happy for someone with T1D for 43 yrs

      1
      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    14. TEH

      Going on GGM helped me drop from 7.8 to 7.1. Going on modified close loop with the 770G I have been able to drop A1C further to 6.9.

      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    15. M C

      The only thing that changed when I started using a CGM was the average number of times I check my BG level each day.

      2
      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    16. Natalie Daley

      I check more often, so fewer lows and highs, learning the trends and not being as concerned about lows, especially at night have been great. Libre 2 is a work of art.

      2
      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    17. Kevin McCue

      I tried the Medtronic version of CGM and it was terrible, ended abandoning it after 2 years(A1c went from 7.6>9>8.7>8.8) when I was able to get insurance that covered Dexcom then Tandem. Constant false alerts with Medtronic with no improvement in A1c. Pre Dexcom CGM, I was struggling with high A1c and trying for tighter control. Ended up having lows that I could t see coming and A1c went up. Post Dexcom CGM, the accuracy and seeing trends that I could trust allowed me to get my A1c went down dramatically from 8.8 to 6.5 in the first few months.

      5
      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    18. Tina Roberts

      Decreased 2.% 10.5 to 8.5.

      2
      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    19. kflying1@yahoo.com

      Not a good question. Since beginning to use a CGM my occurrences of hypoglycemia have dropped to zero. especially during exercise or sleep.

      2
      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    20. LizB

      I don’t think my A1c changed too much because pre-CGM I had so many lows that I wasn’t aware of. I started using Medtronic’s Sof-Sensors when they first integrated with the pump (2007 or 2008) and I can’t remember my numbers from that far back. It definitely helped me to avoid some of the most serious lows and highs.

      1
      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    21. Janis Senungetuk

      My A1c didn’t change in the first 6 months of using the Dexcom G5. The changes came later using the G6 because my endo insisted that I needed to raise my A1c to 6.5 – 7.0 from the 6.0 level it had been at for years.

      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    22. Bill Williams

      Using a CGM was never about “improving” my A1c. I’d fluctuated between 6.5 and 7.5 for years using finger sticks and MDI. Libre and Omnipod are, for me, about ease of use, not reducing A1c or increasing time in range. Those numbers have changed very little.

      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    23. AnitaS

      My A1c really didn’t change but the highs and lows don’t happen as frequently nor are they as dramatic as before.

      1
      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    24. Lenora Ventura

      I can’t remember because I began using Dexcom when they 1st came out back in 2008. Been with them ever since & will never go without!!!

      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    25. Mark Schweim

      I don’t remember any effect on my A1c, but I started using Dexcom CGM in 2008 and that’s already 13, almost 14 years ago.

      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    26. Steve Rumble

      I recently started using a CGM and have not yet used one for 6 months.

      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    27. Carlene Vaitones

      My A1C improved because I’m able to be in the range of 120-95 more often without lows because I can see the low coming on the app. So I snack a little more often and skirt that nice lower “normal” range.

      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    28. David Smith

      I answered “NA” because I have been on a CGM less than 6 months, although the early trend seems to be decreasing A1C.

      4 years ago Log in to Reply
    29. Cheryl Seibert

      My A1C before a CGM was a good 6.9 (the highest I ever had) and with the CGM it dropped to 6.5. While my BGs wildly swing in a wide range, they change quickly, so it balances out. Still not in control (TIR) and StDev that I would like, but maybe the best a brittle diabetic with a big appetite can hope for.

      4 years ago Log in to Reply

    If you use a CGM, how did your A1c change in the first 6 months of use? Cancel reply

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