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ForumsMetabolic Health & DiabetesMy A1C dropped so fast my doctor thought the lab made an error — anyone have experience?

My A1C dropped so fast my doctor thought the lab made an error — anyone have experience?

dan_philly Wed, Nov 27, 2024 at 7:40 PM 12 replies 1,630 viewsPage 1 of 3
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dan_philly
Member
456
2,123
Jul 2024
Philadelphia, PA
Nov 27, 2024 at 9:05 PM#1

Got my latest labs back this morning and I actually cried. A1C: 5.4%. For context, here's my trajectory:

DateA1CFasting GlucoseWeightMeds
Jan 20259.2%198 mg/dL267 lbsMetformin 2000mg + Glipizide 10mg
Apr 20257.8%156 mg/dL248 lbsMetformin 2000mg + Sema 0.5mg
Jul 20256.9%128 mg/dL231 lbsMetformin 1000mg + Sema 1.0mg
Oct 20256.1%108 mg/dL218 lbsMetformin 1000mg + Sema 1.7mg
Jan 20265.6%96 mg/dL207 lbsMetformin 500mg + Sema 2.4mg
Mar 20265.4%91 mg/dL201 lbsSema 2.4mg only

My endocrinologist officially removed the T2D diagnosis code from my chart and replaced it with "history of." She said she almost never gets to do that. I'm off metformin entirely as of last month.

F/52, 5'6". Diagnosed T2D in 2019. Was told I'd be on medication for life.

14 0DadBodDave, AmyNC_wife, SkepticalSean and 11 others
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Dr.KarenChen
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Nov 2023
San Francisco, CA
Nov 27, 2024 at 9:22 PM#2

This is legitimately life-changing. An A1C of 5.4 isn't just "controlled diabetes" — that's a completely normal, non-diabetic value. Your pancreatic beta cells clearly still had reserve capacity, and removing the glucotoxicity let them recover.

The fasting glucose trend is almost as impressive. 198 to 91 is textbook metabolic restoration.

A few questions if you don't mind:

  • Did you make significant dietary changes beyond what the appetite suppression naturally caused?
  • Any hypoglycemic episodes during the transition off glipizide?
  • What's your CGM data look like now? Time in range?
46 23JessicaM_2024, TomFromTexas, mike.trainer_LA and 43 others
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AussieAnna
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Jun 2024
Sydney, AU
Nov 27, 2024 at 9:39 PM#3

Great questions.

Diet: Yes, beyond just eating less I made a deliberate shift to lower glycemic index foods. More protein, more vegetables, dramatically less refined carbs. But I'm not keto or anything extreme — I still eat fruit, whole grains, sweet potatoes. The appetite suppression made it easier to be intentional about food choices rather than just grabbing whatever was fastest.

Hypoglycemia: One scary episode about 3 weeks after starting sema while still on glipizide. Blood sugar dropped to 54, shaky, sweating, the works. That's when my endo pulled the glipizide. Lesson: GLP-1 + sulfonylureas need careful management.

CGM: Libre 2. Time in range (70-180) is 97%. Time below 70 is basically 0% now. My average glucose over the last 14 days is 104 with a standard deviation of 18. Before treatment my SD was in the 40s.

Last edited: Nov 27, 2024 at 10:39 PM
48 24LibrarianMeg, bri_stats, pete_manc_UK and 45 others
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lisa_labSD
Member
278
1,234
Oct 2024
San Diego, CA
Nov 27, 2024 at 9:56 PM#4

This is a beautiful case study in metabolic recovery. A few clinical points for anyone reading who's in a similar situation:

  1. A1C below 5.7% is officially non-diabetic range. 5.4% is solidly there.
  2. The fact that fasting glucose is 91 (well under 100) suggests genuine insulin sensitivity restoration, not just medication-masking.
  3. Glucose variability (SD of 18) is excellent — that's better than many people who were never diabetic.

The critical question now is sustainability. The semaglutide is doing heavy lifting for both appetite/weight and direct glycemic effects. If you ever need to discontinue, a careful transition plan with your endo is essential.

Congratulations. Truly.

42 10lori_vegas, Dr.PulmRoch, maya_sedona and 39 others
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Dr.BariatricHTX
Senior Member
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Feb 2024
Houston, TX
Nov 27, 2024 at 10:13 PM#5

I'm sitting here with my A1C of 8.1 feeling hopeful for the first time in a while. Just started sema 3 weeks ago. Thank you for posting this.

21 11maya_sedona, stefan_berlin, Dr.EM_Chicago and 18 others
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