Do I need a meter

fbs3006

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Type 2
I am newly diagnosed type 2 and my doctor says I don't need a meter but my next blood test is not for another 2 months. I'd kinda like to know how my lifestyle changes have effected my blood sugar as much as anything for encouragement. Do I get a meter myself?
Nigel
 
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Spiker

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You are absolutely right to want to monitor your own blood sugar. The cheapest meter to operate "pay as you go" is probably the SD Codefree.
 
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himtoo

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why can't everyone get on........
Hi fbs3006
welcome to the forum :)

the common sense view that pretty much all of us here agree with is yes you do.

My analogy is that you would not drive a car without a speedometer.......

your doctor however is basing his or her decision on cost to the NHS in the short term -- not thinking of your health and the money that could be saved longer term.

i am tagging @daisy1 for her wonderful starter pack she will post soon
 
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Mike d

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Yes. No ifs, no buts, just get one and start testing. GREAT 1st up question :)
 
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Gettingon

Member
Messages
5
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Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
My family thought I was over-reacting when I bought a blood glucose meter soon after being diagnosed but I have never regretted it. Apart from anything else it shows me how my body reacts to different foods which has helped me to get my numbers down considerably. I test less now than I did at the beginning, but my family are still bemused. Just the other day, my dd asked me whether I really still needed to do it!
 
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catinahat

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Hello welcome
Testing before a meal and 2hr after is the only way we can understand how our food is affecting our blood sugar, you soon start to get a good idea of what foods you need to restrict or avoid. You will be surprised that foods you thought were healthy choices, are doing you no good at all. If you decide to get a meter, here's a link for the code free meter and some discount codes for the strips
http://www.homehealth-uk.com/medical/blood_glucose_monitor_testing.htm
5 packs ----264086
10 packs---975833
 

daisy1

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@fbs3006

Hello and welcome to the forum :)

I agree with the other members that you definitely need a meter and to test regularly in order to keep your levels under control. Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask more questions and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 140,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
 

ally1

Expert
Messages
5,402
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
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liver
my meter is my best friend, well worth it
 

mandacat

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
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Snow
Hi,I'm recently diagnosed for the first 2months I didn't have one.All I did was mention it to my diabetic nurse and she said just ask for one at the chemist!!
I did and I got one free of charge and have the testing strips on repeat.When I went to clinic last week a diabetic specialist was visiting clinic she said I shouldn't be testing etc....well all I can say is I'm glad I didn't ask her for one!!
 

TopCat_999

Member
Messages
20
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
I got a free one! not sure how or where or why! There are sometime giveaway ones on the main page. The main drawback with the giveaway ones is you then have to buy the test strips, etc
 

sonia89

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I have been diagnosed since August last year with type 2. I asked my diabetic nurse for one today because I had a hypo yesterday. She said due to me being on a small dose of metformin and my blood sugar levels are good, I couldn't have one!! I'm thinking of buying one off eBay.
 

Robbity

Expert
Messages
6,683
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I wonder how many of the medical profession would deny themselves a meter if they had type 2 diabetes. It's a vital tool for all of us, but if you search through the forum you'll find the majority of us are refused a meter and have to "self fund" them.

Robbity.
 
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Nuthead

Well-Known Member
Messages
986
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Welcome. Get a meter. Good control of your blood sugar is the only way to avoid the horrible side effects that can effect you. I'm not saying you won't get any side effects but you need to do your best to avoid them.
 

fbs3006

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Thank you to everyone for your answers...I was really shocked to get so many so quickly. It's good to see people care.
Nigel
 

fbs3006

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hello welcome
Testing before a meal and 2hr after is the only way we can understand how our food is affecting our blood sugar, you soon start to get a good idea of what foods you need to restrict or avoid. You will be surprised that foods you thought were healthy choices, are doing you no good at all. If you decide to get a meter, here's a link for the code free meter and some discount codes for the strips
http://www.homehealth-uk.com/medical/blood_glucose_monitor_testing.htm
5 packs ----264086
10 packs---975833
I've just used your link and bought one. £11.60. Many thanks.
 
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DebbieAnnW

Member
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I was diagnosed years ago...but stayed in denial...and ate whatever I wanted to - and attributed any symptoms to my age, weight, a virus - anything BUT diabetes. A bit of a change in my symptoms a couple of weeks ago, so I forked out for an Accutest meter and strips from Boots. It has changed my attitude to my health completely. I am not "obsessing" as some GPs might describe it.....I am taking control. BG is now down from 29 to 7, because I now know what food affects me, personally...and I eat accordingly. I am happy to buy my own, whatever the cost, because I am worth it :)
 
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NoCrbs4Me

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I reversed my Type 2
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Other
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As I've said before, the problem is some (most?) of the HCPs say don't self test, but advise type 2s to eat a high carb low fat "healthy" diet. This is a recipe for failure. If they said don't self test and severely reduce carbs and processed food, it would be fine.

I've progressed from obsessively self testing and counting calories and every gram of carb, fat, and protein I eat to just checking in my morning fasting level and not keeping track of what I eat.
 
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Paul59

Well-Known Member
Messages
954
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
As I've said before, the problem is some (most?) of the HCPs say don't self test, but advise type 2s to eat a high carb low fat "healthy" diet. This is a recipe for failure. If they said don't self test and severely reduce carbs and processed food, it would be fine.

I've progressed from obsessively self testing and counting calories and every gram of carb, fat, and protein I eat to just checking in my morning fasting level and not keeping track of what I eat.
Yes I'm much the same unless it's a new food I'm trying.
You get to know how things will affect glucose levels after a while, so if your having to buy your own meter it's only really the 1st e months or so that runs up cost but once you know how things affect you the cost drops.
 
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Robbity

Expert
Messages
6,683
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I was diagnosed years ago...but stayed in denial...and ate whatever I wanted to - and attributed any symptoms to my age, weight, a virus - anything BUT diabetes. A bit of a change in my symptoms a couple of weeks ago, so I forked out for an Accutest meter and strips from Boots. It has changed my attitude to my health completely. I am not "obsessing" as some GPs might describe it.....I am taking control. BG is now down from 29 to 7, because I now know what food affects me, personally...and I eat accordingly. I am happy to buy my own, whatever the cost, because I am worth it :)

@DebbieAnnW Well done you, and yes you're definitely worth it and better for it too! :happy: :)

Did Boots give you a form to complete - you should be able to get your strips from Chemists VAT free. But do also look on eBay, as you can usually get your strips much cheaper, but watch for expiry dates, though!

Robbity