Is this type 2 diabetes after all?

[betwelve]

I had some blood tests which I posted about on here before, showing extremely low B12.

Anyway, when I got those results they gave me some old results too that showed that at one point in time, pre-pandemic, I had high blood sugar (hba1c) but was never informed by the GP. I didn't have any diabetes symptoms but looking back I was fatigued (which was the cause for the test).

Compared to that time (which after all was about 5 years ago now) I'm slimmer and I've been following a very low carb diet, all to try and help my fatigue. Today I got home though and had a pack of instant noodles. It's the first time I've had high carb junk food like this this year. After eating them I suddenly couldn't stay awake, went for a nap and woke up at about 9, I had slept all that time! Even though I'm awake now I feel a bit weird/zoned out still. And this episode has reminded me of that time pre-pandemic when I had (unbeknownst to me) high blood sugar and fatigue like this.

Well, because I've had a normal hba1c since the high one, I thought I was fine. But now I'm thinking maybe the low carb diet and weight loss has masked that I have some form of diabetes. All I've had is one small pack of noodles and I was out like a light! Surely it shouldn't have that effect?

How can I tell if this is diabetes or not? I'm a size 10 in clothing and not really "fat" but not tiny either. But I know you can still have it even when not overweight. The only other thought I'm having is: is it Coeliac's which hasn't been ruled out by the doctor yet (as was raised as a possible cause of B12 deficiency)? But would that make me go into a sudden "food coma"? Thanks for any help/advice.

It won’t mask it. You can go from pre diabetes back to normal if you change your diet, which you have done. How high was your HBA1c?
Low B12 does cause horrendous tiredness though.

Thanks, I've had B12 loading, doses I'm taking folic acid and although we didn't get to the bottom of the cause of the deficiency, I do feel TONNES better since the B12 loading doses. I don't get out of breath and fatigue any more, brain fog has improved etc. I'm having three-monthly shots forever. I argued for bi-monthly but have been turned down. So I don't think it's B12 fatigue, it seems to be related to eating these noodles.

That old, pre-pandemic test was 35. I don't have the latest one to hand, sorry, but just remember it was normal.

I still feel really weird, I've got a banging headache etc. And the sleep wasn't exactly normal sleep, I was a bit aware but couldn't get up or wake up if you see what I mean. It just seems bizarre thing to happen just from one tiny packet of noodles. I mean, I suppose I'll have to experiment with pasta and other foods that I've long since eliminated and see if they make me "pass out" as well.

Thanks, though, I was wondering if I'd covered up a diabetes diagnosis inadvertently/unintentionally.

Hbac1 of 35 is normal. Pre diabetes is 42-47. 48 and above is Diabetes.
So your pre pandemic reading was not even pre diabetes.

35 isn’t high. Normal HBA1c is between 25-41 for our lab.
Was MSG an ingredient in the noodles?

Oh, if it's not out of range I guess that's why they didn't inform me then 😅
I just looked again and the reason I though it was is because they've put advice about high blood sugar in the "range" column, which I interpreted as meaning it was high.

Yes, the noodles have MSG. I did use to live in Asia so used to eat it often and I wasn't aware of MSG sensitivity but OTOH it would make sense.

Either that or I do have Coeliac's and that was a reaction, because I'm effectively living gluten-free these days. MSG sensitivity would be far easier to handle!

Thanks for your thoughts everyone, I don't want to bother my GP with this one ("I ate noodles and passed out 😆).

I do keto but if i eat something like that I get instant fatigue, especially if at PMS stage of cycle

Pretty sure if you were celiac you would have had vomiting and pain - not just falling asleep.

Ah right, thanks for the info. I've avoided googling Coeliac's since it was first raised because the info is quite frankly overwhelming and scary and there's not much I can do anyway, nor do I have a diagnosis. Well I guess I'll just continue on my carb-free diet but it's a bit of a mystery. I'll try a wheat pasta and compare, maybe.

@betwelve my DD’s friend has to have a separate oven, toaster, utensils…..everything. Because even if she eats food that is GF but has been dished up using a spatula that’s touched cru bs of non-Gf food, she’ll be horrifically vomiting for hours.

Aww, that sounds so tough on them. I was also really worried about the price of the gluten-free products when it was raised as a possibility. I don't know how anyone affords it!

@betwelve - have you had a blood test for coeliac? If there's any suspicion you might have it, you must find out for sure. I know you said you're scared of googling it, so I'll just say that it can do a lot of damage if you're coeliac but continue eating gluten. I know this because my son is undergoing investigations for coeliac at the moment.

@Rarewaxwing Yes and it was negative but it's got to be repeated because I don't eat carbs so I don't really have gluten, and you've got eat a diet that contains gluten for it to work. So I've got to go back on a carby diet and have it again at some point. I've never thought or felt like I have Coeliac's in all honesty, it was just raised because of B12 deficiency.